The Enlightenment of Thi

Here's Thi's rhapsodic waxing on his method to make tea. (And because the universe is like this, his name is pronounced tee).  Please note: I have never done this. Nothing near it. This sounds like the recipe for enlightenment with tea as a happy byproduct.

My method of making tea makes most serious tea drinkers wince: I chop up some fresh ginger and toss it in the strainer with two tablespoons of black tea (usually organic fair trade from frontier) and pour boiling water over the whole mess. I don't remove the strainer and drink it as it gets stronger. My pot holds about two large mugs.

I like my tea strong and sweet, but with a depth. I use unrefined sugar (raw, organic, fair trade because there is too much slavery still in the world) and once I found the difference in flavor I was hooked and I use raw sugar as a straight substitute in all my baking. This is a bonus because regular refined white sugar crashes my system even in small amounts. I go through 50-100 pounds of sugar a year so I buy it in 50 pound bags to keep it affordable, about $1.30/pound. Same with tea: I can't imagine a day without tea. I buy it wholesale 5 pounds at a time. This makes it about $13/pound, meaning I spend about $20 a month on tea (full disclosure: thesis months see twice as much).

As Thi says, you can go down a serious rabbit hole with tea. I say find what works for you. There's a particular leaf and method that is your personal combination and that's what's kind of great about tea and also about sharing tea. Having a cup of someone's daily brew is like getting a window into their mind-space.