What is your favorite tasty hot tea?

DJ2120
DJ2120 Posts: 407 Member
But plain black tea does nothing for me & green tea always tastes like I need to add something to it to make it taste better. Any suggestions on just a nice tasting tea that doesn't need any additives? I know green tea is a great antioxidant so even a rec for a better tasting green tea would be great. TIA!
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Replies

  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
    There are so many different flavored teas out there! Some of my favorites are The Republic of Tea's Blackberry Sage black tea. Same brand has some other yummy ones I like - a chocolate ginger and a chai blend. I like Tazo teas also, Wild Sweet Orange is a good "herbal tea" (or tisane). I just bought their new holiday blend, but haven't tried it yet. Stash teas have loads of different flavors of black, green, and white teas and tisanes as well. My youngest daughter likes their peach black, middle daughter likes their chai blends (of which they have quite a few), and my son prefers a rooibos tisane. I'm generally not a fan of green teas, but really like Zhena's Pink Cherryberry blend. It's very flavorful.

    My favorite places to buy good loose teas would be Harney and Son's, Upton Tea, Stash Tea, and Jasmine Pearl. You can order online from all of these tea purveyors.

    The key to a good tea, though, is proper brewing. If you steep it for too long, it will get very acidic. For most teas and tisanes, you bring fresh, cold water to a boil and as soon as it boils, remove the kettle from the heat. Pour the tea into your cup over your bag or infuser with loose tea leaves, and let it steep for about 3 minutes, certainly no longer than 5. Remove the bag (without squeezing) or the infuser without pressing down the leaves.
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
    During the day, I enjoy Jasmine Tea.

    During the night, I enjoy Earl Grey Tea.

    Plain. No cream, milk, sugar, honey, etc.
  • jakidb
    jakidb Posts: 1,010 Member
    Bigelow Red Rasp Herbal Tea
  • Red Tea...African Roobois or something like that. It has a hint of sweetness, so I can actually drink it plain or with a touch of almond milk, and it's sweet enough to satisfy a 3PM sweet craving.

    And I'm a Southerner, so you know we like our tea sweet.
  • organic white tea or oolong tea is tasty:) right now im drink yogi detox peach tea not to bad
  • I love lemon tea.
  • sandobr1
    sandobr1 Posts: 319 Member
    I too like the orange flavored teas, also this time of the year apple spice or a Christmas blend with cinnamon. I add nothing else, occasionally 1/2 packet sweet n low, or splenda, but that is rare.

    ETA: recently I had a sweet tooth and no calories left and had a mug of hot water and lemon, surprisingly it was warm and satisfying.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Rooibos Karmell that I bought in Germany or a black tea/hazelnut/caramel blend from a local tea shop.
  • SWilland
    SWilland Posts: 232 Member
    Love tea! I'm a fan of loose leaf but will dring the bagged variety. Like above poster mentioned brew time is important. Here is a time table from Teavana (my fav tea shop)

    teachart2.png
  • _lizzie_
    _lizzie_ Posts: 130
    I like thai tea (its great hot too!) and what is called chai tea (which I recently learned is like saying tea tea haha!). Tazo brand makes chai, but the thai tea I buy online. Just add a little milk and stevia or honey and its great! They are both spiced black teas, I really love them! Also, any orange or raspberry teas taste fruity and great, and if you live in the southwest near a mexican market, hibiscus tea (called jamaica in spanish) is also wonderfully fruity and not at all water tasting, though it is usually had cold.
  • IronGirlShae
    IronGirlShae Posts: 58 Member
    Stash brand has many yummy teas. Their spiced chai and holiday chair are my faves. A packet of splenda or two and maybe a little skim milk. YUM! I have metal Contigo brand bottles that keep my tea warm/ice cold for hours and they don't spill. Perfect for taking with a workout.
  • nturner612
    nturner612 Posts: 710 Member
    apple cinnamon tea! its delicious even with no calorie sweetener :)
  • footiechick82
    footiechick82 Posts: 1,203 Member
    Apple Cinnimon - OMG! It's sweet and you don't put anything in it!
    I always put more cinnimon or a cinnimon stick because it gives that extra kick and it's a fantastic fat burner :)
  • I just tried Twinings Christmas tea yesterday, and I am in love with it.
  • Pema10
    Pema10 Posts: 13
    Great brewing directions!
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    Mmmm tea. Just a few in my drawer right now:

    Jasmine
    Mint
    Rooibos
    Chocolate Rooibos
    Chocolate Caramel Chai
    Vanilla
    Rose
    Peach
    Honey Chamomile
    Licorice

    Black tea and green tea are fine, but I like a wide variety of flavors. Quality helps too - I'm not a fan of Lipton, and I prefer loose leaf.
  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
    I like thai tea (its great hot too!) and what is called chai tea (which I recently learned is like saying tea tea haha!). Tazo brand makes chai, but the thai tea I buy online. Just add a little milk and stevia or honey and its great! They are both spiced black teas, I really love them! Also, any orange or raspberry teas taste fruity and great, and if you live in the southwest near a mexican market, hibiscus tea (called jamaica in spanish) is also wonderfully fruity and not at all water tasting, though it is usually had cold.

    Haha! "Chai tea" is a pet peeve of mine for that very reason! I think people mistakenly believe that "chai" refers to the spices, when that would be "masala." http://www.adagio.com/chai/masala_chai.html
  • eyeshuh
    eyeshuh Posts: 333
    Love Good Earth Sweet & Spicy tea! I drink that one during the day a lot. Also love most brands of Earl Grey, and if that's too strong for you, try Lady Grey. Peppermint tea or Vanilla Chai in the afternoon! Chocolate Chai is also great for curbing cravings. :)
  • gingerb85
    gingerb85 Posts: 357 Member
    Mmmm tea. Just a few in my drawer right now:

    Jasmine
    Mint
    Rooibos
    Chocolate Rooibos
    Chocolate Caramel Chai
    Vanilla
    Rose
    Peach
    Honey Chamomile
    Licorice

    Black tea and green tea are fine, but I like a wide variety of flavors. Quality helps too - I'm not a fan of Lipton, and I prefer loose leaf.

    I have a tea drawer, too! Actually, my tea collection has spilled over to a second drawer. My children tell me I need a 12-step program for my tea addiction! I also have a collection of teapots and infusers.
  • cbaac03
    cbaac03 Posts: 152
    I love Teavana. They've got a great variety of teas. I like the Wild Orange Wulong Oolong, Youthberry White and most of all the Raspberry Riot Lemon Mate (great plain, hot or cold)
    Today I had a delightful cup of Stash Creme Caramel and loved that as well.
  • AnnaVee84
    AnnaVee84 Posts: 345 Member
    another vote for apple cinnamon tea!!! so delish on these cold fall days! also recently found that my local grocery store sells individual tea bags, so have been working my way through Stash tea - they have an aromatic spiced chai tea as well

    my other fav is the tazo chai, just made myself another cup! anyone else take advantage of Starbucks BOGO tea sale! YAY!! :drinker:
  • jessready
    jessready Posts: 129 Member
    I like the Acai Pomegranate Blueberry green tea
  • PomegranatePriestess
    PomegranatePriestess Posts: 2,455 Member
    You can order incredible varieties or even create your own custom tea blends at Adagio Teas (http://www.adagio.com)

    I've got one I made called Decaf Dessert, which I think is self-explanatory!

    Some of my faves there are Decaf Earl Vanille and anything they do with Honeybush or Rooibos. They've even got chocolate and hazelnut tea blends. Basically, they are tea gods, and you owe it to yourself to check them out.
  • dunadan
    dunadan Posts: 105 Member
    You had me at tea. :smile:

    Disclaimer: I'm a tea snob, so please read the following with a grain (or ten) of humor. People should enjoy whatever tea they like, but to me, tea is Serious Business, and nothing but the best will do for me.

    I drink my tea English Style: with a splash (about a tbs) of milk (never cream or half and half, if I can prevent it) and a standard white sugar cube. In MFP, my black tea recipe is 36 calories. Because I sweeten my tea, it has to stand up to the dilution, so I prefer flavored black teas, in the vanilla/chocolate/caramel/malt/nut ranges. Below are some of my favorites.

    I start every morning with a cup (or three) of Mariage Freres French Breakfast Tea, and have done so for at least ten years. You can get some MF flavors at Williams-Sonoma and other specialty retailers, but to order from the full line of teas that Mariage Freres offer (hundreds of varieties and flavors), you need to go online and ship it from France. I order French Breakfast by the kilo, and even with the steep shipping, it still turns out much cheaper than the retail price you'll find in the states (typcially $18-20 per 100g tin). MF also makes a greate vanilla (Vanille des Iles).

    The O Dor is another great French tea blender, and their The Du Loup is amazing. The rest of their line looks wonderful as well. Only available online, as far as I can tell.

    For a more accessible retail option, Teavana, with stores in many malls, is a good place to start and get ideas for what flavors smell and taste good to you. Their flavored loose-leaf blends are well made, and Teavana also has a decent selection of teaware.
  • bloomlately
    bloomlately Posts: 532 Member
    I'm going to check out that french breakfast tea. Sounds delicious and usually I don't want anything flavored in the morning. Just a good black tea that holds up without milk or lemon and without sugar (hate sweetened tea).

    My all-time favorite tea is Marks & Spencer's Empress Grey tea. I've been unable to find a close equivalent in the US so far, so I've taken to rationing what I do have left from my last trip to Europe (took home at least 5 boxes of it). I know there has to at least one company in the US that does a good lemon and orange scented black tea. Unfortunately, M&S doesn't ship tea to the US and the British import sites all charge waaay too much for shipping.

    During the winter, I crave spicy teas. I'm currently digging the different varieties of chai that Twinings puts out for the holidays. I've also been enjoying a custom blend I made through Adagio that contain chocolate, cherry, and chai mixed together.
  • mfpseven
    mfpseven Posts: 421 Member
  • I'm on a white tea kick right now - love it! My favorite is Lipton's Mango and Peach White Tea. Soooo yummy!
  • Any flavors of the Celestial Fruit Tea Sampler, but my favorite is the raspberry one :)
  • soleilxo
    soleilxo Posts: 202
    right now, im drinking mint chocolate :)