BS: Lapsang Souchong

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: GUEST,Helen, using Internet Explorer - thread prob
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 12:38 AM

Well, Mr Tea, now that you mention food which goes well with tea: hot buttered toast, or there is a biscuit (cookie to you U.S. 'Catters) in Oz called Nice (pronounced "neece", made by Arnott's) which is a plain biscuit, no cream, with a sprinkle of sugar. They are wonderful dipped in tea. Another great tea-dipping biscuit is Arnott's Scotch Finger biscuit.

The Tim Tam discussion in another thread, whose name escapes me at present, has little relevance to tea drinking. Tim Tams work with coffee but not so well with tea. (Two biscuites sandwiched together with biscuit cream, bite each of the ends off and then suck coffee through the cream in the centre. Some people make a habit of it. I can't say I have tried it but the chocolate biscuit & cream probaby go better with coffee.)

Also, I asked Praise about the recipe for Iced Tea which she mentioned. she can't getinto this thread at the moment because it's stuck using Netscape but it works with IE. She replied:

"No, no recipe... the sweet tea of the south is a mystery to me and the home iced tea is just any old tea, iced.

"Thai coffee, now, I almost have figured out!"

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 12:58 AM

Helen, as somebody who has tried dunking several types of biscuits including Nice (don't know the make but we get them in the UK) in my tea, I must say that IMO nothing compares with digestives and I love the bits that sort of half disintegrate into the tea.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 02:15 AM

Jon,

I don't know what digestive biscuits are, although I have heard of them. Can you describe them please? I just did an Internet search but I am not really any wiser. What are Graham crackers, because they are said to be similar to digestive biscuits?

Also, in my search I found this site about tea shops in San Diego. The glowing reports of tea drinking might convert even the most convinced coffee drinkers.

http://sandiego.citysearch.com/E/F/SANCA/0000/02/47/

SignOn San Diego: A Time for Tea

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 03:38 AM

G'day again

Soddy: I have not heard the tune Mountains of Mourne used for Billy of Tea, but I have no doubt the words fit. As I said above, the collected tune was Bonny Dundee, a sprightly Scots tune and the tune commonly used today is a rather flattened-out version of the "A" part of the same tune.

I think I would find Mountains of Mourne a bit on the slow and dreary side by comparison, but chacun a sa gout! I am not sure that the Mountains of Mourne was around when Billy of Tea was "composed". It was published as an 'anon,' ballad in 1897, but would have been in oral circulation for many years before. I presume that the Mountains of Mourne comes from the late 1880s/'90s "music hall Irish" period. Bonny Dundee commemorates a battle between the Scots and the English, some centuries earlier, and was a popular tune here, in the latter part of the 18th century, as several song use the tune.

Regards,

Bob Bolton Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 03:40 AM

G'day yet again,

Sorry about the double posting - I am on the cusp of operating systems and the fingers wots not how many times to press!

Regard(les)s, (but pressing ONCE!)

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Jack The Lad
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:20 AM

Lipton's Yellow Label seems to be available the world over- though one teabag often doesn't make it strong enough for me. When I was in Poland once, the hotel prepared a large pot- for 12 cups- with ONE tea bag! Jack The Lad

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Penny S.
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 06:49 AM

There are teapots with systems for stopping the infusion once the tea has reached the desired flavour.

I remember long and heated correspondence somewhere about the milk first controversy, which produced various reasons for each practice. There is, as there would be in England, a class thing embedded in it. Upper tends to tea first, and sneers at the other party, as being ignorant, as if drinking something the way you like drinking it was wrong. What happens is this. If you put in tea first, the milk is scalded as it is added. This changes the flavour - if you like UHT milk, you will like the scalded flavour. This may be to do with the Raj, where scalding the milk was a good hygienic idea. It also allows the guest to select the amount of milk to add, as in coffee, so avoiding discussions of the "'ow dark do you like it, ducks?" variety. Milk first raises the temperature of the milk slowly, so gives a different flavour. It also protects the cup from thermal shock as the very hot tea is poured in, but I don't know how vital this was. Although I can drink tea unmilked, I do like the way the milk rounds off the bite of the tannin. And I think that people who sneer about pouring cow juice into delicate oriental infusions (an American columnist advertising a British airline) should consider diversity a good thing, not a bad.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Hollowfox
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 09:54 AM

I always thought that milk-and-sugar into the tea was the only way to drink it. That's the way my grandmother taught me. Late in her life she told me that she wouldn't drink milk as a child, so the family doctor recommended the tea as a way of getting the milk into her diet. When I visited relatives in Canada, I waited through all of supper for the milk to appear for the tea. when it didn't, I drank it sort of as a cup of iced tea. Later, someone remarked that dthey'd all gotten into the habit of drinking their tea "clear" during World War II, and thus began another tradition. BTW, if anybody likes a Strong cup of tea (orange pekoe genre, not smoky flavors like lapsang souchong), get hold of some Turkish tea. Even when not "properly" done up in a samovar, it's delicious. And it could probably raise a pulse in a corpse.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 10:05 AM

I am stuck Helen. They are also knonw as wholmeal biscuits. I have tried to search the web as I seem to be incapable of describing them. Here is one bit I found:

"The Digestive biscuit was first introduced in Britain in 1892 by McVitie's, and were reportedly intended to aid digestion (hence the highly cunning name). They are circular, brown biscuits with a slightly crumbly texture."

According to my dictionary (Chambers 20th Century): digestive bisciut is "A round, semi-sweet biscuit, the basic ingredient of which is meal."

I don't know a Graham Cracker but they are descirbed as being similar and it seems that one can be substituted for the other in recipies. My dictionary says that Ghram Crackers are made from Graham flour which is "a type of wheat flour similar to whole wheat flour" It's name comes from S Graham (1794-1851) who was a US dietician.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Brendy
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:03 AM

I was chuffed to see Mr. Tea make such a song and dance about the 'tea ritual'. I too drink copious quantities in a pint mug

I was particularly interested in your enjoyment of what is known as 'The Ulster Fry'. You have eaten, and imbibed, well in your time it would seem.!!

I have to register my appreciation for such a 'love' induced outburst, only adding that although I can't buy buttermilk here where I live ( I make it myself), I DO have a griddle, and I make the BEST Soda farls this side of Portadown.

B.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: sophocleese
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 12:43 PM

As somebody who has eaten both I can definitely say that Graham crackers and digestive biscuits are not the same at all. Graham crackers are less crumbly and have a stronger honey flavour to them. Digestive biscuits are more substantial and taste excellent with old white cheddar.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: sophocleese
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 01:00 PM

There is a recipe for digestive biscuits at this address. I have never tried it so I don't know how exactly they will taste but you might want to try it.

http://cookierecipe.com/az/DigestiveBiscuits.asp

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: JenEllen
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:28 PM

Have to side with Gypsy on the coffee wars. Try living in the Northwest US....one word, Starbucks......Going anywhere sans latte is frowned upon. Going to a CoffeeHut/Starbucks and ordering TEA is liable to get you shot. Then when your tea arrives, it is liable to be crap Lipton or something equally nauseating.

Lifesaver? In many commercial herbal teas, they have promotional gifts of tins. I carry one in my purse with bags of my fave tea. It's MUCH easier to just get the hot water.

Boil the water from the cold tap. Run a cup or so in the teapot to warm it, add the loose leaves to the teapot. Add boiling water to the pot. Throw a cozy over the pot to steep. Gather the mish-mash of friends, mugs, and biscuits. (I take a shot of fat-free milk and a touch of sugar-artificial sweetners disgust me) And MMario is right, a cup of tea made FOR you is that much sweeter.

~Elle

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: JenEllen
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 05:32 PM

Forgot the Faves!

Assam
Darjeeling
Irish/English Breakfast
Lifeboat
Earl Grey
Lemon

All brewed strong enough to take the plating off the sugar spoon.

~Elle

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 07:13 PM

"Bonny Dundee commemorates a battle between the Scots and the English, some centuries earlier" - the fighting was between Scots on both sides. Like it is most times... Like it is in Ireland most times. It's called "Divide and Rule".

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:54 PM

G'day Again,

McGrath of Harlow: I knew I should have looked that one up before posting! You can usually count on the Scots fighting the Poms ... but, if not, there's always other Scots.

(I have this problem with my ISP disconnecting if I don't post anything for 5 minutes, so I have to keep postings brief. I found somewhere to reset it but, in the anal-retentive way of all the latest programs, it reset to default next time I logged on.)

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: GUEST
Date: 15 Apr 00 - 11:57 PM

JenEllen,

Thanks for mentioning the tea cosy - an essential part of tea making eequipment.

Ok, Jon, now I know what they compare with in Oz, probably what is called a Wheatmeal biscuit here. For some reason I always imagined that they would be a fine white flour. We also have one called a Granita which is similar to the wheatmeal but a little bit sweeter.

sophocleese, thanks for the recipe link, I'll look it up. In one recipe I saw on the net it said to use Graham flour, which wasn't very helpful at all since I had no idea what sort of flour that is. Kind of a circular argument, like There's a Hole in the Bucket, trying to find the answer to the conundrum of digestive biscuits. It's the simplest things which are often the hardest to find out.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 09:42 AM

G'day Helen,

Of course the whole raison d'etre of the digestive biscuit was originally the 19th century, Victorian obsession with fine white flour from the new-fangled steam mill. Beautiful fine flour, air-light sponges. light bright bread ... no fibre ... and endemic constipation!

When you read Victorian publications, they are full of advertisements for what prove to be a bunch of laxatives and purgatives. Dr Graham and his colleaugues had realised that the real answer was a bit of roughage - and decided that the best way to administer it was in biscuit form. Some of the wheatmeal biscuits I have encountered make it clear that they thought of it as roughage ... not merely fibre!

Are you going to make it to the National Festival Helen?

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Megan L
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 12:35 PM

Twinings peasents all if you want quality tea regardless of type one has to get it from Thomsons of Glasgow.

I still stock up when I get the chance to get back.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 01:19 PM

"I have this problem with my ISP disconnecting if I don't post anything for 5 minutes" - I reckon Bob, you're not the only person with that problem on the Mudcat at times...

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: GUEST, Threadie
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 01:27 PM

Check yer 'disconnect if idle for more than...' in the advanced properties section of your Dial up connection. Or Un-check it as the case may be.

See does that do anything

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Caitrin
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 03:20 PM

Iced tea is just tea with ice. No fancy flavoring or any such stuff. It can be consumed sweetened or unsweetened. (Almost always sweet in the south, usually unsweetened in the north. Another N/S difference is that it's served year round here, but only seasonally up north. Makes sense, because I can't imagine drinking anything cold during a New York winter.) With good iced tea, the tea is brewed normally, and the sugar and ice are added at the end. Only heathens like Mbo drink the premade Nestea stuff. : )

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bill D
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 05:03 PM

regarding Lapsang Souchong...many years ago I worked at a 'coffee house'...and I was in charge of the tea...and we did it right--loose tea, boiling water..etc...(even before Twinings..remember "Ming" teas in the gold cans?)..anyway, one night a black man came in..(you think you've seen black? this man was BLACK!)...turns out he was from Madascar, and when he saw Laspang on the menu he became very agitated..."Please make me a pot", he said in this wonderful accent.."this is what we drink in my country, and I have not had it in years"...so I did, and he smiled. But in a bit he came up to the counter and asked, "I would like another pot,...but please make it twice as strong!"....so I did, and he BEAMED! He was positively thriving on double strength Lapsang Souchong...it was very nice to be able to help him recapture a bit of his homeland. (Seems he was related to the out-of-power ruling family, and was NOT welcome in the country at the time)

I can drink Lapsang and Earl Grey, though usually only as a blend with other good teas..(in addition to the usual ones mentioned, Szchewan, Yunnan, ChingWo...etc.)The one 'flavored' tea I really liked was a Lychee tea I found at an oriental grocery. I used to be able to but good loose teas in bulk here..(Wash DC area)but it is getting harder as Starbucks plugs coffee on every corner.

In defense, I have also learned to drink 'good' coffee, meaning fresh ground and exotic types of high quality whenever I can afford it.

(oh, as resident traditionalist curmudgeon, I also object to calling herbal infusions "tea"...*grin*)

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 16 Apr 00 - 11:52 PM

G'day Threadie:

I will do as you suggest - I did find the settings once before, but they seem to sneak back to default when I'm not looking (my home machine, not this one).

Who knows: This might be the cure for prolixity (McGrath of Harlow).

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 12:11 AM

We had a wonderful sunny day here in Colorado today, and I took advantage of the solar power to make "Sun Tea." This is an American form of Sun worship. We take a glass gallon container, fill with ice-cold water, drop in several bags of tea (I used one Tetleys and 2 PG Tips), then set it in a very sunny place. The tea is brewed not by heat, but by the rays of the Sun. The tea produced is very smooth and full-bodied without being sharp or tannic. Makes a terrific iced tea.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: GUEST
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 05:59 AM

Bob,

I won't be able to go to the National this year - other commitments. I had hoped but sadly 'tis not to be.

I'm hoping to get to the St Albans on 12th May but there is another commitment whcichmight stop me, unfortunately. I'm fighting it, though.

LEJ, I like the idea of the Sun Tea. I'll have to try that out.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Apr 00 - 02:25 PM

I was explaining how to make "Sun Tea" to some friends one day, and going on about how it works really well , but that you need sunny weather, whereas, on a cloudy day.....and one guy interrupted with perfect timing..."you can Tea forever!"..

maybe you hadda be there....

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: GUEST,JenEllen
Date: 18 Apr 00 - 12:25 PM

Thanks Leej....the cold winter almost drove the thought of sun-tea out of my mind forever. Have to go find that ol'gallon jug.
~Elle

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Gypsy
Date: 18 Apr 00 - 10:20 PM

Amazingly enough, you CAN do solar tea on a cloudy day...living in the northwest nowhere/US you learn to work with fog...just takes longer. But, a sunny day, and leaving the jug on the stainless table outside works really fast!

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: SINSULL
Date: 18 Apr 00 - 10:27 PM

OOLONG and PEPPERMINT From my English/Scottish mother: "Pot to the kettle, never kettle to the pot."

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Helen
Date: 22 Apr 00 - 07:11 PM

I just wanted to refresh this thread. Since we talked about tea, and how to make a good pot of tea I am enjoying my cups of tea even more, and when I make it and drink it I think of this discussion and the Mudcatters here on this thread. So, in a way it's like having tea with you all in cyberspace.

Also, I don't know what happened about the Mudcat Cookbook but it's obvious to me that we have to include a section on tea making: proper methods, what not to do, fun methods e.g. SunTea, recommended or not recommended varieties and brands including the love-it-or-hate it type like Earl Grey, recipes like Iced Tea, Sweet Tea, etc.

And another thought has struck me (ducking quickly for cover): coffee drinkers at work seem to drag themselves to the coffee pot for another fix, as if it were an addiction which drags their health in a downward direction, but tea drinkers seem to want tea because it is refreshing.

How's that for a controversial statement? I could be way off here and I am open to discussion. Any thoughts?

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Gypsy
Date: 23 Apr 00 - 12:51 AM

Oh aye, you're right. Perhaps because you can get the finest tea for half the cost of the finest coffee. Maybe that is part of the reason that tea drinkers are happy. Now, the burning question: Thompsons of Glasgow, Megan? Is it available in the states, or do you really have to swim for it?

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Helen
Date: 29 Apr 00 - 11:16 PM

I read an article in our local paper yesterday about an Australian company which does mail orders on teas, mostly from China. Read the evocative descriptions of the types of teas - it's just like reading wine bottle labels

http://www.gray-seddon-tea.com/

[Disclaimer: absolutely no connection to this company or website]

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: sophocleese
Date: 29 Apr 00 - 11:53 PM

Helen, thanks fo rthe link, it is fun to read. I start to wonder when I hear wine tasters etc. speaking about notes of chocolate, apricot whatever how they would describe those flavours. A lovely apricot with a faint after taste of good chardonnay.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: sophocleese
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 11:47 AM

GUEST,guest. I finally found a place where I could purchase Yorkshire Tea and you're right, it is a good cup of tea. Thanks for letting me know about it.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: flattop
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 11:51 AM

I hope that it smells better than that Lapdog Shoestring tea.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 12:26 PM

thanks for making me laugh so much
Bobs Earl grey song mainly but also the bizarre thought that people are doing internet searches for Digestive Biscuits (...Brain the size of a Planet and they want me to find Digestive Biscuits....)
And I love the thought of someone giving up Pot rather than warming one !!

Roger

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Roger in Sheffield
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 01:13 PM

thats enough refreshments for one day !

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Gervase
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 03:04 PM

But has anyone ever found out where the heck in Yorkshire they grow the bloody tea?
Two other good names to look out for in tea are Jacksons (speciality teas in a distinctive cube caddy with very plain labels - they do a very good jasmine and all the oolongs and pekoes you could want) and the Irish Bewley's label, which gives a dark red and really refreshing cup, especially when brewed extra strong with loads of sugar (put in first, so the tea pouring down onto it dissolves it all and avoids the need for a spoon) and uncastrated milk (put in last so you can guage the colour of the resulting pint mugful to the right shade of mahogany).
Sorry, this is worse than pornography - I'm going to have to go and brew a cup of tea...

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Peter K (Fionn)
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 03:34 PM

Helen, even if you added potato bread to Mr Tea's disgusting feast, it's still not an Ulster Fry unless the tea is Nambarrie - assembled from parts in Belfast, and the best you can get, among the tea-bag varieties. It's even creeping on to Tesco shelves in GB now.

In the states I could find any flavour of tea I wanted, but the hardest to find was tea tea. Bit like trying to find natural non-lowfat yoghourt. Or non-lowfat anything for that matter.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Helen
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 08:48 PM

Refresh....ing, isn't it, drinking this lovely cup of tea.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Sorcha
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 08:51 PM

No, please, no. Not Road Tar again......please help me. I've been kidnapped by a macadam crew.........send Yorkshire soon!

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Mark Cohen
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 09:21 PM

Here's another song about a nonalcoholic beverage....I suppose it could be reworked: Makin' Earl Grey?

Makin' Coffee

By the way, if anyone knows who wrote this, I'd be interested in knowing. I learned it from Redmond O'Connell in San Francisco.

Aloha,
Mark

Oh, and I love Lapsang Souchong! But I also like Guinness and dark bread and Kona coffee.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 10:15 PM

Tea simply requires a bit more attention to detail to do it 'right' than coffee, not really harder, but you can't cheat and cut corners as easily, as the taste difference between well made tea and cheap, carlessly done stuff is more noticable. You CANNOT let the water boil for 5-6 minutes and have decent tea, the oxygen is gone, and it is flat & insipid. You control strength by adjusting the quantity, not by length of steeping time...(some latitude here, but not a lot).

ahh....but when you get it JUST right!......

(and, I'm sorry, my friends, but some tea (Oolong for example)you NEVER, NEVER put milk in!...I use NO milk, but I suppose for some teas at some times....*sigh*)

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: RichM
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 11:26 PM

If you like Lapsang Souchong, you might like the peaty taste of Laphroaig Scotch whisky.
I was introduced to this at a performance, while I was waiting for the prior act to finish. It was a fiddler I was supposed to accompany, but whose sense of rythmn was so highly individual, that I couldn't play along with it.
So while waiting,I had several glasses of Laphroaig, then went on and performed the sailing song John Kanakanaka. This I prefaced with a ten minute florid and highly original introduction--or so my band mates told me!...
I don't remember much about it, unfortunately...
But I did like the Laphroaig!

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Jun 01 - 11:54 PM

hmmm...I like Lapsang often, but prefer my Scotch mostly NOT heavily peated...(I do like Talisker, which has an explosive flavor, but not much peat...prefer MacAllan's and Highland Park and several others)

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: Metchosin
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 12:32 AM

Great choice Bill! Highland Park is one of the grande dames of the world of scotch and less suited to coating piers and pilings than Laphroaig or Lagavulin.(ducking and running)

However, to do coffee right, one should take as much care or more than tea for a superb cup, and like some teas, coffee left to sit beyond five minutes is an abomination. Unfortunately a lot of people have never had any exposure to a really good cup of coffee.

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: roopoo
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 03:40 AM

When we had my dad's funeral party, I went to make another pot of tea, and was happily slinging bags into the pot when my mum informed me it was Darjeeling, and it brewed strong. Couldn't really taste any difference, but it was nice.

I like Rooibos, which is a South African tea, but it is somewhat relaxing, and sometimes I want to just curl up and sleep! I like Earl Grey, green tea (especially jasmine). Ian is now working in China and I have lots of different green teas. The trouble is, I can't read the packets. i always have green tea with Chinese food. One of my college friends from Singapore said it was always drunk with a meal to counteract the greasiness of the frying.

Andrea

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: The Walrus
Date: 30 Jun 01 - 07:36 AM

I must have missed this thread the first time around.

Lapsand Souchong, I can't stand it, I think it tastes rather like tea made with the water used to boil some inferior smoked fish, disgusting muck.

I'll go along with the Assam, Darjeeling point of view, with Earl Grey (black and unsweetened) getting an honourable mention if I'm in the mood, however, the BEST tea in the world (at the right time) is "gunfire", a standard market tea (like PG etc) served hot, strong and slightly stewed, with milk (condensed milk works, but I find it too sweet) and a large tot of dark rum in it. It may sound apalling to some, but in the middle of a field in the pre-dawn chill when you're trying to wake up, it's pure nectar.

Regards

Walrus

Subject: RE: BS: Lapsang Souchong
From: GUEST,Helen, on hubby's computer
Date: 30 May 02 - 08:03 AM

Sorry, I just had to revive this thread. I've just been sitting here for about half an hour re-reading it.

Something I learned and I have been testing out, about how to make coffee taste better: scald the milk a bit first.

Penny S (15-Apr-00 - 06:49 AM ) discussed this in relation to changing the taste of tea for the worse, but it seems to change the taste of coffee to the better.

The other thing I learned from Mudcat, on a thread about drinking hot chocolate - heat a bit of water with cocoa powder and stir it around a bit to release the chocolate flavour. Cocoa powder is actually greasy and if it isn't heated up a bit the cocoa remains gritty and the flavour is much less satisfying.

As a techno-Philistine, I have to confess that I use the microwave for both scalding the milk and heating up the cocoa/water mix. I'm also experimenting with scalding the milk for the hot chocolate too. It's not such an obvious difference as the coffee experiment, but I think that it does improve the taste a bit. (I have cut down my milk consumption radically over the last few years so I make cocoa with a cup of hot water and add a little milk, but now I make sure that the milk is scalded or heated.)

Helen