Barry’s is the taste of my childhood. Specifically the rumpled slightly stale taste of childhood things smuggled into the US at the bottom of some one’s luggage in much higher quantities that is typically permissible. Barry’s, slightly melted Cadbury’s, and accidentally powdered Tayto. Tetley’s I could take or leave. But I do like that PG Tips stuff. Though I’m not willing to rule out that this fondness might be purely based on the adorable monkey.
I’ve made Yorkshire Gold in an espresso maker more than a few times, and while I personally enjoy it quite a bit, I cannot in good conscience recommend it to anybody under any circumstances.
I get some of my loose leaf tea at our food co-op (which, I imagine, gets it all from Frontier) and it’s fresh and tasty and the price is… ok. Once a quarter, the co-op discounts one entire buy (one ticket) and that’s when I stock up on things like nuts and tea and other expensive foods etc.
There is a fantastic deal on loose leaf teas of good quality at the Phoenicia Bakeries in Austin (north and south locations).
I’ve been trying to stop in more often and spend more money there because I am afraid they will go away. Decent falafel sandwiches, and I always see a lot of people in and out with gyros and bags of freshly made pita bread. Oh how I love their breads, all made onsite. Such a deal on really authentic foods.
For a long time, it was the only place I’d buy my loose leaf Earl Grey. Their north store has a really well-curated extensive selection of teas, including the fennel tea my son in drinking right this minute for his ahem digestion issues.
What’s a shame is not that you’re doing it wrong, but that you’re doing it in a way that results in a beverage you like – which, when it comes to making tea, is pretty much the definition of doing it right – but still feel it necessary to include the “I’m probably doing it wrong” disclaimer.
You sound like a guy telling a room full of audiophiles how your mp3s sound just fine
I happen to like the darker (“ripe”) pu-erh, which tastes a bit richer. A nice overview helps with the full appreciation of this particular tea, which has such a storied past.
I have often wondered what sort of tea was shown (or implied to have been shown) on the Benedict Cumberbatch incarnation of Sherlock.
The earthenware antique teapots look similar to teapots I have enjoyed being served pu-erh tea from, and before I left China last time I bought one for myself. When I have the time, I even try to make my pu-erh in it!
I heartily recommend Yunnan Tea Company’s Pu-erh tea. Comes in a 340g brick. Break off a 2g chunk for each cup of tea although you can re-use that chunk for 3-4 cup (after 3 gets a bit weak for my taste). $16.95 Amazon Prime shipping so about 2.5-10 cents per cup. Good flavor, not as dark and smokey as the pu-erh my local natural foods store carries, a bit astringent so if I were drinking it on a long car trip I would want to take a bottle of water as well. Never tried it with a bit of cream and sugar as I usually like my regular black teas so I don’t know if that would work to balance the astringency. Pretty reddish color that looks lovely in my Ello Axis glass travel mug (I thought this would probably break but so far is good, well, except for the one that broke when our mail carrier threw the box on our porch).
I miss that place! I used to live within walking distance of the north store. (Well, a long walk, but still…) I remember the sign going up and then it seemingly took forever before they actually opened. That must’ve been 18 or 20 years ago…
(ETA: Getting more off-topic, but I just remembered liking Austin Gourmet(?) on East Oltorf, back when I worked by the (then brand-new) airport – but even before that, when I briefly lived off E. Riverside, I’d go there for jars of tahini. I think it’s long gone, now. Their name included “Middle Eastern” which seemed a vague descriptor, as they did sell tahini (which is Levantine, I believe), but inside the place they’d show old B&W comedies, I’m guessing in Arabic, and presumably made in Cairo, while their food menu seemed more Persian. They had a lemon chicken dish, I liked it too much the first time and after that it was the only thing I ever ate there.)
Take care of how much you consume Mark. The humble brew can be quite addictive, a fact well known even in bygone times. I am reminded of the Indian chief who died in his own tea pee.
