Why does reading and drinking tea seem to go together naturally?
Catfish_Fan
Posts: 514 Member
I'm not sure if it is the focusing effect of caffeine, so I can get more enjoyment out of a book, but to me tea drinking and reading go hand in hand. I drink coffee in the morning to wake up quickly, but in the evening a cup of mild or non-caffeinated herbal tea with my book goes a long way too. In the afternoons I like English Breakfast or on a hot day iced Earl Grey. Some days I go with a green variety at almost any time of day.
I made sure to utilize the sale at Tiesta Teas for Prime Day and bought some Matcha (fine Japanese powdered green tea leaves) and some more Earl Grey, plus a "flight" of tea samplers (20 different types in pouches that make 6-10 cups each, depending on the strength they are brewed). Loose leaf is the way to go. I make my own bags if I am making one cup for myself, or use a French Press for coffee if I am making a larger batch (dedicated for black teas only, of course). I prefer my tea to be strong--according to a tea book I read 2 Tsp. per cup for loose leaf is recommended (not 1 Tsp that often is called for on the package). Some teas lend themselves to a splash of non-dairy creamer, and others I drink plain (never with sweeteners). In the South someone may be accustomed to sweetened tea.
You can save a bundle by buying in bulk, 16 oz packages, once you figure out which varieties are your favorites. I have a cupboard full of sealed glass jars filled with my favorites, but most often go to the English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and Gunpowder Green.
Do you like tea with your reading, and if so what types (and brands) do you like? I really think teas haven't caught on in America well as a favorite drink because of cheap Lipton Orange Pekoe tea bags, which are filled with floor sweepings. I never liked tea until I discovered the joys of loose leaf and the hundreds of varieties that are available at finer tea outlets.
"Tea, Earl Grey, hot" -- Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation
I made sure to utilize the sale at Tiesta Teas for Prime Day and bought some Matcha (fine Japanese powdered green tea leaves) and some more Earl Grey, plus a "flight" of tea samplers (20 different types in pouches that make 6-10 cups each, depending on the strength they are brewed). Loose leaf is the way to go. I make my own bags if I am making one cup for myself, or use a French Press for coffee if I am making a larger batch (dedicated for black teas only, of course). I prefer my tea to be strong--according to a tea book I read 2 Tsp. per cup for loose leaf is recommended (not 1 Tsp that often is called for on the package). Some teas lend themselves to a splash of non-dairy creamer, and others I drink plain (never with sweeteners). In the South someone may be accustomed to sweetened tea.
You can save a bundle by buying in bulk, 16 oz packages, once you figure out which varieties are your favorites. I have a cupboard full of sealed glass jars filled with my favorites, but most often go to the English Breakfast, Earl Grey, and Gunpowder Green.
Do you like tea with your reading, and if so what types (and brands) do you like? I really think teas haven't caught on in America well as a favorite drink because of cheap Lipton Orange Pekoe tea bags, which are filled with floor sweepings. I never liked tea until I discovered the joys of loose leaf and the hundreds of varieties that are available at finer tea outlets.
"Tea, Earl Grey, hot" -- Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: The Next Generation
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Give me a rainy day, a book and a cup of tea. Nothing better! I love Earl Grey as well. I have a half a shelf in one cabinet dedicated to my various teas. Evenings reading with a cup of Chamomile tea help me unwind and drift off to sleep. I use a variety of bags, loose leaf, and I even got a tea pot with little flowering teas one Christmas. You get little pods that bloom in the pot. You can get a couple pots out of these flowering teas. I like the green ones the best. I am always on the lookout for great loose leaf teas when we go traveling or to farmers markets.1
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I'm enjoying my book with a cup of Fruity Paradise by Tiesta Teas. It's a green variety, they used to call it Fruity Pebbles but I guess the cereal company didn't like the name infringement?0
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London Fog Latte
1 cup Aged Earl Grey brewed double strength
1 tsp. honey
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
Steep tea as normal, add honey. Heat Almond Milk in microwave, then froth with an electric Matcha or milk whisk. Pour Almond Milk into tea mixture.
Wow! Cuts the "fog".3 -
London Fog and a good book 👍🏽 I love the Mighty Leaf brand and they have a fantastic organic Earl Grey. They also have a Black Vanilla Bean tea that’s a great alternative to Earl Grey when making a lightly milky tea.
Sometimes I simply enjoy an Organic Peppermint Tea and enhance it with a couple Altoid mints (they dissolve very well).3 -
If and when I go to Starbucks - a London fog is what I'll get - I'll have to try your recipe @Catfish_Fan - sounds awesome.
Mighty Leaf had a great Chamomile tea I just loved. Haven't seen it around lately. Will have to try and find it online.1 -
I found Blackberry Bellini and Pineapple Blues (green teas) in my sampler flight (20 different sample packets) from Tiesta. I had to order a pound of each! It is wonderful and withstands a second steeping (non-caffeinated but still flavorful the second time).2
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I like Aldi's brand teas, especially the peppermint. It's very refreshing.4
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The Tea of the Day is Milk Oolong by Tiesta Teas. Drink loose leaf!
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Beautiful cup too, Catfish!2
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Tea of the Day is Golden Monkey by Adagio Teas!
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Looks lovely - can't wait for Phoenix to cool off a little more so I can actually enjoy a hot cup of tea,1
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I missed yesterday's post, so I'll post yesterday. Maybe a new tea for today later on.
Tea of Yesterday was London Fog Latte:
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Today is Royal Breakfast by Tiesta Teas, with a splash of non-dairy creamer. Live Loose!
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Today's tea is Earl Grey Bella Luna by Adagio. Robust Earl Grey shines with familiar bergamot notes, highlighted by a soft glow of coconut and cream. I'm sleepy today so I made a quart in my French Press.
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LOVE that Earl Grey!1
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I almost forgot to post today's Tea of the Day! It is Tiesta's Ceylon Orange Pekoe. Bought in bulk loose leaf teas are quite affordable priced per cup. This is one of my favorite mugs because it holds so much!
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Friday's Tea of the Day is Jade Leaf Ceremonial Grade Matcha! In my favorite Matcha tea mug.
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I just love London Fog lattes! We should be cooling down here soon and I can go back to my tea drinking. It's hard to drink hot tea when it's 110+ outside.1
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I just love London Fog lattes! We should be cooling down here soon and I can go back to my tea drinking. It's hard to drink hot tea when it's 110+ outside.
I would guess so! I live in Michigan and it has been a nice summer, it is 83 degrees right now and our average for this date is a high of 74. Sitting in air conditioning the warm beverages don't bother me any more than a cup of coffee...
Today's tea is a bit different. I rarely drink bagged teas anymore, finding them to be more expensive and lesser quality (broad generalization here) than most loose leaf varieties. Today I have a bagged tea called Fast Lane by Celestial Seasonings, the variety that first introduced me into the World of Tea. (I don't count Lipton because, growing up, that brand was, well, the reason why I did not like and many Americans currently don't like tea.) Fast Lane is highly caffeinated which I need today being a sleepyhead. It sort of reminds me of zucchini bread or something similar in taste, I think it must be the cinnamon and nutmeg. I believe this variety can only be purchased online, I bought a couple of cases on the Celestial Seasonings website a few years ago.
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That sounds yummy! I may have to look around for that one.2
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Tea of the Day is Tiesta's "Lean Green Machine", a light citrus green tea with lemongrass, orange peel and lemon peel. Lighter on the caffeine side, it is still a wonderful afternoon sip. I read in my Tea Enthusiasts book that the proper amount of tea per cup is 2-3 grams of loose leaf per 6 oz of filtered water, which is different in tsp. depending on the variety and how it is processed. You can't just go by the American packaging instructions of 1 tsp. per cup, resulting in 150-200 cups per pound of tea. Interesting, I know I make mine on the strong side, but always use a teaspoon to measure. Now I am going to have to invest in a better kitchen scale that is meant to weigh grams, which mine will do, just not very accurately (1 gram increments) with this small of an amount.
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As a comparison, I weighed out 10g of Ceylon Orange Pekoe from Adagio and I dumped out a bag of Lipton Orange Pekoe to see the difference. One is leaves and one is powder, the difference is quite striking.
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The Tea of the Day is Irish Breakfast by Adagio. Described by Adagio, "Irish Breakfast combines hearty black teas from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Assam (India) to get your morning off to a bright start. As its name implies, the Irish Breakfast black tea blend is an ideal accompaniment to a morning meal. It seamlessly blends the citrusy notes of a high-grown Ceylon with the malty underscore of a pungent Assam. Spicy and jammy aroma on the leaf, malty and deep flavor with a brisk and 'buzzy' mouthfeel. Rounded sweetness in the finish. May be enjoyed plain or with a drop of milk." That was my last cup of it, I am disappointed that I didn't realize I am out of Assam teas and did not add more to my most recent Adagio order which hasn't arrived yet.
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Love your tea comparison - I love loose leaf teas.2
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Coconut Breeze is my tea of the day, a soft coconut oolong from Tiesta tea which I made using my new gram scale to get the right amount and my French press to brew enough for later. Have a great day everyone.
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Love oolong tea - the journey through your teas is cool too!2
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My Tea of the Day is blandly called Lemon Black Tea, by Tiesta Teas. The tea is not bland though, it is an Assam with lemon peel and chicory root. Enjoy your day, make it a healthy one!
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As I wait for my hot herbal beverage to cool off enough to sip, I'm making this post about herbal teas, which are not really tea, but similar enough that I suppose some would call them that. Tea leaves come from the Camellia sinensis bush, and a simple cup of tea is not a simple matter! Does anyone know how many varieties of tea there are made from Camellia sinensis leaves, much less with blends and flavorings? An internet search gives me different results but the number is in the thousands. Herbal "teas" are great in the evening to unwind when you don't want a caffeine pick-me-up. They are blended from anything, as my niece told me once, "it's just sticks and leaves" and I laughed. She is sort of right (she forgot flowers), but oh, what different flavors can come from different preparations! My hot herbal beverage tonight is called Palm Beach Punch and is by Tiesta, who makes a great sampler set with various pouches of different types to try. This one contains carrots. Carrots? Ok, whatever floats the boat. It looks like punch to me. I've been trying different herbals but have not decided on a favorite, however Tiesta or Adagio is probably where I'd turn to buy it in bulk if I ever decide on one.
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Here is a White Tea fresh from today's delivery, my Tea of the Evening, called Fuzzy Navel. White teas are hand picked fresh tea leaves with little or no oxidation or rolling, the least processed of all the varieties; delicate and light with little caffeine content. This one has flavors of Georgia peaches and navel oranges with white and rooibos teas. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I am enjoying the drink.
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@Catfish_Fan - I for one am definitely enjoying your pictures. Love herbal teas - maybe they are called tea because you brew them like tea? - One brand - Traditional Medicinals - is geared to a tea for what ails you. Their Breathe Easy certainly helps my allergies. And their Chamomile and Lavendar is great for relaxing in the evening with a book. So here's to leaves, sticks and flowers. Cheers!2
