Help With Tea

courtney123180 · June 2014

So, I am not much of a tea person, however I bought a lot of Teavana tea in hopes of learning to like it. Typically whenever I have had tea before, it has to be sooooo super sweet that I may as well drink pop anyway(ugh). When I have gone to the Teavana store in the mall, the tastings are always delicious. When I ask the sales person if there is any sugar in them, they say no(which I find hard to believe). Anywho, certain teas require certain steeping times(I know that much). But I crave a stronger/bolder/fruitier taste no matter if its fruity or spicy. For instance, the Youthberggy & Wildberry Orange Blossom is a flavored white tea. Per instructions, the steep time is 2 minutes for 1.5 tsp/8 oz hot or 3 tsp/8 oz cold(and I would also prefer a cold tea versus hot). Whereas the Maharaja Chai Oolong & Samurai Chai Mate is an Oolong tea that is to be steeped 3 minutes for 1 tsp/8 oz hot or 2 tsp/8 oz cold. Any suggestions as to how to make my tea experience better, I would be most grateful.

thanks so much! :happy:

MLR930 · June 2014

If you want stronger tea just double the portion of tea leaves.

courtney123180 · June 2014

but what about the steep time. can i let it steep longer, because I've been told that it makes it bitter if you do that. on the other hand i have a friend that lets her chai steep for like an hour so its super strong.....

irleshay · June 2014

Try to buy sampler sizes to see if you like the tea first; some teas smell better than they taste. Maybe you would like the chai mate iced with some almond milk, like a cold latte? Unsweetened almond milk is low in calories. Right now I'm drinking a Rhubarb Strawberry Parfait Iced tea from David's tea, and I drink it iced with some agave. It's still less sugar than soda or most storebought iced tea, and unlike sugar agave dissolves easily. Also, some teas like honeybush don't actually have sugar, but the leaves are naturally sweet. I know Teavana has a vanilla honeybush tea. Good luck!

irleshay · June 2014

but what about the steep time. can i let it steep longer, because I've been told that it makes it bitter if you do that. on the other hand i have a friend that lets her chai steep for like an hour so its super strong.....

It can get bitter, but experiment with steeping longer. Add another two minutes and go from there, but I wouldn't go for a whole hour.

EmilyTwist1 · June 2014

Making good tea can be tricky. The flavor you get vary widely depending on how much tea you use, how long you steep it, how hot your water is, even your water source. You may need to try adjusting all these factors to get your tea the way you like it.

courtney123180 · June 2014

if the tea is put in cold water to steep to begin with, can i leave it in the water longer for a stronger taste? or do you always have to start with hot water?

Punkereaux · June 2014

if you like a strong tea, I'd go for a black tea or a green/black mix. I don't like white tea, its too weak has too subtle a flavor. I like bold tea &/or herbal teas.

As for sweeteners, I really do like Teavana's rock sugar. It gives the tea a nice sweetness and flavor profile. Sugar in the raw is also a good one. I also love raw honey in my tea. With the herbals and flavored teas, you don't want to use too much, though.

This is my favorite herbal. It has a long steep time, but it's very worth it
http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/herbal-teas/p/caramel-almond-amaretti-herbal-tea

my go to green tea. fantastic with a bit of honey.
http://www.teavana.com/the-teas/green-teas/p/blackberry-mojito-green-tea

If you use one of the smaller mesh tea balls, you generally get the same strength every time. But if you make by the pot, it can vary. If you'd like it stronger, use more tea. I wouldn't steep longer than recommend.

Hope that helps!

-tea nut

RLMsFitnessPal · June 2014

if the tea is put in cold water to steep to begin with, can i leave it in the water longer for a stronger taste? or do you always have to start with hot water?

Hot water makes the steeping happen faster. You can cold brew tea. Cold brew just takes a lot longer because it's a slower infusion. You can google "cold brew tea" or "refrigerator tea." You can actually infuse tea at room temperature. Again, it just takes a longer time. Sun tea is also really good. My mother made it frequently during the summers when I was a kid. There are claims about sun tea being dangerous due to fostering bacteria growth, but you just have to make your own judgment call on that. Personally, I don't worry about it. It never hurt me. Any tea will sour if left sitting for too long.

I also like infusing different fruits and herbs into tea or water for a change of pace.

SnuggleSmacks · June 2014

Brewing longer can indeed make tea bitter. Try finding flavors which are meant to be stronger.

Most good tea websites and shops have flavor profiles listed for each tea. Look for words like "bold" and "strong" and stay away from words like "subtle."

One of my favorites is Lapsang Souchong. It's a smoked tea, and has a very bold flavor. I enjoy brewing it at work, where invariably someone asks "Do you smell something burning?"

Another is Osmanthus Oolong, which is flavored with the osmanthus flower, giving it a very strong sweet taste without any sugar.

Jade greens are nice, sweet, strongly flavored green teas.

Earl Grey is pretty fruity and strongly flavored with bergamot, which is a type of orange.

I enjoy the more subtle teas as well, but I started out with bolder teas like Chai and Earl Grey.

courtney123180 · June 2014

thanks for everyone's help. :happy: i just have issues with the subtle teas(makes me feel like the taste is so bland and whats the point lol).

geordimom1 · June 2014

I order from design-a-tea.com He has a lot of interesting flavor combinations, plus you can make your own flavor by picking a base (black, green rooibos) and adding 2 flavors to it. Some of them have strong flavors (like angry pumpkin, pirate tea), but others are more sweet/subtle.

Help With Tea

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