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Favorite tea?

PintoBean

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Hahaha - that looks like my mom's pantry of tea! Now she's curbed herself to half of what you have in your pantry ;-)
Every time she goes to Taiwan, she brings back a few containers of oolong and various greens that she claims are from organic farms, hand rolled, blah blah blah. Hundreds of dollars she spends. Her treasured gift to self I guess. :D

I used to think Teavana was pricey, but then on our honeymoon to China, we stopped at a tea plantation, and got a couple of smallish tins and about 4 tiny tins and it was over $200 USD. A grade dragon well tea. The tea so good they said that their phrase for drinking tea actually translates to "eat tea". The tour group was allowed ONE leaf each to nibble on as a sample - lolol...

I love brewing loose teas. My favorite is a blend of whites, greens, and jasmine from Teavana - whatever is tickling my nose at the moment. Usually have to get a pound I believe - which is about 2 bags, so one for me and hubby, and one for mom and daddy as a just-because gift.

ckrickett|1417971771|3797232 said:
I used to manage and train people for tea store about 10 years ago. I had a huge LUST for tea, and I collected my fair share of types and blends.

currently I have about 85lbs in my tea cabinet, but I DO have my favorites


fullsizerender-32.jpg

White-
Silver Needles is my most favorite of the whites, and if I can find it bound into tight little balls that is even better!

Oolong-
I love Monkey Picked Oolong, and Pheonix Mountain dan Cong, if I can find an amazing jasmine oolong then I swoon over that. (Also the oolong teas in chinese restaurants is pretty great too)

Greens-
Gyokuro Imperial
Matcha
Jasmine Pearl Tea
Genmaicha

Blacks-
I LOVE Chinese black teas, especially ones with a rich full body!
I also Love english breakfast

Flavored Blacks
Lapsang Souchong - it's a smoked tea, and tastes like a delicious campfire
Earl Grey

Herbal-
Rooibos teas, especially ones flavored with orange, lemon, or macadamia
Linden Flower Tea

various herbal tisanes are great as well
 

Dancing Fire

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I drink Jasmine or Tit Kwun Yum during the winter time.
 

Gypsy

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TooPatient|1418197954|3798779 said:
Thanks!

I'm trying to cut back on the rice so it is less a big part of meals now. I try to keep it more of a side dish and a way to carry extra veggies (shredded carrots, lots of peas, lima beans, etc). That is one of the challenges with the Persian cookbooks we have -- so much rice!

What sort of recipes do you like to use dried limes? I've got a big bag (actually two since I forgot I had already purchased one!) in the cupboard and only have a couple of recipes (both ghormeh sabzi) that call for them.

Two.

Both are huge favorites of mine.

One is Ghemieh and the other Ab Goosht.

This recipe is close to mine: http://mypersiankitchen.com/ab-goosht/ though I use more turmeric. And I add some roughly chopped garlic cloves-- about 4 for the amount of meat in that recipe. You can also use canned beans and just add them in the last 45 minutes.

But I don't mash it. I just serve it as a soup, taking the bones out. No rice. Lavash bread is nice with it. And the ubiquitous Persian fresh herbs.

And this is Gheimeh: http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2010/03/khoresh-ghaymeh-traditional-iranian.html No rosewater in my version. And I use a nice chuck as stew meat. This stew is supposed to be made with VERY small bites of beef. So the maximum one inch tall by 1 cm wide RAW, so that it is smaller when cooked. I just get a nice piece of chuck then cut it up. You want it marbled. But cut the large veins out.

This one is best served over tadig (crunchy rice) or with a nice rice full of saffron. But I do it in a bowl and eat it as stew with extra potatoes. I actually put the fried potatoes on the bottom and put the stew over. Works fine and cuts out the rice.
 

TooPatient

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Gypsy|1418276096|3799319 said:
TooPatient|1418197954|3798779 said:
Thanks!

I'm trying to cut back on the rice so it is less a big part of meals now. I try to keep it more of a side dish and a way to carry extra veggies (shredded carrots, lots of peas, lima beans, etc). That is one of the challenges with the Persian cookbooks we have -- so much rice!

What sort of recipes do you like to use dried limes? I've got a big bag (actually two since I forgot I had already purchased one!) in the cupboard and only have a couple of recipes (both ghormeh sabzi) that call for them.

Two.

Both are huge favorites of mine.

One is Ghemieh and the other Ab Goosht.

This recipe is close to mine: http://mypersiankitchen.com/ab-goosht/ though I use more turmeric. And I add some roughly chopped garlic cloves-- about 4 for the amount of meat in that recipe. You can also use canned beans and just add them in the last 45 minutes.

But I don't mash it. I just serve it as a soup, taking the bones out. No rice. Lavash bread is nice with it. And the ubiquitous Persian fresh herbs.

And this is Gheimeh: http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2010/03/khoresh-ghaymeh-traditional-iranian.html No rosewater in my version. And I use a nice chuck as stew meat. This stew is supposed to be made with VERY small bites of beef. So the maximum one inch tall by 1 cm wide RAW, so that it is smaller when cooked. I just get a nice piece of chuck then cut it up. You want it marbled. But cut the large veins out.

This one is best served over tadig (crunchy rice) or with a nice rice full of saffron. But I do it in a bowl and eat it as stew with extra potatoes. I actually put the fried potatoes on the bottom and put the stew over. Works fine and cuts out the rice.

Those look delicious! Thanks for sharing.

I'll have to give them a try :lickout:

Hmm.... Need to go back to the market. I'm running low on turmeric. (I like to use extra in a lot of the recipes we use so it can go pretty quickly!)
 

Amber St. Clare

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Bumping the thread up to say I found a delicious tea today:

Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea. absolutely gorgeous and soothing.

enjoy!
 

Lady_Disdain

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Amber St. Clare|1419031237|3804452 said:
Bumping the thread up to say I found a delicious tea today:

Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea. absolutely gorgeous and soothing.

enjoy!


My mother introduced me to a similar mix by Twinnings - really good and I tend to dislike chamomile.
 

Skippy123

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I love tea too and have always hated coffee. I love Two Leaves http://www.twoleavestea.com/

My favorite is Organic Earl Grey http://www.twoleavestea.com/organic-earl-grey

I found a local lavender tea that I also like. I find sipping tea relaxing. My twin 3 yr old sons drink tea too. They love tea!


oh and I love a peppermint tea when I have a tummy ache. Or when I can't sleep I love Sleepytyme w/Varian root.
 

MichelleCarmen

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Amber St. Clare|1419031237|3804452 said:
Bumping the thread up to say I found a delicious tea today:

Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea. absolutely gorgeous and soothing.

enjoy!

Ooh, this sounds really yummy! Perfect for a rainy day like today.
 

TooPatient

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Amber St. Clare|1419031237|3804452 said:
Bumping the thread up to say I found a delicious tea today:

Celestial Seasonings Honey Vanilla Chamomile Tea. absolutely gorgeous and soothing.

enjoy!


It is delicious! I forgot about this one. We don't have it at home, but this is what my grandmother is drinking all the time so I've had it with her.
 

TooPatient

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Gypsy|1418276096|3799319 said:
TooPatient|1418197954|3798779 said:
Thanks!

I'm trying to cut back on the rice so it is less a big part of meals now. I try to keep it more of a side dish and a way to carry extra veggies (shredded carrots, lots of peas, lima beans, etc). That is one of the challenges with the Persian cookbooks we have -- so much rice!

What sort of recipes do you like to use dried limes? I've got a big bag (actually two since I forgot I had already purchased one!) in the cupboard and only have a couple of recipes (both ghormeh sabzi) that call for them.

Two.

Both are huge favorites of mine.

One is Ghemieh and the other Ab Goosht.

This recipe is close to mine: http://mypersiankitchen.com/ab-goosht/ though I use more turmeric. And I add some roughly chopped garlic cloves-- about 4 for the amount of meat in that recipe. You can also use canned beans and just add them in the last 45 minutes.

But I don't mash it. I just serve it as a soup, taking the bones out. No rice. Lavash bread is nice with it. And the ubiquitous Persian fresh herbs.

And this is Gheimeh: http://turmericsaffron.blogspot.com/2010/03/khoresh-ghaymeh-traditional-iranian.html No rosewater in my version. And I use a nice chuck as stew meat. This stew is supposed to be made with VERY small bites of beef. So the maximum one inch tall by 1 cm wide RAW, so that it is smaller when cooked. I just get a nice piece of chuck then cut it up. You want it marbled. But cut the large veins out.

This one is best served over tadig (crunchy rice) or with a nice rice full of saffron. But I do it in a bowl and eat it as stew with extra potatoes. I actually put the fried potatoes on the bottom and put the stew over. Works fine and cuts out the rice.


Tried the Gheimeh this week. YUM!!!

I skipped the rose water and added extra dried limes. Turned out delicious!
 

Gypsy

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That sounds excellent Too Patient, and that's pretty much what I do too. I am glad you liked it! You actually put me in the mood to cook with dried limes. I'm going to make the other dish Ab Goosht next week... this week is too crazy, as we are having guest over for Christmas and I want to keep the house SPOTLESS since we had a housekeeping service come through.

But next week. YUMMO!
 

the_mother_thing

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Boston's Mint in Tea. :lickout: It's Kentucky mint vs spear-minty, and is a favorite of mine & DD. I grew up with this in our home at all times, and used to dip my toast in it as a little girl. Now, my DD does the same. And whenever we have a cold bug coming on, it is our go-to.
 

Amber St. Clare

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found ANOTHER really flavorful herbal tea the other day:

Tangerine Orange Zinger from Celestial Seasonings

It has a full bodied REAL orange flavor and it leaves nice aftertaste.
 

february2003bride

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I adore tea! I love the smell of coffee but with the exception of our favorite breakfast place, I don't care for coffee.

I love Starbucks shaken green iced tea, unsweetened. I sometimes switch it up and get the black iced tea unsweetened, but I typically get the green tea 3 times a week.

For hot tea, I love Twinnings English Breakfast and Celestial Seasonings Chamomile tea and CS's Green tea with White tea infused. I will have to try some of the teas mentioned in this thread! Yum!
 

gwendolyn

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For normal everyday tea, either PG Tips or Yorkshire Tea are my favourites. Nice, strong, flavourful--good stuff.

But for fancy flavoured tea, teapigs is my favourite--so many interesting flavour combos! Their chocolate flake tea is really lovely, and I would like to try their chilli chai and popcorn teas. :bigsmile:
 

VRBeauty

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I've been reading a book in which a London tea import business plays a starring role. If you've been enjoying this thread, and you like a well-written mystery, consider reading Kissed a Sad Goodbye by Deborah Crombie. Be prepared to read it with your favorite cuppa, of course!

Back at the homefront, I've been working my way through a healthy stash or traditional and herbal teas, with a goal of making way for some new teas. I suspect some of my current stash will end up going the way of the compost heap... :wink2:

PS - gwendolyn - how nice to see you again! I do hope you'll pop back in from time to time!
 

TooPatient

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Gypsy|1419137303|3805120 said:
That sounds excellent Too Patient, and that's pretty much what I do too. I am glad you liked it! You actually put me in the mood to cook with dried limes. I'm going to make the other dish Ab Goosht next week... this week is too crazy, as we are having guest over for Christmas and I want to keep the house SPOTLESS since we had a housekeeping service come through.

But next week. YUMMO!

You'll have to check out what happened in the pets thread...

Making this frequently... Now with a lid :lol:
 

Gypsy

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I'm so glad it is such a hit. Though I am sorry about the mess! :lol: :lol: I responded in that thread.

Regarding TEA. I bought the MOST FREAKING AMAZING EARL GREY.

Oh holy tea! My local Persian store had this box of tea and I was out of Earl Grey and it was totally expensive but the guy swore up and down it was amazing and told me that if I didn't love it he'd take it back. So i tried it.

SO happy I did. I'll take a picture or link to it when I get home. So good.
 

VRBeauty

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Gypsy|1423791398|3831639 said:
Regarding TEA. I bought the MOST FREAKING AMAZING EARL GREY.

What is it that makes this Earl Grey so amazing?
 

VapidLapid

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I have an appointment next week at the Mandarin's tea room, aka the Tea Speakeasy. I'm really looking forward to it.

www.themandarinstearoom.com
 

ericad

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Gypsy|1423791398|3831639 said:
I'm so glad it is such a hit. Though I am sorry about the mess! :lol: :lol: I responded in that thread.

Regarding TEA. I bought the MOST FREAKING AMAZING EARL GREY.

Oh holy tea! My local Persian store had this box of tea and I was out of Earl Grey and it was totally expensive but the guy swore up and down it was amazing and told me that if I didn't love it he'd take it back. So i tried it.

SO happy I did. I'll take a picture or link to it when I get home. So good.

Ooooh I wanna know! Earl Grey is my favorite, but I like it fairly aromatic - lots of flavor. Some brands are very light or have more of a flowery/perfumy taste than a spicy taste, if that makes any sense. I'd love to try it!
 

VRBeauty

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VapidLapid|1423798741|3831698 said:
I have an appointment next week at the Mandarin's tea room, aka the Tea Speakeasy. I'm really looking forward to it.

www.themandarinstearoom.com


Oh my goodness -reading those descriptions makes me want to try them all! Unfortunately the one that most caught my imagination (Keemun Kung-Fu Red) is sold out.

:((
 

Gypsy

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VRBeauty|1423792122|3831645 said:
Gypsy|1423791398|3831639 said:
Regarding TEA. I bought the MOST FREAKING AMAZING EARL GREY.

What is it that makes this Earl Grey so amazing?

Super fragrant. I love love love very fragrant full bodied in your face bergamot.

Here it is: http://www.alvinsofsf.com/persian-choice-royal-earl-grey-tea.html
Available at Amazon too: http://www.amazon.com/Persian-Choice-Earl-Gray-Ounce/dp/B00GUU0IKG#


Granted it's a lot of tea. But... I'm not used to paying that much for Earl Grey. I paid 15 bucks locally.
 

Gem Queen

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Intelligensia, Killogram tea.
I love the cold brew Ice tea. The houseblend is like an iced Earl Grey. The black tea is awesome. It's organic too
 

ckrickett

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If anyone is a fan of chamomile, I highly recommend finding linden flower. NOT Linden leaves (although nice) But Linden flower is just so amazing!!!
 

LondonGal

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Lady Disdain - I too am anaemic so have to avoid tea/coffee/milk for two hours either side of iron meds or a meal that would be high in iron. I also have to take vitamin C with the iron meds/food.

On to tea. I was brought up with Glengettie or Welsh Brew (I'm in the UK). No one can ever replicate my grandmother's tea. It would be brewed first thing in the morning where the teapot would then be placed in the oven and topped up with water/leaves during the day. Sounds awful but tasted amazing. Milk and sugar are a necessity (necessitea :D) for me.

I also like Twinings Assam and Afternoon or Clipper green with lemon (honey, no sugar or milk).
 

Maisie

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I drank a lot of tea growing up. But it was the cheapy own brand stuff from the supermarket. Not posh at all. Now my favourite teas are Ceylon tea from The Savoy in London and Ceylon Orange Pekoe from Fortnum And Mason. They both come in lovely packaging.

_27113.jpg

_27114.jpg
 

CJ2008

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My favorite kind - but I haven't tried many - is "regular" tea.

The brand I drink all the time is Tazo Awake english breakfast.

Reading the package now it says it's black tea.

I really like it...the only thing is I just noticed now they rate it as 5 on the caffeine guide scale (61+ mg caffeine per 8 oz serving) :sick:
Would be good to find a replacement not so high in caffeine...

(does caffeine give flavor, or no? I tend to think decaffeinated tea sometimes feels more watery/less flavorful)

BTW as I am writing this I am fighting the urge to get some vanilla wafers to DUNK in the tea. I wish I could do that every day - but I've limited it (or try) to once or twice per week. Man do I wish I could eat whatever I want...
 

Victoria10

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My kids and my husband and I are all tea drinkers. I like the celestial brand currently the sinus one. my husband likes Earl Gray and constant comment. My kids drink the herbal with me. I really need to try some of these listed. Especially the white tea
 
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