Tea

[Canalien]

I have to say I prefer Tea to Coffee. It has a much larger range of natural flavours and is a lot less complicated to make properly. I do like nice coffee, but I'm not a conoisseur, so I only have a low-end espresso machine and grinder, which make it well enough for me when I feel the need. Back to the point though, you don't need any fancy mechanics to make tea right, which is nice because I've become quite fussy about it and like it done the proper way.

Teabags are ok, and if you like them, that's what counts, but trust me, once you've had proper leaf tea you'll never go back. Tea bags are full of tea finings and dust (basically what they can scrape up off the factory floor after they get the good stuff out).

So here are Canalien's tea tips and random info.

Don't use boiling water. Let it cool down a few degrees first and it will taste a whole lot better.

For a stronger drink, use more tea, don't let it sit longer, too many tannins will start being released and it will taste bitter.

If you use tea bags, for the love of god don't squeeze them above the cup/pot when you take them out. This crushes what's left of the delicate finings and dumps tannins into the cup, meaning bitter tea again.

Use a tea ball in your pot (or cup) instead of just putting the leaves in straight. These are very cheap things and this way when brewing is finished you can pull out the leaves and not worry about the tea over-brewing while you have your first cup.

Fill your pot/cup with boiling water and then discard it, THEN put in your filled tea-ball and fill with hot water again. This warms the pot/cup up first and will not leech all the heat out of the water when you pour it in (this is a bit of a petty detail but it does make a tiiiny difference to taste).

Use milk and sugar, milk and honey, lemon and sugar, or lemon and honey. Never, ever, ever use milk and lemon. It'll all go very badly very quickly.

When making Green Tea, put your tea in, fill the pot with hot water and then pour it down the drain. Fill the pot with hot water again then then let it brew. Green tea has the advantage of being able to be brewed several times using the same leaves. The second and third brewing tastes infinitely superior to the first, which is why you chuck it out. It starts to go downhill after 3, but who the hell wants to drink that much anway.

There has been centuries of debate over whether you should put milk in first and then brew the tea. Personally I think this is ridiculous and for the sake of taste, the actual tea leaves should come in contact with hot water only, but that's just me. The supposed advantage to adding milk first can be that when you add hot water to it, doing so slowly will mean that the cold milk:hot water ratio will initially be higher and the milk warm up more gently and not do that weird curdling thing where you see a bit of it stay on the surface when you pour it into hot water, which can affect the taste a bit, but not all that much.
The generally accepted 'proper' way to make tea is to add milk second, but this is actually a stuffy tradition that originally had nothing to do with taste.
There are two popular kinds of Chinaware, the first being your cheap run of the mill gear and the second more expensive stuff being Bone China. When you pour very hot water straight into regular china, it is liable to crack, whereas Bone China would not, so pouring your hot water straight into your tea pot and not having it crack meant you had the good shit and you were all impressive to the aristocrats and crap. Morons. Point is, do it whatever way you like it.

Finally, people who harp on about having 'High Tea' being all posh about it are idiots. 'High' originally referred to the height of the table you had the tea on. 'High Tea' is/was the name of a light meal you have at around 7pm with a light meat or fish course followed by tea an cakes. It's taken at the dining table like a proper meal (with a high table) and not in the lounge or whatever (where there would be a low table). That's all. 'High' tea has nothing to do with anything posh. Unfortunately most people who actually use the term 'high tea' think it does. Knobs.

Go to this store (http://www.theteacentre.com.au) closest to you and try some real tea. They're a really good shop and stock hundreds of high quality teas from all around the world, they'll be able to help you out with any questions you've got too (no I don't work for them or have any affiliation). Of course, don't go buying a certain tea from them if you know someone who lives somewhere that variety is made, because buying it locally is a lot cheaper.

If anyone ever tries Silver Needles, please tell me about it. It's the most expensive tea in the world (because it can only come from a very small part of a certain plant and can only be harvested at night on two specific nights per year), and I haven't been able to justify buying some to try, so I wanna know.

[dwarfthrower]

Preferred Teas? I like the strong Chinese black teas... Yunan or Lapsang Souchong - both straight up - no milk or sugar or stuffing about. Mrs Dwarf is partial to a green tea with lemon or an Irish Breakfast with Milk.

[Canalien]

My fave is probably the Earl Grey Blue Flower from the Tea Centre, it's well strong, but usually Earl or Lady Grey is what I'll go for. That and anything with Cinnamon and Cloves in it. I've been getting into a strong smoky Russian Caravan lately which is nice and different too.

[Sutter]

I'll proably get slapped around by you tea giants but I love chai. Chai seems to taste different everywhere I try it, which is great. It also seems to have a more 'solid' feel to it, similar to what I like from coffee.

[Canalien]

Nah man, Chai is nice, and it's a great starting block for getting into some of the more exotic blends. It's just become such a popular icon that people drink for the image... but we have something they don't: the correct way to prepare chai.

But first, an interesting fact you can use, along with the following method to impress people. 'Chai' is actually the Hindi word for 'Tea', and the Mandarin character for the word tea is pronounced 'cha', which is also the word for tea in Portuguese. What you buy as 'Chai Tea' is properly called Masala Chai (or Chai Masala depending on how you look at it).

Chai can be prepared the same way as regular tea and taste good, but for truly GREAT chai, and something i think you'll want to try seeing as you mentioned how you liked how chai tasted 'solid'. Observe.

First of all, either buy some nice pre-blended chai (anyone that actually bothers to call it Masala Chai is probably worth looking at), OR you can just make it yourself and tweak the recipe to your liking. That said, I just buy it preblended from the tea centre because it's easier. Here's what you'll need for the home brew version.
1 or 2 sticks of cinnamon
8 cardamom pods
8 cloves
about a 5mm long chunk of ginger, sliced thin
1 and half cups of water

3 teaspoons of tea leaves
2/3 cup of milk
6 teaspoons of sugar (adjust to your liking)

chuck everything but the last 3 ingredients in saucepan over a medium high heat and bring it just to the boil. immediately turn the heat down to low, stick a lid on it and let it simmer for 10 minutes. open it up and add the milk and sugar. bring it to a simmer, dump the tea leaves in, take it off the heat, cover it and leave it for 3 minutes. strain it into cups and enjoy.

best chai you've ever had. practically NOBODY sells chai made like this, which is a damn shame.

[Sutter]

I DO make chai like that :) I don't used fresh ginger (but only because I'm too lazy to buy the real stuff) and I use honey in place of sugar. Truely great stuff. The chai they serve at Ceres (an environmental education park) near me is great too, I recommend.

[Glompbot]

If you use tea bags, for the love of god don't squeeze them above the cup/pot when you take them out. This crushes what's left of the delicate finings and dumps tannins into the cup, meaning bitter tea again.


Ooooh
Thanks for that!

I've kinda grown away from teabags (i purchased a little mesh ball with a handle a while ago, and I've been making herbal teas using that - I'll start doing the same thing with black tea)

[Glompbot]

I grew rather fond of Ceylon Orange Pekoe tea, its got a lovely colour and tastes sweeter than other teas.

I also have a fondness for Earl grey and lady grey....

I can't wait to try all of these as loose leaf teas.


I always use sugar because I don't like bitter tea... unless I'm sick - when I switch to honey
And I always add the milk (usually what equates to less than a thimble full) after the teabag is out of the cup... I just think its icky having the teabag with milk in it.

[Lujan]

I drink mostly Barry's tea, its imported from Ireland, and is basically quite strong, breakfast tea. Makes twinings look like a cup of piss.

I love tea from a pot, but rarely have someone to share with, which makes me tend to drink it less often.

I am also quite partial to all manner of iced teas.

[sagit]

I have just finished a Blackcurrant 'flavoured' Black Tea.

[Aardvark]

http://www.cafax.se/~liman/tea.html

[Hippy Vindalou]

If you use tea bags, for the love of god don't squeeze them above the cup/pot when you take them out. This crushes what's left of the delicate finings and dumps tannins into the cup, meaning bitter tea again.
Hehe I have always done that, it seemed like such a waste not to. I rarely make my own tea so never knew any different.

Have you got any recipes for iced tea? I know its probably so far removed from real tea its not funny but I am addicted to the Liptons Green Iced Tea and have recently been trying to make my own using tea bags of green tea.
I did let the water cool a bit before I put the bags in and didnt leave them in for longer than 4 minutes (I did squeeze them out though).
After that I just stir in some sugar and bung it in the fridge. Not as nice as stuff I have had at cafes though.

[Hairyman]

I like Twinings tea, although that may not be very cool.

Give Yunnan, Russian Caravan and Gunpowder teas a go. Nice and different black teas.

[Canalien]

Russian Caravan is nice, definitely an acquired taste though. very smoky. I reccomend having it with honey and a bit of lemon, no milk.

Gunpowder is green tea. The name refers to the way the leaves are rolled (into small balls resembling old fashioned gunpowder/shot), not the flavour. The trick with it is to use half as much as you normally would. ie, use half a tsp for one cup instead of a whole tsp. as the leaves are actually very big pieces but rolled into very small balls. Great watching that stuff expand.

[Benwah]

Does anyone else 'double bag' (I.E Two Tea bags)

I usually have English brekky at work, Tedley all rounders at home.

[bronco]

Have to get one of those little ball things with a handle.

I'll probably get shot, but I like the Billy Tea (what ever the hell it is) that you get from Woolies, but that's probably because I grew up on the stuff.

Do people here go for China cups or mugs?

Personally I go for mugs, just cause I can actually hold onto the bugger... and you get more

[Benwah]

Yeah man, Billy tea is alright.

Mugs all the way for me too Bronco.

[Sodapop]

Aussie tea is shite.

English tea, is, well, like drinking tasty mud.

Im drinking Jasmine tea right now. Just like you get at a chinese resteraunt. My mug is orange and is labeled BELINDA. I stole it from my last job.

I wish I was incredibly drunk right now. Like, totally fucking drunk. And on drugs, too. Possibly at some RSL, such as Kirrabilli or Bronte. Or that seedy pub on the corner of king st and St Peters station. No no, even better, at The Green Tree in Bath. Yeah, in that little front room, the one with the WW2 paintings with, um, Cassie, Rob... and maybe some of you nerds. Yeah.

What the hell does this emoticon mean> :pclove: I mean, is it p clove? PC love? What the christ is that about? Does he love the PC, or someone he is chatting to? Or is he playing ultima 5, and has fallen in love with Shamino, or Iolo the bard? Is it a he anyway??

And while we are on the subject, Earl Grey tea. Really, wheres the point? its too fragrant by far, and has that sweetish taste. Thats no fun.

TEA TRICK: instead of using one of those little tea bags with the tag on it for a cuppa, use one of the pot pags that are round and bigger. Much better dosage.

[Benwah]

TEA TRICK: instead of using one of those little tea bags with the tag on it for a cuppa, use one of the pot pags that are round and bigger. Much better dosage.

Tedley all rounds. yeah. i use them, man sized tea bags.

[kleph]

great thread.

these rules hold true for iced tea (http://www.kleph.com/cook/2006/01/iced-tea.html) as well.

[bronco]

great thread.

these rules hold true for iced tea (http://www.kleph.com/cook/2006/01/iced-tea.html) as well.
Thanks kleph... have to give that a whirl later

[Glompbot]

And while we are on the subject, Earl Grey tea. Really, wheres the point? its too fragrant by far, and has that sweetish taste. Thats no fun.

Well, thats the point of earl grey, its fragrant.

[Canalien]

I agree... Earl Grey is one of my favourites.

The origins of it are a bit mysterious. It's commonly attributed to Charles Grey, the 2nd Earl of Grey, who reputedly recieved black tea flavoured with oil from bergamot oranges (the bergamot is essentally what makes it Earl Grey) as a diplomatic gift from China.

The thing is, the Chinese have never been big black tea drinkers and Charles Grey never even went to China.
Now, it gets more interesting; Twinings claims to have first marketed Earl Grey tea after obtaining a sample of the original blend and reproducing it using a variety of teas, while Jackson's claim to have recieved an original recipe from Charles Grey himself (specifiying China black tea) and have made it accordingly to this day. Both companies still maintain their claims, despite now actually being owned by the same company.

Twinings brought out "Lady Grey Tea" as well, not as one would think, named after Charles Grey's wife, but rather it was the 'Safe for Women' blend, with lemon and seville orange added, as Earl Grey tea by itself was thought to make women horny and citrus fruits would calm the desires. Seriously.

[Glompbot]

ooooh lies in the land of tea!

[Dundasbro]

Irish breakfast tea all the way man!:gun:

[wOnko]

I cannae drink coffee, sadly it makes me puke.

I drink Earl Grey when using a pot, or a pinch of chinese jasmine in a cup at work [topping up with hot water a coupla times thru the day; good quality jasmine with flowers withstands being used for much of the day]

[Glompbot]

Why does coffee make you puke?

[WinterMuteAu]

Irish Brekfast tea.. morning, noon and night... yum

[AntZ]

Chai > Earl Grey > English Breakfast > All.

That is all.

[Glompbot]

I've never had chai

the idea of it scares me a little.

[Canalien]

You'll like it (probably)... follow previously posted instructions to make it really nice.

[kleph]

i have completely and totally stolen this for my cooking blog (http://www.kleph.com/cook/2006/04/tea.html).

[Canalien]

I'm totally famous.

I used to have a recipe for a real nice chocolate cake made with a Chai mixture, but alas it is lost to the ages. I'll see if I can dig up something similar.

[kleph]

dunno about that. but at least my mom will read it now.

[Canalien]

Good lord, I actually found it. The recipe calls for a heart shaped mould as it was designed as a valentine's day treat by Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake in San Francisco, but let's be honest, it all looks the same in your mouth ;)
The ingredients are expensive and it takes at least a day or two to prepare so make sure you're ready to spend time and money. To be honest with you, when I made this I completed effed it up, so if anyone gets it to turn out it would be nice to hear about it. I looked in the cupboard and found the little bottle of Kirsch I bought to make this cake over three years ago... wonder if it's still good...


Originally published in U.S. Bon Appetit magazine, February 2003.

Chocolate Heart Layer Cake with Chocolate-Cinnamon Mousse

Makes 4 servings.

Look for the heart-shaped cake ring at cake and candy supply stores, or call Jane's Cakes and Chocolates at 800-262-7630. You can also use a buttered and floured 8-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides.

CAKE
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 8x8x2-inch heart-shaped cake ring on sheet of foil. Wrap foil up sides of ring. Brush foil and inside of ring with 1 tablespoon butter; dust with flour. Place on baking sheet.

Sift flour, cocoa, and salt into medium bowl. Combine eggs and sugar in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until thick and billowy and heavy ribbon falls when beaters are lifted, about 5 minutes.

Sift half of dry ingredients over; fold in gently. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients. Transfer 1/4 cup batter to small bowl; fold in 3 tablespoons butter. Gently fold butter mixture into batter; do not overmix or batter will deflate.

Transfer batter to ring.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer cake with foil to rack; cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.)

MOUSSE BASE
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

Bring whipping cream and cinnamon sticks just to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat; let steep 1 hour at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate cinnamon cream overnight.

MOUSSE, CAKE ASSEMBLY, AND GLAZE
2/3 cup cherry jam
2 tablespoons kirsch (clear cherry brandy)

4 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon chai-spiced tea leaves or Lapsang souchong smoked black tea leaves (from 1 tea bag)
5 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Blend jam and kirsch in small bowl. Cut around sides of cake; lift off ring. Using metal spatula, loosen cake from foil and transfer to rack. Using serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Using tart pan bottom, transfer top cake layer to work surface; turn cut side up. Spread half of jam on cut side of both cake layers.

Strain cinnamon cream into large bowl; beat until soft peaks form. Stir finely chopped chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Quickly fold warm chocolate into whipped cream (chocolate must be warm to blend smoothly). Immediately drop mousse by dollops over bottom cake layer; spread to within 3/4 inch of edge.

Gently press second layer, jam side down, atop mousse. Smooth sides of cake with offset spatula. Chill assembled cake on rack while preparing glaze.

Bring cream, 1/4 cup water, corn syrup, and tea to boil in small saucepan, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; steep 5 minutes. Strain into another small saucepan; return to boil. Remove from heat. Add coarsely chopped chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool glaze until thickened, but still pourable, about 30 minutes. Place rack with cake over baking sheet. Slowly pour glaze over cake to cover, using spatula if necessary to spread evenly.

Chill until glaze is firm, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. Place cake on platter and serve.

[Haggisboy]

Right now I'm alternating between green and white tea at work. I drink both straight, with nothing added. White tea is apparently the least processed of all teas.

[Grumblefish]

What green tea do you guys drink? Longjing (龙井) seems to be by far and away the most popular in China. I usually just drink these teas:

Lapsang Souchong 正山小种 (zheng shan xiao zhong)
Pu er 普洱 (some different sort of tea leaf, it has no tannins, likes open air, but no light)
Long jing 龙井 (green tea (录茶))
Tie Guan Yin 铁观音 (oolong tea (乌龙茶))
Jasmine tea
Earl Grey

Anyway, I've drunk tea for as long as I can remember, and I will put milk in most black teas (although not Lapsang Souchong).

[kleph]

lapsang souchong. ummmmm... barbecue.

[Grumblefish]

lapsang souchong. ummmmm... barbecue.

The only mixed drink I'd ever opt for is whiskey or vodka poured into it.

[Haggisboy]

What green tea do you guys drink? Longjing (龙井) seems to be by far and away the most popular in China. I usually just drink these teas:

I dunno. I'm not that much of a tea snob. I go to a local Chinese grocery and pick up whatever is selling at a decent price. Because I only consume the stuff at work I opt for bags. I generally try to stick with teas that have good quality packaging, figuring if the manufacturers can't be bothered to put any effort into the package, then the tea might be of similar low standards. I know it sounds like a bogus rule of thumb, but when you're dealing with stuff from the orient, and can't read 3/4 of the writing on the box, I figure it's a safe rule to follow.

[Canalien]

been about a year since anything was posted here... i've discovered a couple of things... again it's all personal taste but the following work for me.

'one for the pot' (adding an extra spoon of tea to a teapot when brewing... ie brewing 2 cups: use 3 teaspoons) is a crock of shit and a 1:1 ratio in a teapot is supremely better.

there is no hard rule as to how much tea you should use depending solely on its type. i'd go as far as to say that every time you buy new tea you should work out how full to make each teaspoon when brewing from that particular batch.

making tea in a french press coffee plunger is ace, and beats the hell out of making it with a tea ball. there is the concern of not actually being able to remove the tea leaves, so one cup at a time yields the best results, but a plunger with a mesh fine enough would also solve the problem; just be sure not to stir the tea before you press it... you'll notice the more concentrated and bitter brew will sit at the bottom of the plunger... don't stir it and you won't mix it, leaving only the light, great tasting tea in your cup... this goes back to just using more tea if you want a heavier brew without bitterness.

[kleph]

could you add this to the comments on my tea entry of yours on my cooking blog? http://www.kleph.com/blog.php?v_blog_id=6&v_blog_entry_id=705

also, are you canadian or australian by nationality?

[Canalien]

both ;)

canadian born, australian raised. i've flicked back and forth all my life but technically i've spent more time in australia... i have two passports though, and tend to be fiercely proud of my canadian heritage whilst in australia and the same for my australian upbringing whilst in canada, so... half'n'half.

i'll add that to the comments now...

[Canalien]

oh yeah... i still think teabags are absolutely rubbish...

but i won't judge you if you use them... i'll drink it too if it's the only thing available.

just please try some real leaf tea if you can.

[kleph]

ok, i've updated my description of your mongrel background. and thanks in advance for the addition. i find that post gets visited pretty regular and i like being able to have your updated insights included.

[Canalien]

something else I forgot...

here in Australia (and South East Queensland especially) we are currently facing a fairly DIRE water shortage due to the worst drought in over 100 years.
so if you live in a drought affected area; until the dams are full again please ignore my advice about filling your pot or cup with hot water and discarding it to heat it up. throw the pot in the oven or microwave for a few minutes to get it hot that way. yeah it takes longer and uses a bit of power, but saving water is the more important thing. if you still want to use the water method; don't pour it down the sink. wait until it cools and save it for your plants. or use it for something else in the kitchen. boiled water is clean water. same goes for that first batch of green tea; if you're not going to drink it, let your plants. they won't mind the taste believe me. or hell, you could even cook with it for a real exotic flavour.

[Glompbot]

I prefer using a tea ball to using a plunger styletea thing.

[skylar]

Hmm, I don't use a teapot because I only ever make tea for myself; if I am with my family we will use a pot as it is more cost effective and more communal I suppose. I disagree that loose leaf tea is better than teabags. Some of the best tea brands in bag form are English brands because they are quite strong - PG Tips and Twinings Earl Grey are my favourites. I don't really like Australian teas much because they are weak in comparison. Australians also like to put a lot of milk in their tea and English people traditionally do not. Dilmah is the exception to this - a Sri Lankan tea, quite strong, but I don't like it because there's a funny aftertaste left in the mouth after drinking more than one cup.

Background: English born and raised, lived in Australia for the last 10 years.

[that_guy]

Can I give you a secret reciepe?
Pumpkin soup:
Chicken Stock
Tomatoes
Roasted pumpkin
Spices that are at hand and taste yummi in pumpkin soup (chilli pumpkin soup is a surprisingly good winter warmer)
Dandelion tea.
That's right, Half a cup of dandelion tea (with ginger if possible) will give a nice twang to the flavour, and no one will guess what your secret recipe is!!

Oh yeah, I still use hot water to warm my tea pot, but I use that same water to warm the cups, then usually chuck it on the garden (after it has cooled a little) so I don't think I'm wasting much water at all.

[alexface15]

Tea is great. I love early grey

[Canalien]

lol... Earl Grey

[meg]

Chai is good with brown sugar :nod:

[catt]

My favourite tea at the moment is Moroccan tea with mint :greenwink

[carrion]

Peppermint

[Fleur]

I've developed an addiction to Lemon Iced Tea and for the sake of my wallet, I've been trying to recreate something similar at home to Nestea's Iced Tea (far superior than any other brand) but to no avail.

Any tips?

[ewe2]

i oscillate between dilmah and nerada :D i should drink more green though, i like that stuff...

[dwarfthrower]

I've developed an addiction to Lemon Iced Tea and for the sake of my wallet, I've been trying to recreate something similar at home to Nestea's Iced Tea (far superior than any other brand) but to no avail.

Any tips?

What are you doing at the moment?

It's not something I've ever made, but if I were to have a crack at it I'd:

Brew up some tea
Pour it into a jug
Drop in four or five slices of lemon
Add sugar to taste (four teaspoons per litre of tea I'd say)
Let it cool and whack it in the fridge overnight.


I'd avoid squeezed lemon juice in favour of lemon slices because you get a better lemmony flavour from the zest of the rind rather than the juice. Perhaps even grate some zest into the mix, let it steep with the tea, then filter the lot out when you pour.

[Hit And Rum]

Orange Pekoe. Tea Bag ileft in for quite some time. Small amount of milk. No Sugar.

Lapsang Souchong - nice smokey flavour. No milk required.

[Fleur]

What are you doing at the moment?

It's not something I've ever made, but if I were to have a crack at it I'd:
Brew up some tea
Pour it into a jug
Drop in four or five slices of lemon
Add sugar to taste (four teaspoons per litre of tea I'd say)
Let it cool and whack it in the fridge overnight.
I'd avoid squeezed lemon juice in favour of lemon slices because you get a better lemmony flavour from the zest of the rind rather than the juice. Perhaps even grate some zest into the mix, let it steep with the tea, then filter the lot out when you pour.

I'm generally doing what you would do - brewing up, adding lemon and sugar etc. but i still find it has a bit of a "tang" to it. I did take your lemon slices advice on board - i've just made some up and i can already tell it's made a difference (i can't believe i didn't even think of the zest! :banghead:) yet, it still has that "tang" i mentioned.

I'm wondering if it's the tea i'm using - i'm avoiding tea bags and playing around with a few different black teas that we have around the place like liptons, twinings and a few canadian teas i've been given - and no matter how long I have them brewing for, it's never quite right!

There have been some interesting moments ie. the time i forgot to take the tea ball out and ended up with VERRRRRY bitter tea :p

[dwarfthrower]

The only other thing I could think of... is that Nestea wouldn't actually use lemons. You can pick up lemon essence at the supermarket. A few drops of that in place of the real lemon might give you a more commercial taste.

[Fleur]

The only other thing I could think of... is that Nestea wouldn't actually use lemons. You can pick up lemon essence at the supermarket. A few drops of that in place of the real lemon might give you a more commercial taste.

I'll give it a whirl anyhow! Thanks for the advice :D

[Fleur]

I've just added some mint leaves in! It's already tasting much better!

[t101]

I'm a big fan of Lady Grey. I get shit for it (oooh, the lady grey!) but its just a really nice tea.

[skylar]

I have some Earl Grey Darjeeling by Lupicia (http://www.lupicia.co.jp/) that I bought at the Lupicia store at QV in the Melbourne CBD today. It's a Japanese brand of tea and they sell Chinese, Japanese and Western (http://www.lupicia.com/variations/teabag/list.php?subcatcd=s3) teas. The taste is quite strong.

[Chodus]

I'm a big Earl Grey fan. I did however buy some Damiana (http://www.erowid.org/herbs/damiana/damiana.shtml) tea at the Newtown Festival. Yet to try.

[Glompbot]

I've just added some mint leaves in! It's already tasting much better!

http://www.t2tea.com.au/

have a box of tea you can make into various iced teas... its $30 and makes a *lot*

Or you can go to your asian supermarket and buy for about $2 a box of satchels that will make you about 30 large glasses worth of it.

[Glompbot]

The Turkish Apple from t2 was delicious BTW - I had it in-store.

[Fleur]

http://www.t2tea.com.au/

have a box of tea you can make into various iced teas... its $30 and makes a *lot*

Or you can go to your asian supermarket and buy for about $2 a box of satchels that will make you about 30 large glasses worth of it.

I ~may~ just try that, I was thinking I could experiment with all the fruit teas i've got lying about (it was weird smelling raspberry from a grey hot drink!) I shall definately try it!

[Glompbot]

Yeah when I was addicted to ice tea I just gave up buying the bottles and bought the packets of satchels from the asian grocery...

I might look at buying some more just to have in the cupboard....