:((

I have been known to drink Lipton, Red Rose (grandmum's favorite, most likely the name I expect - you know, English Rose). I am a two-bagger because one Lipton is not really strong enough for me. I also like to add one bag of chamomile with the other two sometimes. I expect Lipton is probably not considered much more than floor sweepings there, but proper tea is quite expensive here.

If Teh folks are not up to the job, so be it. More for you and me, Mr. B. I enjoy milk in tea sometimes but I am lactose intolerant so I might skip it. If I have a sweetener it is generally honey because I am anti-white sugar (have been for years)
because it is truly awful stuff. Raw is better but then if one has to change the color and the taste, what is the point of drinking it?

Generally, I only ever drink tea at home or at Chinese/Japanese restaurants. For some reason, most Americans do not realise that black tea (mostly what we use here) must be made with boiling water. A restaurant or diner here would likely use water from a coffee maker run through an empty filter bowl to make the water hot, or crappy tap water microwaved to steaming. Blick! Tea tastes like shit-water made like that.

I enjoyed proper tea over there years ago very much. Coffee was another story altogether. I DO NOT drink instant coffee, I'd rather have Postum® . I tried coffee there three different times and it was total crap. I have heard good coffee is best obtained in someone's home.

It would seem we've strayed a bit off topic, except wars and independence were sought over tea, coffee and sugar.

Chamomile might help with the cramps. But one has to like chamomile.

Maybe only half a faggot, katsungII.

Some people get wired by caffeine or have a reaction to it. Bad coffee is usually what puts them off, and as a coffee aficionado, I relegate Starbucks to the crap coffee category. I don't like coffee that tastes burnt.

I've recently taken to drinking chamomile as I was told it helps people sleep (and is claimed to have the additional benefit of reducing the frequency of migraines).

I wasn't prepared for how potent it is, though. It proper knocks me out. Good shit.

The taste takes a bit of getting used to, starts off as a mixture of grass and flowers. Now I'm accustomed to it I just taste the flowers and rather like it.

Thanks for the advice. I've had chamomile in the past, but found it tasted odd - like Xen said, a bit like grass or even too 'natural', like raw liquorice is. I went for the one with with vanilla in it and found that nice n'palatable.

People over there make tea in a microwave? (fail)

Here's some tips for your indigenous friends:

Tea is made in a pot. 3 bags, please.

Milk in first, then the tea.

Dunking is allowed, but not in restaurants.

You don't boil pizza.
 

>People over there make tea in a microwave? 

They don't have kettles :|

I have a "tea for one" set that I'd like to bring to work but the faff of having to get milk for each cup has stopped me.

 :-O

I see a gap in the American market.

In that case you also need a "fridge for one".

 

<Googles USB fridge>

Ha, of course they exist.

The lack of kettles overseas was mindblowing to me when I first heard of it. I was incredulous! And so on. 

As for coffee, instant coffee is of course an entirely different drink. One I do not like the taste of one bit. Bleurgh. A well-made coffee from freshly roasted/ground beans, now that's a good drink.

At work we have Nespresso and we have Yorkshire Tea. Things could on the whole be very much worse.

Worse than that Andrew, they have coffee machines that will also make tea...lukewarm tea that tastes of coffee. The heathens.

:|

 (woot)

Instant coffee is fine. No, really. So's Starbucks.

And Cadbury's dairy milk is also nice chocolate.

It is a bit of an aquired taste. I never noticed any sleepiness, but perhaps the two teabags I put with the one chamomile counteracts that? Hmm. Don't know.

I've noticed a half teaspoon of honey takes that offish taste away, leaving it more floral, but I can drink it without.

I am thinking about maybe changing my morning coffee for tea now, so thanks for that, lads. I miss a good cuppa, been too long.

Don't get me started. Yes, they do sometimes. They'll even stick the bag in a cup with water and heat it up that way so it "steeps and heats" at the same time. That ain't tea, it is just tannic acid.  :-S

They also drink Cab Sauv cold (some) ales chilled to 34 degrees and don't know how many ounces are in a proper pint.
  Very good, sir.
  Go ahead then - no one's about.
  But they are lovely ia a wood-fired oven.




 

Some of 'em don't have kettles, but I grew up with kettles, teapots and tea cozies.

If there is no kettle there is no tea for me. What is a house (or flat) without a tea kettle, I ask you?