The Tea Thread

[Unlearner]

I'm a huge fan of tea, all different kinds from all around the world. Naturally, I have my preferences, but in general a nice cup of tea is very helpful for calming me down and helping me focus. So, I felt like starting a thread for anyone else who might be an appreciator of tea, to share what different kinds of tea you enjoy, where to find different kinds, and anything else related to tea. I'll start simply by sharing some of my favorite teas:

 

I'm particularly fond of white teas, they tend to have a very light, subtle flavor, and I feel that it's better when not steeped for very long. Along with this, I'm also a fan of green teas, but I think second on my list would be rooibos (red) tea, definitely a different flavor from any other tea I've tried, definitely worth trying if you haven't had it.

[thelerner]

I just went to an Adagio tea shop close to me. Good tea, decent value. If you're interested in a tea they'll give brew up small samples to taste. I picked up some Citron Green, I think its a green dragon well $7 for 3 oz loose. Also bought the Blood Orange herbal mix, $7 for a small bag. It makes for a nice mix.

 

Occasionally I'll spring for something special. I like the offerings at http://shop.amazing-green-tea.com. Then again I'll also fall back on nostalgic tastes like Costant Comment and even Lipton, as long as I can get a slice of lime in it.

 

With winter coming I enjoy inexpensive Japanese Genmaichi which is green tea with puffed rice that gives it a full malty sweet taste. I'll drink some pue erh too, more for health then taste.

[Brian]

My current favorite is "sky between the branches."

[thelerner]

My current favorite is "sky between the branches."

What's it like. Bit airy with a splash of green and twig?

[Brian]

What's it like. Bit airy with a splash of green and twig?

 

 

I get mine from a local shop but here's a link to the tea:

http://www.republicoftea.com/m/Product.aspx?p=V00605

[Unlearner]

@Brian: Nice, I'm a big fan of RoT.

 

@thelerner: I'm jealous, I wish I had a tea shop close by. Oh well, I already have way too much tea anyway, so getting more would probably be a bit overload Also, I've never had pue erh, but I've heard of it before, how is it?

 

Have either of you ever been to a tea house? I'm going to Portland next week and I was going to visit one, I'm pretty excited for it. They even do a matcha set with the Japanese tea ceremony and everything

Edited October 16, 2013 by Unlearner

[kevin_wallbridge]

I do 功夫茶 gongfu cha, the Chinese method with tiny pots. My favourite is Dahongpao 大红袍, a wuyi wulong tea.

 

[thelerner]

@thelerner: I'm jealous, I wish I had a tea shop close by. Oh well, I already have way too much tea anyway, so getting more would probably be a bit overload Also, I've never had pue erh, but I've heard of it before, how is it?

 

Have either of you ever been to a tea house? I'm going to Portland next week and I was going to visit one, I'm pretty excited for it. They even do a matcha set with the Japanese tea ceremony and everything

Pu Erh, hmm, its not my favorite but many here have talked about its health properties so I have some. I find it tastes like diluted green muddy water; pungent and earthy. Definitely do a tea ceremony if you can. They're wonderful.

[Taomeow]

I got a present from a friend which may be more than what I deserve, since my tea-drinking style is neither sophisticated nor particularly Chinese (though it isn't American, English, or Indian either.) Aged pu-erh bricks, at least 70 years old (possibly older), made by a process that went extinct in maoist China, so tea made this way is no longer available. I'm told they are a collector's item, but since two of them were intact and one slightly nibbled at already, I decided to keep using that one.

 

The taste, smell, flavor, color -- everything about this tea is different from what I'm used to. I don't drink it often, maybe because I'm afraid that if I really fall in love with it I'll wind up finishing it all off and there's no replacing it. My question is, what's the right way to store this so it doesn't get damaged? I got it wrapped in paper, put it in a wooden box that used to contain some other tea from China, but I'm not sure this is the right way. Any suggestions?

Edited October 17, 2013 by Taomeow

[dawei]

I mostly consume green tea, jasmine tea, chamomile flower tea, or lotus seed tea. Sometimes I mix certain ones but the last two together are a very good detox. All are quite good for overall health. We bring back as much as we can from china on various trips.

 

@Taomeow: My wife always recommends to refrigerate the team (or even in the freezer) but it should be rather air tight wrap and boxed/sealed so it does not absorb any other odors. JMO.

[Unlearner]

The taste, smell, flavor, color -- everything about this tea is different from what I'm used to. I don't drink it often, maybe because I'm afraid that if I really fall in love with it I'll wind up finishing it all off and there's no replacing it. My question is, what's the right way to store this so it doesn't get damaged? I got it wrapped in paper, put it in a wooden box that used to contain some other tea from China, but I'm not sure this is the right way. Any suggestions?

 

@Taomeow: My wife always recommends to refrigerate the team (or even in the freezer) but it should be rather air tight wrap and boxed/sealed so it does not absorb any other odors. JMO.

 

Pretty much this ^, in preserving any organic material, you want to limit the exposure to oxygen and moisture to keep it from breaking down over time. Cold would also help to slow down any decomp reaction if you wanted to freeze it, so long as it doesn't have moisture in it.

[kevin_wallbridge]

Taomeow, http://www.thechineseteashop.com/how-to-store-pu-erh-tea.html this may help.

 

Pu'er is not for everyone to be sure, however when is properly prepared in an appropriate Yixing pot and with good control over the water temperature and steeping times, it can be something quite special.

[Taomeow]

Thanks, Dawei, Unlearner and Kevin!

 

Kevin, great link, very helpful. I have a Yixing pot and good artesian water, so I'll just have to sinologize the temperature and timing. And store it for "long term" since I don't think it requires any more aging.

[i am]

Sevencups.com is where I get my tea, and especially if you choose a puer that says its good for beginners, you'll do ok.

 

I've had fishy puer (not stored correctly) and puer that tasted like straight up compost.

 

But I have some now that I drank and loved all last winter.

 

Fridge and especially freezer are not good places to store your tea, unless you live in a tropical climate and can't get away from heat and moisture.

 

Every time you take your tea out of the freezer you get condensation on it, and it's constantly freeze-thawing every time you have some. Puer has been stored for decades without a freezer or fridge...why would you need to change that now?

J

Store it in a cool, dark, dry place. Same for all teas. Green and white will not be as good after about 6 months. Drink it faster than that. Wulong and puer will last much longer.

[三江源]

Here are some nice tea threads for further infos about teas, methods of prep, where to source, etc..

 

http://thetaobums.com/topic/15104-quality-tea-ware-for-chinese-teas/

 

http://thetaobums.com/topic/14750-el-cheapo-tea-challenge/

 

http://thetaobums.com/topic/23632-benefits-of-drinking-green-tea-before-qigong-or-meditation/

[mjjbecker]

The tea sellers in China-that is the professional, expert sellers-store a lot of their teas in large refridgerators. Not the Puer from what I remember though.

 

There are lots of tea shops (usually chains) in China, unsurprisingly, but they are often over priced and sell less than great quality tea. The staff are typically poorly trained sales girls intent on pushing as much crap on the customer as possible. The good independent sellers though will take time with you to talk about and taste a variety of quality products. I've spent a few happy hours with such sellers.

 

Dahongpao is also one of my favourite teas. Good Longjing is very nice, but much of what is sold is poor quality and tastes like straw...

 

A few years back a tea master, who'd served a fifteen year apprenticeship learning about tea, gave me the recipe for a special gongfu tea. Marvellous stuff, that had to be prepared in a particular way.

[Ish]

Any recommendations for an online store with good products?

[i am]

Sevencups.com

 

Sorry my ipad can't do a direct link...

[i am]

Red Blossom tea company also has good tea, in my experience. Mostly (all?) Taiwan tea.

[i am]

The tea sellers in China-that is the professional, expert sellers-store a lot of their teas in large refridgerators. Not the Puer from what I remember though.

I guess it would be the difference between "storing" and "keeping".

 

If you have a large stock of tea that stays put, and you hold onto it for several months at a time (like a tea shop), sure, store it in the fridge.

 

If you drink the tea every day, or almost everyday, and are constantly taking it in & out of the freezer/fridge, you'd have better luck and better tasting tea if you just left it in the cupboard, even beyond its freshness date. Every time you open the freezer or fridge door, condensation starts forming on everything in there, and taking it in & out of there over and over is not good. Freeze-thaw, freeze-thaw.

 

My tea stays in a cupboard, and tastes great.

 

My friend follows the "conventional wisdom" of "if you're going to keep the tea longer than a month or so, put it in the freezer". To me, his tea tastes like a freezer. But he may not wrap it well enough.

[i am]

I guess to get back on topic, I love green and wulong. I drink green all summer, wulong all winter, and got into some puer this last winter.

 

I get my tea from seven cups, and every now and then some wulong from red blossom. Taiwan wulongs really are sweeter tasting than Chinese...

 

I switch up my favorite "every day" teas. From seven cups I like this http://www.sevencups.com/tea_shop/Yin-Gou-Mei-Cha-Silver-Fish-Hook-Eyebrow-Green-Tea-2011.html

 

And this [/url]http://www.sevencups.com/tea_shop/Premium-Huang-Shan-Mao-Feng-Organic-Green-Tea-2012.html[/url] When it's on sale.

 

Those are my most common teas I drink all day and really go through in the summer.

 

I like these as every now and then teas. They are GOOD (IF you have a taste for green tea. If you're new to it, don't waste your money):

 

http://www.sevencups.com/tea_shop/Meng-Ding-Gan-Lu-Sweet-Dew-Organic-Green-Tea-2013.html

 

http://www.sevencups.com/tea_shop/Bi-Luo-Chun-Green-Tea-2013.html

 

I like pretty much every wulong I try, but I like any of this type (they call it "rock" wulong, but other shops won't know what you're talking about if you ask for rock wulong).

http://www.sevencups.com/tea_shop/Wu_Yi_Mtn_Rock_Wulongs/

 

And the tung ting from red blossom tea company is really good for the price. http://www.redblossomtea.com/tea/oolong/tung-ting-charcoal.html

 

Careful, though...I can spend $40 or more a month on tea if I'm not careful.

Edited October 18, 2013 by i am

[mjjbecker]

I guess it would be the difference between "storing" and "keeping".

 

If you have a large stock of tea that stays put, and you hold onto it for several months at a time (like a tea shop), sure, store it in the fridge.

 

If you drink the tea every day, or almost everyday, and are constantly taking it in & out of the freezer/fridge, you'd have better luck and better tasting tea if you just left it in the cupboard, even beyond its freshness date. Every time you open the freezer or fridge door, condensation starts forming on everything in there, and taking it in & out of there over and over is not good. Freeze-thaw, freeze-thaw.

 

My tea stays in a cupboard, and tastes great.

 

My friend follows the "conventional wisdom" of "if you're going to keep the tea longer than a month or so, put it in the freezer". To me, his tea tastes like a freezer. But he may not wrap it well enough.

 

Indeed. They hold huge bags of the stuff, which is then measured out as per the customer's needs.

 

Summer time here has me keeping almost anything food-wise in the fridge, due to the heat. I put the aircon on to stop the computer from going into melt-down.

 

Another thing to bear in mind if you do store your tea in the fridge is adding boiling/very hot water directly to very cold tea is going to have a different effect to adding such water to room temperature tea.

 

 

 

Careful, though...I can spend $40 or more a month on tea if I'm not careful.

 

I've often wondered at the value of stock in just one of these small shops, never mind the buildings which house the 'tea cities'. We are talking insurance policies along the lines of those that Lloyd's of London issue...

 

All this talk of tea has me thinking I need to go today and buy some of the good stuff. If I have much change from $200 at the end of it I'll be lucky. The problem with good tea is once you've had it, you really don't care to go back to the usual stuff. That said, there is very nice tea you don't have to sell a kidney to pay for.

[Nungali]

My tea ceremony,

 

 

Bush setting (I prefer large sandstone features around, native trees. including some Banksia)

 

 

Campfire ( secret ingredients - in the types of woods used ),

 

The Billy;

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/Billycan-campfire.jpg

 

Creek water … some smoke twigs and charcoal must end up in the water.

 

Take billy off when boiled and add lots of tea - I prefer an Australian local product like Narada, ‘Billy Tea’ (brand name) is okay but a bit of a cliché IMO .

 

Add lots of thin slices of fresh ginger root. Stir with non-toxic appropriate flavoured twig.

 

Ceramic cup (tradition is enamel cup … usually dull yellow … but this is MY ceremony).

 

Long life milk

 

Raw sugar.

 

Must be slurped … followed by Ahhhh !

Edited October 19, 2013 by Nungali

[Tsunami_MAPUA]

I got my start drinking tea thanks to the book Ultimate Tea Diet.

 

 

subscribing on thread.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

I got a present from a friend which may be more than what I deserve, since my tea-drinking style is neither sophisticated nor particularly Chinese (though it isn't American, English, or Indian either.) Aged pu-erh bricks, at least 70 years old (possibly older), made by a process that went extinct in maoist China, so tea made this way is no longer available. I'm told they are a collector's item, but since two of them were intact and one slightly nibbled at already, I decided to keep using that one.

 

The taste, smell, flavor, color -- everything about this tea is different from what I'm used to. I don't drink it often, maybe because I'm afraid that if I really fall in love with it I'll wind up finishing it all off and there's no replacing it. My question is, what's the right way to store this so it doesn't get damaged? I got it wrapped in paper, put it in a wooden box that used to contain some other tea from China, but I'm not sure this is the right way. Any suggestions?

 

70 years is peak time. I'd say drink at least one of the bricks as your friend wanted you to have it and enjoy it right? The quality is already slowly declining and has about 25 years left before the taste is gone, so I would either drink it or sell it. Storage in a clay box or sealed glass would be ideal. Be careful with wood boxes as they can change the flavour.