Hot Sweet Brew!

Wander

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Jan 6, 2017
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Here There & Everywhere
Sorry.
I'm going to be very fussing and picky in this thread and there's every chance I'm going to shoot down every suggestion.
Sorry.

The problem is, I'm getting bored of tea.
I am.
I want a nice hot drink option for a quick brew up whilst out.
I'm getting bored of tea. All kinds of tea.
I don't like coffee.
I can't be bothered with hot chocolate/horlicks/ or any of those things.
I don't like fruit teas either.
I don't like miso soup.
I don't like Bovril or other little cubes of saltiness.

Anyone got any other ideas?
Yes, there's bush teas. I do have them occasionally. But I want something in a little bag or sachet that I can empty into a mug of hot water whilst I'm sitting under a tarp and just having a ponder.

Come on, there's got to be something out there for me...
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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www.mont-hmg.co.uk
I quite like a hot Ribena (other blackcurrant drinks are available) - OK, that means carrying a small amount of the concentrate in a bottle of some kind but it's warming & refreshing.

When overlanding in the deserts, constantly trying to drink litres of warm water was nauseating, so we would add whatever flavouring we could find - typically powdered fruit flavourings such as orange, lemon and even raspberry!

Waiting to be shot down :)
 
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Toddy

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I like mint tea, and I like it sweet :)

It's an altogether pleasant drink. It's refreshing, it's tasty, it smells good, it's my sit down and chill out cuppa just now. No coffee heartburn, or tannin'd tongue either.
I've harvested my own mints for my tea but It comes in teabags these days for when out and about :cool:
 

TLM

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Nov 16, 2019
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Tsai tou vounou, or greek mountain tea. Made from various Sideritis species, in Crete from syriaca. Kind of aromatic fairly mild taste, no caffeine. Also called Malotira in Crete.

I think the plant is called Ironwort in Eng.
 

Wander

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Jan 6, 2017
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I've never had hot Ribena, so I suppose I should try it first.
Does Tesco own-brand blackcurrant squash count?
As you say, the drawback would be having to take a little bottle of it with me and the need to wash that out afterwards. But if it turns out I like it that wouldn't be too onerous.
I'll try it first.
But the gun is loaded and ready to take a shot.

No to mint tea!
I've had it and I'm not a fan. I'd sooner pick some nettle leaves whilst out and brew those up.

Shall I tell you what I want? What I really really want?
Sainsburys do a brand of Vietnamese noodles that come in a bowl and you add boiling water to. The broth that makes is just abso-sodding-lutely gorgeous.
I want someone to make that in little sachets. It would make a fantastic fortifying winter drink. And until someone does bring that out I'm going to be grumpy and sulk about it. Which I'm currently doing.
 

Toddy

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Jan 21, 2005
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That's easy then. You just buy a batch of mini zip bags (100 for a couple of quid delivered) and you put stock powder into them. Season it up to suit yourself. Add chilli or lemongrass....read the label on your noodle bowl thing for their basic ingredients.
Marigold stock powder is an excellent base :)
 

Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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Shall I tell you what I want? What I really really want?
Sainsburys do a brand of Vietnamese noodles that come in a bowl and you add boiling water to. The broth that makes is just abso-sodding-lutely gorgeous.
I want someone to make that in little sachets. It would make a fantastic fortifying winter drink. And until someone does bring that out I'm going to be grumpy and sulk about it. Which I'm currently doing.
That’s not hot, sweet tea, it’s MSG salty goodness. :happy:

I have an old sardine paste jar that I’ve filled with the Marigold stock powder, as said, it’s a good base. Plus, a couple of crumbled Maggi cubes, some beef bone broth powder, some mixed herbs, onion powder, garlic granules. It’s a bit herby, but I could see lemongrass, kaffir lime going in in the future. I’ve had the pot going for a couple of years now and when it’s about halfway down I smash it all back to powder and put in whatever I feel like. Maggi cubes are quite a lot of MSG which I like, bone broth I buy in sachets but I don’t like it on its own much.

I’m not a hot Ribena fan, but like the Bottlegreen Bramble squash, and there is a Ginger and Lemongrass. Never tried either hot though.
 

Wander

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Jan 6, 2017
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Marigold stock powder is an excellent base :)

Yes, I've been thinking about something like that.
Is Marigold available in one of the supermarket chains?
My only reservation is that it will be too salty. Is that the case? I don't like the taste of salt.
I may just have to take a punt and buy some and see how I get on with it.
 

bopdude

Full Member
Feb 19, 2013
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Erm, why not 'just' buy the noodles, decant the granules to take on the trail and save the noodles as a snack?
Looking down the barrel of a gun ;)
 

Wander

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Yeah, I've gone through that thought process.
But at £1 a pot (which is cheap enough for a bowl of dried noodles) that's also an expensive drink to keep taking out. Imagine paying £1 per tea bag.
But, yes, I have thought of doing that.
 

Toddy

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Jan 21, 2005
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Yes, I've been thinking about something like that.
Is Marigold available in one of the supermarket chains?
My only reservation is that it will be too salty. Is that the case? I don't like the taste of salt.
I may just have to take a punt and buy some and see how I get on with it.

I buy the big tub from Amazon, but they sell the small sized ones in Tesco, Sainsbury's, etc.,
There is a low salt version too. It's not terribly salty anyway though.
In Tesco it's often put beside the FreeFrom stuff for the gluten free people.
Holland and Barrett will have it too. Pretty sure Morrison's do as well.
It's nice stock anyway, and if you add peanut butter it makes a brilliant gravy :)
I bought Himself a tub of peanut 'protein'. It's basically ground peanuts. The blooming stuff is addictive he says. It was guzzled and gone in gun time :rolleyes2:
 

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
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Fantastic fortifying winter drink... Mummery's Blood?

"mountain elixir (that) consists of equal parts of navy rum and Bovril, served boiling hot. Its effect on both mind and body is nourishing, warming and strengthening; it lowers angles, shortens distances, and improves weather." - W H Murray.

Robinsons have mini bottles (66ml) of a handful of their squash flavours inc Blackcurrant & Apple.
 
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Wander

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Jan 6, 2017
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OK.
Well, we may be getting somewhere.
We do have a bottle of Tesco 'extra juice' blackcurrant squash.
So I will try a hot cup of that with my dippy egg tomorrow morning.

I will also give the Marigold a whirl. I'll go for the low salt one, just in case - I never put salt in anything so the taste of salt sticks out like a moose head in a fridge.
 

Jared

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 8, 2005
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Another one is just plain lemon juice, as that also comes in little lemon shaped jif bottles. Could add honey for the classic combination.
 

Nice65

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Apr 16, 2009
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OK.
Well, we may be getting somewhere.
We do have a bottle of Tesco 'extra juice' blackcurrant squash.
So I will try a hot cup of that with my dippy egg tomorrow morning.
I’ve a feeling that isn’t going to work well.

On the subject of no salt, Knorr do both their chicken and beef stock cubes with a zero salt option. Though you yumming the salty powder stock from the noodles suggests salt or MSG might be part of your yearning. I don’t eat a lot of it, but I do like a cup of it every so often.

On another note, M&S have just reintroduced their concentrated beef stock after a couple of years absence, it’s good stuff.
 

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