Questions about the selection and preparation of tea leaves and beverages.
0
votes
1answer
181 views
Why is my green tea foaming too?
I buy organic, loose green tea from a co-op and found that it's sourced from China. I've never had tea foam before and am concerned that the tea has some kind of chemical on it. The foam tastes very ...
12
votes
2answers
299 views
Does black tea have the the highest level of caffeine? If so, why?
So it's usually said that tea in general has lower levels of caffeine than coffee and that black tea has more caffeine than green tea (which has more caffeine than white tea).
This suggests that the ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
What causes tea to be bitter, and how can I avoid that bitterness?
How does tea become bitter between the moment it is packaged and the moment I drink it? Are there any chemical processes that take place when tea is stored or brewed that I can control to prevent ...
6
votes
6answers
2k views
Is it recommended to rinse the teapot with boiling water before putting the tea leaves in?
Is it recommended to rinse the teapot with boiling water, or does that make no difference?
4
votes
4answers
285 views
What is the basic technique for making tea with teabags and a mug?
I am pretty old with no culinary knowledge whatsoever, but last week I learnt to make my first cup of tea! I have been practising it over ever since and been making slight changes to technique with ...
8
votes
7answers
31k views
My tea bags are expired, can I still use them?
This box of tea has an expiration date which has passed but I would like to know if I can still use it. What do you think?
1
vote
1answer
65 views
Is there any caffeine in kuding tea?
Does anyone know if the bitter kuding tea (苦丁茶) contain caffeine?
13
votes
4answers
1k views
Why does Green Tea taste sour as it cools down?
It seems every time I make a cup of green tea, if I don't finish it while it's still considerably hot, it starts to get really sour and tastes awful.
Why is this and how can I prevent this? What am ...
4
votes
2answers
3k views
Can I make tea with carbonated water?
Whilst staying with a friend who lives somewhere with very hard water, we got used to making tea with bottled, still, water as the tap water was too hard to make a good cuppa.
One day, we ran out of ...
0
votes
5answers
776 views
How much tea is ideal out of one tea bag?
My mother regularly uses 1 tea bag for two cups or 2 tea bags for a teapot. I've read on several sites that one tea bag is ideal for one cup.
So, how much should I get from a tea bag?
Also, is the ...
9
votes
1answer
1k views
What's the difference between pink tea and other types of tea?
I once went to an event where they offered pink tea. At that time I was around 8 years old and used to hate tea.
However, I loved that pink tea but unfortunately didn't have a chance to drink it ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Is it necessary to rinse Chinese or other tea before first brew / steep / infusion?
I've been told that I should be rinsing Chinese tea with the boiled water before the first full infusion intended for drinking.
I make the occasional very-expensive tea from Taiwan and I feel it is a ...
5
votes
2answers
247 views
pre-soaking tea in cold water prior to brewing
My friend recently gave me the advice that tea bag should be soaked in a little bit (barely enough to submerge the tea bag) of cold water for a couple of minutes. Then hot water should be added to ...
2
votes
5answers
4k views
What difference would using Rock Sugar make in tea?
I like my tea sweet, and generally add several cubes of white sugar. Teavana sells rock sugar, which it claims is somehow "better" while being vague on what that means. Is it sweeter? Better for you? ...
6
votes
4answers
3k views
What is the white foam that builds up when I make tea?
I microwave water in order to make tea. After it is microwaved and I drop the tea bag(green tea) into the water, thick white foam builds up on the top.
What is it and should I worry about drinking ...
2
votes
6answers
234 views
Re-boiling of tea?
I used to keep tea in thermos container after preparing. But i want to know how to keep it hot when serving within 5-10 minutes.
When I reboil it as-is, then it becomes tasteless: it's like ...
1
vote
2answers
129 views
How can I improve rich taste of spiced milk tea?
I don't have experience in preparing milk tea. I do have good previous experiences with preparing lemon tea, ice tea and black tea. I mostly used to drink black tea or lemon tea, but nowadays I have ...
2
votes
2answers
834 views
Does English Breakfast Tea equal Assam Tea?
I read from wiki that:
Assam (Assamese: অসম, Hindi: आसाम, and also Hindi: असम) is a black tea
named after the region of its production, Assam, in India. Assam tea
(Assamese: অসমীয়া চাহ, ...
5
votes
3answers
2k views
Why don't we make coffee in the same way we make tea?
In tea, also there is tea powder, which we use. In coffee also, there is coffee powder. Why don't we make coffee in exactly the same way we make tea?
5
votes
1answer
4k views
Any idea of what made up of the chai tea latte in Starbucks?
I can brew my own chai tea latte (without the foam machine). It smells great with different types of spice. However, it just doesn't seems to reach the taste of the chai tea latte from Starbucks. The ...
14
votes
6answers
5k views
Is it safe to reuse loose tea leaves the next day? What precautions need to be taken for storing tea for reuse?
I'm a fan of green tea and I find myself reusing the tea leaves 2-3 times a day. Sometimes I'll just store the leaves and reuse them the next day but it got me thinking if what I'm doing is actually ...
12
votes
4answers
761 views
Why does whole leaf tea leave a residue in the cup?
I purchased this nice whole-leaf oolong tea this afternoon.
I steeped it in 200 F water for 3 minutes (as directed) in my tea steeping basket:
And when I pulled out the basket, there were some ...
4
votes
5answers
2k views
Should a [Ceramic] mug be left covered or uncovered during the tea bag steeping process?
I make tea by submerging a tea-bag in a ceramic mug, covering the mug for about 5 minutes, and then removing the tea bag.
My question is: Is it advantageous to cover the mug during the steeping ...
4
votes
2answers
398 views
Cleaning a tea pot
I have read somewhere (don't remember where, long time ago) that tea enthusiasts clean their tea pots only with water and without soap. Additionally they only rinse it and don't use a scrub to remove ...
5
votes
1answer
165 views
My dad used my tea brewer with coffee and now the plastic makes my tea taste like coffee. Bleach?
How can I get the coffee taste out of the plastic in my tea brewer. Its all plastic. Will bleach ruin it?
6
votes
4answers
12k views
Can I replace sugar with honey in tea?
If I want to replace sugar with honey in black or green tea, can I add the honey at any point or should I wait until the tea cools down a bit?
3
votes
5answers
340 views
Can cilantro be used for tea or tisane?
I love using my dehydrator. Can I use dried cilantro as tea, or with other herbs to make tea? If so, how would I pick herbs to use with it?
5
votes
6answers
310 views
Office (Loose Leaf) Tea Solution
I am looking for a good system to make loose leaf tea at my workplace. The main requirements are that the tea tastes good and it is easy to clean in the toilet sink without much equipment. Bonus ...
0
votes
1answer
243 views
How long boiled milk tea is consumable?
I drank milk tea in evening prepared in morning.
Is it is safe? After how much time it should not be consumed?
7
votes
4answers
2k views
What are the safety considerations in making pine needle tea?
Living in a northerly climate, I have often speculated about how aboriginal people avoided diseases caused by vitamin deficiencies like scurvy (no imported citrus in those days.)
According to ...
1
vote
3answers
347 views
Tea cup residue
Why do I have residue at the bottom of my tea cup? I've tried bottled water and tap water, and the result is always the same. I've tried many different brand of tea bags and they are all the same.
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Ceramic vs Stainless Steel in coffee mugs
My travel mug broke :( Looking at replacements, I find that most travel mugs with designs tend to be stainless steel, whereas my prior mug was ceramic. Is there a difference in heat retention between ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
How can I safely reuse tea?
I regularly reuse my tea bags, sometimes over as much as a five hour span.
I am sure that there are limits to the safe re-use of tea, but I can't find any USDA or other authoritative guidance.
...
5
votes
2answers
324 views
Why does tea become bitter if brewed too hot or too long?
To try to narrow the scope and help deduce an answer to this question, I'm wondering:
Why does tea become bitter if brewed too hot or too long?
3
votes
3answers
211 views
Why do we boil whole spices when making masala tea?
I've heard that people prepare chai masala by boiling whole spices instead of using a ground masala spice mix. After preparing it with whole spices, I doubt that 10 minutes of boiling will release ...
5
votes
3answers
718 views
What chemical processes occur in tea that spoil it after some time?
What happens to the brewed hot tea when it is left in a cup for some time (up to several hours), that spoils the taste of the drink and change its color? What chemical processes lead to such unwanted ...
3
votes
3answers
729 views
What's really happening when reusing tea leaves?
I reuse my green tea bags three or even four times with little to no loss in flavor. But it's a pain to reheat water to the correct temperature after I'm done with the first cup and wait another ...
0
votes
1answer
235 views
How can I get the most smoke flavor from Lapsang Souchong tea?
When I open a bag of Lapsang Souchong tea, it has an overpowering aroma of pine smoke. After brewing, there is still a smokiness in my drink but it is far more subtle, and in particular seems to vary ...
11
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the difference between green, white and black tea?
What is the difference between green, white and black tea? Are all based on original tea leaves?
5
votes
1answer
576 views
How can I prevent tea stored in a thermos from oversteeping?
I would like to brew a pot of tea and store in it a thermos to keep it hot overnight so I can drink it before getting out of bed.
I've tried this approach and found that although the tea tasted fine ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
Why is my green tea brown?
As Crystal Gale once wrote, "You're gonna make my green tea, brown." Or something like that.
When I typically order (the free or close-to-free) green tea at Japanese restaurants, it's usually ...
2
votes
2answers
117 views
Concentrated Yerba Mate
I love yerba mate, I drink A LOT, and I would like to bring some with me backpacking. Do you think I might save a few ounces to carry if I brewed my mate beforehand, concentrated it into a thick goo ...
2
votes
2answers
659 views
How to use cast-iron teacup?
I love my cast-iron teapots; however, for Christmas, I received a set of teacups to match my latest acquisition. Do I pre-warm them like I do the pot? Or is the intent for it to leech some heat out ...
12
votes
2answers
2k views
What difference does oxygen content of tea water make?
I've heard the advice that water should be boiled for tea only one--that when boiled it loses oxygen, and if there is insufficient oxygen in the water, the flavor of the tea is (somehow) affected.
...
3
votes
5answers
733 views
What type of tea should I use to make Thai Iced Tea?
I love the sweet iced tea you get at Thai restaurants, and want to make my own at home. I used to buy a concentrated solution online (added water and half and half), but they discontinued it. I'm ...
3
votes
1answer
400 views
How long should I let a tea with lemongrass steep?
Every time I have a tea with lemongrass in it the tea ends up with a really strong and rather terrible aftertaste. I drink several different types of tea, and am pretty sure that I am letting the ...
7
votes
4answers
18k views
How do I make chai latte at home?
I want to be able to make chai latte at home, but I don't have an espresso machine, and I don't really know if it is worth buying one just for an occasional drink.
Is there a way to froth the milk ...
3
votes
1answer
5k views
Eucalyptus tea: is it safe to drink?
I have a big Eucalyptus Gunnii (If I am not mistaken) tree just out my door. It smells splendid and I have always wanted to know if I could make tea out of its leaves. However, something stops me: I ...
3
votes
2answers
183 views
Should I crush the spice for Chai Tea Latte?
After having a cup of Chai Tea Latte from Starbuck,I decided to make a cup of Chai Tea Latte by myself.
I've bought the spice from India store, however, they are not in powder simply because they ...
7
votes
2answers
422 views
Is it safe to store hot tea in PET bottles?
Every morning I bring with me a small PETE (from some searches it seems to be the same as PET plastic) bottle (an ex coke bottle) containing hot tea.
Is it safe to store hot liquids, especially, tea ...
