Subject: ah, the joy of tea
Author:
Posted on: 2008-10-23 02:12:00 UTC
I wish non-tea-drinkers could understand that the flaky black bits are just tannin, and they make the tea taste better, and actually I'll thank them not to try to clean my mug, because I've been cultivating that black gunge for weeks.
I'm writing a short article that aims to explain the nature of tea and to extol its virtues to people who are not familiar with it or who just want to get their basic facts straight. I am a long-time tea lover, so I ask all of you: What do you want to know about tea? There's no such thing as a stupid question. I want to make sure my article will be useful to people who don't know much (or anything) about tea and tea-drinking, so I need to know what people don't know.
Bonus: If you already love tea, what are some things you wish non-tea-drinkers understood about it?
~Neshomeh, on a personal mission to spread the joy, harmony, and well-being that she associates with tea.
I can answer questions about the medicinal benefits of teas, and also about herbal rituals and ceremonies!
Well, I already know the answer, but a question could be 'What are the benefits, if any, of herbal tea?'
Benefits of herbal tea?
None, unless either a) you like looking like a hippy or b) you really like hot Ribena.
None that are well-researched or well-documented, that's for sure. However, I happen to like a variety of non-Camellia sinensis hot infused beverages (my definition of herbal tea), and I think there are benefits in drinking them just as there are benefits from infused tea. {= ) As for echinacea warding off colds or chamomile making you sleepy, I don't know, but it can't hurt to try. They smell nice, they taste nice, they can contain antioxidants and various other healthful chemicals, they provide variety in one's life, and they don't have to have caffeine. I call those benefits.
~Neshomeh, who doesn't recognize the word "Ribena," but will look it up.
But when it comes to echinacea, it's been tested plenty, and doesn't stop you getting colds in the slightest.
I find herbal teas disappointing. They smell like they should be gorgeous, but they always taste of hot Ribena. Also, call me a purist, but I like my tea stewed black with cow juice dumped in it. Preferably stewed long enough to stand a spoon up in it. Herbal teas just can't compare.
You can try something with blackberry leaves in it, for one. Those have tannins, too.
Also, there is chai, which is not strictly herbal, but it doesn't really taste at all of the tea in it, either. Chai is amazing if you like spices, though, and you're also supposed to put milk (and maybe sweetener) in it.
~Neshomeh
try drinking tea.
I don't know why, but I severely dislike the smell and taste of tea and coffee, and your descriptions aren't helping much.
Presumably, somewhere out there, there are civilised people, who threaten a delicate china cup of hot water with a teabag, then add lemon to it. You could be one of that sort of tea drinker instead. Unfortunately, over here in Yorkshire, we have to take our tea the manly way. Otherwise how would we know we were in Yorkshire? Aside from the grumpy old men and the flatcaps, of course.
I mean, you don't have to like tea, but my goal is to get the word out--the right word--for people who are not crotchety seasoned tea-drinkers like Pads. For example, highly-steeped tea is definitely not for beginners. You definitely want it more steeped if you're going to put other stuff in it, but not if you're going to drink it straight.
Also, it's true that smell doesn't necessarily reflect flavor, but tea is a multi-sensory experience. Each element should be enjoyed for itself, IMO.
And, you know, if you don't like tea, you can try other hot steeped beverages until you find something you do like. ^_^
~Neshomeh, devil's advocate and maybe a little bit of a hippie.
The tea counter disagrees with you. I just love to watch those numbers go up and know I'm doing my bit.
http://www.tea.co.uk/
Re the antioxidants, green and black tea are just the same. Tea is also a natural source of fluoride! It has zinc and folic acid in it, good for keeping away the neural tube defects if you're trying to bring a new tea drinker into the world. And, without milk, it has no calories. Helps protect against some cancers too.
I think lot of us start on the wrong foot and get turned off tea forever. Apparently some fool on Yahoo! somewhere said that Earl Gray tastes like Froot Loops. A girl who writes for our little student publication went in expecting Froot Loops and got tea with bergamot, and of course was shocked and dismayed. That's the sort of thing I want to correct, at least on my campus.
Part of the problem is not growing up with tea. It's an acquired taste, so if people haven't got a liking for it from saturation in the womb, it takes time to appreciate it.
The other part of the problem is the culture of instant gratification. One can slam a quick cup of tea if necessary, but I've always liked the process of boiling water, watching the tannins seep from the teabag, breathing the steam, feeling the warmth of the cup, and finally savoring the flavor. It's more than just a beverage--it's anti-stress. Perhaps that's an Asian influence, but they did start the whole tea-drinking thing.
... I'm rambling. I'm not even sure I have a point, other than "tea is fantastic." ^_^;
~Neshomeh, going to peruse the tea website now.
Well, I'm with you on the ritual. When Trojie and I are in the midst of writing, I need a constant supply of tea, but my pint-and-a-half mug takes about ten minutes to brew to my satisfaction. So I end up just chucking the milk in when it's like dishwater, and letting it brew next to the computer. But it's never the same. Mostly, I think, because part of the ritual is letting it brew for the length of time it takes to smoke a roll.
As for saturation in the womb, you're not wrong there either. When I was visiting my sister a few weeks back, we took my two year old niece out to buy her first ever proper teacup, because it just doesn't taste right out of a plastic beaker. She likes it milky at the moment, but we'll train her onto the harder stuff as best we can.
I wasn't vastly keen on tea when I was dead little, but my parents drink it constantly, so it was that or water. I will admit to taking three sugars at first. Brining it down to two was easy. Cutting down to one, not so bad. Cutting out sugar altogether was tough, but made me lose a stone.
Oh, and Earl Grey? Vile muck. Stick to Tetley or PG Tips.
And that the teas smell create, and then don't follow up on flavour. And it also depends on the tea that we're looking at. Green tea has proven to contain antioxidants that enable you to lose weight if you drink it before exercising by loosening up the cholesterol and fat in the bloodstream. Other than that, I'd say the ohter effects would mostly come through aromatherapy from the tea, not actually drinking it.
Artic, whose new white kitten is wondering what these fun 'Key' things are.
You don't know what Ribena is? Shame on you!
(Short version: fruit based uncarbonated soft drink and fruit drink concentrate that can be found in several flavours, of which blackcurrant is the original and most popular. Can be drunk cold or hot and is really tasty either way.)
We may not have it in this part of America, or indeed in America at all because this country is lame like that. But I will definitely look for it when I'm in England this spring. ^_^
~Neshomeh
I wish non-tea-drinkers could understand that the flaky black bits are just tannin, and they make the tea taste better, and actually I'll thank them not to try to clean my mug, because I've been cultivating that black gunge for weeks.
I figured it was just tiny flakes of tea leaf, which do admittedly contain tannin, but not in a pure form. Unless we're talking about different black flaky bits.
Either way, yeah, it won't hurt you, so relax. ^_^
~Neshomeh
We get a lot of limescale in the water here, and it makes for positively delightful scum on the top. And then, presumably, gets stained black and adheres to the inside of the mug, where it gradually becomes thicker and knobblier. So it's not so much flaky bits as the entire inside of the mug being coated with a thick tar.
I always wondered about the scum on the top. It gets there even when I'm sure the mug is perfectly washed out, so it couldn't be soap scum. Well, now I know. ^_^ I'm not sure I'm adventurous enough to let it accumulate in my mugs, but still, it's something I can include in the "what the heck is that in my cup?!" section. Thanks!
~Neshomeh
The true tea drinker will always let it accumulate. Washing it out washes away the flavour! Next time you wash your tea mug, wash the outside, and wash around the rim inside, about where you fill it up to (there should be a handy line of scum for guidance). The repeated boiling water will kill any germs, and after a few weeks, you'll be horrifed by seeing what your intestines must look like.