What do YOU call unflavored tea (other than, 'unflavored', that is)?

Tea is “tea”. Flavored tea is “juice”.

If I’m out ordering at a restaurant I’ll ask for hot tea. If I’m at Teavana I’ll call it unflavored or regular tea. Then with family and friends I’ll call it regular tea. Plain or straight means no sugar/sweetener or milk/cream, regardless of flavor, same as Dinosara.

I call it what it is: green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, flavored tea. Or more specifically: dragonwell, sencha, asam, dan cong, TGY/TKY, vanilla caramel, blood orange, ad infinitum…

If speaking about all of it in general (when unflavored)… tea. If it’s not tea then tisane or herbal. Then if it’s got flavoring, flavored tea.

Thank you all for your input.

When I found that using a word that draws attention to what tea isn’t (unflavored tea, i.e. not flavored) rather than what tea is did not sit well with me, I decided to start a discussion thread with the goal of finding a word, or something to describe what tea is. After having read what many of you have posted, and thinking about it, I realized (as I mention in my reply to K.S.) that my struggle to define what tea is was not just about tea, but about how I look out at the world. It turns out what was driving my search happened to coincide with a very recent goal of mine: rather than focus on the lack in the world—i.e. the ‘un’ in unflavored—I’d rather focus on the value that is already there, at the core—i.e. the tea itself. But, I wasn’t sure how to define, or name, this core ‘presence’.

It turns out the answer lies in how I see my myself. I have recently discovered the belief that, as I am, I am not good enough for the world; consequently, I have to do something (i.e. add something, like flavoring in tea) to prove to others (and myself) that I am good enough. Well, I have even more recently come to the realization that I am good enough as I am; so, applying that perspective to the tea, the tea is good enough as it is.

Here is another way to look at: I am a teacher, a brother, a lover, a husband, etc. But, who am I when I am not performing any tasks, affecting the attitudes, etc., associated with those personas (as with the tea without any flavorings)? That is a question not easily answered. Still, one I find value in struggling to determine. So, back to what this means about me, and Tea.

I plan to call unflavored tea, simply, Tea, from here on out. This choice reinforces and/or reminds me of my desire to value things for what they are, as they are, without any additions. This, by the way, does not mean that I don’t see value in flavored tea; I do (just as I provide value to the world when I take on my various roles). The way I see it, the situations that will arise when I discuss Tea with others because of this choice will be opportunities to engage in dialog about this very concept (I know, I know, “Good luck with that one!”).

Ah, it’s all good, for what is life anyway, if not a journey of discovery? : – )

I call unflavored tea “tea” but in another language. For black/red tea 紅茶(koucha). For unflavored Oolong tea, ウーロン茶/烏龍茶、For Japanese tea, 日本茶。
No confusion here since we don’t have any flavored tea in our home.

Nonconformi-tea: It’s tea that’s happy just being itself :D

While I’m at this thread, I thought I’d throw out another approach to how to differentiate between the two (when its necessary to differentiate, that is).

My wife suggested calling flavored tea, ‘flavor added tea’. Although it is somewhat of a mouthful, it seems to more accurately describe what is normally referred to as flavored tea, and it seems to indirectly honor the flavor naturally occurring in Tea. I’ll have to see how that works in practice though. Again, it could be an interesting conversation starter. Truth be told, I can’t wait to try it on at a tea shop!

I am in the camp of calling it straight tea, but that’s only because I heard the term mentioned with the $1 Straight Tea promo DAVIDs had a few months back. I’d probably have said it was regular tea before, without really pausing to think about it, and what it means. Thinking about it though, I might use the word standard…and like some others have mentioned, I might use the word standard a bit as a prefix to the type of tea…so a standard green or a standard black. Still, standard doesn’t sound any better than classic, and regular seems so…generic. I think I like straight tea the best, though I’m not sure someone else would know what I’m talking about were i to use it in conversation, so that may not be the best word. Good thoughts.

This is an interesting discussion. Here, in Canada, “plain” tea is the typical orange pekoe type of tea, and is often referred to simply as “regular tea”, when ordering from a restaurant or coffee shop, as in “Can I have a medium sized regular tea” or “What type of tea would you like?” “Just regular, please.”. But that generally only applies to orange pekoe, rather than another plain black tea.

I’d call it Naked Tea. Mostly because that amuses me.

When I refer to tea I generally use the name. Most of the time this makes it pretty apparent what type it is. I guess if I had to describe unflavored tea to someone I would use, “just tea.”