tea (black, green, whatever)

If you like black teas and are curious about expanding into green, then you might try some Oolongs. They range in color from "green" to "black". My favorite are the green oolongs, which are more robust than most most green teas.

I am a Californian living in Tokyo. Japanese people are nuts about all kinds of unsweetened teas and very sensitive to the different types and gradations between them. I generally don't care for the cold oolong teas that are served here (bitter to my taste). Everyone says they are healthy and slimming. I am OK with green teas that are not bitter, though they seem to be high in caffeine, which keeps me from falling asleep if I drink them at night. Mugicha (wheat tea) is one of my favorites, but the version sold in convenience stores here sometimes tastes like cigarettes (yuck).

A few faves - Twinings Prince of Wales teas and, for drinking at night, high-grade Rooibos tea (no caffeine). I originally tried Teavana's vanilla rooibos tea, which I liked, but then tried a high-grade one sold here from South Africa, which I like much more, though it is probably triple the price. of the Teavana.

There is a honey-and-ginger concoction sold in jars here that can be added to regular tea which is supposedly very healthy and which I think tastes fantastic. It is pricey though. I am rapidly working through a jar now.

Oh yes, there is a Korean citrus "tea" called "Yuzu" tea served here in stores and certain cafes, which consists of hot water poured over concentrated and sweetened yuzu fruit and rind (similar to an orange), which is great.

There are also a ton of high-grade western teas imported from France/England (probably originally from Sri Lanka and India), some flavored. These tend to be awesome, but also cost a pretty penny...

Try Chai Black tea with organic honey, thats what I drink on a daily basis. Definently gives a great taste at a great (cheap) price.

I created a Japanese Green Tea thread a while ago that had a little success. The suggestion to drop in tea while the water is boiling is very naïve and it will ruin most green teas as well as some black teas.

i hate anything else in my tea like milk, sugar, honey, lemon, whatever. i've been working on a bag FTGFOP darjeeling and some really tippy earl grey. fantastic stuff and i only paid like 3 bucks a bag. i have a cup or two every night. yuzu i believe is the japanese word. in korean it's yuja. from what i understand green tea requires water temperature similar to coffee (85 degrees. a barista in korea who was hand dripping my coffee showed me how to get to that temperature. you have to pour boiling water out twice into a different container and back and the temperature will be really close to 85 degrees) and black tea requires water temperature close to boiling. i've been experimenting with times and it's pretty cool to taste how much tannins seep out over a short period of time (like 30 seconds). i like my teas really bitter.

i'm not sure what you're talking about here. orange pekoe is a grade of black tea and earl grey by definition has bergamot in it

I drink tea almost excessively and have an electric water boiler/warmer that boils the water twice a day (not that it is necessary given how often I refill) and maintains a specified temperature. The maker is Zojirushi and I highly recommend their products. With a Zojirushi warmer, getting to the desired temperature requires almost no effort!

Yes, fully organic honey. And just a table spoon sized amount.

+1

The reason I drink Earl Grey is because of the citrus punch.

Did you drink tea with my sister when you "dated".