/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>17638601
First for Nettle

This smokey lapsang is addictive, ive been drinking it every day since i got it. The pine smoke is kinda intense but i like it.

>>17638632
Enjoy your bowel cancer.

>>17638601
tfw no tea drawer edition <img class="xae" data-xae width="32" height="32" src="https://s.4cdn.org/image/emotes/d8f61d71_SadCatW.png">

>>17638620
Do you brew it with anything else or just nettle?

>>17638641
Why from the pine smoke?

>>17638660
nta but just nettle for me. Also, based on an unfortunate internet purchase, young nettle = delicious, old nettle = weird fishy taste, not good

>>17638660
I like it on it's own, it has a mildly peppery taste. Works well with mint or chamomile also, really with most green herbs.
>>17638686
Always the new shoots. Older growth has compounds which can cause gout.

>>17638686
>young nettle = delicious, old nettle = weird fishy taste, not good
>>17638695
>Always the new shoots. Older growth has compounds which can cause gout.
Hahaha gout
I will grab some next time i order herbs, it sounds like it's good

>>17638695
I should really grow my own, but any tips on differentiating young shoots from old when already dried?

>>17638769
Old shoots are thicker and woody.
Tbh if somebody is selling old nettle shoots for tea they can go fuck themselves.

>>17638781
checks out, it was ground almost to a powder so I don't know about thickness but a good 25% of the bag was hay yellow instead of green. 40$ for a lb seemed like a good deal. But if it's too good to be true it probably isn't

Should i buy Japanese tea this year? Anny recommendations for good sencha to try?

>>17639215
Go for it. I'm saving up for an O-Cha order when their shincha comes in.
>Anny recommendations for good sencha to try?
https://www.o-cha.com/kagoshima-organic-sencha-kurasawa.html
Not their fanciest, but it's the one I keep coming back to. There's something really nice to it I can't quite place.

>>17640158
Nice thanks anon

>>17638620
nettle are delicious, just be careful on where you pick them

>>17638660
I infuse them in hot water sometimes, but whenever I pick them I make nettle risotto or use them in pasta dough

>>17638601
>dem smelling-cups
Luvs me a good smelling cup, I does. Good cup, good smell, simple as.

What's a good (but not super expensive) chinese green tea?
Also, should I wait before buying it? If some seller sell green tea from last year is it still good or should avoid buying it

>>17641465
QRD on smelling cups?

>>17641477
Only buy fresh green tea. I don't trust anyone to keep green tea fresh for that long.

>>17641481
It's kibd of silly, you are better off smelling the gaiwan or the lid of the gaiwan, and smelling cups replace that for a more formal tea service where it would be improper to wave the gaiwan in your guests faces.

>>17641481
tall thin cups you wash with tea then smell the inside. bit of a meme, i've never had a strong smelling infusion only strong tasting liquid and strong smelling wet leaf. mainly there to bulk out gongfu sets so people(dumb whites) buy into the whole ritual/ceremony, the ceremonial aspect only existing because chinks were butthurt over jap tea ceremonies, but jap Buddhism turns rituals themselves into prayers to the extent that holding the tea towel has to be held and folded in a certain way just as every other part of tea preparation/Ceremony

>>17641477
>What's a good (but not super expensive) chinese green tea?
Here is some fresh green
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2022-early-spring-long-jing-dragon-well-a-grade-green-tea-zhejiang-province-1?variant=42742767583462
This lonjing style tea is a green tea but it has a bit of a toasty roasted nut aspect to it from the way the leaves are proceesed. My favorite Chinese green.
I haven't tried this years but ive had this tea from him in previous years and really enjoyed it.
If you fell like it you can grab some small samples of the other greens he has as well.

Time for more smokey lapsang, it's so addictive
I really wish the cans it came in has a better seal, it's just a faily tight friction fit lid, i wish the was a foil seal or an inner mylar bag as well, if there was i would buy at least 10 cans of this stuff and put it away for ling term storage

Had those custom made by local potter who didn't know anything about Gawians. Just gave sizes and said roughly how it should look. Turned out fine. I mean it looks nice but the outpour is shitty. Also the saucer is way too big. The clay could have been thinner.
I guess if she practices some more it might be much more profitable than the pottery she sells right now

>>17641948
Kek

>>17641814
You really like drinking that stuff straight up, huh? You must be doing gongfu. Does the smokiness fade after a few infusions?

>>17641654
>meme dumb whitey butthurt chinks I don’t smell nothin
That’s quite a description.

>>17641814
max comfy
>>17642047
i've had stuff thats kept its smokiness for a good few infusions, it drops off about the same as other black teas. some stuff can be really ruff, especially pine smoked because pine gives really acrid smoke

>>17642047
>You must be doing gongfu.
Western style, ~4 grams in a 12 oz ish mug, 3 minute infusion.
Haven't tried it gongfu at all.
Love the smoke, it's good

>>17636282
>Correct. Those teas are really meant to be combined with milk and drank for the taste rather than aroma.
>It's good to buy black (red) tea from China but there's plenty of other black tea that it's good to have curated or blended for you. I give you permission to buy from the town shop.
Thanks senpai, I figured. Annoyingly, the 1 place that sells loose leaf tea in my (small) city only carries Ceylon for plain black tea. Everything else is flavoured. I like Ceylon well enough, but I'd like to get a few different ones for variety. And definitely something like irish breakfast, something strong to drink in the morning you know?

>>17636353
>For a gaiwan i suggest white porcelain, 100ml 120max. For a cup you should be able to find white porcelain cups in the 120-140ml range, to fill a whole brew plus not be filled to the brim.
Any reason you recommend white porcelain specifically, rather than a different colour of porcelain or glass? Just curious because there's a lot of cute coloured cups I'm coming across.
>If you want to order from fullchea, or there aliexpress store, wait a few weeks for them to get spring 2022 green teas in
I see, will do. I'll order my oolongs and black tea now though, or I think I'll run out completely by the time the 2022 green teas get in stock + the time it takes to deliver here
>an affordable dragons well tea
>tieguyanyin oolong
Noted. Any other green teas and oolongs I should consider? I think I'd like to order at least 2 of each kind of tea, for variety and because I just like trying new things.
Also, any recommendations for white tea, yellow tea, and/or puerh? I haven't had any of those yet, but I'd certainly like to try them.
Many thanks for your help so far, senpai.

>>17642388
Ceylon is pretty fuggin' plain. I have some so what I'm doing is dropping a few leaves of Chinese tea in it for flavor. It becomes a nice morning tea that just manages to transcend being insipid without going full fruit & flowers mode.

>>17642388
>Any reason you recommend white porcelain specifically, rather than a different colour of porcelain or glass?
I usually just say white because they are usually thin and cheap. Also if the inside it white it makes it easier to see how dark your tea is brewing. Other colors of porcelain or ones with designs are fine, i would avoid heavy ceramic stuff until you get used to gaiwans because they are more likely to break if you drop them, and more likely to break your teaware if you drop it on your cups or something.

>>17642388
>Noted. Any other green teas and oolongs I should consider
Dancong oolong if you want fragrant and floral, something roasted like da hong pao if you want charcoal baded flavor and complex minerality.
Gaba oolong if you want baked sweet potato flavor.
>other green tea
I dunno honestly
>Puerh
This is the benchmark raw puer
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/2012-puer-tea-dayi-taetea-7542-150g-gift-package-china-yunnan-menghai-puerh-puer-pu-erh-raw-organic-health-care-food-chai-aged-puerh-best-organic-tea--p0139.html
And this is the benchmark ripe
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/2012-yr-menghai-dayi-classic-7572-ripe-puerh-100-quality-guarantee-taetea-chinese-puer-tea-for-gift-packing-150g-pc37-aged-puerh-best-organic-tea-p0140.html
Those are the definitive examples of each genre.
If you absolutely must go cheaper these are decent but not as definitive
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/xia-guan-2011-tuocha-tea-nannuo-gong-tuo-tribute-tuo-raw-pu-er-tee-100g-p0342.html
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/taetea-yunnan-puer-tuo-tea-2018-v93-shu-puer-tuocha-100g-p0592.html

>>17642388
>Also, any recommendations for white tea, yellow tea,
Don't buy yellow tea, it's a meme category of tea and they stuff that's actually good examples of the genra costs like €1 per gram.

>>17642388
>white tea
We have another anon that's gotten a few white tea cakes from fullchea, maybe he can weigh in.
The ones i would feel most comfortable recommending is the zongcha / cnnp/ cofco / butterfly brand cakes the ones with all the logos at the top like pic related, but they are all kind of pricey and don't have any reviews so i would just hold off on white tea for the moment.
Or grab some of these i guess
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/chinese-tea-2020-mini-yunnan-white-tea-bai-cha-tea-small-cake-4-pieces5g-bag-100g-p0721.html

>>17642655
>We have another anon that's gotten a few white tea cakes from fullchea, maybe he can weigh in.
If you mean buying a handful of the (mostly budget) white cakes, I can. There are four full cakes I got. The shou mei is okay, not amazing but not terrible, generally pleasant. The gong mei is preferable considering it's only a few dollars more and of (subjectively) better quality. The yue guang bai mei ren is a rather nice one for the money, worth a pick up. The Butterfly/COFCO cake I got is certainly good and of notable quality, but of course much more expensive than the aforementioned cakes. Here are links to them all:
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/-p0587.html
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/-p0588.html
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/-p0751.html
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/-p0685.html
There are other interesting options on the site I haven't tried. Since even their cheap shou mei isn't horrendous, I'd think most of their other white cakes are at least alright daily sippers. I can comment on individual cakes from the links above if there are any further questions. Either way, if trying to stick to a budget but get a decent cake, the yue guang bai I linked is probably the easiest choice.

>>17642388
Oh i almost forgot
Do NOT be tempted by these little puer nest things, the little single portion ones.
They are almost always bad. The ripe ones all taste like fish and mud, the raw ones all taste like fish
Just don't do it
The bigger 100g teas are okay but these little 4-5 gram pices are nasty.

For me, its Rooiboois

>>17642990
love these lil rooey bois

Anyone here ever bought tian-cha? It seems it's a tisane, I have allergies and someone recommended it. If not, I'll probably try to source some regardless to contribute to the bank of knowledge.

>>17642498
>I have some so what I'm doing is dropping a few leaves of Chinese tea in it for flavor
That does sound nice. I was considering buying a 500gr pack of ceylon from amazon (like the box from the brand Ahmad Teas) purely for mixing with more flavourful teas. I've got some Earl Grey that is super heavy on the bergamot. Like, I feel there's objectively too much bergamot in it, it's overpowering. But 500gr might be a bit overkill, and I'm sure the quality isn't as good as getting it from a dedicated seller.
>>17642535
>I usually just say white because they are usually thin and cheap.
I see. I think I'll go with a white gaiwan and maybe get myself a cute cup or two. I like having cups and mugs with cute or interesting designs.
>>17642592
Thanks for the recommendations. Maybe a dumb question, but what is the difference between raw and ripe? Taste-wise, I mean.
>Gaba oolong if you want baked sweet potato flavor.
Now this sounds super lovely
>>17642655
>>17642818
Thanks. I"m leaning towards the gong mei or the yue guang bai mei ren as a starter purchase. Would you be able to tell anything between the taste difference between the two?
>>17642974
>Do NOT be tempted by these little puer nest things, the little single portion ones.
No touching the puerh sampler packs then, gotcha.

My shopping list is steadily getting more expensive than I originally intended, but considering how many drinks I get out of it I don't really mind. I'm going to have to look into getting some containers to keep everything nice and seperated though. Right now I've been using the sort of zip lock bags my current tea arrived in but I don't think all of these will come in something similar.

>>17643278
Never tried it but it sounds good

>>17643306
>My shopping list is steadily getting more expensive than I originally intended,
Dont go too crazy, it might be better to just grab one tea from each category and then order more in a few months. Shipping from china ismostly stable and especially fullchea works well with small orders because of the way they price shipping

>>17643306
>what is the difference between raw and ripe? Taste-wise, I mean.
Raw puer is very diverse but it can be green, fruity, bitter, smokey,
Ripe puer, the leaves are fermented, tastes woody, chocolaty, loamy, that sort of thing

>>17643306
>Thanks. I"m leaning towards the gong mei or the yue guang bai mei ren as a starter purchase. Would you be able to tell anything between the taste difference between the two?
Yes. In fact, I am drinking the yue guang bai right now, and it is somewhat floral and slightly sweet/astringent, with a nice deep fruity, roasted aroma in the leaves. According to my older notes, the gong mei is a bit bready/fruity, touch buttery, perhaps with a mild mineral sweetness. It has more age on it, so it has had slightly more time to develop. The yue guang bai is perhaps more floral and slightly less fruity up-front, with a mild bittersweet herbal quality at the end. Really nice jammy aroma in the infused leaves. It is younger, but is still pleasant in its own way. I think the extra time in storage may have helped develop these teas a bit.

I want to clarify that price and grading don't equal an objectively better tea, as you must consider subjective preference and price/gram ratio when deciding that. A tea can have the same name, but be completely different in flavor, aroma, and consistency (even between different people) from different makers/locations/seasons/etc. You can think of it like wine or coffee in that way.

My advice is to apply an informed decision when picking teas. So, reading my notes and looking at the leaves online, which one appeals to your preferences more? Buy that one. The $/g ratio for either is pretty decent, so go with your gut. Whites just get better with age anyway, so there is no need to rush to drink it all quickly.

>>17641477
Check Yunnan sourcing. I just got my order of their 2022 greens today and they are great.

>>17642974
They are OK if you let them sit for a few years. They lose their fish fragrance

I got this in the mail; American grown tea. Smells very perfumey, looks bizarre, like a cross between oolong and sencha; like broken up, mature looking leaf.
I'll let you guys know how it tastes tomorrow.

>>17644639
I wonder why I've never seen this anywhere

>>17644639
Saw it in some documentary. Only tea farm in america aparrently. I wonder why. The climate should be fine in the warmer regions...
How much did you pay. Do they ship to Europe?

>>17644639
>>17644792
Tea plantation in Europe!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djL_djWAl4M&t=86

>>17644837
https://www.lisbon-tea.de/lisbon-tea-no.-11-schwarzer-tee-von-den-azoren.html
They sell a lot of aromatized tea.
Might try that one though. Not that cheap. 22ct/g

>>17644870
https://gorreana.de/shop/

>>17638601
Where do I buy picrel? the asian girl.

Anyone else incorporate milk into their gonfu sessions?

pill me on aroma cups

>>17645360
smell your empty tea cup, same thing

>>17644639
I'm interested to hear about it, i was really close to buying their first flush last spring but the shipping in their store was kind of high.

>>17638601
Redpill me on Gongfu

>>17645747
It's a fun way to drink tea if you have half an hour to spend on it, you use a lot of leaves in a small brewing vessel and do short brews (10-15 seconds adding a little time for each subsequent brew). The taste of tea tea will change some with each brew so you can enjoy the flavor of a tea in a different way.

>>17645747
min maxing the tea drinking experience

picrel is what TEA really is about.
this picture gives you everything you need to know about the lifestyle that we live. the TEA LIFESTYLE.

coffee? no thanks, I only drink tea, I'll leave liquid jitters to you haha. my favorite blends are...
good book and a "cuppa" tea am I right?

god damn you all to hell.

Hello. I'm ill with the coof and it was recommended that I drink tea for my very sore throat. My mum gave me a few of packs of these and it tastes alright when mixed with honey and some lemon juice. I'm going to go to the store and probably get some more teabags today.
I know the paste in says pre bagged tea is pleb tier but I'm wondering if anyone has recommendations for any other pleb teas I can get that maybe taste better. Thanks much.

>>17646340
>Tfw also living the drinking tea and reading lifestyle, but it's multiple 'cuppas' and either raw manga or eroge/RPGs.
I am too far gone, leave me behind my brothers and lesbians.

>>17646400
I'm on my third pot of tea and I've been reading since the sun came up. What else could be better on a sunday?

>>17646405
I too, have not slept. It is almost
>What else could be better on a sunday?
Enough tea to make me comatose and near-insensate while I read this smut and slowly drift into slumber unaware. It's the only way to go, truly.

>>17646382
Herbal teas are fine bagged, they usually make some kind of cold season one and one called throat coat or something like that, either of those is good, sleepytime is also good.

>>17646603
Thanks a lot!

>>17646738
Sure also buy a sprayer of saline nasal mist from the pharmacy section. That was the worst part of the coof for me, my sinuses got extremely dry and spraying saline up there really help relieve the discomfort

It's time for this afternoons smokey tea buffet
I'm hooked on this pungent leaf

First time teafagging. Is this kek or cringe? I like Irish Breakfast.

>>17647031
That's way to many samplers i think
>I like Irish Breakfast.
Get a box of this, it should scratch the same itch but also be exciting and different.
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/2019-yunnan-old-tree-black-tea-dianhong-feng-qing-red-tea-cake-357g-p0593.html
Then from yunnan sourcing get the 2022 green tea sampler and one of these
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/compressed-black-tea/products/2018-drunk-on-red-sun-dried-black-tea-cake
That should be plenty of tea to get you started, then once you have drank through some of that you can start ordering some other types of tea to try.

>>17642655
>butterfly brand cakes the ones with all the logos at the top like pic related, but they are all kind of pricey and don't have any reviews.
i also have one of their white tea cakes that i got from fullchea. its tastes good and seems fair enough for the price though i have not sampled many white tea cakes.

>>17646738
>>17646760
This. I had the worst sinus infection of my life with covid. 3 days of neti pot relief and ripes saved me.

>>17647031
their is nothing wrong with the order per se but if you are really coming from
>I like Irish Breakfast.
you may want to start with a smaller order in case you don't like Chinese tea. just don't want you to end up disappointed spending that much. also note that Yunnan sourcing's samplers are usually only very slightly discounted (like a $1 or $2 off) so feel free to just pick up stuff that looks interesting you instead of the sampler if you want to. i would also grab a cheap 100-120ml gaiwan to go with the order from the teaware section.

coof

okay so for herbs im getting nettle, chamomile, some kind of mint, maybe some tulsi.
Anything else i should pick up?

>>17648922
Not exactly a pick-up rec, but if you have any citrus at home, you can infuse their skins alongside any garden herbs of your choice. Some mixtures can be quite refreshing, such as rosemary or sage and citrus peel.

>>17641481
>>17641640
>>17641654
>>17645360
Lol what the fuck
>OP shows aroma cups and the sort of tray used for their use
>.. oh? What is the use for these?
>N-NOTHING! IT IS MEME INVENTED FOR WHYPIPO!
God forbid a thread about tea give answers beyond “omg so stupid meme it just for scam because me no likey”.

new to teafaggotry. I love matcha, like a good cup of ceremonial grade matcha with just a pinch of sugar mixed in.
tried a few brands of ceremonial grade available to me and the latest batch I tried is vomit, I have never been more angry drinking tea.
in short, I'm asking you matchafags for wisdom for specific brands I should try out.

>>17644639
Here's what it looks like. Flavor reminds me more of a flowery oolong with some green character to it. My tastebuds are too fucked right now to rate it fairly, but it comes across as a decent, inoffensive drink. I'll play around with the steeping another time.
>>17644792
>How much did you pay
$11 for a 65g pouch. Don't know if they ship to Europe but I got it on Amazon.

This peculiar little plant is called marva (lippia alba). It is rich in citral and limonene, two compounds that give lemons their flavour. It tastes absolutely amazing, especially when paired with a floral sweetener, I like to use elderflower cordial or acacia flower honey.

As an added bonus, limonene is also a light mood enhancer and if you are inclined that way, has an interaction with cannabis and can enhance its effects.

Also the leaves look fucking beautiful steeped in water.

>>17638663
I think he's sperging out over you drinking tea from Fujiang. What with all the pollutants in Chinese soil and all.

>>17647031
Looks pretty kek, good variety overall. I agree with the other anons on the samplers though, the picks aren't bad but they aren't substantially discounted from buying each tea individually, so if you want then free to just pick out your tea and use the samplers as recommendation lists.
>Yunnan green tea sampler
In particular I'd skip this, get some of this (or the imperial grade) instead
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/new-products/products/premium-grade-dragon-well-tea-from-hangzhou-long-jing-tea
Also this is a Fujian black tea, it's good and worth trying in addition to Yunnan blacks
https://yunnansourcing.com/products/sweet-potato-zheng-shan-xiao-zhong-black-tea
I also highly recommend trying liu bao, it's something different
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/guangxi-liu-bao-tea/products/2019-three-cranes-75117-high-mountain-liu-bao-tea
Definitely get a gaiwan as well and be sure to look at the free gifts because your order total should be enough to pick up a free thing from there.

>>17644837
>>17644875
Can recommend. Been to their tea plantation. Their black tea is the best imo.

>>17649680
>acacia flower honey.
My favorite honey along with lavender

>>17649047
dude just smell your empty cup thats had tea sitting in it vs a special one thats only been washed. gongfu sets are made for dumb white people. do you really need an explanation on what a smelling cup is used for?

>>17643320
>Dont go too crazy, it might be better to just grab one tea from each category and then order more in a few months.
Yeah, I'm trying to reign myself in. Currently I'm looking at 1 each for puerh, green and white, and 2 oolongs because I couldn't decide.
Found a nice looking webshop for a Dutch coffee/tea store that seems pretty good. So I'll be ordering a bunch of black teas from there. They also carry greens like bancha, longjing, etc, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea ordering those since they don't mention anything about what year they're from. The shop is 'de-pelikaan dot nl' if anyone wants to take a look. Supposedly they're "purveyor to the royal household" for the Dutch royals, so that's neat I guess.
>>17643347
Thanks for the explenation, senpai
>>17643433
Thank you. They both sound really interesting, so I might just end up flipping a coin honestly.

I've got 2 more questions that I ran across in my browsing yesterday:
- Milky Oolong: It sounds interesting, but what is it like? Could I get the same taste by adding milk to regular formosa oolong, or is it something different entirely? The descriptions are vague on wether it's just oolong with vapourized milk in/on it, or if it has other added tastes
- I was shopping around for roasted barley, because I want to try mugicha. Though I'm not exactly having much joy finding any near me. This might be a silly idea, but would it be possible to just buy regular barley and roast it in a pan? Or does the process for preparing it for barley tea involve some extra steps besides roasting?

I am getting impatient for the shincha season

>>17650972
>Milky Oolong
It's usually flavored, i don't know how exactly, probably something like powdered creamer.
I have had unflavored oolongs that were very milky on their own, so i typically tell poleople to avoid the flavored ones.
>roasted barley
Is brewing your own beer legal in europe? In the US you can get roasted barley from a brewing supply store for a few $ per pound. Just stay away from the black colored "chocolate" malt, that stuff is basically burned

>>17638601
I'm looking for good mint flavored teas. Can anyone drop some recommendations?

>>17651944
Mint leaves

Whats a good genmaicha bros?

>>17652008
No come back

>>17647072
>>17647308
>>17649929
I appreciate the opinions, but naturally I am less decisive than I was before I asked

>>17652066
Kek you got some very different answers.
Just set a budget of like $75 and then get drunk and pick out a bunvh of random shit from YS.
Here is anoth black tea that should give you some of the maltyness as a breakfast blend but still be interesting and different
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/xiaguan-tea-factory-1/products/2021-xiaguan-hong-cha-feng-qing-black-tea

>>17652093
Is there a classically characteristic Oolong that you would recommend? Something that could steep all day a d not get bitter?

By the way, this is one of the higher quality threads on the board. Impressed by the lack of flaming.

>>17652066
If you're willing to spend the money, I would just go for it. I really didn't like puerh until I got one in a sample pack that happened to work for me.

>>17652131
I personally really like roasted oolongs, i think they created the perfect balance of flavor and aroma, plus they allowed the tea to stand up tp much higher brewing temperature.
https://yunnansourcing.com/collections/anxi-oolong-tea-tie-guan-yin/products/light-roast-premium-tie-guan-yin-anxi-oolong-tea
Tie gua yin is the most popular type of oolong, so i think it is a good starting point.

Does anyone know if Shigaraki Yaki kyusu are always glazed on the inside? I think that the water I use to clean my kyusu is having an adverse affect on my tea. I'm looking for a kyusu which is is glazed on the inside and I'm aware that Arita Yaki kyusu are porcelain; however the Shigaraki are more appealing to me.
I've been having a look at a few and would like to know if they are in fact glazed on the inside to act like porcelain.

https://www.tablinstore.info/product/4229
https://www.tablinstore.info/product/2203
https://www.tablinstore.info/product/2202

The description is written in broken English so I'm hesitant to even bother sending them an inquiry. If I really don't want a kyusu with exposed clay then should I just buy something porcelain to be safe?

>>17652957
Im not a pottery expert but looking at the sheen in the inside of the pot you can see in the photos for
https://www.tablinstore.info/phone/product/4229
I'm very confident that it is glazed on the inside
The other two appear to be as well
You can see in this picture that the natural color of the clay is this light tan color where the lid contacts the body of the piece.

>>17652957
> I think that the water I use to clean my kyusu is having an adverse affect on my tea.
Can you elaborate on this? Are you using soap? What's happening with the tea?

Will the mylar bags really keep my teas from contaminating each other? I open this box and it reeks or green tea from the fresh 2022 bags. Is that fine? Or should I separate my oolongs and Puer and stuff?

The pastebin really needs a storage section, because I keep having questions and have seen many others ask the same things.

>>17652066
That webm made my face twitch.

>>17641430
>nettle risotto

>>17653399
As long as the bags are sealed it should be fine.
I'm working on writing about storage.

>>17653456
Big thanks

So every time I try to have a fruity tea from a tea bag it tastes like the most generic fruit taste and never what it is supposed to be. Is this the case with loose leaf or is fruity tea just bad?

I want to get some good quality tea but I just don't have the money at the moment

>>17653731
Bagged teas are generally inferior to loose for a variety of reasons. However, when it comes to flavored teas/tisane blends, you should note the difference between artificial flavorings and whole materials. A bagged tea product may often have some sort of artificial flavor or aroma added to it that is clearly artificial and perhaps unpleasant. Likewise, you can find bagged or whole teas that have whole, natural additives/ingredients which may taste or smell better. If you want another comparison, it's like the difference between drinking stale, artificial "orange drink" vs a more fresh, tangy-sweet "orange juice".

Could be you're working with unpleasant artificial additives or just low-grade ingredients. Either way, you should try to use products containing 'real' ingredients. If you want to keep costs down, you can stew fruits/fruit skins and herbs at home. Could also just make unflavored tea and add juice after if you really want that flavor, or even coldbrew/stew all of this stuff together. Experiment and find what works for you.

Hi all, could anyone recommend me some good mint tea blends or something with a similar sort of scent profile? The spring is killing me this year and I'd like something to soothe my sinuses and such. I've got some cheap bagged tea but I'm sure you guys probably have better recs.

>>17653731
All fruity flavored teas are made with the same generic food safe flavorings.
There are some loosleaf teas that are flavored differently like some osmanthus oolong, where they mix the fresh flowers with the tea so it absorbs the flavor, honestly lots of those probably have flavor added too.
Anyway yes even if you buy fancy loose leaf fruit flavored tea its just going to taste like tea with artificial food flavor added to it (because thats what it is)
There are some very premium brands of perfumed tea, mostly french, that make flavored teas on a higher level, but they are very expensive

>>17653848
Celestial seasonings mint tea is pretty decent.
If you want some nicer herbal teas you can order from mountain rose herbs, they have some really nice herbal tea blends and they are very well priced. They also just sell loose dried mint which is a good quality fresh mint.
https://mountainroseherbs.com/mint-tea
Here are their other herbal teas
https://mountainroseherbs.com/catalog/teas/herbal
They sell some empty teabags too if you need aome for brewing loose herbs

>>17653916
That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Thanks friend.

How do I buy a gaiwan online without getting ripped off? I want to get into gongfu but there are no tea shops in my area. Is it worth shelling out the money for a set like pic related?

>>17653952
I don't really like the sets, gimme 5 minutes and i wll link a cheap gaiwan from aliexpress

>>17653952
Here, the right size, nice shape about $18 shipped
https://aliexpress.com/item/32860463309.html
Here is another good gaiwan
https://aliexpress.com/item/33053765023.html
If you really want a set here is one for about $25
https://aliexpress.com/item/1005003402813600.html
You can find even cheaper on the too, but i know that brand is pretty good. make sure you get a gaiwan that is 100ml to 120ml in size, bigger than that requires way too much tea for one person to drink.

>>17649989
https://www.lisbon-tea.de/lisbon-tea-no.-11-schwarzer-tee-von-den-azoren.html
This is the same tea, right?
Its much cheaper than the first link I posted

>>17654283
Never seen that one before. I usually buy directly through here:
https://gorreana.pt/en/shop/gorreana-black-tea/14

>>17654610
Thanks. Which one would you recommend?
They also have green teas. 3ct/g is pretty cheap. I wouldn't expect much from it...

>>17654952
>>17654610
https://gorreana.pt/en/shop//hysson-loose-leaf-100g-24

What is some tasty herbal tea I can enjoy that doesn't come with any side effects or "benefits"?

>>17655034
All of them

>>17655051
That's not true? I've been drinking some mint tea and it's a fairly strong stimulant. I'd prefer something without all these side effects.

>>17655062
Are you drinking mint leaf? Or tea leaf flavored with mint?

>>17655071
Mint leaf.

>>17655062
>it's a fairly strong stimulant.
It isn't.

>>17655083
I get a huge high when I drink mint, I want to go drug free, so I don't have a resistance to it.

>>17655087
You don't, there are no compounds in mint that could be considered to give you a "huge high" or would be a "fairly strong stimulant".
>But muh subjective experience
No. I believe that you've convinced yourself that mint is a stimulant, but it is not.

>>17655093
>Boosts brain function
>Peppermint oil is scientifically-proven to improve memory. Researchers found that participants who smelt peppermint oil for five minutes before testing had a better memory compared to those who didn’t.
>According to another study, smelling peppermint oil while driving increased alertness and decreased frustration and fatigue.
https://boomboomnaturals.com/blogs/news/menthol-what-it-is-how-it-works-and-the-health-benefits

>>17655093
>>17655101
>Boosts energy
>If you want to feel more energized during the day, menthol can get the job done. One study showed that peppermint oil can help fight fatigue and enhance exercise performance.
>Along with the menthol helping to “relax bronchial smooth muscles,” there was also an “increase in the ventilation and brain oxygen concentration, and decrease in the blood lactate level” all of which contributed to the energy boost.

Of corse does peppermint (the Devil's herb) improve memory. You will not forgett that disguesting stench.
Of corse does pepperment (Lucifer's anal hair) increase alertness, since you have to watch out to avoid this cursed plant.
Of corse does pepperment (Beelzebub's curse on men) decrease stress. Since when you stop smelling it. You are glad that whiff is gone.

>>17655118
I want to stop drinking it so my energy levels are steady through the day instead of spiking all at once you absolute nonce.

>>17654952
Orange pekoe is their best tea.

>>17655126
You can't, sorry. Water is a fairly strong stimulant, I pour myself a lil' glass of the ol' H2O and I by the time I'm done I feel a huge high.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/effects-of-hydration-status-on-cognitive-performance-and-mood/1210B6BE585E03C71A299C52B51B22F7
>Other water intervention studies have reported similar sustained attention performance changes without a dependency on prior thirst/hydration state.
>In a mixed design, young adults were given 200 ml of water and performance was found to increase from baseline in a sustained attention task
>Short-term memory has also been shown to improve after water consumption. Short-term memory improvements after water consumption were found by three studies that investigated acute water intervention in school children
I'm dosing up to 250ml right now, but I'm considering pushing it to 300 as long as my body can still take it. I've thought about trying to go drug free but I just can't quit the wa'

>>17655176
My water has a lot of iron in it so I was trying to avoid having to drink it unflavored, but you've been totally and completely unhelpful so I guess that's what I'll do for now.

ur rarted anon...

>>17655126
>my energy levels are steady through the day instead of spiking
do you talk like your in a mecha anime irl as well?

>>17655240
Why are you so butthurt over a legitimate question?

>>17655087
Switch to American ginseng

>>17655422
It sounds pretty good, can't afford it right now though... maybe I should just grow it

>>17655422
>>17655619
Do NOT consume ginseng it is an EXTREMELY potent stimulant. You simply would not be able to manage it.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091305703001266
If this is not enough to dissuade you, and you insist on pushing forward, start by acclimating yourself to the ginseng. Keep the ginseng in the same room as where you work, but do not touch it directly (You can get cheap latex or cotton gloves, if you're allergic to latex), and do NOT observe it directly. Carry a mirror to make sure that you place the ginseng out of your direct line of sight. Do NOT sleep in the same room as the Ginseng. After a few weeks, enough time should have passed that you have a high enough tolerance to give the ginseng a small sniff. Just a tiny whiff, but again, do NOT look at the ginseng. You are not yet ready, it is too powerful for you.
>maybe I should just grow it
This is not a bad idea, ginseng is a root so it should be completely beneath the soil, and therefore not within the range of your vision. For this reason, however, avoid aquaponics or any growing solution that could allow you to glimpse the gingseng before you have fully acclimated.

If you're curious I can post a longer guide on how to safely handle ginseng, and how to prepare your body for its safe consumption.

>>17655619
>It sounds pretty good, can't afford it right now though...
Usually the ginseng farms sell chopped root pieces pretty cheaply.
The fine fibers are pretty cheap
https://wginseng.com/collections/all-ginsengs/products/c59
The small prongs are just a few dollars more
https://wginseng.com/collections/all-ginsengs/products/c55
You don't need to get the fancy big roots

>>17655779
This is a pretty good deal, thanks anon. How do you make tea with this stuff, 10~15 minute steep @ boiling, or do I need to make a decoction?

>>17655817
Either way works, with those smaller pieces you should rinse the ones you are going to brew, brew for 10-15 minutes, then you can dice up the root and brew those pieces again.
Or if they are soft enough you can just rinse em and then chop em up before you brew.

Im back on the smokey lapsang today lads. I just can't put it down. Stuff makes my whole kitchen smell lije a campfire while it's brewing

>>17656134
Big lapsang going full force this week. Youre making me want to buy some now

>>17652028
ah please help. for more information I use yamamotoyama's right now and it's always been my favorite

>all this lapsang talk
Seems like a good time to ask. A tea-enthusiast coworker of mine said he wants to find the absolute smokiest lapsang souchong possible.
As in, a campfire in tea-form would be “almost” smoky enough.
Any suggestions?

>>17655138
Ordered this. Direct from their site seemed to have the lowest price to USA including shipping.

>>17656224
Any genmatcha sold by any vendor in the pastebin should be pretty good, avoid the ones with match powder in them

>>17656238
This can is the one i keep posting about which is very smokey, unfortunately the seller has it priced 2x what it costs in a Chinese market.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/382896516437
This one i haven't tried but it reviews well
https://marktwendell.com/china-lapsang-souchong.html

>>17656344
Hope you like it anon.

>>17653456
I have been wondering if my teas are getting ruined by how I store them. My experience of some teas has changed so much I've started doubting my sense of taste.

Pic related is my more regular teas, I just keep them in the bags they came in. The two tins to the right I don't use. I'm thinking of getting larger tins that fit multiple bags, or some other airtight container.

The first time I tried the Lugu Dong Ding oolog that's sticking out, for instance, it was very intense to where the smell was too much for me (a very powerful bready, malty, sweet smell). Less than a month later it had already mellowed to where I could enjoy it, and now it's even a bit bland.

I don't visit the thread that often but I'll be looking out for what you write about it. If it ends up in the pastebin I'll catch it eventually.

>>17656914
You aren't storing your tea any differently than i am. I supposed it could be issues with moychay's packaging but they look like pretty standard foil lined bags.
I can't really think of what would cause issues, are they right over a heater? That might cause some issue of them getting too hot or something i guess, or if they are right next to a humidifier.
But like i said that's exactly how i store my black teas and oolongs and i haven't run into issues.
I i wrote a storage thing for the pastebin it would just say sore the tea in sealed bags in a cool dry place away from strong odors.

i had my "gold box" BaiShaXi brand loose leaf Tian Jian today. its not quite what i expected but i like it. i thought it was going to be like a smoked FuZuan but instead this production is straight up roasted and is much more like Yancha. this is not a bad thing as i don't have any Wuyi oolongs on hand right now.
Notes:
roasty flavors, toast, but not smokey
very sweet, browned caramel
fruity, hard to place perhaps some sort of soapberry or melon
indistinct floral tones that linger afterward
i think there may be still a bit "FuZuan" or "semi-aged XG sheng" character hidden underneath but its not prominent
low bitterness and astringency but a bit drying
quite stimulating

>>17657288
Interesting, ive been eyeing that for years. I had a small farmer production tian jian that was maybe very slightly smoked. It mostly just tasted like some of the purple teas that ive tried.

Sugarbush is pretty fucking good guys.

>>17657418
Is that like honeybush or is it something else?

>>17657658
It's identical to honeybush, I'm just distracted by how good this is. I was expecting it to be a shitty tea substitute for drinking tea late at night, but it's shockingly good for the price.

>>17657666
Oh yeah it's great

What's a decent scale for measuring out leaves? Will anything do?

>>17658011
Pretty much any digital scale that can do tenths of a gram (0.1) resolution

>>17658011
Pick a scale that can only weigh a small amount if you're getting a cheapy. I mean 50 grams. If it can weigh up to 1kg for under $30 it's going to be a headache using it for 3 grams of tea. I don't have it so I can't recommend it exactly but I was looking at buying a MyWeigh Palmscale 8

>>17658011
If you don't care about absolute accuracy, if you already have a kitchen scale, that could be fine (you would just taper after putting a cup/gaiwan down). However, if you want more low-end accuracy, as someone who uses various powder supplements, Newacalox's milligram scales are good. I used to use a GEM20, but those are kind of flimsy and perhaps too easy to break. I have Newacalox's 100g maximum model, which I think is useful since the holding cups I use for the leaves weigh a lot themselves. That said, the 50g max one is probably fine too. This is just needless autist stuff though, you can still use a digital kitchen scale supporting gram-by-gram measurement if you wish.

>>17657418
>Sugarbush is pretty fucking good guys.
How does it compare to rooibos? I've only gotten flavoured rooibos until now (apple cinnamon and some kind of spice mix), but for me next order I'm looking to get a large-ish quantity of pure/non-flavoured rooibos, since I do like the taste so far.

>buying tea from china
shiggy diggy doo

>>17659475
if you aren't finding random objects and hints of toxic chemicals in your tea you aren't living the tea lifestyle and should fuck right off.

>>17646340
I drink tea and monster and coffee
basically the only drug I do is caffeine so I go hard

>have my tea brewing in front of you
>become progressively more and more awake while waiting
Why?

Are there negative long term effects on the brain from taking caffeine every single day?

>>17659589
Headache and fatigue the day you don't

>>17659589
death

I've never bought tea online before, but now I'm looking to buy sencha and chinese sheng pu'er, about 50-150g of each. I'm willing to pay up to €20/100g, and would like to minimize shipping cost by getting both from the same place within the EU. I'm also new to pu'er, so I don't know what's good or not.

>>17659475
>buy tea from japan
>become a cool atomic mutant

>>17659475
i still have that cigarette butt sitting on the corner of my tea tray.

>>17651935
>I have had unflavored oolongs that were very milky on their own, so i typically tell poleople to avoid the flavored ones.
I see, gotcha. Thanks.
>Is brewing your own beer legal in europe? In the US you can get roasted barley from a brewing supply store for a few $ per pound. Just stay away from the black colored "chocolate" malt, that stuff is basically burned
There should be, I know my buddy did some amateur brewing back in uni. I'll ask him where he got his supplies. Thanks for the tip.

How much do you guys tend to order at once? The Dutch store I'm probably going to order from has free shipping from 60 euro, so I'm probably going to pick a bunch of stuff that sounds interesting and see if I can get there. Their prices seem reasonable, around 4-5 euro per 100gr for your regular rooibos/black teas, little bit more for the more special stuff. It might be a bit much, but if I store it in a dry dark place it should keep for about a year at least, right?

My green tea has gone rancid. God. Fucking. DANGIT! The people must know: keep your greens in the freezer

>>17657288
as an update i cold brewed the the leftover tea leaves and now it tastes more like what i would expect cold brewed Fuzhuan to taste like. strange that the difference is so stark. i think will have to get some more experience to fully figure it out. also i need to try more Tian Jian as well i remember a sample of some other Tian Jian i had once that had a lightly smokey pine sap taste to it and was quite different from this stuff. my understanding is that typically Tian Jian undergoes a very brief ferment kind of like like Fuzhuan would and is then lightly smoked and roasted.

>>17656914
are only your moychay teas affected? ive having a similar issue with some of mine i bought 4 months ago. One of the oolongs i bought from them completely lost its dried fruit taste and now tastes kinda salty, its not bad but not as nice as before.

>>17656914
This could be down to the humidity and temperature of wherever you live vs that other use who stores the same way.

Keep bugging the pastebin guy to finish the storage guide

>>17659748
>and would like to minimize shipping cost by getting both from the same place within the EU. I'm also new to pu'er, so I don't know what's good or not
Its tough because the stores that specialize in Japanese teas usually don't have great puer and vice versa. There is a very nice European store in the pastebin that focuses on Japanese tea.
https://www.millepins.ch/
They would easily be my strongest recommendation for Japanese tea, make sure you order new 2022 greens and not last years teas. They might take a week or two to come into stock

>>17659748
For puer https://www.farmer-leaf.fr/ ships from france but is out of your budget
Basically all the puer sold in the EU has very high markups.
Another anon in europe is working on ordering and https://www.fullchea-tea.com/ has a link with every item to let you buy it on aliexpress, ali does the tax form automatically and the seller will price the item low so it should be painless to order.
It's very easy to recommended this tea because its a sort of benchmark in the raw puer world and it has a little bit of age on it, it should be a good introduction to puer
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/2012-puer-tea-dayi-taetea-7542-150g-gift-package-china-yunnan-menghai-puerh-puer-pu-erh-raw-organic-health-care-food-chai-aged-puerh-best-organic-tea--p0139.html

>>17660182
Most black teas will keep nicely for 3-4 years if stored well sealed, herbs keep well for at leas a couple years, green tea is the only one you need to worry about drinking within a year or so

Has anyone ordered qny Japanese tea yet? Ive seen a few Chinese green tea orders but nothing from Japan

>>17661027
I'm waiting for o-cha

>>17661027
Pre-ordered the Ippodo Shincha and bought a Gyokuro
Waiting to do more Sencha when Yuukicha restocks

>>17661147
>>17661230
Nice, post about what you get when you have the chance. I would love to see some testings of Japanese teas

>>17660957
>>17660985
I might just bite the bullet and follow you guys' advice. Thanks!
>Its tough because the stores that specialize in Japanese teas usually don't have great puer and vice versa.
Thought so. Figured it was worth asking though.

>>17660995
Thanks, I should be good then. I'm not entirely sure about ordering green tea from that dutch store though. They do carry bancha, japanese sencha, long jing and such, but there's no mention what year or place they're from like the pastebin recommends. I'm not a huge green tea drinker (yet), so I'm not sure if they'd be good quality.
Also, maybe a silly question, but how should you store puerh's and those white tea bricks? I'm looking to order one of each from fullchea, but from the pictures it seems they come in some sort of paper wrapper, so I'm assuming I'd want some kind of sealed box for each of them seperatrely?

>>17661561
You should seal them separately. Some people double plastic bag, some people put them in their own mylar, and some just put them in containers.

>>17661561
>Also, maybe a silly question, but how should you store puerh's and those white tea bricks?
A plastic ziplock bag is fine.
If you want to store lots of those kinds of teas longterm you need more elaborate storage but no need to go crazy for a cake or two.
I keep my decent sized stach of puer in a plastic cooler with the cakes in sperate plastic bags.
I would say it's fine to store puer and white tea together. You do want to keep each tea in its own plaetic bag though just to keep the tea crumbs together with the rest of the tea.

I've been making matcha with frothed milk.

>>17661521
Yeah i love puer but it's a hassle for people that want to get into it because you have to buy these big cakes at once.
There is also a lot of really cheap cakes and loose puer that are not good tea at all and a lot of people end up with those trying to pick something to order.
Also those little tiny puer nests like pic related or any other small compressed bits called mini toucha (pic related) are almost always made with bad tea, avoid them. The bigger 100g toucha are usually fine, but the little ones are nasty.

>>17661730
Pics? Sounds like fun. Years ago, I used to use ""matcha"" green tea powder from China, almond milk, and a bit of stevia/spices shaken up in a small bottle to produce a quick chilled tea latte of sorts. Quite refreshing.

>>17661757
Oh. I don't have any pics. Just started doing it this week. I'll make it again tomorrow and take pics then.

YS US will get more green teas any day now, right bros?

>>17649680
Thanks for the tip anon. This apparently grows wild where I live, so I'm going to keep an eye out.

>>17655062
>>17655105
>>17655126
My 90 lb grandmother drinks mint tea before bed. Aromatherapy is not the same as a "huge high".

What is the worst tasting herb you have made tea with?
For me it was ashwagandha

Any anons have specific garden herbs to recommend planting for making tisanes with (beyond the typical mint/chamomile/etc) for the purpose of anxiolytic relief? I'm chewing on some rosemary right now which is pleasant. Might make a tisane infusion with it soon, but I'm trying to consider things that can help relieve stress so I can study and read in peace.

>>17662900
Lemon balm
I guess you could try st johns wort

Cancer anon here
Doctor cleared me to drink tea (at least this week before my surgery)
Problem, I grave greens but I only have reds, whites, and puer. Bought some ippodo today, hope it arrives soon so I can taste grass

>>17663419
Yeah nothing quite scratches that same utch that green teas do. Sometimes young puer is kinda close but it lacks the savory brothy aspect of green tea

best tea to drink while having gay sex(with hats on)?

>>17662863
Blue vervain. I bought some thinking it would be like lemon verbena; I have a pretty high tolerance for bitterness, but just half a teaspoon in an herbal blend is enough to make it undrinkable.

>>17664038
Sounds awful

had some of this today
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/xiaguan-2014-aged-tea-iron-cake-gao-yuan-chen-sheng-puerh-357g-p0433.html
my first impressions are that it is OK but not exceptional. fairly typical XG flavor profile with an added sour note. its still far more harsh than i would like. i was really hoping the fact that it was pressed with aged material would have caused it to have mellowed out more. the tea probably needed more humid storage and/or a few more years. it looks like it has a good amount of young plantation small tippy buds and leaves in the blend which may explain why its got so much kick. the flavor itself is good but i find it to be a bit too hard on the gut. i will try using less tea and lighter brewing next time and see if it improves. at least the price was really good. as a side note the big sticker they used to seal the wrapper was impossible to get off without seriously damaging the wrapper which was a bit annoying.

>>17664507
>as a side note the big sticker they used to seal the wrapper was impossible to get off without seriously damaging the wrapper which was a bit annoying.
God those were awful, i guess it's supposed to be a security feature.
I'm really surprised that its rough on the gut, not that xiaguan doesn't make some rough teas but usually the ones that use aged material are pretty mellow.

Bishashi(sp?) Black box fu brick tea, i think this is from 2012 or so.
I got this sample from puerhshop
Last time i tried this it was pretty good. Very smokey, looks like mulch.

>>17664941
It tastes like fu brick, its a certain kind of soft purple flavor that i frequently fing in heicha. Smooth, mellow. The fu bricks seem to have a sort of sourdough kind of spin on that heicha taste.
This particular one is smooth and easy to drink but its nothing extraordinary or exciting but would make a good cheao daily drinker.
If you can find on of these Baishaxi black label bricks with a decade or so of age on it for $25 or so id say it's a pretty good buy.

>>17664686
>i guess it's supposed to be a security feature
which is fine but the sticker is so big (approximately 3 inchs in diameter) it ripped holes in the wrapper well away from the edges

>I'm really surprised that its rough on the gut
yeah i was expecting it to be more tame (which was why i bought it in the first place). its partially my fault for using far too much tea but i tend to do that with all my teas so the comparison's still valid. additionally, i think both the maocha and the cake must of had fairly dry storage on them. the smaller leaf size combined with the fragmentation due to it being an iron cake is likely causing it to brew stronger as well. also the tea also has not rested after shipping yet so perhaps that will some difference. i will post an update on it at a later time. hopefully i can find a way to make it to my liking. again, it does not strike me as a bad tea but it may need some more age.

>>17665071
i like that production as well.
fullchea has the 2013 vintage for $27.41 or about $34 including shipping.

>>17665249
I haven't really figured out fullcheas storage, sometimes stuff seems to have gotten some humidity, other times it doesn't. I guess they just buy tea from vendors in different places.
Yeah thoae stickers suck, i think they stopped using them in recent years because people hated them so much.

>>17665249
>fullchea has the 2013 vintage for $27.41 or about $34 including shipping.
I'm tempted, im still mad at fullchea for raising their prices on most of their hei cha by 50%

>>17665865
>I guess they just buy tea from vendors in different places.
that's my take also. a lot of puerh shops (such as YS or KTM) will buy (or drop ship) partly aged tea from other vendors so the storage will vary based of where the tea spent time.

im really happy i got into tea. everytime life gets annoying to deal with, having long a tea session always calms me down and makes me relax while before i would just play games instead and get even more depressed

tea is good

>>17660907
Not sure. The green I got from them held up fine. Thinking about it some more, I likely haven't properly sealed the packages every time: it can be difficult to feel out the zip lock sometimes. This is a good excuse to go through some of my teas, and I'll test storage methods on my next order.

I just spent $180 on tea a d a geiwan. Jfc. It better be significantly better than the bagged stuff.

Is the Geiwan more than a glorified ceramic pot?

>>17666528
>Is the Geiwan more than a glorified ceramic pot?
No and neither are you

>>17666528
That should last you for a while anon, hope you enjoy

>>17666528
Quality loose vs bagged should be a pretty big difference. Make sure to steep it properly though

As for the brewing vessel, I just use one of these in a mug. I hope the gaiwan wasn't the bulk of your expenditure

>>17666609
I have one of those stainless brewers too, i use it mostly for western style brewing and herbal teas, very useful

>>17666609
Around 5% luckily. It looks nice though.

>>17666532
Whoa, I just had an existential crisis and realized "humans" are merely fairness pitchers for the bacteria in our guts...

>>17666648
Nice simple decoration, cool anon

>>17666839
Now consider the following:
Life needs heavy elements synthetized in the core of multiple successive stars
Those elements are homogenized in the universe thanks to huge black holes
The sun is far from the first generation of stars and some bacteria can survive in space on meteorites

In the morning nothing does the trick better than a teabag in a mug.

Thought are everywhere. Listening to loud music, drinking 4 liters of tea while lifting weights, browsing shitchan the whole day. Everyday. I'm never still
Wonder when I'll die of heart attack

i just finished my first 50g bag of tea

What are the best tea & cheese pairings?

>>17670307
Was it good?

>>17670659
Smokey lapsang and smokey gouda

>>17670778
>>17670773
>>17670659
>>17670307
>>17669934
>>17668589
>>17667962
>>17666648
>>17666625
>>17666559
>>17666528
>>17666149
>>17665872

>OMG YASSS I DRINK TEA LOOK HOW FANCY I AM!! YASS SSLAYY

>>17670773
>>17670778
it was an anxi red tea and yeah it was really nice, got a very strong dried fruit taste from it. kinda disappointing in this session though for some reason.

>>17670815
oops misclicked >>17670778

>>17670659
Japanese sencha and cured ham

>>17670659
Any fruity tea plus wensleydale. Currently going through a block of rhubarb and raspberry & white chocolate Wensleydale, goes well with tea and macaroons.

Tea

>>17674024 yes :D

2004 xiaguan brick ass tea
Still trying to find the optimal way to brew this

>>17674055
It brewed up better today without a shitload of leaf in my gaiwan

Time for more smokey lapsang

I'm shopping for my first gaiwan, and I was wondering what /tea/'s opinion is on those easy gaiwans, like pic related, that have a sort of tapered spout? Not sure if they'd help my clumsy ass make less of a mess. I imagine it's pretty easy to not pour correctly with a normal gaiwan, but I might be imagining it more difficult than it actually is.

>>17675637
>I imagine it's pretty easy to not pour correctly with a normal gaiwan, but I might be imagining it more difficult than it actually is.
its not that hard to pour a regular gaiwan but its important to find one with a shape that fits how you hold it, and to not over fill it so you don't burn your fingertips. having an oversized lip to grasp it with makes things easier. while not "authentic" my technique is to use a relatively short gaiwan and hold it from both the top and the saucer underneath. i don't think there is anything wrong with an easy gaiwan if you want to get one though.

Me? I like earl grey and I only drink it because drinking coffee in the evening is weird and I cant drink alcohol in the evenings anymore because I dont want to get another dwi.

>>17675900
Earl grey is pretty good i think, actually i don't have think ive tried it anytime in the last 10 years

>>17675637
im not a fan of them becasue they make pour times a bit slower, probably only by a second or two but it might still give you less control over the taste especially on something like chinese black teas

Reminder Ippodo is renovating their warehouses, however that means they are giving out free shipping for the longer wait times

What is the equivalent of Yunnan Sourcing but for Japanese tea?

>>17676672
Yuuki-cha

>>17675637
Looks like it would be annoying to get the tea in and out, I'd just use a normal gaiwan. "Learning to use" a gaiwan is a meme, it's self explanatory and very easy. Unless you're genuinely disabled, I'd just buy a normal gaiwan. Either way, they're around ten dollars, so if you buy a gaiwan and hate it no biggie.

Do you anons get caffeine/tea withdrawals? I rarely do, as my consumption is usually moderate enough to avoid that sort of thing, but I think my increased consumption over the past few weeks has established a moderate dependency. It was really hot for the past few days, so I barely had any tea and kept waking up dazed and with a swelling-feeling headache. The hot weather usually impairs my health anyway, so I thought it was typical, but it kept through two or three days. Had some infusions of oolong earlier, and while I'm not all the way 'back', my symptoms have abated some. I wonder if it is from resolving a mild dependency, or if the tea itself is just resolving my fatigue. Any thoughts?

>>17677373
I have before, but I also drink pretty significant amount of caffeine, and the withdrawals weren't that bad. If I had to stop drinking anything with caffeine in it, tomorrow, it wouldn't be a big deal to me at all physically. I'm also not cranky in the morning if I haven't had, or missed entirely, the coffee or tea that I usually have because I'm not twelve, and I don't take out minor inconveniences in my life out on the people around me.
I used to drink 15g of tea and a liter of pourover, so 70g of coffee every day. I drink more like 20-30g of tea a day now instead. Caffeine withdrawals will affect different people differently though.

I'll also actually recommend hot tea on a hot day, it sounds like it would be unpleasant but I enjoy sitting in the sun and drinking a puer or a white tea or something. You may sweat, but who cares? I don't find that it makes me significantly warmer, or uncomfortable unless I'm dehydrated.

>>17677373
If I have more than like 2-3g a day then the withdrawal becomes noticeable when I stop. Frankly I just don't care, I know my body well enough to moderate my intake depending on my schedule and needs. Currently I've been drinking 5g x 2 sessions a day for the last few weeks. When I wake up I am in significant caffeine withdrawal, my mouth is dry, etc, so the first session I use a cheap decent black tea to start my day and feel "normal." Then when I get home after work I have another session that is more enjoyable. I may be phrasing it worse than it is, but I do still enjoy the morning tea and if/when I stop cold turkey I'll just have a headache and be sleep for a few days, nothing some extra sleep can't fix.

>>17638653
cat emoji :pog:

>>17677399
I'm always a big advocate of drinking hoy beverages in hot weather, it makes you sweat which is way better than sitting around with that
uncomfortable feeling that you are about to start sweating.
>>17677373
If i skip tea for a day im fine, if i skip it for two days i usually get a bit of a headache, nowhere near as bad as when i used to drink lots of coffee and energy drinks