adding things to your tea

you waste tea quality if add other tastes to high quality tea. add things to low quality tea is okay. like cooking. no rules.

Although I still put milk and sugar in my black tea sometimes, I agree that after I have upgraded from Earl Grey and English Breakfast to different oolongs and white tea, drinking them straight feels so much better — not only more delicious, but feeling cleaner and more pleasant after the drink.

I think that for some cheap teas it is okay, but it is a waste for high quality tea. For example, some simple black teas like those used in the U.K. are fine for this, and the same with the brick teas in Tibet. Often these ingredients are added to give the tea some pleasant flavors, because on its own, the tea is lacking in some way.

At least for Chinese teas, most types of these teas would not be very good for adding things to. They often have complex or subtle flavors which would be ruined by additions of things like milk and sugar. On the other hand, having a moderate view and understanding the tea culture is probably the best route. Each place and type of tea has its own nuances and traditions.

I have recently tried genmaicha, which is the very essence of “adding things” to tea.  This was in particular Hime brand genmaicha, which had toasted brown rice, green tea and popped sorghum (in that order) listed on the ingredients. 

Pretty generally, it tastes like popcorn.  I can’t really detect any tea taste at all, for better or worse.

I think once I figure out how to pop rice without a stove I may try making some at home with lower grade tea that doesn’t quite cut it on its own.  Given the appearance of the sorghum, that’s probably the source of the popcorn like taste; I think cutting it out would certainly change the taste.

I would also be willing to experiment with other traditionally eastern grains/seeds like millet and buckwheat.  I’ve also pondered adding slivered almonds to my tea-ball for mid-grade hojicha I drink.  If any almond taste infuses out they would complement well I figure.

Growing up we used to add something like 2 cups of sugar per gallon of tea.  I guess that counts as adding something, though in my reflection I really think I was just taking something away 😉

M.