Pharyngula

Posted by: Jud | July 8, 2009 8:44 PM

Silvertips Tea Room. I highly recommend the Makaibari Organic Darjeelings.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 8, 2009 8:47 PM

Hold it. There's drinkable tea?

Posted by: 'Tis Himself | July 8, 2009 8:51 PM

You should be able to find Twinings teas in a largish supermarket. Twinings is definitely a step up from Lipton and "Constant Comment."

I get my tea, both loose and in bags, from Harney & Sons. A little pricey, but very good.

Posted by: gatoscuro | July 8, 2009 8:51 PM

Try Teasource--they've got both an online store and several shops in the Twin Cities area. Excellent variety of imported loose tea.

Posted by: stangz66 | July 8, 2009 8:57 PM

Original Liptons is best for sun tea - drop a dozen bags into a water-filled gallon glass jar and let it steep in full sunlight for a few hours. Fish out the bags and serve over ice, NO SUGAR but may add a touch of lemon juice. Best thirst quencher on a warm summer day, mmmmmmm.

Posted by: Jadehawk, OM | July 8, 2009 8:59 PM

well, let me plug my source of Tea goodness again: Teas Etc

current favorites:

red dragon pearl
bai hao silver needle

for people not willing to fork over that much money for tea:

summer currant
honeybush

Posted by: Becca Stareyes | July 8, 2009 9:00 PM

Lipton's pretty low on the tea totem pole. Personally, I prefer green tea, not black, but I have to second Twinnings as having good tea. (My favorite is buying loose tea at the local coffee shop, but they always seem to be out of my favorite variety. Plus, bagged tea is better for the office.)

Posted by: SC, OM | July 8, 2009 9:00 PM

Did you know all tea comes from the same plant?

I just learned that last week.

Posted by: scott m. | July 8, 2009 9:01 PM

My wife is a brit and she highly recommends PG Tips. If you're going to make tea, you must learn to make it properly however. Add the boiling water to the tea bags instead of the other way around. And don't microwave it.

Posted by: Wilson | July 8, 2009 9:03 PM

I'm sure Whittard of Chelsea is excellent. You might also take a look at Dilmah brand tea. I don't know if they distribute in your area or not, but they have a website.

Their claim (unverified by me) is that their tea farms (?) are not only family run, but they don't do the same thing as Lipton/Red Rose/their ilk and distribute low-grade mixed tea leaves.

I don't know how true all that is; I just know that it tastes and smells to me like Red Rose did when I was a kid and it was my Scottish grandmother's tea of choice. Red Rose, sadly, is just like all the others now. It's probably no longer even available "only in Canada" any more, which is not the "pity", it used to be.

Posted by: efrique | July 8, 2009 9:04 PM

I quite enjoy Dilmah tea (it's a Sri Lankan brand).

Even though Lipton is usually pretty rough, the biggest problem I experience when I travel in the US is that the water is far too cold for making tea - they will usually bring you a ceramic pot full of warm water and an ancient tea bag.

They usually don't heat the pot, and they usually don't bring a tea-cup to drink it from (tea from a coffee cup doesn't work at the best of times, but is especially bad when they don't clean the cups properly).

ANY of these things lead to simply awful tea. To combine them all is to make it undrinkable.

Posted by: Heinrich | July 8, 2009 9:04 PM

It's the same with the beer - how people can drink the domestic beer after trying German beer.

Posted by: Paul | July 8, 2009 9:05 PM

My wife (a Californian) swears by Fortnum & Mason's breakfast blend. Here's their US site:

http://www.fortnumandmason-usa.com/Product/Breakfast-Blend-Tea,293,36.aspx

Posted by: Carlie | July 8, 2009 9:11 PM

I'll put in my teensy plug for Stash tea. Probably not the best in the entire world, but really good, and they seem to have infiltrated a lot of larger market chains so the chance of finding it without having to pay shipping is pretty good.

Posted by: Joshua | July 8, 2009 9:14 PM

I swear by Upton Tea. They're based out of MA, so not local to you, but they'll ship anywhere in the country and probably even internationally.

They even will optionally include a free newsletter with random tea facts and history, so you can improve your tea snobbery with every order.

Posted by: Rupert | July 8, 2009 9:15 PM

As an Englishman living in Minnesota, my life improved drastically when I found out that Lunds sold Taylors of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea (don't know if Lunds is statewide or just in the Cities).

De gustibus non disuptandum est and all that, but I really can't stand flavored teas, and I stand ready to mock anyone who claims to be a connoisseur of such inferior drinks.

Oh, and don't believe the London address on the Twinings boxes. It's blended in Andover, Hampshire, where my parents lived.

Posted by: Rey Fox | July 8, 2009 9:19 PM

"Probably not the best in the entire world"

Gasp! What a tea heathen you are for drinking it then!

Posted by: FitzRoy | July 8, 2009 9:20 PM

Upton is an excellent source for tea in the U.S.

And, if you want the real thing shipped direct from the source, try any of the Darjeelings from Thunderbolt Tea in India. Shipping is free worldwide with a reasonable-sized order: www.thunderbolttea.com

Posted by: Michelle | July 8, 2009 9:22 PM

Teavana is the closest tea shop to me, and I've been very happy with their tea's. Always a great variety, and very good. I don't put any cream, lemon, or sugar in any of my teas. (Unless I'm having iced tea in a restaurant, then I add lemon.) I do brew them loose, and put them in a large metal bottle for transport. The loose tea keeps quite well in a very small space, so I usually have several blends.

I do like white and green teas more than black. If I do drink black tea, I usually prefer chai for it's flavor.

Posted by: Andyo | July 8, 2009 9:27 PM

I'll put $50 on "Opinionated Englishman" being Richard Dawkins.

Posted by: dWhisper | July 8, 2009 9:28 PM

I still prefer domestic beer, but that's because I like the hops-heavy taste. A lot goes into what properties of a beer you like. That and I really don't like most mainstream German beers, and keep getting told I have to go there and try the local stuff, but no one has bought me a plane ticket yet.

I can say I've had a Guinness in the Dublin brewery (at the top of the tower). Still didn't like it.

Tea on the other hand, I'm a green tea and chai tea person. My favorite coffee house in college made one bitching Green Tea Chai (really, it was great). Unfortunately, the place closed. It was bought by the same church that bought my favorite bar, and they were both closed (the coffee house was bar adjacent in a big "sinner" area). Those moves put me firmly on the atheist path.

Posted by: K.R. | July 8, 2009 9:30 PM

If you're looking for actual British tea - as in imported from the U.K. - you should try an Indian Market; most of them import British products in addition to Indian foods. Many large U.S. supermarkets carry British brands, but the products are adjusted for American consumers. (I first experienced this upon returning from a trip to Scotland. The "Tetley" my local supermarket carried was not at all the same Tetley I'd been drinking in the U.K.)

Posted by: M. Brazeau | July 8, 2009 9:35 PM

King Cole orange pekoe. It's Canadian, so the snobs might scoff. However, it's a damned good tea.

Posted by: Lauri | July 8, 2009 9:39 PM

Teavana is wonderful. Going into a store is better than ordering online (you can taste and sniff all the varieties) but once you know what you like online is fine.

Once I started brewing loose leaf teas I developed a real appreciation of just how great tea can be.

Adagio teas is another online service that I've been happy with.

Posted by: Dave | July 8, 2009 9:40 PM

#9

I love sun tea - and currently here in Texas we can make sun tea almost instantly. (highs at 105 today...)

Posted by: speedweasel | July 8, 2009 9:42 PM

Well done PZ. Douglas would be proud.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A61345

Posted by: John S. Wilkins | July 8, 2009 9:49 PM

Pray that nobody sends you proper coffee, or you'll really be screwed. Poor Americans...

Posted by: Susan Silberstein | July 8, 2009 9:50 PM

Twining loose leaf tea isn't bad. I like the Darjeeling. If you try it, don't brew more than two or three minutes and if your water doesn't taste good straight from the tap, filter it. Bottled water is expensive and environmentally unsound. I use Brita filters. The plastic part is recyclable, at least around here. Their website links where it is elsewhere.

Posted by: HombreMoleculos | July 8, 2009 9:53 PM

Lived in the UK for four years. Still prefer coffee.

Posted by: Ryan Egesdahl | July 8, 2009 9:59 PM

Actually, you can use just about any loose tea you want. What you want to look for are tightly-rolled leaves, a dark color, a heady aroma, and an absence of powder. Powder, by the way, is the killer of any tea, since it is always bitter - most of the bad flavor of tea bags is the powder. And never, never, never squeeze the tea when you are done steeping it, since you will a bad aftertaste in your tea when you do. And tea is made better if you properly steep it in the first place; always heat either mineral or tap water (never distilled - it makes the tea taste flat) to a bare boil and steep about a rounded tablespoon per pair of cups (or to your desired strength) for about four minutes.

As for where you can get loose tea - well, just about any mall or high-end shopping center should have somewhere you can get good tea. It doesn't matter much if the tea is imported as long as it's something you like. My personal favorite is a 'creamy' Earl Grey, which is a blend of Earl Grey tea, lavender and chamomile. Served with a bit of cream and honey, it is a real delight when I want to relax.

Oh - and invest in an inexpensive French press sometime. It makes good tea much easier to prepare.

Posted by: Carlie | July 8, 2009 10:04 PM

Gasp! What a tea heathen you are for drinking it then!

Just trying to preemptively deflect any criticism. Stash's chai spice (straight, thank you) can perk me up no matter how down I am, and their double bergamot Earl Gray is not to be missed.

Posted by: cyan | July 8, 2009 10:05 PM

Grew up drinking beaucoup Lipton's, then switched to Twining's, then became a coffee afficionado as an adult, so much so that every morning grinding beans from the stash in the freezer is more essential than brushing teeth.

For the best tea and its most economical usage, both a tea kettle and a tea pot are necessary. Pour the boiling water from the kettle into the pot which has in it the tea. To keep hot the rest of the tea in the pot after you pour the first two cups, put around it a tea cozy (insulating fabric sewn to encompass the teapot).

An herbal tea that is delish is celestial seasonings' tension tamer. Maybe its because of the bit of licorice.

Posted by: Carlie | July 8, 2009 10:11 PM

Everyone has their own magic way of making tea. I daresay most of the "you must do this to brew a perfect cup" rules wouldn't withstand a double-blind taste test. (nyah)

Oh - and invest in an inexpensive French press sometime. It makes good tea much easier to prepare.

I've been coveting a plastic Bodum french press (single-serve size shaped like a travel mug) I saw at a store recently, but I also love my Japanese pottery little teapot and cups. Is the press really worth getting too? I've been getting lazy about using bag teas, but maybe I'd go back to loose-leaf with a press, but that would lose all the aesthetics of making it...

Posted by: Left_Wing_Fox | July 8, 2009 10:15 PM

My personal favorite: http://www.republicoftea.com/templates/detail.asp?navID=29

Posted by: Kemist | July 8, 2009 10:21 PM

I have Darjeeling, loose leaf, gifted to me straight from India, because I'm fortunate enough to have several Indian friends.

For green tea the best I've tasted was brought back from China. I'm not normally fond of green tea, because it's too bitter. But I appreciate that one.

Other than that, it's home made chai, that is gunpowder black tea with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and star anise, steeped in half milk half water.

Posted by: Ryan Egesdahl | July 8, 2009 10:24 PM

@Carlie #65: I have to agree with you that there's no "perfect cup" method for making tea - at least not in the truest sense.

In the case for the method I outlined, I only point out the details that prevent bad flavors from getting into your teacup. The reason you should not have boiling water when you make tea is that water at too high a temperature will start to cook the leaves instead of just leaching the oils out, and you get a somewhat "gamey" and bitter flavor; the top limit is right around 200F, so a bare boil will get you there. It doesn't have to be exact as long as you don't have a roiling boil. And the injunction against dropping tea into water as opposed to pouring water over tea is a bit outdated. The only reason one should pour the water over the tea is to loosen the tea leaves and get them circulating, which really does improve the flavor by giving it better body.

Everything else I said was simply about selecting a good-quality tea that will be easy to prepare. (Note - getting good tea from cheap tea bags is much harder than just buying high-quality tea.) Whether any particular tea qualifies as "best" is subjective and subject to personal preference.

Posted by: QrazyQat | July 8, 2009 10:28 PM

If they still make Tender Leaf, it always made far better tea (esp. iced) than others I tried.

Posted by: Tulse | July 8, 2009 10:29 PM

"British" tea? Isn't that like going to a Mexican restaurant in Baltimore? I guess we're extremely fortunate in Toronto to have several tea shops that import directly from India, Sri Lanka, China, and Japan. I suppose I'm a bit of a tea snob, but I have a hard time drinking the standard commercial teas.

Posted by: Kemist | July 8, 2009 10:31 PM

Man, I missed the people here who say they like chai. I wonder, though, whether they like actual chai or what people claim to be chai here in the US. Technically speaking, chai is tea steeped in milk along with a gathering of spices - and it should definitely clear your sinuses when you drink it. I'm a bit of a wimp and cut down on the hot stuff a bit, but it's wonderful to have something that warms the insides.

Well, I never used to drink tea before knowing Indians who made it for me, so the chai I've tasted is the real stuff. I have learned a couple more tea recipes as well. Like, when it's cold, and you don't want to bother with real chai, just add ginger and pepper to ordinary black tea. It really warms you up.

Another tea can be brewed with fenugreek, fennel and coriander seeds, boiled 5 minutes. The flavor is subtle and surprising (fenugreek has a taste that reminds maple).

Posted by: Naked Bunny with a Whip | July 8, 2009 10:44 PM

I don't really understand any of you people. These tea leaves all taste the same to me. *munch munch*

Posted by: Naked Bunny with a Whip | July 8, 2009 10:51 PM

I initially read the subject of this post as "I am a convent", which I found very confusing and vaguely naughty.

Posted by: @BangClangCrash | July 8, 2009 10:54 PM

70+ comments on tea? Really? This is exactly how GOP picture us when they hear "Liberal". I do like Tea, but only with Quila.

Posted by: angrycrank | July 8, 2009 11:03 PM

I was lucky enough to spend quite a bit of time in Darjeeling. Basically spoiled me for all other tea. Most of what gets sold as "Darjeeling" isn't from there, though - and even when it is, it doesn't compare to the really good stuff (whole-leaf first or second flush). I second FitzRoy @35's recommendation of Thunderbolt. Nathmull's is also good. But if you're not up for mail ordering $50 or $75 worth of tea, a serious tea shop is the only place to get this (and even then, first flush may be tough to find.) I'm in Toronto too, and we have some really good places to get everything (even ceremonial matcha.)The typical place, though, will give you a cup of warmish, coffee flavoured water with a crumbly bag of Red Rose and a paper cup. I'll stick with coffee unless I'm at a place that specialises in tea.

Posted by: Jadehawk, OM | July 8, 2009 11:09 PM

Pray that nobody sends you proper coffee, or you'll really be screwed. Poor Americans...

it's perfectly easy to find good coffee in the U.S., and especially in Minnesota where they have Dunn Bros Coffee. Their Sumatran coffees are Teh Tasty.

also, I'm another person who likes chai (nitpick: it's chai, not chai tea!), but it's really hard to find a good mix. most of the ones I've tried are not spicy enough.

Posted by: Chas | July 8, 2009 11:15 PM

Best consistent ice tea I've had in the USA was at McDonalds in Hawaii. Much much better than the stuff they serve on the mainland. I enjoy Lipton cold brew ice tea at home but would like to try something better.

Posted by: Paula Helm Murray | July 8, 2009 11:19 PM

A serious plug: My sister owns a store in Lawrence, KS that sells all manner of British Isles merchandise. The bulk of it is groceries and she has a serious tea section. She also does mail orders, phone orders and over the internet orders.

Shop name is Brits. It is one of the top things that comes up if you look up Brits on Yahoo or Google.

Posted by: Chas | July 8, 2009 11:34 PM

Best consistent ice tea I've had in the USA was at McDonalds in Hawaii. Much much better than the stuff they serve on the mainland. I enjoy Lipton cold brew ice tea at home but would like to try something better.

Posted by: MikeinJapan | July 8, 2009 11:38 PM

@Jadehawk
Agreed. Tim Tams are the best cookie ever.

Posted by: JackC | July 8, 2009 11:44 PM

Jadehawk@87

it's chai, not chai tea!

Thank you, Thank you! I am forever saying to the counter folk: "Why would I want a Tea Tea?" They don't understand. I guess to be pedantic, what they would serve from those places is really a Chai Latte, but a good Cha/Chai is really wonderful.

Isn't it amazing enough that the particular leaf/beverage is the only thing in the world that only has two words? (discounting the cha/chai and variants on "tea")

JC

Posted by: Kemist | July 8, 2009 11:52 PM

also, I'm another person who likes chai (nitpick: it's chai, not chai tea!), but it's really hard to find a good mix. most of the ones I've tried are not spicy enough.

It's fairly easy to make. You need gunpowder black tea (strong) and whole spices (cinnamon, ginger, green cardamom, clove, star anise and pepper if you want it hot). You just crush the whole spices and boil them a couple minutes, add milk then remove from head, add tea, steep & filter.

Most of these spices can be found easily, except maybe whole green cardamom.

And "Chai" is hindi for tea, any kind of tea. What we call "Chai" here is best known as "Masala Chai", litteraly, "Spice Tea".

Posted by: Evolving Squid | July 8, 2009 11:57 PM

Some time ago, I heard a story regarding tea in the USA. The gist of it was that since the Boston Tea Party, US domestic tea buyers are, shall we say, at the bottom of the priority list for tea. The good stuff goes primarily to Commonwealth members, and the US gets primarly "black tea" for the domestic market.

Thus, to get good tea, Americans have to buy specialty tea. Orange pekoe, considered "good" tea in the USA is generally the lowest grade of drinkable tea in the rest of the world.

I have no idea how true any of that is. I admit to finding it a bit hard to believe that in a modern, globalized world it could be true, but I've heard weirder things.

Posted by: Roy LaPost | July 8, 2009 11:59 PM

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/fancy_man_enjoys_tea

Posted by: nealbirch | July 9, 2009 12:06 AM

I have to agree with the mention of Adagio.com, I buy a pound of their yunnan jig every 4 months or so, and I drink about 4+ cups a day. It's loose tea, so you might want to check out their one cup tea gadget, IngenuiTEA. You can brew 2 servings out of one teaspoon of tea, btw, 3 servings if you don't mind weak tea. I can't stand weak tea...

Posted by: Louise Van Court | July 9, 2009 12:08 AM

Count me in as one of the tea lovers. I have always hated the taste of coffee but do enjoy the aroma while a pot brews. I can barely tolerate it with cream and sugar accompanied by a rich dessert. I do love a cup of tea though almost anytime of the day. I look for “British blend” and I am sure I would love the brand that PZ got in the mail. Herbal teas and flavored teas are not for me. I like the strong black stuff.

Posted by: Paul | July 9, 2009 12:14 AM

Chelsea? Soft southern rubbish. Get yourself a box of "Yorkshire Gold"... it's the One True Tea.

Posted by: LeeLeeOne | July 9, 2009 12:18 AM

If you like herbals- the absolute best is VooDoo Red Chai and to make it a bit spicer I add a couple of black peppercorns. I used to get my stuff from I-Gourmet.

Posted by: Dahan | July 9, 2009 12:22 AM

As a former smoker, I've got to put in a word for Lapsang Souchong. It's like getting your caffeine and nicotine fix all at once. A wonderful sensation. :)

Posted by: TC | July 9, 2009 12:25 AM

Another vote for PG Tips from me! I spent a week in the UK being served this and couldn't get enough. Now, I can't bear to consider the cheap domestic stuff.

Posted by: I like Biology | July 9, 2009 12:28 AM

Chapter 2: PZ Meyers discovers scones

Posted by: spinetingler | July 9, 2009 12:41 AM

For sweet tea, at least, you owe it to yourself to try the only tea grown in the USA - Charleston Tea http://www.bigelowtea.com/act/ - yes, they've been purchased by Bigelow, but the quality hasn't suffered.

Of course, it's best served with the fried chicken basket (mac and cheese side) at Jestine's Kitchen on Meeting Street.

Haven't tried it hot - I have a relative/regular supplier of PG Tips.

Posted by: WeatherGirl | July 9, 2009 12:50 AM

PZ, if you'd like to try a variety of teas before you order, you could come over to our house, we have a whole cupboard full! I order on-line as Willies and Coburns don't exactly carry much of the good stuff. I have multiple varieties of Twinings and Adagio.com teas you could try.

How good tea tastes depends on a combination of the quality of leaves and the method of brewing so even if you buy good leaves if you ain't making it right it'll taste awful.

Microwaved tea is the spawn of Satan.

Posted by: Doug Alder | July 9, 2009 1:03 AM

#21 you've got it Dilmah is awesome tea - their pure Ceylon is very fragrant. When I drink tea it's all I'll drink.

Posted by: shadowsong | July 9, 2009 1:28 AM

Another vote in favor of Adagio Tea and their ingenuiTEA brewer.

My version of chai uses a teaspoon of Trikona brand powdered Chai Masala from the local Asian market and two teaspoons of Mamri tea from the local Indian market, brewed in water and drunk with sweetened condensed milk.

Posted by: Mary Jones | July 9, 2009 1:41 AM

I like good English tea. Oddly enough some of the best tea I have had in America came from the 99 cent store! It is inconsistent what they have though, but you might give it a try.

Posted by: Mary Jones | July 9, 2009 1:46 AM

Sorry for the repeats above. The system was being very weird so I couldn't tell that was happening.

Posted by: Ryan Egesdahl | July 9, 2009 1:53 AM

WeatherGirl:

Microwaved tea is the spawn of Satan.

Wait - does that mean it doesn't exist? I can surely attest to the vileness of microwaved tea, so...

That, and microwaved coffee. And then people who do those things tell me they don't like either coffee or tea very much, but they want to stay awake. Well, no wonder!

Posted by: Ryan Egesdahl | July 9, 2009 2:14 AM

I followed your recipe to the letter. The tea bags first got stuck to the ice cubes, then ripped open, leaving me with bits of leafy matter and string stuck between my teeth.

You nut. That's supposed to be the floss for afterwards!

Posted by: coemgenus | July 9, 2009 2:28 AM

Lipton's ? Nooooooh! It's awful and makes tea drinking in the USA a nightmare. No wonder you lot chucked it in the harbour. A US friend of mine used to put the tea bag in the mug in cold water and microwave the lot..... my blood still runs cold at the full horror of it.

Yorkshire Gold (for hard water) for ever !!

Posted by: pvrugg | July 9, 2009 2:31 AM

Whittard's does deliver to the U.S. You can order online at http://www.whittard.co.uk/

But be warned - their website is really spastic... was acting crappy and bogging down for both IE and FireFox...

Posted by: sacha | July 9, 2009 2:33 AM

PG Tips is by far the best tea and Typhoo is a close second.
I drink 5 cups on average a day, the proper English way with a splash of milk (or soy milk for me).

Posted by: Steanshovelmama | July 9, 2009 2:39 AM

#75 - "British" tea? Isn't that like going to a Mexican restaurant in Baltimore?"

No, a long and shameful history of colonialism means that the British really do understand things like tea and curry...

Treasure that box from Whittards of Chelsea as their shops are no more, victims of the current economic climate. Farewell to quality coffees, teas, fruit infusions and hot chocolates.

I know there is an on ine presence but I don't know if that is the original company or whether someone has just bought the name.

Posted by: Nathan Schroeder | July 9, 2009 2:55 AM

For years wine snobs ruled the smugs. In the later part of the twentieth century a new breed of smug, the coffee snob, appeared. The coffee snob seems to be the result of California wine snobs, pot heads and skinny guitar toting vegans interbreeding. Next we saw pot snobs or as they like to be called weed cynosures. Basically if they have a $140.00 bong they are a snob. Although weed snobs are not as visible as coffee snobs the group is, nonetheless, growing quickly.

The coffee snobs are fading away. Many have already turned against the Starbucks and It's a Grind with more becoming disillusioned every day. With the recession in full swing I often see former C-snobs buying 7-Eleven coffee. You can tell by the dark glasses.

The tea snob is a new thing here in the south west USA and I think it's time to start a tea store chain. I'll hire some smug Australian and tell everybody he's from London. They'll pay more that way.

There are other snobs such as cigar chicks and people with British cars but they aren't important.

There are no bacon snobs.

Nate

Posted by: James | July 9, 2009 3:11 AM

I'll put in a vote for the Charleston Tea group. Visited there at the start of the year. http://www.bigelowtea.com/act/
I've got the remains of a pack of rose tea from China, which is fantastic (expensive) stuff (there little tiny balls of tea that expand into the leaves and petals), but I can't find a source for it.

Posted by: Dave Godfrey | July 9, 2009 3:24 AM

"There are no bacon snobs"

Oh yes there are. There is a measurable difference in the different types of bacon available. (Bacon in the UK is mostly meat, and there is relatively little fat).

It should be noted that in the UK PG Tips, Typhoo and Tetley's are not the luxury end of the tea market. Its the same with Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate. Everyone uses them in industrial quantities, but if the Queen came round you'd pop out for something a bit more posh.

Posted by: Jody | July 9, 2009 3:31 AM

A friend of mine's father cures his own bacon. He gets his pork from local farmers, and let me tell you it makes store-bought taste like rotten shoe leather. He let me have a couple of rashers a few months back and I've been begging him for more ever since.

The tea I am ambivalent towards. But don't fuck with bacon.

Posted by: Cronan | July 9, 2009 3:43 AM

Whittard's is good, very good, but if you live in a hard water area, you might want to try Yorkshire Gold, they make a variety specially for hard water.

I also agree with the previous posters - Lipton is not a tea, it's a cold drink, and Typhoo and Tetely's are what I give the builders, not what I serve to my friends. ;-)

Posted by: Severn | July 9, 2009 3:56 AM

Just about any brand of Assam tea beats a blended tea any time. Once I'd tried Assam I never went back.

Posted by: dan | July 9, 2009 4:09 AM

Kemist >
> For green tea the best I've tasted was brought back from
> China. I'm not normally fond of green tea, because it's
> too bitter. But I appreciate that one.

If it's bitter then the water was too hot, green and white tean should be made with water that's either not quite boiled or has boiled and been left too cool a short while. Boiling water will bring out the bitterness in the leaves.

Posted by: pinkcrickets | July 9, 2009 4:25 AM

Twinnings is actually pretty good, and easily found in the states

Posted by: Bill Bigge | July 9, 2009 4:36 AM

Quite right too, jolly good show an all that. We'll make an englishman out of you yet PZ! Drop of Earl Grey anyone?

Posted by: Chris | July 9, 2009 5:01 AM

As a UK resident I drink 'Builders tea'. In todays case PG Tips, a little milk and sugar. It's the way most of us were brought up. I've had expensive teas and I enjoy Chinese and Darjeeling but on a cold wet morning walking into a cafe, watching a waitress pouring rich dark tea into 24 big mugs on a tray then getting your hands round one, along with the thick greasy bacon sarnie beats Earl Grey and cucumber sandwiches anytime. Just enjoy it.

Posted by: Mikeachim | July 9, 2009 5:09 AM

Whittards is one of the cornerposts of British beverage technology. They do things with dried leaves and fruits that beggars belief. Magic, I tell'ee.

I owe my local branch (York, North Yorkshire) a deep debt of professional gratitude: in 2000, on the way to a nerve-wracking interview for my BSc Archaeology at the University, I visited Whittards - and standing in the doorway and breathing in all the calming, soothing sweet-spicy aromas calmed my nerves sufficiently to be able to string two words together again.

Since them, I've been a regular - and I spend a not-inconsiderable percentage of my grant on their coffees.

You *have* tried their coffee? ;)

Posted by: HarryS | July 9, 2009 5:31 AM

I can't claim to be a tea fan, I like a good cup as much as the next man but I'm more of a coffee fan. Nevertheless I enjoy the occasional cup. The best teas I've ever tried were in India while travelling there. Whenever I wanted a break from the hurly-burly and cheap hotels and long train journeys I'd smarten myself up and go to a nice hotel and have "tray tea". It was the full works, porcelain cups, silverware and the best local whole leaf, first flush tea, the flavours were amazing. Yet the tea I remember best were the four cups of hot, sweet rocket fuel chai I had at five in the morning on the station platform in Bombay after a thirty hour journey from Kerala with the chronic shits and only a litre of water. It was how I imagine LSD to be!!

Posted by: Midnight Rambler | July 9, 2009 5:35 AM

Wilson @ 19 and others mentioning Red Rose: what you buy under that name in the US and in Canada is actually made by entirely separate companies. It's only the brand name that's licensed. That's why Red Rose tea bought in the US (with a "tag" on the teabag) tastes like crap, while that from Canada (which doesn't have the tag) is very good, like British tea. My mother lives in Maine and buys several boxes every time she goes to Canada.

The same goes, incidentally, for Ovaltine. Ovaltine bought anywhere else in the world (or in Asian food shops in the US) doesn't have sugar in it and takes a long time to dissolve. Interestingly, the stuff that's distributed in Asia and Australia (I think it's made in the Philippines) is actually hydrophobic and won't even sink into the milk, while that made in Europe goes in easily, even though they taste the same.

Posted by: Woman on a Raft | July 9, 2009 5:53 AM

I hereby denounce Mikeachim for a miserable traitor who, when the House of York rises again, will be hanged for buying daft southern softey tea when he could be buying Yorkshire Tea sourced by Taylors of Harrogate. Gettaway with your Whittards of Chelsea. Chelsea, don't talk to me about Chelsea. I don't want to go to Chelsea.

The two most popular Yorkshire Tea blends are the regular for soft water (as is available in the Vale of York because of the way the rocks filter the water) or the hard water blend for those poor benighted people unfortunate enough to be living in the colonies, defined as anywhere outside Yorkshire (possibly including Sheffield). It is very good for students as one bag will get at least four cups out for friends, so buy (or steal) a teapot and don't waste one bag per cup. Eeee, I don't know, southerners, more money than sense, they don't know they are born.

If money is no object, you want Dilmah tea. The product is blended - or single sourced, depending on how you like your tea - by the Dilmah family. Packaging is excellent, so the tea is as beautiful in the cup as it was on the day Mr Dilmah packed it, but the firm's distribution has been patchy.
http://www.dilmahtea.com/

I weep at the price he wants to charge US consumers (we do better in England, although we have to drink what the distributors can get their hands on) but urge you to think about it as it a genuine product of obsession rather than a badge on a bag of plausible dustings.

N.B. If you insist on putting milk in - necessary in the inferior blends - put the milk in first and gradually add the tea. This is so the milk gradually comes up to temperature instead of scalding as it is poured in to the tea. To make cheap tea more tolerable, brew it in a clean pot and remove the bags as soon as it is up to strength. Don't leave them stewing like the bloated corpses of goldfish in a rancid pond - it won't improve the taste.

Posted by: EmFinn | July 9, 2009 6:02 AM

Irish here, the only nationality to drink more tea (per capita) than the Brits.

When traveling and caught short Twinings and Akbar are both acceptable as emergency replacements for good tea.

Posted by: Jack | July 9, 2009 6:11 AM

As another opinionated Englishman who has spent a considerable period in the States let me just say that the key thing, the absolutely VITAL thing is to boil your water and immediately pour it onto the tea. Hot water is not. Good. Enough.

When I lived in the US I simply stopped ordering tea because every time I was presented with a glass of hot water accompanied by a sad, lonely and very non-immersed tea bag sitting beside it on the saucer I died a little inside.

Posted by: la tricoteuse | July 9, 2009 6:16 AM

Saying that Brits don't know about tea is like saying you can't get good Mexican food in SAN DIEGO, not Baltimore.

That said, I'm adding a vote to the Taylor's of Harrogate Yorkshire Tea camp. Nom.

Twinings is barely a step up from Lipton in my book, though I do remember liking it before I was familiar with proper British tea. I tried it recently and poured the entire cup down the sink after one sip. It's possible that the Twinings destined for the US is better than what we get in Italy, but it's probably more likely that I just didn't know any better then.

That said, the fancy Twinings varieties are tolerable. It's the 'English Breakfast Tea' that's complete undrinkable rubbish.

Taylor's of Harrogate isn't posh tea, but it's GOOD tea. I actually much prefer it to Whittard's of Chelsea (Southern pansy tea, amirite?). As for the lower end teas, I prefer Tetley's to PG Tips, but either will do in a pinch. Luckily, Castroni (the international goods store, such as it is, in Rome) carries PG Tips at a somewhat inflated price, so I rarely have to resort to drinking sawdust tea (or, as is more likely, doing entirely without, since I can't stomach the stuff) when the good stuff runs out.

As for beer, there are definitely some fantastic American beers. Left Hand Brewery (in, I think, Denver?) is great, as is Anchor Steam (San Francisco). Redhook, Pyramid, and Flying Dog are also good. It's the mainstream beers like Bud that I fail to see the appeal of, as they taste like someone poured out half of last night's open bottle of Cheapest Beer Possible and topped it up with old rainwater from a plastic barrel. Actually, that's probably giving it too much credit for flavor.

Even Italy, which is not exactly a big beer-drinking country, has better bog standard domestic lagers (Peroni, Nastro Azzurro, Moretti, Menabrea) as well as quite a lot of "birre artigianali" (microbreweries, basically) that rival the Belgians for deliciousness.

Nothing beats a good American IPA though. Nom.

Posted by: Carlie | July 9, 2009 6:23 AM

A serious plug: My sister owns a store in Lawrence, KS that sells all manner of British Isles merchandise.

It opened up shortly before I moved away from Lawrence; I loved that store!

Great coverage of tea can be found in Tom Standage's "A history of the world in six glasses". Great little book.

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | July 9, 2009 6:46 AM

One of my dear friends is a British expat (Souf Londoner). After hearing all of this talk of tea, I'm reminded of something I asked her the first time she made me watch Red Dwarf: What is wrong with British people?!

Posted by: Joseph | July 9, 2009 6:52 AM

I just buy Wal-Marts Great Value brand....

Posted by: Dave G | July 9, 2009 7:10 AM

@Woman on a Raft #169

You are aware that the water in York, right in the middle of the Vale of York is really pretty hard, right? If you don't believe me, come look in my kettle.

It's those poor benighted people outside this little corner of Elysium that have to drink characterless soft water.

Posted by: phil | July 9, 2009 7:19 AM

Tim Tams are *not* cookies.

Lady Grey for me.

As for "australian" coffee, I think it's the coffee by
Italians that's best in Oz.

Posted by: Paul Brown | July 9, 2009 7:25 AM

Others have already said it, but I would cast my vote for Dilmah every time; try to get the higher altitude stuff (Uda Watte) for maximum "blissful sighyness".

Posted by: Faithless | July 9, 2009 7:38 AM

You CANNOT REPEAT CANNOT make anything resembling decent tea with tea bags. There can be no discussion about this, any more than there is over whether the earth is only 6000 years old.

Different teas taste totally differently. Indian teas tend to be aromatic, African teas tend to have strength. Assam and Darjeeling taste totally differently. Chinese teas are usually quite bitter and I find you have to make very weak tea if it is to be palatable. (All teas made with anything other than tea leaves - e.g. fruit or herb flavourings, or worse still perfumed tea, such as Earl Grey) are an abomination and should be restricted to mediums and crystal-healers.

The most fabulous tea I ever had was first flush darjeeling from Fortnum and Mason - gorgeous, but normally £100 a kilo. (On special offer at the moment, I have just discovered, at only £40 a kilo, in 250gm boxes!)

Broken orange pekoe is my usual favourite, but it's too expensive to drink all the time. I have discovered Ahmad Tea, on sale in my local indian and pakistani food shops, is a good balance of flavour and price - £2.70 for 500gm. The blend I am drinking at the moment is Barooti Assam broken leaf and golden tips

I use a Chatsworth stoneware teapot - it has a removable plastic sieve into which you put the tea leaves so you don't have to worry about tea strainers. (The pots are available from Whittard) and I have a tea cosy to keep the tea as hot as possible while it is infusing.

The tea I have had on visits to the USA has usually been sufficient to persuade me to stick to coffee during my stay...

Posted by: Eamon | July 9, 2009 7:49 AM

No, no, no.

If you want real British Tea you simply must have Punjana tea from Northern Ireland. ;)

If you're a splitter Barry's Tea from the South is fine too.

Posted by: Reera the Red | July 9, 2009 8:15 AM

I'll add my favorite to the list of sources for good tea: Special Teas. They carry a good variety of quality single-estate teas and some excellent blends, as well as various tisanes.

It's really not difficult to get good tea in the U.S. Just stay away from the supermarket stuff, and from tea bags. (The tea that goes into tea bags is of the lowest quality. You'll get much better flavor from full- or broken-leaf teas.)

Posted by: JennyAnyDots | July 9, 2009 8:21 AM

We had a really nice tea shop in Cambridge until a few months ago. The shop itself has closed down, but they've set up an online presence where you can order the different blends from, and make them for yourself at home. Try looking here - http://www.firstclassteas.co.uk/index2.php

The water quality makes a big difference too. There's one of our other offices that I've visited a couple of times recently where you get an insulated flask of hot water and a dish of tea bags, which makes bad tea anyway, but for some reason it comes out luke warm and tasting of chlorine. The first time I tried it and couldn't drink it, but then I forgot and made myself a cup next time I was there too. I'm hoping to remember in future not to bother.

Posted by: Tommy | July 9, 2009 8:38 AM

Another vote for TeaSource. And I don't even live in town anymore. They ship very quickly.

Posted by: JBlilie | July 9, 2009 8:52 AM

@175:

As for beer, there are definitely some fantastic American beers. Left Hand Brewery (in, I think, Denver?) is great, as is Anchor Steam (San Francisco). Redhook, Pyramid, and Flying Dog are also good. It's the mainstream beers like Bud that I fail to see the appeal of, as they taste like someone poured out half of last night's open bottle of Cheapest Beer Possible and topped it up with old rainwater from a plastic barrel. Actually, that's probably giving it too much credit for flavor.

Hmmm. I do like some US "microbrews" and they are all a big step up from Bud/Miller/et al (how can anyone tell these apart in all their profusion of labels (only)?) However almost all brewers of supposedly "British styled" beers in the US do many things wrong. No. 1, they all seem to use the (cheap and ubiquitous) Cascades hops. Ugh. Said to be a descendent of Kent Goldings -- I don't believe it. They brew in a style unlike British beers, for the vast majority. I find most American micros rather uniform (just like the piss beer that predominates the market). Too bitter, too much Cascades hops.

I think the over-bittering, over-the-top flavor profiles are a direct reaction to the generallity of tasteless piss sold in the US. Which is OK, to a point. It's like over-oaked wine: Simple, bold taste that everyone can recognize and most people appreciate. But after you've had a Premier Cru Chablis, vinified in stainless steel, never seeing malo-lactic bacteria or touching an oak stave 12.4° alcohol, you will never go back to the fat, over-oaked, phenolic, flabby California chardonnay ever again.

I learned to like beer in Seattle. I was pleasantly shocked when I got to the UK and Europe: By the lovely diversity of tastes. Young's Special, pulled in a neighborhood pub in London, whoo baby. Old Peculiar. Mackeson's. And so on and on.

In the US I can heartily recommend:
Ommegang (NY)
Bells (Wisconsin)
Unibroue's "Belgian styled" products (Canada, I know!)
(I know it's a short list, I need to try more ...)
Of all the Redhook products: Ballard Bitter

@189:

(All teas made with anything other than tea leaves - e.g. fruit or herb flavourings, or worse still perfumed tea, such as Earl Grey) are an abomination

Yes, but. I agree that perfuming tea (and flavoring coffee) is a hideous practice. However: That's why they make chocolate and vanilla. I say: Vive la difference! Not everyone is going to appreciate single malt Scotch. Some will stick with their Bud or their "wine coolers." One can sneer or one can think [more for me!] and get on with the party with a smile. (I sometimes like my single malt with a tot of water or even an ice cube and I like cream and sugar in my coffee. Don't get me started on the sweet-bitter balance thing.)

Regarding tea: I don't drink it much. I can't tolerate caffeine* and the decaffeinated varieties I've had are pretty bad. The proper English teas (I use that term globally to include all the types of proper teas imported to and sold in the UK, grown wherever) I've tasted are completely different and of course much better than basically anything packaged in the US. I certainly agree there. I like Laspsang Souchong (and smokey single malts); but I was served this tea by my English uncle who knew what to buy. Also Assam and Darjeeling.
(* Well-made decaffeinated coffee is fine by me.)

Interesting comment I found on Wikipedia:

English Breakfast: described as full-bodied, robust, and/or rich, and blended to go well with milk and sugar.

Which may explain the disdain for it ...

Anyway. Whatever, you are drinking now, tip 'er back and here's lookin' up yer kilt!

Posted by: Prudence | July 9, 2009 8:58 AM

Woman on a Raft, you know whereof you speak! Proper tea is Yorkshire Tea or Yorkshire Gold. Anything else is pretentious crap.

Though, having said that, if you're ever in Sri Lanka, drink all the tea you can.

Posted by: Englishman in (Upstate) New York | July 9, 2009 9:00 AM

Well, it really does not get any better: Science, Reason, Tea! Well, Rupert at 31 is correct. Twinnings is blended in the rural provinces, but like all good companies has its business address in London. I would thoroughly recommend Yorkshire Tea as well. My wife worked for them for a while, and they know how to make tea!

Elko at 62 is also correct. You must make your tea with water that has just boiled. If you allow it to cool at all, the tea cannot brew and you have brown water. That is not good.

If you should ever find yourself in Yorkshire, try to find a Betty's Tea Room (also owned by Taylor's of Harrogate). Nothing beats a steaming cuppa and a Fat Rascal!

Posted by: Al West | July 9, 2009 9:06 AM

I lived near some of the best tea gardens in the world in Muzha, Taiwan. The tieguanyin varieties produced there are fantastic, and I found them all over the place in Hong Kong, in preference to the mainland varieties. That's really saying something. But only if you like wulong tea, which is the most complex and flavourful. I suppose it's the pinot noir of teas.

In terms of black tea, it really makes very little difference as to where you get it from. Here in the UK, there's a wide variety, but it has only minor variations in flavour. It's the source, not the person who boxes it, that makes the difference. Boxes of blended black tea, like Twinings, are like blended whiskys. Not the same flavour as a single malt... If you're going to import tea, then find someone who speaks Chinese and order direct! If black tea is your thing, then Qimen from Anhui is a good, solid flavour.

I heard a rumour that, due to the credit crunch, Whittards might be closing. Terrible shame if true, but I haven't verified it.

Posted by: Joyce Denn | July 9, 2009 9:26 AM

Check out the website for Upton Tea - they have imported tea of every variety, from all over the world, and the website is most informative.
Not only will you not go back to Lipton, you'll learn to avoid tea bags as well.

Posted by: An English Person | July 9, 2009 9:48 AM

Meijer imports real English tea. You can find it (along with real chocolate) in the international Isle.

Posted by: Sili | July 9, 2009 10:08 AM

200+ comments about tea?

I'm actually mildly surprised that PZ dares consume stuff he's been sent anonymously.

Posted by: bric | July 9, 2009 10:40 AM

#205 - Taipei has real tea culture, according to the guide book pop stars congregate at Muzha tea houses, not sordid bars. We went up there in the Maokong Gondola - now there's an experience

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bric_uk/2567866306/in/set-72157605517007889/

Posted by: beanjavert | July 9, 2009 11:37 AM

Any tea I make or drink tastes kinda like L's, in that it's so thick with sugar that it has roughly the consistency of molasses.

Posted by: Gingerbaker | July 9, 2009 11:52 AM

PZ

I have been using http://marktwendell.com/ for years now. In their own words:

the Mark T. Wendell Tea Company has been providing fine teas to tea connoisseurs since 1904. We offer a full range of over 55 estate grown specialty teas, 10 signature tea blends, 6 herbal and fruit tisanes, 11 imported packaged tea brands, as well as a wide selection of teapots and tea brewing accessories.

They are out of the Boston area and have a very good selection and reputation.

I have also just tried Harney and Sons, recommended above. I find their decaf (yes, unfortunately I must restrict caffeine in my life - ugh) Earl Gray and Darjeeling to be a tad bitter compared to the Wendell equivalents, though still very good indeed.

For good to excellent quality teas, either of these distributors offer very good value, especially in loose bulk teas. I would recommend 'dipping your leaf' by exploring the extensive wares of these companies, and then, perhaps, going to a true exotic specialty supplier once you know that you just gotta have a first-blush north west Kilimanjaro japonicum-opium hybrid leaf-tip picked by virgin maidens @ $90.00 per ounce. ;)

Wendell also carries the PG Tips teabags from England others have recommended above.

Posted by: Cosmic Teapot | July 9, 2009 12:02 PM

I ain't had a pot o' Yorkshire tea in years.

Wi' a jam butty, like when I was a bairn.

Posted by: Paleos | July 9, 2009 12:41 PM

Twinings works for an average morning cup.
However, some of the tastiest tea I have had was in Japan. I don't know what it is called (I didn't know enough Japanese to ask the family I was staying with) but if anyone knows the kind of tea that average families serve in Japan, and if it can be shipped to New Hampshire, please let me know!

Posted by: Jennifer B. Phillips (aka Danio) | July 9, 2009 12:45 PM

arids @220:

This is an important point--the same brand can differ dramatically from one country to another. Twinings is another example of this--the stuff they sell in the states is seriously inferior to the UK Twinings, which is sold in black boxes or tins. It is possible to find these things in specialty grocery stores, but in my experience they've all been extremely close to their 'best before' date.

I am a legendary tea snob, known all over town for my intolerance of insufficiently heated water and refusal to stoop to drinking the cardboard-flavored offerings of most establishments.

Best loved UK brands (when I can get them):
Whittard; Williamson (best Earl Grey on the planet, IMO); Twinings (see above)

Best available in the US:
Republic of Tea (they go a little overboard with some of the fruity combos, but most of their black teas are very drinkable, and I've found a local grocer who sells their loose leaf in bulk)
Taylors of Harrogate (their Earl Grey is a disaster but the Darjeeling and Yorkshire Gold are lovely).

Glad you've had a positive tea experience, PZ. With your legions of fans worldwide you should have no problem staying stocked up on world-class teas.

Posted by: Erika | July 9, 2009 1:32 PM

You need to try Japanese tea -- the real stuff, from somewhere like O-Cha.com or Hibiki-an.com. It will blow you away. Good Chinese tea (SevenCups.com is a good source in the U.S.) is also worth the money.

To Paleos... the tea you had in Japan was probably sencha (translates as "common tea"), or possibly genmaicha (tea blended with toasted rice). Try one of the above sites and you'll be set.

Posted by: Alex Deam | July 9, 2009 1:51 PM

Darned snooty Englishmen, waking me up to reality. How dare they?

I'm sorry that some of my fellow Englishmen still carry imperialistic tendencies.

Posted by: Timothy (TRiG) | July 9, 2009 2:17 PM

My first thought when I saw this was to post a link to Douglas Adam's h2g2 entry on tea, but that's already been done by speedweasel in comment #51.

And then, since I'm Irish, I thought I'd mention Barry's Gold Label, but caymann at #180 got in ahead of me.

So the only thing I have left to say is that there are plenty of other h2g2 entries on tea. I like h2g2. It's far better than the other place.

TRiG.

Posted by: Ryan Egesdahl | July 9, 2009 3:12 PM

See what you've done now, PZ? This whole tea business is just as full of irrational opinionation as any religion is. Just apply a little reason to your tea-making and ignore most of the "this is the best" commentary. There is no such thing - just decent-quality loose tea, near-boiling water, and anything you want to add that produces a flavor you like.

Posted by: Ryan Egesdahl | July 9, 2009 3:47 PM

**sigh**

I read these comments and notice how everyone has their "perfect" method for brewing and serving tea. Well, I have news for all of you.

The Royal Society of Chemistry has put in a news release (all the way back in 2003) their well-studied and rational method for making the perfect cup of tea. So it seems that even perfectly rational chemists, of all people, are apt to join in this pseudo-religious fervor as well!

For that matter, did you know that there is an ISO Standard for the preparation of tea? I bet you didn't. So, is this something like defining the dogmas of a church, or something? We are having a respectable standards organization mediate on the proper way to prepare tea? Quick! Call the Mother Church - the Reformists are on the move!

This is all so silly. I maintain my agnos-tea-cism on the matter.

Posted by: JackC | July 9, 2009 4:25 PM

I read these comments and notice how everyone has their "perfect" method for brewing and serving tea.

And yet, the thread has not deterriorated to name calling, biting criticism of alternative methods and the choice of other teas (with the nearly uniform consensus that Lipton Sucks)

Much like the enjoyment of Beer, it seems many realise that tastes are tastes and though there may be alternate methods of preparation, the enjoyment of the beverage of your choice is the key thing.

That "perfect cup of tea" is amusing though. Certainly done by someone that has no idea how to drink good tea. Slurping is practically required. I didn't want to pay 44 CFH for the ISO doc though.

JC

Posted by: Slugsie | July 9, 2009 4:32 PM

As a tea drinking Englishman, I can highly recommend Yorkshire Tea (even though I live in Lancashire, oh the horror). But I highly doubt it's available anywhere near you.

Posted by: ZK | July 9, 2009 5:41 PM

You actually drank Lipton's tea?

I didn't realise that anybody did that.

So that's what it's for then? Wow, I thought it was just for taking up vacant space on foreign supermarket shelves and irritating visiting English men and women.

Well done for having discovered the delights of proper tea. Now, if you haven't already done so, wean yourself off of the abomination known as "tea bags" and try using proper loose leaf tea instead (use a good blend, being a fan of full on astringency I favour neat Assam, but if you prefer the more delicate flavours then you might like a Ceylon based blend - forget pure Ceylon though, it's almost flavourless stuff). If you've not tried it then you will experience yet another life changing tea experience!

By the way, you don't actually need a teapot when making tea from loose leaves, a good cafetiere works better in my experience. Snootier Englishmen than me may disagree, but I've been making tea in a cafetiere for years now and assure you that it's a fine way to make tea.

Cheers, and enjoy!

ZK

P.S. I told my partner that you had been drinking Lipton's tea and her response was bleargh!

Posted by: Joffan | July 9, 2009 6:51 PM

JackC #235:

And yet, the thread has not deteriorated to name calling, biting criticism of alternative methods and the choice of other teas

I'm sorry that some of my fellow Englishmen still carry imperialistic tendencies.

Posted by: Greg Burnett | July 9, 2009 8:18 PM

PZ! I am a tea snob, and have been since I spent six months living in London. Get yourself to Teavana (in the mall of America or in Osseo, http://www.teavana.com/shop.axd/StoreLocations#state_mn) the next time you are in MSP. My favorites are the Golden Assam, Rooibos Rose, and the Peppermint and Silver Needle blend. And do pay attention to the temperature and steeping times on the side of the cans - the teas are significantly better when you follow the recommendations.

I go up there a few times a year (I live near Northfield) - I'll meet you there sometime if you want!

Posted by: JC | July 9, 2009 9:34 PM

Dilmah is the commercial black tea of choice. Teabags are an abomination and in a perfect world would be banned by some sort of international statute.

An anecdote about Dilmah tea. My parents sent a box of Dilmah tea which they thought had an odd flavour (not deeply unpleasant but just slightly odd) back to the company HQ. They received 4 boxes back and a personal letter from Mr Dilmah apologising about the odd flavoured box which he explained had been caused by some sort of wind contamination from a flower harvest during its processing. He continued to send them xmas cards for about 5 years.

Posted by: cyan | July 9, 2009 10:53 PM

CW @106,

Will initiate your rec about the beans; thanks beaucoup.

Posted by: 'Tis Himself | July 9, 2009 11:29 PM

Did you know all tea comes from the same plant?

Damn, that must be a HUGE bush.

Posted by: JediBear | July 10, 2009 7:33 AM

I'm shocked, PZ. Truly shocked. To think that you, an athiest and noted skeptic could be taken in by the bizarre anti-american cult of tea-snobbery.

Did you submit this foreign tea to even so basic of scrutiny as a blind taste-test before proclaiming its superiority? Did you? Somehow, despite your sterling reputation as a scientist, I doubt it.

In my experience, there's not enough difference between teas to get excited about. Tea from the most reputable shops in London is virtually indistinguishable from (and may actually be inferior to) Lipton Original. Earl Grey is very nice, no matter the source or variation, and I love a good herb tea. So-called Red Tea is nice too. It has an interesting flavor and I find it actually more effective as a stimulant than true tea.

Any method of tea preparation works equally well, provided only that it combine water (preferably hot, though it may become hot at any point along the way and the only noticeable lack of low water temperature is a considerably weaker flavor) with a tea bag.

Any genuine tea is intolerable without a sweetener. Processed granulated sugar works well because it has little flavor of its own. Adding anything dairy to tea is for sissies who only claim to like tea out of a sense of cultural obligation.

But that's just my opinion. I'm just an ignorant American, not some fancy foreign tea snob.

Posted by: JackC | July 10, 2009 8:52 AM

Tis Himself@254: Wow. I have finally seen someone else use that phrase. And yeah, I agree totally.

Long ago, while in Naval Training at Great Lakes, IL, I maintained a rather good supply of loose teas in my barracks room. The inspectors hated me. I made them verify that each and every tin really was tea.

At that time, it was primarily Twinnings, and I retain a little enjoyment of that tea, even here in the Excited States.

Boiling the herbs. Ouch. That just hurts.

Jc

Posted by: Gordy | July 10, 2009 8:24 PM

Any method of tea preparation works equally well, provided only that it combine water (preferably hot, though it may become hot at any point along the way and the only noticeable lack of low water temperature is a considerably weaker flavor) with a tea bag.

Any genuine tea is intolerable without a sweetener. Processed granulated sugar works well because it has little flavor of its own.

Posted by: Sach | July 11, 2009 1:37 AM

I'm very sad to admit that for all the time I've lurked on this blog, I've never felt the need to say anything until this post!

My grandmama is British, and I grew up drinking standard-issue bagged CTC tea (Lipton was the main offender. My cousins and I were not allowed to touch her stash of PG Tips). I was never too impressed, but considered myself a tea drinker anyway.

That changed when I went to college, and discovered tea houses.

If you get to go to DC anytime soon, I really recommend Teaism. The one near the Navy Memorial has some food and a wider tea selection, but the Dupont Circle Teaism brews its tea beautifully and serves it in actual tea pots, rather than in mugs. No sugar or cream needed, even for the black tea (they have a tea called Jinzhen that smells like chocolate and tastes like heaven). My favorite teas actually come from TenRen (their Oolongs are fantastic) but I can't recommend going to Rockville or College Park just for tea unless you already know you're a fanatic.

Teavana is to be avoided at all costs. I have no idea what they do to their tea; their samples have all been pre-sugared, so you have to wonder what flavor problems they're trying to cover up (and who wants to drink a sugary green tea, anyway?) For that reason alone, I don't believe any of their salespeople know what real tea should taste like.

Don't know if it's been said, but JediBear, "Red Tea" is actually a tisane/herbal tea made from rooibos/red bush. It has no caffeine as it is... well, an herbal tea. Its a great hot drink though, so I guess that could perk you up! Revolution Teas makes a really nice caramelly-flavored one, & Numi makes an interesting one mixed with green tea.

Posted by: 'Tis Himself | July 11, 2009 1:51 AM

I like to put a little milk in breakfast teas but I stopped using sugar or other sweetners decades ago.

It was explained why it's almost impossible to get a good cup of tea in the US. For a similar reason it's almost impossible to get a good cup of coffee in Britain. Coffee water needs to be much cooler than "just at the boil" tea water. If you make coffee with boiling water, you'll end up with a bitter, oily drink.

At the end of World War II my father was part of a joint American-British naval party looking at the German U-boat pens in La Rochelle, France. Every night the people in this party went to a particular restaurant for supper. One of the Americans notice that at the end of the meal the Americans were all drinking tea and the British were all drinking coffee. So he asked one of the Brits: "Why are you drinking that coffee, it's horrible." The reply was "Because the tea's undrinkable."

Posted by: Matt Penfold | July 11, 2009 7:01 AM

At the end of World War II my father was part of a joint American-British naval party looking at the German U-boat pens in La Rochelle, France. Every night the people in this party went to a particular restaurant for supper. One of the Americans notice that at the end of the meal the Americans were all drinking tea and the British were all drinking coffee. So he asked one of the Brits: "Why are you drinking that coffee, it's horrible." The reply was "Because the tea's undrinkable."

During the attack on Goose Green during the Falklands War one of the companies taking part in the attack had got a bit further ahead than the other companies taking part in the attack. So they sat down and made themselves a cup of tea.

Posted by: JackC | July 12, 2009 3:36 AM

JediBear

Oh my. You were serious. Yes, I have to think the "tastebuds" bit is Tom Lehrer - only because I have been a fan since my earliest days and it just seems right - but it is a line I have long used and I really have no idea where it comes from - and it was nice to find someone else using it.

Yes - you are right, tastes are individual, but yours seem ... not sure what to say here... different? Nothing bad about that at all really.

I generally engage in an occasional friendly "beer initiation" in which I introduce people to tastes in beer they have never had before. I always say "If you do not like it, do not drink it. What I like is no guarantee that it is good, or that you will like it." And of course, I will generally drinlk what they don't.... :)

But - ALL coffee tastes the same? and ALL tea is bitter? You have some interesting taste buds - or perhaps you just don't care for some particular flavour profiles. Nothing wrong with that. Or perhaps you have not yet been introduced to the proper method of Tea (coffee) Maintenance?

I am not really very good with coffee, but there are some incredibly diverse tastes out there in that world - as there are in teas. More so in teas I think. I have some coffee preferences (my daily grind is a locally roasted Kenyan AA estate, but Yauco Selecto is wonderful when you can get it and Alto Grande isn't too darn bad either.) I can barely tolerate a French Roast though. All of this black, of course.

Tastes are, however, highly individual, and if I have misspelled and not corrected, or misspoken in any way, it is because this is entered after a nice Black Russian made with some rather inexpensive vodka, not my usual Russian Standard. My tastes were not terribly selective tonight....

JC

Posted by: JediBear | July 12, 2009 9:27 PM

@JackC: I shouldn't probably have said that all coffee tastes the same. After all, I have it on good authority that not all crap tastes the same. I haven't bothered to explore the wide world of coffee flavor because I find the stuff to be without exception vile and intolerable.

I suppose I'd have been more likely to give it a proper chance if I didn't find the smell so offensive.

Tea really is all bitter. I'm not exactly speaking from ignorance. I've made a broad survey of sources, methods of preparation, and types. If you think it's not, it's probably just because you're used to it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J0L_rD7CCe4 should take you to the Tom Lehrer song in question. It's an amusing little ditty, kind of a satirical theme song for the US Army.

@Ellestra: Our chocolate is fine. It's chocolate. It's actually pretty hard to either mess up or improve in any meaningful way.

Taste snobbery of all kinds bothers me. You're beyond appreciating the simple pleasures in life if your beer has to come from a certain place or your tea has to be packaged and prepared a certain way or your wine has to be a from a certain winery and a certain year.

If you find that you actually can't enjoy M&Ms or Swiss Miss, you have a problem.

So perhaps I'm just a stubborn heathen. Or perhaps there's (by your lights) something wrong with me. Or perhaps I'm a good skeptic who prefers a cheap cup of tea if it'll do as well. Take your pick.

Though to be fair, I don't have any experience worth noting with wine or beer either -- I can't ignore the undisguisable taste of ethanol. How you folks stand it is beyond me.