/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>13935244
Grandpa style brewing is when you just put the leaves in a cup or glass, pour hot water over them and drink straight from the cup/glass, refilling with hot water each time it gets about halfway empty.

>>13935244

What (13935380) said.

From marshaln, who apparently coined the term, "This is really the way that most Chinese drink their tea, most of the time, in most places. Relatively few people actually know how to brew tea gongfu style, much less practice it on a daily basis. Most just throw in some leaves every morning/afternoon/evening, pour hot water into their cup/thermos, and drink. The key to grandpa style is that you use a relatively low amount of tea leaves, pour hot water in, and refill water from time to time."

http://www.marshaln.com/whats-grandpa-style/

Gongfu and Grandpa styles tend to bring out different characteristics in any given tea. My routine is generally to wake up, make breakfast, have 2 or 3 steeps gongfu, walk my dog, continue to gongfu while I'm working on some business stuff, then use the leaves for grandpa style once the brew time is pushing beyond a minute. Then I'm free to just bring a mug around the house/my yard with me to do whatever instead if stuck at my tea table, and I feel like I'm getting everything out of the leaves.

>>13935401

And actually, if I get to the point where I'm about to go into work in the evening (I work overnight) and I still think there's a bit of life left in the leaves, I'll just fill up the mug and stick it in the fridge over night, then have it when I get back home around 6 am before going to bed. At that point I imagine pretty much all of the caffeine has been extracted.

Would you not be getting tea leaves in your mouth after a sip with the grandpa method?

>>13935448
loose leaf settle down

Opinions on turkish style two kettle ceremony?
One kettle holds a brewed tea concentrate and the other holds hot water. Participants water the tea down to their likings.

what's up faggots. new here
bought those teas in AliExpress
thoughts?

as japanese green tea shipping is cancelled, does anyone know where to buy good korean green tea (if it is as good as i’ve read somewhere, that is)?

would appreciate also some suggestions on which tea to buy, i don’t know almost anything about it.

many thanks

>>13935370
>Thread Question: What kind of tea do you just not like?
Those with flavorings added. Including Earl Grey.

>>13935541
*and genmaicha

>>13935541
Your position on the debate if Jasmine is considered flavoured tea or not?

>>13935535
korean green tea is garbage, don’t bother. ippodo is still shipping from their us warehouse, it’s way overpriced but at least it’s available.

>>13935448
Nah, the leaves fall down to the bottom of the cup.
>>13935456
It's not really a ceremony, just a way of making tea. I love it. When I was a kid I was a huge ottomanaboo so I've got my own turkish samovar thing. It's does kinda stomp all over silly things like "subtlety of flavour", though.
>>13935535
>as japanese green tea shipping is cancelled
hold on what
>>13935541
Earl grey sucks, I have no idea why people like it so much. Although I've only had cheap bagged earl grey.

>>13935541
I like lady earl grey, but it took me a while for earl grey to grow on me. It's still not my favorite, but it's one of the teas I don't mind adding something like honey. A slice of lemon is really good as well, a slice of bergamot is 10x as good

>>13935535
>Korean tea
Koreans are the only Asians who don't drink tea. Barley tea doesn't count. What a disgrace.

The teas they do grow are mediocre and cost more than the most expensive gyokuro or 1950s pu.

>>13935795
as of 9.4. japanese post cancelled shipping to almost all countries, including mine (maybe its different in the us as ippodo apparently has a warehouse there, im from EU)

>>13935865
fuggg

>>13935865
Really? I have a few items in the ippodo cart just waiting to go and I'm based in London. Argg

Is anyone else's Yunnan order taking forever because of Corona?

I need my 2020 first flush green tea sampler bros, I'm all out of green atm

I've had to break into the box of teapigs my brother accidentally bought for me lads
the situation is dire

I want to get into tea/tisanes but I don't know where to start since there's so many flavors and methods. Suggestions?

having my first session of this oolong
https://verdanttea.com/teas/big-red-robe-style-tieguanyin-strip-style-anxi-oolong/

I am surprised by how accurate the tasting notes are, its right on the money. the smell of the wet leaf is also fantastic. moving from roasted smells, to soy sauce, to caramelized pear

>>13935960
Looks like I'm safe.
Check here, lads.
https://shop.ippodo-tea.co.jp/kyoto/shopf/news.html?nseq=10000035

Today I broke open my first 7572 batch 1801. I was planning on aging it for a few years, but shit happens.
Just the first few sips in and I can already tell it's better than the Sweet Wine DaYi I ordered from Amazon, also shou puer.
If this is the standard to which other shous are compared to, there is nothing wrong with the classics.

>>13936192
based and confusedpilled
why are we specifically let off the hook

>>13936282
Need to power through getting herd immunity with high quality sencha and hojicha.

>>13935618
I dislike jasmine tea and consider it flavored. But it's not a debate, it's my taste. A few exceptions are homemade mint tea (with fresh mint, obviously) and chai, but it's more a spicy drink than tea IMO.

>>13935966
I got mine yesterday within 2 weeks. Nothing from 2020, thought.

>>13936283
>7572
Menghai ripe pu ehr? I'll taste my sample in a few days. With all the samplers I ordered, I think I can make it to the end of containment with a new tea a day.

>>13936463
>>13936283

I have a 2018 7572 cake via KTM that I'll crack into in a few days and report back. It arrived less than a week ago and I've found ripes needs time to adjust to a more constant temperature/humidity after shipping before they start tasting like they should.

I am so excited. I ordered some Oolong and black tea. Should arrive by the time my daily sencha is completely finished. I have always eye balled and timed my water temperature with the sencha with good results. Worried how well that will go with these teas.

>>13937159

It should be easier with anything other than sencha. Japanese greens are the most sensitive to temperature and time differences in my experience.

>>13937180
That is good. I got a gongfu with my order. I eat my wet sencha tea leaves over my rice. For these other teas is that an option?

>>13937190

No idea, honestly. Give it a shot and report back.

>>13937190
definitely not

I just got this little teapot from eBay.
Do I only use this for oolong or can I brew other Chinese or Japanese teas in it?

>>13938055

I was also considering buying one of these gaiwans:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ceramic-Gongfu-Tea-Gaiwan-Pottery-Teapot-Teacup-Brewing-Vessel-200ml-6-8oz/282442652547?hash=item41c2e4db83:g:sDcAAOSw~AVYuo8e
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rust-Glaze-Clay-Gaiwan-Chinese-Gongfu-Teacup-with-Lid-180ml-6oz/202553770284?hash=item2f2925412c:g:EVcAAOSwa3lcHk2y
but went with the teapot. Are gaiwans better?

>>13938055
Is it glazed inside?
If yes, then don't worry. If no: Depends on how much it cost and how autistic you want to be about your tea.
You should be aware than an unglazed pot will affect how your tea tastes in any case and maybe do some comparisons to see if you like how it is affecting the tea first. In any case it takes many, many brews to season a pot, so doing a few brews of other teas isn't going to ruin that or anything.

>>13938159

It's this one:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ru-Kiln-Royal-Style-Celadon-Tian-Qing-Teapot-200ml-7-1oz/350974043907?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item51b7aee703:g:NZMAAOSwOrpbztQk
Not sure about the glaze.

>>13938148
>Are gaiwans better?
Again, depends on whether your pot is glazed inside.
If yes: It's more or less a matter of comfort. If you're not smelling your leaves, you're missing out, especially if you're only just starting to get into tea. Smelling will really help you pick apart the nuances. Gaiwans are handy for that, but obviously you can smell a pot too. Some people find it uncomfortable to us a gaiwan, so a glazed pot is a perfectly good alternative. Also depends on which you find more aesthetically pleasing and so on.
If unglazed: Really depends on the type of tea and your preference. If you're just getting into tea, you should probably opt for glazed teaware. But again, it depends on how autistic you want to be about it, otherwise don't worry.
If you want to really be autistic:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgCVBN9gweA
(I know people here are suspicious of him -- for good reason, but he also makes some quality educational stuff, I think)

>>13938178
Oh, looks like it's glazed. So basically think of it as a gaiwan in a different form factor.

>>13937651
>>13937195
I will try. May depend on the tea. The smoked blacked tea maybe interesting.

>>13938222

Alright, thanks.
I have limited space, so going all out with different-pot-for-every-tea autism isn't for me.
How do you tell glazed from unglazed teaware when it's not explicitly stated?
Would you say the first gaiwan in >>13938148 is glazed?

Is tea from India frowned upon compared to tea from China and Japan?
Also is it really necessary to have some fancy Yixing pot or Kyusu to enjoy certain teas to their fullest?

>>13938924
Indian plantations were set up by the British so the growers cater more towards western drinking than chinese, so its typically assumed it will be drunk with milk and longer steep times. but no i've had very nice tea from india specifically from vahdam teas.
Yixing pots are a meme, only good if you use them only for 1 tea and only that tea. a cheap ass glazed gaiwan/teapot is more than enough. Kyusu is just a japanese teapot and for some weird reason they put the handle on the side

>>13938924
Indian tea generally (but not always) isn’t very interesting. I’ve had some excellent, complex tea from nepal. Having the appropriate brewing vessels is nice because 1 their volume is designed for the tea they were made for and 2 they look really nice and are fun to use/collect. one exception is the gaiwan, they are really practical once you learn to use them.

>>13935527
Very standard, but also excellent, choices.
Working through a cake of Haiwan 9998 right now, and I'm really enjoying it. I'd pick up another Haiwan cake in a heartbeat.

>>13939102
>>13939183
Thanks for the info, but what about brewing style, I just learned about Gongfu, grandpa style, and western style from reading the FAQ. Is there a specific style that suits certain teas better or is it really just cultural?

>>13935380
how do you not get leaf in your mouth

>>13935527
There is a 50/50 chance at best that they are authentic if you bought them on AliExpress. Post a shot of the cakes.

Holy shit the tea thread is back! I missed you guys

>>13940842
It sinks to the bottom and you are supposed to refill with more water every time you drink you cup down halfway or so. I have been drinking grandpa style exclusively lately and mostly I just have to pick out any stems that float to the top.

>>13940934
here you go

>>13940934

>>13940934
also bought a box with lots of these little samples
the oolong tea tasted great so far

>>13939619
haven't tried them yet
guess I'll let them age a little bit

should i buy sencha from 2019? or just wait a bit more?

>>13941246

Newsletter from o-cha implies shincha should be going up pretty much any day now.

>>13938924
Nope. It's just different, and it's got a different culture surrounding it.
>>13940464
I personally believe it's just cultural. Traditionally, pretty much no tea is drunk gongfu from a gaiwan. But I don't think there's a good reason for that other than cultural ones. You can and should experiment with all the types of brewing with all the types of tea.
There are exceptions. Teas produced for the western market absolutely should be drunk western style with milk. Teas produced for the Turkish market absolutely should be drunk Turkish style from a samovar. There's probably others.

>>13941121
Well i can't really tell much from a picture. That tae tea cake should have cost you at least $30. I guess you can look up one of the guides online for identifying fakes, but the level of fakes for that brand is so high even experienced tea dealers get fooled. Hopefully you got lucky anon, sorry to be a bummer.

>>13941291
there is a code on there to check if it's fake
it cost me around 18$ on black friday

>>13941362
If the code works it might be fine. They made two wrappers that year and the other one is probably faked more because Chinese consumers didn't like the look of the wrapper on the one you bought. Hope you enjoy!

>>13936884
Hey anon, glad your order finally made it! Any other thoughts on that xiaguan you tasted last thread? I was thinking of buying a tong of those so I wanted to hear your thoughts.

>>13941427
https://www.yestae.com/
unfortunately I can't speak chinese, so I can't check it.
but the seller on ali seems to quite a good reputation.

>>13940464
i have some pretty good darjeeling that i keep meaning to try gongfu style. i did try yorkshire gold gongfu and it was terrible but thats basically tea bag grade even if they sell it loose

looking into growing my own tea
already bought a tea plant on ebay
https://youtu.be/w_EZx0J2cAo

I was thinking of blowing some amount of money on tea. About a hundred dollars, maybe more maybe less, and probably not on pu-erh. What are some you'd recommend for a goy that really loves his black teas.

>>13941497
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKJdOPk7cGc&t=3s

>>13941512
Wasn't thinking of spending $100 on one tea, but that's interesting. Maybe I should keep pu-erh open for consideration, I just didn't have a good experience last time. Question, is yunnansourcing still viable? Probably not, considering the 12 week shipping estimate.

>>13941535
If you live in the states you can buy from their .us website for domestic shipping. If you want to try a puer i would recommend their 2014 or 2015 impression cake.

>>13941497
the eternally shilled Yunnan "Black Gold Bi Luo Chun" Black Tea
Drunk on Red
not sure if they stock them on the US YS store but shipping from anywhere is going to be fucked especially by air

Lapsang Souchong (smoked) meileaf(UK based) sells a very good loganwood smoked version
Vahdam also sells great tea if you want indian, thier daily darjeeling and smoked assam are both very good

>he isn't rinsing her tea for 25s before first cup
Cringing bigly here

>>13942017
based

Where can I get some good silver needle from the us? The only thing on yunnansourcing.us is cakes but I don't know if they are any good.

Trying to "get into' tea. Just got my first sample pack (not pictured: korean barley tea bags)

thoughts/suggestions?

>>13942247
ive never had anything but lipton/sweet tea btw

>>13941619
>the eternally shilled Yunnan "Black Gold Bi Luo Chun" Black Tea
It appears not to be on the us site, mister. I have heard about it though.
>drunk on red
The osmanthus flower version is on us but out of stock, the three total are in stock on YS proper.
>Lapsang Souchong
I have one from Upton Tea actually. tried it once and got a ton of it. Really nice, pic related.
>Vahdam
I don't think I've ever had Indian teas and I certainly don't like Indian people so I'd have to think about it.

>>13942272
Correction, not formosa.

>>13942272
Btw there is a 15% off sale on puer on yunnansourcing.us right now so make sure you grab the code from the sales page if you decide to order any.

Anyone know of a good place to get Russian winter tea? There used to be a tea house near me that had this stuff called "russian winter solstice tea" and it was fucking banging. The tea was red in color and it had tea leaves as well as bits of spices in it as well as some fruit bits. I haven't ever seen it anywhere else but if I had to guess from memory it was a green or white tea with cinnamon, apple bits, cranberry bits, probably some ginger, and maybe some other spices but I can't be sure.

they went out of business years back and I never got the chance to ask them. But after so much time googling and so on, I've never come to find anything similar. would any of you know what I'm talking about or have something similar?

>be me
>21
>go out to local bar and get drunk as fuck
>bad move
>apparently piss this one guy off simply by existing
>him and his buddies walk up to me
>I, being full of drunk pride, simply insult the faggots
>bad move again
>One guy clocks me, I get knocked out cold
>I wake up, confused and disoriented, in a dark room
>what the fuck
>I'm sitting in a chair, but I'm strapped in and can't move
>There is something strapped around my head, and there is something wet and spongy on the top of my head
>it dawns on me
>I am sitting in an electric chair
>oh shit
>start thrashing around like a madman
>still partially drunk, by the way
>manage to get one of my arms unstrapped
>tear off everything else and get out of the chair
>start to head for the door, when I hear someone thundering towards the door
>like it literally sounded like thunder
>I crouch down in a corner and hope for the best
>The sound is getting louder
>and louder
>and louder, before it finally stops right outside the door.
>I stay in my corner for 5 minutes, before I work up the courage to go up the the door
>I need to leave this place
>I put my hand on the doorknob
>and very slowly I....
>open the door
>get on the floor
>everybody walk the dinosaur

>>13942489
What a throwback

>>13942247
Just take your time trying 'em and enjoying it. Brew it comfily for when you're playing vidya or reading a book. The next level of patricianhood is using loose-leaf from a single tea estate. When you're ready, give ONE of the shilled vendors a try (yunnansourcing, what-cha, white2tea etc. for Chink, or yunomi.life, o-cha, or ippodo for Nip). Either buy a taster from them or just buy a few of their highly-rated teas at semi-random.
If you want you can also buy a super cheap gaiwan and look up how to use them, to truly get your autism going. I highly recommend it.
If you like the barley tea give dandelion root tea a try btw, it's another ultrapopular herbal tea in the east and it's tasty af
>>13942272
>and I certainly don't like Indian people
Well fuck you too mister.
>>13942489
Anon, I...

Dan Cong Oolong. I love all types of tea - white, yellow, green, red, black, ripe and raw pu'erh and even fu cha, but I have not met a dan cong I enjoy. Any recommendations for brewing parameters or varieties to try?

>>13942523
The fuck, if you said da hong pao I'd get it but dan cong is in the same mental box I store white and fragrant green tea in.

>>13942568
No way man. I love rock oolongs. Dan cong has an odd flavor to me - definitely not akin to a white or green tea.

>>13942575
Dan cong is very flowery to me. Not floral, but more like literally drinking liquid petals.

Recommend me an aged white to convince me that aging whites past one or two years is not just a meme

>>13943361
this is drinkable and only £10/350g, not going to blow your tits off but not terrible
ebay.com/itm/2012-Chinese-Gong-Mei-Fuding-Shoumei-Tea-Bai-Cha-Wild-Old-White-Tea-Cake-350g/253212627924

>>13941430

The Cang Er Yuan Cha? Only had it for one session so far so can't comment that much on it, but first impressions are that it has the cinamon and vanilla scents that I get a lot from semi aged raws, along with a fair bit of smokiness. My first thought was that it's a not as good 2013 YS Autumn Ye Sheng, but that one has a sort of meaty jerky flavor early on that could put people off, so if that's not your jam the Cang Er Yuan Cha could be good if you're still looking for smoke.

>>13943639
Thanks anon, you get an chance to try anything else from that order yet or are you still giving it time to acclimate?

>>13942272
their chinese imperial souchong is better, i also highly reccomend their finest russian caravan blend. pic related, my order from upton that's coming soon (haven't tried the others but i checked all the reviews and stuff and i'm pretty confident about my order). i also would reccomend himalayan/nepalese teas if you want to try something lighter or different, nice darjeelings are interesting but usually don't have that special quality a good tea should have in my experience (himalayan teas taste similar but more 'misty' and with a soft but noticeable bite)

>>13943778

Also had two sessions with the Mengku Rongshi 2011 Qiao Mu Xiao Sheng Bing, which I'm enjoying. Same base notes of cinnamon and vanilla, but it's got a top note in there that, to my palate, tastes like the fake blue raspberry that's in candy like gushers or suckers. It was really surprising and really light and pleasant.

>>13942424
look at harney and sons flavored black tea page, they have tons of different blends

>>13944128
That sounds awesome.

>>13942523
The best Dan congs I've had are from habitat tea, for all their horrible website design. They have very high prices but very justified for the quality of the tea. The aroma!

>>13942489
kek>>13942489
>>13942489

I’ve been getting into sencha. The only brand I’ve tried is ippodo. I really like the grassy, sweet, floral notes of their high grade stuff, but I don’t really like the intense umami. I tried their best gyokuro and I almost threw up. Is there a sencha out there that has those high grade notes with much less umami?

>>13945038

San no Ma from o-cha fits the bill, as well as their Kabusecha.

>>13945038
Isn't umami the point of Japanese green tea? Isn't that one of the two flavors that Japanese people acknowledge exists?

>>13945860
Umami isn’t a flavour

>>13945901
I agree but japs seem to only recognize umami and sweet as flavors.

>>13945906
Don't be retarded. They are tastes and japanese cuisine is not limited to those at all.

>>13945922
>Don't be retarded.
Fair enough

Just wanted to thank everybody for keeping me sane. Fuck everything, but at least I gots me tea

>>13945860
it seems to be the point of gyokuro at least. I guess I have to find a chinese green tea that tastes like sencha but not so brothy. I loved the shifeng longjing I got from bitterleaf and the anji bai cha from tea trekker but they’re pretty different.

>>13945984

See >>13945091.

Those are bright and grassy without the deep umami flavors. Asamushi sencha in general is on the brighter side.

I'm saying fuck China right now so I've been getting into Japanese greens. I've tried a few senchas but I've yet to try gyokuro. Is that just a better quality sencha or its own beast?

>>13946056
as is being discussed right above, gyokuro is different, at least to me. It basically turns water into chicken grass soup. I think it’s disgusting but it sells well despite expensive so somebody out there must like it

>>13946069
The sencha I've had, I liked for its freshness. That nice "green" zest, and the color of the liquor is beautiful, especially compared to Chinese green teas

>>13946056
The only thing i still buy from China, other than electronics that aren't made anywhere else, is tea. I don't like it and have been trying to avoid giving China money for years before the bat aids pandemic but they don't make puer anywhere else.
Tea from Japan has it's own problems, intensive farming, liberal use of pesticides, almost everything is machine harvested, at least 2x to 3x more expensive for similar quality tea but if you can make the switch more power to you.

>>13945038
udyan tea makes an excellent sencha style green tea from the himalayan mountains, it's not super unique and i don't recall it having very floral notes but it's great if you're a fan of senchas without umami or salty characteristics

>>13945963
I DON'T HAVE ANY TEA LEFT
NOOOOOO I'M GOING INSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE

>>13946647
>not an oorderer

>>13947350
don't wanna order until we get more spring 2020

I thought I only liked ripes. But I'm surprisingly getting into raws. They are my exact mental image of tea straight from childhood, even though I never had some until recently. I'm glad I didn't stick to ripes only, even though I'm eager to try the aging comparison sampler set from YS. I like being disappointed for the better.

If I don't have a kettle can I just microwave?

>>13947882
I do it sometime for late gongfu steppings. know how long you need to reach target temperature for your volume, homogenize and you're good.

>>13947882
Get a kettle ya dunce

Anyone here own the Corvo EKG electric kettle? What do you think of it? Can you pour it quickly?

>>13941140
how varied of a taste is the oolong family?

>>13948856
I have the stagg so I don’t know about the pour rate but I’m happy with the overall quality of the product.

>>13949030
Thanks, I was curious about the flow rate because I heard someone say it was slow elsewhere and Fellow makes products more aimed at pour over coffee enthusiasts who like it slow. I care because I often make a quart of tea and do not want do not want to be pouring it for 30 seconds.

One more question how much extra space is there above the 0.9l max fill line? Thing I could slip in an extra 54 ml of water to get a full quart?

>>13948922
I only tasted this one package
it's hard to describe
guess best way to put it is to describe it as tasting "fruity"

>>13949113
interesting, Oolong has this mellow slightly smoky taste in my experience but I haven't gotten too fancy with brands. Fruity isn't the first thing that comes to mind

>>13949127
I really like the taste
think I'll order more

2018 7572

>>13949438

I'm having trouble analysing this beyond "I like it". I think I'm just brain dead from s long week. Definitely on the sweet and creamy side flavor wise, though it's not that thick.

>>13935370
HEre is my indian chai i make it everyday, bro

>>13949438
>>13949463
Did you get it from Yunnan Sourcing?

>>13949107
the stagg has the gooseneck which is really slow. just from looking at your pic the corvo shouldn’t be any slower than a normal kettle with that spout shape. there’s not much space above the line, it could fit probably but it would likely spill out of the lid.

this pic will be upside down because I’m lazy sorry

>>13950116
Thanks for the info anon I really appreciate it. I would be nice Fellow made a larger kettle but seems the Corvo might work for me. I have been looking to get more into tea for awhile now and I figure if I am going to go all in and shell out the cash for a bunch of samples I might as well get a temperature controllable kettle so I do not scorch expensive green teas. I really do wish samples where not so much more costly per gram because it makes it pricey to build up a broad tea tasting background.

>>13950469
why do you want so much volume? do you regularly make tea for multiple people or something? If you are getting into legit green tea then that usually means only steeping 60-200 ml at a time such as with a kyusu, hohin, or gaiwan

>>13949975

King Tea Mall

>>13949107

Fwiw I have the OXO gooseneck kettle (which is about half the price of the Stagg) and is basically perfect from my 3 years of using it. Variable temp from basically room temp to boiling, a gooseneck with really good flow, completely stainless steel anywhere that contacts water, and it's fucking bullet proof.

>>13950521
I do not need more volume water at a time for making fancy tea (I am getting a gaiwan) however for my mourning caffeine I drink a lot of tea out of a large cup (a quart) so if would be convenient if the kettle held a quart so I can make tea as I normally do with the same kettle.

>>13950673

Just tested it, the OXO's max fill line is a little more than a quart.

>>13950593
Thanks for the suggestion I will give the OXO a second look. I was trying to find a non goose neck kettle so I did not look too hard at it. It appears to be $100 not $75 but it is still $50 cheaper then the Corvo.

>>13950693

I may have gotten it on sale and not realized. I really appreciate the gooseneck for pouring into a gaiwan/kyusu with ease and accuracy, and it has a good design such that it isn't an extremely slow pour that would hinder higher volume applications.

>>13950707
I have seen some complaints about the OXO overshooting the set temperature. Do you have that problem.

>>13950767

Hmmm...not that I noticed. Im curious to test it now. Gimme a bit.

>>13950767
this is why I paid so much for the stagg. It preys on snobs who spend too much on their hobbies... like me... but its thermometer is very accurate.

>>13950767
>>13950804
>>13950827
>>13950827

Mine is within the margin of error. Prove thermometer is calibrated.

>>13950830

Probe*

I've never heard of gongfu before. When you use the tea multiple times, is that all like at the same time? Or are you putting it in the fridge or something?

>>13950977

You're usually only making between 50 - 150 ml of tea per steep with gongfu so you can do it back to back to back. My routine is waking up, doing 5 - 10 gongfu steeps with one tea, then using those same leaves grandpa style over the rest of the day. You can leave gongfu'd tea leaves for a few hours just out but I'd refrigerate if you're taking a more than 3 hour hiatus from the session.

>>13950996
How much tea are you using to do all that?

>>13951015

For ripe puerh and aged raw I'm doing about 9.5g/150ml gaiwan, and for younger raws I'm doing 7.5g/150ml gaiwan, former at boiling and latter at 205F.

>>13949438
Looks good, i really need to stop slacking and try the classic dayi recipes.

>>13951015
https://meileaf.com/resources/pdf/mei-leaf-tea-brewing-guide.pdf

>>13950996
Based. That was my morning routine but I have gotten super lazy and just brew everything grampa style now.

>>13951045

I honestly really like grandpa style. I'm not sure if it's because I use partially spent leaves for it but grandpa tends to bring out the deep subtleties for me while gongfu brings the full experience all at once.

Anyone familiar with Kratom? I think I need a larger vessel for steeping.

>>13951070
I don't think kratom really belongs here. That said, brewing it is a stupid waste. Just put 1-2oz of water in a glass, as hot as it will come out of your tap, than stir in 1 to 2 grams of kratom. Swirl it around for a few seconds and then drink it in one gulp with some water to chase.

>>13951070
Only in powdered form. It's why I get the capsules usually. If you don't have actually leaves I wouldn't bother brewing it.

>>13950996
Holy shit you get that many steeps?

>>13950977
You brew a small cup, drink it, brew another small cup, drink it, continue until tea leaves lose flavor or you don't want any more tea

>>13951533
he’s probably steeping chinese compost, carefully seasoned with feces and bat blood over 10 years

does anyone want to come to my house and take some of my tea it's making me sad

>>13951533

Depends on the tea. I'll generally push things until they aren't giving up any more flavor though. I don't think 5 - 10 steeps gongfu is outrageous by any means, though.

>>13951626
When you think of it, brewing 5 g of tea with 10×100mL is the same ratio as 5g/1L western style. But it takes some quality tea to take it that far and still enjoy it.

>>13952117
*meant to >>13951533

>>13950827
I was considering the STAGG but there are numerous reviews on Amazon which say that upon arrival the led display didn't work or worked just once before going kaput.

>>13951533
My routine is 3.5g of tea (green, black, oolong) in a 100ml gaiwan or shuiping yixing teapot. I go for about 6-8 steeps until the flavour runs flat because I'm a stingy bastard.

I can't really believe the people on Teachat who claim they put 8g of sencha or 9g of gyokuro into a tiny kyusu and then say it's good for 2, maximum 3 steeps before they throw it out. Besides the enormous cost they have to carry, it's so tedious having to clean out the tea leaves and put in more tea after so little drinking.

>>13941497
how about this one
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DmnpLY-V68

>>13941497
Where are you based? I'm more of an oolong person, but
The keemun from Red Blossom Tea is the finest black I've ever had, and it's not even from Maofeng. I had a chat with the owner and she said that the origin doesn't even matter and the price doubles in price when it is from there. I'm based in the UK and have to ration my remaining portions.

The competition grade Jin Jun Mei from YS is pretty good, even if it's not genuine JMM. You'd have to pay and arm and leg for actual JMM.

https://yunnansourcing.us/collections/gaiwans/products/dragon-kiln-cu-tao-clay-easy-gaiwan-160ml
ngaaaah i want this so bad but it's out of stock

>>13952985
Do you guys know of anything similar in design? I really like the clay and spout.

>>13952455
According to amazon reviews every major product in the electric kettle market is junk and going to fail on you. So while I would not completely ignore negative reviews I would interpret them with a grain of salt unless a product clearly has a far greater proportion of negative to positive scores or the product objectively has a design flaw you care about.

>>13953002
Easy gaiwans are a trap. They actually are prone to dribble everywhere more than a regular gaiwan. I would recommend sticking with traditional ones unless you have some impairment that makes them hard to use.

Ordered bunch of stuff from what-cha, should be arriving any day now. first time doing this; usually I just go to the local tea shop and get something from there but with the situation being what it is that's not an option anymore

Did I do good? The only thing I knew I wanted was some 2020 darjeeling as its sort of a thing for me to get in the spring, and of course some sencha. But I'm not supremely deep in the sport so other stuff was bit more random.

>>13953252
African tea is mostly a meme

>>13953252
that snail tea is the ever shilled Bi Luo Chun btw, looks good, how does spring darjeeling compare to summer? i've heard summer (2nd flush) is better as the muscatel flavour is the result of the leaves being bug bitten

>>13953269
Maybe so, but I can vouch for the Zomba Pearls and at least the Kenyan silver needle from What-Cha. I was pleasantly surprised.

>>13953284
>how does spring darjeeling compare to summer

The main adjectives to me about spring darj are floral and light. It almost reminds me of perfumes.

I've understood that spring darj is actually relatively close to some oolongs, but I'm not expert enough to fully confirm that. Its definitely in that direction though.

>>13953760
This isn't "you just know". This is "she's straight up telling us".

>>13953760
uhm. More?

Anyone have some good Black tea recommendations?

I've tried tea from white2tea, YS, Wuyi origin. I've found YS has great wild and purple black teas (recommend Purple Voodoo, Lao Shu Dian Hong, Feng Qing Ye Sheng Hong Cha, Man Gang Gu Shu Hong). White2tea's Arbor Red is incredible but very expensive. I used to enjoy Natural Red head, but recently I can't stomach it at all (maybe due to a change in my water source...).

>>13953760
I... am not aroused ok? not aroused...
fuck it please post more so I can jerk it to this dirty whore god damm

>>13954115
da xue shan from essence of tea if you like fruit

>>13954133
She is not a dirty whore. She is in a loving monogamous relationship with her wolf.

>>13954115
Hey, have you heard of black gold bi luo chun? It's sold on YS, and I think it's pretty good.

>>13954115
black gold bi luo chun & drunk on red

>>13953760
this is fucking cute you guys are nasty

What are some nice green teas I can buy for my dad? He seems to be into oolong.
I wonder if they sell samplers of a bunch of types on taobao.

>>13954115
nandi royal op is great, brisk and dark with subtle complexities, one of the two blacks i got from upton teas that seemed like really good simple yet elegant breakfast teas. the other one being river shannon blend, which is a more traditional english style blend

/tea/ opinions on boba teas?

>>13952494
Would I just buy it from Mei Leaf?
>>13952694
I'm based in none other than Commiefornia. Bay Area-ish. I like it all, haven't had matcha though.

>>13955168
top tier, hard to find places that use good tea though

>>13948922
incredibly varied
there's no one single "oolong taste"

>>13955216
Use Mei Leaf as an educational resource, but just buy from Yunnan Sourcing, White2Tea, Crimson Lotus, etc instead.

Can I still order from YS, or is shipping completely fucked? When might it improve?

>>13955962
>Can I still order from YS
yes, i ordered some stuff today
>or is shipping completely fucked?
its completly fucked, they estimate 6-12 weeks. bet its closer to 12 if not more. apparently 95% of all airshipping is down. strangly didn't give me the option of surface(i.e by boat)
>When might it improve?
when every government realizes locking down every country is worst than killing off the old

>>13955349
How much does it actually taste of tea?
I don't think they have it in my country so I haven't tried

>>13955990
>worst than killing off the old
who will vote for them tho

>>13957793
Don't worry, those souls will be voting democrat for a long time.

Just tested the haiwan cake I bought for 12 bugs on Ali
Apparently it's genuine

I got this jap lemon tea mix from a jap store in my area, now I'm craving some sort of lemon tea that isn't made out of a powder that dissolves into water.
It appears that products not entirely made of tea aren't very popular here, but does anyone have any insight short of squeezing lemon into a cup of black tea?

>>13958084
>any insight short of squeezing lemon into a cup of black tea?
This is actually a pretty good solution.
I can suggest zemon zinger by celestial seasonings, that's an herbal tea with no caffeine.
Also Constant Comment by Bigelow. It's a black tea with orange and spice flavorings, very cozy.

>>13958174
*Lemon zinger lol

>>13958174
Constant Comment is great, no idea about lemon zinger though. Probably just go with the lemon then. Dragon Tea House has dried lemon slices too, might work.

>>13958191
I have had lemon zinger or I would not have suggested it. It's pretty good for grocery store herbal tea.

So what sites deliver fast currently?
My Yunnan sourcing order has been in purgatory since march 18
I know verdant tea delivers quick in the us, and so does YS US.

>>13958453
I got a YSUSA order about a month ago without issues (other than my post office which is operating at about 20% capacity because every single employee has corona and I'm about 90% sure that's where I got it because they weren't delivering boxes and I had to stand in line breathing corona for 40 minutes)

indian here. masala chai is three times a day daily at home. ginger is essential (other additions peppercorn, cardamon, cinnamon, tulsi, mint leaves, anything really) and black tea in boiling water. a splash of milk. variations include irani chai. tandoori chai. man i love tea.

i've been making a batch of green ice tea every night so i have something to sip on throughout the day.

How does Yunnan Sourcing "Black Gold Bi Luo Chun" Black Tea compares to Yunnan "Black Gold" Black Tea?

I only have the later which is cheaper and already very good. Smells exactly like pic related. Tastes like a good Yunnan black tea, with hints of strawberry and other fruits.

>>13958482
to me, the Bi luo chun tastes more of dark chocolate and smells much the same.

https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/menghai-tea-factory-pu-erh/products/2013-menghai-wei-zui-yan-ripe-pu-erh-tea-cake
paid around 16$ for this on AliExpress
what did they mean by that?

>>13958453
Old Ways Tea shipped to me (continental US) in about a week, back when I ordered in February. They're certainly one of the faster options.
>>13954115
And they have some excellent blacks- the Masai Wild Style in particular is great, very subtle and balacned. They're known for their oolongs but I the blacks are what keep bringing me back.

can longjing for around 15$ per 100g be legit?

Does anyone have a handy infographic they would suggest for pairings of tea types with meals/activities?

should I drink tea in GYM?

I need a tea to improve my sexual performance, mainly stamina.

What do you have for me?

>>13958541
>smells much the same
Isn't that incredible? For me it was a flashback straight from childhood.

>>13959051
Nothing. Work out. Don't look for easy solutions in tea peddlers claiming bullshit.

>>13958570
Lots of fakes on AliExpress. That said Yunnan Sourcing is a bad place to buy Dayi teas, you buy from YS because he does a decent job of only stocking good teas, so the 2007 cake from some small factory you never heard of is probably good and you pay a little more for that. With Dayi you can buy from a place like King Tea Mall, who stocks lots and lots of tea and leaves figuring out if it's good or not up to you. Or if you want to get ambitious you can buy from the Dayi factory store on TaoBao and deal with using a proxy service, but they probably aren't selling a whole lot of 5+ year old cakes on there.

>>13959051
Ma Huang (Epheda Sinca) lots of people selling it on eBay, you have to import it but is it is legal to own. Don't drink it if you aren't healthy or have any family history of heart problems. But basically
>>13959077
Is right and getting fit is the best solution to this problem.

>>13955962
My puer cake finally got delivered after spending about a month in shipping limbo. Maybe china shipping isn't completely fucked?

>>13959454
Got it from teasenz though.

I've been waffling on whether or not to order this year's shincha. If shipping is going to take 3 months it seems like any benefits of the tea not going into cold storage would be lost. At this point I'm thinking of waiting til later in the year and getting some first harvest sencha, plus, if I'm not mistaken, gyokuro isn't released until the fall of the harvest year, so it would also let me get that in the same order.

What are everyone else's strategies?

>>13959608
>3 months
wtf how

>>13959705
most air travel globally is down, something like a 95% reduction comapred to 2019.

>>13959705

International shipping is currently completely fucked, even more than it was a month ago. Everything I've seen from Jap vendors has essentially been "If we're still legally allowed to ship to you we will, but expect ungodly delays as your package sits in customs for weeks and then waits around to get on one of 3 international flights ever."

>>13959112
I found a good seller on Ali
both cakes I bought were genuine
I checked it by verifying the key

>>13959735
>>13959744
Are you sure that's the main reason, cause it looks more like Japan Post has just closed off international packages entirely apart from literal shipping.

Fuckin rip. I should be more careful when scooting my tea tray across the counter.

>>13960708

Thank God for JB Weld.

>>13959051
Young sheng puerh.

>>13958084
(link to harney and sons 'lemon herbal' blend)
this blend or just their lemon verveine might work, i haven't tried either but the reviews seem positive. i would look for something to say in this writing wordsalad think

>>13960708
>>13960715
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi

>>13956687
About as much as a frappucino tastes like coffee

>>13955431
>>13948922
Most describe it as tasting similar to stone fruits like apricots and nectarines.

Has anyone tried any of the Japanese fermented teas? I keep being tempted to order, now with shipping from China fucked up I thought now might be a good time.

>>13961989

Shipping from Japan is equally in the shitter. All international stuff is.

Has anyone tried to order tea from this site? http://www.zdpwolow.pl/57/109298.html

>>13962062
>Shipping from Japan is equally in the shitter.
Fuck

>>13962219
I never understood what the purpose of those weird automatically generated websites is.

>>13955168
call it bubble tea or forever be recognised as a faggot

>>13962291
me too
I was gonna use this as an opportunity to get into japanese tea
:(
What should we niggers even do? I'm going to Chinkland as soon as I can so I'll buy a fucktonne of tea there but what're we gonna do before that?

>>13963682
I ended up ordering from yunnan sourcing .us for Japanese greens I still don't think the harvest is ready for this year yet. But I will probably order from some us based vendor like upon tea imports or tea trekker.

>>13963626
Faggot.

>>13963720
I'm in the UK
What-cha barely has any 2020 stock and I don't wanna order from that meileaf faglord

Is tea harvested mechanically? Or is it literally ALL by hand? I'd imagine there's people with bigger brains than I trying to harvest it mechanically, and that if they could they would, but as I understand it a lot of it is still hand-picked, at least in Asia.

>>13963913
its all by hand, a robot wouldn't have the dexterity to only pick the 1st leaf and bud or whichever part the pickers are picking for the tea

>>13963936
So it's similar to saffron, where any mechanical system would either fuck the product up so badly that it would be too sub-par to use owing to product delicacy, assuming it's even possible to separate out the good bits from the crap?

>>13963913
Huge amounts of tea is harvested mechanically. Most of it destined for teabags.

>>13945963
No anon, thank YOU. We're all in this together.

Just place my first order

>>13963734
>Hey what's up teaheads, subscribe if you like what you see, the more likes the older our gushu trees get, let's hit 10,000 yo

Ordered a cake of crimson lotus’s daydreamer, a cake of their intrigue, both of their space girl cakes to double down on my current untouched supply of it

Cause of the discount they’re offering. 20% off

>>13964128
have you seen the way he cucks his gorgeous wife when she's on camera with him
i despise him

>>13959071
Oh yeah, it was the first black tea I tried gongfu, outside of the drunk on red cake with snow flowers. I didn’t think tea could smell like that naturally

>>13964137
dont hate on my husbando

im gonna do it

IM GONNA ORDER FROM YS

>>13958069
>apparently it's genuine
How can you tell? Are you quite confident upon tasting it, or is it the black light label check? How many months did it take to get to you, and mind posting a link?

>>13964209
I will hate him with impunity. I hate how he talks. I hate how he looks. I hate how he lies. I hate that he's so popular. I hate that he's kinda a good source for information. Above all, I hate that his wife is so much better looking than him and has such a divine HK-French-Estuary accent.

>>13964304
>i hate how he lies
Please, good sir, elaborate.

Thoughts on Young Mountain Tea company?
I've been drinking some of their blacks and they're really good.

>>13963330
This site probably just hopes you enter your personal information, others make money off ads, or spread malware. I found the site by accident on google and thought it was kinda funny. Now I wounder what “Chinese White Sencha Tea” would actually taste like...

>>13964137
>>13964209

He is so subtly mean to her in every video I've seen with them together and it makes me sad. He's overall a good source of information, but I get the sense that he's picked at and criticised this woman to the point where she has no confidence of her own any more.

>>13964980
Maybe I am too much of an autist to pick it up. Can you show any examples?

>>13965046
watch the tea drunk video
https://youtu.be/HrLaKX9J8Uo

>>13965046

I'll look for one in a little bit. I remember distinctly there's one where they were blind tasting teas and he was getting super bitchy about how she chose to keep which tea went in which vessel in order without looking directly after he told her to mix them up in any order she wanted. He actually said "oh, well I guess that's one way to do it," with a sneer.

At first I thought she was just a space cadet but I think he's gaslit her into complete submission.

>>13965162
what a chad

>>13963947
it's my understanding the average japanese green tea was machine picked

>>13965162
how the fuck else are you gonna keep a girl a solid 3 points out of ten above you locked down.

finally got round to gongfu-ing some darjeeling
5g/100ml @90c
1st steep 20sec then +5 going forward
Vahdam Daily Darjeeling, FTGGFOP1 Grade
iirc this is 2nd flush 2018
1st very floral, light and muscatel. little oily mouthfeel, not unpleasent
2nd a lot stronger, more malty, little bitter more intense foral and muscatel flavours (pic)
4th lost a lot of flavour, tastes very thin, doesn't linger even before you swallow. not bitter though
7th very light flavour but still enjoyable, floral and muscatel flavours still there
9th 5mins never went bitter but very light on flavour
i dont know how cheap chinese tea can easily go 10 infusions and still hold flavour but this indian was essentially done by the 4th

Two questions. What manner of infuser should I consider for making bulk iced tea? Thought is a half gallon at a time. Also, what is the best way to add lemon flavor? With cheap tea I have just used lemonade but I'd like to taste the tea more and don't think I can be assed to prepare a lemon every time I make tea. Could I brew lemon zest and maybe add it to some honey so that the high sugar keeps it stable?

>>13965760
>infuser
Or should I just steep in a large cup/bowl and strain it over ice?

Brewing my last bi luo chun black gold right now. Ima miss it until my YS order arrives

Who else has a package sitting in guangzhou airport? One week of my longjing being stuck there today. I have 16 days left of my only reason to live (sencha) so those planes better start coming back soon

>>13966215

Mine's been there almost 3. Don't expect to get anything in next two months I'd say.

What do you guys use to heat your water to the right temperature? Would a Keureg work well enough? I don't have access to a stove fwiw

>>13966372

OXO Electric Kettle. Within the margin of error at several temps and is absolutely bullet proof >>13950840 >>13950830

>>13966372
I just bought a mr coffee kettle at target. it works well, and has a keep warm function. Does degrees in increments of 5 on the Celsius setting, but that's enough for me

Fuck China! I just want to order fucking tea.

>>13965591
I spent weeks on an old Darjeeling I thought I'd never drink while waiting for my YS order. It was kind of last resort but a good surprise. I could make it last longer by making shorter steeps after the first one. Several seconds, basically. It seems to me that your second was too strong and stole from the following steeps.

I have developed a pretty severe lemon allergy, so no more lemon tea for me ;_;
If you haven't tried lemon tea, fucking try it you dumb cunt. Basically just black tea with a single slice of lemon. You wouldn't think that the slice would do much, but it changes the tea completely.

>>13968540
>changes the tea completely
You mean ruin it, you disgusting piece of shit? Why would I put a nasty piece of citrus into a cup of Jin Jun Mei or a Maofeng Keemun you absolute dumbfuck?

>>13968573
Don't use Jin Jun Mei or a Maofeng Keemun then you retard, was that so hard? Fucking tea elitists, man...

>>13968582
What should I do, go out and buy some LiptonTM so I can try your disgusting cheap citrus tisane for you?

>>13968652
You can do whatever the fuck you want, it's your life.

>>13951070
Enjoy the drug induced psychosis.

>>13968652
>>13968573

Could you calm down amigo?
We're all friends here, and simply because we do not share the same tastes, doesn't make us enemies.

Peace, tranquility, and comfort be with you.

>>13968582
It's not a matter of elitism, it's a matter of culture. My culture does not use lemon, yours does. My culture is better than your culture. You are a Foreigner, an Outsider, an Other, and thus you must die.

/tea/

Is there a variety of oolong that tastes good iced?

>>13969275
Yeah get a heavily roasted Chinese oolong. Check out Sea Dyke or Wuyi Star brands.

>>13968540
>dumb cunt
you brought this on yourself

Could you recommend me some teas anons?
Green tea isn't my thing, so no green please. I'm a fan of black tea and pur erh.
I buy my teas from this shop(https://www.teashop.com), what do you think?

Btw, what do you think of pic related? Is it good for tea or should I get other type?

>>13969382
thats good for western brewing, you could use it for gongfu without the tea holder(just have the leaf loose and strain into your cup) but its a little big for easy gongfu-ing, you'd want something 100-200ml. i've never bought anything from teashop but with shipping being fucked try and find something in your country

>>13969458
Thanks anon, any specific teas you recommend. Tea shop is based in my country, so I think I'm fine, thanks for the heads up!

>>13969465
If you like puer I want to recommend lots of stuff but with the current situation it's best to stick with sellers in your country. If you can find anyone in Spain selling Tae Tea 7572 tea cakes in your country without charging crazy money for them check them out. It's not worth it if they cost more than 40 euro or so.
Actually any Tae Tea brand tea cakes would be good, buy them only from a reputable shop, lots of fakes online.

Kettl just got some shincha in. It’s fukamushi looks like so be aware of that. I haven’t tried their stuff before but it’s supposed to be good.

>>13969632
>7572 tea cakes
It seems those number mean
>recipe from year 19_75_
>leaf grade: _7_th
>tea factory: _2_ (Menghai)

Who knew
Does anybody has information on those technical stuff?

would something horrible happen if I used a Hagi ware cup for coffee or yerba mate?
would the gods of japanese pottery smite me with horrid discoloration or something?

>>13970164
>Hagi ware
damn thats some pretty stuff

>>13970164
hagi yaki is literally designed to absorb the flavor and color of the liquid you put into it.

>hagi-yaki
i will not believe this is a real language

>>13969964
Yeah you got it. The recipe numbers are a weird thing that are mostly used by the large old tea factories in china. I recommend Tae Tea because they make some pretty affordable tea and they are considered the gold standard for fermented (ripe) puer, which is what that website you linked sells. There is also raw puer which is processed differently and is much more green tasting.
Here is a helpful website with a bunch of good articles about puer and other teas.
https://teadb.org/puerh/

>>13970334
yeah I know, I'm just asking if it'd look bad compared to the discoloration it would get from green tea

>>13970448
Just do it man. Embrace the stain.

>>13970448
I doubt many people here have experience with messing up their expensive japanese ceramics so there's only one way to find out

>>13970471
>>13970461
lol fair enough, I'll do it for science
mate shouldn't be much more staining than matcha anyway

>>13970461
based

>>13970425
Thanks a lot!
(I wasn't the guy who you responded to, btw)

>>13969382
since you're europoor i can reccomend what-cha as a vendor. i'd just check out the site and read up on what seems appealing to you, personally i'm a fan of their sticky rice and red tiger oolongs from thailand and the vietnamese wild boar red tea

Is "normal" postage from China to the UK affected by all the [b]oronavirus stuff? Like would buying stuff from YS and sending it to someone in Shanghai who could post it to me in the UK be worthwhile

>>13970732
all international shipping is fucked and Shanghai is in china so i dont see how that would change anything. YS is still shipping out its just they're reliant on the same postage services as everyone else

>>13970752
alas

>>13935370
For some reason my sencha tastes and smells better when I drink it outside. I don’t use strong fragrances in the house or anything but the difference in the tea is immediately noticeable. Anyone else have this particular form of insanity?

I boil the kettle. Stick 1 (one) bag of Yorkshire Tea in the mug. Forget that I was making tea. Boil the kettle again. Pour the water in the mug. Leave it for a minute or so. Pour in some full fat milk. Remove the tea bag after some stirring.

bump

Any tea-related blogs that are worth reading?

>>13972739
Teadb, the ones listed in the pastebin.

Any suggestions on a nice gaiwan that isn't boring white? Maybe get something custom made by local potters?

>>13970752
Japan Post just suspended shipments to the US.
RIP shincha.

>>13972995
My suggestion is to only buy cheap gaiwans so you don't care if you break them. I have been buying tae tea branded ones because they are cheap and they use a better manufacturer than 90% of cheap for export teaware out there.
There are a couple on eBay and king tea mall.

>>13973114
kettl, yunomi, sazen