Back in late summer of last year, when Candy Minx and I started The Agency Podcast, I took to having a cup of tea during the podcast. I learned quickly that having a beverage handy is important if you’re going to record a conversation often lasting between an hour and an hour and a half.
Along the way, I read articles about most tea bags being made of a plastic that leaves behind micro-particles of plastic which get into your body. While there may not be evidence of this plastic being nasty, the idea freaked me out and I figured it was easy enough to switch to loose-leaf teas. I don’t have much experience with different teas. Years ago I made some herbal tea with chamomile, lemon balm and catnip from the garden and that was OK, but not great enough that I kept it up. Mostly my tea experience is with generic teabags, enjoyed with milk and sugar.
At Christmas, we were given a gift basket which contained a tin of Earl Grey tea and I discovered I loved this stuff. This tea is named after Charles Grey, who was a British Prime Minister in the 1830s. It’s a black tea which has been flavoured with oil of bergamot, which gives it some citrus flavour. I typically add a half teaspoon of honey.
I may continue to try some other teas along the way. One pre-virus day when I was having lunch up the street at Tasty Korea, I tried some lapsang souchong, a tea that is smoke-dried over pine fires. It was really unique and very interesting. It turns out it’s also pretty expensive. The stuff comes compressed into a pie-shaped thick wafer. Maybe one day I’ll go crazy and buy a little.
27th Street 
Lapsang souchong and Earl Grey are favourite teas of mine – loose tea is ALWAYS more flavoursome than bagged tea.
Tea is amazing! And I’m so glad you a making a start on your journey with loose leaf. If you’re looking for reviews of teas from different places that might help you I have tonnes on my blog
Delightful ad. I just ordered some Lapsang souchong online btw.
Oh, can we talk about tea? Tea is the elixir of the gods! I order a lot of things from the English Tea store, which I imagine ships to Canada also. They have a full selection from Twinings and Taylors of Harrogate. Darjeeling is a favorite of mine, black but not as tannic as your generic breakfast tea with a sort of astringent and champagney undertaste — I like Mim Estate. Jasmine flower green tea is very bracing and makes me feel alert, and they have a black currant flavor that is miles better than most fruit teas. Assam or Pekoe is what you want when you’re trying to wake up, and Lady Grey is extra citrusy (think of the Earl redoubled).
Yorkshire Red and Gold are my favorite breakfast teas. You need to see their classic ad.