[PeteSpencer]

Years ago Twinings did Lotus Tea in teabags: It was the D's Bs.

Sadly unavailable now; seems to have been replaced by jasmine tea which is not as good.

Last Lotus tea in bags I had was brought back by a mate visiting Chinatown in SFO but cost an arm and a leg...................

[Grelly]

You lot are weird!

[OCB]

Even using an RO filter with a carbon post RO filter, if I make a pot of proper black tea - it ends up with scum on top in no time. I'd honestly prefer to make a couple of pots of tea per day rather than rely on teabags - but as already mentioned, if the water is rubbish to start with - then why bother.

Admittedly, the "calcaire" in the water here in Belgium does lend itself to make rather good beer - so there is that compensation I guess...

The wife has been into "tisane" (herbal tea) for years, and when I lived in Switzerland - you'd just about get your ID card revoked and marched to the nearest border post if you didn't offer guests the choice of at least a dozen quite varied options. It's in the SOP of every doctor there to prescribe some sort of herbal tea for almost all ailments.

I never got into them at all - although I have recently gotten into matcha green tea for when I want a boost + camomile in the evening when I want to relax with something healthy.

Best green tea I ever had was in a Chinese restaurant at the foot of Sauchiehall St. It was a very popular "chucking oot time" stop BITD. They gave you as much green tea as you could get down you whilst in the queue to order, or at your table. Even trying the Chinese supermarket which was very close by, I could never make it as good as them. And before any comments - there were numerous times I'd be there at 3.30 am and completely sober

[kanga]

I assume the European settlers' adoption of the indigenous peoples' use of infusions of Labrador Tea

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrador_tea

.. dates from the era when tea imported from Asia via Europe was very expensive; but it remained a preferred habit among locals as late as the '60s.

[could this thread/debate last longer than those on kneeboards or EC, descend into rancour, and end up being locked ? ]

[Bill McCarthy]

You’re getting a daily dose of micro plastics if you use tea bags. Never complain about tea quality until you’ve tasted the gruel that we used to endure - distilled water from a continually simmering urn, pussers tea bags and a generous helping of granulated milk, and if you’re lucky, evaporated milk.

[lobstaboy]

Evaporated milk? Luxury! We used to...
Etc etc...

[LAE B2]

85 dgree is optimum for most tea

Depending on whether its black/green/yellow/white leaves that you are brewing then some movement of the temp of the water is ok. The theory is that 100 dgree water literally on initial contact will also boil the leaves /flavour etc which isn't good as this can stop the true flavour coming out. The effect more prevalent depending on which tea being used - in order of delicateness white/yellow/green /black. The more delicate the leaves the more susceptible to overtemp water spoiling the flavour. Black is ok with 100 - white may be ruined by 100

Whether this is all true above who really knows - this only what the experts say

[Bill McCarthy]

Anyway, where are all these tea plantations in Yorkshire.

[Irv Lee]

Teabags? Hot beverages need according due reverence. No adult should use teabags and the dusty floor sweepings contained within, except in an extreme teamergency.

Is there any real tea in standard everyday teabags? It seems obvious from the instant dark colour as hot water hits the bag that there was a lot of brown coloured powder in them, leaves couldn't possibly do that, that quickly, surely? Which then begs the question what are the things that look like tea leaves, as why would a manufacturer waste real tea by putting it in the teabag?

[riverrock]

It isn't powdered tea anyway. Vending machines have alot to answer for!

[eltonioni]

Anyway, where are all these tea plantations in Yorkshire.

It must be even more isolated up than I imagined Bill, I thought that everyone knew the answer to this.

Am literally just back from our tea / coffee merchant with couple of hundred grams of refreshment replenishment and yet another gadget in the ongoing effort to improve tea-to-belly delivery times https://pollardscoffee.co.uk/

[Pete L]

See signature.

[Paultheparaglider]

A trip to China converted me to green tea which I enjoy hugely. Has to be fairly weak and not boiling and it's a better caffeine shot than coffee

We brew our green teas in a pot with just enough water to drink so that the teapot is empty after each pour. We then add more water for the second cup, each time emptying the pot.

Jasmine teas especially seem to go very bitter if left to infuse for too long. They also lose all the gentle fragrance very quickly if stewed for too long.

As for your caffeine comment, I agree. They definitely carry quite a punch. Far and away the highest caffeine shot teas, though, are chiu chow teas served in tiny little cups that contain what must be nothing but caffeine. Drink those with care. The link below has a picture of the small cups.

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/LocationP ... _Kong.html

[Cessna571]

You lot are weird!

True,

but what’s that got to do with a thread about tea?

[akg1486]

Many comments along the lines of "loose tea leaf is much better than tea bags!" here. That means that this forum is not representative of the great British public or that those who don't like tea bags are more vocal about it. A vast majority of the tea consumed in the UK is in the form of tea bags. I can't find the number now, but I've heard something like more than 90%. When I lived in the UK, it was hard to even find loose leaf tea in the supermarket. (I never buy anything else.)