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| Photos by Salt Water New England |
- "Where do you buy high quality tea today?"
- "With what and when do you have tea?"
- "What are suggestions on giving tea as a gift?"
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Wednesday, September 20, 2023
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Photo by Muffy Aldrich
The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy
Muffy Aldrich
Muffy Aldrich, Editor of Salt Water New England: The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy, is a 12th Generation New Englander, and called "The Official Photographer of Preppy New England." Since 2010.
- Original Photographs.
- Timeless, Preppy Clothing.
Most Items Sent By Vendors.
Ty-Phoo! Can be bought on Amazon. A must with scones, toast, bacon and eggs.
ReplyDeleteWe drink PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold, as well as Yorkshire Toast and Jam. We bring back big ziplock baggies of tea from the UK when we travel, and supplement ordering online from a British import store. We drink it every morning with full fat milk and local honey (we are not coffee drinkers.) My husband likes a mid morning cup as well, which he refers to as “10 o’clock tea”, whether it is 11 am or 9 am or indeed 10 am. He is always happy with a cup of tea and a chocolate digestive, a homemade muffin, a crumpet, or whatever is in the cupboard. We are simple folk at home. When we go to the UK, we often stop at the tea room at a National Trust site and have a piece of cake or scone with our tea, Victoria sponge being the preferred. Looking forward to reading what tea others enjoy, and how they take it.
ReplyDeleteYorkshire Gold. It is available at my local Whole Foods.
DeleteFor a wide variety of superb teas, Upton Tea Imports - they offer a wide range, and consistent quality.
ReplyDeleteI don't like many flavored teas, but there a few that are delicious - Harney & Sons makes a Paris tea (warm caramel-y notes), and Marco Polo from Mariage Freres (in both black and green tea versions) is delightful. Upton makes a few versions of Earl Grey, and they have all been lovely.
And for an upfront English tea, Yorkshire Gold - sturdy, with a nice depth. With a couple of digestive biscuits, of course.
Here, here on the Upton Tea Imports suggestion! We love them and have been ordering for years!
DeleteIn college I would buy the good stuff from Tealuxe. They no longer exist, so I buy Mumtaz Assam loose leaf. It is very strong and wonderfully satisfying, especially in cold weather. Barry's (in the black box) is good for mornings when I need to get the kids ready in a hurry. I drink tea in the mornings when I don't feel like coffee, and almost always after lunch. I also like the Wegman's store brand Earl Gray tea bags, good for a quick cuppa.
ReplyDeleteI'm almost exclusively an iced-tea consumer. I have a pair of mason jars, steep a tea bag in hot water for an hour or so, then cap it and refrigerate. I used to buy loose tea from a local place but have been lazy - moroccan mint tea bags from Trader Joe's lately.
ReplyDeleteSince 2020, I've developed a love of mint tea. Boston's Mint-in-Tea (and mint-in-green tea) has been a favorite daily driver. I have since learned it was also a favorite of one Jackie Kennedy.
ReplyDeleteBarry’s Gold is my day-to-day tea. During the holidays, if I’m feeling festive, I’ll enjoy some Harney & Sons Holiday Tea.
ReplyDeleteYou need look no further than Salisbury, Connecticut’s own Harney & Sons Tea.
ReplyDeleteThis top rank tea company was built from scratch in the Northwest Corner.
Their products are sold worldwide.
A cup of Darjeeling or Keemun and a bit of shortbread make for a pretty welcome pick me up around 3:30. Served in Great Grandmother's Blue and White Canton, this connects me with a gentler time and place.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother consumed a pot of Hu-Kwa tea every day of her adult life, or so it seemed to me. Mark T. Wendell is the source.
ReplyDeleteBrit here. I drink Yorkshire tea with milk. Don’t overthink it, the correct time to drink tea is whenever you are thirsty! A teapot is usually the best way to make tea, unless you are absolutely sure that you will only drink one cup. I also recommend Twinings teas, I like their Earl Grey. Whittard’s of Chelsea is also worth a try for flavoured teas.
ReplyDeleteblack: lapsang souchong, wonderful smoked tea, green: ceremonial grade matcha, and southern iced: Luzianne
ReplyDelete“'I don't feel very much like Pooh today,' said Pooh. 'There, there,' said Piglet. 'I'll bring you tea and honey until you do. '”
Yorkshire Gold with honey and milk each morning is our go-to. It’s anyone’s guess after the first cup or pot though. We tend to buy tea as souvenirs to last the year and have collected a variety over time with some help from family and friends.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy tea all day, hot or iced. I keep many brands on hand: F&Mason; Yorkshire; Typhoo; Harney&Son; Twinings etc. To be honest, I really can't tell a drastic difference in them. For a quick cup, I'll go with a tea bag. i tend to grab Typhoo and then when I have time, loose tea is nice.
ReplyDeleteI love your "Nantucket" Wedgwood!
Morning: Crisp toast with butter and jam with tea and in the afternoon a sandwich and something sweet with my tea. I never have a set 'tea time'.
I enjoy a cup of Bigelow Constant Comment in the morning. No milk and a Sweet N Low.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh when I saw the first tea box photo and all subsequent tea photos. They could have been taken at our house. Your Twining's collection is impressive. Scrolling down to the toast and then to the Wedgwood Nantucket. More laughs. Nantucket is our everyday china. This could be any day at our house. I'll be sending this post to my husband who will get a similar kick out of it. As for tea, nothing (NOTHING!) beats Fortnum's Lapsang Souchong this time of year. Also agree with Yorkshire Gold (Yorkie Gold in our house). Wonderful with a bit of whole milk.
ReplyDeleteMy Mom liked tea (she was born in the UK) and for Christmas one year during college I thought I'd get her something special. I stopped into Leavitt & Pierce on Mass. Avenue in Cambridge thinking they'd know where to go for the best selection. They advised and while there I bought other gifts for my family: soaps for my sisters, pocket knives from my brothers and a flask for my dad. L&P is still there, having served their clientele for a hundred and forty years. I came across these charming Youtubes of interview with the current proprietor, Paul Macdonald: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wqv9BFKLnxU https://www.harvardsquare.com/venue/leavitt-peirce-inc/?fbclid=IwAR1LedcuyeUjEW6wJj0R0R-mcTXgDrkbZDI2k78he1vbCeX7-xMZWsOQPGk
ReplyDeleteYou will not find better tea than in Frederick MD, Voila. And customer service, call / email them you will get the best tea shipped quick. Mike and Mary owners.
ReplyDeletehttps://voilaspecialteas.com/
Don't quite understand the desire to make the tea with tailings (dust that is passed off as tea leaves in tea-bags). Make it the proper way with full-leaf tea, preferably orange pekoe.
ReplyDeleteMy go-to absolute favorite : 1837 TWG Tea, French Earl Grey. Comes In hand sewn, 100% cotton tea bags; whole-leaf tea. I also love Mark T. Wendell Hu-Kwa Tea. In an emergency, I resort to Twinings English Breakfast, but only if away from home and the first two are not available.
ReplyDeletePG Tips has been my latest favorite - especially iced! Also love Harney & Sons flavored green teas - they are excellent iced. Of course - if I want to feel like I am back in my Grandmother's country kitchen - only Lipton or Luzianne will do!
ReplyDeleteBarry’s decaf and Tetley British decaf are our go to cups.
ReplyDeleteHappy to see so many Yorkshire Gold drinkers! That's been my morning go-to as of late as well as my sun tea selection. Twinings and Steven Smith Tea are our selections for herbals. Highly recommend it.
ReplyDeleteAs for vessels large mugs from our Polish pottery collection fit the daily bill but when we have a slower morning the teapot comes and the china cups and saucers are used.
I love this blog.
- hrplo
Only full-leaf tea, never teabags. We drink a lot of English Breakfast tea purchased by weight in a local tea store, usually our son with milk and for us with drop of lemon juice.
ReplyDeleteMy husband loves classic Earl Grey so, I make a blend of English Breakfast with food grade, organic Bergamot oil for him. Then comes organic Japanese Sencha Special, herbal and fruit teas, for many of them fruits and herbs collected by ourselve, dried and packed at home. Great as gifts as well when decorated and wrapped nicely.
My teacup is Royal Doulton with hand painted periwinkles.
ReplyDeleteHa! Just don’t let Elizabeth drink from it!
Delete"I will not have you not thinking in front of the neighbours, Richard."
Delete- hrplo
I buy a small box of Brooke Bond Red Label loose-leaf tea from my local Indian grocer. I like it better than the standard Lipton my parents serve. A proper Indian masala chai is a lot of work so, in my family, we just add some milk and nothing more. If feeling sick, then some freshly grated ginger in the tea makes us feel better.
ReplyDeleteFrench trads and anglophiles here. We favour Yorkshire tea or Twinings, anyway a proper tea has to be looseleaf and brewed in a boiled teapot. Apples or dried almonds make a nice healthy snack we think. Or guiltier bread and cheese. Or even guiltier homemade cake. Boxes of tea are very often given as small presents here in France (if you know your host or hostess likes tea of course). French tearooms will often offer Mariage or Damann teas, which are good, but mostly flavoured as today's fashion requires.
ReplyDeleteI brew loose-leaf Assam or Irish breakfast in the morning, with a little honey and milk. In the afternoon, I sip Genmaicha (green tea with toasted rice). If I need more of a boost, I treat myself to black currant tea (a favorite since college) in bags from Twinings, Harney & Sons, or Ahmad.
ReplyDeleteTea while traveling is a challenge. Most hotel restaurants present a single bag and a separate mug or pot of tepid water -- and then generously offer more tepid water after refilling my husband's coffee. So I tuck a small teapot into my luggage, bring my own bags of Irish breakfast, and ask nicely for just-boiled water. (I keep eyeing collapsible kettles on Amazon, with dreams of being truly tea-sufficient.)
ReplyDeleteI used to travel a lot when I was working and would always feel a bit guilty walking up to Starbucks at the airport to ask for a cup of hot water. I brought my own teabags everywhere I went. I wouldn't bother with the dubious brands of folding kettles from Amazon. I'd recommend a Bodum mini kettle for traveling. I've had one for 12+ years and it's never failed. The new design is also smaller than a single loafer (depending on your size, of course!) https://www.bodum.com/us/en/11451-913us-bistro
DeleteUpton's Russian Caravan. with lemon
ReplyDeleteIn the mornings, I usually have 2 cups of Yorkshire Red with honey and a bit of milk. After school, the kids may have some peppermint or chamomile and I'll have some variety from Taylors.
ReplyDeleteThe only tea l drink is Yorkshire tea brewed to look like builders tea lol
ReplyDeleteDrinking tea from fine China is so … civilized – especially in such uncivilized times. As Rupert Brooke aptly put it: “These I have loved: White plates and cups, clean gleaming, Ringed with blue lines …”
ReplyDeleteI’ve tried many of the fine teas mentioned here, but don’t have any favorites. I believe tea drinkers are a breed apart (in America anyway), and can’t imagine ruffians sitting calmly, and enjoying a soothing, relaxing cup.
‘Ruffians’ have tea breaks and enjoy their cuppas in sturdy mugs after hours of honest toil.
DeleteWell, the term "ruffians" I used was, of course, a flagrant euphemism. The real people I was referring to also use the word "mug" - but in an entirely different context from tea drinking.
DeleteFor those more concerned more with the taste of tea and the tannin hit than any social niceties. A good colour and strength etc.
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfOG33vZySs
Try a Guinness at the local pub, then work your way up ruffian wise...
DeleteWhen I got married I bought myself as a wedding present a sterling tea/coffee service in my mom's pattern. I usually cart it from house to house during the year. I use it faithfully. It makes me happy.
ReplyDeleteFor years I have loved the loose leaf orange tea from the Dekalb Farmers Market in Decatur, GA. I have no idea of the maker, but the orange flavor is just perfect. Otherwise, Twining's teas are terrific. Not had Prince of Wales but will certainly be checking it out.
Red rose is the best
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is Twinings Darjeeling. Nothing added. When I was growing up I could only drink tea. My parents felt coffee was too caffeinated. My Dad was a coffee drinker and my Mom drank tea. Her mother had a heart attack and died at the table drinking her morning coffee. Ever since then my Mom drank tea.
ReplyDeleteI, too, recommend the Mark T. Wendell Tea Co. of Acton, MA. They have a consistent and fine selection of loose and bagged teas including a very good organic Ceylon from the Blackwood Estate. Julia Child was a faithful customer of Wendell’s for years. Among her favorites was their flagship Hu-Kwa. Their tea is always fresh and the service is reliable and personable.
ReplyDeleteOnly Mint Tea in Tunis at the office. Got the housekeepers riled up & excited to serve it to a gringo.
ReplyDeleteFresh mint tea in Amman in my room at the Four Seasons— always the best way to unwind and catch my breath when coming from other places.
DeleteLeavitt & Pierce will never fail us! Cheers!
ReplyDeleteI was raised on iced tea made from loose leaf tea. My grandmother would put the used tea leaves in the planter in front of the house. It seemed to work well for the plants. It's rather sad that you can't buy loose leaf tea in a local grocery store.
ReplyDeleteOnline from Upton; Lapsang Souchong and English Breakfast...
ReplyDeleteYorkshire Gold, two bags in a mug. I buy it by the case so that I do not run out. I also will buy a seasonal tea here and there. I have my eye on a few things from Harney and Sons currently. I love their teas! I used to be quite the loose tea aficionado, searching far and wide for the the loveliest of teas, but then I started drawing and painting during the pandemic. I now use that, ah, impulse to seek out hand made watercolor paints and fine paper instead of rare loose teas :) I also compost my spent tea as the above commenter’s grandmother did. Which is a good thing with the amount my husband and I drink!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite teas are whole leaf Oolongs, especially milk oolong, mostly bought from Tao of Tea or Republic of tea and sipped from a hand thrown stoneware mug.
ReplyDeleteBarry's Irish Tea, in a mug. We have a 3 p.m. tradition of tea, which we started as a ritual during the pandemic. It is served with something savory or sweet, to be enjoyed at our kitchen table, or in good weather, on the stoop at the side door, where we pause and try to solve the world's problems.
ReplyDeleteDiehl Marcus is a destination for tea and ambiance if you're in Salem.
ReplyDeleteWe just stopped by a few weeks ago! Great new spot - was an antiques dealer for years.
DeleteEvery Tom and Dick and Harry loves the tay you get from Barry,
ReplyDeleteHe makes it brown and black and every colour in between.
Oriental Mr. Bewley has the tea that's good for hooleys,
At a wake or at a party with butter milk and cream.
Mr Lyons has the cuppa for your dinner and your supper,
And there's Tetley's, Lipton's, they have quality and brand.
And in health - if you're ailing take a mug of old Darjeeling
Or sip upon exotic tea from China or Japan.
Elevenses! We have a variety of herbals for the evening but midday tea is usually loose leaf Twinings Lady Grey with local milk. Thank you all for the suggestions. I will branch out a bit this season.
ReplyDelete-JM,VA
We have a local tea shop with a very knowledgeable staff. My favorites are English Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, oolong and roasted mint leaf tea. All loose leaf and served with local honey and occasionally sugar with milk.
ReplyDeleteAfter a day on the slopes a hot mug of Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger really hits the spot!
ReplyDeleteI named my Golden after my favorite tea and she was called Darjee.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite is Ceylon Sonata a black loose tea from Adagio Tea found on-line.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.adagio.com
I am a big fan of Harney & Sons tea, keeping some at home and at the office. I don’t think anyone’s touched on it, but the water is just as important to flavor as the tea itself. An electric kettle with multiple temperature settings is the best way to get a good green tea experience (not scorching it) and I prefer a black or earl grey tea at 190 degrees and not the full 212F/100C boil.
ReplyDeleteThe Sant Amberous chain of Milanese cafes in NY and Palm Beach has some incredible teas from Florence. The shipping from Italy has always been a bit prohibitive whenever I look - not sure it would be fresh enough once I ordered enough to make it more economical. So it remains a treat whenever I stop by!
The Hope Club in Providence, RI introduced me to Daman Fres French teas, which aren’t the easiest to find in the US, but delightful.
I would also mention that as tea drinkers, we might be in the minority. At last as far as eBay is concerned, tea cups and tea pots from fine makers do sell for a song there. It’s a great way to round out a set for home or the office.
I’m a little late to the party as I just returned from O’ahu… but thought I would chime in and mention a wonderful Vancouver based shop: Murchie’s. They have been around since 1894 and have a wide range of delightful loose and bagged high quality teas. They never disappoint.
ReplyDelete- EDR
My wife does not care for coffee and has an overflowing tea cabinet of almost anything imaginable.
ReplyDeleteI mainly stick to the basic English cuppa, and I'm not terribly picky about the exact brand as long as it's one of the UK mainstays - PG Tips, Typhoo, Tetley, Yorkshire, Barry's - all fine.
I always find myself wishing that the small tubes of milk you find in UK hotel rooms were a thing the US though. What stops me from drinking tea at the office is the extra step of adding milk since I need to remember to keep some on hand there - since I take coffee black, I find it just ends up easier.
The best found- Cuppa London (full, malty, no additives), shipped out from MA.
ReplyDeleteYorkshire, F & M for Tea(time)
ReplyDeleteTwinings Earl Grey was what Queen Elizabeth II drank. Some expected her to drink something more exclusive or expensive. Personally, I almost exclusively drink Twinings English Breakfast. In a pinch, I’ve even used their Keurig version, which, honestly, is not horrible.
ReplyDelete