ID:1695773
 
Evening, folks. You may recall my coffee rant from three years ago. Here is a follow-up post.

I still cannot drink coffee. For some unknown reason I tried another cup about a week ago and for that entire day I had irritable bowels and an overactive bladder. It's freaking POISON. END OF STORY.

So I'm sitting in a hotel room in Ohio, and I noticed that the coffee maker had packs of tea next to it. So I'm like "well, I can't drink coffee, so let's try tea instead." It was black tea. Had sort of a bitter taste, but it gave me a crap ton of energy. I also didn't have to run to the bathroom 2 million times after drinking it.

After that, I go online and do a bit of research. I was looking for tea that wasn't dark ( I don't like black drinks, not even Coca Cola/Pepsi ), wasn't very processed, and tasted better. Apparently, white tea fit that description perfectly. I went to Krogers and bought literally the only box of white tea they had. For some reason the shelves were full of every other tea in existence except for white. Anyway, I took that home and tried it out.

My first impression was that it was just as bitter as the black tea, so I was a bit confused. I did some more research and it turns out I steeped the tea way too long. However, it still gave me energy ( my eyes felt really widened and my head felt lighter ) so I was happy about that. Just 10 minutes ago, I went in and steeped it properly this time.

PERFECT. The color was very pretty ( it was a clear, golden color ), it was no longer bitter, the taste was instead very clean and smooth, and I got the same energy boost from last time. The only problem I still have now is the temperature. I've been using my Dad's coffee maker to prepare the water but I don't think the water gets hot enough. When I pour the water I can immediately start drinking it without having to blow it. I'm not sure if that's how tea is supposed to be but I was under the impression it was supposed to be hot like coffee. I'll use the stove next time and actually boil the water and then see if that works.

Anyway, I hereby bestoweth a certificate of awesomeness upon white tea. It shall be the official drink of all frogkin across BYONDia. I can't wait to order some of the more premium tea I've been hearing about, particularly "silver needle".
EmpirezTeam wrote:
tried another cup about a week ago

Someone has been listening to Bobby Shmurda - Hot N*gga and Shmoney Dancing lol
Personally, out of all of the teas I've consumed, green tea strikes me the best. Never had white tea. I'll be trying it soon, thanks.
In response to Xorbah
Xorbah wrote:
Personally, out of all of the teas I've consumed, green tea strikes me the best. Never had white tea. I'll be trying it soon, thanks.

Just be careful with the steeping, it doesn't take as long to steep as black or green ( according to the tea website ). The way I got it to taste better was to steep it for one minute, taste, then if you have to, steep it 30 seconds at a time until it has enough flavor. I think if you go beyond 2.5-3 minutes you'll start to ruin it.
In response to EmpirezTeam
EmpirezTeam wrote:
Xorbah wrote:
Personally, out of all of the teas I've consumed, green tea strikes me the best. Never had white tea. I'll be trying it soon, thanks.

Just be careful with the steeping, it doesn't take as long to steep as black or green ( according to the tea website ). The way I got it to taste better was to steep it for one minute, taste, then if you have to, steep it 30 seconds at a time until it has enough flavor. I think if you go beyond 2.5-3 minutes you'll start to ruin it.

Noted.
Best tea is Arizona half tea half lemonade.
I still cannot drink coffee. For some unknown reason I tried another cup about a week ago and for that entire day I had irritable bowels and an overactive bladder. It's freaking POISON. END OF STORY.

Some men like their poison, some don't. Being a coffee drinker myself, I've lived with the curse since I was 18. This marriage has gone many a way but I think right now my java and I are in a decent compromise. It was meant to be.
In response to Mr_Goober
Mr_Goober wrote:
I still cannot drink coffee. For some unknown reason I tried another cup about a week ago and for that entire day I had irritable bowels and an overactive bladder. It's freaking POISON. END OF STORY.

Some men like their poison, some don't. Being a coffee drinker myself, I've lived with the curse since I was 18. This marriage has gone many a way but I think right now my java and I are in a decent compromise. It was meant to be.

My relationship with coffee isn't like marriage at all.

More like a spontaneous quickie gone wrong.
Everyone knows black tea is the best tea. Green tea is for hippies and white tea for hipsters.

But the thing about all tea is, if you prepare it wrong, you may as well drink dirt in water.

First thing you have to do with all tea is use soft water. Hard water destroys the taste of tea. Basically you need a water filter if you want to make tea.

Next, this is a common mistake a lot of people make. You need the right temperature for each type of tea. You're cooking the tea, and it is possible to burn it, or even undercook it.
Black tea should generally be boiling hot water (except darjeeling, that should be cooler at around 80c).
Green tea is roughly 80c.
White tea is roughly 75c.

Another common mistake people make is not accounting for heat loss. You see, what happens when you put hot water into a cold cup is the water loses some of it's heat. It might not be a lot, but it can be just enough that the tea doesn't cook properly.
You should always heat the cup up before pouring water into it.

The next mistake people make is putting other things into the tea before it's cooked. Milk and sugar added to tea both decrease it's temperature, as such these are the last things you add (if you add them) to the tea.

So now you have soft water, a hot cup and the appropriate temperature water.
Now you put the tea into said cup, and then water in. Now you leave it. This is up to personal taste, but you should never leave it for less than 2 minutes, and never for longer than 5.
After this and after you have removed the tea (leaves or bag) from the cup, you can add milk and sugar if you so desire.


My recommendations for tea are ceylon. It's got a light and refreshing taste to it. It's the sort of tea that makes you want to say "aahh" after every sippy.
In response to The Magic Man
The Magic Man wrote:
Everyone knows black tea is the best tea. Green tea is for hippies and white tea for hipsters.

I've always been told that I have nice teeth, and I'd like to keep it that way. Apparently black stains teeth more than green and white does.

But the thing about all tea is, if you prepare it wrong, you may as well drink dirt in water.

Black tastes and looks like dirt in water. White tea has swag - a clear golden color that truly makes it look like a tea fit for a noble frog king such as myself.



First thing you have to do with all tea is use soft water. Hard water destroys the taste of tea. Basically you need a water filter if you want to make tea.

I used bottled water this morning. Not that Dasani crap that's full of Epsom salt, just filtered bottled water.

Next, this is a common mistake a lot of people make. You need the right temperature for each type of tea. You're cooking the tea, and it is possible to burn it, or even undercook it.
Black tea should generally be boiling hot water (except darjeeling, that should be cooler at around 80c).
Green tea is roughly 80c.
White tea is roughly 75c.

I'll need to get a thermometer. The instructions on my pack of white tea says to heat the water until it's "rolling boiling" and then let it cool for 5 minutes.

Another common mistake people make is not accounting for heat loss. You see, what happens when you put hot water into a cold cup is the water loses some of it's heat. It might not be a lot, but it can be just enough that the tea doesn't cook properly.
You should always heat the cup up before pouring water into it.

I'll start putting my cup in the microwave for 10 or so seconds.

The next mistake people make is putting other things into the tea before it's cooked. Milk and sugar added to tea both decrease it's temperature, as such these are the last things you add (if you add them) to the tea.

I added honey after I steeped the tea. That may have also contributed to heat loss.

So now you have soft water, a hot cup and the appropriate temperature water.
Now you put the tea into said cup, and then water in. Now you leave it. This is up to personal taste, but you should never leave it for less than 2 minutes, and never for longer than 5.

I've drank it 3 times now. The first time I didn't know what the hell I was doing and steeped it for like 20 minutes ( I just left the tea bag in the cup the entire time as I drank it, lmao ). I also used two bags instead of one per my Mom's request. I don't know why I listen to her, she doesn't even drink tea. The last two times I steeped it more carefully, tasting it after every 15-30 seconds or so. I'm not sure if it's because of the brand but it gets bitter very quickly. I feel like the taste at 1:30-1:45 seconds is just right.

My recommendations for tea are ceylon. It's got a light and refreshing taste to it. It's the sort of tea that makes you want to say "aahh" after every sippy.

Do you use leaves or bags?
If you're making white tea, in general the water will never boil, if it does it's too hot. The easy way to tell if the temperature is right or not.

If it's slightly hotter than hot water out of the tap, it's white tea.
If it has tiny bubbles just beginning to form in it, that's green tea.
If it's full on boiling, thats black tea.

Don't put a cup in a microwave. It wont do anything. Microwaves work by heating up water, sugar and fat in things. Cups don't have any of these in them.

There are two ways of heating up a cup. One is just put hot water in it. The other is put it in hot water.

Leaves are better for making tea. They're of higher quality in general.
Leaves however are harder to use and you'll need to use a teapot, infuser basket or ball. Leaves are also much more expensive than bags.

http://files.byondhome.com/TheMagicMan/assam%20tea.jpg This is what properly prepared Assam tea looks like, Assam tea is stronger than coffee.

http://files.byondhome.com/TheMagicMan/darjeeling.jpg Darjeeling looks like this, but it's incredibly delicate and not for beginners.

http://files.byondhome.com/TheMagicMan/ceylon.JPG Ceylon has a lot of gradings.

http://files.byondhome.com/TheMagicMan/nilgiri.JPG Nilgiri tea looks like whiskey.

http://files.byondhome.com/TheMagicMan/keemun.jpg And Keemun is a bright red.
Those blacks look a lot better than the one I drank, especially the last two. Maybe I will be able to drink blacks without staining the crap out of my teeth after all.

I'll wait though. I'll master white tea before moving onto all this other more complicated stuff.
In response to EmpirezTeam
Tea doesn't stain your teeth that much unless you drink an absurd amount of it.

Even then, you can buy mouthwashes that will pretty much remove any stains tea could give you anyway.
I have to admit, I'm really surprised at how much I've enjoyed this conversation :) I'm an occasional tea drinker, though nowhere near this level of expertise. I might have to try making a 'correct' cup of tea though.

Thanks.
Now that I've done you a favor by starting a conversation you thoroughly enjoyed, return the favor and implement a damn frog class to your animal game.
I promise, a frog will be the next animal added once I finish working on a few more systems. I worked on the art for it a little. And I am considering using some sort of Atomic Frog for the Byond member bonus critter :)
In response to Flick
Flick wrote:
I promise, a frog will be the next animal added

var/body = "ready"