Wondering if anyone can help me out here... I am considering adding tea to my diet. I am not really a tea drinker,( or a coffee drinker either) and am a little overwelmed by all the choices and different teas! I have heard alot lately about how good they are for you, but where to begin? I am trying to lose weight right now, and have also heard green tea can help boost metabolism.

So, what kind of tea is best for you? how much and how often should you drink it? what is the best way to prepare it? Where is the best place to  buy it? what kind tastes the best?

Oh, so many questions! Any tea experts willing to share some wisdom??

Green tea might take some getting used to. I either have mine plain or with a squeeze of fresh lime in it.

Sweet Dreams is a lovely blend that most of my guests enjoy when I serve it.

Country Peach Passion is also really good for non-tea drinkers. It's really fruity.

I would also suggest buying the Seasonings Herb Tea Sampler. You may not like all the teas, but it will give you a sense.

 

I LOVE Chai tea with a teaspoon of sugar and 1/4 cup milk.  I would highly suggest trying it (maybe prepared at a coffee shop?)

 

I would just sample many teas, and find which ones you like. Don't get discouraged if you doing find "the one" right away...everyone has different tastes. Also, other teas may grow on you (I didn't like green at first).

 

Once you find ones you like, then venture into the more exotic teas.

I'd recommend regular 'black' tea.  Often sold as English Breakfast blends. Also Earl Grey which has a nice citrus flavour.  And Lapsang Souchong has a distinct smoky taste.  If you buy tea bags, they taste best if made up with freshly run boiling (not hot) water.  Don't let them sit in the water too long because the fresher flavours are the first ones to come out, and the longer it sits the more the bitter, stronger flavours take over.  Remove the tea bag once it gets to the right strength for you. 

Black tea contains very small amounts of caffeine but you can easily drink 4 or 5 cups a day and it wouldn't affect you at all. 

Wendy, do you like the tea served in most Chinese restaurants? If so, that's most likely oolong and it's very good. I drink it straight, no sugar or anything. It's very cleansing as most teas are.  It has a bit of a 'smokey' flavor, that's the best way to describe it. Have fun exploring teas!

i drink tons of different teas...my favorites are: chai, apple/cinnamon & green. you just need to sample different ones to find what you like. some people really like peppermint; others prefer fruity varieties....all depends on your taste buds. 

watch out for herbal tea labeling if you're trying to lower your caffeine level...i always thought herbal tea was caffeine-free, but not all are.

Thanks for the input everyone!

Do you normally buy your tea at the local grocery store, or a special health food store, Asian market, or order from a site online?

I have also heard about using whole leaves instead of tea bags.. How is the preparation different?

Earl grey is my favorite for hot tea, it actually taste good without sugar. I buy it at a regular grocery store, what ever brand is the cheapest.

As for iced tea, I am addicted to duncan donuts. I drink 2 mediums every day, with lemon. ( no sugar) It is awesome and taste sweet. If you try it let me know, I bet you will love it.

If you use loose leaf tea ... you could use the method handed down by my gran! :-)

1.  Warm the teapot by rinsing it out with boiling water

2.  Add loose leaves... roughly 1 teaspoon per person and 'one for the pot'

3.  Pour on boiling (not hot) water, stir once and allow to brew for a few minutes

4.  Serve through a tea strainer.

I like peppermint tea first thing in the morning and chamomile tea just before bed.

Green tea with jasmine is also nice too, but it does have a leafy flavour! that could just be me making it a tad strong :s

 

I would go for green tea, it isn't as rich as black tea. I can't even handle black tea unless it is loaded with sugar! 

I loovveee green tea. Try yogi tea. It is amazing

www.yogitea.com

They have many different "flavors", but all organic and natural. Try the peach detox. It is soo good even without anything added. To origional green tea I add some stevia sweet leaf sweetner. But not much, don't overpower it. Yum.

 

 

oh and also, the yogi teas are available in many different flavors at whole foods!

 

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I have commerically prepped tea bags and my own loose herbs.

Commercially prepared, I love Earl Grey (decaf), and vanilla Rooibus (also decaf). Not a ton of caffeine in a cup of tea, but I like tea before bed and try to avoid much caffeine period, so I do the decaf! I do have green tea, as well.

Loose herbs, my favorite has to be the spearmint! I'm a HUGE spearmint fan, and would settle for peppermint tea before I discovered the herb section at the health food store downtown. ;) I mix and match, though, too. Sometimes I'll use some spearmint and mix with some loose chamomile. Or raspberry leaf (antioxidant), damiana (anxiety and whatnot), etc. I occasionally go to the herb section and pick up some new ingredients to use.

The other bonus to your own herbs, aside from custom flavours that you aren't getting in the grocery store --- I picked up $1 of spearmint makes more tea easily than two packages ($5.00 or more) from the store.

I use a ball like this to put the herbs in the tea pot, so I don't have to strain as I pour:

http://www.englishteastore.com/infuser-mesh-w onder-ball-1-5.html

 

wow, thanks everyone for all the suggestions.. I went to the grocery store yesterday and picked up a box of Stash green tea sampler, and tried some this morning.. was pretty good.  I'm sure I continue sampling more :)

I'm an incurable tea drinker. As a recovering drunk I spend a lot of time with coffee drinkers so I started drinking tea (I hate coffee).  Stash is one of my favorite brands (they have a web site). As far as what kind and how to prepare. . .lots of "nice" restaurants (not fast-food) have various flavors for a nice way to try a variety without investing a ton of money. A lot of American drinkers put a lot of effort and thought into tea preparation. Since I drink it like people drink coffee, I prepare it kind of haphazardly. . .I know all the proper ways, but boiling water over a tea bag works for a busy morning. I even have a coffee maker for brewing loose tea. Be forewarned, though, you can't use a maker that is used for coffee (yech) and it's stronger from the machine.