/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>20226717
Damn i love macro shots of tea. I should take some more.

>>20226647
It's not a teapot, right? Just a bowl?

>>20226845
Sort of a cup if you will

I just finished my nug brick last week. It was decent. Picking it apart had a greater learning curve than I would have guessed. Less poking, more prying.

I still haven't tried shu nuggets yet. Maybe next winter, im taking a break from shu right now, i was drinking nothing but shu for like 4 months and got burned out on it.

>>20226845
It's technically a sake cup/server but it can be used for tea with a filter for the spout something like pic. Or just deal with the leaves in your cup.

What does anon usually do while high off tea?

Reposting

I wrote a thing about puers but it's too long so I made a paste bin
https://pastebin.com/cyHBw2KA
If you are new and wondering what they are all about, give it a read.
If you are a veteran feel free to disagree or give any suggestions.
Feel free to ask anything of course

>>20227531
Fornme it's staring blankly at a wall.

>>20227531
muzyka

>>20227633
>>20225368

>>20228001
>>20227996

I got a little nut in my puer brick. What does it mean?

>>20228112
eat it or drink it and find out. i got a clump of animal fur or something in my sheng today/yesterday (i havent slept)

>>20226717
Why is it so hard to politely tell people not to buy me random stuff because they don't know enough about tea to make quality purchases so they get overcharged for a really crappy product and I then feel bad they even bought me the gift because it was a waste of money but they don't want to learn about tea because its not their hobby so they don't ever know any better so they think their overpriced low quality stuff must be really good so they want me to have it when I don't want it

>>20227016
>Learning curve
Just rip it up with your hands. No need to be fancy about it

>>20227074
same here. now I'm shenging it up with some young stuff

>>20228121
I feel you
I specifically told my gf to tell friends to get me shou pu er for my bday. I got sheng. I hugely dislike sheng, did not touch the stuff since and somehow managed to seem happy and thankful. I didn't even ask her who screwed this up.

https://www.teamarket.com/energy-and-focus-teas?page=7

thinking about getting an Earl grey subscription. I've never bought tea before. Does anything look good?

>>20228283
also this
https://www.teamarket.com/product-page/mandarin-chamomile-subscription

>>20227699
STAB TO MY HEART
BUTS ALL IN MY MIND

>>20228121
Just be happy people even bother.
>>20228283
Seems overpriced. Tea ia probably alright though.

>>20228251
sounds like a good reason to try wet storing the sheng

Matcha used to make me feel good, but lately has instead induced anxiety, nausea and anger. What's going on?

>>20228473
You're eating first right? Tannins make me nauseous and a bit on edge like that if I've got an empty stomach.

>>20228283
I really like this earl grey (https://hatvala.com/black-tea-vietnam/lady-trieu-earl-grey/)), and it's cheaper ($30.64 per 8 oz), although I can't tell you what the price difference would be after shipping. Also, I would recommend against a subscription like that because variety is valuable, there are a lot of good teas out there.

>>20228139
I don't think it could be done with the Haiwan 9908 lao cha tou brick. Those nugz were dense.

>>20227016
decent only? too bad, the brick seemed like great potential on paper

i almost never stir my tea. is this something i should be doing?

>>20228112
i had a little pebble in mine once. it was black loose leaf from Sri Lanka

>>20227984
>How do we feel about scentless dishwashing detergent for unglazed pots?
For unglazed stuff you either don't wash it or you scrub it with white vinegar and a new plastic bristle brush / toothbrush or you very carefully simmer it in a pot of water and white vinegar on the stove.

>>20227984
If it's anything like certain types of stone that are porous like the ones used for mortar and pestles, do not do not do not, don't use soap.

>>20228978
Nah, not unless you add honey or something

>>20228978
I don't either but I put it in one of those fair pitchers before pouring it into my cup. So I guess it's stirring?

>>20227996
>Your microplastics aversion is taking at least half the value of your tea away.
Is this anon correct? Does hard water take away half of the value of your tea?

>>20229363
Hard water significantly mutes flavir in my experience. I just use a cheap filert pitcher and it helps quite a bit even though they aren't really great for softening water.

>>20229336
Sometimes I notice it's more brewed in the bottom of my pot than the top, pouring into the pitcher seems to mix it just fine though.

>>20229374
You can stir it, it won't harm the tea.

>>20229363
>Does hard water take away half of the value of your tea?
More like 70% of the experience. Hard water tea tastes ass and leaves stains the tea ware. Theres a visible reaction with the calcium in the water, tea ingredients and oxygen.
Heres a paper about it:
https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pof/article/33/9/092105/1064368/Black-tea-interfacial-rheology-and-calcium

>>20229457
Cool paper.
>a thin film at the air–water interface can form. In certain conditions, this film is observable by naked eye and, when disturbed, cracks visibly like sea ice
Oddly, my brita filter prevents this, but it doesn't change measured TDS more than about 5-10%.
I should get some distilled water and mix it to different TDS levels for tasting already.

>>20227531
Eat chocolate. The combined caffeine/theobromine buzz is delightful.

>>20229457
The paper says that too hard water reduces the flavor and cites this article
https://freshcup.com/water-for-tea/
from a magazine. That article doesn't give any sources though, so I'm not really convinced.

>>20227633
You ought to try some older shengs, mate. There should be plenty of affordable 2015s and 2016s now, and I think you'll like 'em.

>>20225973
https://www.liquidproust.com/listing/1391194820/1st-2nd-grade-honey-fairyland-yellow-tea
https://www.liquidproust.com/listing/1515991070/roasted-houshan-yellow-tea-40g
LiquidProust has two yellow teas available.
I have the roasted houshan yellow but haven't had a chance to try it yet.

>>20229510
Any suggestions what to look for?
I hate anything smoky which the popular tuos have.

The prices of dr.puer cakes on taobao are considerebly cheaper than xiaguans so I might try something but there is almost no info ok these.

>>20229507
>That article doesn't give any sources though, so I'm not really convinced.
Try it for yourself if you have hard water. Assuming you live in the us buy a gallon jug of poland springs and brew the same tea side by side.

>>20229594
I'll buy some volvic here soon and test it. Although I would only really be convinced to spend the extra money/effort on having softer water, if the difference is obvious even without direct comparison.

>>20229529
Dr puer stuff seems interesting to me. The brand seems fun. That said some of the origin claims on the label are impossible at the prices offered, so go into it with the mindset that they are say a blend of mangku teas in the style of bingdao instead of actually tea from bingdao and they could be fun to try. Origin claims coming with a bit of poetic license happens with much more mainstream big puer factories as well so it is what it is.
If you wanna try some semi aged stuff we know this taobao store is legit, they should have some old xiguan tuos and cakes. Try and find a gold ribbon or te je tuo from like 2008 or something.
https://mx-tea.taobao.com/

>>20229606
Fair enough, like i siad i have hard water and have no way of installing a water softening system but i find that decent quality water filtration helps quite a bit anyways. I use the pur plus filter pitcher and it's really noticeable when its time to change the filter. I will probably install an under sink system this year wirh a separate filtered water tap since its cheaper then buying the pitcher filters in the long run.

>>20229609
>https://mx-tea.taobao.com/
Taobao is so cheap bros, 2009 boxed te je tuo for 25 yuan.

>>20229628
I was just ogling that as well. Will be going for taobao when my xiaguan stash is done for sure.

>>20229644
I still have a sleeve or two left from when the 2009 te je was going for $16 a sleeve on king tea mall. Older would be better but im guessing the boxed ones aged faster then one ones in sealed plastic sleeves.

>>20229659
Ya lucky bastard. How many did you buy?

>>20229683
Two kilos of that and a sleeve of some 2007 ja ji. Its been nice to have on hand. I was stocking up incase shit hit the fan with the coof and i wouldn't be able to order from china for a while. Buying tuos is kinda tricky because they are made year round and nobody sells by production date just year. In theory the ones that are made in the spring / summer are better but i almost always get ones from December or January when i buy online.
I haven't had any of that standard te je tuos from after 2012 but the king tea mall guy claims the ones made after say 2010 or so are less smaokey and rough then the earlier productions.

>>20229694
Still a bit of a noob to xiaguan and haven't tried anything pre-2010 yet funnily enough. I got a few tuos to work through and then I'm gonna try out some of the older stuff.
The 2014 (july - spring production?) jia ji I'm drinking at the moment is bretty good if you ask me, but I've heard the teadb guys says they're not drinkable so maybe I'm missing out big time here.

>>20229724
Tea db guy had a habit of buying xiaguan tuos stored in kunming. The 2009 is not amazing but it gets the job done, checks all the xiaguan tuo boxes.
Its been half a decade since i had it but i really enjoyed this 2012 Zi Yun Hao xiaguan tuo when i had one. Still had a nice dose of smoke but was smoother then the typical xiaguan tuo material. I bet you can find them cheap on taobao. The cake version of the same tea i thought was lame for whatever reason. Maybe different material was used.

I really need to dig some on taobao. I would love to get one of these 2009 diaguan dx bulang cakes.
Its $200 now on king tea mall. I bet i could find it for $80 on taoabo.

>>20229961
Totally different material compared to what most xiaguan cakes looked like back then, i should have grabbed one while they were still $89
https://kingteamall.com/products/2009-xiaguan-dx7223-cake-357g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha?variant=31329418870887

>>20229961
MX-Tea have it, but I'm too retarded at taobao to actually view the listing.

>>20230173
>$73
Hell yeah.
Yeah taobao doesn't want to let you look at shit without an account, they have really aggressive anti scraping protections.

>>20230210
They blocked me and I can't work out how to verify my identity on the app. Wish they'd just let me browse easily but at least I can look through the shops.

>>20230252
Its much easier on a desktop, use a chromium based brower with in page translation, that gets almost everything, if a window pops up that doesnt get translated use the google transalate app on your phone. Make an account, they will probably ask for a phone number. Then you should be able to browse without issues. If you are signed in and still getting those antibot slider challenges then enable third party cookies on your browser.

>>20230284
That's the thing, I made an account with my phone number a few months ago but since then it got restricted. They want me to scan some QR in the app to log in, I've never used the app. When I installed it and logged in it asks for an identity number I don't have, so it's a dead end.
Maybe I'll have to get a burner sim card and start fresh or some shit.

>>20230312
Oh damn, yeah ive heard of stuff like that happening, but i don't have any experience with dealing with it.
The taobao thread on /cgl/ might have some suggestions

>>20229478
>my brita filter prevents this
Brita filters don't help with calcium. They filter a little of it when the filter is brand new but it deteriotaes quickly before the end of the filter lifetime. Most people distill it or have an osmosis system.
(Also store your Brita in the fridge, as required in the manual. The constantly wet filter can be a germ hazard.)

>>20229507
It's visible. Just try any water with calcium content above 35mg/l and some black tea. If your mug looks like pic rel you have found yourself some hard water.

>>20229606
>I'll buy some volvic here soon and test it.
Volvic at 12mg calcium/l woun't do, it's very good water for tea. Find something above 35

>>20229615
Get a cheap water distiller for your tea and cut the distillate a little with tap water for remineralization

Drinking some baozhong from TTC. Kind of underwhelming desu. Think I'll push it harder next time.

>>20230708
Dry leaf. Think I should consoom and get a cha he for wet leaf comparison pictures.

>>20229609
>Try and find a gold ribbon or te je tuo from like 2008 or something.
Is it smoky? I hate smokiness.

>>20227531
read usually, sometimes drink. drinking with tea is very enjoyable i understand why those fellas over there do it. exercise or watch something too.

i ought to have a session where i have my full focus on the tea though, havent done that in a long time. i hear people enjoy sessions outside i might do that more when the weathers warm

Huey wa vs fa zha he what's the taste difference?

I just learned Yogi Tea was founded by a cult leader

I’ve only bought 1 or 2 boxes in the past, but that’s still surprising to know

>>20229363
>Does hard water take away half of the value of your tea?
Here's why I wrote this: during lockdown I ordered A LOT of samples from yunnan sourcing. I have hard water and got a brita filter after I already tasted all the samples, so I tasted them all again with filtered water. Fortunately I took extensive notes as I wanted to narrow down my preferences.

The ones that were good with hard water did not significantly improve. Also, those were the priciest. All cheaper ones were better with filtered water. Even, some underwhelming ones ended up as good as/better than expensive stuff. There was no going back.

>>20229615
>and it's really noticeable when its time to change the filter
So much this. The first couple of times I thought I had gotten out of love with my favorite teas.

>>20229510
Full-cha has bunch of them. Does anyone have experience with any of these?
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/products/2014-xiaguan-raw-puer-flying-hard-compressed-sheng-puer-tea-357g
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/products/2015-yr-raw-puer-tea-lao-tong-zhi-9948-batch-151-old-sheng-pu-er-tea-yunnan-cha-chinese-famous-thee-357g-shen-puer-cake-pc03-aged-puerh-best-organi

Or any decent aged raw from them.
At 20 bucks for a cake I'm not risking much.

>>20230636
>It's visible. Just try any water with calcium content above 35mg/l and some black tea. If your mug looks like pic rel you have found yourself some hard water.
I'm not trying the improve the visual quality of my tea

I don't feel human before that first sip of tea in the morning. Not even because of the caffeine, I'm actually having a tisane right now (mint), but something about the hot leaf water truly brings peace to my soul. I know this thread is a fairly technical and specialist one, but even as a relative casual, I lurk here because I truly enjoy tea. I hope you all have great tea today, too.

>>20231814
this is probably the most famous / reference big factory raw pu-erh for aging. they have a good price on it:
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/products/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-

I haven't had Haiwan 9948, but it seems to be very popular on the site, so it could be good

I'd throw in a Tulin tuo myself, they seem to have a lot of ones with some nice age on them. maybe the 2005, though I think someone on here recc'd the 2009 250gram one

Here's a thrift find I'm wanting to learn more about. The lid fits loose and the filter has only holes and no ball, so it's easy to tell this isn't the most valuable teapot ever, but I would like to know a little more about it still.

Also Z if you're reading along, hi!

>>20230708
I didn't love baozhong when i tried it.
Nice setup, i like the bathing pig
>>20231928
Most older Chinese pots don't have ball filters, that said its some kind of mass produced export piece.
Is there is visible seam running between the left and right haves in line with the spout? Can you post a picture of the inside of the lid?
Other people here know more about teapots then i do so i will defer to them.

>>20231176
Haven't had the Huey Wa but it's supposedly milder and less complex but a sweet easy brew

>>20231983
No visible seams, it also feels smooth yo the touch. The inside of the lid has two marks, too. There's some grains in the clay.

>>20232065
Interesting, i didn't expect the lid to look like that, i figured it would be hollow.
Well lets see, i should probably mention the paint on the outside might contain lead, you can get lead test sticks pretty cheap online might be worth doing if you want to start using it.
Beyond that i can't tell you too much i don't recognize it as something really old or collectable but im far from an expert.

>>20230979
>i hear people enjoy sessions outside
Not quite a "session" but I enjoy taking my flask with me when I go out cycling and holing up somewhere to sip. It's pretty relaxing. Gong fu sounds a bit awkward.

>>20231176
Yes the huey wa was a bit softer and simpler. It was my preference actually but they're both bretty good.

Unfortunately tea does not taste as good when you are in a bad mood. Sometimes these days it feels like I consume the tea but don't really drink it. The other night I was sitting in the dark drinking tea with only the light from my kettle, worrying about stuff that I shouldn't, presumably looking like some sort of idiot. I'm just burred out and disillusioned post graduation. I have a sheet of paper saying I got my doctorate but I don't feel qualified yet and am afraid of fucking things up or just hating my line of work. Before I get a Job I still need to pass my board certification test as well, which I keep putting off. Pretty soon perhaps I will be able to afford more nice tea but will I be able to enjoy it? That is the question.

Apologizes for shitting up the place with mopey self indulgent diary posting, I will resist the urge to do it again. Now back to your regularly scheduled /tea/ content. Unironically this is my favorite little corner of the internet.

t. depressed puerh lebisian

>>20232407
Gong fu is very doable outside if you make some concessions. I usually use a cloth instead of a tray to lay everything out and I like to bring sampler I got as they are already prepacked in small amounts. For water I bring a thermos filled with boiling water, but I've heard of insane souls that bring a camping stove with them. I also tend to brew some tea on long trainrides.

>>20232442
Does sound doable that way. I wonder how well these work, I ordered one off ali for a laugh but it never showed up.
I'll give /out/ gongfu a go on my next camping trip.

>>20232437
It's ok to feel that way during a transitional point of your life, before you know it you'll wonder what you worried about.

>>20232437
similar situation here. I think many people experience post-graduation anxiety / depression, you still have to figure things out in your life after all. though I just have an MA myself, but it hasn't proven useful to me yet and I'm training to work in another field altogether now

maybe try the "tea meditation in the woods" thing? if the weather permits of course

>>20226717
>stop drinking coffee because it gives me migraines
>try rooibos tea
>like it and buy a couple packs of rooibos tea and start drinking it regularly instead of coffee (i.e. 5 cups or so per day)
>discover today that it gives you cancer because of weeds that get mixed in during harvest have literal cancer poison in them

IS THERE ANYTHING ON THIS FUCKING PLANET THAT DOESN'T GIVE YOU CANCERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

>>20232489
no, everything is carcinogenic in large enough doses. even water
but the most carcinogenic thing is stressing out about shit like this all day. that's sure to impact your health

>>20232489
No, everything gives you cancer, stop worrying about meme shit that increases the possibility you might get cancer by .05% and enjoy your life

>>20232489
>rooibos is adulterated with weeds that give you cancer
Sounds like a meme
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5537832/
>Humans are exposed to pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) through different sources, mainly from contaminated foodstuff. Teas and herbal infusions (T&HI) can be contaminated by PA producing weed. PA can possess toxic, mutagenic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic properties. Thus, possible health risks for the general population are under debate. There is a strong safety record for T&HI and additionally epidemiological evidence for the preventive effects of regular tea consumption on cardiovascular events and certain types of cancer. There is no epidemiological evidence, however, for human risks of regular low dose PA exposure. Recommended regulatory PA-threshold values are based on experimental data only, accepting big uncertainties. If a general risk exists through PA contaminated T&HI, it must be small compared to other frequently accepted risks of daily living and the proven health effects of T&HI

So fucking sick of cancer research that involves isolating compounds that naturally exist in extremely low concentrations and then injecting mice with half their bodyweight of that shit daily for months. Its fucking useless.

>>20232547
How else can we sustain the daily mail/cancer rat cycle

>caring about immortality and not the taste of tea
Absolutely disgusting.

>>20232535
>adulterated
nah, contaminated, it's a consequence of shitty harvesting practices

>put four grammes of aged sheng in my 400ml pot
>steep it four or five times
Sorry gaiwan, but this is the best!

>>20230979
drink young sheng when the weather is hot, great experience

>>20229529
>>20229694
My 2012 Jia Ji from Yunnansourcing has no smoke whatsoever.

>>20231814
>>20231924
I've been drinking that 9948 for a few months (including as I type this!) and it's good. Not quite as good as the Dayi, but for my money the difference is insignificant. Would recommend.

Young sheng is the best an hour after a rich fatty meal when your taste buds have reset and crave a liquid to drink.
POV me after eating a steak and some sushi, currently drinking a 14yo.

>>20232661
what do your steeping times look like? what shengs are you trying it with? ill definitely try this.

>>20233236
Mostly 7542, with steep times something like 30s, 1m, 3m, 6m, 12m.

>>20232437
Can you not? Puerh lesbian used to mean actual natal women. Now it’s just MtF weebs whining about how they can’t get real puerh lesbian gfs.

Kuroki Goishiten is a respected name in go boards and stones. They're best known for their go and shogi equipment, but recently have been contacting other established artisans and selling their goods.
They have a 10% off sale now and I'm thinking about splurging on some of this new tea gear.
Would you buy this caddy?

yeah

It's fu brick time.

>>20233391
I have to ask if its actually intended to store tea for extended periods or if its intended to be used as part of the presentation when serving teas to guests and then emptied afterwards.

>>20233391
The one thats all cherry bark is very nice but 80 dollars...
>>20233557
The top of that pot is so erotic. What fu you drinking

>>20233557
>>20234141
That's the mutton fat porcelain set from YS, isn't it?

>>20232661
High volume steeping is severely underrated nowadays

>>20234141
>What fu you drinking
MoJun “Xi Ma La Ya” Fu Brick Tea from Purple Cloud
https://purplecloudteahouse.com/products/200g-xi-ma-la-ya

>>20234145
yeah

>>20234238
I almost bought it, it looks really pretty. How hot does it get when you go to pour?

>>20234272
Depends on how you brew.

>low temperature
It's fine

>high temperature brief steeps
Hot but tolerable

>high temperature long steeps
owwie

>>20234326
I guess I'm glad I didn't get it. I ended up buying a small porcelain teapot instead.

Any reccs from DragonTeaHouse? Thinking of getting the Xiaguan hong cha from them for my mom, as she's enjoyed the tea a lot.

>>20233953
I imagine both, but I'll let you know.
>>20234141
It's a splurge. A gift to #1. I purchased the caddy, tray, chashaku, and teacups. It definitely will be my nicer set for when I have guests or I'm trying to sell tea.

>>20234141
Uoooohhh!!! Mutton fat erotic!! !! !! Smooth spout and flow ToT ToT ToT

If the taobao anon is here, is there a way to see store rating on pandabuy? Taobao is bitch and won't let me browse without an account anymore
The 2020 xiaguan hekai for 316 yuan seems like a good deal(its 120 bucks on ktm and FL hekai is 130) and it looks like the store sells only tea and it has reasonable prices so it looks legit
https://www.pandabuy.com/product?url=PJ4h0LcoM4EqyU3wvqAMKKVF8t9DV87n%2F%2BJ6U5u%2BqzhXs7RwhXo6S%2FP2gPCOyy%2BtCQLUpTaTEcpKZ6q%2F
Also if you have any recommendations for old raw I'm all ears
This 2016 Xiaguan boxed gold silk Tuo 100g for 17 yuan seems like a good deal
https://www.pandabuy.com/product?url=PJ3m4H8fQjRK8ELB7JLTnUP037IA60qSNKl3qcBgy4Z%2FOrxdKxFJtDDQBnFION4NkW3rCsXbJLTFYkBI&utm_source=sto&utm_medium=pdb&utm_campaign=normal

>>20234695
>getting the Xiaguan hong cha from them for my mom, as she's enjoyed the tea a lot.
Get her this one instead
https://www.fullchea-tea.com/products/2019-chinese-tea-dianhong-honey-rhyme-gold-screw-black-tea-red-teas-200g-box
I have both, and the gold screw is just better and costs the same

>>20235183
>is there a way to see store rating on pandabuy?
Sorry, as far as i know you can't see ratings on the agent's browser.
>Taobao is bitch and won't let me browse without an account anymore
Yeah, Taobao has many strange ways to fuck with foreigners. In the end i managed to log in the mobile with just my phone number (they sent a 4 digit code to verify) and now it stays logged in. To log in the desktop version i just scan the QR code. Browsing through an agent's website sucks.
>The 2020 xiaguan hekai for 316 yuan seems like a good deal(its 120 bucks on ktm and FL hekai is 130) and it looks like the store sells only tea and it has reasonable prices so it looks legit
Here's a screenshot of the rating's. I bought some ripe from this vendor and i'm pleased with what i got.
>Also if you have any recommendations for old raw I'm all ears
It's actually harder than i thought finding legit aged puer vendors (would you like a cake from the 1930s for just 260 yuan?). I found a few that look ok, but haven't bought from them (yet):
https://shop392255117.taobao.com/?spm=pc_detail.27183998/evo401271b517998.202202.1.6c427dd6XxtOTT
https://otea.taobao.com/search.htm?spm=a1z10.5-c-s.w5002-242177841.1.27e161c1cih5mP&search=y
https://sfch.taobao.com/search.htm?spm=2013.1.w5002-24750735302.1.19703004FtXKSa&search=y
https://mxstea.taobao.com/search.htm?spm=a1z10.3-c.w4002-12761831598.5.fe0e972dFBDTvQ&_ksTS=1708675587181_94&callback=jsonp95&input_charset=gbk&mid=w-12761831598-0&wid=12761831598&path=%2Fsearch.htm&orderType=hotsell_desc

The livestream section of the mobile app is fun. I found a guy streaming old chinese films and tv shows with english subtitles.

>>20235340
>I bought some ripe from this vendor and i'm pleased with what i got.
Nice, so it is legit offer.
Thanks for the suggestions.
This one is from some vendor I've never hear of but hey, how bad can it be?
https://www.pandabuy.com/product?url=PJ4z0LcoM6QqyU3w%2FWLxbFu2BwUWghfcFJuyyHJO%2Bumed0S3pU1XWkrHsBAFiLI87%2FXpWOsc6ejLJcYD

>>20235386
>This one is from some vendor I've never hear of but hey, how bad can it be?
That guy has some rough ratings, didn't check.

I found the dude from Liquid Proust saying he likes these guys on taobao some years ago. I can't check them out properly because taobao are assclowns but maybe one of you anons can have a look.
https://alltea.taobao.com/
https://dc-tea.taobao.com/

>>20235426
They look ok, boutique producers focused on gushu productions, but they have some steep prices.

I received my moychay order today. Cosmic shu pu er is surprisingly decent for its price. Far better than Fish and Earth shu pu er, which doesn't taste like fish but does definitely taste like earth. Eh, it's 5¢/g, it was to be expected. I'll try the 10-12¢/g price tag later this weekend.

>>20235534
first time I see someone be disappointed that a shu pu-erh does not taste like fish

>>20233391
I wish there were more anons into tea and Go/Weiqi...

>>20235640
I'm not highbrow enough for slow strategic games. Maybe I'd like mahjong.

>>20235649
I play Riichi Mahjong online. it can give you funny monkey brain feelings when you get a huge hand. actual Mahjong stategy tends to involve some statistical optimization and risk assessment, but there is also a large element of luck

>>20235640
I've been taking a break from it, but I played at a 6 kyu level last year. I also have a nice set of stones from Mr. Kuroki and have appreciated their new craft goods.

>>20235607
I'm shocked moychay not only went out of their way to advertise it as fishy, but also it doesn't even taste fishy.

>>20235534
>>20235890

I was actually in store when Sergey was doing a tasting of the new teas for employees. They offered me a cup too, very generous. But the name Fish and Earth was more so a play about the tastenotes that new puerh drinkers mention, than that the tea itself was very fishy or earthy. I get why the name and advertising feels confusing, but I also thought it was very funny.

>>20235853
Ah 6 kyu, nice, I mostly study and get nervous about play. Honestly I wish I had someone to playfhe game with and tutor me.

I have literally never weighed the amount of tea I put in a pot. I do it all by eye and vibes.

>>20236233
me as well

>>20236233
I used to be like that, now it's all weights. No more weak tea because I eyeballed it wrong.

>>20236276
yeah i'm standing there waiting for my water or brewing vessel to heat anyway so i just take a moment to weigh because of this

>>20236233
I used to weigh everything I brewed, but nowadays only bother for tightly rolled stuff or shoumei, since those are so difficult to eyeball.

Hey guys, I've been looking for a new gongfu set since mine is just a little travel one and I'd prefer one that's a bit nicer, and I found this one on etsy for a hundred bones. It looks like a good deal since it's a complete set, it doesn't have tongs but I've already got those so it's fine.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/212810945/gaiwan-tea-set-16pcs-best-seller-tea-set

What do you guys think? It looks decent quality, has white insides, and seems to be a decent price for a full set, you guys think it's worth getting?

>>20236512
Meh, im not really a fan of those glazed clay cups/gaiwans.
You could probably source all that stuff on aliexpress for like $40.
I think your money will go much further if you get a set of cups with a matching gaiwan and a tea table separately.
Something like this if you want something simple.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256806138098172.html?
Or check out the recommended teaware shops in the pastebin if you want something more elaborate.

>>20236554
>Something like this if you want something simple.
>https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256806138098172.html?
highly recommend a travel set like this. i have one like it and its incredibly convenient. easy to store and surprisingly useful for travel.

>>20236554
>>20236804
The only problem with the small travel set is that the one I have is already a small, convenient one like that. I'd really just like one that's a full set, and this seems to be one that's at a reasonable price. I've got a couple teasets that are small and convenient, but having a bigger set with smelling cups and all the bells and whistles would be really nice.
>I think your money will go much further if you get a set of cups with a matching gaiwan and a tea table separately.
>Or check out the recommended teaware shops in the pastebin if you want something more elaborate.
I've actually done both and looked at both ali and the pastebin, but this honestly seems to be the cheapest set that's a good quality and actually has EVERYTHING i'm looking for. Good tea trays on their own already seem to run between 30 and 40 dollars and I've had a hard time finding any set with smelling cups at all. The only things similar that I've seen are big ass sets that are really, really expensive.

Is it worth importing bags from mylarshop.com into the EU, or am I better off with some no-name Amazon shit?

>>20237004
For storing tea, any cheapo mylar will be just fine. High quality mylar is only for food preservation. Don't overpay for it.

Can anyone comment on their experience with fullchea? https://www.fullchea-tea.com/products/250g-tea-da-hong-pao-big-red-robe-zip-seal-bag-package-wuyi-oolong-dahongpao-shui-xian-da-hong-pao-tea-best-oolong-tea $10 for 250g of da hong pao seems way to good to be true, but I’m curious. How about their other offerings? I’m in the market for some dian hong (like the other anon) as well as some funky qi sheng puehr , and some good rock oolong. Had my eye on dragon tea house for a while too…

>>20237296
>$10 for 250g of da hong pao seems way to good to be true, but I’m curious
It's not the fancy da hong pao
Their oolongs seem not bad though honestly

>>20235340
1000 years in Photoshop

>>20237678
Nice one. Jesus that's a huge markup.
I don't get the pricing on KTM. Some cakes have a huge markup while others have a similar price to Taobao . As far as i know John mostly resells stuff he gets from various Guangzhou collectors.
Also just discovered today that Taobao has a pretty good image search function.

>>20236512
Decided that I'm gonna pull the trigger on buying this set. Maybe I could fine everything cheaper separately, but the fact that everything's there, everything matches, and it actually has smelling cups which have been surprisingly tough for me to find.

>>20237296
When buying fullchea black tea avoid the lowest priced option for each category. Those are for Russians who have lost their tastebuds after years of alcoholism. Other than that most of their black teas are good value for money.

New to all of this, especially to Chinese tea, so I was hoping that I could get some advice. Found someone selling one of these
https://www.amazon.com/KEYDUACU-Chinese-Portable-Outdoor-Business/dp/B0BJP5VTXZ
near me for like one fifth of the price, so I was wondering if this was good for making Gongfu style tea or should I look for something different?

>>20237817
I think it's the same as DTH.
Basically consumers are idiots.
You find a store and buy some of their cheap stuff and find its good.
You buy some more and start to trust this store since they, based on your previous experience, have good goods at reasona prices.
One day you want to treat yourself and buy some of their expensive stuff, bam they got you.
I bet 90% of consumers can't tell the difference between the good stuff and the great stuff so the price placebo will elevate the ok/good product in their eyes to the next level.
Wine for example is all like this. It caps at roughly $20 per bottle but just look how many idiots buy triple digits stuff.
I bought an expensive bottle since it was a gift and while it was good, it just wasn't anything mind blowing.
Same with audio.
People are so mindbroken just to justify spending huge money that they can hear things that literally aren't there.

>>20232461
>>20232469
Thanks for the encouragement anons I really appreciate it. I will try to slug through it to get my shit together and hopefully drink some good tea in the main time. I will be a nascent tea boomer in no time. Looking forward to joining the taobao gang here and ordering too mutch tea when I finally a job presumably later this year. I may try and grab some nice yixing as well. However buying stuff never feels quite satisfying enough to quell deeper concerns. I just don't know. Life's like that I guess.
>>20232461
>It's ok to feel that way during a transitional point of your life, before you know it you'll wonder what you worried about.
True enough, I get a good chuckle sometimes thinking about my hopes and fears from high school. In many ways my views are still similar but my perspective has changed so much that I feel silly in hindsight. Though I do wonder what stupid things I will worry about next. It seems things are always transitional to me. Experience is more like a winding brook than series of points on a graph.
>>20232469
>I just have an MA myself, but it hasn't proven useful to me yet and I'm training to work in another field altogether now
That's hard, I hope you can make things work out and I wish you good luck. I don't want to go back to school myself. In any case I should probably at least try to pay off my loans first before considering any sort of career change.
>maybe try the "tea meditation in the woods" thing? if the weather permits of course
I keep meaning to try that but I am not geared up for that at the moment. I should look to pick up a thermos and a camping chair at a thrift store or something.
>>20233352
Have a (you) as well anon. Hope you are doing ok too.

>>20237833
That's a good call. It looks like a nice set.

>>20232437
>I have a sheet of paper saying I got my doctorate
I felt like shit after finishing my studies. This big thing I've done all my life was suddenly gone and what now?
Fortunately I've had job by the end, but still felt like a shit for at least a year.
Same thing when I quit playing online games.

It gets better after a while. Now I no longer feel like shit just really bored so I tea.

>>20237296
I've got a more expensive da hong pao from fullchea, it's drinkable but not brilliant. Their super cheap options can be pretty bad (I once threw out a bag of their cheapest bi luo chun), so up to you if you want to take the risk.

>>20237296
Fullchea has cheap ass tea.
For a while it was recommended that you only buy tea in factory packaging off of fullchea but some people in the last few years have bought their loose leaf to mixed results.
Wuyi oolongs are generally pretty expensive so i wouldn't expect much from cheap versions.
If you wanna get some affordable da hong pao you can get a bag of wuyi star tea on ebay.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/126276752261

>>20238028
Yeah that's a good set. I've seen sets like these on chinese websites described as "gong fu brewing for office" or smth.
>>20238051
Nicely said. i admit i fell once into the "buy the expensive stuff because i liked the cheaper stuff" once, but then i saw that with the money paid for 4 cakes from YS, i got 4 times as much tea from taobao (that tastes just as good).
I've been shilling a bit taobao here lately not necessarily because i want people to buy exclusively from there. but because it's a good way to have an idea of the actual value of the tea.

>>20238154
I'll join the "transitional period" club too. Got my BA last summer, but so far finding a job has been an awful experience. But these last few NEET months gave me lots of time for introspection, to think about what i want from life. Problem with is that the idea of a career that pays lots of money never satisfied me and all my life i was obsessed with finding a good balance between professional and personal life. All the adults around me ground their youth at work and now seem miserable. They have money and career, but still seem miserable.
I think i found an answer. I could use my BA = some extra months of training to become a teacher. Only 20 hours of actual teaching/week (the rest is wfh), lots of free time to focus on myself and 62 days of paid leave / year. (which i'll use to travel to Asia and buy all the tea i can get my hands on). And i'll work with cheerful kids, not stressed adults.

For twice the price of fish and earth, Foxy shu is at least a tenfold better. And fish & earth is not bad at all, it's a cheap lose leaf ripe on par with the menghai daily drinker I got a while ago from yunnan sourcing. To be fair, it may taste like fish, I'm not very sensitive to this note.

What's a good tea for your morning caffeine fix? Something to fill a travel mug.

>>20238478
Depends on your stomach, if you need something easy to drink in the morning then a nice roasted oolong or ripe puer works well. If you prefer something punchy then a Japanese green or raw puer or just good old black tea.
If i had to pick one thing is would probably go with some well fermented (30%+) and roasted oolong from teahome since the ones ive tred so far are easy on the stomach and have a nice caffeine kick.

>>20238472
>Foxy shu is at least a tenfold better
Good to hear. Did you get some of his new puer? Saw recently that he released a lot of tea and was considering an order.

>>20238499

>>20238491
With any of these, it would be a waste to only steep once, which is what someone using a travel mug would do. The only tea I have that I only steep once is a cheap ahmad earl grey, but I don't enjoy it that much.
The only other thing that comes to mind is the dust from breaking apart cakes.
I guess steeping that once would be fine.

>>20238678
If you want you can just quickly gongfu it into a bottle, or just brew it for like 15 minutes and then drain into the bottle, or simmer it on the stove.

>>20238530
Nice, looking forward to your reviews.

>try an aged pu'er
>it's delicious

>>20239740
Its so fucking good.

>>20239767
everyone told me (not here) that its fishy and nasty tasting but its so smooth... never going back

>>20239740
Sheng or shou?

>>20239792
shu, loose leaf

>>20239799
Wait until you try some old sheng, its so good.

Ignore the hag enjoyers, drink 7+ yo sheng, they're peak.

What tea comes to mind?

Are you supposed to brew oolongs at 194 degrees F or boiling? Pastebin says to bring it to a boil but other things I've seen say between 176 and 194 F or whatever the equivalent is in Celsius

>>20240059
Cheap smokey xiaguan, broken into crumbs and brewed grampa style
also the ridiculously smokey cheap lapsang souchong

>>20240076
Depends on the oolong, higher fermentation or roasted oolongs like da hong pao or other wuyi oolongs use boiling water. Typical average oolong use slightly below boiling to boiling. Super green barely fermented unroasted typically Taiwanese high mountain oolongs use like 80°c.
If unsure experiment, its usually pretty obvious when you brew a tea too hot, it will taste excessively bitter or astringent.

>>20240081
>If unsure experiment, its usually pretty obvious when you brew a tea too hot, it will taste excessively bitter or astringent
Ah OK, that makes sense. I made honey orchid the other day and it was insanely acidic and that's probably why. Been drinking tea for a while but I'm still kind of a noob, what's a good way to tell how fermented the oolong is? Is it just something that comes with experience?

>>20240091
>what's a good way to tell how fermented the oolong is?
How brown the dry leaf is. The browner the more fermented it is.

>>20238435
>Problem with is that the idea of a career that pays lots of money never satisfied me and all my life I was obsessed with finding a good balance between professional and personal life.
My original plan (and the degree I received) was to get me into a high paying 9-5 type of job without take home work. I figured it was better than chasing another job that personally interested me but would be harder to get, pay less, and have more deadlines to deal with. At this point I am not so sure it was the best plan but I feel it is too late to go back and honestly it will probably end up working out regardless. I just want my life to feel stable and have my stress levels go down.
>I think i found an answer.
Good luck with trying to be a teacher if that's what you decide to do anon. My understanding is the quality of the school district makes a big difference on the work environment.

Going to drink some peppermint teatonight. Maybe I will plant some this spring.

>>20240076
there's never an answer, only an outline

>>20240232
>quality of the school district makes a big difference
I've got that sorted out. If it works i'll work at the local school in which my mother worked as a elementary school teacher all of her life. I live in a small town near the capital city.
We are all gonna make it brother.

>Maybe I will plant some this spring
Mint is very easy to grow. I got gifted a seedling several years ago and it spread like a weed.
Since we are on /tea/ you could also try the Chinese mint (Mentha haplocalyx).

>>20240076
I don't give a fuck and just brew them at boiling. I think the importance of temperature is overstated in general

>>20240824
You don't drink green tea, do you? Low oxidation oolong is not green.

my mom told me she bought some gunpowder tea. i was like "what the heck is that?" but i guess it's just regular green tea. anyways, i want to try cold brewing for the first time. what are some good flavors to add to green tea? all i see people talk about is lemon and mint

help i ran out of oolongs do i get super dark taiwanese ones or some yancha

>>20240910
I'd recommend lemon and mint.

>>20240910
Linden flower, hibiscus flower, pine needles

>>20240957
Both

>>20240957
Neither. Chinese spring greens.

I thought at first I'd have a hard time drinking all the 500g of Fish and Earth Shou but at 10g/100mL it's growing on me. I still have to try it western style/multiple infusions/increasing temperatures to see how it behaves.

>>20242245
Boil 1.25 litres of water in a pot on the stove, once its going add 7.5 grams puer, cover and reduce to a low simmer for 20 minutes. Then strain and serve. Will give you a different take on the flavor profile and a nice rich brew

>>20242258
nta but ill try this

>>20242270
I meant to specify ripe puer. You might be able to do it with aged raw but young raw would be so goddman bitter

wait was the g/100 ml in the OP by your total water used or gongfu size?

Still drinking these cheap ass oolong crumbs from tea home. Still enjoying them. Ive only brewed them western style so far, i might dig out my strainer so i can gongfu them.

I finally found a cheap Yixing teapot at an antique store. Its fang fu shaped kind of like picrel (not my pot). Probably about 300ml in size with a multi hole filter. The color makes it look like a lighter Zini but I am not an expert on clays. Pretty sure it is legit zisha but I still need to to a bit more research. Probably not a valuable piece in any case. Unfortunately, the lid has some big chips but is still usable. If I decide I like the pot I may try to fix it with kintsugi.

>>20242579
Either works, I think most people base it on the approximate teapot/giawan capacity instead of measuring the the hot water. That's what I do at least.

Finally ordered the Yunnan First Steps sampler for my first foray into "proper" Chinese tea but the black tea and rock oolong were underwhelming.

>>20243150
Bummer, i think Yunnan sourcing is good for having such a large selection but they do have some duds. I haven't seen a lot of praise for their rock oolongs especially.
Wuyi oolongs tend to be more in the wheelhouse of specialist vendors as its a very tricky market a lot of them are extremely expensive and lots of farmers have long term relationships to domestic Chinese tea brands where their entire crop for the year is already spoken for before its even harvested.
I think wuyi oolongs are fantastic teas and are some of my favorites but it takes some exploration. As always when getting into tea its pretty helpful to try a range of teas from different shops to get a feeling for what you want in a particular style of tea and who has stuff you like.

>>20243150
And what about the other teas?

>>20243042
Fun stuff, mud and leaves has some good articles about the signs to look for when looking at clay pots, i found it helpful.
https://mudandleaves.com/blogs/teatime/4-signs-of-a-real-yixing-teapot
Also talking about ball filters
https://mudandleaves.com/blogs/teatime/ball-filter-phobia

>>20243150
I finished this one with my gf a month or two ago. I felt roughly the same. The meng song white was excellent though and I liked the ripe. We got “next steps” after and it was pretty good but not worth imo. The 2009 tian jian was my favorite from that one.

>>20243322
Thanks for the links.
>4-signs-of-a-real-yixing-teapot
My teapot does show some of those spots. It also has some fine black specs in the clay.
>ball filters
Its got a 7 hole filter not a ball filter. Would be nice if the Chinese would make more yixing pots with large ball filters and spouts. It is not traditional but is very practical.

It has been interesting looking into kintsugi again. It does not look as hard as I thought but the price of the supplies does add up.

When brewing pressed tea, do you prefer to use chunks over more separated leaves?

>>20243521
>Its got a 7 hole filter not a ball filter.
Oh nice, i misread you other post.
>It does not look as hard as I thought but the price of the supplies does add up.
Yeah its expensive.
I looked into it briefly a while ago and found this guy selling a kit that uses food safe epoxy. It's pretty far from the old school traditional method but maybe more practical.
https://www.nezumishino.com/kintsugi-supplies/kintsugi-repair-kit-fda-compliant
He also just sells the epoxy seperatly
https://www.nezumishino.com/kintsugi-supplies/30-ml-food-grade-epoxy-for-kintsugi-fda-compliant
When i was looking into it i just got hung up on trying to track down medical grade high temperature epoxy, which exists but isn't usually sold in little retail tubes.
Stuff like Epoxibond EB-153 seems ideal, high temp rated, biocompatible etc but i only see it available for commercial orders of multiple kilos.

>>20243533
If its super compressed i usually try to break it up into several smaller chunks, like 5-8 or so, it especially helps to make sure none are too thick since big thick chunks take forever to open if they are compressed enough.
For lightly compressed teas that practically come apart in your hand i just use whatever one big hunk is fine because it opens instantly.
Generally its better to accept chunks then try to separate everything and create tons of more broken leaves.

>>20243578
>Generally its better to accept chunks then try to separate everything and create tons of more broken leaves.
nta but i never thought about this, thanks for the tip

>>20243565
I if fix it I will probably go the urushi route. Its natural and I kind of like the traditional aspect of it. If I can find a way to improvise the small tools and skip finishing with metal dust then all I really need to buy is the urushi and the fine clay dust to mix with it for make a filler putty.

>>19897515
>>19414844
ive since tried about a bunch of puerh and theres more i have that i havent tried yet but im going to say regardless that its the naka ripe. ill come back to this later if i change my answer.

>>20243042
So most English-facing guides on how to identify Yixing wares are worthless. For example: >>20243322
>https://mudandleaves.com/blogs/teatime/4-signs-of-a-real-yixing-teapot

Things like iron spots and mica flakes can occur on ANY fired stoneware because - guess what - lots of stonewares have trace iron and mica impurities!

Worse still is the fact that processing techniques can very greatly depending on what period you're talking about and the individual craftsman who made the pot. Smoother textures? Rougher textures? Higher fired? Lower fired? If you have decent background in ceramics work you could probably figure out a lot of these characteristics yourself, but most people aren't.

"Expert" Yixing circles will tell you to go learn how to identify clay - but if you don't have any real pot in the first place, how you do that? For me, I started scouring the internet for pictures from people's collections. Forums are a great way to learn - people love bragging about their shit. Internet dives into the Chinese language space will give you more background.

The thing to note about zini - any zini whether it's more red or more brown/purple - is that it's uneven in color on a closer eye. And it's uneven in a very distinctive and unique way that makes it easy to identify when you've seen enough of them. There are lighter and darker traces. Some are more pink-hued, some are more reddish. Occasionally on older pots you'll see trace flecks of what I presume to be hongni or duanni - yellow or deep red, presumably because all the ores for these clays run together and small traces of such get mixed up during processing.

Overall colors can be darker brown or orange or deeper red - but the splotching pattern will always be there no matter what color the overall appearance reveals to the eye nor how shiny/polished it is. Other stonewares can certainly be uneven like this but in different patterns - which is why it's tricky.

>>20243521
>>20243565
Ball filters originally were a factory thing that copied over from Japanese designs, seemingly made for export (though given how varied the shapes I've seen have ball filters from this time period, maybe it was just as much a matter of convenience - I doubt many Chinese urban workers or Americans buying from tea shops were drinking extremely high quality intact leaves back when).

Nowadays I think the prohibition is more because Yixing elitists shy away from them for some reason than because of anything else. Why? I dunno. I've heard talk that water doesn't drain properly from ball filter teapots but honestly I've always had a little water remain at the bottom even in single hole designs.

I think modern Yixing communities have a sense of attempting to appeal to a traditional past that didn't really exist in the first place, almost like a reaction to factory-era mass commodification where Yixing wares could be bought for a dollar at the tea shop and they used the clay to make bonsai pots. In this sense, the single hole becomes a symbol of elitism. You drink the best possible teas through your $1200 fully handmade zhuni pot from a ranked master so you don't need no stinking ball filter, that's for the uncultured.

i tried cold brewing for the first time. let it sit in the fridge for 24 hours. immediately started feeling anxious after i tried it out. i think i put too many leaves into it

Hello friends, coffee transfer here. Where can I buy good tea in france. I'm usually buying in palais des thes but I feel robbed each time I go.

>>20243964
The rentry in the op has a decent list of eu vendors. I dunno if there are any from frace specifically except for perfumed teas.

>>20243997
I'll check, thanks
>except for perfumed teas.
I'd rather not

>>20244001
Understandable mariage freres gets a pass for being more respectable then most lfavored tea brands but they are a the only ones in the rentry with scented stuff.
If you want to find good tea more locally look for shops that list the harvest date of every tea they sell, that and avoid ones that focus heavily on flavored tea or flavored blends.

>>20244016
I wished they'd just sell on amazon

>>20243964
https://www.laroutedescomptoirs.com/fr/
Correct et meilleur marché, moins de choix.

>>20244098
Merci l'ami

>>20244033
>I wished they'd just sell on amazon
https://www.amazon.fr/Alwazah-Pure-Ceylon-14-1-Ounce/dp/B00886E4K0/

Found a site selling french grown chamomile but fuck is it expensive.
155€ for 400g
https://hecosfair.com/fr/nos-fleurs-sechees/110-1137-fleurs-de-camomille-allemande-sechees-bio-de-france-direct-producteur.html#/511-poids-400g

>>20244476
>fleur de camomille allemande
>from occitanie
I know there are a lot of germans in south of france but this is a bit much

Guys, please do not drink two whole gourds full of yerba in the afternoon if you plan to sleep within the next 16 hours. I'm wondering if I should just eat some edibles to knock myself asleep.

>>20244496
I have a rule of not drinking mate after 6 pm

>>20244476
Damn, the qi of this french chamonile must be off the scale.

>>20226717
are hair health benefits attributed to tea simply a meme(i.e. easily negligible by healthy eating)? i've seen various websites mention it yet it's quite frankly hard to believe in the practical value of it.

My water provider lists all the parameters of my water.
Hardness is 3.09 mmol/l. Any idea how much is that in tds?

>>20244496
What about l-theanine?

Today's my 28th birthday, so I'm sulking in inescapable loneliness with no friends to celebrate with, so I'm drinking some 2007 tuo raw

Anyone had the naka black tea from FL?
If so, how is it compared to the usual Dian hongs?

>>20245139
you're not alone anon. I'll drink with u. will break out the 2008 Xiaguan Tuo

>>20245171
I've been wondering about it too, it's not too expensive at all

>>20244779
Generally /tea/ reccomends drinking tea because it tastes good and not worrying too much about health claims. Tea probably has some health benefits but im not really a fan of places that advertise tea with health claims or focus more on heath claims thrn the tea tasting good and being enjoyable to drink

>>20245139
Happy birthday anon, you are always welcome to be alone with us. /tea/ is unironically my main social group right now. I would crack out a tuocha as well to but I am already drinking some oolong today.

>>20244779
There seems to be some benefit related to tea drinking from epidemiological studies, but making specific health claims from those is uncertain. Additionally, green and white teas do have non-negligible antioxidant content, which has been shown to have a benefit - but you could easily get high levels of antioxidants in other ways e.g. eating berries. Hibiscus tea, for example, has many times the amount of antioxidants that any tea has at a similar price.Tea also has vasodilating effects which might reduce the chance of having a heart attack/stroke, but it's better to go for a run. Any claims beyond this are probably TCM and can be safely avoided.

>>20245139
Happy birthday from a fellow tea anon and my frog teapet. I hope the sips are comfy and the next year will bring you both important and cosy experiences!

>>20245139
Cheers, brother. I'll pull out the Xiaguan tuo tonight and sip in your honor!

>>20245139
happy ibrthday!

is there a tactical advantage to using gaiwans or tea pots over just boiling water in an electric kettle and pouring it into your mug with a tea bag?
I get tea pots are better for large amounts of tea but I just get a larger mug for that anyways or my stanley

>>20245837
When you drink higher quality teas, you can steep them more often and also the flavor profile changes slightly with each steep. To get the most out of it, people choose to brew tea the traditional chinese way with a small pot or gaiwan and a relatively large amount of tea, that you steep quite a few times. A mug would not allow the precision. And a bigger cup would fill you up quick, making you unable to enjoy steeps further down.

>>20245837
Teabags use cheap tea.
Just get a brew basket and brew decent loose leaf in a mug. Dont use tea balls they suck.
https://www.amazon.com/Alwazah-Triple-Traders-Loose-Ceylon/dp/B07DZ4M75Z/

>>20245139
My 28th birthday is a couple days after yours anon, don't feel bad being alone savour it. There's no greatest moment in life than self reflection over a cup of tea in the middle of the night. Please enjoy your tea and the next and don't really think about birthdays.

stop fucking blogposting

>>20245947
>I tried 40g of puer for the first time here's a pastebin

>>20245947
>stop having actual discussions on my siamese fighting fish forum post teas or gtfo
Anon just move your eyes down the page it's not that hard.

The honeyroo blend mountain rose herbs sells is literal crack. I just drank a liter of it and I'm going back for more. I'm pissing like a racehorse.

>>20246168
>Rooibos + honeybush
Sound good, i bought some honeybush from them a few years ago and it was fantastic.
I suggest brewing up a mug where you only leave the tea to infuse for about 60-90 seconds. I found that enhanced the sweetness even more and reduced undesirable flavors that might come through with longer brew times.
I also tried their rooibos chai and wasn't a fan of it. I think the spices do best when simmered for several minutes or longer but that cooking the rooibos that long made it taste woody and less enjoyable. You could probably make a very good rooibos chai if you got the chai spice and rooibos speratly so you can add the rooibos at the end of the brew.

Reminder to those in the northern hemisphere, it's almost time to plant your seedlings. If you want chamomile, jasmine, chrysanthemum, or something else you should get ready to plant soon. More /out/ than /ck/ but I know some people like to grow their own.

>>20246235
Thanks for the reminder I was meaning to grow some teas this year. I'm so happy it's spring

>>20246460
There's a lot of herbs and flowers to grow if you have the space and time. You can grow bushes too, but they can require years to get ready so the best bet is flowers. Love the smell of jasmine so I'll probably grow don't even if I don't harvest it.

I live in a city with a reasonable number of Asian immigrants and am addicted to Hong Kong or SEA style milk tea served at the small number of cafes offering this type of cuisine. I want to learn how to make my own, but there seems to be no clear answer aside from mix together
-Lipton, or another black tea
-Orange Pekoe Ceylon
-Pu'er (optional)
In a 7:3 ratio with
-Evaporated milk
Any starting points? I've looked at
https://archived.moe/ck/search/text/hong%20kong%20milk%20tea/type/op/
https://www.weekendhk.com/dining/%e5%a5%b6%e8%8c%b6-%e9%87%91%e8%8c%b6%e7%8e%8b-%e9%99%b3%e5%ad%90%e5%b9%b3-%e6%8a%80%e5%b7%a7-%e5%b8%ab%e5%82%85%e8%aa%bf%e6%95%99%e4%bd%a0-ww01-1241951/14/

>>20246763
Here's some info, haven't tried it

Taylor of Harrowgate's loose leaf black teas mog

Does /tea/ like Drumshanbo? It's a personal favourite

>>20244496
>>20244499
Drinking yerba at 10 PM let's goooooooooo

>>20247535
2am snooze

>>20247535
>>20247543
will have some Kraus today. how's the snoozer?

>>20247535
Frewh Kraus. Nice bombilla btw, what's that yellow material? Amber?

I live in the greater toronto area. I noticed that Yummy Market has a good tea selection. What are some bagged black tea that I can buy that tastes good and is reasonably priced, either in store or on amazon or whatever.

>>20247690
Bagged black tea is either bad or ridiculously priced, usually both. Loose leaf is much better.

>>20247690
>>20245895

>>20247572
It was delightful. Passed out buzzing with qi and slept like a babby.

>>20247864
>>20248189
I still drink loose tea and i have a basket. I just prefer bags because they are convenient. I no longer drink lipton as it tastes bad. I have several loose teas, green tea as well, and they are good.
Also, i want to larp as a britcuck.

Drinking some farmer leaf Fa Zhan He right now. This stuff is very nice if you want a young sheng with little to no bitterness. It has a very nice citrus/spice taste to it. Think I may end up getting a cake if I enjoy it this much in future sessions.

Ive been blending the farmer leaf spring naka small trees and fall lao man e small trees. Makes a nice combo.

>>20248622
Get a tong

just grandpa brewed some yiwu sheng that was fucking great, super sweet and pretty strong huigan

>>20247046
Thanks very much. I'll report back once I've located the various teas... hopefully somewhere in my tiny country has them.

Also, I wanted to ask; since I started drinking tea when I was about 10, I've just had whatever black tea bag with milk. In the past year or two I moved to Ceylon with evaporated milk as an attempt at approximating the type of strong tea served in Singapore, but I also want to try 'graduating' to tea without milk. When I've tried to do this in the past however I tend to find that the teas are weak on flavour and I dislike the astringency near the end. Are there any introductory teas that I could use to ease myself in? When I look at the offerings for loose leaf teas from local shops they all have 100+ varieties and I don't know what to choose.

>>20235183
I don't know about shipping tea but I would really strongly recommend Superbuy over Pandabuy from personal experience.

>>20248990
>I would really strongly recommend Superbuy over Pandabuy
Why?

>>20248990
>but I also want to try 'graduating' to tea without milk. When I've tried to do this in the past however I tend to find that the teas are weak on flavour and I dislike the astringency near the end. Are there any introductory teas that I could use to ease myself in?
Try and find a large leaf ceylon tea, brands like alwazah, ahmad, zarrin. You want big intact leaves, not crumbs or dust. Thrn brew with more leaf then you would use for crumb type teas and maybe brew longer. That will give you a stronger flavor with less astringency.
If you can find Chinese black teas like dian hong they are typically smoother and less astringent so they could be a good choice, they also tend to taste sweeter.

>>20248990
Specifically this ahmad if you can find it or other brands that say celon tea OPA

>>20248990
I used to drink black tea with milk, but I ran out of milk for a week so I had to drink it straight. It was not to my liking at first but after few days I was used to it, and after a week I thought the milk tasted weird in the tea. Also get yourself some good tea, as for what kind since you are new there is no way to know what you will like best so just buy the second cheapest option that isn't flavoured and is whole leaf.

My teaset got here like 3 days earlier than expected! Celebrated by brewing the last of my da hong pao. Still definitely need to get used to brewing with a gaiwan, but it was nice! Cups are a bit smaller than I expected, but the fact that they cool VERY fast and the white inside more than makes up for it. Feels good to finally use a gaiwan and aroma cups for the first time even if it'll take some getting used to.

>>20248761
That's basically the basis of the classic menghai blend taste, isn't it? Strong bulang + fruity mengsong

>>20248990
Try some high quality Chinese black teas, they tend to be less astringent and more sweet
Shu pu-erh brewed strong could also work if you want a thicker, milkier texture

>drank the most potent, fishy smelling puer in my collection while in public

I wish I had a tea expert gf who was also into omorashi so I could spend quiet Saturday afternoons drinking tea with her sitting in my lap while she served herself and I each one while softly explained to me about chais and tisanes and so on with the prominent subtext being that we were going to keep sitting there as she grew more and more desperate and eventually peed herself

This is my only thought regarding tea, do I belong in this general

how do i make homemade tea taste like sugar-free nestea?

>>20249403
Based. We've probably all thought it at some point.
How much tea would a person have to drink for their pee to be caffeinated?

>>20249216
haha cups are always smaller than you expect. part of the charm. mad comfy.
>>20249381
d-devilish?
>>20249403
tfw no tea expert gf

Just woke up from a series of nested false awakening nightmares. Fuck me.

>>20250439
what tea did you drink anon? were you the same one complaining of sleep paralysis a few threads ago?

>>20250478
I'm the yerba mate anon. Soon after that day I slept for about 2 hours, then had to wake up and stay awake for another 22 hours. Which I then slept for 3 hours again. Today is my day off so I had an afternoon nap. IDK what happened, but from how tired I was, my rem sleep was extremely vivid to the point where I could read letters/feel sensations in my dreams. Every time I would wake up my eyes felt really tired and I fell back asleep instantly into my previous dreams. I was conscious about it enough so that I managed to give myself a panic attack within my own dream that I was stuck within multiple layered dreams, because i was dreaming that i had woken up and went to the bathroom to splash water on my face, however i heard some weird music all around me and figured that this was another dream. However I figured out that in order to escape, I had to jerk myself IRL and stay awake in order to not fall back asleep and stay in the loop.

>>20249003
Pandabuy's main audience are tiktok kids buying fake luxury clothing; they make the process retardproof and charge accordingly. I, and others, have been using Superbuy since 2016 and never had a problem

>>20249028
>>20249035
>>20249231
Thank you. That particular Ahmad doesn't seem to be available here (New Zealand) but I did find pic related. I'll try the Chinese ones too, there seems to be some speciality stores here with that sort of thing. I've wanted to try puer before.

>>20250555
You should drink some ma huang and watch Waking Life.
https://youtu.be/uk2DeTet98o

can i eat tea leaves. i have always wondered about this.

>>20250715
they dont really taste like much. sometimes i do that just to see what its like and there isnt really much to describe. if theyre in my teacup i have no issue drinking them.

What a day, a fish cup has arrived.
I can highly recommend Artistic Nippon, Toru is a bro. Anyone else got any stuff from them? I'd love to see some pics.

>>20249216
I like the hand thing. What's the volume of the gaiwan?

>>20250941
sakanaaa

It's time I finally order a gaiwan. Does anyone have suggestion on which one?
Also going to order some teacups and a smaller teapot (270-300ml i'm thinking).

>>20250983
Aliexpress has plenty of pretty cheap ones that will be fine, I buy most of my ceramics there. Ideally you want the rim to flare away from the lid a decent amount since it keeps cooler. 100-140ml ish is ok for a single person. here's some you can have a look at
https://0592.aliexpress.com/store/1358270/pages/all-items.html?productGroupId=40000005553977&storeId=1358270&sortType=bestmatch_sort&shop_sortType=bestmatch_sort

Or if you're making a tea order soon a lot of vendors sell teaware also.

>>20250665
based film recc, Waking Life was really good. I also recommend watching Mind Game while drinking a ton of Gyokuro

>>20250956
It's around 120mL, for some reason though they only gave the measurement on the shop in ounces.

i thought it would be a good idea to mix eggnog with green tea to make some kind of latte

why is red tea so uninteresting

>>20250715
Eating green tea leaves is pretty traditional
Darker tea leaves are alright if you're oxalatemaxxing

>>20251240
Why do you find them uninteresting?
I've been drinking bunch puer lately then went back to black tea and still appreciate them.
It's nice comfy drink.
The only ones I don't like are heavy on roast where you know they are trying to cover subpar material.

>>20250941
nice anon i was eyeing down that cup a while ago but never got it, did you hear if the potter was going to make more with that fish style? pickerel my hagi cup from them, thinking of getting some more teaware from there soon

What's the fastest you've ever finished a cake? I've been drinking for a few years now, and I've yet to finish one.

>>20251483
Nice you went for the hagi stuff. I like the look, with the brick red base.
>did you hear if the potter was going to make more with that fish style
Yep, when I enquired about it they asked the potter to make another batch, so there's some in stock now.

>>20251553
9 days.

>>20251553
A full sized cake? Probably a month or so.
I don't typically set teas aside to save some of, i just drink em.

>>20251553
I try to never finish a cake

How do you store cakes? Do you break them apart with a knife and stuff them into a tin?

>>20252012
I do (partially) break down cakes, but only for teas I'm drinking within the next few weeks or month. I store cakes in cooler humidors maintaining specific humidity.

>>20252012
In individual plastic/ziplock/mylar bags in a cooler with a bif humidity pack.
Some info on puer storage in the rentry

Would liu bao be good for thermos brewing? I've never had it before. I have a giant insulated water bottle, currently I drink swigs of white tea from it throughout the day.

>>20252445
Haven't tried it, but it works well boiled on the stove, so thermos should work well too

New:
>>20252468
>>20252468
>>20252468

>>20252445
I simmer white tea all the time but never thought to throw it in a thermos for some reason.
Every heicha I've tried has been fine in the thermos, I'm sure liu bao would work too.