I just picked up some of Republic of Tea's Good Hope Vanilla Rooibos from Cost Plus World Market.

The vanilla is nice, but they have an artificial cream flavor mixed in. To me this tastes like what you get when you drink water out of a glass that just had milk in it.

So far, the Trader Joes Rooibos is the best version I have tried.

It was $7.99 instead of the $8.75 list price. This was a lot better than the $10.99 another store wanted.

Nice container, though.

Just can't beat a cup of "Yorkshire Tea"

DanaC--what's that?

I have been becoming a tea addict over the last several months; it's flavorful, but has less of a caffeine kick (low to no, depending on type) than coffee and isn't loaded with sugar and carbonation like soda, so I can drink a lot of it without disturbing my acid reflux if I don't overbrew it. I drink mostly green, herbal and rooibos, but have some black blends I like and have been fiddling around with oolong lately (and have a friend who's looking for a really good oolong like what they have at a local Chinese restaurant).

I was at "Sugarplums and Tea" yesterday, a tea shop/tea room tucked away in the Rockvale Square outlets in Lancaster, and picked up a few ounces of loose-tea blends that turned out to be very nice (they had a good variety of available flavors). However, that's a bit of a drive for me on a regular basis.

So if I was here in the southwest Philly burbs and wanted to buy a variety of loose tea blends by the ounce -- not in bags, not on grocery shelves, not prepared in a tea room with scones and sandwiches, but small quantities of large numbers of teas for experimentation purposes -- where should I go?

King of Prussia: the mall (plaza side) now has a place selling only loose tea and tea-related items. Prices for loose tea are in 2oz increments. I tell you this so you don't crap yourself like I did when your order of "a half pounda this, quarter pounda that" comes to $57.

Downtown: if it's still open, The House of Tea. Just south of South street, a selection that is awe-inspiring. I have not been there in 6 years or something.

http://www.houseoftea.com/

Oh yeah, and there's GOTTA be a place in Chinatown, although I've been all through Chinatown and I don't remember one.

The place in the Reading terminal that sells [real] Jamaican Blue Mtn coffee also has an impressive tea assortment.

Having looked over the house of tea website, it does appear that they are still open. The prices there are half what they are in King of Prussia. I'm going soon!

This weekend we went to the Constitution Center and afterwards had dinner in Chinatown.

As usual, I visited the Chung May market on Race Street and picked up a box of 100 individually wrapped tea bags.

A lot of Asian markets have the inexpensive green and black teas in the 100 count boxes. Chung May is the only one I have found in the area that sells Kuan Yin oolong in the 100 count box.

I visited House of Tea about 8 or 9 years ago. If I remember correctly, I wasn't carrying a lot of cash and he offered to sell to me on credit.

The shop looks like something from the 19th century.

http://cellar.org/2006/store_counter_lg1.jpg

If I go I will report back. When I go.

Consider getting the Rooibos Cinnamon & Orange Spice, I have the same flavor in tea bags from Trader Joes and it's great. It's also an 'herbal tea'.

On thing though. I just looked at the IPIX and when I zoomed in on the antique scale, I didn't see an inspection sticker.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Lemon Jasmine Green Tea -- this is particularly good done like a chai, with milk and sweetening to taste. Do follow the directions on the canister; they mean it when they say don't steep this tea more than 3 to 4 minutes -- it will go quite bitter.

Try seeking out a double-strength Earl Grey with twice the bergamot. Celestial Seasonings used to market one under the name Earl Greyest. Zowie.

Our tea-cozy sees particular use in brewing Rooibos red tea, which takes long stewing: Rooibos in the Melita 6-cup drip-pot, boiling water in, lid on, pop the cozy on, leave for twenty minutes and more.

MIL's also a Russian helicopter design bureau.

Stash Lemon Ginger Herbal Tea is excellent. I make it by the pot. With just a little sugar, the aroma and the bite make a for unique taste experience.

For the bergamot junkies in the room, I recommend Double Bergamot Earl Grey Tea. Needs less (or no) sugar--highly aromatic and very indulgent. Yum!

Noted with thanks, BigV.