All jokes aside... no, I don't actually get Picard's obsession with Earl Grey tea. It was just okay. I'll happily finish the rest of the bags that came in this variety pack, but I will not go out of my way to buy this blend again in the future. Is it just an acquired taste?
Loose leaf tea is outright superior to bagged tea as it contains the actual whole leaves. Commercial bagged tea is almost always made from the leftover crumbs of the process. Its why the bags have such fine mesh.
Correct me if I'm misremembering cuz its been a while since my last run thru TNG, but hasn't Picard usually been resistant to change? I feel like if found a tea he liked in the replicator and just stuck with it. Or he had it growing up and its a comfort drink, which I suppose is a similar concept. I can certainly relate to either.
Earl Grey is the most glaringly English tea (at least to anyone outside the UK). This is part of the character's trait that the person constantly drinking English tea and obsessed with Shakespeare, portrayed by a Shakespearean actor, is of course obviously French.
There's ya problem, to quote Red Green. All bagged tea is low grade powder from second-rate leaves and therefore, low in flavor. Looseleaf tends to be higher quality from the prime part of the harvest season, not to mention they are processed and handled more carefully, so the leaves keep an attractive shape and color. Try a looseleaf Earl Gray. There are some flavorful brands that are moderately priced. I recommend Vahdam.
Obviously loose-leaf free-range tea is a little better than tea that's been confined to a bag, but what you really want is all the water-soluble compounds synthesized in precisely the right proportions by a properly programmed replicator for that perfect hot cuppa.
This applies to tea. It's got to be fresh and free-range. But it needs to be confined within the cup for 4 minutes, which is where costs become prohibitive. We've got a tea ball gap. How do we get a tea ball into every home?
Which brand did you use? I just had a talk with someone venturing into black/breakfast teas.
Twinings < Bigelow < Tazo < Harney & Sons < Harney & Sons Historic Royal
If you wanna get absolutely legit good but expensive go Fortnum & Mason. But just getting some loose leaf online will blow away anything bagged in the stores. I got some bags of loose tea from a site called the tea spot and their stuff is damn good.
You should try and Earl Grey Marteani. It was one of the first revival cocktails intended to be super likeable to get people back into drinking gin.
2oz Earl grey gin
.75oz lemon juice
.75oz simple syrup
1 egg white/.75oz aqua faba/a few shakes of fee foam/the foaming agent of your choice
Shake and serve up. Put some bitters on the foam if its smell bothers you.
Earl grey gin is made by dumping ~5 teabags into a bottle of gin for 2-8 hours at room temp.
I heard him say in an interview that he tried to get the producers to let him use "Lapsang Souchong" (also a black tea), but they didn't go for it. I guess it was about something still ubiquitous enough so people would know it?
Earl Grey is what got me to switch from being a coffee-only to mostly-tea guy. But after a year or so, I got tired of the bergamot and switched to other teas. First to other types of flavored tea, then plain tea. Nowadays, I drink about one pot of tea each day, and it's mostly Darjeeling or an occasional Oolong.
Now that you've been initiated into the black tea club, (early grey is black tea is a black tea with bergamot orange rind oil,) you should really try Ceylon (black) tea. It's a tea from shri-lanka and I find them to be quite fruity.
I prefer Assam or Ceylong myself. If you get some high quality Earl Grey and don't screw it up, it can be really good, but it's much easier to end up with it being mediocre in my experience.
44 Comments
YaksDC@sh.itjust.works · 23 pts · 238d
Ironically Patrick Stewart doesn't really like Earl Gray, his preferred tea is Yorkshire Gold.
SatyrSack@quokk.au · 22 pts · 238d
All jokes aside... no, I don't actually get Picard's obsession with Earl Grey tea. It was just okay. I'll happily finish the rest of the bags that came in this variety pack, but I will not go out of my way to buy this blend again in the future. Is it just an acquired taste?
_lilith@lemmy.world · 23 pts · 238d
Are you getting the bergamot flavor? Some tea brands go real light on the citrus to the point it just tastes like black tea
justOnePersistentKbinPlease@fedia.io · 12 pts · 238d
Honestly, get a small bag of loose leaf tea.
Loose leaf tea is outright superior to bagged tea as it contains the actual whole leaves. Commercial bagged tea is almost always made from the leftover crumbs of the process. Its why the bags have such fine mesh.
LIFEFORM@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 238d
Correct me if I'm misremembering cuz its been a while since my last run thru TNG, but hasn't Picard usually been resistant to change? I feel like if found a tea he liked in the replicator and just stuck with it. Or he had it growing up and its a comfort drink, which I suppose is a similar concept. I can certainly relate to either.
SlurpingPus@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 237d
Earl Grey is the most glaringly English tea (at least to anyone outside the UK). This is part of the character's trait that the person constantly drinking English tea and obsessed with Shakespeare, portrayed by a Shakespearean actor, is of course obviously French.
verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works · 10 pts · 238d
There's ya problem, to quote Red Green. All bagged tea is low grade powder from second-rate leaves and therefore, low in flavor. Looseleaf tends to be higher quality from the prime part of the harvest season, not to mention they are processed and handled more carefully, so the leaves keep an attractive shape and color. Try a looseleaf Earl Gray. There are some flavorful brands that are moderately priced. I recommend Vahdam.
kbal@fedia.io · 13 pts · 238d
Obviously loose-leaf free-range tea is a little better than tea that's been confined to a bag, but what you really want is all the water-soluble compounds synthesized in precisely the right proportions by a properly programmed replicator for that perfect hot cuppa.
JoeBigelow@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 237d
He had found a Nutri-Matic machine which had provided him with a plastic cup filled with a liquid that was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea.
verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 238d
This applies to tea. It's got to be fresh and free-range. But it needs to be confined within the cup for 4 minutes, which is where costs become prohibitive. We've got a tea ball gap. How do we get a tea ball into every home?
Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org · 7 pts · 238d
Can we fix tea with the handyman's secret weapon?
verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 238d
Yes, just stick the leaves to the sticky side, Harold. Swish it around dere inna cup, you're done, eh?
_stranger_@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 238d
It depends on the blend and the quality of the ingredients. If you'd like to try a different blend, I suggest anything on this page:
https://www.adagio.com/search/index.html?query=earl+Grey
If you got it from here to begin with, then yeah there's diminishing returns on going any more expensive, you probably just don't like it 😅.
(I really like their teas and generally keep earl grey and mint on hand)
fonix232@fedia.io · 3 pts · 238d
You need proper tea, not that bagged shite.
A good quality Ceylon black with just the right amount of bergamot? With a splash of milk? That's the best fukken tea you can have. Period.
SatyrSack@quokk.au · 4 pts · 238d
fonix232@fedia.io · 0 pts · 237d
Sorry but you're objectively wrong.
otter@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 3 pts · 238d
Like most tea, yes.
Thebeardedsinglemalt@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 238d
Which brand did you use? I just had a talk with someone venturing into black/breakfast teas.
Twinings < Bigelow < Tazo < Harney & Sons < Harney & Sons Historic Royal
If you wanna get absolutely legit good but expensive go Fortnum & Mason. But just getting some loose leaf online will blow away anything bagged in the stores. I got some bags of loose tea from a site called the tea spot and their stuff is damn good.
vga@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 236d
Yep.
Tea, gyokuro, 57.4 celsius.
The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world · 12 pts · 238d
It's unironically my favorite tea. It has such a strong flavor.
mad_lentil@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 238d
And the smell
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 237d
I much prefer coffee, but man, Earl Grey has an amazing aroma to it.
Amnesigenic@lemmy.ml · 7 pts · 237d
I'm not far from a bakery that makes earl grey macarons, they are exquisite
scoobford@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 237d
You should try and Earl Grey Marteani. It was one of the first revival cocktails intended to be super likeable to get people back into drinking gin.
2oz Earl grey gin .75oz lemon juice .75oz simple syrup 1 egg white/.75oz aqua faba/a few shakes of fee foam/the foaming agent of your choice Shake and serve up. Put some bitters on the foam if its smell bothers you.
Earl grey gin is made by dumping ~5 teabags into a bottle of gin for 2-8 hours at room temp.
dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 237d
You had my interest in the cocktail, but you get my upvote for this stealth beans post.
Creat@discuss.tchncs.de · 8 pts · 237d
I heard him say in an interview that he tried to get the producers to let him use "Lapsang Souchong" (also a black tea), but they didn't go for it. I guess it was about something still ubiquitous enough so people would know it?
negativenull@piefed.world · 8 pts · 237d
Wait until you try some Lapsang souchong
Kabaka@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 4 pts · 237d
Literally the best tea ever. Smells like a campfire. Which reminds me — I need to order more.
dondelelcaro@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 237d
Great when paired with Ardbeg. All campfire, all the time. There's also smoked/roasted oolong too.
Lenny@lemmy.zip · 6 pts · 237d
I usually have a tea phase once a year. Last one was primarily Darjeeling; it’s pretty good from what I remember. Have you tried it yet?
mad_lentil@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 238d
Earl Grey every day.
It's so easy to make an unsatisfying cup, but when you get it just right 😍
OneWomanCreamTeam@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 237d
I'm generally a coffee girl, but when I do drink tea Earl Grey is always my first choice.
data1701d@startrek.website · 4 pts · 237d
“Attempt to calculate answer to your question: Why you want dried leaves in boiling water.”
“Because I happen to like it. That’s why.”
jobbies@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 238d
verity_kindle@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 238d
By the way, who gave my boi Frank two shiners?
SatyrSack@quokk.au · 7 pts · 238d
It was Frank himself! Though one might argue that it was actually Mac's fault.
Jarix@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 237d
If you shop at a loose leaf tea place you can also get cream of Earl Grey tea which is absolutely worth trying if you like Earl Grey.
David's teas, Murchies, Teas Galore are a few of the places I have found it
kieron115@startrek.website · 3 pts · 237d
I knew vaguely that Early Grey had something called bergamot in it, but I was fully unprepared for it to be citrusy! Almost "bright" tasting.
Klanky@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 237d
Reminds me of fruit loops.
rustydrd@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 237d
Earl Grey is what got me to switch from being a coffee-only to mostly-tea guy. But after a year or so, I got tired of the bergamot and switched to other teas. First to other types of flavored tea, then plain tea. Nowadays, I drink about one pot of tea each day, and it's mostly Darjeeling or an occasional Oolong.
jobbies@lemmy.zip · 2 pts · 238d
dkppunk@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 238d
100% agree. I’m not a fan of Earl Grey at all but Lady Grey is delicious. It has a gentle lemon and orange flavor that evens out the bergamot imo
Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 236d
Now that you've been initiated into the black tea club, (early grey is black tea is a black tea with bergamot orange rind oil,) you should really try Ceylon (black) tea. It's a tea from shri-lanka and I find them to be quite fruity.
CCMan1701A@startrek.website · 2 pts · 236d
I prefer Lady Grey myself.
zod000@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 236d
I prefer Assam or Ceylong myself. If you get some high quality Earl Grey and don't screw it up, it can be really good, but it's much easier to end up with it being mediocre in my experience.
imetators@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 236d
1001 night tea. A game changer