Tea or not
 

Now that I'm leaving, I decided it was time to do the Celestial Seasonings tour. During the tour, our guide said that 80% of their teas are actually herbal infusions but they call them tea because you pour hot water on them so that's what Americans think they are. :thumbup:

Re: Tea of not
 

That's good to know. I have been wary of using those, as real tea upsets my stomach and didn't know if there was any tea hidden in the ingredients.

Re: Tea of not
 

Yes, this has always puzzled me. Before the "herbal tea" concept exploded in popularity, when we lived in Europe I remembered these hot herbal drinks being called tisanes or infusions to distinguish them from caffienated "teas". Now everything is randomly called "tea" if you pour not water on to activate it.

And I find these new combinations of what I call "tea" plus added herbs/spices/flavours/whatever very confusing. :thumbdown: If I want a soothing herbal concoction, I don't want to see black, orange, white, or green "tea leaves" anywhere in it. And if I'm looking for my usual black "breakfast tea", I don't want THAT jazzed up with silly extra ingredients either!

Re: Tea of not
 

Tea is..

1) Hot
2) Black
3) Indian

Everything else is not tea. :frown:

Re: Tea of not
 

:goodpost:

Re: Tea of not
 

I think you'd be completely safe with Celestial Seasonings. They are very proud of the purity of their 'teas'. Their real tea leaves are kept in a room all by themselves as they are extremely absorbent and would take up the fragrances from the other herbs if they were in the same storage area. So I think it's safe to say that they never get mixed.

Re: Tea of not
 

You forgot strong and unsweetened :nod:

Re: Tea of not
 

I also forgot "accompanied by Rich Tea Biscuits". :)

Re: Tea of not
 

I would also have accepted Bourbon Creams or Fox's Classics.

Re: Tea of not
 

:nod: You are wise in the ways of biscuits.

Re: Tea of not
 

I like to think I am, yes.

Re: Tea of not
 

I am quite the bore in pointing out, that what I have been offered as tea, is in fact not. "Please purloin some for my future visits" I state as I stomp out of their home. Offering an infusion to a Brit is quite the insult.

It is kind of funny looking at some pantries of "tea" drinkers, boxes and boxes of the stuff, but no actual tea.

Re: Tea of not
 

Agreed...you couldn't get me to drink it any other way...not for all the tea in China:lol:

Re: Tea of not
 

:lol:

I find it easier to ask for water, when offered a drink at someone's house. That eliminates the chance of being given an infusion or being forced to drink coffee.

Re: Tea of not
 

Granny Nutek would have been outraged! Nothing but carefully brewed indian tea went into her seemingly bottomless teapot with it's hand-knitted cosy.

(Granny Nutek rocked btw). :)