As an enthusiast for both leaf soup and bean juice, it seems like most coffee drinkers think of cheap, old, dusty teabag tea, overboiled to taste like bitter vegetables in sewage water, while most tea drinkers think of pure dark overroasted burnt coffee, preground too finely (or as the worst kind of instant coffee), tasting like acid in an ash tray, like those are your only two options.

Both coffee and tea can be so terrible and also so wonderful. I guess my favorite coffee takes quite some preparation and my favorite tea cost me about as much as a junkie's crack addiction. But both can be really nice if you spend a little more money on a quality product and take the bit of effort to prepare it properly.

[–] erev@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Ok but would you rather have a bag of an aged Da Hong Pao or whatever the coffee equivalent is?

I'd like to taste the coffee equivalent but that one time I splurged on some DHP was magical. So velvety and rich and nutty.

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Yeah I drink coffee for the stimulants, but it can be good. Tea is a sometimes drink but when done decent is usually excellent and has a very high ceiling

[–] erev@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Especially when you get good tea from quality suppliers, it's excellent. I'm part of a tea club and get sent boxes of tea from a specific vendor i really like. Some of the tea is probably more than a year old, but I'd just as happily tear open the bag and make a delicious pot of tea. high quality tea is not as expensive as people think and it's absolutely wonderful. it is softer than coffee though and takes some time for your palate to adjust.

ETA: I pay $40 every other month and get over an ounce of loose leaf tea, carefully selected with love by the vendor. they're a small operation with direct ties to tea farms in China and source from family and friends. And if you're in the right communities, you can talk to them directly and discuss the tea with them. the world of tea is very inviting and open and you'd be surprised how cheap really good tea is, especially in bulk.

[–] Krauerking@lemy.lol 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I think tea is actually way more approachable which is what makes it less snobby.

You have to be educated about what makes it good and how to prepare it but at the end of the day all you need is the tea, some hot water and a cup. You get fancy with filtering it and how but it's unnecessary to enjoy.

[–] erev@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

You shouldn't need to filter high quality tea, it should speak for itself. A little leaves at the bottom are just snacks. if you prefer it filtered thats fine, just totally unnecessary. Really the limiting factor is actually water quality, but there are people experimenting with water recipes to make the best tea. And they usually share their recipes and the majority of the minerals are widely available and it's just a lot of distilled water. The equipment is what's most expensive, but a cheap gaiwan or even a small bowl and you're good to go.