I love tea. 

I really started liking tea after my sister came back from Europe. They use cream and sugar and she came back doing that. I started too and really like my tea with cream (unless it’s green, chamomile, or a fruity tea – it takes away the benefit from some chamomile if memory serves). I went to Australia and they use cream too. That only reinforced my interest.

My favorite brand of tea is by far Stash.
Admittedly, there are many brands and flavors that I have not tried. I consider myself a connoisseur or aficionado without money. I love tea but can’t afford to get a lot.
In my mind, if you take any flavor, Stash will have the best version of it.

Loose leaf is always preferable.

My favorite tea is Earl Grey. It’s simply black tea with Oil of Bergamot.

I’ve yet to do this, but you could go to a health food store, get the essential oil – Bergamot and then make black tea and add the oil yourself. I would start off with a small amount and add a drop at a time. With trial and error, you should find a great mix (you could also try Double Bergamot Grey from Stash). Oil of Bergamot runs about $12, but should last awhile.

When using tea bags or loose leaf, I almost always reuse the bag/leaves. There’s plenty of juice left and it’s a waste to throw away after one use. With loose leaf, you can add a pinch more leaves just to keep it fresh (don’t let used leaves sit to long before reuse).

I am somewhat interested in tea ceremony. I read a booklet called The Japanese Tea Ceremony: Practice the ancient and tranquil ritual of Sado, the way of tea. I also have a booklet called Tea: Blends, Origins, Rituals.

Man, you wouldn’t believe how involved the ceremony is. There was a majorly dumbed down version in the back of the book I read and it seemed incredibly complex. I can’t imagine trying to do the full-blown version. I’d write more about it, but if you’re that interested, you should research it yourself. This is not an end-all, be-all source.  

Honorable Mention:
Nutcracker suite by Celestial Seasonings is very good (crème and sugar, of course), but only available at Christmas time. So when the holidays roll around, make sure to stockpile it.