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The Tea Thread

Holy Basil is pulling away as my go to for stress relief. Takes the edge off without putting me to sleep. After drinking a ton of sedative tea I'd break them down to something like this:

Holy Basil - De-stresses without putting me to sleep or tiring me out mentally

Mint - Acts as a body relaxant but makes mental focus more difficult

Chamomile - Makes me sleepy but doesn't knock me right out

Lavender - Strong enough and it's like a sleeping pill

Valerian Root - Strong sedative but tastes terrible

A few weeks ago I bought the same amount of the first four, and noticed that I go through Peppermint and Holy Basil much faster than Chamomile or Lavender, which speaks to the fact that I don't often need sedatives to get to sleep these days. But Peppermint and Tulsi act as good relaxants in lieu of beer or liquor.
 
My parents brought me back tea directly from the Nuwara Eliya estate in Sri Lanka yesterday. It's good.

Tastes a bit fresher than the stuff I get from the same estate at my local, but that could be my imagination.
 
Yesterday I picked up a tea I'd never tried before, called Pitta Balance, which is a mixture of Hibiscus, Peppermint, Lemon Grass, Rose Petals, Calendula Petals, and Red Clover. Definitely a floral taste, which is new. Not a tea I'd normally drink, but thought I'd switch it up a bit.

Also picked up a small packet of Nuwara Eliya to compare with the stuff my parents brought me, and can confirm (and so can the tea shop owner) that the freshness of the stuff directly from the plantation is not my imagination.
 
I still hold that the word 'tea' exclusively refers to drinks made using the leaves of the camelia sinensis plant, and that the use of other leaves renders the resulting drink something other than 'tea'.

Those who use the word tea in other contexts should apologise for any infusion this may cause.
 
bilby said:
I still hold that the word 'tea' exclusively refers to drinks made using the leaves of the camelia sinensis plant, and that the use of other leaves renders the resulting drink something other than 'tea'.
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Those other drinks are technically tinctures, or "tea" for short. ;)

Those who use the word tea in other contexts should apologise for any infusion this may cause.
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:angryfist:
 
Angry Floof said:
bilby said:
I still hold that the word 'tea' exclusively refers to drinks made using the leaves of the camelia sinensis plant, and that the use of other leaves renders the resulting drink something other than 'tea'.
Click to expand...
Those other drinks are technically tinctures, or "tea" for short. ;)

Those who use the word tea in other contexts should apologise for any infusion this may cause.
Click to expand...

:angryfist:
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Tisane

https://www.teaclass.com/lesson_0103.html

A confusing aspect of learning about tea is that many of the beverages which are called "tea" are actually not tea. Herbal teas, which tea experts term Tisanes (a French word for "herbal infusion"), are usually dried flowers, fruits or herbs steeped in boiling water (no actual tea leaves are included). Historically consumed for medicinal reasons or as a caffeine-free alternative, many tisanes (tih-ZANN) are beginning to find their own popularity outside the tea world. An interesting note: in Europe and some other countries, the use of the word "tea" is legally regulated to only apply to Camellia sinensis. Not so here in the United States...so don't feel bad if you've been confused!
 
I always found the brighter green teas (senchas, matchas, but mostly senchas) had too much caffeine to do much for my anxiety.

What's done more for my anxiety than anything else is cutting the caffeine levels in my coffee. These days I drink about three cups of strong 33% caf coffee a day. So one cup of coffee stretched out over the morning and afternoon in three doses. The difference to my mood is like night and day - no problems waking up, few problems socializing, never any problems getting to sleep at night. And I also don't crave my sedative herbals at night anymore either. My brain's just doing what it's supposed to do.

In retrospect the amount of caffeine I drank before was shocking, and my next question is how or when to push that 33% down further.
 
If I want a jolt I get espresso. Usually with fish I ask for iced black tea with lemon. Light, fresh, works well with white fish, shrimp, and crab. I'm a bit skittish around oysters since I had a strong allergic reaction once. But if I had raw oysters I'd insist on iced black tea with lemon.

Recently bride has taken to Kirin beer a Japanese restaurants. She says its much better than hefe like those from Deschutes.
 
Turmeric Spice - Cardamom, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper, cloves.

It's meant to be added in with other teas, but a whole experience on it's own.
 
Here in Houston, world's biggest little city, lapsong souchong tea is unobtainable. So I finally broke down and ordered some over the internet. I am so happy again. 2 pounds cost me $26 with S&H. This is 4 mason jars worth and a bit. This should last me a year or so.
I have scrubbed my Chatsford tea pot out and I am brewing some as we speak.

I just discovered something, Texas does not allow liquor to be shipped to a Texas state resident. So to get rum, I have to brave the covid-19 riddled real world outside. But I have tea. I can't get eggs or meat, but I have a king's ransom in lapsong souchong tea.
 
Wading back into the world of caffeine again and ordered a few black teas a few weeks ago, a premium, mid-grade, and lower-grade.

Golden Yunnan

Golden Yunnan is a rare top quality tea from Yunnan province in China. It is only made during the last two weeks of March and the first two weeks of April, when the new season growth flushes in a particular manner that gives a high percentage of golden tip. The bouquet is reminiscent of cocoa. A somewhat spicy character and bouquet. This tea is also referred to as Golden Heaven Yunnan.
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Organic Ceylon

A classic Ceylon tea. Light liquoring with hints of delicate floral notes. Lovely tea for afternoon tea parties.
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Kenyan Kambaa

A quality Kenyan CTC grade tea produces a strong, brisk cup. This tea has a very malty flavor that has light hints of currant. With milk the cup is bright golden and inviting. A hearty breakfast tea. Here is a new variation: add Kandis rock sugar and cream. Do not stir the tea but enjoy the different layers of taste. This tradition originates in Germany.
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I'd forgotten how enjoyable a high quality black could be, but I usually only order small amounts of it. The Golden Yunnan set me back 12.50 for 50 grams, but it's very, very good. The Ceylon is more of an every-day tea, but oddly enough I almost prefer the harshness of the Kambaa.

Also included a big bag of spearmint in my order, but next time I think I'll stick with peppermint.
 
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