I'm having Russian Caravan as I sit here.

(09-10-2011, 02:38 PM)Gunnen4u Wrote: Yea, that was what I was driving at. It's a powder made into a paste or I dunno, it tasted good. This was the paste, sort of like hummus, only it had date syrup and pistachios with other stuff. I know it had that. Name of it began with an 'H'.

This is the tea thread!

OK is it some kind of appetizer dip? Do you use pita bread to scoop it up and eat it or grape leaves?

Get used to threads derailing around here. We're expert at it.

(09-10-2011, 04:32 PM)twisteroo Wrote: Twitch, how did you end up with that asshole??

He gets better and better every time you hear something about him, huh twist?
I should tell you about the time he wouldn't even step foot into the arab restaurant with the family to eat when my father died.

Must have been one of those love at first sight things and misery 4 years later.

The best I can get is a description:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tahini#Uses

Quote:In Iraq and some Persian Gulf countries, tahini is mixed with date syrup (rub) to make a sweet dessert usually eaten with bread.

Rhubarb, I like mine with milk as well. You pour the tea into the milk or you put the milk into the the tea? Apparently there is a difference though I do not notice it much aside from one tasting a bit more scorched than the other.

Every time my friend goes over England-way or anywhere in the British Isles, he picks up a ton of tea for me. Although they are starting to carry a lot of tea brands and times in many grocery stores now. I can find PG Tips and Tetley's for major ones as well as other brands there now. The Caravan tea I had to order online, so it's a once or twice a week tea. I also ordered some really good Assam tea. That stuff is grand to have in the morning when I go to school, or wake up, but it too, had to be ordered.

(09-10-2011, 04:32 PM)twisteroo Wrote: Did someone say firebush?!!?!? I do loves me some redheads.

Didn't I say no comment?
I really must make sure you and Mark never meet

(09-10-2011, 08:56 PM)Gunnen4u Wrote: Rhubarb, I like mine with milk as well. You pour the tea into the milk or you put the milk into the the tea? Apparently there is a difference though I do not notice it much aside from one tasting a bit more scorched than the other.

Milk first- only because I come from country-folk stock, I think. There isn't a real difference, only putting milk in afterwards controls how strong you have it.
*
I was told by my Mother-in-law, in 'correct society' to pour the tea and then the milk was show you used pasteurised milk and to put it in before was to ensure the hot tea 'killed' any bugs and uncivilized.
Makes me smile when I watch my workmates slop a teabag in a mug and splosh milk on top.

Tea has to be made in a pot- and I can tell the difference!

Still working on finding that dish you're talking about. Can't find anything in my cookbooks but I have a feeling it's something local or not very 'traditional' that would be in these books I have. Give me time to dig further.

Spices - I'll compile that for you later... it's a longer list than I thought! The date syrup you speak of sounds like it's used as a sugar replacement in some instances. I don't know all the different variations of Middle Eastern dishes, there are so many and I'm only familiar with the Syrian and Lebanese since that's where we're from.

I forgot my claim to fame.

My uncle (now retired) was an Editor for Oxford Press in New York. During his few years there he edited some good factual books. There is or was a lady in the States who gave lectures on tea and wrote a book, he edited.

Having lived in the States since '63 he noticed his tea drinking has changed and took on board this lady's 'tips'.
We (Mark and I) stayed with my Aunt and Uncle after a trip to visit friends in Bermuda. We were sat in the kitchen eating breakfast while my Aunt was making a pot with the tea I brought. She left to finish getting dressed, but put the egg timer on as she went. We watch the timer, puzzled.
Off goes the timer, my uncle rushes in and begins pouring the tea out into bone china cups at high speed. My uncle explained the importance of correctly timed brewed tea. We couldn't stop laughing.

We made the next pot and all the ones after that to prove we just wait-pour. None of this messing about, so long as the pot has been warmed and left to stand long enough to find the milk, mugs and sugar (No1 son) its ready. Sod the china mugs, makes the tea go cold too quick.
When we visited in 2009, my Aunt left us the pot, 'you make it'. I notice they still had the timer.

I didn't know we were talking about tea!!!!!!
I love my tea!!!

English Breakfast is my fav!!
Oh! and no milk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I drink tea it is always Earl Gray. Most times it's iced for me, Earl Gray or plain old Chinese tea, black pekoe.

Lady Gray is nice when Earl Gray is out and when I feel moody, jasmine.

No milk or sugar in any of them! Sometimes if I don't feel good, a drop of lemon or honey but that's rare. Then I take some of Matt's remedy tea and go into a coma.