(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best tea beverages

Welcome to America, a land where you can choose whatever you want in the store as well as grow practically any food source in your back yard.

That sucks you don't like sucralose, it along with aspartame has helped millions of diabetic people able to taste something sweet on a regular basis without messing with their blood sugar. Aspartame is the most medically tested food chemical on the planet and has no side effects (except for diarrhea, upset stomach, and some other problems when ingested in extreme quantities - you'd have to be on an intravenous line of that stuff to get such a dosage.

Look, I'm not a huge fan of sucralose either, but to get sick off of it I'd have to completely replace my sugar intake with the stuff.

The reason we have large corporations providing food-stuffs for so many people is because there's money in it and they do a good job at it. People wouldn't buy stuff if it was toxic, heck, I stay away from brands if I didn't like the way I felt after eating it. The fact is food is full of chemicals, chemicals that are extremely awesome. Chemicals are everywhere, in fact I'd dare to say everything is a chemical, if a food says it's chemical free, it'd be lying since it has a chemical makeup, heck water is dihydrogen monoxide, salt is sodium chloride, baking soda is something something carbonate (sodium bicarbonate, ah I'm too tired to think about it).

It's not a perfect world, but if you live in America, you live in a country where you have a gazillion options, you can shop at trader joes, walmart, aldi, kroger, etc. There are tons of people who want to sell you exactly what you want at a quality and price that is absolutely incredible. That's why trader joes exists, without corporations, how would you get foodstuffs that you preferred, you'd only have limited options from "government sources".

Believe me, I've been to China, the food is cheap and it's mostly grown in peoples back yard, but when you're driving along and people are burning batteries next to their "farm" it makes you a bit weary about where your food is coming from.

The only suggestion I have is to avoid anything "diet" since it has artificial sweetener, and get yourself some delicious tea, try this: http://www.amazon.com/Davidsons-Tea-Gunpowder-Green-1-Pound/dp/B000SATIFA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405136542&sr=8-1&keywords=gunpowder+green I'm still going through my Chinese tea, but I hear this stuff is pretty good, plus they're "organic" which means the chinese tea farm "claims" they are. Ha-ha. It's still delicious regardless, just rinse off the tea with a bit of cold water right before you steep it.

Oh and if you're looking for tea that is extremely good for you, but tastes really weird, check out this: http://www.amazon.com/Cruz-Malta-Kilo-Yerba-Mate/dp/B001UO90BA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1405136831&sr=8-3&keywords=yerba+mate it has a strangely sweet taste, like a grainy sweet taste. It's apparently good for the skin and what-not. I'm not a fan of it, but it is super good for you. (Cleared up some foot fungus and skin condition for someone I know. They tried all sorts of organic cures, but this was the only one that worked)

So chill a bit and relax. Why not head over to a random store and pick up some nectarines, I bought 7 for $1.50 at Aldi, I'm sure they're probably GMO, but they are insanely delicious, crisp, affordable, and guaranteed safe to eat, otherwise the company would get sued to oblivion.

Edit: Sorry for the long writeup, but I'm a bit tired at the moment.

What a fun contest!

1. What's a birthday without cards? Pretty ones even:) Added to my Cave of Wonders wishlist on July 10.
   
   
2. I've got nothin :/
   
   
3. Ooh... I've got probably close to 60 of those to choose from. How about [this one] (http://www.amazon.com/DramaContemporary-Hungary-Books-Eugene-Brogyanyi/dp/1555540546/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1143OIB90TSSU&coliid=IGO9DFBZKV5ZA) about Hungarian plays? It's on my Booked with bargains list because used copies start at a penny. It's also on my Geeking out list, added July 12.
   
   
4. H'mm, I have something that's so awesome [it doesn't need an eating utensil to use!] (http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-51101B-Personal-Blender/dp/B0017XHSAE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=IBCF1BBG8UQ5H) A blender that transforms into a travel mug is nothing short of magical. And this one was added to my geeking out list on July 12.
   
   
5. An animal that serves as a tea companion is the [best sort of animal] (http://www.amazon.com/Kikkerland-Monkey-Infuser-Drip-Tray/dp/B005SQ4BJW/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I3UICS49GSTJLJ). This monkey tea infuser was added to my geeking out list on July 6.
   
   
   
6. SQUEE. Best color ever. Take [that] (http://www.amazon.com/Tovolo-80-6100PL-Purple-Tea-Infuser/dp/B000G34EXA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I3PE33RG7P10TP) (purple tea infuser June 3 cave of wonders) and [that] (http://www.amazon.com/Paper-Mate-Retractable-Ballpoint-35830/dp/B001B0DCSU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I3AM1W644F6QCA) (purple ink pens Cave of Wonders July 10) and [this] (http://www.amazon.com/Amethyst-Gemstone-Beads-Purple-Inches/dp/B002696YHG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I34UR3X5LMFOLE) (purple beads July 26 fun sized list) and [POW] (http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Rollerball-Retractable-Purple-PIL26071/dp/B0013CKDVK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I15QGVSYNUVTKR) (another purple pen fun sized July 10) and [WOW] (http://www.amazon.com/TopCase-Metallic-PURPLE-Macbook-Unibody/dp/B0040BLOZU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I3AAZB1THZQHKZ) (purple computer case geeking out added July 7).
   
   
   
7. A little game I like to call [sorting neat facts in a world that makes sense] (http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Posh-Logic-100-Puzzles/dp/0740778609/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=QIOVI9G7K472&coliid=I2IGINW5WZS3K1), otherwise known as logic puzzles! Added May 30 to Puzzled and Poetic
   
   
8. My guilty pleasure would be good deals on shoes. This isn't necessarily a good deal but [they're cute!] (http://www.amazon.com/Military-Combat-Fold-over-Multiple-natural/dp/B00BFMCN98/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2KZTB0H1P6VLH&coliid=IBK6GKPEQ9ZHX&psc=1)
   
   
9. This would be a [tool for learning] (http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Basic-Skills-Board/dp/B000NVBE10/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2SXK6EXO51EGC&coliid=I1JUL7SJ6EWSH1) added June 26 to Student Resources.
   
   
10. I don't know about you, but my childhood coincided with the BOOM in gel pens [similar to these] (http://www.amazon.com/Sakura-58350-10-Piece-Assorted-3-Dimensional/dp/B000LR4ZDA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I2DY1WDG2BV378) added to my geeking out list July 12.
    
    
11. These [handy cards] (http://www.amazon.com/Fancy-Pants-Designs-Collection-Journaling/dp/B009EEF36O/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I164DKZ2CB4CV3) are to help organize my journal entries- added to geeking out on July 12.
    
    
12. One of my hobbies is jewelry making, and [this is a chain] (http://www.amazon.com/shipping-16-Vintage-Antique-Twisted-Chains-Jewelry/dp/B00AIKTSX2/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I172SEPLDWH9I5) to incorporate in said hobby- added to geeking out July 13
    
    
13. All right, how's research on [another country's textbooks] (http://www.amazon.com/Textbook-Reds-Schoolbooks-Ideology-Post-Communist/dp/0271058560/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2KZTB0H1P6VLH&coliid=I2M3GLH2G3KYAA) for nerdy? Added to Booked with bucks on July 9.
    
    
14. Ain't nothing more natural than me and [my tea] (http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Decaf-Spiced-Peach-Tea/dp/B00081H3BA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=IDESGPH15UE82) (ignoring the fact that I don't actually own this kind of tea) added to Geeking out July 12
    
    
15. Speaking of [tea and green] (http://www.amazon.com/Harney-Sons-Coconut-Vanilla-Sachets/dp/B00796KNHS/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1R9P80O1URJSU&coliid=I2UWULYHAV7V4Y) here's something added to cave of wonders just yesterday
    
    
16. If [this hat] (http://www.amazon.com/Womens-Cloche-Bucket-128SH-Brown/dp/B00AAVT7XA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=16Q1M9X9GOLAF&coliid=I5GBSKLYUIN0H&psc=1) were mine, it would indeed be worn! Added to geeking out July 12.
    
    
17. Funny? (stares blankly and humorlessly) Oh wait! [There's this] (http://www.amazon.com/How-Survived-Communism-Even-Laughed/dp/0393030768/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1143OIB90TSSU&coliid=I2BSGBOA78R0S0) Added July 26 to booked with bargains
    
    
18. [More purple beads!] (http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Pearls-Czech-Round-Purples/dp/B00B5DBYCE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I3122TPXZTZMMI) added to fun sized list back in March.
    
    
19. Gardening? [My flowers] (http://www.amazon.com/Lucite-Cabochons-Ivory-Yellow-Flower/dp/B002UGWX5C/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=2AWRGPWU7U5BD&coliid=I13QBBKH7U4RRU) happen to be more of the glue on variety ;) Added in March to fun sized list.
    
    
20. SIGH. I'm terrible with "favorites" questions. This one no this one no this one should be my motto. Or that one or that one or that one. Can't decide.
    
    Edit: after almost an hour of hunting down this list, I forgot to include the raffle phrase! Happy happy cake day! :) Hope it was a good one!

That is a very reliable way to produce a healthy SCOBY. If you're seeing some good activity, it may be unnecessary but a fresh batch of tea with sugar and a bottle of plain store bought kombucha will be perfect for sure. In case you're reading something different, here is my recipe for my base batch of sweetened tea (using black tea):

1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil
   
2. Remove from heat and stir in 35 grams of loose leaf black tea (cover with lid)
   
3. Steep for 4 minutes, stirring once at 2 minutes
   
4. Strain into clean fermenting vessel
   
5. Add 1 cup of sugar and mix until dissolved
   
6. Add another 8 cups of cold water
   
7. Leave in ice bath or on counter until temp drops to 72-75
   
8. Add two cups of starter tea (now you're at a full gallon)
   
9. Wash hands and rinse SCOBY under cool tap water to remove excess yeast/bacteria
   
10. Add SCOBY to tea and cover with appropriate cloth cover
    
11. Ferment at 72-75.
    
12. Taste a spoon/straw full each day beginning at about 5 days. If it's not tart enough, let it go another day and taste again. For me, a week is perfect. Just like with beer, an ambient temp that's higher will ferment faster and the reverse is true also.
    
13. Once you have it to your tartness preference, pour off two cups for your next batch.
    
14. Mix any juice flavorings into the remaining tea.
    
15. Bottle and let it sit for another 3 days to carbonate.
    
    A few additional tips while I'm at it:
    
    

• Take a clean plastic jug (mine was a leftover apple juice jug from making cider) and pour in 8 cups of water. Using a Sharpie, mark the water line. Going forward, after each batch, fill the jug to the water line and throw it in the fridge. When you get to your next batch, use that water in the steps above. The colder water will drop your temp faster.
  
  
• I sanitized everything the first time I made kombucha. I never did it again after that and I've never had a problem. Save yourself this step and in the rare instance that you have a bad (i.e. moldy) batch, pour it out and toss out the SCOBY. Grab a new one from your SCOBY hotel.
  
  
• I get organic tea and organic sugar from Amazon. They're cheaper and delicious. (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GA0QVMA)(https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B006CVNF2G)
  
  
• I'm thinking about purchasing a relatively large hop sock to put my loose leaf tea in. I want it to have plenty of room to move around but filtering the leaves after steeping is a bit of a pain in the ass.
  
  
• If you add flavor adjuncts directly into the bottles (like crystalized ginger), make sure to cut it small enough that it will still come out after swelling. I've made this mistake.
  
  
• Invest in clear EZ Cap bottles. They're easy and they look nice with the colored kombucha.
  
  Good luck!
  
  

Hello fellow tea drinking migraineur! I would offer two thoughts (both with the caveat of 'ymmv'). First, coffee gives me migraines but tea does not. Not sure why, but it might be worth trying some caffeinated tea on a weekend.

Second, it might be worth looking into cold brewing tea. Cold brewing lowers the caffeine content and is a godsend for summer anyway. I drink most of my black tea coldbrewed and green tea hot.

I would also recommend exploring the world of tisanes which won't have caffeine. My favorites right now are chrysanthemum and good old fashioned chamomile, but if you want something less 'sleepy' you might want to try some of Celestial Seasonings or Tazo's offerings at the grocery store--they are very drinkable and could help you decide what you like going forward :)

I second the recommendations for houjicha, and you could also take a look at barley tea. Both are great cold-brewed, and have a bit of the nutty, smokey flavor that reminds me of coffee.

!!

Getting started with matcha is so awesome! I've been drinking it in the morning with breakfast for almost a full year now, and knock on my fake-wood desk, I haven't gotten sick at all (except for that one sinus infection when I stopped drinking it for two weeks...whoops).

I think you are selling yourself short if taste isn't as important to you. I feel high quality matcha is better for you, but maybe I'm just overthinking things. I would give this one a shot since it claims to be ceremonial grade, it's 4oz, AND it's barely over $20. That sounds like a steal.

I have matcha every morning. Tea ceremony purists would probably faint over my routine, but it's pretty quick for me and it still tastes lovely.

Tools:

• A little sifter/strainer/whathaveyou
  
  
• Chasen whisk and chashaku scoop (I prefer to use the chashaku scoop over the little spoon because I find it's easier to scoop out of my matcha tins.)
  
  
• Big ol' soup mug - You don't need a fancy schmancy special bowl. My mug is some weird soup mug from the 70s with Garfield on it.
  
  
• Matcha powder! (This one is my favorite, but it might be too much money if you're just getting started)
  
  __
  
  

1. Take your clunky soup cup and fill it with hot water. I use hot tap water. Let it sit in the sink.
   
   
2. Put the kettle on to boil. When it has reached a boil, pour the water into a one-cup liquid measuring cup and let it sit.
   
   
3. While the hot water is sitting, remove your cup from the sink, dry the inside with a paper towel.
   
   
4. Place your strainer atop your tea cup. Take out your matcha tea and scoop as much as you'd like onto the strainer. Here I use the chashaku scoop to press it against the strainer. This is what breaks up the clumps, leaving me with very fine, powdery matcha.
   
   
5. By the time you've finished adding the powder to your cup, the hot water in the measuring cup should be ready. Keep in mind you want the water to be between 155-180F in temperature.
   
   
6. Pour in the hot water and whisk it to death until it's lovely and frothy.
   
   
7. While waiting for it to cool (if you're like me and are a wuss), eat your breakfast!

Try tea. There are TONS of flavors to try. I'm becoming addicted to it myself. There is a good deal on amazon where you get a bunch of different flavors of tea for like $15. That one is just Stash brand, but I like it the best out of the two I have gotten. Some are caffeine free, but the others have it in there. It's a good deal to figure out what flavors you might like and then you can order the ones you like online in full packs.

Hello, fellow Yorkshire Tea drinker!

I've found that most expat shops do stock Yorkshire tea, but all of them at truly exorbitant prices (usually more expensive than ordering from the UK or getting friends to send it over).

If you're determined, I recommend this bag from Amazon: 3kg / 1200 teabags for £25. Total including delivery came to £25.50, which means it's cheaper per bag than in Tesco.

The teabags are the same as normal, but be aware than 1200 is more than you think: plan on somewhere to store them, preferably airtight, for the year it'll take you to drink them all!

Good luck!

2 suggestions - if you think herbal teas might be OK:

• Get that an assortment pack of Celestrial Seasons, probably the fruit sampler. It has some nice teas in it. I would probably give them 2 boxes. Some of the flavors are really nice.
  
• Pick a few boxes of Tazo Tea or Similar brands to give them. Pick some nice flavors you know taste good. Some of these might be a bit unusual for Japan, and might be appreciated.
  
  
  Some nice flavors:
  https://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Leaf-Tea-Chamomile-Pouches/dp/B00MFNF1DG/ref=sr_1_19?crid=1FF2UHC653LI1&keywords=chamomile+citrus+tea&qid=1557388367&s=gateway&sprefix=citrus+tea%2Caps%2C213&sr=8-19
  
  Chamomile Citrus
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Tazo-Sweet-Cinnamon-Spice-Herbal/dp/B01DUHOJ10/ref=sr_1_18?keywords=tazo+tea&qid=1557388252&s=gateway&sr=8-18
  
  https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Seasonings-Herbal-Cinnamon-Apple/dp/B000E65OII/ref=sr_1_3?crid=K9HFVYX578D9&keywords=cinnamon+apple+spice+tea&qid=1557388553&s=gateway&sprefix=cinamon+apple%2Caps%2C216&sr=8-3
  ^___
  Celestrial Seasons
  https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Seasonings-Herbal-Fruit-Sampler/dp/B000E63LME/ref=sr_1_3?crid=9LRYUAQCVEBN&keywords=celestial%2Bseasonings%2Bfruit%2Btea%2Bsampler%2C%2B18%2Bcount&qid=1557388663&s=gateway&sprefix=Celestial%2BSeasonings%2Bfr%2Caps%2C223&sr=8-3&th=1
  
  If it were me, I would also buy a box of some of these flavors from this sampler:
  
  Country Peach, Razzberry Zinger, Black Cherry (all really good). Lemon Zinger tea is also excellent.

My two cents here, as I have some experience with the matcha sold on amazon --
There is a metric shitload of matcha sold on amazon. Most of it is going to be pretty bad quality. Just as a note, 'culinary grade' might sound perfect, but culinary grade is the lowest grade of matcha (the highest grade is ceremonial grade).

Unless you're a tea snob, which you clearly aren't, that's not necessarily a problem. As long as it really is matcha and isn't altered (hard to know with some of the companies tbh -- i know that some companies, for instance, put in artificial coloring to make their matcha appear the right color), matcha is pretty good for you. It is high in caffeine (more than tea), but it is very high in antioxidants, chlorophyll, etc. Basically, any of the good stuff that you find in brewed tea, youll find more of it in matcha, since youre basically consuming the entire leaf.

Quality matcha obviously tastes a lot better than low quality matcha. One very noticable difference between shite quality culinary grade and good quality ceremonial grade, is that the lower quality stuff is much much more liable to tastes very bitter, and the better stuff will be more likely to taste slightly sweet, umami, vegetal. (see the oolongbowl.com link posted below -- as reviewer says, some of them are "1/10 SO BITTER OMG!" haha)

There are a few ways to prepare matcha, but it's pretty simple to make.

I have had this stuff and it's great.

Oh man, twin, that sucks. My favorite "home remedy/herbal thingie" is Gypsy Cold Care tea. The link is a jumbo pack from amazon that I totally bought because I love it for when I'm sick. It's sold in individual packs at grocery stores and probably elsewhere online. I start drinking it when I feel a cold coming on. I seriously believe it helps reduce the intensity and duration of colds. And it makes my throat/sinuses feel better when I'm drinking it. AND it tastes good. I can't deal with throat coat tea. Makes me wanna hurl.

Also, I still really like Airborne for the vitamin aspect of it. And Emergen-C.

Oh, and if it's meds you're after, I stand by DayQuil liquid. It's gotta be the liquid. Shit works. The capsules are good, too, but the liquid works more efficiently (in my non-MD, completely layman's opinion).

I hope you feel better soon.

Avoid added sugars. You want your body burning lean and clean, and sugar is just empty calories with no nutritional benefit. Read the ingredients: does it contain high fructose corn syrup? Read the nutritional facts: is the "added sugars" entry in the double digits? If the answer to either of these questions is "yes," just don't. Reducing sugar consumption is the place to start.

I could say, if it helps you get through the day, I could say, maybe just a little to treat yourself. This regimen is goal oriented, this is not a walk in the park, no half measures. You can either do the work and reach your goals or you can waste your time deluding yourself that you and you alone are able to defeat basic chemistry and biology and spin your wheels wondering why nothing is working. Increasing sugar intake leads to body weight gain, and sugar reduction leads to body weight loss, flat out.

You know what I love? Herbal tea! I buy bulk loose hibiscus, that shit's delicious and healthy! I drink it hot, people tell me they love it cold, you really can't go wrong! I make another blend, peppermint, raspberry leaf, and chamomile. Also, fucking delicious! And I don't add a single thing to it, no sugar no dairy, just hot water and plants.

> gs per gallon of water. I'm doing it again this time and my second ferment I'm mixing a couple bottles with ginger and a few more with strawberries to liven it up, though it was awesome without.

Oh that sounds nice and cheap! Is it organic?

As for the flavors - I found Amazon has some great stuff in terms of herbs. I'm sharing in case you or anyone else is interested:

• Raspberry Leaf:http://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Raspberry-Certified-Organic-Ounce/dp/B001VNGO9G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1381112175&sr=8-3&keywords=raspberry+leaf
  
• Lavender Flower:http://www.amazon.com/Starwest-Botanicals-Organic-Lavender-Flowers/dp/B003AYEHIO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381112157&sr=8-1&keywords=lavender
  
• Hibiscus Flower:http://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Hibiscus-Flowers-Sifted-package/dp/B0012BY1NI/ref=pd_sim_hpc_21
  
  

I hear ya, but if you ever feel like trying something new, check this out. It’s really delicious.

Tealyra - Imperial Jasmine Dragon Pearls - Loose Leaf Green Tea - Jasmine Green Tea with Pleasant Aroma and Tonic Effect - 113g (4-ounce) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CPBS2E8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_YCQSCb5G1Y6WC



And here’s a cheap easy little tea pot and cup. I used both to get off energy drinks at work. I teaspoon of tea, and fill it up with almost boiling water. Then let it sit for like a minute or two. You can steep it again a bunch of times.

AliArchery Portable Tea Set Handmade Kung Fu Ceramic Tea for One Set-Teapot & Tea cup https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GGTP8TJ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_JEQSCbEDT5SGV

It’s crazy good, and I wasn’t a fan of tea at all before this.

Hah, you helped me make up my mind; I'm probably going to see if I can find a big container of powdered green tea.

I was looking around on Amazon last night and found this -

http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-10/dp/B001F10XUU/

10oz for $20, a great deal over $10 for 1.5oz, right? It is actually a different product, but if I am to use it in cooking, it will taste functionally the same, but a tiny bit more bitter. The grade of green tea that I would feel comfortable measuring 2 heaping tbsp of would be this not ceremonial-grade maccha but "Hunmatsu-RyokuCha" powder.

I want to use a lot more, because I LOVE the flavor of green tea. I am also an old Starbucks green tea frappuccino junkie. :)

When you buy tea in bulk it isn't all that expensive, maybe only $0.10 per cup at cost to you. With cheap prices you can allow risky purchases as well as making a profit. With Amazon Prime you can cheaply buy lots of fairly good teas in bulk.

1LB Assam Black Tea, $18

1LB Irish Breakfast Tea, $17

1LB Ginger ORange Peach Black, $19

Figuring that each pound of tea makes 150 cups, and you can re seep the leaves once more for a strong flavor you get 300 cups of tea per pound.

For Irish Breakfast Tea you spend roughly $0.06 per cup under the second seep method. You can charge $0.25 and selling 1LB of tea would get you $75, four times the amount of money you spent on your initial purchase.

---

You don't want to start too big though. At $0.25 per cup people would have to be stupid not to buy it, at least that's what they'd think. But you're going to need to advertise and get the word out. You don't want to spend $100 on tea and realize that certain flavors aren't very popular, or realizing that 300 cups of tea sells out sooner than you expect with hundreds of students, or not selling enough tea to double seep your tea.

You also have logistics to worry about, such as how will you be preparing the tea? Will you make it on the spot, or keep it going thought the day? Will you only be doing it on your break? For preparing the tea I'd recommend an electric kettle. I'd also look into finding something to keep the tea warm.

For advertising you always have loud speaker announcements and the student newspaper, but it would be best to prepare for demand by sampling that demand.

---

Take some tea from home, brew it and sell it and see if people buy it. If people are interested, if people are coming back then expand the operation and start advertising. Tell people about how much healthier tea is than coffee. Tell them that you only charge $0.25 (or whatever number you chose) over Starbuck's $3. Hell, sell the "Star's Buck" deal for $3 and offer a prepayment good for 15 cups of tea, that's a hell of a good deal verses going to the coffee shop.

---

Depending on how many customers you have to offer you might start doing some other things too. Charging a quarter per cup you might take inventory of students names and let them pre pay. Steve pays $5 and is good for 20 cups of tea. Sell specialty teas besides black and green for higher prices, offer them as premium teas.

Also some questions you have to ask yourself: hours, are you going to have someone there during the entire school day? Boiling water, seeping tea maybe takes 7 minutes, do you customers have 7 minutes just to get their tea? What about mugs? Do they drink on the spot or bring their own?

single source Ceylon - it's the king of the blacks.
https://www.amazon.com//dp/B00TECVBHG
a Nilgiri blend like Ceylon - but on a budget;
https://www.amazon.com//dp/B001VIIXXQ
one of the best black blends in the business;
https://www.amazon.com//dp/B003H7KV8Y/
if you like blacks, you may like a dark oolong;
https://www.amazon.com//dp/B011WP5970

You can get a bunch of huge sampler packs on amazon for pretty reasonable: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B010TYDF7G/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_ocGYAbREA5T6F Stash is my favorite too! That licorice flavor is the best.

That's how I feel about coffee. If you have not tried Chai, please do as it tastes awesome.

I got a red tea version (rooibos tea) and my TBM wife even drinks it along with all the kids. I prefer the black tea version as I feel it has stronger health benefits, plus it's the one against the WOW.

1. From my perspective, you missed random postings by me to the daily thread. I did see a little drama in the daily one day, but I think it caught my interest for no good reason. Lots of new people!
   
   
2. Um, to be honest, I saw you around from time to time over the last few days. I didn't comment, but I did notice a comment on the husband's day thread about your daughter's bday party -- how are you still going to pull that off after being sick? I, too, was sick, so you were probably here less than usual and that I did not notice because I, too, was here less than usual.
   
   
3. I have missed everyone lately. For example, you, /u/allergictoapples, /u/missxjulia, /u/flyingfresian, /u/giggidywarlock. Actually, I don't know these people well but I don't think I know anyone here very well.
   
   
4. one two three four tell the people what she wore! it was an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini!
   
   
5. Tea for Colds. I used the same brand, but their "Throat Coat" tea while I was sick.
   
   Glad you are feeling better!!

This one has great reviews :3! Ive tried some of their other teas and theyve all been pretty great :D
http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Assam-Tea-Positively-LLC/dp/B00GA0QVMA/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1417999763&sr=8-4&keywords=black+loose+leaf+tea

The FDA (if you're in the US) has approved all four commonly used methods of decaffeination, including using methylene chloride and ethyl acetate. Trace amounts, that is to say little to none, of these compounds are left after the decaffeination process and there are not any studies that show any increased risk of adverse health outcomes from ingesting tea decaffeinated by these processes. So I wouldn't worry about "safety", considering all of the methods approved for use are safe :)

Personally, I love YamamotoYama's sushi bar style green tea. It has a very clean matcha-like taste, and it's one of the brands with a low caffeine content (~11 mg per 8 oz of tea brewed for 3 minutes, but you'll get less caffeine if you treat it right and just pour over hot water and don't let it steep, much sweeter flavor with less steeping). You can find it on Amazon here.

Maybe make your own black tea at home and add lemon juice? You can add sweeteners if you like. Skinny/sugar free syrups are good in coffee/tea too! Tazo Dessert Delights Tea
tazo tea has lemon loaf, vanilla macaron and butterscotch Blondie flavors too!

You know, I don’t know why I never thought to get one before. I have been making hot tea a lot because we ended up buying some local honey recently, and it’s amazing. The lady who sold it said her farm has a lot of peaches, and I swear this is the best tasting honey I’ve ever had. I ordered this tea to make with it, and I add a little heavy cream.

Right now I have just been boiling water in a pot to make it. So this would absolutely get used. Thanks for the contest!

Could I recommend some more natural stuff?
chamomile if you like teas.

This really helps before bed, migraines, restless legs.
& This for a super stressful day.

Here's a thread with several suggestions, and I can tell you what I've tried:

• Ito En Mugi-Cha (Japanese roasted barley tisane) – 1 liter tea bags that can be cold-brewed. This is the only mugi-cha that I've tried, so I couldn't say how it compares. But I enjoy it! 54 teabags for $8.59 link
  
• Davidson's Organics Earl Grey with Lavender – A bit rough for me to drink straight, but I enjoy it with (soy) milk. $14.61 for 16oz link
  
• A bunch of Harney teas are offered on Amazon. link

This one is for $4, but it's an add-on. This is a pretty good deal too.

You know what you need? You need a good cup of tea. It'll relax you and make you feel better in general. Which is something we all need

I don't know about the same effect, but this (http://www.amazon.com/Cruz-Malta-Kilo-Yerba-Mate/dp/B001UO90BA/ref=sr_1_33?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1422202348&sr=1-33&keywords=yerba+mate) gave me some crazy energy when I brewed it like coffee. I just treated as if it was regular auto-drip ground coffee. The energy "jump" took a while to kick in but once it did, it was very noticeable and lasted a long time. You need to drink it early in the morning (8 am?) so that you get a boost around 10am. But that boost lasts all day long. I eventually had to stop drinking it because I read that prolonged drinking of mate tea might be related to esophageal cancer, and I didn't want to chance it. But you should try it at least once. They drink it all the time in Argentina.

I picked this up at an organic grocery store. I think its delicious. Might be more traditional than you want if you're coming from Starbucks or Teavana but it tastes really nice. It has a little scoop inside. Last a long time.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0049K99RW?pc_redir=1411127139&robot_redir=1

I'm going to guess this would make me pretty posh (wishywishy)

Never seen in public with this because... trying to be an upstanding non-cussing citizen in public. (coffee cups)

This kind of looks like a ball? That's phallic right...?(add ons)

Most geeky. Game of Thrones is geeky? Hmm (wishywishy)

For my goal of drinking all the coffee (coffeecups)

Best item to bring to deserted island- keep hair out of the way(wishywishy)

Yall are awesome <3

My daily Earl Grey is loose Numi Organic, has been for years.
Also really liking a few varieties from Positively Tea Organic,
both off Amazon.

Numi Organic Tea Gunpowder Green, 16 Ounce Pouch of Bulk Premium Loose Leaf Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EVK0AI2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xjITCbZGPWVJY.
Positively Tea Company, Organic Pinhead Green https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SRTD2SI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5lITCb85T0A0A

Probably depends on the person, but I've always found green tea calms me but does not make me sleepy. I've never gotten the same calming effect with white, oolong, or black teas. Of course none of those teas should make you sleepy either because they have caffeine. I'll drink this gunpowder green tea for that reason.

You might try a full, strong black tea (Yorkshire Gold is great for this) if you really want something easier on your stomach. This helps me not crave coffee on the days I do but for whatever reason don't want to drink it.

Add-on.

My favorite thing about the season is a white Christmas. Bring on the snow! Sadly, my immediate area usually just gets rain.

Thanks and holly jolly.

I work at Starbucks and we use 2% milk (default), chai tea concentrate (Water, Black Tea, Cardamom, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cloves, Natural Flavours, Star Anise), Sugar, Honey, Ginger Juice, Natural Flavours, Vanilla, Citric Acid) and ice for the drink.

You can make it with any kind of presweetened chai tea concentrate like Tazo’s Classic Chai Tea Latte Concentrate (https://www.amazon.com/Tazo®-Chai-Tea-Latte-Concentrate/dp/B000T3KTJA).

Blue Lotus Chai. It's very very strong! And a little goes a long ways. I think it's worth the price. https://www.amazon.com/Masala-Chai-Blue-Lotus-Gluten-Free/dp/B0049K99RW?th=1

I have also found Numi, Positively Tea, and (higher end) Tealyra. Any of those seem like good options?

Morthy's

Old Englishman-ish: Tea?

Most Phallic: Lucid Dreams Scent Inhaler


Akeleie's

Goal: This would help me achieve my goal. But is freaking ridiculously expensive.


Deserted Island: This scarf 'cause I could wrap my head and protect it from the sun, and if I get too hot I can pee in it and use the evaporation to cool my head.
I may have watched a few too many survival shows

I'm Chinese-American, I didn't start to like tea until I had some quality loose leaf tea from China or Japan. First time I had it, I was blown away by the difference in quality. Jasmine Green Tea is probably my favorite. [Something like this] (https://smile.amazon.com/Tealyra-Imperial-Jasmine-Pleasant-4-ounce/dp/B00CPBS2E8/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=jasmine%2Bgreen&qid=1550510859&s=gateway&sr=8-9&th=1) with full leaves. Chinese have good black teas too (In Chinese it's actually called red tea, black tea in Chinese refers to pu'er tea, which is probably the most expensive).

Yorkshire Tea. It is the BEST.

>chamomile, ginger, cinnamon, apple pieces and natural flavors

How about the Stash version, seems quite close: https://www.amazon.com/Stash-Tea-Chamomile-packaging-Individual/dp/B003D4IYQC?th=1

Alternatively, consider brewing the Egyptian chamomile and a ginger tea together. Apple/ginger is a nice taste:

1. Herbal Apple Ginger tea
   
2. Celestial Apple Ginger tea

Try this.

This tea is delicious. It's mild and doesn't have a sharp, bitter taste common in most teas from teabags. You don't even need sugar. I can't stand bottled green tea because it's so sweet. All I can taste is the sugar in it.

While I certainly don't vouch for the effectiveness of a lot of the products from the natural cures category, I have found one that (based on my own experience) works surprisingly well:

https://www.amazon.com/Traditional-Medicinals-Gypsy-Herbal-Wrapped/dp/B0009F3POE

Officially, the government's position is that there has been some indication that it is effective, but more research is needed.

SEE: https://nccih.nih.gov/health/euroelder

The best way to consume theanine is drinking green tea, as theanine is found most abundantly in the tea plant. The strongest green tea is matcha. Matcha is a finely powdered form of green tea. The powder is mixed into hot water and in this way the tea leaf itself is consumed. Matcha has many health benefits, of which theanine is merely one. Theanine is valuable to us because it binds with caffeine, and while our brains have many receptors of caffeine, which allow us to experience a caffeine rush (and subsequent crash), the brain has relatively few receptors for theanine. As a result, the theanine-caffeine bond can only be broken as quickly as the theanine can be processed, which results in much of the caffeine of the tea being sequestered by the theanine until it can be processed. Humans feel this as an 4 hour elevation of mood and concentration, with no crash following this period. More matcha, longer period of alertness.

In addition to being a theanine and caffeine powerhouse, one cup of matcha can have as much antioxidant EGCG as over 130 cups of traditionally steeped green tea.

I drink matcha regularly and enjoy it mixed with hot water and a splash of milk/honey, or mixed without water into hot milk and honey. Health information can be found here. High-quality matcha is extremely expensive, but I purchase low-quality in buk from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Matcha-Premium-Ceremonial-Grade/dp/B004DJD0DS

so, I did that google search for you.

This one is the absolute best you can get in the West, and it is probably cheaper than the Teavana one.

http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-10/dp/B001F10XUU/

I got this one and it is great for making lattes.

Yorkshire tea is my favorite. I get this massive box on Amazon in the US: https://www.amazon.com/Taylors-Harrogate-Yorkshire-Red-Teabags/dp/B007NIC6FE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=BF8SEQCHJEVC&keywords=yorkshire+tea&qid=1558462142&s=gateway&sprefix=yorkshire%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

A few notes:

• Amazon sells high volumes for pretty cheap, but this is not Matcha. It is still powdered green tea, but it is a chinese blend. Matcha is Japanese in the same way that Champagne comes from Italy France (fuck).
  
• Matcha lasts a long time. Don't be followed by the 1-2oz tins. You use a dinky spoonful per cup.
  
• Mix it with a whisk. Add a little water at first, whisk until lumps are gone, then add more water as you prefer

This is a good one..

And you'll need one of these too.

You don't need a gourd unless you really just want one. I use a regular coffee mug.

This one seems safe, I think?
http://www.amazon.com/Matcha-Green-Tea-Powder-10/dp/B001F10XUU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1342760466&sr=8-1&keywords=matcha

> Konacha

Oh I see. Like this?

It seems so much easier to make compared to matcha, is the price difference just for the taste/quality?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049K99RW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I haven't recieved it yet, don't know if its any good.

Do what I did.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004QPHXL4

I can't think of a single decision I've made in my life that was better than that one.

It's good stuff. Hopefully this isn't breaking the rules, but here is a link. I bet you can find it in your local grocery store.

https://www.amazon.com/Celestial-Seasonings-Herbal-Cinnamon-Apple/dp/B000E65OII/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1548690323&sr=8-3&keywords=apple+cinnamon+tea

lucky 13

Tea

I highly recommend red raspberry leaf tea, I get mine here. It essentially makes life feel normal during that time of the month, at least in my experience.

Have you tried the Tazo Chai Latte mix (http://www.amazon.com/Tazo-Chai-Latte-Concentrate/dp/B000T3KTJA) ? I usually add milk to that and warm it on the stove top.

I had green tea before this coffee. I don't think it was anything special. It was this: http://www.amazon.com/Yamamotoyama-Green-Sushi-Style-Value/dp/B0009K77OI

Would this be different with different coffees, perhaps? Certainly here in the UK we have different blends of tea marketed as being for different water areas to some extent - see e.g. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yorkshire-Tea-Hard-Water-Bags/dp/B007EDY142 or https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yorkshire-Tea-Traditional-1200-Bags/dp/B004QPHXL4 (for instance)

The only thing I can think of is water poisoning. Look at the "Risk factors" area. But I think you will be fine.

Maybe do some Tazo Tea, Spiced Black Chai Tea Concentrate, 32oz with soy milk (I could drink the whole thing in one day it's that good) to change it up and add a little more nutrition as well.

I get mine through Amazon. Try this link.

Are you looking through amazon.co.uk or amazon.com?

I got mine at Publix, but Tazo has a store locator on their website.

Tazo Store Locator

And if your store doesn’t have it, it’s on Amazon

Tazo Dessert Tea Bundle

I like Yorkshire tea. I don't really need 1200 tea bags, but they last quite a while.

Barley tea is great for summer. One bag per litre, leave overnight in the fridge. I do sencha the same way but only as a treat as it's much more expensive :(

Link to Cruz de Malta on Amazon, currently under $11USD

Amazon.co.uk will deliver to Norway.
It'll cost you £10.90 for delivery + £21 for 1200 Teabags from here.

I never did coffee until a couple years ago.

A lot of the places do their chai lattes with a concentrated box liquid that they add the milk to - for example, starbucks uses this.

How's this stuff that was linked further up? https://www.amazon.com/Taylors-Harrogate-Yorkshire-Red-Teabags/dp/B007NIC6FE/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=BF8SEQCHJEVC&keywords=yorkshire+tea&qid=1558462142&s=gateway&sprefix=yorkshire%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

Like this?

Here it is.

En un supermercado latino. se llama Casa Latina.

e: si no hay un mercado latino cerca de voz, usá Amazon.

Just a simple loose leaf assam. I think this is the one I currently have:

https://www.amazon.com/Organic-Assam-Tea-Positively-LLC/dp/B00GA0QVMA

Why stop at 100?