Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with tea

Tea flavored ice cream would be awesome

FunkyHelix — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:48:46 -0800

I want English breakfast tea ice cream. Help? I like tea. I like ice cream. Green tea ice cream is pretty awesome. But I was hoping by now that someone would make English breakfast tea ice cream. Or black tea, honey, and lemon ice cream. As Ben and Jerry have ignored my e-mails, how would I go about making this with an ice cream maker from Target? Suggestions?

Maybe I can take this to my sister's as Thanksgiving dessert.

Where to buy tea online, + pu-erh

k. — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:24:37 -0800

Tea Filter: what's your favorite online tea store? Bonus question: tell me about pu-erh. Stores I already know about, but haven't necessarily ordered from:
Adagio Teas
Tea Gschwendner (teamerchants.com in the USA)
TeazOnline.com
Upton Tea
Maeda-en (Japanese green tea only)

Which of these is the best, for quality or price? Is there a different one that you prefer?

Bonus: I'm interested in trying pu-erh tea. What does it taste like, in comparison to more familiar kinds of black/green/oolong/white tea? What kind do you suggest I try first?

Is Green Tea Good for You even when it's cold?

lynnie-the-pooh — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:09:17 -0800

I heard Green Tea is extremely good for you. If I drink it cold, will it give me the same benefits as hot green tea? I like the Snapple Green tea drink you can get in a glass bottle and you drink it cold. Thanks, Lynnie-the-pooh

Tea anyone?

melangell — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:58:38 -0800

Where can I buy calamus root tea in Kansas City? I just moved to Overland Park and am still learning my way around, so please limit responses to places in or around OP (or easy to find from there). Thank you.

Newborn tea fiend

showbiz_liz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 07:27:36 -0800

I thought I hated tea (the drink), but I really just hate tea (the plant). Help me discover herbal tea! Green, black, white, I had tried tea a million ways and I just could not get into it. It's bitter in a totally different way than coffee, a way I DO NOT like. I figured I had given tea a fair shot, and I had totally given up on it.

Then, just for the hell of it and to see if it worked, I picked up a box of this 'moon cycle tea' stuff. It worked (I think), but more to the point, it tasted great! Not bitter, not sweet, almost savory in fact, and very complex and tasty. Spurred by my surprising success, I went back and got a box of this licorice mint tea by the same guys, and it's even better. Sweeter than the moon stuff, warming, and just generally unlike any other drink I've ever had. I have been going through two cups a day of this stuff! It's been years since I even considered tea, but MAN have I come around.

So, yeah, I want to explore the hell out of herbal tea. Specific brands and general types, individual herbs and complicated blends, sweet or savory, medicinal or just tasty- I don't care! My only requests: I want stuff I don't have to add milk or sugar to, and I'm not big on strong fruity flavors- I tried a pomegranate red tea and it sucked. I wanna taste the herbs themselves.

How do you make a "red latte"?

jbickers — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 19:34:56 -0800

My wife had a coffee drink tonight called a "red latte," and I'd like to be able to replicate it at home. ... although it probably wasn't a coffee drink. We didn't have too much time to talk with the barista (it was busy in there), but he did say that it was a tea drink rather than a coffee drink. But it had the consistency and solidity of a "real" latte, and was served in a big latte-sized mug. It was a rust-colored drink with that lovely creamy swirl design on the top.

I'm guessing it was something made out of rooibos and steamed milk. But they also offered something called a "red americano," and I can't imagine how red tea plus hot water would be worth drinking. So is there more to it than this? Former/present baristas, any idea what this "red latte" was, and how I can replicate it at home? My wife fell head-over-heels in love with it.

(Googling "red latte recipe" yields nothing helpful.)

To Tea or Not to Tea

softsantear — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:03:25 -0800

I'm anxiety-prone and so have eschewed caffeine for a long time. However, I miss drinking tea for the experience of it (not the stimulation). How can I re-acclimatize myself, and should I? Preamble: Speaking broadly, I am fairly predisposed towards anxiety in a non-specific sense -- maybe more like hypertension, with a constant underlying echo of quickened pulse, shortness of breath, etc.; kind of like the opposite of mindfulness.

In any case, I am working on that on a range of fronts.

I noticed some time ago that having tea (and, god forbid, the rare coffee) exacerbated these symptoms, so I stopped my tea-drinking habits (as part of a more general elimination-diet) and noticed it took some of the edge off.

Recently I've been missing the experience of having tea, though, for the calming aspect of the experience, the aroma, flavor, etc. I've tried on isolated occasions to have a cup, but it makes me instantly crazy (psychosomatic?). I was thinking this has something to do with the consistent lack of exposure to caffeine.

So I tried fooling around with non-caffeinated "herbal" teas, but these are almost all uniformly disgusting, hippie stews. Is there a way I could re-introduce tea (let's say sticking to green, and not black, tea) into my diet, gradually building to a tolerance where I can just enjoy it? I would assume this would involve steeping the tea leaves very little in ever-increasing gradations.

Is this even a good idea, though, given the anxiety + caffeine issue? I sort of feel that the tranquilizing aspect of enjoying a cup of tea might play a mitigating, meditative role in my general level of tension, so I would break even vis-a-vis any caffeine intake. But maybe not. OMIGOD GETTING ANXIOUS JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.

Well, I haven't had any yet, so I can't very well take more.

simplethings — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 12:29:49 -0800

What are some of the most delicious, unique, and relatively easy to execute foods for a Tea Party? I had Tea at The Peninsula in Chicago a little while ago and was impressed by their spread.
There was a quiche in a pastry shell, a few sandwiches (one with tomato jello!), an awesome souffle, and a handful of interesting desserts.
I'm already a huge fan of tea and have a decent collection and, inspired by The Peninsula, I'd like to host my own tea party.

I'd like finger-food sized sweet or savory recipes that are relatively easy and not too time consuming (hopefully nothing that requires setting out over night or beating for an hour)--but at the same time something that will make people say "wow."

A weigh-tea matter

crazycanuck — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:30:37 -0800

I have a package of 20 tea bags, and the weight is marked on the package as two ounces. Does this mean there are two ounces of tea split between 20 tea bags, or does the two ounces include the weight of both the tea and the bags? I don't have a small scale to verify.

The tea to water volume ratio divided by temperature minus steeping time

brenton — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:19:37 -0800

Tea Brewing question. Help me fill in a few missing details for how to brew the perfect cup of tea. Bonus question: should I trust the instructions printed on the box? So here is what I do know about how to brew tea: Warm the cup. Pour just-boiling water over the teabag. Cover, and let it steep no less than 3 minutes, no more than 5.

Missing Details--How big of a cup? Are we talking tiny teacups? A literal 1-cup measurement? Is this different based on the company? I sometimes suspect that British teabags are designed for British teacups, while 1 American teabag is designed for the standard, larger American coffee mug. Or maybe teabags assume a big mug, while loose leaf instructions assume teacups?

The old "one for each person and one for the pot" logic doesn't help me here... the question is about how much *water*, not how much tea.

Bonus:
So I know you steep Green Tea at a lower temperature, but I assumed you'd steep it for the same amount of time.. yet one package I have advises me to "wait about 30 seconds before you remove the tea bag from your cup." How can this be? Could it be because it's using fine fanning/dust in the teabag? (Which I would think would affect the tea/water ratio, not steeping time.) Furthermore, I have a White Tea box that suggests full boiling water for 3-5 minutes, as if it were black tea. What's going on?

Final question: can white and green tea be re-steeped for different flavors? Does this depend on the quality of tea, or can all white teas be re-steeped?

Where can I find my favorite red tea?

ellenaim — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 06:54:49 -0800

Where can I buy Kromland Farm Rooibos tea now that Whole Foods stopped carrying it? Can I get this delicious tea some way other than shipping it from the UK? All the online retailers I have found are in the UK, and I would prefer not to pay that much for shipping. Are there any US-based stores or online retailers who sell it? I'm in the Philadelphia area.

Or can you recommend a similarly yummy alternative? I've tried several brands of Rooibos but none are as smooth as this one.

Tea, please?

InsanePenguin — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:53:31 -0800

Looking for a good tea shop around Princeton, NJ. Any suggestions? I'm willing to drive a good distance, though a shorter drive is preferable.

Most economical way to make good chai tea?

DakotaPaul — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:26:22 -0800

Most economical way to make good chai tea? A few months ago I became addicted to chai tea. I started with Peet's Masala Chai, then tried Malabar Trading Co.'s Traditional Malabar Chai Mix (pdf). Loved them both: I got more cups out of the Peet's but the Malabar had a wonderful peppery kick. Would it be more economical to make my own blend, and if so what's a good recipe and where should I buy the spices and tea?

Mad Hatters Tea Party

ninazer0 — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:14:06 -0800

Fine China Filter: I'm trying to find tea-cups with a very specific shape. It's a very old-fashioned type and while I can find individual examples, I can't find a set. Are there any experts in the house that can give me pointers? The shape is called a pedestal (or, possibly) footed tea cup. Example here. But instead of the floral and gilt extravaganza pictured, I want it in plain white. Or possibly white with a silver trim.

Extra Points: must be available in Australia or via an online shop that will ship to Australia.

Health benefits of premium matcha

giggleknickers — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:31:32 -0800

Is premium matcha really healthier than other green teas? I have seen lots of research about the health benefits of green tea, which is why I drink so much of it (apart from it being delicious). Recently, I've seen a lot of claims that matcha (specifically premium matcha) is healthier, but I am getting quite frustrated because I can't find any research on it. Everyone I see who talks about it in detail is selling it.

The arguments seem to be that it is lower in fluoride, contains more nutrients, and that you get more of the nutrients because you consume the whole leaf. I don't understand why it would be lower in fluoride, I haven't seen any research showing there are more nutrients, and I thought all the nutrients seeped out into the water when we drink regular tea anyway. And why is the premium healthier? I understand that it tastes better, but why is it healthier?

I did try some matcha that I got for Christmas, and it definitely made me feel wonderful. I had a sense of well-being throughout the day, felt more clear-headed, and I was even a great deal more positive and optimistic than I have ever been and it seemed to temporarily cure my depression. I just want to know if that was placebo or not. Premium matcha is extremely expensive, but if these claims are true, then it would certainly be worth it.

There is one last piece of the puzzle and I'm wondering if it is relevant. Green tea usually gives me an energy kick, so I often have it right before exercising. Matcha didn't do that for me. I had more energy throughout the day, but no quick boost after drinking it. More placebo or insight into how it works in the body and possible health benefits?

Custom flavored tea?

melissam — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 08:24:54 -0800

Hey, I'm tired of crappy flavored tea and I want to make my own. I've had good flavored blends, but the vast majority seem to be either crappy or overpriced. I want to just buy good quality tea and then add in the flavor components. What are some things I can buy at the grocery store or at local ethnic markets that would fit the bill?

An example I found on one website was cocoa nibs and cardamom pods. The more unusual the better!

Hong Kong tea suggestions, please

Napoleonic Terrier — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 16:31:15 -0800

I'm in Hong Kong for two more days and would like to bring back tasty tea (of any variety, especially green) that is difficult or impossible to find back in the States. Please give me your tea suggestions, bearing in mind the only Cantonese word I recognize is on an "Exit" sign, but I can find the usual tourist areas on the subway. Thanks!

Chamotini?

_sirmissalot_ — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:05:14 -0800

I would like to invent and/or discover a cocktail recipe using as the key note chamomile tea or peppermint tea. In the course of discussing this idea I have heard a rumor of something once made somewhere in Boston with Strega and chamomile. Beyond its deliciousness, further details were lost to time. So, beyond that possible dead-end . . . any ideas?

Long life fruit = bad juju for baby?

ostranenie — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 19:15:28 -0800

Luo Han Guo and pregnancy? Asking for someone else: I am in an extremely early (first month) pregnancy and I drank some Celestial Seasonings tea with Luo Han Guo, whatever that is. According to this, it's "not to be used during pregnancy." So why not, and should she be worried? Yes, I know the "dose" in the tea is probably 0.0001g or some such thing, but I'm wondering why they would warn you off it during being pregnant?

tea question

ecorrocio — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 19:02:50 -0800

Do Brits drink "British Breakfast" tea, and the Irish drink "Irish Breakfast" tea? I drink tea every day. Usually Twinnings British Breakfast, or Irish Breakfast. It occured to me... Do Brits drink "British Breakfast" tea, and the Irish drink "Irish Breakfast" tea? If not, why are they named this way? Or are these marketed in the US and not in the UK?

Substitute for Nabob tea

acoutu — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:59:18 -0800

What's a close substitute for Nabob tea? My elderly grandma loves Nabob tea - so much that she usually has a few bags in her purse to use at restaurants. However, Nabob has discontinued their tea and it is now impossible to find. Can you recommend a tea that would taste fairly similar? Something available in teabags would be best, but this is a desperate situation for an octagenarian.

She lives in a small city in Canada.

Thanks.

Like drinking the best parts of a bonfire...

fake — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 11:48:08 -0800

I just discovered lapsang souchong , which might be the greatest drink I've ever encountered. What other smoky things can you recommend? I'm also interested in non-food smoky things, like pine tar soap. Cedar, pine, and juniper are some of my favorite smells.

Nurze R4tch3t, c4n I h4v3 m1 t34?

sully75 — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 06:53:00 -0800

Can a couple of cups of tea make me totally anxious, and totally unable to sleep? Even two days later? I love, love, love black tea with milk and sugar.

I've pretty much stopped drinking it because I suspect it might make me really anxious and also mess up my sleeping, but I'm not sure.

I tend towards anxiety in the first place. Sleeping isn't usually a problem, although I've had a bit of a rough year emotionally and have had issues. Usually I go to sleep around midnight, exhausted, and then I'm wide awake at 4am. My new thing is that I get music going through my head, over and over, really loud. Usually it's music that I'm working on (I'm a fiddle player). I like fiddle music plenty, but at 2AM having the same tune going over and over in my head is no fun.

So to be clear, this definitely happens when I'm not drinking black tea.

I'm not sure if this is confirmation bias or whatever you call it. For instance, I'm housesitting at a friends house right now. We hung out till late, I had a couple cups of tea. That night I slept poorly on his futon. I didn't have any yesterday but I slept miserably.

I have a similar suspicion that it pushes my anxiety past comfortable limits, but it's hard to see a direct causation because I'm pretty anxious in general. And have been particularly anxious this fall, and have had maybe 4 cups of black tea.

Really the issue is that I'd like to drink black tea all the time, because I love it so much. But I'm afraid my head might explode. But don't want to deny myself the pleasure if I'm just a normal head case and it's not really doing much.

Any way I can figure this out?

Oh and btw I never ever drink coffee and never have. No caffeinated soft drinks (well, the occasional gourmet root beer).

Silver Teapot Analysis Paralysis

whuuuu — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 04:42:19 -0800

I'd like to buy Mrs. Whuuuu a silver teapot/tea service/something similar but I don't want to get taken for a ride. I know, to a first approximation, zilch about antiques, vintage, teapots, or silver. I'm not looking for a lost treasure by a famous master or anything like that, I just want it to look nice in that sort of old English ornate way, not be broken, and be made of silver. To clarify it doesn't have to be old, just look like an old teapot.

These are about the right style, especially the last on that page.

I think, based on Googling, that I want solid silver and not plate but that's all I know. I'm in NYC and I have a budget of up to a few hundred dollars for the right one. Really all I want is the teapot itself but if there's some unbeatable value I'll find room for the rest of a service.

It's for Christmas but we don't take it too seriously so if it just won't arrive by then it's not a deal breaker.

Name that tea, U2 edition.

iamisaid — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:37:11 -0800

What kind of green tea is U2 bassist Adam Clayton making in this video? I know a bit about loose-leaf tea, but I've never seen any sort of green tea leaves that look so gloopy and produce tea that is so bright green in color. Any ideas?