Calling All Brits (Tea Time)

[irishearl]

warren, as to the brand of Scottish Breakfast blend, couldn't tell you the name of the distributor. But buy it from my favorite tea shop in Wichita, The Spice Merchant, which has a website.

 

[oldmansmoking]

Green tea, Gunpowder tea. Have a large pot full every night with my meal.

Black no milk no sugar.

I even have my own Chinese tea pot, a cast iron beast.

 

[jpmcwjr]

OT: To the USA pipers, why is it so challenging to find restaurants in the US that actually serve milk or cream with tea or coffee? I have found it perplexing that both are generally served with a powdery petroleum by-product called a 'whitener'. Usually I have had to make a special request for a real dairy product. This has been through the states of WASH, OR and Calif.; is it less common elsewhere in the US?

In my experience in CA, it's mostly a function of how cheap the restaurant is, or whether it's a chain. I have once put that powder in coffee, 40 years ago. Ugh! When that's all there is, black tea or coffee for me. Or ask for milk- not ice cold so it doesn't make a luke warm bit of blah- most have complied without frowning.

 

[warren]

Thank you.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Could just drink your coffee black like the good Lord intended.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"I even have my own Chinese tea pot, a cast iron beast."
George, I think you'll find that is the kettle :rofl:
Regards,
Jay.

 

[deathmetal]

I've gotten that one wrong too. The kettle heats the water, the teapot steeps the tea, and "biscuits" are cookies not bready things.
Also a lift is an elevator, a lorry is a truck, and you don't order a beer, you ask for a pint and they serve you the house variety unless you follow up with a brand name.
Cigarettes are fags, or at least used to be, which is good laughter for Americans ("faggots" referred to bundles of smaller sticks used to set fires, originally, and now are also some kind of hysterical pork-based food). Oh yes, and they have a Queen, which is quite enviable.
Really a lovely place and they do tea well. Also fond of Scotland, and I felt that Wales looked a bit like Texas, and had similar attitude toward the degree of consent inherent to sheep.

 

[seitz55]

I stopped drinking coffee a couple years ago and I now only drink tea. I drink mostly black tea, I really enjoy English Breakfast tea but my all time favorite is Sleepy Hollow Pumpkin Chai. If I buy grocery store bagged tea I buy Taylors brand and Rishi is a good loose leaf tea grocery store brand. I also like most of Harney & Sons tea as well.
I apologize in advance if the Images are too big.

 

[irishearl]

Just returned from hitting up my favorite Wichita, Kansas shop, The Spice Merchant. Picked up a half-pound of their Irish breakfast blend, a half-pound of their Scottish breakfast blend, (guess I covered the Ulster-Scot heritage :lol, a box of Yorkshire Gold tea bags, which I'd never tried but been wanting to, and 2 jars of Strawberry-Rhubarb preserves. If you're ever in Wichita, this landmark business is a must see with its coffee roasting, great array of tea, tea ware, huge array of spices, preserves, hot sauces, candy counter, etc.

 

[oldmansmoking]

It’s a tea pot Jay not a kettle!

 

[ukbob]

There's only one tea to drink and that's Yorkshire tea.

 

[irishearl]

Yes, indeed, Jay, a tea pot can be cast iron if it's a Japanese tetsubin, which all are made of that. I have a 4 cup tetsubin with cups, enameled in the pine needle pattern.

 

[jpmcwjr]

And kettles tend to be made of steel or aluminum, not iron in the 21st. C! I had one of those Japanese iron tea pots but my son stole it.

 

[condorlover1]

PG Tips for me!

 

[woodsroad]

I have found it perplexing that both are generally served with a powdery petroleum by-product called a 'whitener'.

Because of the nature of my work (on the road a lot at odd hours) I'm a frequent visitor to the multitude of diners and small restaurants of the Great Northeast. I almost never see coffee spackle at these places. There is almost always a small bowl of single-serve half-and-half containers. You have to request milk if that's your pleasure, and that's almost always whole milk.
As for tea, I'm a fan of Lapsong Suchong(usually have a few types on hand to choose from), Russian Caravan, English Breakfast and yes, Earl Grey. All brewed loose in the cup with no milk or sugar added. It's how both of my parent's families made tea. The Eastern European Jewish side would sip their tea through a sugar cube held between the front teeth.
I've often wondered how Lapsong would do in a pipe.

 

[mikethompson]

I usually only drink tea at Lent when I force this coffee goblin off my back. I drink Yorkshire Tea which I find goes very well with the pipe.
I used to always drink Earl Grey because of this guy:

 

[lraisch]

My favorite is Lifeboat tea, followed by Glengettie or Yorkshire Gold. PG tips is a lighter cuppa but still good. Make sure you steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
When in the Cotswolds with my daughter, I sampled some Russian black that my son in law ordered. I swear that if you steeped some latakia, you would get the same result!

 

[jpmcwjr]

Mmmmmmm....Latakia!

 

[winton]

I am not sure how many blends I have. 20+. Today, my wife and I added five more blends, mostly rooybos. I am staying away from caffeinated teas, since I have insomnia issues and like tea at night.

 

[irishearl]

Just brewed up my first pot of Yorkshire Gold ever. Must say that in my 40 years or so of tea drinking, that is certainly the strongest tea I've had-I like them stout.