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Trivial Pursuits => Wild Card => Topic started by: Asherdan on March 01, 2012, 08:35:41 pm

Title: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Asherdan on March 01, 2012, 08:35:41 pm
(http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--k5m636Zb--/m5dvkzj95cd6xl0k4nnx.gif)
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: wombat on March 01, 2012, 08:51:33 pm
Oolong isn't what I'd call a traditional black tea. This gives a good brief description of the difference in the way they are made:
http://uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOteaTypes.asp#oolong (http://uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOteaTypes.asp#oolong)

I drink both green and black and sometimes oolong and don't think this is a choice that needs to rest on health benefits. But you might want to reconsider that lemon. Why ruin a nice tea like that?
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: AugustWest on March 01, 2012, 09:06:29 pm
Black = fermented, Oolong = partially fermented, Green = unfermented, right?

I drink black in the morning and green in the afternoon, mainly because black is supposed to have more caffeine.  However, I seem to get as much of a lift from the green, possibly because it has all kinds of other alkaloids in it.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: side_show on March 02, 2012, 12:01:50 am
I'm a major tea dork. Lately I've been drinking Assam tea, but I also like Oolong varieties  or an Earl Grey or other black tea variations.  I'm also really into a variety of herbals - but not the fruity kinds.  I usually go for loose leaf.

Ash, do you know that many folks prefer Oolong on the second or third flush?  I'm one of them.  I typically just dump the first flush, then use the leaves two or three more times over the next couple days.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Victoria Waterfield on March 02, 2012, 12:44:13 am
I pretty much drink 85 percent Earl Grey, 10 percent Lady Grey, and five percent other teas. Regardless of the tea I always drink it without milk, sugar, or lemon.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: pmcd9 on March 02, 2012, 02:00:20 am
I love tea, but I can't drink it anymore due to circumstances.

But I was never a snob about it.  I mostly drank iced tea so...
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: side_show on March 02, 2012, 03:13:14 am
I pretty much drink 85 percent Earl Grey, 10 percent Lady Grey, and five percent other teas. Regardless of the tea I always drink it without milk, sugar, or lemon.

Oooh, I love Lady Grey, but I never find it loose, only in the Twinning's Bagged variety.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: littlefallsmets on March 02, 2012, 05:00:15 am
An Oolong Flush sounds like a New Age holistic treatment of some kind.

Like a colonic of sweet-and-sour soup or something.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Jaded Tersk on March 02, 2012, 06:01:33 am
I drink Darjeeling, from the tea bags.  Milk and one sugar, please.  I've never had a green tea.  I don't believe I've ever witnessed anyone else have a green tea.

See http://www.nicecupofteaandasitdown.com/ for all your common person's tea and biscuit concerns.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: pmcd9 on March 13, 2012, 11:39:11 pm
So...I was bopping around last weekend and realized I had one of those skritchy headaches that kinda lurk around the back and side of your head.

After a while I figured out I hadn't any tea, so I drank a cup and the headache went away.

That's how it started for me. Now I can't drink tea at all because even a small break causes massive days long headaches.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Nabubrush on March 14, 2012, 01:32:16 am
Do not put lemon in your tea. That's all I got.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Choop on March 14, 2012, 07:14:25 am
so yeah take a good black tea, add a shot of bourbon and a dash or two of orange bitters and damn if you don't got a fine cocktail
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Choop on March 14, 2012, 01:55:34 pm
yep


*wink*
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: theinevitable on March 14, 2012, 04:09:38 pm
how long do you steep your tea? The internet says around 5 minutes, but that makes my tea taste like leaf-water instead of TEA. I normally put it in my travel mug and leave the bag in on the drive to work, ~15 minutes. Maybe this is because I have crappy tea.

The cool asian market near my house has the loose-leaf version of the tea I like, so maybe I'll try that one day soon.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: smick on March 14, 2012, 04:54:06 pm
I drink a black or a chai with some soy milk.

When I drink chai, I'll toss in a sugar cube since it brings out the flavor of the spices.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: theinevitable on March 14, 2012, 05:16:28 pm
yeah, I think it is definitely that I am buying some weak-ass tea. I left the teabag in for 5 minutes at a coffee place the other day and basically had to throw the tea out because it was so gross.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: smick on March 14, 2012, 06:32:14 pm
Sugar in tea doesn't make you an infidel!

Some teas are totally meant for that.   It's not like you're saying you put flavored non-dairy creamer in your tea!

(Don't... I ran out of soymilk at work, and tried to use one of those things... so afwul)
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: side_show on March 15, 2012, 01:38:12 am
Steep times vary a lot.  Bagged tea takes much longer as far as I'm concerned, but not always because of quality - in a bag everything is compacted and doesn't have as much space to expand so it takes longer for the leaves to saturate.  Swishing it around or dunking it helps speed things up.

Loose Black teas: 3-5 mins  (in my experience assams need a lot less time than other variates, being so small)
Loose Greens: 5+ mins
Loose Oolong: 3-5 mins, but only after a first flush to open the leaves
Loose Herbal: 8 mins

Bagged black teas: 7-15 mins
Bagged Green tea: 15 min plus
Bagged  Oolong:  I have no idea - the whole point of Oolong as far as I'm concerned is to allow the whole leaves to unfurl fully for best flavour, which is impossible in a bag
Bagged Herbals:  I just leave the bag in the whole time until it's all be drunk.  Especially for chai, which in my opinion is best was pungently strong.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Nabubrush on March 15, 2012, 05:56:15 am
Dave Byrne is down with some sugar in his tea.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: wombat on March 15, 2012, 12:08:47 pm
What is the deal with those Assams that are in teensy tinsy pieces? I used to drink one that came in normal sized leaves and then I ordered a sampler from Upton of several kinds and they were all tiny and I didn't like any of them. And then Nabu gave me one for Secret Santa that is really good and it's normal sized leaves, and that is the one I order now.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: pmcd9 on March 15, 2012, 01:05:33 pm
Whiskey in your water, sugar in your tea?  What's all these crazy questions you're asking me?
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: smick on March 15, 2012, 04:57:43 pm
Dave Byrne is down with some sugar in his tea.

Just put it right there on his tongue.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: side_show on March 15, 2012, 09:05:08 pm
What is the deal with those Assams that are in teensy tinsy pieces? I used to drink one that came in normal sized leaves and then I ordered a sampler from Upton of several kinds and they were all tiny and I didn't like any of them. And then Nabu gave me one for Secret Santa that is really good and it's normal sized leaves, and that is the one I order now.

I onced watched a lady process tea, and it involved gently rolling the undried leaves around by hand on a rounded surface under her open palm and fingers until they turned into tiny balls.  I've heard of some tea being called pearls, but I'm not sure if that's what these little Assam bits are, as the ones I've seen labelled specifically as pearls are typically larger than the little assam bits you mention.  If I look at the assam I drink both before rehydrating and after, they don't appear to be balls of leaves (which would unfurl when hydrated), but semi-solid bits that expand, but don't change shape when used.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: Nabubrush on March 16, 2012, 03:55:56 pm
Just put it right there on his tongue.

You know you deserve a can but I can't give you one.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: AugustWest on March 16, 2012, 05:36:58 pm
how long do you steep your tea? The internet says around 5 minutes, but that makes my tea taste like leaf-water instead of TEA. I normally put it in my travel mug and leave the bag in on the drive to work, ~15 minutes. Maybe this is because I have crappy tea.

The cool asian market near my house has the loose-leaf version of the tea I like, so maybe I'll try that one day soon.

Check out the instructions on the box of tea I just bought at the K-roger:

Bring fresh cold water to a rolling boil.  Let  water cool 5 to 7 minutes after boiling.  Pour water over one tea bag and steep 1 to 2 minutes.

You know, if I wanted lukewarm tap water I could get it from the kitchen sink.
Title: Re: Black, Green and all Points in between...
Post by: greenkoolayd on March 16, 2012, 07:49:36 pm
"this Frisbee is not a floatation device."

"fried pork skins do not prevent STIs."

"look, fucker, we are not responsible if you try to cook a hot dog with this taser."