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Sephiroth_IRA posted:So my co-workers are going on about "Matcha" green tea. My guess is there are some infomercials about the stuff atm? From what I've read it's definitely healthier but it seems like someone could get a lot of the same benefits by just powdering other teas. If you're having issues with caffeine, then probably not a great idea. Though it doesn't have as much caffeine as coffee or black teas, you can pretty easily overdo it. 
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Dec 15, 2014 17:41
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Yeah I figured it was a overblown flavor of the month thing. unless you bastards are just keeping the secret to immortality to yourselves!  Anyway, I've been drinking A LOT of tea lately (Chinese green, jasmine, oolong) and besides being a little more focused from the caffeine I haven't had any of the stomach issues I had with coffee. I'm starting to wonder if the creamer was just bad… Sephiroth_IRA fucked around with this message at 19:35 on Dec 15, 2014 |
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Dec 15, 2014 19:29
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Sephiroth_IRA posted:Yeah I figured it was a overblown flavor of the month thing. unless you bastards are just keeping the secret to immortality to yourselves! Coffee has much more acid in it then even the most acidic teas.
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Dec 15, 2014 20:00
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Sephiroth_IRA posted:So my co-workers are going on about "Matcha" green tea. My guess is there are some infomercials about the stuff atm? From what I've read it's definitely healthier but it seems like someone could get a lot of the same benefits by just powdering other teas. It may not be a miracle pill, but it is more nutrient-rich than tea because you are ingesting the tea leaf, not just an infusion of the same. Matcha may only be made from tencha, which is grown the same a gyokuro but has had its stem removed. Gyokuro is a Japanese sencha that has been shaded for around 2 weeks to deepen the chlorophyll. You could theoretically grind other tea leaves up and whisk it into hot water for a frothy tea-leaf drink, but it would not be matcha. Edit to add: The acidity in coffee gives me heartburn. The cream I have to put into coffee to make it taste good gives me other issues (yay lactose intolerance). Tea is made of win. Gentler, lower amounts of caffeine and acid, no need for cream, and more fun to make. milpreve fucked around with this message at 21:02 on Dec 15, 2014 |
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Dec 15, 2014 20:27
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Sephiroth_IRA posted:Yeah I figured it was a overblown flavor of the month thing. unless you bastards are just keeping the secret to immortality to yourselves! Another thing as a side note is that the whole idea of black teas having more caffeine than green and such is mostly BS, as other things like growing conditions and when the tea is harvested often have more to do with it than how oxidized the tea is.
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Dec 15, 2014 23:51
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Zelmel posted:Another thing as a side note is that the whole idea of black teas having more caffeine than green and such is mostly BS, as other things like growing conditions and when the tea is harvested often have more to do with it than how oxidized the tea is. Yeah I meant to ask about that. The two teas I've had fry my brain the most are the unlabelled "puerh" from my blog and, well, matcha, because you can send so much down the pipe so fast.
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Dec 15, 2014 23:54
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Zelmel posted:Another thing as a side note is that the whole idea of black teas having more caffeine than green and such is mostly BS, as other things like growing conditions and when the tea is harvested often have more to do with it than how oxidized the tea is. On average, all green tea has slightly less caffeine then the average of all black tea. Whites, again on average, have less then greens. Oolong is a huge category of teas and is all over the place. Generally speaking there is more variation in caffeine content within a tea type then there is between tea types, meaning there are many greens that are stronger then the average black and vice versa. Another factor effecting caffeine content is the age of the tea, how long it has been since it was picked. Good quality greens and oolongs have a stunningly short shelf life, often less then 1 year. Blacks can last 5+ years, explaining their popularity with the nations that mostly import their tea (Europe and the Americas). In the olde tyme of sailing ships, when white people were first discovering tea, the greens would have experienced a significant drop in quality by the time they arrived in London/New York/Brussels/Moscow.
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Dec 16, 2014 02:38
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The oxidation process that primarily defines black tea actually reduces the caffeine content slightly. The reputation for higher caffeine content probably comes from the assamica varietals used in India and many other countries that primarily produce black tea, which has more significantly more caffeine than the Chinese varietals used in various Asian countries where greens and oolongs are much more popular. If anyone really feels like nerding out, a pretty good paper on the subject can be found here (which talks about the varietal difference and compares green and black tea made from the same batch of leaves, among a few other things). I've read a couple others with similar findings but don't have links handy. There are plenty of other factors: yrelevant to recent discussion the shading process used for matcha and gyokuro increases the caffeine content a bit, along with the amino acid content and some other things. Younger leaves have more caffeine than older leaves. Leaves picked in the spring generally have more caffeine than leaves picked in the summer or fall, which itself might vary depending on location and frequency of harvest. And so on and so forth. Aside from what's in the leaf, how you go about brewing makes a huge difference in what you get out into the water, too. The takeaway from all this is just drink whatever tastes and feels good to you and don't worry about it. 
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Dec 16, 2014 05:04
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breaks posted:The oxidation process that primarily defines black tea actually reduces the caffeine content slightly. a HA! Just like coffee.
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Dec 16, 2014 15:22
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Some more caffeine stuff here. http://elmwoodinn.com/about/caffeine.htmlquote:"Caffeine varies in the fresh green leaf depending on fineness of pluck," Nigel says. "For any tea, be it black, green or white, the caffeine is highest in the bud. Silver needle (white tea) is 100% bud and has the highest caffeine content." I'm rather caffeine sensitive and silver needle and other whites get me buzzed way more than any other teas. Young sheng puerhs are up there for me too.
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Dec 16, 2014 17:03
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Is there a good electric kettle that lets you set the temp manually for brewing of white/green/etc for under $50? Ideally one that won't die in 6 months if such a thing exists.
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Dec 27, 2014 18:15
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The Rev posted:Is there a good electric kettle that lets you set the temp manually for brewing of white/green/etc for under $50? Ideally one that won't die in 6 months if such a thing exists. http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-40996-Programmable-1-7-Liter/dp/B0083I7THI Also what-cha is running 15% off their catalog till 2015. Picked up some vietnamese oolongs and blacks on the cheap!
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Dec 27, 2014 19:45
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I'm using one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0086UJQN8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's not as precise as a digital kettle but I find that the hottest setting is just about exactly right for black tea (~212) and the coolest setting is good for green (~175-80).
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Dec 27, 2014 23:45
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I am normally a coffee drinker but I would like to expand my taste and am looking for recommendations for a spicy tea or tea blend.
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Dec 28, 2014 00:52
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Ropes4u posted:I am normally a coffee drinker but I would like to expand my taste and am looking for recommendations for a spicy tea or tea blend. Try any masala chai blend you can get your hands on. They are teas blended with a variety of spices and typically steeped in milk (the foundation for the all-too-sweet chai lattes you find at most coffee type joints don't compare). You can also look at ginseng oolongs for a naturally sweet tea that can last (you want to reuse the leaves, so use only a small amount and drink through them). Lastly, coffee drinkers are oft exposed to very bold flavors, so you may want to look at teas labeled Assam for a very robust flavor, typically without additives.
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Dec 28, 2014 02:55
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aldantefax posted:Try any masala chai blend you can get your hands on. They are teas blended with a variety of spices and typically steeped in milk (the foundation for the all-too-sweet chai lattes you find at most coffee type joints don't compare). You can also look at ginseng oolongs for a naturally sweet tea that can last (you want to reuse the leaves, so use only a small amount and drink through them). Lastly, coffee drinkers are oft exposed to very bold flavors, so you may want to look at teas labeled Assam for a very robust flavor, typically without additives. Thank you so much for the help I will get some ordered tomorrow.
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Dec 28, 2014 04:09
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If you're looking for a kettle, this guide is pretty great. The one recommended is currently on Amazon for $75, I own it and I loving love it. The Hamilton Beach one brought up is mentioned, but they found it wildly inaccurate and a pain to use. You're already spending $50 on this, I think it's worth the extra $25 to get to the sweet spot where you can't really get any better before spending $150 on what's really a totally different thing.
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Dec 28, 2014 18:26
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My wife and I both picked a few that sounded interesting from Upton Tea Imports. Many of the selections are their sample size. I hope we store these in ziplock bags for an extended time period because I am guessing we have enough for the next decade. TB12: C.T.C. Irish Breakfast Blend TXA9S: CO2 Premium Decaffeinated Assam TB05S: Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend TE33S: Chai Spice Tea TE01S: Season's Pick Earl Grey Crème Vanilla TB70S: Finest Russian Caravan TE11S: Extra Bergamot English Earl Grey TB75S: Baker Street Afternoon Blend TE30: Traditional Masala Chai TX33S: Decaffeinated Chai Agni TA99S: Halmari Estate GFOP Cl.
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Dec 28, 2014 23:38
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So I've been drinking tea lately. My Wegman's has a couple different barrels of loose leaf tea that I've been randomly trying out. However, one thing I don't like is all of them say 1tsp per 8 oz water or something. 1 tsp of pearls is vastly different than leaves,etc...so is there a way to weigh this in grams to make it a bit more accurate?
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Dec 29, 2014 18:44
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Picked up Sencha Jade , and Imperial Dragon Reserve green's this weekend. They both have a much nicer flavor as compared to bags. Also find it interesting that these loose leafs brewed is a very light green whereas bags are much darker.
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Dec 29, 2014 19:21
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Japanese greens tend to brew a light brighter than chinese greens in general, probably because their kill-green processing involves steaming rather than pan frying. Matcha brews to be nuclear green in color, it's lovely to photograph.
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Dec 29, 2014 19:44
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hope and vaseline posted:Japanese greens tend to brew a light brighter than chinese greens in general, probably because their kill-green processing involves steaming rather than pan frying. Matcha brews to be nuclear green in color, it's lovely to photograph. I want to try matcha, but it looks like I need a fair amount of hardware so it will have to wait.
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Dec 29, 2014 20:07
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Lord of Garbagemen posted:I want to try matcha, but it looks like I need a fair amount of hardware so it will have to wait. I make mine with a wide mug and a plastic fork from KFC.
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Dec 29, 2014 20:17
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CommonShore posted:I make mine with a wide mug and a plastic fork from KFC. blasphemer
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Dec 29, 2014 20:37
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Lord of Garbagemen posted:blasphemer I'm sorry that I tainted the revered KFC fork with the elitist foreigner tea. I will be more careful in the future. Seriously though, I even watched a Japanese Tea ceremony recently, done by fancy masters from Japan. As formal as it all is, there is still a ton of "approximate" and "good enough" in there, a la wabi sabi. EG, they don't take a heat gun to the water to make sure that it is exactly 76c, they just look at it, and so long as it's at least steaming and not at a steady boil, they're happy with it. Most of the formality and ritual looked to me to be more to do with manners and practical elements such as the best way to avoid dropping the water ladle into the kettle so you don't have to fish it out with your bare hands. Really not much of it had to do with the tea itself. If you have the stuff to whip some powder into some water, you can make matcha. I like the plastic fork because it doesn't scratch up the bottom of my nice stoneware mug. Lately I've been keeping an eye out in Chinese grocery stores for a cheap matcha whisk, or in dollar stores for something like this: 
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Dec 29, 2014 20:59
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The only people who think you need fancy equipment to make matcha are the people selling the equipment.
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Dec 29, 2014 21:41
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its just hot water and leaves dont make everything so complicated
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Dec 29, 2014 22:29
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CommonShore posted:I'm sorry that I tainted the revered KFC fork with the elitist foreigner tea. I will be more careful in the future. Do you choose to say the words that will hurt me the most? Isn't it Sharia law that you must be in a kimono and wearing geta while making matcha?
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Dec 30, 2014 00:19
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I don't actually know if there's any specific difference to using a bamboo whisk versus using a normal wire whisk, KFC fork, Taco Bell fork, blender, what have you in matcha preparation. My guess is the amount of aeration and froth that you get - the bamboo whisk has more contact points with the mixture. I don't know poo poo-all about matcha at all though, and if it tastes good then I don't see any harm in using whatever works for you (might be a good subject to write about for an article).
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Dec 30, 2014 18:20
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nwin posted:So I've been drinking tea lately. My Wegman's has a couple different barrels of loose leaf tea that I've been randomly trying out. Anyone?
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Dec 31, 2014 00:19
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Sure you can, but how much depends on what kind of tea, brewing style, etc. Maybe try 0.3g per oz of water for black tea brewed the standard 4-5 min duration, feel free to use more or less if that is too weak or strong.
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Dec 31, 2014 00:34
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I usually use 5g to 8oz but I like it a little strong for bigger cups.
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Dec 31, 2014 00:37
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Personally, I start with 3g per 8 fluid ounces and then adjust from there. Pearls (and anything rolled) I might start a little less if they're still going with the 1tsp per cup thing. I tend to still end up about 3g or just a little more.
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Dec 31, 2014 16:46
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nwin posted:Anyone? Throw a bunch of pearls in water, try the resulting brew, then add more or less next time to your taste?
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Jan 1, 2015 02:57
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Juaguocio posted:Throw a bunch of pearls in water, try the resulting brew, then add more or less next time to your taste? ...thanks. I was hoping for a more exact answer, which is why I bothered asking the question. With coffee-there's standard ratios depending on the brew method (drip/pourover/etc). Forgive my absolute ignorance that there might be something similar for another beverage that you brew. I am quite capable of discovering a ratio on my own. However I was hoping that this thread which focuses on tea would provide a quicker answer than me brewing multiple cups of tea.
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Jan 1, 2015 03:02
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With tea there is more variation in brewing methods than with coffee. Grinding the beans up into a fairly uniform powder helps a lot with standardizing a brewing process. Since with tea there is a lot more variation in what you are trying to soak flavor out of, there's a correspondingly wider variation in times, weights, etc. My personal guideline for sencha is .6g/oz, 1.5min, 175f water, 2nd brew 15-30sec, 3rd brew maybe a minute. Gongfuing oolongs is surely more than that (I never weigh), starts at 15sec, water just off a boil, except some really green ones can get cooler water. I'd brew them who knows how many times, adding 5-10 sec for the first few and more than that later on, I just feel it out if a cup comes out a bit too strong or too weak. I always give balled oolongs a rinse to open them up, sometimes I'll skip it with unrolled ones. Black tea I'd do .3-.4g/oz for 4-5min, boiling water, no additional brews. Chinese greens I don't drink much but I'd do a weight similar to black tea and a time and temp similar to sencha the first time, and add a minute for each later brew. I'm sure others have different opinions about the exact weights, times, and temps, and to some extent it depends on the specific tea. Heavy-steamed sencha needs less time than light-steamed, big leaves need more time than small ones, etc. Weigh away though, it definitely helped me get things right a lot quicker when I first started drinking tea. I rarely bother anymore unless I've splurged on something really pricey. And if you really want you can brew almost everything the way you would brew black tea, and if it's good tea you'll still get a good cup. It is a good idea to stick to a lower time and temp for greens. breaks fucked around with this message at 03:50 on Jan 1, 2015 |
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Jan 1, 2015 03:48
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breaks posted:With tea there is more variation in brewing methods than with coffee. Grinding the beans up into a fairly uniform powder helps a lot with standardizing a brewing process. Since with tea there is a lot more variation in what you are trying to soak flavor out of, there's a correspondingly wider variation in times, weights, etc. Thanks! Best advice I've read yet.
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Jan 1, 2015 04:03
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Lupicia is doing it's annual "Happy Bag" sale. You get a random assortment of teas for half of what they normally cost. Here's a blog post with a picture and description of what was in the box last year that's pretty similar to what I got. I liked almost everything in my bag last year, although the black teas were kind of hit or miss. Also be warned that they take a while to ship out.
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Jan 2, 2015 00:49
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I whisk matcha tea in a clay mug/bowl? I made in the 4-5th grade with a kiln and a egg whisk.
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Jan 2, 2015 15:21
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Agenta Khaulan posted:I whisk matcha tea in a clay mug/bowl? I made in the 4-5th grade with a kiln and a egg whisk. Probably the best tasting matcha in the world.
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Jan 2, 2015 16:45
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