Coffee

[Marie2020]

I find it interesting that tea means so many different things depending on the person or situation. Bagged or loose-leaf only; an infusion of fresh peppermint; Earl Grey with a slice of lemon; a blood red hibiscus and berry brew that infiltrates your mind with intrusive thoughts of randomly tripping over nothing, and freak accidents involving the mug handle spontaneously falling off while you walk over the carpet; chamomile and honey to calm yourself after the berry tea trauma; matcha that is only used for making ice cream twice a decade; a dark builders' brew with 3 sugars and half a biscuit lost to the bottom. But coffee is always coffee.

I mostly drink black tea with milk, no sugar. It's nice to have the other tea families available but the only type I think about longingly several times a day is the dark milky stuff. I guess that classifies it as a habit. Drinking a cup of Yorkshire tea right now. A small coffee is nice after an evening meal. There's no way I could drink it in the same quantity as tea.

Hibiscus tea, I long for this I haven't come across it in a very long time

 

[Phaedra]

Hibiscus tea, I long for this I haven't come across it in a very long time

Hibiscus tea was one of our typical soft drinks for summer when I was young. Due to the sub-tropical weather, the summer in my hometown can be pretty hot, and cold drinks are necessary for daily consumption.

Usually, people make Hibiscus syrup first. The flowers became candied snacks, and we used the syrup for making iced Hibiscus tea.

I also use often dried Hibiscus, apples, and a pinch of dried plum powder for the jam in recent years.

 

[Phaedra]

I love both coffee and tea. Coffee is a must, however. To avoid any trouble that will harm sleep quality, I would try to finish my last coffee before 2 pm.

As a result, tea without caffeine has more presence here from the late afternoon, and I also have quite a collection of them.

My daughter and husband love milk tea very much - black tea (strong ones), milk, and some honey or sugar. In winter, we might also add a little butter.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I drink coffee but only one cup in the morning or I get jittery. Iced tea is common here in the south and I drink it on occasion but don’t keep in the house because it usually has a ton of sugar. I plan on trying different kinds of hot tea this winter.

 

[Zeedman]

I've started my mornings with a cup of coffee since my days in the military. Drank a lot more of it then, but have tapered off over the years as I became more sensitive to the caffeine... maybe a 2nd cup for lunch, but none after. I love fresh brewed, but since DW won't drink it, gradually shifted over to instant (DD is pushing me to buy a K-cup machine, which I may do eventually). IMO most American instant coffee is HORRIBLE. DW & I have both taken a liking to an Asian-style instant coffee called 'Super Power', which comes pre-mixed with several herbs & creamer in plastic sleeves. When you pour in hot water, it smells like fresh brewed.

 

[heirloomgal]

Hibiscus tea was one of our typical soft drinks for summer when I was young. Due to the sub-tropical weather, the summer in my hometown can be pretty hot, and cold drinks are necessary for daily consumption.

Usually, people make Hibiscus syrup first. The flowers became candied snacks, and we used the syrup for making iced tea.

I also use often dried Hibiscus, apples, and a pinch of dried plum powder for the jam in recent years.

Not 100% sure if roselle is the same as hibiscus in this context, but roselle is one of my favourite herbal teas. I used to be able to buy a generous bag of dried blossoms at the grocers for very little, but they no longer carry it and I can't find them anywhere else. I've grown it as well, but I'd need to have way more space to grow it for regular tea drinking. The plants were on the large side, 3 or 4 feet and usually did well, except for the last year I grew them, and I got no seed crop from them . Such a wonderful, tart tasting flavour.

I've learned since that the roselle blossoms are using in all kinds of desserts and sweet drinks. I think I'd enjoy those.

 

[Marie2020]

Hibiscus tea was one of our typical soft drinks for summer when I was young. Due to the sub-tropical weather, the summer in my hometown can be pretty hot, and cold drinks are necessary for daily consumption.

Usually, people make Hibiscus syrup first. The flowers became candied snacks, and we used the syrup for making iced Hibiscus tea.

I also use often dried Hibiscus, apples, and a pinch of dried plum powder for the jam in recent years.

I would dearly love to find a way of finding this tea again and try that syrup

 

[Marie2020]

I drink coffee but only one cup in the morning or I get jittery. Iced tea is common here in the south and I drink it on occasion but don’t keep in the house because it usually has a ton of sugar. I plan on trying different kinds of hot tea this winter.

I tasted iced tea for the first time when I traveled too America a very long time ago.

It's was made with tea bags or leaves and had ice added to the pot. I've never wanted the instant iced tea ever since, but it's not so popular here in uk but I have too say I really enjoyed it.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

If you want to be SUPER pedantic, a tea made from anything except Camellia sinensis is properly called a tisane.

Not 100% sure if roselle is the same as hibiscus in this context, but roselle is one of my favourite herbal teas. I used to be able to buy a generous bag of dried blossoms at the grocers for very little, but they no longer carry it and I can't find them anywhere else. I've grown it as well, but I'd need to have way more space to grow it for regular tea drinking. The plants were on the large side, 3 or 4 feet and usually did well, except for the last year I grew them, and I got no seed crop from them . Such a wonderful, tart tasting flavour.

I've learned since that the roselle blossoms are using in all kinds of desserts and sweet drinks. I think I'd enjoy those.

Yes, they're both H. sabdariffa (usually).
There is actually such a thing as white/green roselle. I have no idea what that tastes like. (I know the anthocyanins in red roselle are what is responsible for the health benefits, but whether it also is the base of the taste I do not know.)

There is also a type called Ecuadorian Black, which I imagine is SUPER strong in anthocyanins.

I'm not personally fond of roselle (it tastes like cranberries to me). In terms of herbal teas, I drink a lot of tulsi (holy basil) and Greek Shepherd's tea (ironwort).

 

[ninnymary]

I would dearly love to find a way of finding this tea again and try that syrup

Marie, over here mexican stores have barrels of dried hibiscus flowers for sale. Do you have any such places over there? I'm sure if you steep them you would make tea. Wonder how much postage would be to send you some?

Mary