A good cup of tea

[Ron Obvious]

A good cup of tea must be made with boiled water. Not microwaved, not hot. Boiled.

It should also never be served in a paper or styrofoam cup. Never!

Also, the serving of iced-tea should be a flogging offence.

I'm glad to get this off my chest, and I hope I've educated some people today.

[siligut]

1. And once you have had tea in China, you will never use a bag again

Tea in China is an art. Luckily I live in the NW US and can find good tea.

[Ron Obvious]

4. Agreed!

You're correct, of course, but these days I'd be over the moon to be served an F&M teabag tea in a ceramic cup, provided the water had been boiled, of course.

[siligut]

6. I have had some very good tea in Victoria BC and London

And tea time at the Empress Hotel is a sort of ceremony. But when I had dragon tea on an open balcony at the Summer Palace in Beijing, along the water, on a chilly day with flute sounds in the air, I was in paradise.

[Ron Obvious]

24. Loved the Empress...

We used to love staying at the Empress, and would travel to Victoria frequently (we live in Seattle), but sadly that border has become quite literally worse than Checkpoint Charlie. Haven't been in years....

[siligut]

32. Have you tried driving to Port Angeles and then taking the ferry?

The ferry lines are shorter than the border line is. We still go to Victoria, taking the ferry, but haven't driven to Vancouver in years because of the stupidity at the border after 9/11.

When they were doing all of the work on the Blaine Crossing to catch the terrorists, I asked one of the agents what the side areas were for. He told me that is where they would do strip searches and stuff. He seemed a little too enthusiastic

[Ron Obvious]

33. Yeah, but that's the one I described as Checkpoint Charlie

The last time I tried to get back to Port Angeles from Victoria was maybe 4 or 5 years back, and I had to go through 3 checkpoints. Once, when waiting with the car in the ferry line, a second time when actually driving the car onto the ferry, and a third time when exiting the ferry in Port Angeles. Each time with the same stupid time-wasting questions.

I have a pre-1987 ("permanent resident&quot green card without expiration date and I always get hassled because of it. I understand I've aged since the picture was taken but I refuse to get a new one because it would cost me $450 and be a lot of trouble. They don't like it when I tell them that "permanent is permanent". As of recently, green card holders must now be fingerprinted along with the rest of the rabble and that takes time also.

Additionally, I suspect I must be on some list somewhere that only applies to Washington State. I have the same problem flying. Arriving at Sea-Tac from a foreign country, I nearly always have to open my suitcases and get a lot of extra question, such as "where do you work?", "Can you prove that?", that I don't get elsewhere, and that I'm just itching to answer with "none of your f*cking business!"

They deny that I'm being targeted and that it's "completely random", but I never get this at any other airport.

Maybe it's just me. I've been told that when I try to put on a friendly and harmless expression, I actually look sneering and mocking, and the TSA people just hate that.

[geardaddy]

5. Agreed, depending on where you are in China.

Taiwan is even better for tea. I've had the most exquisite tea experiences there.

[siligut]

8. I agree, the tea is very important, but it is the whole experience that makes it extra special

Tea is a wonderful thing

[Major Nikon]

18. Tea bags have improved

Some of the higher end ones aren't too bad. Certainly I prefer steeping in a good tea pot, but I'll use bags at work and when I'm on the road.

There's nowhere around here in North Texas you can find good tea (at least that I've found), however there's plenty of good online outlets.

[HappyMe]

2. Coffee is better.

Iced tea without sugar is very refreshing.

[surrealAmerican]

3. Boiled water is the same ...

... whether it was boiled on the stove top, in the microwave, over a campfire, etc.

[Sanity Claws]

9. Not the same in the microwave

If you make boiling water in the microwave and then insert a teabag, the water explodes. It is dangerous.

I make tea all the time with tea boiled on the stove and it doesn't splatter and explode like that.

[surrealAmerican]

12. It sounds to me like the main difference is ...

... between inserting the teabag into the vessel that you boiled the water in, verses pouring it over a teabag in another container.

You could just boil your water (in the microwave) in a measuring cup, and then pour it over the teabag in a mug.

By the way, I boil water for tea in the microwave frequently, and have never experienced the "explosion" you mentioned. Perhaps my water is not as pure as yours.

[Major Nikon]

20. It can happen although it's rare

I've seen it before when using pyrex measuring cups. I wouldn't really call it an explosion.

http://www.snopes.com/science/microwave.asp

[Major Nikon]

19. That doesn't always happen and there's an easy fix

You simply put a bamboo chopstick or skewer into the water vessel prior to putting it in the microwave. This gives the bubbles an imperfect surface to form on and prevents this from happening.

[limpyhobbler]

7. I quite like snapple

[Sanity Claws]

10. I am also very fussy about tea

There is at least one exception to the boiling water rule. Green tea should be made with water that was brought to a boil and then allowed to cool for a couple of minutes. Green tea made with boiling water is bitter.

[Major Nikon]

11. Yes, green teas definitely need to be steeped at lower temperatures

Black teas are more forgiving and generally do well with higher temps.

[nolabear]

13. Respectfully, iced tea is the antidote to Southern ennui.

It's a matter of survival.

BUT, I love tea and all its nuances. I'm in the NW and one of my favorite things about going up to Vancouver or Victoria are the tea shops. I load up. I love the English ones and the Asian ceremonial ones, and a good Jasmine Pearl or Quan Yin or Prince Charles black makes me a happy woman.

But I think that microwave thing is a complete illusion. I've never experienced the explosion of water molecules. Heat is vibration of the molecules and how they get there is irrelevant. But don't put the tea itself in the microwave!

[geardaddy]

14. Tung Ting Oolong tea

from Taiwan. Yummers.

[GoneOffShore]

15. And if you don't like sugar,

Don't stir it!

And no boiling the water on the stove either - Electric kettles only - preferably a Russell-Hobbs.

[elleng]

16. True Brit, eh???

[RebelOne]

27. I am not a true Brit even though my heritage is English,

but when I was in London, the hotels had a tea pot in the rooms along with tea bags. That tea is an instant eye-opener in the morning. Must be made with speed.

[LeftishBrit]

17. Couldn't pass up a thread with such a British-sounding title!

I like a nice cup of tea.

[applegrove]

21. Actually green tea your make with water that is hot but not boiling. Otherwise it ends up bitter.

You also steep it for a short time.

[pokerfan]

22. If this is coffee, then please-bring me some tea.

But if this is tea, please bring me some coffee. - Abraham Lincoln

[trof]

23. But 6 lbs. 4 oz. of Lipton Instant Tea makes 9 1/2 GALLONS of iced tea!

Lipton Instant Tea Mix 6lbs 4oz (2.83kg)
Natural Lemon Flavor and Sugar Sweetened
Makes 38 quarts of ice tea. That's 9 1/2 gallons! For total iced tea refreshment, there's nothing like the genuine taste of Lipton. Enjoy America's favorite tea!

Ingredients:sugar, citric acid (provides tartness), instant tea, silicon dioxide (prevents caking), natural lemon flavor, artificial color (red #40).

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 1/3 tbsp (makes 8 fl oz)
Servings per container 152
Calories 70
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 0mg
Total Carbohydrates 18g
Sugars 18g
Protein 0g

Yummy!
Let the flogging begin!

[Ron Obvious]

25. Alright then..

Alright then, we'll waive the general rule on flogging for iced tea and restrict it to those waitresses who bring it to the forgetful, but otherwise perfectly lovely bloke who ordered "Tea"

I was so upset my left eyebrow shot up a whole 2 millimetres this morning. That's telling her!

[Dude111]

34. Boo hi$$!!

Thats the ORIGINAL lipton ice tea can you listed AND I WISH I COULD FIND IT!!!!!

They changed the recipe last year and added MALTODEXTRIN to it and it doesnt taste the same and i do not want to drink it anymore with this ingredient in it!!!!

I have since settled for BENNER ICED TEA from Aldi's -- It doesnt have this crap in it and its the closet i can find to the original..

Only 1 thing different about BENNER brand

Sugar, citric acid (provides tartness), instant tea powder, calcium silicate, natural flavor, artificial color (red #40).


It does taste SLIGHLTY DIFFERENT but its the closest i have found....


The kicker in this is LIPTON DOES NOT LIST MALTODEXTRIN ON THIER WEBSITE FOR REG LEMON ICED TEA!! (Which could be bad for someone who has problems from MALTODEXTRIN)

http://www.liptont.com/our_products/tea_mix

EVERY KIND EXCEPT "LEMON" HAS IT LISTED!! (REGULAR LEMON DIDNT USED TO HAVE IT IN IT UNTIL THEY UPDATED THE CAN AND STARTED PUTTING THIS CRAP IN IT!!)


I loved lipton iced tea for about 30 years,its quite sad..

[Curmudgeoness]

26. Mmmmm, jasmine tea---black, not green.

But I beg to differ with you on this flogging you want to sentence me to----there is a time and place for iced tea. I drink it all the time, especially all summer, and I like it.

[Neoma]

28. Loose leaf is the best.

If it's bitter, that means the leaves are burnt. To make tea stronger, you add more leaves. Different temperatures make it taste different, and green tea is the hardest when adjusting the temperature, and it becomes easily bitter. Some teas don't have to brew as long as others. Black tea, green tea and white tea is from the same plant, the rest isn't really tea.

[LiberalEsto]

29. You must never have spent summer in Washington DC or points south

or you would not be cavalier about iced tea.

When it hits 98 degrees with hellish humidity, iced tea is the staff of life.

[Diana Prince]

30. Found a great tea shop

I was recently looking for a birthday gift for a friend and stumbled upon a small tea shop about 10 min. from my house. Walked in and was in heaven. They had sample jars of all the teas available so that you could look at the leaves and smell the different varieties. They also had tea accessories that I had never seen before, linen bags that you could put in a pot. I ended up buying just one type that day to see if it was good, Lavender Earl Grey. It is delicious! I will definitely be heading back to try some of varieties and flavors. I love a good cup of tea.
Don't get me wrong, I love my coffee too.

[HeiressofBickworth]

31. Sounds like the shop in Edmonds

where I buy tea. I recently tried the Lavender Earl Grey -- it certainly WAS delicious. They have a whole wall of jars of teas and tea blends. My latest favorite is Queen Victoria's Blend -- it's a blend of green and black teas. Every time I go there to replenish my regular teas, I try a new one. You never know if you like something if you don't try it.

[OriginalGeek]

35. So for those of us who can't get to China

What do tea drinkers think of places like Teavana?

I know it's in a mall but it's the only place I've seen that sells loose tea and shows you how to do it and they have a lot of weird flavors...and they have some cool tea pots...

I also like the flavored leaves that are not tea because sometimes I'm not interested in any caffeine...

ETA: Unvarnished truth (or even heavily varnished opinion as long as there are good reasons for it) is fine for me. If there's things I need to know, tell me! I like the place but I ain't married to it...