Tea
From Brass Goggles
Hot, wet, and often looks like tannin.
Often served in china cups, and used as an excuse for a decent discussion.
There are some quite detailed rituals related to it's preparation.
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[edit] Types
There are thousands of types of tea across the world; although we shall class them into three main general groups:
Black teas
The most common type of tea in the UK -usually sold as unspecified tea; the everyday kind is often of poor quality, as it is made from bases of tea leaves and dust left over from production, however this is not always the case. Also finer black teas may easily be purchased, and the author would heartily recommend trying some (although not for everyday consumption) -it may also be noted that many "breakfast teas" will often be pre-blended varieties of black tea.
Varieties:
- Lapsang Sochoung: A highly distinctive variety of black tea, its taste is due to the fact it is smoked over wood fires
'Green Teas'
'White Teas'
Miscellaneous and Herbal
These are often not included in the category of teas, as they are made from multiple genuses of plant, however often have alternate properties to those in the standard tea families, and are just as prolific as those in the above categories. Examples of Miscellaneous and Herbal teas:
- Nettle Tea: not only a cure for mild hayfever, but incredibly useful as it may be used as a crude pH indicator
'Blends & composites'
Many brands of tea or types, are not in fact from one specific plant, rather a blend of different ones. This is quite a common practice and can greatly enhance the flavour.
- Earl grey: this is an iconic tea blend, and does not have one specific recipe; rather it is a collection of similarly tasting recipes each with a most luxurious aroma. The defining feature of this tea is that the leaves have been treated with a drop of oil from the "bergamot orange" It is a tea of British Origin.
- Jasmine tea: This is a tea that usually uses a green tea base, it has jasmine flowers added to the blend after they have undergone a highly delicate preparation process.
