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Holy poo poo...that place is rad as gently caress.
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Jan 19, 2012 07:02
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Dang. That looks awesome. What are some good physical tea shops in the bay area? I saw Lilly Golden Tea Shop that Gravity just went to, recommended by Aldantefax if I remember correctly? Are there any other good ones people can recommend, particularly in SF? I'm more into black tea (with milk), and Japanese green tea, than I am into Pu-erh or Chinese tea. I know that's a huge generalization, and I've had plenty of Chinese teas I like, but if I'm going to make a trip somewhere I'd rather it have more things I'd be stoked by. (Sorry for not typing names exactly!)
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Jan 19, 2012 07:09
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Julie's Coffee & Tea Garden (Alameda) - moderate selection (about 50 to 80 teas displayed), cafe style, tea is a la cart bag your own and price by weight at the register, mostly on the cheap side. Weak Earl Grey. Golden Tea Shop (Chinatown Oakland) - Has wide variety, Lilly is totally rad, wide puerh selection, small shop, cheap, wide Chinese tea selections, minimal Japanese tea selection, no Western tea selection Imperial Tea Court (Berkeley, SF) - Berkeley location has less selection, SF has everything, good selection in most categories, you can order food and tea to try (unlimited hot water too) téance (Berkeley) - Kind of new agey and pricey, treats teas like wine in a variety of ways ('tea flights', usage of wine vocabulary, etc) - they are probably gonna sigh and roll their eyes if you mention you take your tea with milk, that sort of thing Samovar (SF) - Definitely new agey, pricey, but they definitely know their teas and have good quality from what I hear Lupicia (SF, I think) - Japanese company that has a store somewhere in SF, iirc, if you're looking for green teas you probably can do a lot worse Teavana (various locations) - it's teavana, prepare to pay out the rear end for tea of middle road quality, nice accessories that are also pricey --- There's plenty of places that do tea in the Western style, too, but you'll want to search for "Tea Rooms" instead of actual tea shops. Not many places around here specialize in black teas with milk, which are typically sourced from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), India (Assam etc.) and other places that blend. If you're really looking for black teas, I'd probably recommend looking online at Upton, since they have the most robust selection I've seen. If you're in SF proper I know that along the peninsula there are quite a few tea rooms that will do a Western style tea service but I do not think they actually do stuff like sell bulk leaf. ok now that i have answered that question i'm going to bed
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Jan 19, 2012 07:25
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Anyone in NZ know of anything unique other than tLeafT? I like most of their stuff but with nothing to compare it to beyond supermarket stuff I'm not really getting anywhere. There are a couple of online-only places about but I'm hesitant to just start buying random things in case I end up with a poo poo load of terrible tea. I'd like to try some zealong but good christ is that stuff expensive. http://www.zealong.com/ (has lovely music)
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Jan 19, 2012 07:45
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Thanks for answering that question! I usually order from Upton, but have been to Samovar as well. Just got an order in, and can report on 2 of the teas! I got the Belseri Estate CTC Organic Assam and Genmaicha in 125g tins. I also got samples of the East Frisian BOP blend, Mincing Lane Breakfast blend (I got this because of the name), Ko-kei cha, Tamaryokucha, and Formosa Oolong choice grade. The East Frisian BOP is extremely robust. It's got a lot of body, and a lot of astringency. I tend to prefer heavier teas, but in this case I think I may prefer the TGFOP blend. I think this benefits from slightly shorter infusion time than other whole leaf Assam or Assam blends. Good with milk. The Ko-kei cha is very interesting. It's tube-like extrusions that are, apparently, a byproduct of matcha manufacture. This brews up a clouded, dark green. I don't remember the flavor that well, but I will ask my fiancee what she thinks of it tomorrow. She is the big green tea drinker. I also got some Ryokucha from Samovar for her for Christmas. It's essentially genmaicha blended with matcha powder. It takes well to multiple infusions. The first is a bright, almost fluorescent green that tastes predominantly of matcha. Subsequent infusions become maltier, and more like a traditional genmaicha. Big fan of this one, though I'm not sure if it's worth the large premium over Upton's genmaicha, or any other ok quality genmaicha.
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Jan 19, 2012 08:03
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I got a Yixing (clay) tea pot as a gift... I haven't used it yet and was wondering what the best way to 'season' it is? Or do I not have to season it? I plan on using one of my go to Oolongs as the main tea I will use in it... if that matters.
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Jan 19, 2012 08:10
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chomper posted:I got a Yixing (clay) tea pot as a gift... I haven't used it yet and was wondering what the best way to 'season' it is? Or do I not have to season it? http://www.jas-etea.com/pages/Seasoning-your-Yixing-Teapot.html I'm sure you know this, but in case you don't. Be sure to only use oolongs of the same flavor profile in that yixing pot, don't use the same yixing pot to brew roasty oolongs as you would light and floral ones.
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Jan 19, 2012 08:31
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chomper posted:I got a Yixing (clay) tea pot as a gift... I haven't used it yet and was wondering what the best way to 'season' it is? Or do I not have to season it? Run some boiling water through it two or three times. Also rinse the outside of the pot. Then put some tea leaves inside it. Pour hot water into the pot and put the lid on. Pour hot water over the outside of the pot to help the heat. Let it sit for 10-20 minutes. Pour out the tea and pick out the leaves. Rinse with hot water. Make some tea. You can do the more painstaking method where you bring a pot of water to a simmer and you submerge your pot in it. Let it boil for 20-30 minutes. Then add a few tablespoons of tea. Let cut the heat and let it sit for a day. Then take the pot out of the water and rinse it off with cool water. Then put it back in the tea water and bring to a simmer again for 20-30 minutes. Cut the heat and let everything cool for a few hours. Then remove the pot and rinse it with hot water. You can get even more elaborate but it's more ritual than requirement. You don't need to pre-season a pot. The main thing you want to do is make sure the pot is clean of any packing dust and residue from people handling it. Most cheaper pots are actually pretty old and have been sitting in a warehouse for years.
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Jan 19, 2012 08:54
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aldantefax posted:I'd consider starting from a boil and letting the water cool off for awhile if your leaves getting roasted at what your thermometer reads as 178. That's what I've been doing, and I've tried about 4 different green teas and they all come out tasting like seaweed, even when my thermometer is claiming it's 150°F.  I tested my thermometer with boiling water and ice water, and it seems that it just takes forever to get to the right temperature, but it will reach it eventually (which is useless at ascertaining the temperature of a cooling off liquid, I know). This is especially frustrating because I've made bagged green tea before with no problem at all, and because I'm a loving chemistry major—why can't I boil water correctly? It's gotten to the point where I think I'm just going to mix boiling water with ice-cold water at a calculated ratio that should produce the right temperature. If my calculations are correct, a mix of 18% ice-cold water and 82% boiling water (by mass) should get me water that's just about 180°F. Correcting for the difference in densities, a mix of 17%/83% should do the trick. I'll try this when I get home and report back.
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Jan 19, 2012 14:35
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dik-dik posted:If my calculations are correct, a mix of 18% ice-cold water and 82% boiling water (by mass) should get me water that's just about 180°F. Correcting for the difference in densities, a mix of 17%/83% should do the trick. I'll try this when I get home and report back. If that doesn't work, you can get a nicer thermometer  I've realized I've had what I assumed was a porcelain decorative teapot for years. Looking closely at it though it looks like it could actually work, but I don't know how to use it- I imagine I'd only use it when there are other people to share tea with, regardless. The IngenuiTEA I use works quite nicely and I imagine are a good deal easier to clean up. Do I just throw tea leaves in there and pour over hot water? It seems like the tea leaves would come out with the tea itself. I could take cell phone pictures but it's obviously something aimed at people who are fascinated with East Asian characters without knowing how to read it. Using a tea ball sounds like it would functionally solve that but most of those are way too small for good tea.
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Jan 19, 2012 15:21
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You can get one of those bigger drop-in infusers, like people use with mugs, or you can just strain it when you pour it. The upside to the drop-in infuser is that you can halt the infusion process while still keeping the brewed tea in the pot, assuming you don't want to drink it all at once. dik-dik: I would actually suggest giving a little higher temperature a shot, like maybe 190F or so, if it's coming out tasting too much like the sea. I find that the lower temperature you go with greens, the more it tends to emphasize and bring out umami flavors, which while some find very desirable, I'm not a giant fan of. The higher the temperature, the more it brings out the floral, fruity, and herbal notes. Too high and it starts to taste flat and astringent. Also, I can't recall, is it a Japanese green? In my experience they have a way more brothy/sea taste than other greens generally do. You could try a China green, especially a Yunnan (my favorite) or a Longjing. Thoht fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Jan 19, 2012 |
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Jan 19, 2012 17:50
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GrAviTy84 posted:TRIP REPORT  Wanna go to that store.....They have a website, but don't sell any of their teaware through it. 
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Jan 19, 2012 18:12
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I have two tea-related questions: (1) What cheeses would pair well with orange pekoe? (2) Is there any booze I can spike my orange pekoe with? Regarding (2), no, I'm not an alcoholic. It has just occurred to me on numerous occasions that while there are tasty spiked coffees, and of course ciders, I've never heard of any kind of alcoholic teas.
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Jan 20, 2012 02:19
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Orange Pekoe isn't actually a type or variety of tea, it is a grade. There is a good page on Upton that explains this, here: http://uptontea.com/shopcart/information/INFOgrading.asp With respect to your questions, though - I don't think that cheese and tea are the kinds of food that people normally think about pairing, so there isn't necessarily a "standard" reply. I would think that if your tea is more tannic, more astringent, then sharper hard cheeses would be better. For less tannic tea, you could probably match a wider variety of cheeses. I think the biggest piece of advice that I'd give would be to ensure the tea is properly steeped, and the cheese is at a good temperature to serve. As far as spiked tea, I have no experience. I have had drinks that use "gin tea" as an ingredient. I was not a fan.
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Jan 20, 2012 02:31
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Cyril Sneer posted:(2) Is there any booze I can spike my orange pekoe with? You could basically make a hot toddy- add whiskey (but not a nice single malt scotch please- much better suited for bourbons for most teas I think).
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Jan 20, 2012 03:07
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I love cheese so I'll eat just about any kind with tea (and toast). This book was recommended over in the wine thread, but it seems to apply to all types of drinks, might be worth a look: What to Drink with What You Eat
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Jan 20, 2012 03:14
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Cyril Sneer posted:Regarding (2), no, I'm not an alcoholic. It has just occurred to me on numerous occasions that while there are tasty spiked coffees, and of course ciders, I've never heard of any kind of alcoholic teas. How about some beer tea? http://www.facebook.com/UnityVibration I actually had some at a beer fest last fall. As much of a fan of both beer and tea that I am, I thought it was disgusting. They seem to be doing quite well with their sales though so I guess someone likes it.
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Jan 20, 2012 03:32
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I ordered some tisanes from Adagio to help with weeknight tea cravings. Caffeine really messes with my sleep schedule so my regular teas are now banished to weekends. I grabbed the rooibos vanilla chai because I really like spiced teas, and I also got the honeybush sampler because I'd never had any. I'm trying my first cup now, and I see why it got the honeybush name. There is a lot of honey in the aftertaste and the "mouthfeel," if that makes sense. The brew itself is pretty mild and very sweet tasting. I put no sugar in it and it sure does taste like I put sugar in it.
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Jan 20, 2012 04:24
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dik-dik posted:Good to know! Earlier today I managed to do the same thing to some green tea I was brewing and I was worried that I'd started going crazy or something. Thoht posted:this high mountain oolong. It's got to be one of my favorite teas I've tasted in quite some time. Fragrant aroma with sweet vegetal and floral notes typical of such teas. Rich, creamy taste with, again, striking sweet floral notes, very clean profile. Just really pleasant all-around and hits pretty much all the points I like in high-grown lighter oolongs. You can experiment with temperature all day, but some leaves are just gonna have some assy tastes goin on. As a rule of thumb, there is a dividing line between machine cut poo poo, and hand picked. The proof is in the pot after a steep or two. When I brew my oolong, I blast that poo poo with near boiling without any negative effects. We are not talking about green tea at all here (even if their website says to steep it at 180º) Consider ordering an even tinier amount of some other, much more expensive oolong. If that sounds agreeable, I'm sure someone can make suggestions. GrAviTy84 posted:Yixing selection. The small plain shui ping style ones are about 10bux. chomper posted:I got a Yixing (clay) tea pot as a gift... I haven't used it yet and was wondering what the best way to 'season' it is? Or do I not have to season it? Thot posted:dik-dik: I would actually suggest giving a little higher temperature a shot, like maybe 190F or so, if it's coming out tasting too much like the sea. I find that the lower temperature you go with greens, the more it tends to emphasize and bring out umami flavors, which while some find very desirable, I'm not a giant fan of.
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Jan 20, 2012 05:18
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Death Vomit Wizard posted:
The reason there are 'well preserved pots' for next to nothing is because during the 1980s through 1990's Yixing was pumping out Yixing pots commercially left and right. The potters were by no means masters, they were just people doing a job and feeding a growing market in Japan and Taiwan. These pots mostly sit in warehouses and there are so many of the things it will blow your mind. "it's the old clay" is one of the most retarded sales pitches I've ever heard because it's all old clay. The stuff has been stockpiled in warehouses and artists go and select the grade they want for their various projects. When a pot was made is absolutely no indication of quality.
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Jan 20, 2012 06:08
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Death Vomit Wizard posted:Gunpowder, AFAIK, is just another name for oolong What? Gunpowder is a green tea. quote:Well ya, but there's "yixing" and then there's real yixing. There is nothing special about any kind of $10 pot that you are going to buy in a big store setting. Buy it, and love it, but those are just red clay that may as well be Canadian. What? I'm not some super REAL Yixing TM DOP sperg or anything, but like, I was just trip reporting, not making any claims on the authenticity of the yixing. Anyway, is the tea made in a REAL Yixing TM DOP any different than tea brewed in a lolcounterfeit "yixing?" A good brew vessel should be neutral tasting (when new), so either the clay pot is neutral tasting, mildly absorbent, and used in the Yixing fashion to which I don't see the harm in calling it a "Yixing pot", or it's an awful pot that shouldn't be used. Also, Yixing depleted, what? Only things I've read are that due to demand, authentic clay is scarce. I guess I'm just confused about what you're trying to say, are you saying that they suck? Are you going solely on price? because lol. If it's not expensive it must suck  . But then you say that I should buy it anyway and use it. 
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Jan 20, 2012 06:11
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Gunpowder green, probably, if the article is accurate, from Zhejiang province in China. They tend to have a fairly generic green tea taste to them, mostly vegetal, with sometimes a certain amount of smokiness as well. I was a bit surprised myself to hear of a seaweedy taste in it, given that that's a flavor I've only ever really encountered in Japanese greens myself, but everyone's nose/tongue is different I guess. Regardless, bottom line is that whatever temperature/time they're using right now is producing an unsatisfactory infusion and they should play around with both. It could be that no combination will produce something you (dik-dik) like, due to it being a crappy batch (I have occasionally gotten some stinkers from Upton where it was great before) or just not liking that particular tea. You'll never know until you try. That's something I wish more people would get. Forget dogma about what temperatures and times the holy tea sages of the internet tell you certain teas should be brewed at and in what manner. Try a range and find what makes the best tea to your tastes. Thoht fucked around with this message at 06:21 on Jan 20, 2012 |
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Jan 20, 2012 06:19
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wow lotta words happened in this thread today @death vomit wizard - gunpowder green tea is a green tea, it shares similar characteristics with some oolong teas because it is a rolled leaf that gives it its appearance but it is processed as a green tea and carries a similar flavor profile as other green teas from china. @chomper - there are different methods to season a yixing pot, not sure if there's actually a best method. Here are two discussions on the matter: Various techniques to prepare a new Yixing teapot, Seasoning a New Yixing Teapot - I seasoned one using the latter method. @dik-dik - if the gunpowder green is still not working out well for you, rather than fuss with the temperature of the water at this point, use the advertised water temperature and then discard the first steep, then try again with short steep times. gunpowder green tea is a finicky one and it is not for anybody, but I have never actually experienced any 'fish' flavors with ones that I've bought that were that cost or cheaper. - Chinese green teas are very different from Japanese green teas and it also may just be that gunpowder green is not your thing. Chinese teas have an extremely strong vegetable flavor so even if you tried a competition grade Dragon well tea there's probably a good chance it will have a similar type of profile, as the finishing process strongly emphasizes the plant/vegetal flavors. - could also be you just got a bad batch so as mentioned earlier you can mix it with some herbs of your choice (again, mint is a popular one, but rose hips, nettle, flowers, and so on)
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Jan 20, 2012 07:09
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GrAviTy84 posted:What? I'm not some super REAL Yixing TM DOP sperg or anything, but like, I was just trip reporting, not making any claims on the authenticity of the yixing. Anyway, is the tea made in a REAL Yixing TM DOP any different than tea brewed in a lolcounterfeit "yixing?" A good brew vessel should be neutral tasting (when new), so either the clay pot is neutral tasting, mildly absorbent, and used in the Yixing fashion to which I don't see the harm in calling it a "Yixing pot", or it's an awful pot that shouldn't be used. I am not saying that any pots suck or don't suck - honestly I don't think special clay would make any appreciable difference to someone at our level anyway. More important factors to consider are using a pot that has a good shape/thickness for the kind of tea you want to brew - considerations which don't preclude buying and enjoying a cheap pot. For light oolongs, I have had good experience with the standard fat, spherical shape (and thin wall). The pot you bought at the Chinatown shop is a perfect example of this style. Though I believe you mentioned that you might want to dedicate it to young shengs - a use it would be equally well suited to. I believe it's only with aged tea that a thicker-walled vessel is desirable. GrAviTy84 posted:What? Gunpowder is a green tea. This doesn't change the fact that I have become emotionally invested in dik-dik's struggle to enjoy his tea. Keep experimenting dik-dik! What kind of tea will you try next if it turns out you hate your current batch? ZombieParts posted:The reason there are 'well preserved pots' for next to nothing is because during the 1980s through 1990's Yixing was pumping out Yixing pots commercially left and right. The potters were by no means masters, they were just people doing a job and feeding a growing market in Japan and Taiwan. These pots mostly sit in warehouses and there are so many of the things it will blow your mind. "it's the old clay" is one of the most retarded sales pitches I've ever heard because it's all old clay. The stuff has been stockpiled in warehouses and artists go and select the grade they want for their various projects.  What do you look for in a pot? When people clink the pot and listen - what is signified by that high ringing sound? That the clay is high fired, or that it is high fired and also well crafted/ uniform? Is there some sort of book that lists the more popular chops that are stamped on the bottom of yixing pots? edit: Here's part 1 and part 2 of a really extensive guide to yixing pots and brewing kung fu tea I just found. Dik-dik, I am surprised to hear about the Formosan Jade oolong. According to your link, it is a Dong Ding oolong - which should have a very straight-up oolong taste. It may or may not have been given that charcoal roasted taste, but I can't imagine it having any kind of fishiness??? Ah, the mysteries of the tongue. I would suggest trying the oolong again after not having drunken any green tea for a couple days. Death Vomit Wizard fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Jan 21, 2012 |
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Jan 20, 2012 19:22
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Death Vomit Wizard posted:Sorry, that was a spergy derail that I could have made without bringing your post into it. My irk is semantic - I wish there was a common term for "small red/ brown pot" besides yixing. (Chinese pot?) Yixing should be a reference to clay from a specific town is all I meant to say. I realize that due to the nature of the teapot market that this naming convention is only going to increase in popularity, so I should probably just shut up and accept that the term yixing is, in practical usage, very broad. Well one could just differentiate between Yixing style pots made of Yixing clay, I suppose. But does anyone really care if a Dutch oven was or wasn't made by a Dutch person? By comparison to the 10bux one I got in China town, these pots at Wing Hop Fung seemed a lot better constructed. Fit and finish was better. The sound of the lids against the pot was definitely more metallic sounding than the one I have. Mine also feels a lot more porous compared to those which were definitely not glazed but felt smoother to the touch. All in all, I'm kind of kicking myself for buying this one when those feel a lot better in quality and value. May buy one of the basic ones for some tieguanyins.
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Jan 21, 2012 01:42
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Welp, I tried my fancy little water mixing trick, brewed a cup of the gunpowder, and...  I also tried Thoht's suggestions of a hotter brew (probably around 190 F but what do I know about temperatures--I let the water just start to boil, turned it off, let it sit for a minute, and brewed) with both the gunpowder and Choicest Hairpoint Organic, with similar fishy results. I did find, however, that if I add a bit of sugar and let it cool for a while, the seaweed odor diminishes, and I get a result that's not altogether unpleasant, although it's definitely different from what I'm used to. The dry leaves of the Iyerpadi Estate FBOP Green Organic straight up smell like seaweed, and the brewed cup has a taste to match. I'm starting to think maybe I just don't like loose leaf green tea  or maybe a sushi delivery truck crashed into the Upton storehouse and soaked their green teas in fish juice.Oh, and just to make things better, the Formosa Jade Oolong? Also has a sea-like flavor.  I think I need to find a local who actually knows what good green and oolongs are supposed to taste like and see if I'm doing something wrong or if I just don't actually like green and oolong teas. The only local coffee shop that actually takes their coffee seriously apparently also takes their tea quite seriously so I'll probably head over there this weekend and talk to them about my problem. Death Vomit Wizard posted:Keep experimenting dik-dik! What kind of tea will you try next if it turns out you hate your current batch? Well, on the up side, the China Keemun and Yunnan TGFOP are both delicious, and the Extra Bergamot English Earl Grey was pleasant, even if it did have more bergamot than I bargained for (I haven't tried the Original Earl Grey yet but I imagine that'll be more my style). For now I'll probably just stick with black teas, since I actually know what those are supposed to taste like and know that I'll enjoy them without having to drown them in sugar like a cretin. Oh, and: Comic posted:If that doesn't work, you can get a nicer thermometer You can be sure that as soon as I can afford one, I'm buying a thermapen. As it stands, however, no dice. Death Vomit Wizard posted:Dik-dik, watching you over analyze the water boiling aspect of brewing is worse than watching Woody Allen have sex. Oh, I fully realize how this whole ordeal appears. All I have to say is that I promise in real life I'm a relatively normal dude and I actually find this whole situation pretty hilarious even if I am laughing at myself. And how could I forget! Sirotan posted:The only thing good from Starbucks that is related to tea is the matcha frappuccino. And luckily, as of a year ago, the US locations switched to the Japanese recipe and now its super delicious. Since I dont drink coffee, thats the only thing I ever buy from them. I had the matcha frappuccino today and it was delicious, although also way too sweet. dik-dik fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Jan 21, 2012 |
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Jan 21, 2012 04:16
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i dunno man maybe you are drinking your tea out of a soy sauce container in any case it seems like you're ordering exclusively from Upton, maybe try some different places. also, what brewing equipment are you using, anyway? I must have missed it somewhere else but try doing a rinse and then very short, fast steeps with your stuff to see how that pans out if you're still committed to greens. also if you are in the SF bay area we should hang and I will show you the tea ropes
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Jan 21, 2012 05:09
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aldantefax posted:i dunno man maybe you are drinking your tea out of a soy sauce container Oh, yeah, that's because I ordered a big batch of samples from them cause you can order 10 to 15 grams for like $1 so I just bought about 15 different kinds of tea and it came out to about $20. I don't have any particular brand loyalty but it looked like a good way to start for cheap. I'm definitely going to try some other places. Any recommendations? I'm using a small teapot for the brewing and just boiling the water on the stove in a regular (small) metal pot. Alas, I'm not in SF (I'm in Florida, in case any tea goons live down here want to help me out), but I may be headed out there in a few months if I get interviews for school so if I'm in the area I'll let you know. I'm also thinking I might try a bunch of random floral blends too and see what I like, and probably pick up some Roobios too since I've had that a few times and liked it. No need to limit myself only to drinks that are technically tea.
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Jan 21, 2012 05:14
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Comic posted:You could basically make a hot toddy- add whiskey (but not a nice single malt scotch please- much better suited for bourbons for most teas I think). Maybe - all the hot toddy recipies I've come across seem to based off herbal teas which I don't really care for. Sirotan posted:How about some beer tea? http://www.facebook.com/UnityVibration Yeah, that doesn't sound too appetizing.
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Jan 21, 2012 06:48
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Cyril Sneer posted:Maybe - all the hot toddy recipies I've come across seem to based off herbal teas which I don't really care for. I haven't tried it, but I know my mother would mix a chai tea together with some bourbon for my dad from time to time if he wasn't feeling too great. Basically just brewing the tea, pouring a glass, and adding of bourbon after dissolving some sugar in. No real recipe. With a more standard black tea I imagine some lemon juice or honey would work okay too. (She may have used honey instead of sugar, I can't recall). He's not a big drinker but really likes extra spice chai tea, so the bourbon would help him go to sleep despite the tea caffeine. Wins all around. Comic fucked around with this message at 11:36 on Jan 21, 2012 |
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Jan 21, 2012 11:33
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Just got my new tea! It's Tan Yang Te Ji from TeaSpring, a chinese company. Expect 3 1/2 months shipping, followed by one of the best Fujian blacks you've ever tasted. I'm still trying to get over how amazing this stuff is.
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Jan 25, 2012 05:41
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Got a web source for that, or did you order through a contact?
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Jan 25, 2012 07:02
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I cracked a new bingcha last night. Thought I'd write up a picture guide of how to break it up if you plan to use the whole cake roughly right away. The idea here is to loosen the tea cake up while breaking up the leaves as little as possible. Don't do this if you plan on just tasting the tea and want to store it for longer. Here's a bingcha. I'm away from home for the next few weeks so I brought this random shou distributed by foojoy with me. I have no interest in long term aging this cake so here goes:  Using a pu erh knife, letter opener, or in my case, an oyster shucking knife, insert along the waist of the bing. Twist the knife to lightly to loosen the layers.  Repeat at 1" spaces along the side until you go around the whole cake effectively separating the dimple side from the round top.  Flex the disc slightly but do not bend strongly. Wiggle it back and forth to loosen the leaves:   Eventually, the leaves will get loose enough that you can pull the two chunks apart. Repeat.  Then enjoy some tea! GrAviTy84 fucked around with this message at 23:45 on Jan 25, 2012 |
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Jan 25, 2012 22:25
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aldantefax posted:Got a web source for that, or did you order through a contact? http://www.teaspring.com/Tan-Yang-Te-Ji.asp Here you are--came straight from the online shop.
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Jan 25, 2012 23:48
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Neat! Bob was berating me for not having a scale to weigh how much tea I was using when steeping - when I asked for a recommendation, he suggested this one here: My Weigh Triton T2 550g x 0.1g Digital Pocket (Hand held) Scale. Cheap and apparently decent since he uses it plus you can carry it with you and it sets up quick. Whee
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Jan 26, 2012 00:01
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Oh yeah. I'm in NY for the next 3 weeks and was planning on stopping by The Tea Gallery to do one of their intermediate tastings. I emailed to set up a reservation and I got this reply:Dae from TTG posted:Thank you for your interest. I'm sorry but at the moment The Tea Gallery is not conducting any tasting events or selling their teas.  I may do the Mandarin's Tea Room private tasting, but I'm not sure how it works or what they'll be pouring. Anyway, TTG being on hiatus makes me sad, that is all I am posting to say.
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Jan 26, 2012 04:39
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While we're on the topic of educational tea classes I actually wanted to approach the subject of certification because it's something that I'm definitely interested in. Are there nationally or internationally recognized certification courses for tea similar to wine, as in, a sommelier? Thus far I've seen at least a few places that offer instructional courses and general education, but to go even deeper into the topics at hand it starts to whittle down some, and whether or not it would be considered a legitimate operation is up for debate.
--- In the meantime, there is the first ever International Tea Festival being held in San Francisco at the Ferry terminal on Febuary 25th. Find out more about it at their website here, tickets are $22.50 (there's a surcharge not listed on the site but during purchase). Organized by Roy Fong, the owner of Imperial Tea Court, there are several speakers and people who may or may not be considered authorities on tea that are showing up! I do plan on going to this either as an attendee or as a volunteer so if you are interested and in the area do feel free to chime in! pork, I'm looking at you here.
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Jan 26, 2012 06:24
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I have no idea about tea sommelier things. I will definitely go to that tea festival though! Sounds fun. The site was down earlier today, and there isn't a huge amount of detail, so I hope they sell enough tickets for it to be worth it. That said, I'll go!
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Jan 26, 2012 21:58
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Ok so I got a reply from Mandarin's Tea Room. They said I can take a 90 min puer class at 85bux. I'm kind of tempted to do it considering that it is some of the best tea available in the US, brewed by some seriously awesome teaheads that I can converse with. But then, it's 85bux for an hour and a half of tea.  what to do what to do?
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Jan 27, 2012 06:15
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GrAviTy84 posted:Ok so I got a reply from Mandarin's Tea Room. They said I can take a 90 min puer class at 85bux. I'm kind of tempted to do it considering that it is some of the best tea available in the US, brewed by some seriously awesome teaheads that I can converse with. But then, it's 85bux for an hour and a half of tea. I'd do it. The sea of puer is vast and pricey. A class could give you some valuable experience and knowledge that you wouldn't otherwise get. Plus, who knows what they're going to crack open and brew special for this class. If enough people put out the bucks for the class someone may feel compelled to put their top of the line cake in the pot.
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Jan 27, 2012 12:46
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