Trying New Teas

In honor of National Hot Tea Month, I'm trying to get out of my tea rut.  I tend to find something I like and stick to it.    Nothing wrong with that, but then I don't try new things.  I realize there are teas out there I'm not too familiar with and might like.  Might love.

Today I'm drinking Darjeeling First Flush, from In Pursuit of Tea.  I've had this tea before and didn't like it much, but this time I actually followed the steeping guidelines (printed right on the back of the package, thank you very much!)  The first cup was ok, but a bit too strong.  The second cup was way-mo-bettah!  And the third was JUST RIGHT.  Using the right water temperature (just under a boil for this tea) and the right amount of tea and steep time can make a huge difference in the taste of tea.  Now I can honestly say I love this tea!

So my January resolution is to

1) Try more teas
2) Try to remember to read the steeping destructions, and
3) Experiment more with preparation variations before I give up on them

Comments

[oolong tea]

Wonderful photos and recipes to mull over on a cool morning like this. Can't wait to try some of your recipes out!.I think this is a nice tea with awesome taste.Love to sip this.

[Christine]

I haven't tried Twinings Red Bush. I looked at the grocery store this morning, but they didn't have it. I did find a Twinings tea called Lady Grey that I'd never heard of either, so I bought it and tried this afternoon. It's very nice - citrusy, but light.

[Zylo]

I was wondering if you've ever had Twinings Red Bush tea. I have a box on my shelf that I've successfully avoided for several months now as I found the first cup to tree bark. I have no idea what to do with it and was hoping that you might have a suggestion. Thank you. Z

[becca]

being an avid tea and coffee consumer myself, i was thrilled to come across your site. trying new teas is always a fun thing. my most recent trial is rooibos tea strawberry tingle. not bad, i might add.

[Online Kitchenware]

On the subject of trying new teas i have started drinking a tea from Twinings which is the pure green tea. At first i did not like it but as i knew it is better for me and had a couple of cups a day i started to like it. It's all i drink now.

[Joel Pace]

Hi! I just saw your blog. I would encourage you to try new teas. I try to enjoy quite a bit of the various chais out there--and I don't mean just the latte styles. Teabag chai is also exquisite.

Our chai, SLO Chai, is different than others since we don't rely soleyly on cloves and pepper for flavor (too much of these tend to turn me off).

I have fallen in love with chai because it is more than mere tea, but a celebration of different spices together. You can also enjoy it because it is also as robust as coffee. Just yesterday I was chatting with a friend who was stuck on 'yogi tea', not just the brand but the idea of 'throwback to the 60s' style with milk and sugar. 'Yep', that's what I do too. He tried it and loved it! So, it's about experimenting with tea. The more you try, the broader you become...

Enjoy!