Help me find my Tea soul mate

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MrsPatchon1837
MrsPatchon1837 Posts: 22
in Food and Nutrition
I know nothing about tea, other than its good for you and a lot of people drink it here on MFP and there are about 100 different kinds of tea. I am horribly addicted to very black coffee and cream....seriously addicted. If I dont drink at least a pot a day I get massive headaches so Im hoping drinking tea can help me wean myself off of the coffee.

So, can you recommend a type of tea, and tell me what it tastes like? Thanks!

Replies

  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I know nothing about tea, other than its good for you and a lot of people drink it here on MFP and there are about 100 different kinds of tea. I am horribly addicted to very black coffee and cream....seriously addicted. If I dont drink at least a pot a day I get massive headaches so Im hoping drinking tea can help me wean myself off of the coffee.

    So, can you recommend a type of tea, and tell me what it tastes like? Thanks!

    I like Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice. It's naturally sweet and you would never want to add sugar to it. If you're ever able to visit one of their tearooms, they let you sample various teas. Their SoHo shop with a small tearoom in the back is gorgeous: very modern and sleek. It's available online.
  • Tuffjourney
    Tuffjourney Posts: 971
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    I am not an expert of tea, but I drink a gosh awful lot of it. I especially drink Iced tea by the gallons. I started mixing my decaf and regular tea together. Then started to mix it with more decaf the reg until I was on all decaf. It seem to help with the cold turkey switch and it avoided having headaches.:wink:

    Dang it I read yor post wrong.... I like Lipton eh somewhat, but Tetley is good. I am sure I spelled that wrong. :huh:
  • mydeloo78
    mydeloo78 Posts: 328 Member
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    Some black teas have almost as much caffeine as coffee. Try Chai, spicy or fruit teas (sweet but no caffeine). Many brands have sampler packs you can try so start there. Take a stroll in the tea aisle fo the grocery store and see what catches your eye! I'm an english breakfast fan myself but its pretty caffeinated.
  • Fattack
    Fattack Posts: 666 Member
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    I love Rose tea, jasmine tea, and mint tea! The rose and jasmine really smell of the flavours, it's the scent more than the taste with those two teas, mint just tastes like... mint. It's delicious and great for digestion / nerves.
  • jennmodugno
    jennmodugno Posts: 363 Member
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    I *adore* peach tea. Like, absolutely love it, especially chilled in the summer - yum! Just don't get the pre-made kind - that stuff is so bad for you! lol
  • MakingMyDreamsComeTrue2015
    MakingMyDreamsComeTrue2015 Posts: 163 Member
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    I like green tea, brewed a little longer than its suppose to with a couple packets of sweet n low. So good =)
  • kristen6022
    kristen6022 Posts: 1,926 Member
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    Bigelow Green Tea is my fav. Drink it all afternoon at work, plain (just water and tea bag). I also love Rooibos tea too. Green tea is supposed to be good for you...blah, blah, blah...
  • Summersadiva
    Summersadiva Posts: 110 Member
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    I adore loose teas. I buy them from adagio.com. My all-time favorite is the citron green tea. They have sampler packs you can order to try different varieties.
  • AggieLu
    AggieLu Posts: 873 Member
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    I love tea. My favorites are:

    Earl Grey
    Wild Strawverry
    Mango
    Peppermint tea (wonderful appetite suppressant, I love it cold)
    Rose hips
    Peach
    Black
  • vrutwind
    vrutwind Posts: 25
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    Tazo chai rooibos. It's naturall sweet so you don't need to add anything.

    I also second the vote for Harney and Sons hot cinnamon sunset. It is delicious!

    When I want something to settle my stomach I drink yogi ginger tea and add a little bit of stevia or agave to sweeten it.
  • wiltl
    wiltl Posts: 188 Member
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    Market Spice tea is my favorite. Its a Cinnamon Orange that doesn't need any sweetener. Makes great iced tea or hot, and gives a good caffeine kick. Market Spice is in the Pike Place market in Seattle, but you can order on Amazon. They have different blends and flavors too, but the original is the Cinnamon Orange.
  • scarlet_necro
    scarlet_necro Posts: 28
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    Lemon Zinger! Taste lemony and gives me energy without caffeine.
  • FiercelyBeautiful
    FiercelyBeautiful Posts: 590 Member
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    Vanilla Chai!!!!!!!!!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMGOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Marigenous
    Marigenous Posts: 57
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    I love tea. I usually have at least 15-20 varieties on hand in my pantry. If you go into a proper tea store they can let you try some of the teas and you can smell them. Generally, a tea will smell pretty close to what it tastes like.
    If you like stronger tastes and caffeine, I would recommend a strong black tea. Some favourite blends of mine include:
    - Russian Earl Grey / Russian Caravan (strong Chinese blends, both have a smoky flavour with slight citrus undertones)
    -Lapsang Souchong (smoky and complex)
    -English Breakfast (it's a flowery, medium-strong pekoe)
    -chai (black tea mixed with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, etc. They vary greatly by blend)
    Personally, I like my black teas with just a splash of 1% milk, though I will take my chai with sugar.
    If you're looking for something more subtly flavoured that is great without milk or sugar, I would recommend a green or an oolong:
    - jasmine greens taste very floral and the level of flavour will vary with the blend and how it was prepared
    -genmaicha has roasted rice grains mixed in with the tea to give it a toast-like taste
    -tie kwan yin (also sometimes called Iron Goddess of Mercy) oolong is probably my favourite tea. Oolong is sort of between a green and a black tea in taste. Tie Kwan Yin has a very delicate floral taste.
    -milk oolong has an interesting smooth, slightly creamy texture and is a fairly delicate flavour
    Then of course there are various fruit flavoured blacks, greens, and whites. They come in a lot of different flavours, so just try ones in fruit flavours you tend to like.
    Hope I helped :)
  • jillleanne
    jillleanne Posts: 72 Member
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    I am a HUGE tea fanatic. If your looking for something strong and caffeinated go with the black and chai teas. But watch because sometimes you can get white and green chai teas now too (weird).

    Chai tea is kind of spicy, lots of nutmeg, cloves, and often cinnamon.
    Black tea comes in a huge variety of flavours so find one that seems delicious to you.

    I go to Davids Tea (I live in Canada, not sure if they're in other places too) and you can buy a cup of the tea to try before purchasing the tea leaves themselves!
  • nay33
    nay33 Posts: 31 Member
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    I am not an expert, but I love tea and no longer drink coffee. I like Lipton and I pretty stick with the green tea with super fruit. I also drink Bigelow's vanilla chai and red raspberry. I also love Twining's Pumpkin Spice Chai. There are lots of different brands and flavors, you just have to keep trying them till you find the ones you like best. Good luck.
  • BecomingElle
    BecomingElle Posts: 112 Member
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    Green tea is amazing! I think it has a small amount of a caffeine in it, and many say it helps with weight loss/your metabolism. It's an acquired taste for some though...so maybe try it with a little lemon or honey to start (upping the calories though).

    I personally love berry teas! It's kind of like drinking all-natural, warm raspberry cordial or something, at only 5 calories. Definitely one to fix the sweet tooth! :)
  • ahipsher
    ahipsher Posts: 46 Member
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    I like black chai with orange and cinnamon.
    Most grocery stores carry a pretty big (and affordable) variety now.
  • Jay_Jay_
    Jay_Jay_ Posts: 194 Member
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    It's pretty simple!

    First you need an infuser (and a mug!), my personal favorite is: http://www.amazon.com/FORLIFE-Brew---Mug-Extra-Fine-Infuser/dp/B001JPA3Y8/

    Optional: A perfect tea measuring spoon, these are really nice for scooping. http://www.amazon.com/English-original-Perfect-measuring-scooper/dp/B000HGIOL4/r

    Second, you need some tea. Finding a local place is going to be a lot cheaper. If you have cash to spend, go online to www.teavana.com or www.adagio.com each site has rankings and reviews on all of the teas.

    Optional: An electric kettle if where you drink tea has no hot water available. Or if you have the extra cash, an electric kettle with multiple temperatures is what true tea snobs use. My kettle: http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-CPK-17-PerfecTemp-1-7-Liter-Stainless/dp/B003KYSLNQ/ I love it, but its pricey.

    Directions: Put infuser in mug and poor in hot water at correct temperature for your tea. Add tea to the top of the water/infuser then cover the infuser and allow it to brew for as long as your tea requires. (Tea brew chart: http://i.imgur.com/z7X66.jpg) take out the infuser and your tea is ready! Caution, it's hot.

    As far as the types of teas go, it depends on if you want high caffeine, low caffeine, or no caffeine. If you want more of an asian, english, or herbal/fruit type tea, that will also make a difference. Some teas are rich and heavy, while others are light and relaxing. If you're a coffee drinker you may want to try some chai's, blacks and other darker heavier (sometimes more bitter) teas.

    I tend to have 12+ teas in my office kitchen at any given time, my favorite right now is a blackberry green tea blend called blackberry mojito. If you have the money I highly suggest trying a silver needle white tea, it is one of the most delicious, light and floaty, delicate teas, that I have brewed.
  • kristinajaffe
    kristinajaffe Posts: 128 Member
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    I like some of the others drink tea by the gallons and have for years... I lave always loved lipton black, and mango green tea.. but recently found my new fave... good earth original.. it also says sweet and spicy i think.. but it naturally tastes sweet.. so no added sugar needed even if you like sweet tea... it is delicious...

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