Tea me baby one more time
September 6th 2007 09:50
Tea is one of those things that I cant live without. Along with chocolate, of course. My love affair with tea began a long time ago, too long ago to remember exactly when the obsession started but over the years I have come to amass quite a large tea collection. Its often the only thing I bring back from my travels abroad, and something I never regret buying. I dont meant to be a snob here but I have long since come to despise Lipton and Twinings as much as a coffee aficianado may despise Nescafe. However not all supermarket tea bags are evil; I do quite like Nerada and Dilmah Ceylon tea, both are fine choices and now they have an organic range as well.
When I refer to tea of course, I mean the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and the range of tea produced from the various methods which this plant is grown, harvested and treated. The same plant can be turned into black, oolong, green and white teas. Herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint are not tea; strictly speaking they are tisanes which are fragrant infusions of plants prepared in the same way as teas.
I know most people like their tea with milk and sugar but I have to stand firm and say no. The subtle aroma and fragrance of fine teas are often lost when milk is added, as well as the beneficial antioxidants. But I confess I make an exception in the case of Nerada or Dilmah Ceylon tea, with these I do like a teaspoon of sugar and a dollop of milk. A time and place for everything.
I almost always buy loose leaf teas, because the quality is almost always superior to the ones you find in tea bags. These are some of my favourite brews:
Kusmi Green Jasmine: Kusmi is a Russian brand founded in 1867. I first came across this brand in Paris. They have an enormous range of teas and this is one of my favourite green jasmine teas. They also do a small range of teas in tea bags; unlike many commercial brands, the tea found in the bags are of the same quality as the loose ones and they come in loosely woven muslin bag so the tea leaves have room to float around and infuse better.
Really Long Link
Mariage Freres French Breakfast: You cant write a post about tea and not mention Mariage Freres. Their tea salons in Paris are also worth a visit for a taste of old world glamour. Often touted as the best tea company in the world, they have literally hundreds of different tea varieties. I have only tried maybe 5 or 6 of their varieties and I must say every one of them was excellent. I particularly liked French Breakfast because of its unique, almost sweet flavour.
http://www.mariagefreres.com/
Williamsons Early Grey: Finest fair trade tea around, and for this reason my favourite tea brand. This is an old company too, founded in 1869 and their earl grey is the best I have ever tried. The flavour is more floral in my opinion than many other earl grey blends you may find, and for those people who dont like earl grey, this is the one that will convert them to the dark side.
http://www.williamsontea.com/
I should make an honorary mention of other fine tea brands such as T2, The Tea Centre and Clipper, all of which have great teas that I enjoy on almost daily basis.
When I refer to tea of course, I mean the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and the range of tea produced from the various methods which this plant is grown, harvested and treated. The same plant can be turned into black, oolong, green and white teas. Herbal teas like chamomile and peppermint are not tea; strictly speaking they are tisanes which are fragrant infusions of plants prepared in the same way as teas.
I know most people like their tea with milk and sugar but I have to stand firm and say no. The subtle aroma and fragrance of fine teas are often lost when milk is added, as well as the beneficial antioxidants. But I confess I make an exception in the case of Nerada or Dilmah Ceylon tea, with these I do like a teaspoon of sugar and a dollop of milk. A time and place for everything.
I almost always buy loose leaf teas, because the quality is almost always superior to the ones you find in tea bags. These are some of my favourite brews:
Kusmi Green Jasmine: Kusmi is a Russian brand founded in 1867. I first came across this brand in Paris. They have an enormous range of teas and this is one of my favourite green jasmine teas. They also do a small range of teas in tea bags; unlike many commercial brands, the tea found in the bags are of the same quality as the loose ones and they come in loosely woven muslin bag so the tea leaves have room to float around and infuse better.
Really Long Link
Mariage Freres French Breakfast: You cant write a post about tea and not mention Mariage Freres. Their tea salons in Paris are also worth a visit for a taste of old world glamour. Often touted as the best tea company in the world, they have literally hundreds of different tea varieties. I have only tried maybe 5 or 6 of their varieties and I must say every one of them was excellent. I particularly liked French Breakfast because of its unique, almost sweet flavour.
http://www.mariagefreres.com/
Williamsons Early Grey: Finest fair trade tea around, and for this reason my favourite tea brand. This is an old company too, founded in 1869 and their earl grey is the best I have ever tried. The flavour is more floral in my opinion than many other earl grey blends you may find, and for those people who dont like earl grey, this is the one that will convert them to the dark side.
http://www.williamsontea.com/
I should make an honorary mention of other fine tea brands such as T2, The Tea Centre and Clipper, all of which have great teas that I enjoy on almost daily basis.
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