Milk-free tea

Fully oxidized tea leaves for a robust cup.


Jan 15th, '10, 14:41
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Re: Milk-free tea

by NOESIS » Jan 15th, '10, 14:41

bsteele wrote:
NOESIS wrote:When I do drink black tea, it is usually a Darjeeling or Yunnan Gold. I add just a wee bit of raw sugar to these teas. Doesn't really sweeten them, but rather accentuates their inherent goodness.
How much is a wee bit? Aside from spiced teas or sweet tea... I've never tried my blacks with sugar. I suppose I should try it at least once... hmmmm
I use a level demitasse spoon. I'd guess that's about 1/3 tsp. I should also mention that I generally brew these teas quite strong; 3g/6oz water for 3 min (Darj) or 4 min (Yunnan). I've been doing it this way for 20+ years, and at least to my palate, it does seems to accentuate the muscatel notes in a Darjeeling, and the spice/maple notes in a good Yunnan.

Sometimes I break out the 'ol gaiwan when brewing a Yunnan Gold, and do it gong fu style. I don't add sugar if I go this route.

But regarding the topic at hand, I NEVER add milk to tea....even breakfast blends (which I rarely drink anymore).
Last edited by NOESIS on Jan 23rd, '10, 04:09, edited 2 times in total.

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Jan 16th, '10, 03:44
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Re: Milk-free tea

by skywarrior » Jan 16th, '10, 03:44

amfx22000 wrote:Lipton loose leaf.
Try some tea from Adagio. :idea:

No, they did not pay me to say that. :D

Jan 17th, '10, 06:52
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Re: Milk-free tea

by Symmetry » Jan 17th, '10, 06:52

I usually add a splash of milk and a dash of sugar to breakfast teas, but I also brew them strong and in a larger cup than normal (I've taken to using smaller and smaller cups for normal drinking - I prefer, I find, to drink 2-6oz cups with a small break in between rather than 1-12oz cup.

But I digress. Anyway, a bit of sugar and milk in my breakfast teas, but never otherwise.

Jan 19th, '10, 17:59
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Re: Milk-free tea

by barnes » Jan 19th, '10, 17:59

In the immortal words of George Orwell:
George Orwell wrote:Lastly, tea — unless one is drinking it in the Russian style — should be drunk without sugar. I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tealover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt. Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water.
...taken from his essay "A Nice Cup of Tea"
http://www.booksatoz.com/witsend/tea/orwell.htm

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Jan 20th, '10, 13:33
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Re: Milk-free tea

by boywoodhe » Jan 20th, '10, 13:33

barnes wrote:In the immortal words of George Orwell:
George Orwell wrote: drunk without sugar. I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tealover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water.
Well, I use sugar in my tea and I can taste the tea just fine. :D I consider myself a true tea lover. Everyone has their own way of drinking tea.
woodie barnes

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Jan 29th, '10, 12:21
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Re: Milk-free tea

by teacast » Jan 29th, '10, 12:21

I have a friend who loves to put milk in his Darjeeling, but unfortunately he uses mostly bags and never takes them out, which drives me up a wall ;). Real blacks and darjeelings have enough flavor on their own in my opinion, wow!

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