Although this is beginning to look like a Tea Blog, I have to bring up that beverage once more because I liked the coincidence.
As mentioned earlier, I bought some Earl Grey in order to refine my tastes. I had been recommended PG Tips, but it's not widely on sale in the US. A co-worker saw the container on my desk and asked me if I was becoming a tea connoisseur, and I told her I was looking into "better" teas. She said that her friend had found this wonderful tea that I just have to try. "It's hard to find, though, but it's popular in Britain. Did you ever hear of PG Tips?"
Apparently, the Friend had found a case of it at the Christmas Tree Shops (a "bargain store" that has no set stock; it sells what other stores can't at cut rates), and CoWorker said she'd bring me some. I hope she remembers. I'm drooling at the thought.
Another tea craving came from Keppet's mention of Tealuxe. Thinking about this "palace of tea," I realized that even though I am not paying for airline tickets or lodging, that the Boston Avocado is going to cost some money. (Rian, there are 7 kinds of chai listed on their website.) I guess my GPS will have to wait a few months longer.
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8 comments:
I wouldn't touch PG Tips with a teaspoon-shaped barge pole. Nasty stuff. It's just a cheap and common brand in the UK. Not special at all.
Twinings is usually available in the US. It isn't fantastic but it is better than most teabag teas.
Hee hee hee. I am amused that PG Tips is considered exotic.
And it's not that bad, sis!! In fact, I wouldn't call it bad in any way. It's just good, solid, English tea. No frills... but nowt wrong with it in my opinion. Better than Tetley, anyway!
Twinings is okay too - but they've only just brought out an 'ordinary' tea variety over here - I'd be surprised if it's available in the US already. They do a nice English Breakfast Tea though, which is almost the same thing.
*shakes head sadly* I have so much to learn!
What do you mean by ordinary tea variety?
Well... just plain old tea. No specific variety. Not Earl Grey or Lady Grey or English Breakfast or Lapsang Souchong or Darjeeling or Nettle or Cranberry... just ordinary, 3 o'clock in the afternoon, choccie digestive-dunking tea.
Mmmm.
But er... what would that be made out of then? Really don't get it... It is like saying "I am eating fruit but it isn't a banana, apple, paw paw, mango, melon, strawberry... etc. It's just fruit."
The problem with PGTips and the like is that there is no excitement to it. The blend is carefully chosen so that there is no variety. For years! Decades! It's just plain dull. Different teas mixed together so there is no outstanding flavour.
If anyone cares, I am an Assam girl myself with Darjeeling for light afternoon cuppas. I prefer the Indian teas over the Chinese ones. Black, oolong and white are nicer than green. Non caffinated teas include barley (tastes a lot like coffee actually), peppermint and cammomile.
Naturally when geting a tea at a cafe I would just stick with English Breakfast (which is what PGTips is) because I probably wouldn't have time to relax and enjoy anything novel. I am probably just there for the stimulant.
I just mean tea. I mean, obviously all tea is a specific kind of tea, but the everyday tea of which the average Brit drinks several cups a day will be basic, blended, unexciting tea. If you stop off at a burger van by the side of the road and ask for a cup of tea, they won't ask you what sort you want. They'll just pour you a cup of PG Tips or Tetley or Typhoo or the shop brand of the above. That's what I mean by 'ordinary'. Bog-standard, plain old tea.
I had an American friend who told me of an English lady who came to stay with her, and after a long flight and journey, was desperate for a cup of tea. My friend asked what sort of tea she wanted, and listed a string of various posh-sounding teas that she had available. The English lady apparently replied in a tired, mournful voice, 'I just want a cup of tea.'
And that's what ordinary tea is to me.
I love variety in teas as well - don't get me wrong. I adore a cup of Lapsang or an Earl Grey or a Chai. I love herbal tea... peppermint and chamomile being my personal faves too. I even drink fruit tea on occasion. But sometimes, all I fancy is a plain old cup of ordinary. Not terribly exciting, no. But satisfying.
Why didn't I sense this post sooner? I'm an English Breakfast girl myself, but have recently become addicted to the T2 'Afternoon Tea' which is a black tea blend, slightly aromatic. Almost like Darjeeling (I have some of that, too) but not quite so strong.
Mmmm, now I'm going to make myself tea.
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