When You Want Really Strong Tea, What Do You Pick?

I mean "really strong"  as in, "I need something to get me going" as some people use coffee for. (Or to keep going just for the last few hours after the day has almost wiped you out.) The tea equivalent of a "stiff drink", if there is one. I ask because lately I have realized I need something like that. I've been doing vitamin C and zinc berry tisanes but there has to be something stronger, right?

Yerba mate. Hands down.

Also a fan of yerba mate, and then anything with ginger in it.

Yeah, a good ginger tea will give you an endorphin rush and a kick in the pants.

There are also teas that Salt Spring Islanders might suggest for medicinal purposes, but I don't indulge in that direction, and that's Cider Press anyway.

An upside down view: strong coffee in the afternoon doesn't work for me, but a 20 minute power nap resets my concentration and I'm good for another shift of git-it-done!

When I want really strong tea I drink Pu-erh. I don't get jittery because it is fermented and it doesn't upset my stomach. It seems to last a little longer instead of being a spike.

Oolong tea is the best.  Not all oolong is however.  Prince of Peace brand is very good, it tastes like tulips smell.

I'm a fan of good quality loose leaf black tea. If I want stronger kick, I just use more of it in my tea cup strainer. Davidsons Organic tea is my go-to company and their Assam tea is my daily.

Depends on what kind of pick-me-up you need.  True tea has caffeine which will wake you up, but no real sustenance.  Blackstrap molasses in hot water will give you a bit of sugar plus iron, calcium, and potassium.

I rarely drink coffee anymore, and have replaced it with caffeinated chai tea. I find it really perks me up every day and gets me going. I love the spiciness of it. I drink it with lots of cream.

Mk Neal wrote:Blackstrap molasses in hot water will give you a bit of sugar plus iron, calcium, and potassium.

I add molasses to my morning oatmeal, and even to pasta sauce. :)

East Frisian Tea (northern Germany) has even an UNESCO world heritage entry for their culture.

I grew up with it and there are two brands that compete.

Bunting Tee (Gruenpack our favorite since Generations)
Thiele Tee

but to make it original it's quite a procedure.

Bring Water just to Boil.
Fill 3-4 heaped Teaspoons Tea in a warm Teapot
Add water just as much to cover the leaves
Wait for approx 3-4 minutes then fill the Pot

Now it comes:
Get East Frisian tea Cups (LOL)
Put 2 East Frisian Tea Kluntjes (Rock Sugar) in the cup
Pour tea over so that the Kluntje is just covered (if it makes cracking noises you do right)
Then put a little cream at the edge of the cup so that it sinks and resurfaces like a cloud...

The Cup comes with a under plate and a spoon
DO NOT use the spoon to steer the tea, its just deco and if you had enough you want to put the spoon into the cup.
This signals the landlord that you had enough...

Instead slurp the tea slowly down the Kluntje, the first sip is bitter and every other sip becomes sweeter and sweeter...

3 Cups per sitting is traditional...

Wanna know more just Google:  
https://www.therighttea.com/east-frisian-tea.html

Rachel Lindsay wrote:I mean "really strong"  as in, "I need something to get me going" as some people use coffee for. (Or to keep going just for the last few hours after the day has almost wiped you out.) The tea equivalent of a "stiff drink", if there is one. I ask because lately I have realized I need something like that. I've been doing vitamin C and zinc berry tisanes but there has to be something stronger, right?

The only tea that's an adequate substitute for coffee for me is Yorkshire Tea. By "adequate substitute" I mean that it hits the spot in the back of my head that makes me fully awake and able to converse intelligently. :) (I prefer Yorkshire Gold because it's a little less tannic, but plain old Yorkshire Tea is good, too!).