# Any tea drinkers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 27, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503 "2015-12-27T21:43:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/1 "2015-12-27T21:43:56Z")
I have been a long time coffee drinker, nothing was better than a good strong cup of morning coffee. Drank it all day sometimes. Around a month ago i was at a friend’s home and she offered me a tea that I drank out of a gourd. It was the best stuff in the world, was so good that I completely switched over to tea. I have to say it has been a game changer in my health! Less jitters, sleep better at night, lost 10 lbs and just general feeling of wellness. I am new at this, any tea enthusiast want to share some different teas flavors, preferred containers or different uses or therapy methods? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/2 "2015-12-27T21:53:02Z")
Funny you should bring this up. I just finished brewing a fresh pot of tea. Just run-of-the-mill stuff, but warm and satisfying as I work to meet a deadline. My favorite tea is English Breakfast. I drink it two ways: with evaporated milk and golden sugar, or with honey and lemon. Irish Breakfast is good too. Very strong. Haven’t stopped drinking coffee altogether, but generally drink a lot more tea nowadays than I did 20 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/3 "2015-12-27T21:59:05Z")
I can’t drink coffee anymore and have switched to tea. I guess I have been drinking too much coffee and it gave me pounding headaches. When I stopped drinking coffee, the headaches stopped too. The only tea I have ever drank is Orange Pekoe that you get from the supermarket in tea bags. I heard someone say they brew tea the “real way” without using tea bags. They said there is no comparison between the flavor you get from a tea bag and from other methods of brewing tea. Can anyone please enlighten me? What is the “real way” to brew tea and what kinds of tea would be good for me to try? I must say that I like the store bought tea bag “Tetley” Orange Pekoe. But I don’t know any other kinds. I’d really like to be educated as to what I may be missing. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/4 "2015-12-27T22:01:51Z")
I enjoy both coffee and tea (not at the same time, of course). Tea has a ‘clean’ feel to it that can’t be duplicated by any other drink. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/5 "2015-12-27T22:12:36Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > I heard someone say they brew tea the “real way” without using tea bags…I’d really like to be educated as to what I may be missing. They’re talking about using “loose”, dried leaves - there are various ways to go about it and everyone has their favorites, we had a thorough discussion [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=774006) recently you might want to check out - but in the end it’s not rocket science, you just need to steep the leaves in boiling water and then somehow strain off the tea or remove the leaves. ---
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/6 "2015-12-27T22:18:48Z")
[http://guayaki.com/images/uploads/pages/Image/all%20about%20mate/Wreath-Gourd-image.jpg](http://guayaki.com/images/uploads/pages/Image/all%20about%20mate/Wreath-Gourd-image.jpg) here’s a link I found ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/7 "2015-12-27T22:19:31Z")
Fresh cold water brought to the boil, ceramic pot, loose leaf tea, strainer when pouring. When I was a grad student in Moscow, there was always an afternoon tea in the cafeteria. The nice lady who ran it always had a container of condensed milk for me, since she knew I liked to stir it into my tea. Russians often have jam with their tea, and they drink it all day long. The way a samovar works is that you boil the tea separately until it’s very strong and then dilute it with hot water from the tank, which has a heating element inside (used to be a tube where you burned charcoal; now it’s electric). You then put the pot on top of the tank to keep it warm. Spoonful of jam, sip of tea. Spoonful of jam, sip of tea. Little cakes called _pryaniki_ (similar to German\* Pfeffernüsse\* cookies) are often served with the tea too. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/8 "2015-12-27T22:21:06Z")
> [@jerry\_smissingfinger](#): > > Around a month ago i was at a friend’s home and she offered me a tea that I drank out of a gourd. > [@jerry\_smissingfinger](#): > > here’s a link I found Sounds like you were drinking [Yerba mate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate). ---
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/9 "2015-12-27T22:25:26Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Fresh cold water brought to the boil, ceramic pot, loose leaf tea, strainer when pouring. > > When I was a grad student in Moscow, there was always an afternoon tea in the cafeteria. The nice lady who ran it always had a container of condensed milk for me, since she knew I liked to stir it into my tea. > > Russians often have jam with their tea, and they drink it all day long. The way a samovar works is that you boil the tea separately until it’s very strong and then dilute it with hot water from the tank, which has a heating element inside (used to be a tube where you burned charcoal; now it’s electric). You then put the pot on top of the tank to keep it warm. > > Spoonful of jam, sip of tea. Spoonful of jam, sip of tea. Little cakes called _pryaniki_ (similar to German\* Pfeffernüsse\* cookies) are often served with the tea too. sounds awesome I was in Romania for a year back in 94/95 and drank a lot of tea. My room mates drank theirs with a splash of vodka:D ---
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/10 "2015-12-27T22:26:29Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > Sounds like you were drinking [Yerba mate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yerba_mate). That’s it ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/11 "2015-12-27T22:28:12Z")
I love Tea, and drink it daily. Twinnings at work, [THIS](http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XEV9YE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) at home. It’s the civilized drink. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/12 "2015-12-27T22:30:25Z")
> [@jerry\_smissingfinger](#): > > My room mates drank theirs with a splash of vodka. Harrison E Salisbury, if you know who he was, wrote about this when he was a correspondent with the Red Army in WWII. Really keeps you warm at night! :o ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/13 "2015-12-27T22:37:39Z")
I can’t stand coffee, so it’s tea for me. My favorite is probably PG Tips, but I like a wide range, from black to green to white to yerba mate and roiboos. Argo Tea makes an amazing mate latte, which is great with a little sugar and milk. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/14 "2015-12-27T22:53:44Z")
> [@zombywoof](#): > > They’re talking about using “loose”, dried leaves - there are various ways to go about it and everyone has their favorites, we had a thorough discussion [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=774006) recently you might want to check out - but in the end it’s not rocket science, you just need to steep the leaves in boiling water and then somehow strain off the tea or remove the leaves. Thanks very much. Very informative. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/15 "2015-12-27T22:56:48Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#): > > I love Tea, and drink it daily. > Twinnings at work, [THIS](http://http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XEV9YE?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage) at home. > > It’s the civilized drink. FYI - the link you posted doesn’t seem to work for me. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/16 "2015-12-27T23:03:35Z")
> [@Charlie\_Wayne](#): > > Thanks very much. Very informative. No problem - if you’re really interested you might also check out [this episode of Good Eats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTrsD-B9i9U), you’ll learn a lot about tea! ---
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/17 "2015-12-27T23:07:38Z")
There is also a documentary called “All in this tea” Have not seen it yet but heard it’s very good ---
**Author:** ![jerry\_smissingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e56c9b/32.png) [@jerry\_smissingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerry_smissingfinger)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/18 "2015-12-27T23:11:36Z")
[http://www.allinthistea.com/](http://www.allinthistea.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/19 "2015-12-27T23:41:23Z")
I drink a lot of tea (1+ liters/day), almost exclusively loose leaf. I get most of my tea at [UptonTea.com](http://UptonTea.com) which has a large selection of tea from pedestrian to posher-than-thou. I prefer black tea, especially Darjeeling. It takes a little time to acquire a discerning palate. When I first got into tea I didn’t think I could tell the difference between good loose leaf and cheap grocery-store bags. I stuck with it because, well, I had bought a few bags of loose leaf and didn’t want to waste it. After getting used to it, though, I tried Red Rose and realized it was swill. Good tea is divine. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503/20 "2015-12-28T00:01:13Z")
Adagio has a great selection of tea. I only buy loose leaf now since it’s much more flavorful than typical bagged tea. > **[Loose Tea | Buy Online | Free shipping over $49](http://www.adagio.com)** > > Shop online for gourmet loose teas sourced directly from the artisan farmers who tender them. All types of loose leaf teas available. Free shipping ! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-tea-drinkers/741503.md?page=2)