I’ve come to the realization lately that despite my complete lack of good graces and gross impatience with ceremony of all varieties (varieteas?), I have unwittingly become a tea snob. It’s been months since I’ve had less than a dozen types of tea on my counter, and I’m pretty sure the ones at the back are organizing an assault on the nearby fruit basket. I pay attention to the water temperature so I don’t burn the leaves. I occasionally set a timer so it doesn’t overbrew. I get snooty about tea bags, and have absolutely no use for orange pekoe. Feel free to roll your eyes, because in spite of my drinking of tea in sturdy mugs instead of delicate cups with an outstretched pinky, this is more than slightly embarrassing.
But! If you like mint tea, or slightly spicy tea, I highly, highly recommend getting yourself some North African Mint Tea from David’s Teas. It’s minty, peppery, and almost like a light chai, and it’s some of the best tea I’ve had in ages. There’re David’s Teas around Canada, and they also have an online store. Of course they’ve not paid me to rave about their tea on the internet — it’s just really tasty.
I am the opposite of a tea snob; I favor herbal teas, which are all I was allowed to drink growing up, and I get hopping mad whenever I deal with teas that require finicky steep times. But I trust your tastes.
Perhaps you should move your fruit basket out of harm’s way.
I’ve got the garlic in the fruit basket (it’s an actual fruit basket, not a basket of fruit) so I think it’ll be able to fend the tea off if it comes to blows.
I like herbal tea too, and snobiness aside I more often than not ignore the brewing times (also because I like really, really strong tea).
I am a David’s Tea fanatic! And I just bought the mint a couple of weeks ago and it is amazing!! Just lovely! I support your tea habits!!
Yay, a fellow David’s Tea fiend!
I’ve actually been pondering this lately, wondering if a person’s choice of hot drink reveals something about our personalities. I drink strong, black coffee, but I do love the aroma of certain tea leaves. My husband is the tea drinker and he’s been raving about some African variety lately. I’m wondering if it is the one you have recommended.
I wonder what it says about me that I don’t particularly care for hot drinks. I’ll have hot chocolate, but I much prefer everything icy cold.
Hmm, interesting! (Terri’s idea, I mean)
Also I’m pretty sure this would be fantastic iced too.
Why hello, fellow tea snob! I have to admit Stash’s Moroccan Mint tea is one of my standbys, and I usually have a box or two of Twining’s English Breakfast in my pantry, but I get serious satisfaction from successfully brewing a cup of loose-leaf tea. Part of my bachelorette party actually involved a private tea tasting at a place called The Jasmine Pearl in Oregon – they have an online shop as well and I highly recommend pretty much everything. I wrote about it here if you don’t mind a morsel of self-promotion: http://rubybastille.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/dream-of-electric-tea-kettles/
Self-promotion from fabulous people is always welcome here! That place sounds completely and utterly awesome, and I love the picture of the aluminum foil props