Tea is graded, and often Teabags contain the lowest grade of tea (fannings)–brews quickly and then starts releasing tannins.
1 Like
Rumor is they get it from these guys.
I know MrsTobinL will stock up when we visit BC. I think I love the Library Blend best but I am also very fond of Editors Blend and CBC Radio Blend.
I’ll see if I can find some… I thought those Celestial Seasoningl guys were always just bits of dry flowers and fairly wings and stuff
1 Like
Well, that does account for most of their products. (I always figured that Duck’s Breath Mystery Theatre’s “Sleepy Bear Coffee” was a reference to the mascot on Celestial Seasoning’s Sleepytime tea.) Fast Lane is one exception; another I’ve tried is Morning Thunder (snicker… giggle…) but see my earlier comment about yerba mate. Evidently they have other teas with caffeine (for example).
Sure, there are online alternatives. If you want to buy quality loose-leaf tea though, what other retail options are there? Whole Foods overcharges even worse, and the tea doesn’t seem to be as fresh. You can get a tin that’s better than lipton bag tea but not as good as Teavana tea from an Asian grocer. My local Kroger and HEB don’t carry loose-leaf tea. I haven’t taken the plunge to order online yet because I appreciate being able to smell and taste the tea before buying a bunch of it at Teavana. I just accept that it’s going to cost more. I have to admit, I don’t appreciate the fruity teas much so I haven’t been gypped by this bait-and-switch.
The best retail outlet I’ve ever been to though was TWG. It’s based out of Singapore, where you can have a cup with brunch in some of the fanciest malls in the world. There’s also a killer one in Dubai mall with an epic water fountain next to it ( https://www.twgtea.com/location/details?store=159 ). It’s actually more expensive than Teavana for, in my opinion, the same quality tea though. It appears they have some kind of partner chain in the USA now, but nowhere near me.
1 Like
Meh. Most herbal tea is stewed weeds and Birkenstocks; it’s rare you can find one that actually tastes like something. To each their own, however.
eta: I do wear Birkenstocks, but I have yet to drop them in the teapot.
3 Likes
You mentioned HEB; are you in Texas? Central Market had a good variety, last I checked. I think the prices were higher than online (e.g. Porto Rico), but not extortionate. (I mean, they had some darjeelings for about $70/lb., but I’m talking about flavored black teas, if you like those.)
It isn’t loose leaf, but I just remembered that I liked this darjeeling, which your local organic grocer (if not Whole Paycheck Foods) might carry.
1 Like
6 Likes
Maybe this will help you get started:
5 Likes
I once read that pharohs liked to drink hibiscus tea. If only they had known coffee was growing just outside of their ecumene, we could be living in an astonishingly different present.
3 Likes
North side of Houston, but very recent transplant. I’ll check it out, haven’t heard of it before. The drive is atrocious from where I live, but we go to that part of the city pretty regular for our Asian grocery fix.
1 Like
For my herbals, I’m not aiming for tea that tastes like something. I’m going for the mild—and legal 
—other effects. Which admittedly you won’t get off most “tea” labelled herbal. Cuz they’re trying too hard to poison it with peppermint or some other such thing that has no business being in a mug of tea.
At any rate, I don’t much care what it tastes like as long as it does what I bought it to do. Although someone seems to have taken all the efficacious chamomile off the market and replaced it with something that in addition to not working also tastes like hot water.
Stuck making do with linden tea which is “calming” but makes my head feel weird.
Would be funnier if only it were true.
1 Like
Well, I was making a crack about the previous crack about pink packaging. I hate the color pink and I wasn’t aiming for accuracy. 
TIL, tea snobs are perhaps worse than wine and coffee snobs combined.
I say it with love, folks. Put down the pitchforks.
2 Likes
wikipedia says it’s a relatively recent blend, and a registered trademark of Twinings to boot.
Sorry, I guess I misunderstood your reply. I was referring to the color, not “blend.” I used the word “bland” in that some hardcore tea drinkers might think so, as Twinings describes it as a “light tea strength.” I think the tea is black tea blended with orange and lemon peels (and other citrus flavorings as I’m now looking at the box). But I don’t know if they blend two or more black teas to get their product.
My accuracy comment was about colorblindness and what colors one who is colorblind may actually see.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
