After the great response to the Extra Virgin Olive Oil post and the cheese post is gathering momentum I would really appreciate if you Tea drinkers out there let me know what you are buying at the moment ./
I buy Madura Premium Blend Black Tea in the 200 tea bag pack . I also buy their green tea in tea bag form ./
Will post more shortly re: the Olive oil survey .
EDIT: Here’s the CHOICE tea bag review:
Dilmah Extra Strength tea bags.
I use recycled 1.5 Iced Tea bottles - fill nearly to brim with filtered water and add 3 teabags - leave overnight in fridge. Especially with summer coming, hot tea isn’t really my thing. The kids love the iced tea also - no sugar added - maybe a splash of lemon juice for the kids.
Due to limited budget, I usually buy what’s on special. Presently have:-
Lipton Quality Black 100 Tea Bags 180g a bit weak, and some fall apart, but they were cheap
Tetley Black Tea 100 All Rounders 200g
Bushells Rounds 200 480g - sealed in packs of 50 - best value and taste
Loose leaf - Billy Tea Campfire Brew 250g - not a fan of the smoky flavour.
Bushells Lan-Choo 250g - have not tried yet
No “Tea” Tea at all. We do buy and also mix our own herbal teas such as spearmint, peppermint, berry (we used dehydrated berries for these) and similar. If buying herbal ones we generally get well known brands such as Lipton as the quality testing is hopefully up to par.
Great questions on all of these topics, Mike. Thanks for them.
TEA: we prefer tea to be ‘properly’ made with full leaf tea; and not with tea-bags. Teapots have pride of place in our home!
We also try to buy oz-made wherever possible.
So when oz-made teas first became readily available in supermarkets we simply bought any of them; but later we discovered that some of them were selling as ‘leaf’ tea, the same powdered dregs as they use in tea-bags; so we quickly dropped them. Then we found that another oz brand was adding in overseas content as well. So they were dropped also.
Luckily for us, IGA sells “Daintree Tea” in 250gram boxes – which has 100% Oz ingredients – none of the powdered dregs, just pure tea-leaves.
We love it and have used it now for several years.
Sounds good Ray . Will have a look at the Daintree Tea . I buy Madura .It is also Australian owned . It has a rewards club and they just sent me 2 Fine bone china tea pots .A 600ml and 1.1 litre . A win all around for me for drinking tea .
Mike
Mike: with respect, I suggest that you check out their boxes for oz content.
I think that you will find that it is no longer 100% oz product.
KK will do . Thanks for the heads up .
We cycle through most of the black leaf teas that are found in the supermarket. We stay away from the small packet styles (too pricey) and Bushells Strong (too dusty). This will only be possible for another few years at the rate that leaf tea is disappearing from all shelves but big-city speciality shops.
In addition to the brands listed above (which I had on hand); I have also tried the following:
Prefer Bushells Rounds (but get seduced by teas on special). Prefer pot bags and loose leaf as I don’t have to pick staples out of the compost.
Don’t tend to buy the one brand of tea and like trying different ones for variety (some have been no better than chaff but still interesting to try).
Currently drinking (even with a cuppa while I type) Darjeeling Taj Mahal Loose Leaf Tea (a relatively strong black tea). Next loose leaf tea will be Dilmah.
I have also drunk a wide range of different brands in Australia and when travelling. One worth trying if ever in Malaysia, and visiting the Cameron Highlands, is BOH. Best to be consumed when freshly processed and bought from the plantation…stored tea looses its freshness very quickly.
We also have a range of exotic green teas (plain, some flavoured and some pressed leaf tip balls which fall apart on contact with water) and flowering tea balls in the pantry (for something different).
For everyday: Yorkshire Tea teabags, regular variety. One teabag makes 2 big mugs of good tea!
For Sunday mornings: Twinings Russian Caravan loose leaf in the teapot.
Lots of others in the pantry including Twinings Earl Grey, Twinings Lady Grey, Chinese jasmine tea, and several herbal varieties in tins whose brands are long since forgotten…
Also T2 chai for warming winter drinks.
I’m one of those sad people who used to drink Green Signal tea, which after a lifetime can no longer be had. Now I make up a blend of 1 part Nerada to 2 parts Lan-Choo, and I’m just waiting for someone to decide there aren’t enough of us buying one or the other and taking it off the market. (Anyone knowing a reasonable (available) replacement for Green Signal will earn my undying gratitude!)
Madura Earl Grey tea bags.
Diplomat green tea with lemon from Aldi.
I buy Madura Green loose leaf . Not the cheapest though but brews up well . Thanks for the input to the post.
Nerada for every day use.
Twinings Earl Grey for while watching Star Trek … or just when the mood takes me.
[quote=“darylhutchins, post:16, topic:14824”]
[/quote] Have not tried Nerada for some time . Must buy a pack and try it out again . They were the pioneers of tea growing in this country .
I buy Dilmar premium Cylon black tea and the same Madura green tea. I also buy white tea but I can’t remember the name. I take this one to work. Occasionally I also buy the little 10 bag Twinnings English Breakfast tea for a treat!
I must admit I’m rather partial to the Madura Green as well .
I drink Japanese green tea
