Describe your perfect cup of coffee or tea.

Depending on my mood, I drink either tea or coffee.  The coffee, whether hot or iced, is almost always the same: no surgar and at least one ounce of half-and-half per cup of coffee.  My perfect cup of tea changes depending on what’s available, whether it’s a caffeinated or uncaffeinated tea, and the flavor of the tea itself.

The best hot tea I have ever had was the Oolong brew at Chong Yet Yin Chinese restaurant in Mount Airy, Maryland.  The lady who served it had made it nice and strong, as I like all teas, and the flavor was excellent; I would drink that tea with no additions all day long if I could.  A good, someone expensive substitute that I drink sparingly as a treat is Teavana’s Four Seasons Oolong, also without additions.

I usually drink English Breakfast with half-and-half, herbal teas containing either mint, chamomile or both with lemon juice and honey, and green tea with either lemon or nothing.  Depending on the blend, I may or may not add half-and-half, or I may try something else entirely.

I’m not a tea snob, but I do like good tea, preferably hot, though iced is good too.