September 27, 2008

Tea time.

I said I was green-tea blogging -- not drunk-blogging -- the debate last night, and Ricardo asked: "What kind of green tea was it? Enquiring minds need to know. Life is in the details." Okay, then. It was Tazo Zen Tea. If you want to drink the tea I usually drink, however, the #1 choice is Twinings Lapsang Souchong, which has been my favorite tea since I first tasted it more than a quarter century ago.

DSC09487

28 comments:

Paddy O said...

I'm quite, quite a fan of the old standby, Earl Grey. The Twinings loose leaf is a regular pleasure.

Though, this summer I've been having Trader Joe's Jasmine green tea a fair amount. It tastes lighter and that's nice when it's warmer and sunny out.

seq said...

jasmine green is my favorate.

rhhardin said...

I favor Kroger, and you can use the box to support slightly oily paper plates that you microwave chicken bits on.

Also in today's excitement, a chicken video, a lonely rooster wants to be near another apparent rooster when one turns up, his two pals having passed on in a neighbor dog accident a month ago. I'm surprised that hawks didn't get them all long ago.

The feminist Obama sign is back! Also a new McCain lawn sign, bringing the official Central Ohio Bike Route Lawn Sign Poll to McCain eight, Obama two, as of today.

Bissage said...
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Bissage said...
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Bissage said...

Coffee was not allowed in our strict Pennsylvania Dutch household.

Daddy drank only tea.

And that’s why I drink neither coffee nor tea.

It has nothing to do with the paternally incestuous homosexual stuff, really.

It’s mostly because Daddy Wasn’t There.

P.S. Mrs. Bissage approved this comment saying “That’s not so bad, you do that kind of thing all the time.”

P.P.S. She thinks I'm completely candid with her but I've never told her that sometimes, when we’re making love, I fantasize about Susanna Hoffs on top of my Dad humping him like she’s my first Mom.

P.P.P.S. Please don’t tell.

P.P.P.P.S. MING TEA!!!

Sprezzatura said...

Both of those "factory teas" are horrible. The difference between those offerings and the richness, complexity, and true experience of good tea is almost immeasurable.

P.S.
I mean this in the least possible elitist way.

George Grady said...

I suppose there's nothing like a cup of tea to help you get past Wisconsin 25, Michigan 27.

Roger J. said...
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Roger J. said...

Been drinking lapsong souchong for thirty years-- the smoked tea leaves give a unique taste that can't be beat.

sbutler said...

Espresso Royale has a 'Hot Cinnamon and Spice' tea that I drank almost every weekday for two years. Then I changed bus routes and I no longer walk by that cafe. But I still love that tea!

John Stodder said...

I stopped drinking coffee and switched to tea after the New Year. I love the variety of teas you can drink for various purposes at different times of the day and night. Since I don't drink alcohol anymore, at night a flavorful herbal tea serves the same role that wine or an expensive whiskey or tequila used to serve.

I love unsweetened ice tea, especially Trader Joe's Kettle-brewed white and green tea. But my staple is a strong English Breakfast tea, with a shot of milk. The Zen Awake tea is good, but Twinings and Bigelow are fine, too.

I'm a happy tea convert.

John Burgess said...

My already high estimation of Ann Althouse just skyrocketed on learning she loves Lapsang Souchang.

And while Twinnings may not be the best version, it is the best version readily available to most in America. You need a really focused tea purveyor to find other brands. Twinnings is quite good enough.

It's a pity, though, that Lapsang Souchang is really lousy iced.

Unknown said...

I'm curious, where do you buy the Lapsang Souchong tea? Every time I go to the grocery store it seems the Twinings tea selection has shrunk a little more.

Palladian said...

I'm a big coffee and tea drinker. I drink many different kinds of tea, mostly black, darjeeling and oolong. For lapsang souchong, I prefer Mariage frères "Lapsang Souchong Impérial". Mariage Frères is a little pricey, but they ship to the US fast and the tea is of excellent quality, far better than Twinings. Their "Empereur Chen-Nung" is a similar tea with a different, more subtle smoky nuance and absolutely delicious. And the other great thing about them is that their tea bags are muslin cloth rather than filter paper, beautiful to look at and making a great brew.

I also drink a lot of tea from the small Massachusetts based firm Mark T. Wendell, of uniformly excellent quality. I buy the 1 pound cans of several of their teas. Their Earl Grey is very good.

vbspurs said...

Rh, I was wondering about that sign on another thread! Cool update.

And Ann, is that book Party Of the Century, The Fabulous Story Of Truman Capote and his Famous Black And White Ball?

Probably not. It's not in...black and white.

Cheers,
Victoria

vbspurs said...

As a Brit, I am otherwise boycotting this thread.

Tazo indeed.

amba said...

I love Tazo's Green Ginger.

rhhardin said...

Stephen Potter recommends, under Americanmanship or something, that when visiting Britain, always say how quaint things are, and carry a thermos of coffee.

Bissage said...

I once met a guy who said he let himself get tea bagged by James Lipton and made $200 out of it.

Hey, don’t laugh.

Tony Randall paid him $250.

I love those tiny, little tea leaves, in Tetley tea.

Bissage said...

But I don’t want to be irresponsible, here, just in case there are any impressionable minors reading this. The life of a professional tea bagee is not all roses and sunshine.

This guy said that James Lipton is actually kind of a strange dude.

He said that throughout the ritual James Lipton kept saying under his breath, over and over again: “You like my Flo-Thru Bag, don’t you . . . that’s right . . . you like my Flo-Thu Bag . . . say my name you little tea strainer . . . you call me MISTER Tea Bag . . . you little cup of boiling hot water, you . . .

Kids, just say no!

Bissage said...

And I don't want to tell you what he said happened between him and Patrick Stewart.

If I did, you'd never be able to hear anyone ever say "Earl Grey, hot" the same way as before.

Though apparently, Patrick Stewart was good for $300.

Ann Althouse said...

"calrablat said... I'm curious, where do you buy the Lapsang Souchong tea? Every time I go to the grocery store it seems the Twinings tea selection has shrunk a little more."

My link takes you to Amazon, where you can buy it (and support this blog in the process). I have noticed it's getting harder to find. Why they have to have Twinings English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast but not this very distinctive smoky kind of tea... I really don't know.

***
Victoria, the picture is an ad... for Cunard, I think.

"Cunard" is an odd word. Looks like an epithet. As in, Bissage is being a bit of a cunard here.

Jennifer Whatnot said...

Colin Haye Band has a song called "Beautiful World" (from the t.v. show Scrubs soundtrack) where he sings: "My my my it's a beautiful world/ I like drinking Irish tea/ With a little bit of lapsang souchong/ I like making my own tea."

Not sure, you might like the song. Here's a link to the lyrics.

rhhardin said...

Doberman enjoys a bottle of green tea.

Bissage said...

Professor, I am very sorry for what I have done.

I am chastened.

Sincerely, I apologize.

Ann Althouse said...

Don't be sad, Bissage! You can do no wrong here.

Minicapt said...

1. Samuel Cunard, originally of Halifax, NS; a liker of fine ships.
http://www.cunard.com/AboutCunard/default.asp?Active=Heritage&Sub=Samuel

2. http://www.murchies.com/wwww/home.php

Cheers
JMH