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One word. Rooibos.

Rooibos is indeed another plant, and – if you want to go even more far-flung – people steep mint leaves, random fruit concoctions, etc. I’m pretty sure yerba mate is different as well. Fruit blends and rooibos blends have become markedly popular in the United States, even though I don’t know if i’d qualify it under the same guise as “tea.” Perhaps it needs a new term? “Steeped water-based plant beverage?”

Anyway, Jason, and other Chicagoans: I hope you shop for tea at TeaGschwendner, in river north – it’s got a fantastic selection!

people steep mint leaves, random fruit concoctions, etc

Yes, but that isn’t “tea.” It’s an herbal infusion. Different animal. Tea comes from the tea plant.

Thank you for pointing out the water thing. Every time someone finds out I drink green tea, they just throw down the stinky face. Immediately I say, “you probably got scalded tea. Green tea is delicate and steeps kind of cold.” Too which they just give me this look that can only be described as, I’m not trying that crap again.

Thanks for the recommendation. Definitely going to have to check it out.

You have:

No tea.

I’m off to buy the book now!

I love Green Tea. Although, I’m more of a “just get a bag and stick it in a mug with boiling water” type person.

Thanks for the blog post – an interesting read.

Thanks for the tip…with tea that requires non-boiling water, a variable temperature kettle is the way to go.

”...coffee, since Mandy, like all right-thinking people, detested tea – an insipid footwash she had once called it.”

This quote popped into my head as I read the post. Try as I might with tea, I’m still a coffee drinker too. I’m probably not nuanced enough ; ) Best part? After racking my brain for the source of the quote I searched “Echelon Vendetta tea.” Top result – Google Book Search at page 406 of David Stone’s thriller highlighting “tea.” Good stuff.

As a Brit, the main question is, of course, do you put the milk in first or last?

“too-hot water scalds the tea and turns it bitter”

Nonsense. The temp of the water is not the problem. (Boiling water is OK.) It’s the amount of time you let it brew that affects how much tanin is released, which is what gives you the “bitter’ taste.

Try this: pour boiling water over green tea but don’t let it brew more than 2-3 minutes and see if you can detect the “bitterness.”

The real question is – Do you prefer Barrys or Lyons tea?

Computer; Earl grey, hot!

@Chris: last, too hard to judge otherwise.

As another Brit, we do find it funny how Americans have suddenly decided that tea is the new coffee, after Starbucks opened a branch in every town up and down our island.

Do you guys drink all these weird ass types of tea with milk? Over here it’s just tea, regular black tea, Earl Grey if you want to be fancy, Darjeeling if you want to be really fancy.

Yorkshire Tea (http://www.yorkshiretea.co.uk) with soft water (like you get in Yorkshire)

You’re in business then. If you’re ever over in the north of England, head to Harrogate – a finer cup of tea you can not find than the ones server in Bettys (http://www.bettys.co.uk)

Betty’s in Harrogate is a fine cup of tea! .. Scones to die for too.

Pronounced ‘skon’ or ‘skown’? :)

‘Skon’.

It’s the fastest cake in the world, you know?

White tea spoken here.

Once they carbonate tea, I’m in. And also make all tea actually taste like something rather than slightly flavored water.

I love tea. I’m a Brit so I can’t help it. Here are some posts from my writing blog on the subject: http://www.badlanguage.net/the-great-tea-controversy http://www.badlanguage.net/tea-healthier-than-drinking-water http://www.badlanguage.net/tools-for-writing-a-nice-cup-of-tea

I love me some tea.

Green tea with a little berry flavor is really good after a long, hard day of reading blog posts ;-)

Bettys does possibly the best Earl Grey I’ve ever tasted, and best of all you can order it loose from the website! As with green tea, you should never use boiling water with Earl Grey; it burns the bergamot don’t you know. And always brewed for a a minute or two at most, without milk of course.

Thanks for the post. I’ve now got a nice gift for my wife who loves all things tea.

If you get the chance to travel, try searching on “china tea tour” sometime… see it grow, picked, cured, and drink it in its natural environment.

While green tea needs a shorter steep time and cooler temperatures it’s all for naught if you’re starting with crappy tea. Spend a little extra for a good Sencha or Dragonwell and you’ll understand what all the fuss is about green tea.

@Chris milk only with an assam or “breakfast” tea, and it should always be added last.

I think my favourite tea is Lady Grey, no milk and no sugar

The best tea room I’ve found is in Buxton, they do a lovely green tea and scones.

Anonymous Coward is recommending that you scald the milk. No thanks: put it in first.

There are lots of good books written on tea, not least Okakura Kazuko’s Book of Tea (downloadable PDF ).