# O, joy, rapture, ecstasy! In a word: TEA!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129 "2002-12-20T22:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/1 "2002-12-20T22:52:20Z")
My mother got me a membership in a Tea of the Month Club! I was overjoyed, of course, but a bit apprehensive, at first. What was I in for? Monthly bags of flavored orange-cut pekoe? The latest faddish herbal concoctions? A box of Celestial Seasonings on the first of each month? Oh, no, children. Mama knows how to treat her girl right! Check out [The Tea Source.](http://www.teasource.com) Oh, yeah, baby!!! Tea for snobs! Loose tea only, carefully sealed in foiled ziplock bags (since both air and light can degrade tea quality) with detailed brewing instructions for the perfect cup. And this ain’t no one-size-fits-all kind of a deal, oh no. They don’t just send everybody the flavor of the month. They _called_ and asked me what kinds of tea I like. Answer: _all kinds!_ But I did narrow it down a bit, and they took careful notes and read it all back to me to make sure they got it right. The first tea arrived today: Precious Eyebrows, a nice Chinese green. It’s wonderful! And there’s _lots_ of it, enough that I can send little packets of it home with my friends. And another selection, sure to be just as heavenly, will becoming next month! Best. Christmas. Present. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/2 "2002-12-20T23:53:34Z")
I’d have to agree with you there. Tea is one of God’s greatest gifts to mankind. I’m a junkie, I’ll admit it. Unfortunately, my cardiologist told me today that I need to stop drinking so much tea, and limit myself to two cups a day. That’s a bit less than my usual one gallon. She suggested decafinated tea. I told her that she’s insane. Only the high-test for me! ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/3 "2002-12-21T03:10:53Z")
OMG. I want this! BRB. I’ve got tea steeping right now. I think it’s time to get myself a nice cup of decaf Constant Comment. (I know real tea snobs drink only loose tea, but that requires waaaayyy too much maintenance for my everyday tea drinking.) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/4 "2002-12-21T03:54:36Z")
Oh my, **Poddy**. You are so easily thrilled these days! A tea club? There was a time when you fought villans and traveled on spaceships. _sigh_ Are **Tars Tarkas** and I to be left as the only SDMB Martians with a venturesome spirit? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/5 "2002-12-21T03:56:55Z")
Perhaps it will be blasphemous to hard-core tea enthusiasts, but I brew loose tea in a coffee maker. (I don’t drink coffee–vile stuff! Smells divine, though.) Just don’t use one that has been polluted by having been used to make coffee, or it will taint the taste of your tea. Buy a cheap new one. ---
**Author:** ![Burnt\_Sugar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee59a6/32.png) [@Burnt\_Sugar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burnt_Sugar)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/6 "2002-12-21T07:11:46Z")
I sense sarcasm… but I agree with **Lissa** , I can drink tea by the litre. I’d love that present! ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/7 "2002-12-21T07:20:21Z")
Oh, god, if I had the dough this would be the PERFECT gift for my darling husband. Tea is good… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/8 "2002-12-21T07:44:54Z")
This site has been bookmarked and is going on my next year’s Christmas wish list (as it is too late for this year, I fear). Oooo. Lovely, lovely tea. Though so sad now that caffeine bothers me more and more. I like herbal teas, but I miss my caffeinated ones very much. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/9 "2002-12-21T16:12:38Z")
Fabooo . . . I’m delighted to give the Tea Source some free advertising. Now, I ask you, **John Carter** , where does a busy captain find the energy to figure orbits late into the night? How does one unwind after a battle with scruilous space pirates? **Kyla** , I got a small Swiss Gold filter which fits in a coffee mug, and it’s great for brewing loose tea by the cup. I’ll never go back to bags. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/10 "2002-12-21T16:33:10Z")
Oh tea is simply heavenly. Loose tea is DIVINE! Yum. I am officially registering my jealousy. (Do I get a card for that?) ---
**Author:** ![JayElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@JayElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JayElle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/11 "2002-12-21T16:37:21Z")
Great site! I’m a bit of a tea neophyte, but I do like the selection from [Stash Tea](http://www.stashtea.com/), especially their black Chai. ---
**Author:** ![Heloise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e36b37/32.png) [@Heloise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heloise)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/12 "2002-12-21T16:54:05Z")
At the Glendale Galleria, there is a tea house. Lisa’s something or other. LOVE IT! I wish I knew of more tea houses around. I’m sure they are there, as I’m in Los Angeles, but that’s the closest. Right now, my favorite is mint tea. And I really like rose berry. Subject to change without notice, of course. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/13 "2002-12-21T17:03:04Z")
For the best selection of Darjeeling estate teas, I’d suggest [Upton Tea Imports](http://www.uptontea.com). It has teas from over a dozen Darjeeling plantations and is the only place I know of in the U.S. where I can get my favorite Makaibari. They also have a very wide variety of other black teas and a fine selection of greens as well as specialty teas like pu-erh and powdered Gyokuro (used in Japanese tea ceremonies). ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/14 "2002-12-21T17:39:44Z")
Every chai that I have tried is better than any other tea that I have had. There is even one out for Christmas called Chai Nog. I usually prefer iced chai, but then, I’m Southern. 😉 Two others that are very pleasant hot are Constant Comment and oatstraw tea. (That last one I learned about in the movie **Harold and Maude**.) Don’t tell anyone, but I do use tea bags. At least I warm the pot first! ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/15 "2002-12-21T19:26:38Z")
Great link, **chukhung**! I’m making next year’s Christmas list already. 😉 What’s oatstraw tea, **Zoe**? From the name, I’m guessing it tastes like chamomile? Is it stimulating? Relaxing? Refreshing? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/16 "2002-12-21T20:15:56Z")
[quote] Kyla, I got a small Swiss Gold filter which fits in a coffee mug, and it’s great for brewing loose tea by the cup. I’ll never go back to bags.[/quote That sounds good, except I am really picky about my tea preparation. I almost always prefer to steep the tea in a pot, so that I can pour the milk on the bottom of the cup. The only exception is with mint tea, which I like plain, or with honey. I keep a box of mint tea at work for this very reason. My favorite chai is Chai Baba Chai. If you live in the San Francisco area you should be able to find it easily in cafes. It is delicious! I can’t find it on the internet, alas. It is a thousand times better than that foul Oregon Chai stuff, which is _far_ too sweet. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@John\_Carter\_of\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Carter_of_Mars)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/17 "2002-12-21T20:16:25Z")
Posted by **Podkayne** : “Now, I ask you, John Carter, where does a busy captain find the energy to figure orbits late into the night? How does one unwind after a battle with scruilous space pirates?” Glad you cleared that up for me, Captian P. I always enter into battle with confidence, knowing that the intrepid Podkayne “has my back”. It wouldn’t do for you to retire into the tea and crumpet set, abandoning the Red Planet for the mere earthly pleasures of tea clubs. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/18 "2002-12-21T21:05:16Z")
This looks fantastic! What a great gift. You are a very lucky person. Looked at the site you linked to, but couldn’t find anything about shipping to the UK. Shucks! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/19 "2002-12-21T21:33:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Washte \* > \*\*Looked at the site you linked to, but couldn’t find anything about shipping to the UK. Shucks! ☹ \*\* [Upton Tea](http://www.uptontea.com/) ships internationally. In the UK, I’ve heard good things about [Whittard of Chelsea](http://www.whittard.co.uk/cgi-bin/whittard.storefront), but I’ve had no firsthand experience with them. ---
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2002, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129/20 "2002-12-22T00:10:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyla \* > \*\*That sounds good, except I am really picky about my tea preparation. I almost always prefer to steep the tea in a pot, so that I can pour the milk on the bottom of the cup. \*\* You might want to consider a Chatsford tea pot (or similar). It has a removable strainer basket that makes brewing a pot of loose tea extremely painless. There’s a picture of a Chatsford teapot and its basket along with a description here: [http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOaccessoryUse.asp](http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOaccessoryUse.asp) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-joy-rapture-ecstasy-in-a-word-tea/144129.md?page=2)