Edinburgh Land of Tea

I have decided to change the texts of these posts a bit, and no longer will it be limited to just discussing the teas, but also the tea shops.

I feel that now this is better suited, especially as friends know, the occupation I am in.

Notably the three tea shops of Edinburgh will receive a detailed criteaque and voteaing on which are the best, and which you'd be better of with a tea-bag.

These three shops are, Anteaques, Eteaket, and Tea Tree Teas.

If (god help us someone is actually reading this) feels that I should re-evaluate, I shall consider, or if another shop to judge. (and believe me, I am good at judging...sometimes too good...)

HoujiCha (Roast Tea)

Houji-Cha

(Roasted Tea)

Something New for the New Year

Type; A roasted Green

Price; No idea...a gift, and feel sortof guilty looking up the price.

Reasoning;

This tea is completely new, strange, and unique. All adjatives

usually meaning the same thing, all applying to this tea. It has

a roasted flavour completely of its own. If I hadn't looked it up

my first thought would have been that it was a chinese

green tea pan fried too long. It has a lower caffine level, which

is probably something we should all be watching, which makes

it a good evening tea. The taste acts similar to Pu-Erh in that both

have a earth taste, while Pu-Erh has a more chocolatey base, this tea

focuses on a much deeper roasted nut taste. Imagine a tea roasted with

chestnuts. One of my friends, who utterly hates the taste of Gen Maicha, dislikes

this tea as the roasting reminds her of the rice.

In other news, my wonderful flat mates bought me a tea set. So long slightly

tacky Elephant mug, hello strange foe wood decorated coffee pot looking tea pot.

Next on the list, new tea egg, one that could fit into the pot would be ideal.

In further other news, I was back in the states for christmas, and stumbled upon

a box of very very very old tea. Its maker was Express Tea, and it is an Orange Pekoe (of what???)

I really wonder how old it is, as there is not website on the box, and no one, litterally no one

in my family drinks tea than me.

-Tea Fanatic

Manuka Mint

Not a favorite, but popular enough to mention; Manuka Mint

Type; Herbal

Price; £ 6.80 for 100 grams from Anteaques.

Reasoning; While mint tea's are renown for their fine taste after a meal, or simply to refresh after a long day, the element added, the Manuka, greatly adds to this. Manuka is a very healthy product with natural antibiotic, and anti-fungal properties to it. It certainly adds to the body of the taste, while not over powering it so that the first thought that comes to mind is a sharp mint that has been freshly picked.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptospermum_scoparium

Again an amount of 3 grams is roughly usable for a pot of tea, with a longer brewing time of roughly 6 minutes.

I have not seen many variations on this tea, and the only supplier I know of immediately is Anteaques, http://anteaques.co.uk/infusions/manukamint , but mint tea alone is common enough, and flavoring can be added to suit the drinker.




-Tea Fanatic

P.S. sincerest appologize's for such a late third post. University has consumed the larger part of my life. No excuse is valid though, my sincerest appologizes agin.

Starting with a favorite

The favorite; Tie Guan Yin

Type; Oolong

Price; I've found mine for 3 £ (or roughly 5$) for 100 grams (which is on the cheaper side of tea)

Reasoning; The tea has a very smooth taste, actually smoother than a lot of green teas I've had. It has a rich-ness to flavor that is a pleasant and calming one. It also has a bit of a nutty taste, that can only be compared to a similar nutty taste as one experiences in wines. Here the tea is being consumed in the traditional college student way, in a cheap mug (and if I may say so, quite the stylish mug, that was actually liberated from a flat mates father).

I have actually not tried many variations on this tea, however the several that I have tried each have the leaves curled and rolled. To me this is usually a way of denoting a good quality tea. (It means that a person has to roll each leaf usually...which that much time and effort....it better be a good tea). This point can be proven in a Jasmine Pearl tea....which ranks possibly second favorite.



My box says "organic" but as its from China....and I bought it from the cheapo bin....I beg to differ. (not to be biased against Chinese "organic" teas or tea's purchased from the "cheapo bin"

Usually to make a pot of tea one only puts in 3 grams, for this one you can add less or more depending on the strength, regardless, it will taste good. So good in fact that if I wasn't a poor student, I'd offer you your money back. But I'm not, so I shan't. Let brew for about 3-5 min's. Depends how impatient you are, but keep in mind first cup is usually the weakest and progress's in strength as time goes on.

I'll try and post some more teas sooner, however life does get in the way, this time, the Fresher's Fair for my Uni, which yours truely gets to help out with.

If anyone has any constructive criticism, comments, concerns, or cares, feel free to post a replay?

-Tea Fanatic

I feel like the basic chinese character anyone on here should learn is.....(drum roll...)

Cha or 茶

This is the symbol for tea.

Where to begin? A description is best, I guess

Where to begin,

A basis behind me would probably be best. I am a (edited out 15/5/2011) year old Tea enthusiast. Whose lips coffee has never touched, other than coffee ice-cream.

I am a student studying at (edited out 15/5/2011) , and am enjoying all the joys that living in Britian has to offer, namely terrible weather, beautiful gardens, and wonderful tea.

(edited out 15/5/2011) by birth, so please forgive any (edited out 15/5/2011) spelling errors.

As one of my American friends say to me,

-Pip Pip Cheerio-

-Tea Fanatic