Tea, anyone?

[JenW]

I did place an order at Adagio and will post some pics when it gets here.

I know what I ordered is not traditional tea, but I am seriously looking for something kind of resembling a treat without the calories that is good for me. It is a way to treat myself that I can live with for a long time. I did get some samples of flavored black teas like chocolate and caramel, and larger amounts of coconut tea and a chocolate raspberry blend that came highly recommended. I am even thinking of blending a few of these on my own. And I have heard that there really is a huge difference between loose and bagged tea. I did order quite a variety of samples in differing types of tea (white, oolong, rooibos), too. We shall see!

[Lemon]

I like roasted barley tea. It's not your traditional loose leaf, but the warmth and heartiness of this tea lingers through my body during cooler seasons. Barley tea is also excellent served cold during overwhelming Summers. And it's a plus for me since there's no caffeine. It can be sweetened..but I've never tried it like that. Though the nuttiness of barley tea compliments savory foods, and it cuts down the greasiness when consuming oily and meaty dishes...but I also like it while munching on chocolate. I also like how it makes me feel full so I'll eat a little less during meals. But a warning, barley tea has gluten.

I get mine from a Korean market. If you aren't near an Asian market, I'm sure you can get whole barley grains with husk at a Wholefoods, organic/specialty market. Then you can roast them yourself in oven or skillet.

Roasted Dandelion root tea (Traditional Medicinals) is nice..it has a robust taste that is my alternative to coffee in the morning. Might be an acquired taste. But it's a good detoxifier/diuretic..heheheh.

You could also try the tea blends from Mountain Rose Herbs http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index2.html..I've only purchased a few essential oils and hydrosols from them, but their tea descriptions are enticing.

[Cupcake]

Asking a daft question here, but when we're talking about tea, are we meaning actual tea leaves with / without additional interesting flavoured bits, or the broader concept of making an infusion from pretty much anything that can be soaked in hot water and drunk? I'm a bit of a purist about what constitutes 'tea', but the broader discussion about herbal infusions and potential side-perks of health benefits is absolutely fascinating too (and I'd love tips and recommendations).

[JenW]

I know there are so many cultures where tea plays such a huge role. I do think in the US you get a full spectrum of tea culture, and like me, non-tea culture or lack of any tea culture. For me growing up, tea was iced and usually made from instant (ick!), or else it was some crazy concoction involving Tang (a really sweet orange drink mix), ground cloves, cinnamon, and instant tea all mixed with hot water (I think I only drank it when I was sick). I think tea to most of the people I come in contact with means just about anything steeped in hot water that is drinkable, and not necessarily even palatable!

Cupcake, I guess my tea equals your herbal infusions. Also, I am more than willing to learn about proper tea from the English perspective, as well as Japanese, Chinese, Indian, or otherwise. And I sincerely did not intend to offend at all.

As for the side perks of herbal infusions , there is quite a bit of research regarding green tea, as well as other varieties (oolong, white, rooibos, chai, and black). I do think they are all a great source of antioxidants, and I do think they can affect your mood, just for starters. It has to be so many times better than the soda I was drinking.

[egerandi]

I buy almost exclusively all my teas from Adagio. Always pleased with their CS, fast shipping, and great deals. I tend to like mostly black teas, chai, etc...Ceylon Sonata, Assam varieties. They have an excellent rooibos selection, and I am also loving the plain ol' chamomile these days.

I tend to avoid Teavana because of their sales tactics and how incredibly overpriced they are. You can do just as well online and usually for pennies to the cost of a Teavana one. You can get a lot of Teavana's teas from specialteas.com.

Totally seconded! I got into tea about three years ago when my office started getting lose teas from Adagio, and never looked back. I do occasionally stray (Teavana had an amazing lemony yerba mate, which they have since discontinued), and I like to try other things from:
- Revolution Tea (was pleasantly surprised to find them on the Princess cruise ship as well, although I did take a bag of tea with me, just in case ) - Lavender Earl Grey, White Pomegranate, Acai green tea
- Art of Tea - just ordered some coconut white tea and green earl grey, can't wait to try!

Some of my Adagio faves are: grapefruit oolong, pouchong, white cucumber (mixed with peppermint makes a great iced tea), dragonwell, gunpowder (mix with mint!) and hojicha if I want something smokey. The ultimate smokey though would be Lapsang Souchong: not for the faint-hearted
Pu-erh (I like the Dante version) is an acquired taste too, but it's a treat if you're into it.

If you're looking to replace your dessert with tea, make sure you check out the Blends section at Adagio: customers make up their signature blends, which seem predominantly desser-y.
Also, Jasmine Rooibos and Honeybush Hazelnut are soooooo good, and you can brew them with some peppermint (notice the trend? hehe) for a little kick. Experiment with the loose teas, it's fun!

That diffuser looks good. Let us know how it works out; I'm looking to maybe get a new one.

[Cupcake]

And I sincerely did not intend to offend at all.

You? Cause offence? That'll be the day! You're the sweetest, most gracious person I know online.

Nah, I'm loving this thread and all the new, undiscovered things to drink. Bring it on. I'm thinking we could start an international cultural exchange programme with parcelettes of our local brew sent back and forth across the Atlantic. Just wait 'til you try some Russian Caravan. That'll put hairs on your chest.

[superwahz]

Mmmmmm, teas... My drink of preference (after water) since I try to stay away from coffee!

I avoid caffeine usually too, so I normally drink either a decaf variety or a white tea, green teas don't seem to give the same buzz black tea does, so I drink those too. My favorite is jasmine tea, steeped in a Chinese tea pot. I learned a lot about teas from DH's family, they are Chinese. Many a family dinner I sat watching the careful selection of tea for the meal, and learned quite quickly to drink tea without any sugar. Learning the rituals of tea pouring and drinking for Yum Cha was an experience...Chinese tea drinking is a fascinating ritual.

I prefer to make my tea the way they make it, in a little pot, leaves scattered in it, topped off with hot water, steeped only a few minutes before the first round is poured. As the tea sits longer and the water level drops, more is added, but more tea leaves aren't! The variation in flavor from cup to cup is interesting, you notice the subtle nuances of the particular tea and how brewing time/dilution brings out the different tones. Then of course is the consideration of how astringent a tea to drink based on how oily or savory the meal is. And how to sip slowly and not swirl your cup, so the leaves stay at the bottom, no need to strain them out.

But I also love my complex range of "western" teas as well as herbal/fruit infusions, what's the proper word for those, tisane? And I really, really love a good, strong proper cup of British tea! My mom is a big fan of Adiago Teas.

BTW Jen, if you are wanting something to soothe your sweet tooth without any sugar, try Good Earth's Sweet and Spicy Cinnamon Orange. http://www.amazon.com/Good-Earth-18-Cou ... B000F70RCY It doesn't taste like orange at all, just sweet cinnamon with a bit of spiciness, its base is rooibis. I don't know how they did it, but it actually tastes sweet! As in, even if you wanted to add sweetener to it, you shouldn't... I buy it in the grocery store or Whole Foods. I love it hot in the winter, cold in the summer, just like I love my peppermint tea! Oh, and Twinings makes a cold brew green tea peppermint. I'm not a fan of cold brew tea usually, but it isn't bitter and has the perfect balance! I spent the week at the beach stuffing my cup with ice, water, and tea bags to sip on the beach...it was perfection.

[cait]

I have to share this with fellow tea junkies.

Adagio is opening a store near me! About 25 min. away! Grand opening is tomorrow. I will go soon, for sure, and report back my findings, but this made my day

[egerandi]

Quick report: Coconut cream white tea from Art of Tea = cup of heaven mmmmmm

[JenW]

I got my Adagio order today. So far, I am on my third mug...... I was surprised that the samples came in bags, because most of the reviews online showed tins. I don't really see that as an issue, but it is just different than I expected, and I thought I would pass that along to those considering, and the past customers that might not have ordered for a while. I would take a picture, but there is not really that much to see.

Honeybush Chocolate (a red tea) was pretty good. I did like that this one is decaf.
I tried the Chocolate black tea after, and it was a little stronger tasting, but liked it, too.
Next up is a Wild Strawberry Herb tea......this one smells heavenly. I might mix this one with one of the chocolates tomorrow. It will take forever to get through what I have!

Overall, I think it is pretty good value for the quality (but what to I really know?) And I am having fun, and not killing my plan, so that is a bonus.