Proper tea in the UK and American markets disappeared when TV started
running a couple short ads every half hour, and in the UK, when there
was a few minute gap between shows (as they don't have ads like we
do). You can make a cup of crappy tea-bag tea in a couple minutes
(boiling water on the bag, swish around a bit, toss bag, sip tea)
while making proper tea in a pot takes too long to get back to the TV
in time.
Rolled tea had completely vanished in the UK for a while -- don't
know if that is still true, but hopefully the internet has done for
tea what it has done for coffee, allowed small operations to sell
nationally or internationally -- and it was very scarce in the US.
We have always used "gunpowder" green tea in iced tea in the summer,
and while it used to be quite common, has almost vanished. Tea bag
tea is crumbs, as noted, or worse, low grade tea chopped. Mostly
twigs and veins, quite nasty. It has to chopped, as the leaves
cannot expand and unroll, certainly not in the minute or so most
people leave the bag in the water. Proper tea gets a quick wash with
boiling water to remove the bitterness and then a five minute or so
steep, quite different (and much stronger flavor) than the cardboard
in paper tea bags.
I prefer red teas myself (Irish Breakfast or Assam is the usual
labeling here) rather than blacks, and greens are always good if
somewhat less "tea" like for americans. I've been on a coffee kick
for the last few years since I found a supply of green coffee beans
to roast at home. Vastly better than store bought unless the store
is roasting in site.....
I need to get a supply of good tea. I have to look on eBay and
search the 'net, as I'm sure there are suppliers of good grade tea at
reasonable prices somewhere. I have no trouble buying
internationally via PayPal (I get lots of watches and fountain pens
this way) from reliable sellers.
Peter
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