9 years after best before... yes or no?

[SubwayA9car]

Ran out of tea bags recently so I go into the cupboard and find a tin of loose tea which I used to really be into. Been drinking it all week. Ds was horrified to find its 9 years past bb date.
Tastes fine. Lovely infact.... forgotten how much better loose tea tastes.

Are you still alive? >> YES >> it's fine
Is your DS posting Machiavellianly under your user name because you've dropped dead from drinking nine year old tea? >> YES >> it's not fine

I've got a pu-erh tea dated 2004 in my cupboard I'm saving for a special occasion

Exactly. Like a fine wine or whisky. Better with age😂

haha I recently finished some nutmeg that I have been using since before the DC were born (ds1 now 19yo) so I think your tea is fine :)

One of my first "luxury" purchases when i first was cooking for myself, age 19, was a jar of nutmegs. I recently bought another jar and noticed that the first jar lasted 38years.

The dates on packages are mostly for stock rotation purposes....i good snif will usually tell if something has gone off of needs to be replaced.

I think my mum's record was 20 years for mustard. Our American guest nearly fainted!

I would say no if the question was prior to you drinking it. But now you have drank it & survived go for it :)

I would assume the flavour would deteriorate but as long as it did not look mouldy I would drink it.

Some spices go off quickly, I'm guessing those are the ground types, but while spices should last longer. Whole nutmegs should definitely last.

I've had some flavoured loose leaf tea that tasted off after a year, but the sniff or taste test will help...

Oh we also have nutmeg that dh bought long before he met me. They're fine😁