ILONA ANDREWS

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Spilling the Tea

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Several months have passed since I did a post asking about favorite teas. It’s time for tea review. I am not an affiliate of any of the companies mentioned, so I received no compensation for my tea reviews.

I have very specific taste when it comes to tea. I drink it straight, without sugar or sweetener, and one of my criteria is being able to enjoy it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. As always, your mileage may vary.

Best everyday black tea

Chocolate by Harney and Sons

Briskness: 2 Body: 2 Aroma: 4 Buy: here.

I absolutely love this tea. I am a sucker for chocolate flavors and this tea has just enough of the right aroma and taste. This is my go-to morning tea. It’s robust enough to help me wake up but gentle on my stomach without creamer or milk.

Alternative: He Family Laoshan Black from Verdant Tea. Both teas have the China black base. The sample batch of the HFLB had strong chocolate aroma, but when I ordered in bulk, the taste and scent wasn’t nearly as pronounced, so I now prefer Harney & Sons.

Paris by Harney and Sons

Briskness: 2 Body: 2 Aroma: 4 Buy: here.

This is an exquisite tea, with hints of vanilla, caramel, and just a little Bergamot. As the Chocolate, it is gentle on the stomach but still packs the flavor and caffeine punch.

It might be just me, but I find that when I drink Paris several days in a row, I end up tasting Bergamot less. It might be just me, but I enjoy varying it with Chocolate or other tea flavors.

Best Green Tea

Dragon Pearl Jasmine by Harney and Sons

Briskness: 1 Body: 2 Aroma: 5 Buy: here.

This is a remarkable tea. In fact, I’m drinking my second cup as I’m writing this. It’s a complicated taste, delicate and subtle rather than rich, but never bitter as long as it’s brewed at the right temperature, which is for the green tea happens to be 175º. It’s pricier than some other options, but having brewed it many times now, I have yet to screw it up. The jasmine is less pronounced, but I have a fix for that coming up.

Best White Tea

Yunnan White Jasmine

Flavors: floral, fruity, slightly spicy. Buy: here.

If you want jasmine tea, this is the one. It has a definite jasmine aroma; you can’t miss it. It’s a very flavorful tea, surprisingly so for white tea, and I’ve been ordering it for month and had very consistent flavor throughout. It tastes almost creamy, as much as tea can taste creamy on its own. Highly recommended.

And there you have it. There are other categories that I wanted to cover, like herbal and iced, but I have to go work. Happy tea drinking and let me know your favorites in the comments.

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Comments

  1. Good choices! (although I OD’ed on Earl Grey when younger and am a bit turned off on bergamot.) Harney and Taylors of Harrowgate both have excellent tea selections. I’m partial to their Irish and English breakfast teas, and especially the Taylors’ Scottish Breakfast. I like them without milk or sugar first thing in the morning; they may be a bit too astringent for your taste, though.

    • I did the same! Now I greatly dislike the smell and the taste of bergamot. Oh well, there are plenty more teas on the trees!

    • My brother would drink Earl Grey very strong. It looked like coffee when it finished steeping. The smell reminds me of Froot Loops. For those who don’t know, Froot Loops is a sweet cereal.

    • I visited Turkey (Kusadasi and Selcuk) over a decade ago and absolutely loved the tea there. Everyone was so hospitable and friendly as well! The tea reminds me of a lighter version of hot apple cider. 🙂

      • I think you might be referring to the lovely apple tea (elma cay) which is enjoyable and given to you in pretty much every shop if you’re a tourist and they want to sell you stuff!
        On the other hand since my long ago visits to Istanbul my brother has now married a Turkish Cypriot with a very Turkish family. Their evryday tea is strong, not fruity and golden and nothing like the delicious apple blend and don’t even mention the Turkish coffee – I’m not a coffee drinker but it’s rude not to on certain occasions and I swear it’s worse than a tequila shot!

        • I realised now I see my sentence above that it sounded iffy – they do offer to be polite too, and indeed are very courteous, it’s just also very common for shops and stalls to serve it to customers as part of the whole sales experience. Or it was when I visited but the last time I went was a good 12-15 years ago.

        • I’m *still* mad that my double boiler teapot’s upper handle got broken. (Yeah, yeah, I should get another. But practically, I mostly drink matcha? Or homemade chai.)

  5. Harney & Sons Victorian London Fog is my ultimate favorite, hands down 🙂
    Their dragon pearl jasmine is a favorite of mine too. Nice faves!

  7. Harney & Sons Cinnamon Sunset is the best, strongest cinnamon tea I’ve ever had, no sweetener needed! Amazing.

  8. My mom brought me jasmine tea back from China last year and it was so good I almost cried when I finished the bag. I’ll have to order this one and see how it compares! She also brought back a black lychee that was amazing that I need to try and replace as well.

  9. I’ve been drinking David’s Saigon Chai a ton recently – you can still taste the black tea base through all the other yummy cinnamon/ginger/cardamom etc. Also still can’t quit Mighty Leaf’s Orange Blossom (black with vanilla/orange/jasmine).

  10. Like you, I drink my tea plain. I also love Hartney & Sons, and completely agree with you about their Dragon Pearl Jasmine tea. So delicious!

    Although I love almost all teas, in general, I prefer green and white to red and black. I really dislike Earl Grey, however, and it’s likely the bergamot.

  13. Hooray! I’ve been waiting for this post! It was thanks to your previous post on tea that I placed an order with Verdant. It changed my life. The Yunnan white jasmine is a favorite in my household. I gifted some to my mother and now she will not drink another tea.

  14. We’re pretty simple: Twinings Orange Pekoe for caffeine, and Twinings Decaf Chai for no-caffeine. We also can do a half-caff version with one of each. But we needed to get a red teapot for the chai tea, otherwise all tea will taste of chai spices.

  15. Love Jasmine, buy most of my teas from David’s Tea
    Butterfly Jasmine is my green tea go-to, black tea go to Earl Grey or Cream of Earl Grey and herbal LOVE organic cold 911 especially when feeling stuffy

  17. I am very boring and have Tazo Earl Grey every day. I liked the Harney&sons but not as much as the Tazo.

  18. Murchies Tea (Canadian Company over 125 years old)
    Stormwatcher, Golden Jubilee, Editor’s Blend, and Decaf Ceylon.

    Seriously amazing teas, I prefer strong black and complex flavours without the weird additions that other companies like to play with (why sprinkles? Gummy bears? Yuck.)

  19. My favorite black is Upton Tea Company’s No. 1 Tippy Orthodox GFOP Darjeeling. It’s a nice, all around tea with a smooth finish…

    My favorite green is … I don’t like green, it all tastes like grass to me, but my son claims Upton’s Organic Gunpowder is wonderful.

    My favorite all around just have some because tea is Upton’s Tie Gran Yin Oolong Special grade.

    I like Upton’s Christmas Special Blend Black Tea, too, which has cinnamon and orange and cloves and cardamon and rose… It’s very nice… like dessert in a cup.

  20. If you want something unique, I recommend trying a Yunnan sticky rice pu-erh tea (Nuo Mi Xiang). It actually does taste like Chinese sticky rice.

    I also quite like drinking Japanese hōjicha every once in a while. It’s a roasted tea and very earthy in flavour, but tastes different from Chinese pu-erh.

    On a trip to Japan a few years ago, the best tea I had there was from this place: https://www.marukyu-koyamaen.co.jp/english/

    • That sounds like fun – I’ve appreciated puers, but haven’t yet fallen in love with one?

      (Big hojicha fan, though I haven’t been having it recently.)

      • Pu’ers are tricky. The best I have is from China when I visited the Western areas. You have to get A grade aged for a while from the right mountains etc. etc. Hard to find anywhere else because it has become so popular in China. I am still gently working my way through my brick which I have had since 2007. Strictly for special occasions when I need a beautiful tea that I can pot several times. It is possibly the smoothest richest tea I’ve ever had – and I am truly a terrible tea snob.

  21. My personal favorite is Stash’s White Christmas, which is a mix of white and green teas with ginger and peppermint. I like really strong black teas, which usually aren’t great on an empty stomach. One of the great things about it getting cooler is I can drink tea all day without feeling hot. That makes my sinuses happy.

    • Love Stash’s White Christmas but was unable to find it last year at local retailer. I also like their Christmas Eve and Double Earl Grey

  22. I have to agree with you. I have the chocolate, and Paris. I also have chocolate mint, vanilla (black tea), and Holiday and have enjoyed them all. I am rarely drink green teas so have not tried the either of the ones you have listed.

  24. Republic of Tea Hi-Caf Breakfast black – SOOOOO good first thing in the morning and I’m always forgetting and leaving the tea bag in and it takes a long time to turn bitter so win there too! I also love Numi’s Mate Lemon. Also good EcoTeas Yerba Mate and Ecoteas Organic Tulsi which I mix together.

    • I like the Republic of Teas’ I’m partial to fruity flavors, love the Cherry Garcia and Peach Ginger Black teas iced.

    • I didn’t realize rooibos is not considered a true tea! Numi rooibos is my favorite in the mornings!

  27. It’s definitely a situational/associative thing but I love chrysanthemum tea because it reminds me of good times at dim sum with family and friends (I’m Asian). When we go for dim sum it’s MINIMUM an hour spent catching up. If you order jasmine tea it’s too strong by the end of dim sum but chrysanthemum tea is still delicious.

    • I have an Aunt who swears by Peppermint tea, says it’s the only one you can’t screw up and is available in many different places, in many different countries. I’ll have to give her this tip.

    • Me too! I’m sensitive to caffeine so it’s a bit of a loss only having herbals but I still love the scent, heat, and ritual of it.

      • While I don’t know if it’s actually true or not, they say that if you don’t steep the tea as long, the caffeine content is lower. For the Yunnan White Jasmine, I only steep for 15 seconds on the first brew (I use the Eastern method, unless it’s herbal), but everyone’s tastes are different. You can get sample sizes of most of Verdant’s teas, if you wanted to try something out. If not, I completely understand! There are things I love that I have to avoid too. ????

  30. I loved Harney chocolate .
    I like Republic of tea, mango Ceylon and ginger peach.
    Hate earl gray, it’s the Bergamot.
    Not really fond of green tea. Hate chamomile.
    In winter I like Chai. I think because it’s more robust or complex.
    I also add honey to my tea in the winter or if I have a cold , otherwise just plain. I can’t stand adding milk , just no.

  32. I love this tea from the Canadian company Davids Tea, Nepal Black is smooth and malty and just perfect for drinking with pecan shortbread cookies. But my old job in the bay area had a great black chai and rooibos chai, Julies coffee and tea garden is a small company but great products.

  33. I blend the 3 of them, first two in the pic. 15 spoons each in a jar and add the third one about 4 or 5 spoons and the end product is the last one on the pic 🙂 i like my tea a little bit of strong

  34. *is suspicious of anyone who drinks unsweetened tea*

    I like the idea of tea, but unless it’s mostly milk and sugar, the taste makes me gag. And that includes peppermint tea, which I would really like to like, because I love the taste of mint. I munch fresh mint leaves all summer (multiple varieties). But brew it into tea, and it becomes nasty soggy leaf water, blech. And it has the cruel habit of still smelling delicious, just to lure me into tasting it once in a while.

  35. I love Harney & Sons teas and I have a variety at home. I adore Paris and thoroughly enjoy the black currant and vanilla varieties. Chocolate really intrigues me and I think I may try that one next.

  36. One of my favorite white teas is called Plum White from the Savoy Tea Company out of Fayetteville Arkansas. It is easy on the stomach (I have IBS) and I love the sweet flavor it has even without sugar. It is our favorite “dessert” tea. My kids and I like it for an afternoon treat. I also really like their ceylon single estate.

  37. Hi there, I love tea! I always enjoy hearing about different tea companies. Have you tried Murchies from Victoria BC Canada? They have a wonderful selection, not to mention a lovely tea room and shop. Being English and the granddaughter of a Yorkshire lady, I have a soft spot for Taylors, from Harrogate.

  39. I’ve been curious about the “Chocolate” tea from Harney and Sons. Their “Paris” blend is one of my favorites. A friend sent it to me for Christmas one year and I was immediately hooked.

  40. Thank you so much for doing this. I love tea, but sometimes branching out from the norm can be a bit intimidating. I’ve been wanting to try a green tea. I will consider ur suggestion.

    I’ve never heard. Harney and Sons. I’ve used Virtuous Teas online for at least 10 years. My old standby of English Breakfast is always a pleaser. I also get their scented Earl Grey. It’s the only tea I drink wo milk.

    I know chamomile is not a real tea, but do hv any recommendations regarding? Thx.

  41. I am also a Harney & Sons tea drinker. Cranberry Autumn is my fall and winter tea. Just bought Ciron Green and it’s growing on me. My favorite chai is Steven Smith Teamaker Masala Chai Blend No. 33. Thanks for sharing your teas with us. Look forward to your herbal choices.

  42. A favorite tea. so hard. Right now it’s Twinings Orange and Cinnamon Tea (Black Tea) that a friend brought back from Italy. But I had Earl grey with double bergamot for a couple of days now and I cannot taste the bergamot anymore :-(, so it is not only you Ilona.

  43. I love Harney & Sons Earl Grey tea. The main thing I like about this tea is that it does not have a bitter taste. Very smooth and mellow.

  44. Being from eastern NC, my only exposure to tea in my youth was Lipton, served cold and with enough sugar to enable you to feel your tooth enamel decaying. Now, I like hot tea on occasion but usually in colder weather. So, since I am a hot tea heathen, I order enough of all the Stash holiday tea flavors to last for 4 or 5 months and I’m good. I do have to have a little sweetener, so I add some stevia, but no cream.

  45. My husband loves Harney and Sons! He prefers their Pumpkin Spice tea. I am not a pumpkin spice anything person though – yuck. I prefer Twinings Lady Grey myself. I have not tried different tea makers though to see if they make a better one. It took years of my trying his different teas to even find a tea I like so I have stuck to that brand – apparently I’m picky when it comes to tea and beer. I like them both to have some citrus in it we have determined. We make big pots of the lady grey in the fall and winter since that is the only time I want a hot beverage. I love that tea! If anyone knows of a better Lady Grey I should try though please let me know!

    • if you sign up with Republic of tea, they send you a catalog and a new tea each month. that’s a nice way of trying their teas, and not having to buy an entire package of them.

    • I have tried several, but Twinning’s Lady Grey is my favorite so far of the LGs that I have tried. Would love to hear other’s recommendations on LG flavors, though.

      I REALY miss Twinning’s Scottish Nog! They carried it seasonally for a while, then discontinued it. If anyone has suggestions on where to find that lovely brew, or its twin from another company, my entire family (including many extended cousins and older relatives) will Bless you! I got them all hooked on it as “the drink” for family gatherings for Christmas, and now its gone… we’ve even written Twinning’s letters / emails… no luck.

  46. I love Harney teas! My favorite is chocolate mint – it’s great when I have an upset stomach.

    I also love Harney Royal Wedding tea, and mango.

    But my go-to for a good black tea is Scottish Blend – have not found any breakfast tea to beat that. Caveat – I haven’t tasted all of Harney’s teas yet.

    For Earl Grey, I was disappointed by Harney’s Earl Grey Supreme, so I’m sticking to my favorite Bigelow.

  48. For a half a dozen years, we hosted soccer coaches (ages 18 to 24) for a week or 2 each summer from the UK. No one living in our house drinks coffee (we have a french press for the guests to bring their own coffee), but I do have a variety of teas and herbal tisanes. I always tried to check with the coaches about their food restrictions and if they have a caffeine habit in whatever form that took. One of the Irish coaches said yes to tea and then looked at me blankly when I offered him different options. Like completely no idea what foreign language I was speaking. I chalked it up to not paying attention to details because of his age. I checked with an Irish ex-pat colleague and she said it was not a case of cluelessness. Apparently there is one type of tea (I equated it to being similar to Lipton in the US) and maybe if you are in a hoity-toity area there might be a second option, but the idea of loose tea or varieties would have been very strange. So for once, the American knew more about tea than someone from the UK. LOL.

    I am currently drinking a cup of Afternoon Blend from Salty-Savory-Sweet (local and internet spice and tea shop). I typically rotate through a bunch of options based on mood. The picture includes most of the current rotation.

    • It is true! For the majority of Brits asking what sort of tea do you want is asking whether you want it strong enough to stain furniture (my father) or so weak that you’ve just waved the teabag at it and it’s little more than milk and water (my sister). Then you ask if they want sugar and how many (my grandmother has four or five depending on the size of spoon). Tea drinking is a staple of life not a thought process. My family ask for a cup of ‘proper tea and not that ‘foofy’ stuff you like’. I despair sometimes!

      • Ah, the ‘foofy’ stuff.My poor Mum was unpopular with her Irish in laws and thought she would be extra nice when they came to visit and had a wonderful selection of teas ready for them. They were properly disgusted by the hoity- toity teas. When I was left to stay for the day with my father’s aunt and rest of the clan I was “the Protestant’s daughter”. My father’s aunt thought she would banish me to the kitchen for my tea while my cousins had theirs in the “parlor”. Normally I was a pretty good kid, but I threw my cup on the floor and declared that if I couldn’t have tea with the rest of them, I’d have none at all. I expected to die. The aunt laughed, had someone else clean it up, gave me a pat on the head and said, “No, you’re one of ours.”From then on I could have burned the house down and she would have forgiven me. Now, many decades later, with my morning (black) tea, I salute my aunts who taught me not to be anyone’s doormat. Still, I drink the ‘foofy’, if Harneys north Frisian can be called that. Their chocolate is a great fall back when dieting to assuage chocolate cravings.

        • British tea. Often called builder’s tea (British builders and tradespersons are traditionally powered by tea, although coffee is becoming more common) It’s black tea, it comes in bags, brewed in a mug, with milk, sugar if you must. Brands don’t matter much (although we may have a favourite).
          It’s not what non British people expect at all. There are of course a lot of fancy teas and herbal infusions, but say “tea” to a Brit and that’s not what we expect at all

  50. My friend at work goes home to China every year or so and brings me back red tea. No brand. It comes in a plastic bag inside a clay pot. I always say I’m drinking grandma’s ashes because it looks like an urn. Very yummy though. Wonder how he gets it through customs…

  51. Ooooooo, I LOVE Jasmine green tea…I may have to ask for the Dragon Pearl one for Christmas. I would love to hear your recommended herbals, too!

    My favorite Jasmine Green so far is from the Bar Harbor Tea Company. It’s a little local tea shop, so even better!

  53. Does anyone have a recommendation for a device to get the water exactly the right temperature? Ilona mentions one needing 175 degrees exactly, but right now I simply boil water and then pour it over the tea. Maybe it’s time I level up my tea game.

    • I use my instant read thermometer (what I use in cooking) to check the temperature of the water, if I’m not using boiling water. After a few times, you’ll probably get a feel for how long you need to let it rest after boiling or when to take it off based from the sound of the bubbles before it reaches boiling. Checking the temperature of things in the kitchen though is never a bad thing.

      I’m sure there’s lots of fancy electric kettles that could do it for you, but I don’t have a specific recommendation for one. Hope someone else does though! ????

  54. I love the Tropical Fruit Cold Brew tea by Celestial. I realize it makes me a “heathen” but I prefer iced tea and require decaffeinated due to medical reasons. You taste pineapple, orange, cherry, and hibiscus really strongly in this mix and it is by far my favorite. Although from the box it also contains rooibos, rose hips, and roasted hickory. ????

    • Oh, and I don’t like sweet tea so I don’t add sugar. But the flavor is so good no sugar is needed.

  55. Thank you! I am a self confessed tea snob living in the coffee obessed PNW????

    I really like black tea and my current favorite is Pumpkin Spice Latte. Makes it feel like Fall!

    I have also enjoyed the subscription box from Tea Runners. You can choose a different box each month and choose monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly shipments. Great way to try a small amount, 1 oz, of different teas.

  56. I tend to like ‘builders tea’ – normal English breakfast types as my go to BUT my first drink of the day and for when I need something more refreshing I love spicy yogi teas https://www.yogitea.com/en/products/ I have tried 5 blends so far classic, licorice, choco, turmeric and rose, delicious ????

  57. I am reading this post righf after reading the last chapter of the manga “The Duchess’ 50 Tea Recipes” and it is confusing.
    I am completly colour-blind to anything others “see” in the tea so I dont like if that much. However, I enjoy listening to people talk about it, for me it is the unknown.

  58. I’m a tea addict and absolutely love Japanese green teas. They are so many subtle flavors coming from them, it’s like tasting wine.

  59. I love Matcha Love: Japanese Matcha, Apple & Ginger. It’s so refreshing without being very ginger forward. It’s got a lovely inviting fragrance and tastes perfect without any sweetener. I highly recommend it for morning or an afternoon pick-me-up.

  60. We are sort of peasants, I guess. For black tea, P.G. Tips. We found out about it from British friends. It has, to my taste, a little note of citrus.

    For herbal teas, depends what it’s for. Peppermint is my default, or a mix of peppermint and ginger. If I’m too tired to think about it, Celestial Seasonings Tension Tamer.

    My old herbal standby was Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger, but it’s hard to find now, and the currently available Zingers like Wild Berry and Lemon don’t really measure up to good old Red. It was so beautiful steeping in a glass mug, too.

  61. I’m hooked on Yogi Egyptian Licorice. No sweeteners needed. There are some loose teas I’ve obtained from NOLA that are spicy but I can’t remember the names!

  62. I LOVE Yunnan White Jasmine! ???? I also really like Tieguanyin Oolong (Spring) and Wuyi Gongfu Black (Spring). I started a kind of tea journal so I could keep track of what I had tried, what I liked, and what I didn’t (I knew that I’d never remember all those names). It’s also been really fun getting the Tea of the Month from Verdant and exploring the different varieties. ????

    By the way, I think I have a tea problem. They’re taking over the cupboard. ????‍♀️????

    • Oh, and my favorite herbal is Peppermint. I haven’t found a specific brand that I prefer over others, but I like it when I have a headache or need to settle my stomach.

  64. My favorite tea is Diet Dr Pepper. In fact, that is my favorite coffee, too.

    I detest tea and coffee. Blech.

  65. I drink Lipton tea with no sugar. I cold brew my tea. It doesn’t have as much caffeine as hot brew tea.

    I hate sweet tea. I tried it once and spit it out. ????

  67. Anything from Jeju Island is awesome. You can get the Osulloc brand on Amazon.
    They have a really good sampler pack, but it sells out. I keep it in my wish list and then buy when it pops up.

  68. My favorite tea is from the Aubrey Rose tea room, its called buccaneer. It a black tea with a chocolaty coconut flavor. But my go to tea atm is Twinnings LadyGrey which is also a black tea with a note of orange flavor.

  69. I’ve found my digestion is better if I have milk in my tea. So my favorites are the really nice homemade Chai at my favorite Indian restaurant and the roasted tea flavors of Hoji Cha or (last but not least) a good, strong, Oolong. Unfortunately, since I’m no longer in Japan, I haven’t found good sources for the last two.

  72. I feel like my eyes have been opened… I had no real idea that there was more to tea drinking beyond the strongest cup of English Breakfast (any brand is fine) that I could get my hands on…. so all those ‘frou frou’ teas are actually serving a purpose!?
    I’m going to have to take the blinkers off and start brewing some specialty teas.
    Thanks for the kick in the butt!
    Yours sincerely,
    A humbled generic tea drinker

  73. This is awesome! Thank you for sharing. I drink herbal and fruit teas so if and when you get time I would truly appreciate your thoughts on those. I need to get some of these for my tea obsessed friend. I’ll win all the brownie points this Christmas! Lol

  74. Love Harney and sons..a favorite is African autumn.wondered about Paris..will have to try. I think the prices reflect the quality but the Starbucks in Barnes and noble has specials sometimes (bogo at Christmas last year, but occasionally bog1/2 off) which is nice for trying new favors.stash lemon ginger also good esp when sick

  75. I love omija beauty berry by Rishi. It’s sweet and sour and salty and bitter all at the same time. I can drink it anytime, no matter how sick I am. My MIL buys me this herbal every time Rishi has a sale. It’s a running joke that it’s my unbirthday present from her, spaced out throughout the year. They also have a good valerian herbal that helps me sleep and makes the cats high.

    https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/organic-omija-beauty-berry-caffeine-free-herbal-tea/caffeine-free-botanical-tea

  76. While I love Chocolate, their Organic Assam is my favorite across the board. Sadly, I can’t get a big bag right now, when I ran out, because they are out of stock. ???? CTC Assam is ok, but not as wonderful, but in a down year for Assam, compromise is all!

  77. I tend to wander in flavors so I will have to give your suggestions a try. I am partial to Rishi and Lahaha which I found at central market. If you want something green tea based but a little different, I’d like to suggest Genmaicha, which is green tea with roasted sticky rice https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/genmaicha-organic-japanese-green-tea-blend/loose-leaf-tea.

    Lately my treat has been tea with butterfly pea flowers, which is supposed to help some with stress, if you believe the hype. It brews a beautiful blue color. https://www.rishi-tea.com/product/blue-jasmine-green-tea-botanical-blend/loose-leaf-tea If you add lemon the tea turns violet purplish. It has a pleasant flavor without being overpowering to the jasmine.

    I raise my cup of hibiscus I’m drinking right now to you and wish the best health and tea drinking pleasure.

  78. Harney & Sons is a favorite! I love Paris, Boston (blend of black tea, cranberry, and almond flavors flavored black tea) and Capri (a flavored black tea that combines dried figs and tart lemon reminiscent of the Isola di Capri in Italy, with a hint of vanilla).

  79. I don’t think of trying anything new. I drink Assam and don’t ever think of changing. But I must say this postin and the comments that flowed have made me want to experiment.

  81. Thank you so much for these recommendations. I’m definitely checking out the Paris tea!

    One of my favorites is called French Breakfast Tea by Mariage Fréres. A lovely black tea with a slight chocolate accent and soft tannins that are not too acidic on your stomach in the morning.

    Kusmi tea has a Russian Morning N.24 (or Thé du Matin N.24) black tea with hints of chocolate.

    Fortnum and Mason have a royal blend that is similar. Slightly softer than other black teas and easy on the stomach.

    I just ordered a tin of the Paris tea you recommended. Thank you.

    Happy tea drinking!!

  82. Thanks for the recommendations. I’ll be ordering the chocolate, and probably a few others to try. I would like to know, do you prefer the sachets or loose tea?

  83. Mt first cup of tea.

    When I was three my dad told me we were going to have tea together. My first cup of tea, prepared with love. He ceremoniously took out his tea pot and two little cups and set about making us tea. It was a very pretty set, white with a Chinese design in green and purple. This was quite the event for my three year old self, my dad was making tea just for me. I was in awe that I was going to do something so grown up. So the tea is ready and he pours each of us a cup. We sit down and wait until it cools down enough to drink. I pickup my teacup and take my first sip… of Oolong tea. Turns out that I don’t like Oolong tea, but my dad had made it especially for me, so I was very proud to drink it.

    Up until my mid-teens, at home we drank tea with milk and sugar or lemon and sugar. People around us didn’t drink tea, so we didn’t have a base for comparison. We made friends with a Russian family and had “naked” tea for the first time, without any sugar and lemon or milk. It took some getting used to.

    Today I can drink “naked” tea unashamed, when my stomach permits me. I still don’t like Oolong, and I am not fond of green tea either. I like teas that have a fruity taste. I adore teas that have flavors reminiscent of almonds, caramel, chocolate or vanilla. I love English Breakfast and Earl Grey with milk and sugar. Up to date I haven’t found a rooibos tea I haven’t liked.

    What was your tea experience like?

  84. My current favorite tea is Cha Gorreana which is a black tea from the island of
    San Miguel, in the Azores. It’s grown in a plantation that’s been there since 1820.
    It is pretty robust but still has floral notes.

  85. I’m a Jasmine Downey Pearl gal and mostly bought from Peet’s for several years. Then they started fiddling with their supplier when they bought Mighty Leaf. It is still mostly good for the price & accessibility but sometimes tins purchased in spring are from the prior year and less fragrant.

    My current supplier is TeaVivre.com and they have 2020 harvest Jasmine Snail which has a nice 4/5 strength aroma https://www.teavivre.com/yu-luo-jasmine-green-tea.html which ships from the US warehouse. Their Superfine Jasmine Pearls is strongly scented 4.5/5 and ships from China via China Post which takes about 2 weeks to get to me in CA https://www.teavivre.com/superfine-jasmine-dragon-pearl.html

  86. I’m going to go with candlelight white by Plum Deluxe. (Or is it champagne white? Gah… I’m not near my tea stash.) anyway, it’s a champagne inspired white tea, complicated with a hint of sweet and best served without any fixings.

    I love white teas a lot.

  88. Thank you, Ilona Andrews, for the post. I will have to try the jasmine tea you recommended as that particular one I have not tried yet. I have a sibling who prefers jasmine tea.

    I prefer black tea from Charleston SC. It was originally imported in 1700s and has been grown there since before the Civil War. It has a different taste from black Teas available in grocery stores. Difficult to find as limited production. Kind of like pancake syrup from real sugar canes. Difficult. So I will try your helpful recommendations and see if I like as much.
    Thank you.

  89. I was forced to give up caffeine due to a medical problem and for the longest time I have been miserable. I love both coffee and tea and most of the decafs I have tried have been less than stellar. I found a local tea shop that makes their own blends. They make a lovely lavender earl grey for me that is quite lovely. For when I travel I enjoy the Stash brand and particularly enjoy the hazelnut chocolate and their early grey. Both are decaffeinated and lovely.

  90. I’m a huge fan Harney and Sons. For chilly days when you want a hot tea with a little spice hot cinnamon spice is amazing. The aroma is warming yet exciting. Florence is amazing with a touch of cream as it seems to bring out the nuttiness in then tea.

  92. Back to your other post, it is lovely your so loved everyone wants you to come live near them. Drink coffee myself but love green tea.

  93. My favorite will always be the Golden Dragon yellow tea that I used to get from Teavana.
    Tealyra’s Huaug Cha yellow tea is a passable alternative.

  94. I love red teas (rooibos), especially with a dash of cream. I loved black chai teas as well, and Morning Thunder by Celestial Seasons (it’s a black tea that has a bit of yerba mate in it). I also like English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, and Earl Grey. I recently tried Lady Grey and I love it. I also love Earl Grey with Lavender…. yummy! I mainly buy Twinning, Bigelow, and Celestial Seasons because I can afford them on sale.

    I used to add a bit of honey to my black tea, but now I only add a bit of cream or milk.

    I like black and red teas brewed strong, but green tea, fruit flavored, and herbals brewed light. I don’t like yerba mate straight by itself.

  95. You should at least get a couple of freebies from the company for those reviews Lol. I’ve never tried them but will be ordering now. I love an Earl Grey but in the evening I always drink Rooibos or otherwise called Redbush, it is delicious and caffeine free so doesn’t disturb my sleep. Coming from the UK I found your article on moving house shocking as I didn’t realise things were so bad there. We are very lucky here to have free health care but we, like yourselves have a very dangerous right wing Govt that would love to privatise it. Keep well.

  96. I simply go with the chai, tea that’s made of actual tea leaves aka Camellia sinensis grown in east Asia. We have song for it- ek kali do pattiyan… ( one bud and two leaves)… Those tea bags that pass of tea are just “dust” of tea leaves.. Left overs..

    Any Tea can be augmented with spices like ginger, or a pinch of corundum, or ground cinnamon etc. As long as you do not follow that stupid WebMed recipe they tweeted recently, and overload it with spices.. I would rather eat pineapple pizaa. …. If you must follow that webmed recipe, you can replace tea bags with rice and get a nice plate of “pulav”. Or even biryani instead.

    We throw in other leaves or herbs in boiling water, sometimes but that’s Karha (i.e.also spelled as kadha now a days) .. or some Ayurvedic mix for health.

    BTW I wanted to thank you for recommendation of Will Wight’s Cradle series . It follows the manga/manhwa/manhua stories that I liked.. the Breaker series combined with Naruto etc…

    • And I should have read and to edited out most of that rambling stupid comment I just made.. .. realized that a second after posting it and no delete button..

  97. In the last six months I have moved from drinking T2’s Canberra Breakfast (which has oatmeal and is like drinking an Anzac Biscuit) to their La Fudgy. I was given the sampler box around Easter and was hooked. It’s black tea flavoured with maple syrup and caramel and utterly comforting. I had to buy a tea pot for the library where I work so I could drink it at work as well as at home.

  98. I love white jasmine tea also, it’s very nice, light and perfumed ????
    You love chocolate favors and I love caramel ones, for the moment the ones that satisfies me most is the one from Thé Damman ????
    My favourite brand (but they are a more expensive) is Marriage Frère, very very good quality and the flavours … ????
    I love drinking new tea maybe I’ll search and buy your recommendations???? I think I can also find Harney and Sons in France (hopefully ????????)

  99. I have a green tea every morning to help detox my system, then good old English breakfast tea with soya milk through the day. Not every ones choice, but works for me x

  100. I’ve been drinking plain ol’ grocery store tea which sounds so boring when compared to all the suggested flavors! Can’t wait to explore the tea world out there!

  101. As I read this I wandered if this post would have been something that Catalina would have posted on her extremely exciting Instagram. ???? thanks for the thoughts!

  102. I just googled and found Harney & Sons in Australia. I’m going to be taking all of the recommendations and doing some online shopping.

    Thank you for the post. I have new tea options!

    • I was just going to look at the Australian site! Honestly! But Apple Cinnamon? And then I had to try the chocolate. And the chocolate mint was actually on special so it would have been a shame to leave it out…and postage in Victoria is cheaper too.

  103. I love nmteaco.com, as I used to shop at their store in Albuquerque when I lived there. My favorite black teas are their Cream Earl Grey (Sri Lankan black tea, cornflower petals, and natural flavors) and their Persian Black (black tea with cardamom and bergamot oil). To relax, I like their Midnight Blue mix (lavender, cornflowers, mallow blossom, rose petals, lemongrass, and lemon and mango flavors).

  105. I do love Harney Teas. Their chocolate tea is a favorite of mine. If your also looking for a great caffeine free herbal tea from them (I drink tea all day, but need to switch to no caffeine after 6 PM), I would try Honeybush. I picked it up as a treat to myself a few months ago on a whim, I feel in love. So good!

  106. I don’t know if the brand TWG out of Singapore is sold in the US. But if it is and you come across their looseleaf teas, they are excellent and worth trying. They appear to have several that include chocolate 🙂

    • TWG’s Silver Moon Tea is so good and it’s my favourite TWG tea of all time. Strong notes of floral with a little bit of sweet.

      I buy my chinese teas from Singapore here: https://teachapter.com/ and no tea has disappointed me yet.

      I drink my teas straight (either hot or cold brewed) without sugar or milk.

      I am from Singapore and we are blessed to have the best of the eastern and western worlds for tea – the traditional chinese tea shops, good local artisan / modern frou frou local tea blenders that do ship world wide (aside from TWG. TWG just happens to be the biggest of our local tea brands) too.

  107. Double Spice Chai from Vadham has tons of flavor. Mighty Leaf Tea Co (now Peets) has an amazing Chamomile Citron for nighttime.

  108. Hi Ilona! Thanks for sharing. I love tea, and I especially enjoy drinking it while writing! I highly recommend Palais de Thes’ Du Hammam Green tea and their Louvre tea. The floral and fruit notes are exceptional.

  109. I am a coffee drinker but am in Alabama right now not Tampa and having trouble with allergies and read that hot green tea would help. Tried it and it did help. I have to have coffee first thing in the morning but in the afternoon drink Twining Cold Brewed Green tea with mint.

  110. My favorite is a good English breakfast tea. I like Taylors of Harrogate’s Yorkshire and Yorkshire Gold blends – which I can get in the U.S. (at least in Maryland) at Wegman’s or Harris Teeters. Besides being a good strong hot tea, it also brews up beautifully as an iced tea.

  111. My favorite hot tea I was introduced to by an English friend is PG Tips, an English black tea. I usually drink it plain but it stands up well to adding a little milk or cream. For iced tea I love Luzianne. I drink it plain or with a little lemon. Although I was born/raised on the MS coast, now living in FL, I weaned myself off sweet tea when I was a teenager.

  112. I have never met a Fortnum & Mason Tea that I don’t like. Royal Blend and Jubilee Blend are my favorites so far. I also love Yorkshire Gold ????

  113. Love just about any Harney tea, with a little honey added. My favorite is Palm Court, and I also love the Organic Assam, and Queen Catherine. If I’m going with white tea, it’s Harney’s White Fairy.

  115. My favorites are: snickerdoodle Rooibos, cinnamon spice black tea , Mango sorbet fruit tea ( chunks of dried fruit) and organic Masala Chai ( black tea). I don’t use any types of sweetners, by choice. I find that I don’t need any with these loose teas. I put them in my travel mug made for loose teas, keeps hot for most of my day. I’m lucky enough to have a tea shop here in town Uptown tea shop of Waxhaw, NC. I’m in the process of trying each one, lol.

  116. Paris is my very favorite tea, been drinking it for years, with a splash of cream. Love the Jasmine Green too. I’ll have to try the chocolate. Sounds lovely. Thank you.

  117. It’s caffeine free, but the Republic of Tea‘s Banana Chocolate Tea is really good. They also have a Ginger Peach Chocolate Truffle black tea that I enjoy. I admit that I add a bit of honey and a dash of creamer when I’m feeling rebellious, but hey- you only live once! I do agree on Harney and Sons- they definitely make a great cup of tea! Enjoy;)

  118. Uptons gunpowder green is wonderful, and someone already mentioned “Cinnamon Sunset,” which I just reupped. I usually drink whatever green tea I’m favoring and some fresh mint to it.

    I habitually don’t like ginger, or bergamot, but I’ve found both sooth the stomach if I don’t mind dressing them up a little.

  119. Harney and sons hot cinnamon spice is the bomb! Sweet and cinnamon-y with no sugar. Great on a child winter’s evening.

  121. Have you tried the Haney & Sons Florence tea? It’s a chocolate, vanilla, almond and hazlenut tea and it’s delicious. It’s my favorite. 🙂

  123. anyone know of a good ginger herbal tea? I’ve found lately that I am wanting more spices in my tea but I cant find a good ginger one…

    • Harney and Sons has a great Ginger tea that is nicely strong. I like to mix it with their Mint tea which is also fantastic.

  124. My utmost favorite tea is the Honeybush Chocolate from Adagio. It is caffeine-free which makes it my preferred nighttime beverage.

  125. oooh, it’s been years since I’ve had jasmine tea of any kind. I’ll have to get some. Thanks for the review! H&S makes excellent tea. I love their Tower of London (similar but different to Paris) and Earl Grey

  126. I used to have Harney & Sons as my favorite, but we started getting English Breakfast and Darjeeling Earl Grey from TeaPigs and it is sooooo much better. A little more expensive but worth it. The English Breakfast especially is a nutty and delicious blend. I actually alternate between earl grey and english breakfast for the same reason as you – multiple days in a row means the earl grey bergamot fades and it may as well be a regular black tea.

  127. I too am a tea drinker and have found, quite by accident, a most amazing company with many good offerings. Here is a link to Ahmad Tea where you can see for yourself. https://www.ahmadtea.com. My all time favourite at the moment is Cardamom Tea loose, sweetened with honey. I have tried the blackcurrant tea which is strongly flavoured and delicious also. The chamomile is also delicious. If any of you are adventuresome and find this tea, I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

  128. I also love Harney & Sons and I am obsessed with the hot cinnamon sunset. So comforting and warming in the afternoon and just enough of a caffine kick.

  129. Upton teas have already been mentioned, but if you’re not familiar with them, Upton is a great tea company with high quality products, a HUGE catalog, and an informative newsletter.

    https://www.uptontea.com/

    Many thanks to IA for making me aware of Verdant. What a wonderful small tea company with very high quality products! They’re now on my short list.

    Back in my college years, Earl Grey was a favorite, but I think that from the late 70s, tea purveyors kept increasing the proportion of bergamot until it went from a subtle flavor note to a cloying dominant flavoring that masks the flavor of the tea it’s in. I won’t even start on the “double bergamot” teas, which are horrendous. Earl Grey is dead to me.

    Not a fan of Harney teas, which, in my opinion, aren’t bad teas, but which don’t seem to be high end. Harney seems to be more of a mass market company.

    One of my biggest disapointments in the past several years is when I read that Sir Patrick Stewart favored Yorkshire Gold tea. I ordered a bag of that, expecting the world, and what I experienced was fine tea fannings that brewed instantly and made a muddy black cup. Yorkshire Gold went in the compost heap within a week 🙁

  130. Personal favorite of my husband’s is the Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice. No need for sugar or cream.

  131. I love Harney’s Scottish Morn. I have it with milk in the mornings and there’s nothing fancy about it, but it’s just the perfect morning starter. But I LOVE their Rose Scented. I brew it strong and then have the remainder of the cup as iced tea. Then had their Sally’s Secret, which is Early Grey with rose. That’s another lovely one. I just wish that more of their rose teas came in bags instead of loose.

  133. Thank you for the update — I also do not drink tea with any milk or cream, so like to get ideas for new teas. Since I have switched to mostly white teas, I must try the Yunan white jasmine. I have found a decent white Chai!

    Had to replace my Bodum french-press style pot (broke the plastic lid!), and my replacement is twice the size (who knew how much 1 liter was – American, bad at metric conversions). So I use it for teas where I will drink 4 cups, instead of 2.
    … Phoenix Pearl (jasmine). I thought I loved the Dragon Pearl, but the Phoenix Pearl blew it out of the water.

  134. Oops – that is Dragon Phoenix Pearl. I ordered from MarketSpice teas in Seattle’s Pike Place market, but I see it available elsewhere.

  138. Harney and Sons got my business simply for the fact that they have a screen reader option, along with a lot of other accessibility options. That’s surprisingly rare. I can’t wait to try the chocolate tea!

  139. I drink almost only Kusmi tea, from Kusminoff, a Russian immigrant in Paris in the beginning of 20th century, who started the business. (https://www.kusmitea.com/int/home/).
    My favorites are the green tea ones rom Detox series – https://www.kusmitea.com/int/search/?q=detox&search-button=&lang=en. I find the tea of good quality (one bag is enough for around 1L, although I reuse a bag for a couple of mugs. Nice and gentle flavors which do not overpower the taste buds and it can be drunk in the morning on empty stomach. In addition, I also like their tea infusions with goji berry – https://www.kusmitea.com/int/aquafrutti-organic-herbal-tea-21683A1070.html.
    As I live in Belgium it is easy to find a shop that sells it, but I also know that in US there are some places where you can find it and order.

  140. I am a HUGE fan and tea drinker! If you like sweeter teas with notes of vanilla, I strongly recommend trying a Thai Tea. From Thailand is the best, but if not Steepologie has a great one too.

    The other company I have to share is called Great Tea Road co. , it’s a company in MN and sells at our local farmers market. They have a lot of crazy flavors such as Lime and Rum, but I am really enjoying their seasonal teas.

  141. My favourite tea is Stash’s Breakfast in Paris (earl grey, vanilla and bergamot), with milk and either xylitol (natural sugar substitute with other health benefits, but keep it away from dogs!) or honey (preferably Manuka, for the health benefits and the taste!). I haven’t tried any Harney’s, but their Paris tea sounds about the same.

    Here in BC, Canada, we have Murchies, and I am a big fan of their black fruity teas and their earl grey cream (bergamot and vanilla). Their chai teas suck, though.

    Back when we could still cross borders, a friend brought me some chai from Trader Joe’s, which I thought was fantastic.

    I used to drink a lot of herbal and green teas, but now they give me a headache. ???? Anyone else have this experience?

  142. I was fond of Earl Grey, hot, long before Jean-Luc Picard came on the scene. I also like green tea, and Jasmine white. No sugar, no milk, no lemon, no particular brand.

    I have been gifted with quite a few different black teas over the years by Chinese post-docs I have dealt with; and one Japanese post-doc gave me some very expensive green tea about twenty years ago.

    For usual, I drink coffee; but tea makes a nice change every week or two.

  143. Thanks Ilona. I like my tea just as sweet as me, and sometimes with almond milk. I have a question about Amazon Audible. I noticed that while most of your books are on the Audible site, you don’t have any books on the Audible borrow program. I have found several authors that way (new to me that I now like and would buy), and it made me wonder if it would help you get even better known if you threw an old book on the borrow portion of audible. I can get a great deal done around the house, and get my exercise in, and can knit while listening to a book. (I rarely listen to TV). Though I have read all of your books over the years, it would be fun to see if I enjoy them as much in audio.

  144. I love Harney and Sons Paris tea too! I drink it nearly every morning. The aroma is mostly vanilla and caramel to me and I don’t even notice the bergamot. It is delicious!

  146. I won’t lie, I mostly hit the teabags, I’m very British and drink a gazillion cups a day so there’s no time to be brewing and steeping a pot for every cuppa. But I do make a pot now and then and if I’m going to the bother it better be worth it so I’m picky about leaf tea.
    I’m aware how horribly posh it sounds – but Fortnum and Mason’s tea is invariably good. My cousin had an admirer for several years that would take him Christmas food shopping there every year and he’d pick me up earl grey, rose pouchong and rose and lavender biscuits. Delicious. It was how I first discovered rose pouchong tea, but Fortnums is quite pricey and I think half of it is the packaging. Partridges which are also sort of posh in a pretentious Sloane way have a rose pouchong for a third of the price and equal tastiness – I love rose flavour so I brave the King’s Road for it!
    On a teabag note Teapigs are great and have recently joined my favourite Twinings. As have rooibos tea – redbush is yummy!

    • Twinings used to do a Rose Pouchong, but discontinued it. I will have to brave Fortnums or Partridges and see…though I stopped going to Partridges 30 odd years ago, after I had the most horrendous dose of food poisoning from their take away coronation chicken and they were rude to me, when I complained.

  147. I was introduced to Paris by a friend who did not care for it. It has become my all time favorite. I have to be careful when ordering from Harney &Sons. I love that we share one we both enjoy. I’ll try the others.

  150. My suppliers will be a different as I am UK based and some of them have been chosen not just for their superb tea but for their ethical and environmental values. I always test out a new tea either with a loose leaf sample or as small a pack of tea bags as possible but break the tea bags open and use my mug infuser (a gift from the The Divine – get one that sits in the top of your mug and has a lid rather than a tea egg) or a small tea pot. If I like the tea I buy a larger pack of loose tea (sometimes the caddy if it is a proper double lidded one which The Tea People caddies are otherwise caddies are bought elsewhere, Japanese caddies designed for Sencha are always a good option as they are double lidded)

    Russian Caravan by The Tea People

    A lovely smokey black tea blended to recreate the taste of the black teas transported by overland caravan from China to Russia. I drink it black without sugar. Originally bought a tester pack because I had wonderful memories of the actual Russian tea that my late Grandmother bought back from trips to the Eastern block (she was an inveterate traveller). Initially she brought it as a souvenir but when I fell in love with it she sought it out and it became a thing when I visited her in my late teens and early twenties. Even with the internet and a father who now speaks Russian we couldn’t find an actual Russian blend but this hits the spot perfectly and The Tea People are a social enterprise with good environmental practices particularly for packaging.

    Luxury English Breakfast Tea by The Tea People

    A top flight take on a traditional English blend which I drink at strong with a little milk and weaker black or with lemon, never with sugar. This is an anytime of the day tea and provides a different comfort factor than the Russian Caravan being a highly superior taste of home and growing up. Ironically rarely drink it at breakfast as I am more of a Cafe Latte woman done Italian homestyle with a Moka Espress and a milk pan to heat the milk like my Italian school mates families did as I have no money for what I would call a real espresso machine but that last is the ex barista speaking (I can be as picky about coffee as tea).

    Prince Vladimir by Kusmi Tea

    A wonderful black tea with citrus, vanilla, and spices from an old Russian tea blender who moved to Paris with the Revolution. My sister introduced me to Kusmi and I got one of their black tea taster of little tins of loose leaf tea (not double lidded but very superior seal on these). This is the only one that has really caught their fancy and some I find to cloying. An every now and then tea when I want something out of the ordinary.

    https://www.kusmitea.com/int/prince-vladimir-PRINMASTER.html?v=PRIN125

    Jasmine Pearls by Tea Pigs

    A lovely edition of a type of Jasmine green tea which is hand rolled into small pearls. Beautiful fragrant tea with a lower brewing temperature and quick brew time on the first round (if you brew the same leaves several times you get a wonderful change in flavours each time). Both a tea to just to quickly refresh and one to rebrew several times and appreciate the flavour spectrum. I only have China and a silver tea pot but this is a tea which could offer a lovely aesthetic in a glass topt.Tea Pigs have good ethics and are a funky funtype of outfit but do good tea though some is not my style. They are another the band of small tea blenders who do environmentally sound packaging and plastic free so compostable tea bags if tea bags are your thing. All this being said I will also get a Tea People sample to see how they compare when the current batch is running low.

    https://www.teapigs.co.uk/collections/green-tea/products/jasmine-pearls-tea

    China Silver Needle by Tea Pigs

    A lovely delicate white tea and very affordable (good white teas can get a little pricey once you get into them and I am far from a connoisseur). You must watch the brewing temperature because the flavours are so delicate and definitely a tea to take time out for and focus on imho.

    https://www.teapeople.co.uk/shop/china-silver-needle-white-tea.html

    Darjeeling Earl Grey by Tea Pigs

    A lively fragrant blend based on Darjeeling rather than the more traditonal Assam and Ceylon. I drink this weak and black. Downside to this tea is it only comes in tea bag form and the tea bags actually contain more tea than is need for a single cup if you are brewing loose leaf in a sit in the cup infuser as imho the tea doesn’t have the room to move and expand even in the pyramid style bags. If I start to drink this more regularly I might have to go explore other tea blenders

    https://www.teapigs.co.uk/collections/black-tea/products/darjeeling-earl-grey-tea

    Morrocan Mint Tea

    Organic Green Gunpowder from a tea dealer on Amazon (might explore other options when it starts running low) and dried Organic Morrocan Mint (Nana, from a seller on Amazon UK though I will probably get a large plant or next spring and add it to my tub herb garden as will cost less in the long run). I make this the very Traditional way which involves simmering it because that gets me the flavour I remember from events run by the Maghrebi Jews at the synagogue in Luxembourg in my early twenties and from Maghrebi run restaurants in Southern France when on holiday (have tried the quick method and it doesn’t quite hit the spot). I do use a lot less sugar – played about to get the best compromise possible. Here is the most informative online guude I found and site has a quick method too https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-make-moroccan-mint-tea-2394995 I am currently using a saucepan but a proper Maillechort Morrocan teapot is on my too buy list.

    NB you can make this up in the traditional way and then chill it over night for an “iced” tea (I don’t add actual ice), sweetness can be adjusted best with a simple syrup. I tried overnight cold brewing and it didn’t cut the mustard and not somewhere I can make decent sun tea.

    Sencha

    I am currently exploring Sencha (samples from various UK tea houses)which appears to be as complicated as coffees but have no recommendations yet. Plenty of sites out there with great info though. I am easing into it as it could get very pricey given that best comes from Japan and where it is their everyday tea. If I find I am drinking a huge amount then I will explore in serious depth and go up a process bracket.

    I am not a huge drinker of straight up herbal teas but do like Vervein and Fennel (bought loose from http://www.algeriancoffeestores.com where I buy most of my coffee) and Lemon and Ginger which is currently a large supermarket own brand but intend to explore alternative sources on ethical grounds.

  151. I ❤ several of the Harney & Son’s tea, and Paris is one of my favorites! If you’re enjoying the Chocolate, try the Valentine’s Day tea!

  152. I love the Tower of London blend from Harney’s. Its wonderfully fragrant. Received it as a present from my cousin a while ago. Now I have to go find it online. 🙂

  153. I also odd on earl grey when I was younger but have found that lady grey by twinnings is a very mild tea in the same family

  154. I’m a big herbal tea fan and I love Tazo’s Passion and Orange teas. STASH also makes excellent teas; my favorites are Christmas Eve and Christmas in Paris.

  155. Thanks! San Francisco’s Chinatown has been closed for a while and I can no longer stock up on my pearl oolong and jasmine. I tried Verdant Teas and they were so disappointing. No flavor at all.

    Another loose blends you can probably find online or at Japanese supermarkets is hojicha and genmaicha. Hojicha is roasted over charcoal instead of steamed, so it has a robust toasty flavor. Genmaicha has toasted rice added to it, so an extra element of flavor.

    That chocolate tea sounds very promising to my chocoholic heart.

  156. I like Lipton’s orange pekoe tea combined with Celestial Season’s Country Peach Passion. I do not like the taste of coffee at all so I appreciate the smooth taste of orange pekoe cut tea. But because I no longer put milk in my tea (gave up sugar years ago, but only recently gave up milk) I look for a little non-sweet flavoring. I used to be able to get Twinnings black currant loose tea, and there was even a peach black tea. But I have not been able to find either for years. So I tried Celestial Seasons Country Peach Passion tea bag with a Lipton tea bag in a small pot. It gives me 2 1/2 cups of delicious tea.

  157. You can’t leave the Peach Passion in too long, 2 minutes and its out. If I use decaf black tea, I leave them in awhile, but never the Peach Passion.

  158. I love Harney & Sons teas! Thank you for the suggestions, I will certainly try them. One of my personal favorites is Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea. It’s a nice black tea with definite cinnamon tones but without the peppery aspects of a Chai. I drink it plain, with nothing added, and it doesn’t upset my stomach, even after several cups in a row. It’s a fixture on my Amazon buy again list and I have been drinking several cups every afternoon as the weather cools down.

  159. My current fav is Earl Grey Creme from the Spice and Tea Exchange. I first found this tea when we visited WaltDisney World, at the cooking store in Disney Springs. Okay, it’s not quite Disney World, but it’s close. I couldn’t remember where it was from until we visited a shop in St. Augustine, FL, and found the original Spice and Tea Exchange store. And the tea is delicious, bergamot with a vanilla flavor.

    • I remembered another brand that I like. When we lived in Korea I found a Korean brand of tea, and we were lucky enough to be able to visit their tea plantation. The brand is O’Sulloc, and if you can find their Jeju tangerine, it’s wonderful.

  160. I missed the first tea conversation, but if you are looking for something a little different, there is an independent herbalist tea shop I recommend. https://www.thetriaprima.com/

    For small batches of ethically grown tea from a small business. So far, Poetry and Constantly Commenting are my favorites for caffeine. Rose garden and Honey bee for non-caff days

  161. I have been looking for a good jasmine white tea–I am going to try your favorite on this, thank you!

  163. I’ve tried most of the better brands and have settled on Rishi. High quality, good basics as well as diverse and exotic options to try. Golden Yunnan Is an excellent but not overpowering black tea. I currently have a mild preference for the earl gray lavender compared to the traditional or supreme, but as the weather changes I may switch back. Turmeric ginger is A really excellent must have. Their masala chai is rich and spicy.

  164. MEM tea is another very high quality option but their prices have tripled since my first purchase. Their Bourbon vanilla rooibos was amazing. Their Jasmine pearls are one of the best I’ve ever tried. Blue Flower Earl Gray is very balanced.

  165. Love hearing about tea! My personal favorite is ginger tea.

    I have an electric pot and tea pot, but I’ve found much better success boiling it in a sauce pan. About two inches of ginger for two cups of water. Smash the ginger, add to boiling water. Put lid on pot and let simmer for two minutes. Then I add juice from half a lemon. When poured, I add a spoonful of honey and sliced citron to the mug. Because citron is hard for me to source locally, I buy a pre-mix of Ginger, honey and citron. It’s supposed to be used by itself, but I find it doesn’t have enough ginger flavor to my taste, so I use it as a sweetener instead. You can make it much sweeter, but I like the brisk spiciness only slightly tempered by honey. If you’ve ever eaten pickled ginger as a palate cleanser, the feeling of ginger tea is quite similar.

    It raises your internal temp and is great for colds, sore throats, nausea and aiding digestion. Unfortunately, my primary care doc advised against it during my pregnancy, but I’m hoping my OB will give me the green light for a cup or two.

  166. I came here and was going to look up any mention of tea as I wanted to get some really good and special tea for a co-worker, and voila. Your blog from yesterday was a tea review! Perfect!

    Thank you!

  167. For me it’s Kusmi all the way. Favourite black is Prince Vladimir and I love the Anastasia White (very delicate and refined). Adore their Christmas Tsarevna.

  168. I love Harney and Son’s Green Tea with Coconut, Ginger, and Vanilla. My go-to. Highly recommend.

  169. My favourite is a strong cup of lapsang souchong from TWG Tea with a plate of their macaroons… mmmm

  170. Do any of you find the teapot you use to be important to the tea? I have two china pots which I use for some of my more delicate teas, but for the Twinings Red Robios tea that I really like I have a clay teapot that I think brews a smoother, stronger tasting tea. I actually prefer my clay dragon teapot to my china pots. .

  172. We love to try different tea shops and recently found https://theteahaus.com The pictures of the tea are hilarious: it looks like they use a macro lens on the teas and artfully arrange the leaves with tweezers. They must put as much care into blending the teas as they do taking the pictures because they are delicious. We even receive cute handwritten notes with our orders!

  174. I like harneys Hot Cinnamon spice, republic of tea Comfort and Joy which is easy on the tummy in the morning, and a good strong Assam tea in the afternoon.

  175. I’ve got hooked on Mariage Frères Christmas tea about 20 years ago. Over the years, I switched to Palais des Thés green Christmas tea, that unfortunately became seasonal and therefore available only 2-3 months per year.
    Few years ago I became more adventurous and explored Japanese green teas, Genmaicha quickly became daily favorite.
    Chinese Long Jing is another one.

    I drink less and less tea that were artificially “aromatised”. Except for mint, jasmine and rare lotus.
    I do occasionally enjoy snobby small harvest exclusives, but they tend to be available for a short period of time and expensive. And to be honest, my palet is apparently not refined enough to appreciate most of them.

    It’s like with shoes, when you have too much choice, you tend to wear the same ones.

  177. Spilling the tea: I wanted to comment a while back but I needed to go to the office to find the exact name of the tea I wanted to recommend.
    It’s called Milk Oolong Tea (Bleu-green tea), and it’s a tea that tastes naturally like a milk tea, a bit as if there was caramel.

    I wasn’t sure I would like it so I bought a small batch, but it’s really nice, I don’t drink it too often so it’s a bit of a treat.
    ;o)

    Thank you very much for all your posts, I loved the last one with the cats and your explanation of how your days go.
    Cheers!

    Laurence

  178. I am a fan of old Pu-Er tea for black Chinese tea. Have you tried those? Think really intense flavours but not bad for tummy as an old pu-er has undergone some fermentation. Best brewed in a clay teapot but there are decent tea bag versions!

  180. oh how happy this post and all the comments made me (as well as giving me WAY too many new possibilities )!! my morning tea is Ahmad Cardamom Black Tea. I have 50+ different kinds of tea in my pantry, in part b/c when i travel (remember travel??!), I go into grocery stores, and tea shops if i find them (last one was a beautiful place in Barcelona, lucky me), and bring home 1/4 suitcase of new teas.

    FYI, Target carries a few of Harney teas, and i get one of my favorite teas -their Vanilla Comodo(i think it’s called), which is decaf black tea with Vanilla.
    Love Rooibos.
    Very impressed with Palace Des Thes teas — i got given a tea advent calendar from them, which was about the most perfect present i ever got, something i liked, hadn’t had before and wouldn’t have bought for myself b/c i would have thought it was too expensive for what you got, but it was super fun)
    ok, many more ideas and thoughts crowd my head, but i need to return to turning out letters to get out the vote

  182. I love Jasmine tea! And I also love chocolate!

    So, I will try this out absolutely. Thank you for the advice!

  185. I have never been a tea or coffee fan but this year I am trying to learn to enjoy tea. I found August Uncommon Tea (https://august.la/) and discovered a few of their teas that I really like. But in fair warning, I love chocolate & sweets and that is reflected in my tea choices.
    Low Country- a strong black tea with bourbon and burnt sugar notes. I like it with a little milk, honey & at the end of a long day a splash of actual bourbon.
    Cabaret – a malty black tea with chocolate and dark cherry. With a splash of milk, it tastes like a liquid black forrest cake.
    Passage – a rich black tea with hazelnut and chocolate. It is like drinking nutella.
    Know by Heart – a white tea with orange blossom, almond and honey. I love it with a little honey & milk or a small splash of honey jack daniels as then end of the day.

  186. In Australia, so brands are completely different, but my absolute go-to favourite has a good China black tea base with chocolate flavouring and mint tea. If you love chocolate mint as a combo, this tea is incredible. I don’t think they ship overseas, but for reference this is the tea: https://adoretea.com.au/product/mint-slice/

    T2 *does* ship overseas though and their Earl Grey is hands down the best I’ve ever tasted. A little fuller and sweeter than others, a very complex and balanced flavour. https://www.t2tea.com/en/au/tea/french-earl-grey-loose-leaf-everyday-tin-T125AI029.html So delicious!!

  187. I’m a tea nutter. Try Harney & Sons Diamond Jubilee and London Fog. I even have a electric kettle that brews water for the perfect temp depending on type of tea.

  188. I did a detox diet a few years ago for two weeks. Throughout the whole experience I was lusting after coffee. After the detox finished I made a cup of coffee and couldn’t drink it, I also couldn’t drink my usual brand of tea. After months of trying different things I finally found I enjoyed Ceylon Tea from my local farm shop and tried a number of commercial brands of Ceylon tea until I settled on Twinings – it’s still the only tea I can drink.

  189. I really enjoy a tea called tlThe Wizard from Adagio. It is a black tea has notes of chocolate, lapsang su shong and other spices. I enjoy it with a splash of milk.

  190. A magical tea is Mariage Freres Marco Polo tea. It is considered one of the finest black teas in the world.
    It has moderate body and is velvety smooth. It has a light floral fragrance. It has chocolate, vanilla and honey overtones. It is a very complex and magical tea. It is Mariage Freres best selling tea and had been for decades. It is a beautifultea to experience. I encourage you to try it.

  191. The taste is subtle, but good quality White Peony tea is my go-to tea. Like you, I have to be careful of my stomach.
    If you really want to splurge, find Queen of White Peony. OMG. No added flavorings, fyi–just the floral aroma of nature at its finest.

  192. Thank you for your recommendations. I have just ordered them along with some Earl Grey. I’m always looking for delicious.

  193. Breakfast Qimen from Seven Cups (in Tucson, AZ, but they ship) is excellent. They also sell lots of wonderful oolongs.

  194. Numi Tea is great if you are looking for Fair Trade Tea!
    It’s a little pricey, but worth it. I recommend their Golden Chai for a flavourful but smooth tea

  195. My favorite is Hime brand: Genmai Cha- Green Tea and Roasted Brown Rice. Drink this straight all day long with Chinese Teakettle.

  196. I ordered the white jasmine from Verdant and tried it. Quite good, thanks for the recommendation! Being a crazy-tea-person, I had to try others and so far, have liked everything I have tried from them.

    They have a sampler you can get as a new customer. They send you 5 samples (their choice) 5g each (they say it is for 1 cup but the way I make my tea, I get 2-3 cups out of it) for $5 total, no shipping charge. And they give you a $5 coupon for your 2nd order!

    I think I’m hooked…..

  197. I ordered both black teas; I LOVE them. Thank you so much for the recommendation. My husband is constantly drinking tea, and I have never understood why (I don’t like his favs). The Paris is perfect for afternoon tea, so buttery and delicious.

  198. I’m from Italian descent by my mother and we love coffee. Good coffee. 😉 But coffee doesn’t sit very well with me in the morning so, just like you, I prefer a good tea enjoyable on an empty stomach.
    I love tea but I’m one of those people who says that flavored tea isn’t exactly tea… I do accept flowers however so I would look to taste the white and green tea you selected. I’m French and living in France so I’m not sure I can easily find Harney and Sons brand but I will look. 🙂
    Me I love an organic French brand called Les Jardins de Gaia and I love their black tea like Ballade dans l’Himalaya (Walk in the Himalayas) or their premium Yunnan d’Or (Golden Yunnan). They’re very round, the Yunnan is very red and deep when the Darjeeling is light amber and more floral (but it is just black tea leaves).
    And now I will make me one and enjoy it listening to the first Edge book since I finished every Kate Daniels novels last week and just finished the last Hidden Legacy book… When I think of the amount of work every book requires, I think I read to fast but I can’t stop… ^^’ Thank you to you both for your amazing work and all the time you put in it. <3

  200. I bought both the chocolate tea and Zapatista on your recommendation. The chocolate tea is delicious with milk. It snowed here today so I’m trying the Paris tea and it smells heavenly and tastes better. Thank you for your books and your lovely recommendations!

  201. Well, I tried H&S’s Paris today (finally got it in the mail). I thought it was pretty good. The smell was incredible. I think next time, I’ll use less than the recommended amt. I thought it was a little strong. I may try it with milk, but with the bergamot oil, not sure how that would work. It needed something else like a chocolate chip cookie warm right out of the oven.

    I also got Earl Grey Supreme (smells devine) and Chocolate.

  202. Hmmm…

    First, I generally buy my tea from local tea shops. Alternately, I’ll brave Pike Place Market on a weekday to go to Market Spice. It’s only half an hour away, but since moving out of Seattle Proper almost 10 years ago, I really don’t enjoy the busy city anymore.

    For tea, i’m an Earl Grey fan. I like heavy bergamot. I also like strong orange and cinnamon in black tea. Market Spice tea is good. However, my favorite tea, at least during winter, is a combination I have to mix of a heavy bergamot Earl Grey, Cinnamon and Orange Spice tea. I drink it with lots of honey and lemon. When it’s a good mix, the combo will numb your tongue and throat, soothe any scratchiness, and help you breathe better. It’s perfect for the colder weather, cold and flu season.

    During the summer, Market Spice is good cold. I also like mint teas then.

  203. I hope you see this post. But I just tried Red Blossoms tea Formosa Red, and only a fellow tea drinker could appreciate the happy dance my taste buds are doing. This tea is absolutely delicious. From a gal who’s been drinking tea before I could talk the cup I just had was the best I’ve ever tasted.

  205. My favorite is Vanilla Comoro Decaf. The bag has been empty for months but I keep it around just so I can take a whiff now and then. I am a big fan of Harney & Sons.

  206. I ordered The chocolate tea and it is delicious! Love the tin it comes in, too, and the little sachets. Thanks for the tip.

  207. I hv to thank u again for giving the 411 (do we still say that now?) on H&S teas. I’m having my first cup of Earl Grey Supreme, and it’s wonderful. Very smooth, no bitter taste. The smell is better than the flavor.

    Thank u again.

    Leigh from the Rapahannock River.

  208. Oh this is gonna be fun!

    I get my tea from The Tea Spot and The Tea Table. My hot teas are for when I feel a cold coming on. Iced tea (and not the southern abomination) is for everyday, even in winter. Plain tea is always drunk without sugar or milk, even when hot. The only exception is sometimes honey, when ill. The mixed teas (passionfruit, lemonade & Thai iced tea) will have sugar but once I crack the code on making them, I’ll be able to modify the sugar content. I cold brew my teas in the fridge, as I find there’s less harshness (is that the right word, maybe, bitterness? Dunno, whatever it is, I can normally taste it).

    Passionfruit/green tea – my favorite Pho place served this to me once and I fell in love. Very refreshing in the heat but still has a caffeine kick. It’s passionfruit pulp, simple syrup to taste and your favorite green tea over ice.

    Matcha lemonade – had this at a local coffee shop up in WI on my way back from a craigslist acquisition. I now make it myself. Over ice.

    For jasmine tea, Dragon Pearls are just COOL to watch as they unfurl :D, and I also like Jasmine Yin-Hua.

    I am on the hunt to figure out what black tea is the best choice to make Thai Iced Tea. My favorite Thai place told me that they brew the tea WITH sugar then add half/half NOT sweet & condensed milk. Thaiway has the best Thai iced tea that I’ve ever had…so far.

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