Tea...a beverage that puts the "steam" in Steampunk.

[Vienna Fahrmann]

    I was skimming through catalogues the other day, prior to recycling most of them and ran across the announcement (in a very high-priced one), that "tea is the new coffee" and suggested that a multi-compartmented, dark stained wood tea box be kept on the executive desk....for his tea bags!  I'm a coffee drinker myself, but I get the feeling that the true tea lover cringes at the thought of drinking bagged tea.

     Vienna

[cge]

    I was skimming through catalogues the other day, prior to recycling most of them and ran across the announcement (in a very high-priced one), that "tea is the new coffee" and suggested that a multi-compartmented, dark stained wood tea box be kept on the executive desk....for his tea bags!  I'm a coffee drinker myself, but I get the feeling that the true tea lover cringes at the thought of drinking bagged tea.

     Vienna

But of course! Tea in bags is quite atrocious.

And on a desk? My tea is in the pantry, so it can be most effectively put into a teapot and brought to me. Whatever would be the point of having it on a desk?

[Vienna Fahrmann]

    Presumably to impress (or not) visitors to your office, as your secretary brings in a properly laid out tea tray and you flip open your expensive compartmented box and offer them a choice of tea bags.  As I said before, I'm a coffee drinker, but in general, bagged tea doesn't even impress me. 

     Vienna

     (I know it's an herbal infusion, rather than a tea, but I do admit that foil-sealed individual bags of peppermint "tea" do at least keep fresh for those times when we use them medicinally).

[SteamWolf]

Lapsang Souchon
Russian Country
Prince Vladmir
Earl Grey
Lady Grey
Oolong
Black Currant
Peppermint Herbal
Chai
Red Chai
Rooibos
Mutan White
Green

Depending on my mood, a splash of milk.
Even more rarely, 1tsp of white sugar.

Harney & Sons almost exclusively.

[Mechanic]

A question:

Has anyone tried filling one of those steam powered expresso makers with tea leaves instead? It would have to be a new one to avoid any nasty coffee flavour.

Yes I like my tea strong

[helios]

*Thinks about this, and plots*

I probably shouldn't plot. I have enough plans that will never eventuate as it is...

[Mad Maudlin]

CHAI. I love chai.

[Major Willoughby Chase]

Today I shall mostly be drinking Malay Rooibos Chai, however I'll be using Earl Grey as the heart starter.

[LizerSparkes]

thanks to a friend in Canada, I shall be drinking white tea.  Just a simple white tea, no fruit blends, caffinated, and with just a bit of honey to enhance the delicate flavor. I am quite pleased.

[Major Willoughby Chase]

Ah yes, I have some Fujian White Tea, it is fantastic and provides a nice countrpoint to my regular Earl Grey

[Major Willoughby Chase]

The past couple of days I appear to have been on a liquorice tea frenzy... only four bags left, so normal service will resume shortly.

[Camillia du Chine]

I've read most to all of the pages for this thread and I don't think anyone has shared this quaint thought on tea...

Fuckin Tea

   

CAUTION : risque word in title and used several times in a sentence within! 

[Major Willoughby Chase]

That is brilliant and has now been reposted to my Book of Face and Live Journal, thank you for sharing.

Today I have been hammering fruit teas, having noticed that the Twinings sample pack that was bought for me (er, a while ago) is now just over two years past it's best before date.  This month is a clearing out of excess tea month, through the medium of drinking it, before treating myself to new teas.  For this I may dedicate a day in Lincoln tea hunting and socialising.

[Gears_and_Wings]

We are all a bit tea mad in our office. In fact I would go as far to say that we are fueled on tea and some of our best game ideas were born from having an awesome cup of tea.

We have tea in bags, loose and Pu'er in cake form (straight from china) here is our current list of teas available;

Cakes or large leaves chinese teas;
Pu'er Cake 2005
Qi Men Red 2009
Peg-Top
Yellow Branch Lone Bush

Other loose teas;
Assam
English Breakfast
Afternoon
Russian Caravan
Yorkshire
Darjeeling Second Flush
Oolong

Tea bags;
Assam
English Breakfast
Darjeeling
Everyday - Twinings
1706 Blend
Ceylon
Earl Grey
Lady Grey
Chai
Lapsang Souchong
Russian Caravan
Traditional Afternoon
Orange Pekoe - Assam & Ceylon blend
Welsh Brew

Thats not to mention the 3 kettles and 2 tea sets made from Yixing clay.

I also have a personal stash at work of Twinings limited edition teas, green tea and some herbal infusions I wont list all these but I have pretty much every combination out there;

Limited edition ones;
Rose Garden
Blossom Earl Grey

G&W

[Dr. Madd]

    I was skimming through catalogues the other day, prior to recycling most of them and ran across the announcement (in a very high-priced one), that "tea is the new coffee" and suggested that a multi-compartmented, dark stained wood tea box be kept on the executive desk....for his tea bags!  I'm a coffee drinker myself, but I get the feeling that the true tea lover cringes at the thought of drinking bagged tea.

     Vienna

I'd have to  disagree. it is convenient when I am at work.

[Dr Fidelius]

Dr. Madd is quite right.  Tea bags are most convenient at the office.  Tea produced by the modern abomination which is a 'K-Cup,' on the other hand, is grounds for mutiny.  Impossible to steep a cup long enough to get any real flavour with that infernal contraption.

[Lady Ava]

All these fancy sounding teas, and here I am sat in a construction office with a cup of builders tea, made with a 6-times used teabag and whatever milk I could hunt down at the time!

[SgtPepper]

As an American, and a young one at that, I'm somewhat new to tea.  Hot Chocolate has always been my hot beverage of choice.  However, recently I've made a few explorations, and have found the following to be lovely:

Twinings Herbal Unwind (blend of African Honeybush and mandarin orange)

Teavana Samurai Chai Mate

Numi White Rose
Numi Rooibos
Numi African Honeybush

I also have a white chai that I need to try again, now that I've found my mom's tea ball thing for loose leaf teas.


Does anyone have any tips for brewing a good cup of tea?  And is there any way to get rid of the bits that inevitably worm their way into the cup with loose leaf tea?

[B.Greco]

I just discovered the crappy earl grey ive been drinking is decaf, those sinners! its bad enough i can only afford bags, but decaf! ye gods!

[Dr Fidelius]

As an American, and a young one at that, I'm somewhat new to tea.  Hot Chocolate has always been my hot beverage of choice.  However, recently I've made a few explorations, and have found the following to be lovely:
[shopping list deleted for brevity]
Does anyone have any tips for brewing a good cup of tea?  And is there any way to get rid of the bits that inevitably worm their way into the cup with loose leaf tea?

The tea leaf residue is very important.  After you finish your refreshing drink, you hand the empty cup to a local hedge witch or convenient gypsie who wil read the patterns created by the loose leaves and prognosticate for you.  Far more accurate for minor life situations than other divination methods, and less messy than reading entrails.

[Camillia du Chine]

We are all a bit tea mad in our office. In fact I would go as far to say that we are fueled on tea and some of our best game ideas were born from having an awesome cup of tea.

We have tea in bags, loose and Pu'er in cake form (straight from china) here is our current list of teas available;

Cakes or large leaves chinese teas;
Pu'er Cake 2005
Qi Men Red 2009
Peg-Top
Yellow Branch Lone Bush

Other loose teas;
Assam
English Breakfast
Afternoon
Russian Caravan
Yorkshire
Darjeeling Second Flush
Oolong

Tea bags;
Assam
English Breakfast
Darjeeling
Everyday - Twinings
1706 Blend
Ceylon
Earl Grey
Lady Grey
Chai
Lapsang Souchong
Russian Caravan
Traditional Afternoon
Orange Pekoe - Assam & Ceylon blend
Welsh Brew

Thats not to mention the 3 kettles and 2 tea sets made from Yixing clay.

I also have a personal stash at work of Twinings limited edition teas, green tea and some herbal infusions I wont list all these but I have pretty much every combination out there;

Limited edition ones;
Rose Garden
Blossom Earl Grey

G&W

Envision picket sign here * UNFAIR *  .

[Dr. D.P. Nelthorpe IV]

I just had a super-fantastic day! My birthday was yesterday, so today my mother took me to lunch at a Victorian Tea House.  Oh, it was so magical!  I've never been to a proper tea house before.  It was originally a home that was converted to a Tea House.  They had some absolutely amazing teas...I bought several for my home stash.

And then, to top it all off, my mother bought me an antique tea pot AND convinced the cook to give me her scone recipe. I am in heaven

[SgtPepper]

I just had a super-fantastic day! My birthday was yesterday, so today my mother took me to lunch at a Victorian Tea House.  Oh, it was so magical!  I've never been to a proper tea house before.  It was originally a home that was converted to a Tea House.  They had some absolutely amazing teas...I bought several for my home stash.

And then, to top it all off, my mother bought me an antique tea pot AND convinced the cook to give me her scone recipe. I am in heaven

Happy birthday!  Just reading about your day made me feel good.  Your rapture is infectious. (err.. that's rapture in the sense of exquisite happiness, not getting sucked up to heaven, although metaphorically I suppose that works too.  ^_~)

Thanks for sharing the joy!

[Dr. D.P. Nelthorpe IV]

You're welcome Sgt Pepper!! I'm still smiling over the whole experience. The tea house is about an hour and a half away from where I live, but I've already made reservations to go back twice in the near future.   I could post some pics if anyone is interested? Although I'm sure most of you have seen a tea house before.

[Major Willoughby Chase]

This morning has mostly been Fujian White Tea and Earl Grey, this afternoon will mostly be London Pride.