/ck/ - Food & Cooking

So i was reading more about Formosa oolong (the specific style not just oolong from Taiwan.
>This tea was quite popular in the US for several decades. A British entrepreneur named John Dodd developed it in the middle of the nineteenth century. It is oxidized to about 75%, so it is darker than most other oolongs.
Apparently its also a summer harvest so it can also be bug bitten. Its kind of a budget version of Oriental beauty. Seems like it would be a good choice for those oolong and black tea blends like Russian caravan since its already half way to black tea.
I wonder if anyone in taiwan actually drinks it or if its made for export only.

>>20314467
>>20314472
did you just post images from the last thread until we hit the bump limit so you could make the next thread

>>20314467
In my life, I only have tried gunpowder green tea, which is not the same as regular green tea.
Is it worth it getting normal green tea?

>>20314467
I ordered a sample of 2014 three cranes liu bao that's coming tomorrow, what should I expect?

>>20314551
Nice loose leaf green tea is pretty surprising its vary savory and different from what you might expect, its good but very different from grocery store green tea bags and old gunpowder green.

Is it possible that the terms 'oxidation' and 'fermentation' are often used interchangeably in descriptions of tea making processes? Seems to me these are very different techniques. Are common black teas fermented?

>>20314531
>so you could make the next thread
I don't care about getting to make new threads, i was just doing housekeeping while i had a minute. Old habit from when i was the only person making new threads.

>>20314618
thanks anon. yea i tired the ones that come in teabags, and I wasnt impressed to say the least.
I think I'll cop me some dried green tea leaves and give it a try

>>20314642
i understand that. sorry for accusing you

>>20314632
Black tea is oxidized by being "fermented" but it's not the same thing as wet piling puer.
For black tea the freshly harvested leaves are piled up so that the temperature stays slightly elevated and the tea doesn't dry to quickly, this allows the enzymes present in the fresh tea leaves to oxidize the tea.
Green tea is quickly roasted to break down the enzymes so that the tea does not oxidize.
The stuff they do with ripe puer is called post fermentation or fermentation after the initial processing.
Im still not quite sure what the trick with making oolong is, i need to read up on the process more.

>>20314661
If you take tea leaves and dry them immediately without roasting you get white tea. Some white tea producers will pile the leaves for a short time to allow a small amount of oxidation before drying them.

I just got into tea a year and a half ago, I'm still at the normie tiers of English breakfast and Celestial Seasonings bagged tea. I accidentally bought loose leaf from an Asian grocery store but I have no idea how to prepare loose it. Any tips for upping my tea game?

Also, what's up with those greasy turd block-looking things I see in these threads? How does one make tea out of those?

>>20314661
>the trick with making oolong
Maybe you'll like this cool video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDuN3K2HgGQ

>>20314696
What did you get?
If you scroll down in the OP rentry link there are some basic brewing instructions in the FAQ section.
The turds are called puerh. You just break them up and steep them like other tea.

Found a half decent article explaining modern oolong production. Damn that's a lot of work
https://teaepicure.com/tea-processing-taiwan/

>>20314696
>Year and a half
>Doesn't know how to use loose leaf tea
Sometimes I wonder how humanity has made it so far...

>>20314697
Based famer leaf making actually informative videos about tea processing

>>20314632
>>20314661
I've always been told that a sheng aging undergoes the same process as black tea, only more slowly, but is this actually true? This is assuming Kugming storage or drier.

>>20314746
Yeah the kill-green is only done partially with sheng, so it will oxidise slowly over time. Dryness slows this process also
Though it doesn't ever really seem to end up like black tea no matter how long you wait, I'm not sure why, I guess this partial kill-green prevents it somehow.

>>20314696
Grab something like pic rel for the loose leaf. Alternatively you can just throw some leaves straight in the cup “Grandpa Style.” Check the rentry for specific instructions. There’s also tons of vendors to order good loose leaf tea from. If you like tea at all, it’s worth ditching the microplastic tea dust from the grocery store for something better. To your last question, those are cakes of tea from which a few grams are removed at a time for each tea session.

>>20314551
this is kind of the perfect time to try some fresh spring 2024 harvest green tea, it's just starting to hit the shelves (of online tea specialist sites)
good, fresh green tea will be quite different to gunpowder and definitely much better than teabag stuff

>>20314609
something similar to ripe pu-erh but drier, less thick, more woody, nutty and root vegetable tasting

>>20314762
>I guess this partial kill-green prevents it somehow.
I think most of the enzymes are kill. but it will be pretty dark if you wait long enough and the liquor can easily look like black tea

Has anyone else had their tea packages lost in the mail? Somehow I manged to have multiple tea packages go missing over the last few years. I have only had tea packages go missing during that time and they were not even all at the same address. Think I am being gang-stalked by puerh lesbians?

>>20314696
>Also, what's up with those greasy turd block-looking things I see in these threads?
some tea is pressed into various shapes to make it take up less space, among other reasons
it's most common for pu-erh and hei cha (fermented teas). to drink, you just pry off a chunk with a knife and use it like any loose leaf

>>20314827
what the fuck, are you really brewing black tea in contact with metal?
get the plastic mesh one if you really need it. or just get a gaiwan and whole leaf like any civilised person did since 5 thousand years ago.

>>20314881
yea dude i just ordered some sencha green tea leaves. only 70g for now, just so i can try

>>20314959
> what the fuck, are you really brewing black tea in contact with metal?
Redpill me on this…does it apply to greens/oolongs/puerhs too? Just seems like telling someone who’s used to grocery store tea bags to buy a full tea set might be a bit much. In any case, no way I’m gonna pour boiling water over a plastic steeping basket.

>>20315075
It doesn’t matter, he’s just being an autistic puer lesbian child. Use metal. It’s easier to clean and fuck plastic.

>>20314903
I generally have good luck with mail showing up. It's a total crapshoot though. I have gotten absolutely destroyed packages that somehow still had their contents a couple times over the years.
Most mail related fuckups have involved Amazon putting a bunch of shit in a big empty box and some bottles of liquid leaking all over everything else. Im guessing this happens to everyone who orders from Amazon at some point.

>>20314696
>but I have no idea how to prepare loose it.
just put it in hot water, you literally dont need anything at all, its not like tea leaves are toxic--you can eat them

>>20314903
>Think I am being gang-stalked
yes
>by puerh lesbians?
no

>>20315116
Ok good to know. Thanks

Noob here. My mother bought me this infuser which I've been using by placing over the top of the mug after preheating, then pouring the water over so it runs through the leaves, filling the mug so it covers the leaves while steeping. Is this the correct way to use it? I also have a bauble on a chain one, but I'm not confident it's that good.

Also, for black teas, can you infuse the same measurement of leaves more than twice or is it too weak at that point?

>>20314903
I dropped $450 USD on a Teas We Like order and it got lost.

oolongs are overrated

>>20315700
I think you're supposed to steep the tea first, then pour it through the strainer into your mug. but that's just a guess.

>>20315700
>>20315820
this anons correrct, its too shallow to infuse in the cup youre going to be drinking out of. but if it tastes fine to you theres no reason not to keep doing what youre doing i guess.

>>20315146
>Most mail related fuckups have involved Amazon putting a bunch of shit in a big empty box
They really need to have more box sizes or use proper dunnage so things don't shake around in the box.
>>20315565
>>Think I am being gang-stalked
>yes
>>by puerh lesbians?
>no
Who then?
>>20315717
>I dropped $450 USD on a Teas We Like order and it got lost.
oof, hopefully you got your money back at least?

Bonus: while I was trying to find a decent free online ai text to image generator for my last post one of the sites I used kept creating pictures of women coming out of tables instead of my desired tea burglar. See attached picture for an example.

>>20316040
>Who then?
by gangstalkers? retard.

>>20316040
>oof, hopefully you got your money back at least?
I put in a missing mail request with USPS, but it's been a couple months so I'm doubtful that they'll find it. I don't think it was insured and I don't know if TWL will refund me for USPS' fuck up so I might just be SOL.

For me it's lapsang souchong.

>>20316228
it tastes like beef jerky

>>20316257
The one I had was so startlingly similar to mesquite BBQ that I use it as a seasoning now. It kind of rules.

>>20316287
i know someone who does something pretty similar. now im craving my lapsang again

What are some popular types of puer to start with, that are relatively easy to find? Seems like there’s a million different kinds

Does anyone have the puerh tea lesbian meme?

>>20315700
Should be enough space for western brewing probably. A bigger strainer is usually better, but this should be superior to the shitty little ball. Your technique is fine.
Remember you can make some teas straight in the cup "grandpa style"

>>20315790
I got really bored of lighter oxidized oolongs. Completely burned out for some reason. They seem a bit insipid to me now, I crave the weirdness and harshness of young raw.

>>20316425
really you just need:
>a ripe pu-erh
>a young raw pu-erh
>a more aged raw pu-erh (let's say 15 years plus)
there is also traditional storage, factory vs boutique and soft vs agressive terroir, also useful things to sample after you try the very basics

you could start with these three for instance for the three main types:
https://kingteamall.com/en-pl/products/2022-dayi-7562-brick-250g-puerh-shou-cha-ripe-tea?variant=43781056757990
https://kingteamall.com/en-pl/products/2019-mengku-rongshi-ben-wei-da-cheng-original-flavor-great-achievement-cake-500g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha?variant=43674879852774
https://kingteamall.com/en-pl/products/2008-xiaguan-xi-zi-happy-tuo-100g-puerh-sheng-cha-raw-tea?_pos=1&_sid=ad60b900e&_ss=r&variant=31344928260199

>>20316721
slight mistake, wanted to link the 2021 version of the Mengku cake for more youth

>>20316616
this one?

>>20314632
They usually are used interchangeably, and "fermentation" usually refers to oxidation, but when used to talk about pu-erh "fermentation" usually refers to post-fermentation, which is a process lead by bacteria rather than the enzymes in the tea in the case of shu pu-erh, or by the remaining contents of the tea leaves in the case of sheng pu-erh.
>>20314661
>making oolong
The tea is left to oxidize for some time, though not enough for the leaves to oxidize fully (red tea otoh is always fully oxidized), then it's commonly baked or roasted to kill the enzymes responsible for the oxidation, though it might be heated up/cooked in other ways depending on style, tradition, preference and convenience, then it's optionally rolled and then packed.
The main difference is that it's less oxidized compared to red tea.

I tried a few different ways to steep my Dong Ding from TaiwanTeaCrafts but nothing made it smell or taste high quality.
I'm not at all happy about it, and I keep thinking of the Dong Ding I got years ago in the health tea house sampler set that used to get recommended here, before aliexpress stopped selling tea; it must have been cheap shit considering the price I paid for all that tea, but it was stupid good and I've never managed to find a Dong Ding quite like it.
I wonder whether it was something kinda sorta like Dong Ding cultivated and processed in the mainland starting from who knows which cultivar.

On a related note, I opened the 15g bag of this 2023 spring red jade white tea: https://www.taiwanteacrafts.com/product/organic-pre-qingming-red-jade-t-18-curled-white-tea/
And this does taste and smell like a really high quality tea.
Red jade is a hybrid cultivar of a local variety from Burma and a taiwanese wild tree from south Nantou, usually used to produce red tea but occasionally some whites as well.
>smell
It has an impressive slightly overripe fruit smell, mainly peach, plum and orange, with the slightest hint of minty freshness and iris. It's so sweet it feels like I'm smelling fruit jam, though it doesn't go overboard, and the minty freshness, which I've seen in some reviews described as a very noticeable camphor/balsamic smell, helps balance the sweet richness out.
>taste and mouthfeel
More flowers, iris is still the strongest flowery note I can detect here, though I'm not good with flowers. There's less of that richness, and the liquid barely feels oily or thick, rather it's ALMOST dry, though certainly not dry enough to make your mouth feel dry. The freshness is a bit more pronounced, the sweetness is a bit more toned down, and the fruit is definitely more toned down, though still easy to detect.

I only steeped these leaves twice, so I'll probably write something more about this tea, and I hope I'll remember to post a picture of the leaves.

>>20316893
those caustics are so erotic

where to buy best Earl Grey tea?

Found a tea seed in my Chen Sheng Hao cake

what's the trick to scraping the wet leaves out of my infusation sphere?

>>20315700
That is exactly the strainer I use. Are you also an Aussie?

>>20317370
the trick is throwing the sphere in the trash and buying a gaiwan. or a big basket infuser

just to settle an argument i had on this board awhile ago...
people who give a shit about tea (you people) actually use the word tisane, right?
i only drink bagged teas and ocassionally loose cascara but i like to be specific when its possible

>>20317411
Yeah sometimes. If it makes what I'm writing easier to read.
But you gotta play to your audience, pretty much only tea autists have ever heard that word.

>>20317411
Yes, tisane or herbal tea. Just "tea" is used for you green tea, black tea etc. - everything made from the tea plant (Camellia family)

>>20317411
If you aren't specifying the plant which you're drinking, it's better to use than tea, because otherwise it leads to confusion. However, if the plant is specified (e.g. lemongrass, mint) then it is standard practice to use tea (e.g. lemongrass tea, mint tea), and the use of tisane here is unnatural.

>>20315820
>>20316039
>>20316706
Thank you. I found another bucket style infuser at home and tried using that to a better result flavour wise, but using the strainer was still viable. Maybe it didn't infuse as strongly.

>>20317379
Kiwi, but my mother was there visiting friends a few days ago and bought it and some tea at the Tea Centre.

Just tried making ripe pu erh for the first time and YUCK. I hope I fucked up and added too much tea, I didn't measure. Came out super dark and tastes like dead leaves... Nice buzz, though. Only steeped for 5 second but immediately turned dark brown. Had to mix water with it to finish it. Very bitter. Was YS Alchemy ripe pu erh.

>>20318477
What method are you using to brew?
It's pretty dense stuff so a few chunks could be like 10 grams or more.
There should be some sweetness in there somewhere along with the earthy notes.
Sometimes the brewed tea smells weird but often that flavor doesn't come through when you drink it.
If you have a scale measure 3 grams, drop the tea in the bottom of a mug, add freshly boiled water, wait till it's cool enough to drink, flick out any stems that are floating with a fork and then drink. You can refill with freshly boiled water when you get halfway down.

>>20318502
I used a gaiwan. I just looked at YS website and they mention specific brewing methods for Alchemy. I just steeped it again, following their instructions, and it's definitely better but I think I might've traumatized myself with that first try. I wasn't expecting it to be so strong. I have more samples to try, maybe Alchemy was a strong one to start with.

>>20318520
A lot of ripe won't get bitter no matter what you do to it but you do get the odd one that's pretty potent.

>>20318552
I took out half the leaves and tried again and it came out much better. Still looks like black coffee. I think Alchemy is likely a weird one, hence the specific instructions. I fully blame myself for screwing it up.

>>20318477
For what it's worth, there's nothing wrong with adding more hot water to a fierce brew. As long as you like what is in your cup, that's all that matters.

>>20318520
Yeah come back to it later. In a few weeks or months you might really enjoy it.

>>20318716
After removing half the leaves and steeping it a few more times, it's really sweetened up. I watched Scott's vid on it and learned it's two teas mixed together, so steeping it correctly is important to getting the right ratio in your cup. I definitely fucked it up.

>>20318773
Nice, yeah this shit can be a bit tricky but you will get the hang of it

>>20318960
>this shit can be a bit tricky but you will get the hang of it
Coincidentally that's what gong fu translates into

>>20316186
>USPS
Some of the USPS services include $100 of insurance by default even if you don't add it. In any case TWL would have to be the one to claim it. I would at least contact them and see what they can do.

my ys order arrived today

>>20318773
>two teas mixed together
Isn't that the ripe/raw blend? No wonder it gets bitter if you overbrew/overdose it. Absolutely not your typical ripe. Ripe is very forgiving. Raw is a lot harsher.

>>20319876
>>20318477
the site just says it's a lao cha tou heavy ripe blend
I think anon just got filtered by super thick overbrewed ripe. that flavor does grow on you though, I remember prefering my ripe brewed light, now I like it very dark

>>20319844
nice, what did you get?

>>20319886
I got lapsang souchong, a couple yunnan black teas, duck shit oolong, shui jin gui oolong, dragonwell, and jasmine pearls, also a free gaiwan with my order. I realized after placing this order that I probably shouldn't have gotten the green teas, but oh well, if they taste bad or weak or whatever, lesson learned.

drinking the last of my sample of 2023 Tang Fang Liang Zi from FarmerLeaf
definitely processed more on the redder side, so it's quite different from most raws I've tried from the site. very understated and soft, flavor makes me think of forest and kiwi oddly enough. quite a bit of sweetness, a light vegetal bitterness, astringency is not too high. body seems on the thick side

a real change of pace from the agressive Menghai stuff I usually drink. not bad, but not something I'd buy a cake of, it's just a bit too subtle. if I wanted a softie from FL, I'd probably cheap out and grab the Bangwai or try that Huey Wa and leave the bulk of my budget for some nice Lao Man E mouth destruction

Help with choosing website to purchase from. Ive only purchased tea in store. Unfortunately there are like only 2 in my country. So ive been looking to buy online. I was originally going to buy from yunnan sourcing, but they do not ship to my country. I have seen the list provided on this thread. I would like to hear experiences from these websites and make a choice. Im looking for one that either ships out of china or europe

>>20320103
what tea are you interested in and what country do you live in? I thought YS shipped to most of the world

the best alternative to YS in terms of huge tea selection is probably KingTeaMall. they have worse tea descriptions than YS, but usually better prices
FarmerLeaf has free global shipping and a small, closely curated selection of mostly pu-erh, but supposedly their other teas are good too. good for learning about tea because they tend to give you a lot of info
white2tea also focuses mainly on pu-erh and has fairly cheap global shipping. downside is they often don't give you much info on the tea, which can make it harder to learn your preferences
I guess for euro stores I can rep theTea.pl, a small store focusing more on premium teas. most of the stuff I really liked from them is sold out right now though

all the China stores I've mentioned undervalue the package, which can be useful for lowering VAT

>>20320132
nta but YS is in texas and I don't support that kind of stuff, I've basically switched back to coffee because I'm too lazy to vet another website

>>20320144
based random texas hater. I didn't know kunming was in texas though, that explains the dry storage...

Fa zhan he today. Light brew for gentle mouth feel.

>>20320132
>>20320132
I would like to order a wide variety of teas, i would prefer one place where i can order. I live in Serbia.
I did do some looking into kingteamall, the prices were alot cheaper than other places i saw which was suspicious to me. How is the quality if youve had any experience.

>>20314618
>>20314881
i can report back now that i've tried
sencha green tea is very different compared to gunpowder green tea. I really like the taste. will order more. definitely recommend

>>20320264
As far as i understand Kingteamall is a reseller. He gets tea from various tea vendors in Guangzhou and sends it to you, but nevertheless he is legit (though stick to the cheaper offerings, he puts a huge markup on the more premium stuff).
>i would prefer one place where i can order
Try checking out tea-expert, moychay or yoshien. White2tea maybe.
> I live in Serbia
Hello neighbour! Are shipping options to you that rough?

>>20320264
kingteamall is a trustworthy site. their prices are tied to Chinese market prices with some set percentage of markup, so they can differ a bit from other sites.

some teas I liked from the site, in various types:
https://kingteamall.com/collections/black-tea/products/2012-black-tea-gu-shu-shai-hong-old-tree-hong-cha-sun-dried-loose-leaf-tea-dian-hong-fengqing-yunnan
https://kingteamall.com/collections/black-tea/products/2021-early-spring-jin-jun-mei-souchong-golden-eyebrow-a-black-tea-hong-cha-fujian-1
https://kingteamall.com/collections/black-tea/products/2021-xiaguan-hong-cha-black-tea-300g-yunnan-fengqing-dianhong
https://kingteamall.com/collections/white-tea/products/2010-kingteamall-lao-bai-cha-old-white-tea-cake-357g-fuding-white-tea-baicha
https://kingteamall.com/products/spring-tie-luo-han-medium-heavy-roasted-a-grade-wuyi-yancha-oolong-tea?_pos=1&_sid=c709b6be1&_ss=r
https://kingteamall.com/products/2019-spring-rou-gui-medium-heavy-roasted-high-grade-wuyi-yancha-oolong-tea?variant=43994919469286
https://kingteamall.com/en-pl/products/2008-xiaguan-xi-zi-happy-tuo-100g-puerh-sheng-cha-raw-tea?_pos=1&_sid=18a3d607f&_ss=r&variant=31344928260199
https://kingteamall.com/en-pl/collections/2022-chenshenghao/products/2022-chenshenghao-na-ka-naka-brick-250g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha
https://kingteamall.com/en-pl/products/2018-laotongzhi-9978-cake-357g-puerh-ripe-tea-shou-cha?variant=31574684106855
https://kingteamall.com/products/2022-dayi-7562-brick-250g-puerh-shou-cha-ripe-tea?_pos=1&_sid=c54679f06&_ss=r

>>20320294
Hey brother, Appreciate the reply. I’ll definitely check out your recommendations. As for shipping, i dont know. I know people have had issues with customs here. Dont know how frequent of a problem it is.

>>20320312
Thank you!
How has their shipping time been in your experience?

I want some nicely oxidized and full bodied white tea, something like Yue Guang Bai.
Do I just buy a cake of that and hope it's going to be higher quality than the previous one I got from who knows where, or do I have other options for similar teas?

>>20320346
standard for China, so two weeks to a month. depends on your luck, really

>>20320349
you could try an aged one if you want moar oxidation. you can also try simmering it in a pot, might make the body fuller
I think white teas are pretty similar, but if you like the leafy ones, I'd stick with that. tends to be cheaper and desu often better tasting than the all bud ones

>>20319910
>if I wanted a softie from FL, I'd probably cheap out and grab the Bangwai or try that Huey Wa and leave the bulk of my budget for some nice Lao Man E mouth destruction
Yup,
I did find the sample of the Spring 2023 Zhu Tang interesting but im not sure if it justified the premium over bangwai small trees. Still kind of a fun sample if you get the chance.

>>20319910
I've few grams left of the 2021 and the 2023 sample on the way.
I'm interested if it's the same or if one is stronger than other.
The two sessions I had with the 2021 were great.
If there will be 20% off just like BF I would probably buy the cake for $80.
It will also depend on what new 2024 cakes there will be... might need to work some overtime to cover all these cakes... fuck.

Has anyone delved into the aged cakes that farmer leaf picked up last year?
I know none of em are cheap but they sound pretty tempting.

i kind of hate how China has its "asia-only"-markets. there are real pretty sets like in pic related, for a low price, but its not possible to buy these without certain chinese payment services. there is also nobody wanting to ship outside of certrain east-asian countries

>>20320746
I haven't seen any reports on them yet. I decided I'd pick up a sample when the spring teas release just to sate my curiosity.

>>20320239
Comfy

>>20320944
Taobao? Tmall?
There is a guide in the rentry for shopping on taobao/tmall. You do have to use middlemen for some orders but for thing's that aren't prohibited products you can order directly through taobao now using their in house forwarding service.

>>20320239
cozy teaware, maybe i should start using my royal alberts and other western teacups for gongfu

What are some good non-tea infusions? I've tried the following and they were just okay:
>mate
>nettle
>chamomile
>hibiscus with rose hips
>spearmint
>peppermint

>>20321277
Buyee seems great for Japanese stores. Just threw them $900+ for a vintage turntable off yahoo.jp auctions. Haven't looked for any tea but you can probably get some off rakuten?

>>20321473
In my experience there are plenty of Japanese tea shops that ship internationally, way beyond whats in the rentry vendor list so its never really been an issue. With the Chinese market it's a little different, very few shops ship internationally so having a reliable buying agent makes your life way easier.
Will agree buying stuff off yahoo auctions rules. Some really awesome stuff on there. You can find a whole shitload of imported Chinese clay teapots if you have enough knowledge to know what you should and shouldn't buy.

>>20321277
thanks, man. i'm gonna read it

>>20321553
Sure, typically it makes sense to combine a few orders together for cheaper shipping. You have the forwarding service in China order the stuff you want, then they hold in in their warehouse until they get the different items from different sellers, then they put it all in one box and charge you a shipping fee. If you just order 1 or 2 really cheap items the shipping will cost much more then the items themselves. But it's easy, a few posters here have made tea orders this year and it just works. Again just check the prohibited items list and it you want to order anything on that list use a third party forwarding service and not the service that taobao offers directly. Third parties don't care about prohibited items and it's very unlikely Chinese export customs will stop a package unless you are buying drugs or giant boxes of fake clothes or something like that.

tea should ideally taste like coffee

>>20320673
>>20320731
Personally I think I liked the Zhu Tang a bit more than the 2023 Tang Fang Liang Zi I think. Both are good, but not sure if worth the price increase over the cheaper cakes for me. Then again, as I stated, I tend to prefer more aggressive teas.
Zhu Tang has a nice sweetness and really strong aroma that comes back in the throat too

>>20320239
It's got a nice fluffy mouthfeel sometimes

>>20321704

>>20321434
What mate have you tried? There is some variation. Gotta get the packaged south american brands, not the loose leaf stuff they sell in western tea stores.

>>20321704
>tea should ideally taste like coffee
People will suggest ripe puer but the real answer is heavily roasted yancha. But it's still not gonna taste like coffee, just hit some of the same flavor profiles.

>>20321704
but I like coffee that tastes like tea

>>20321434
>What are some good non-tea infusions?
Ginger (made with fresh root simmered on the stove)
Fire cider (look up a recipe, make a bit batch and drink a shot a day)
Ginseng (powerful effects but maybe not the best tasting)
Ma huang / ephedra sinca (ephedrine baby!)
Licorice root (only use 3-4 small pieces for a mug or it gets too strong)
Tulsi / holy basil
Lemon balm (tastes great)
Hibiscus is good but sourcing nice hibiscus is tricky
Rose hips are good but spicy, not for everyone
Chamomile gives me heartburn
Roasted barley tea (popular drink in asia)

I once brewed french press this cheaper Kenyan coffee and it came out a light red and tastes like flowers, I spent years trying to recapture that cup.

Hey guys, don't buy these things, I know I'm a retard for getting one, but mine just shattered upon the first time using it. You can def find a cheaper glass cha hai that won't do that, thinking of buying one from yunnan sourcing, but if anyone has recs I'll take em.

>>20322073
ive been thinking about getting one because i first i found them retarded but ive been wanting to drink out of a smaller cup (~50ml) so i can have my tea cool faster so my normal teacup wont work

>>20322096
I'm wondering if possibly I clinked it and caused a small crack and then it cracked due to thermal shock, but either way, I would just get something else, it felt cheap the moment I got it honestly.

>>20322073
I’d check Asian restaurant supply sites, can’t think of the one I used before but I’d guess they’d carry proper borosilicate ones

>>20322073
I got one from kind tea mall while i was placing an order and its fine. Yunnan sourcing ones should be fine.
I bet that was exciting. Those vacuum insulated glass ones are expensive to get right i guess. If you want to get a cheap one get one that has a hole in the bottom with a rubber gasket in it so it won't explode.
You can find plenty on Amazon too if you look around a bit

>>20322172
https://www.amazon.com/FUYU-Resistant-Transparent-Creamer-Pitcher/dp/B08TVT2K66/

>>20322180
Whoah those are only 70ml lol nevermind

>>20322128
>>20322172
>>20322180
thanks for the advice frens, think I am gonna go with a yunnan sourcing one as I can get one off there us site and I have heard the shipping is free over there, anyways they are cheap from them as well, I paid 15 bucks for the meme one that lasted 1 day, 2 sessions

>>20322191
Yeah fuck Amazon buy it from some tea shop and it's much less likely to explode when you put hot water in it.

>>20322191
Don't forget to autistically leave the sticker on it and carefully clean around it when washing the pitcher.
Its one of those things that all the cool kids do and you will get mad respect when people see you kept the sticker.

>>20322317
hell yeah bro, you know I'm a cool kid

>>20321704
there's definitely ripes that taste like coffee. Bu Lang ripes and the lao man e make good coffee replacements.

ეს ადგილი ახლა ჩემი ტუალეტია.

>>20314903
USPS lost the Christmas package I sent to another anon.

Speaking of which, if you're that anon reading this, please check your email. :)

>>20316746
Yes thanks

>>20322377
gratz on poo-ing in the loo. Your ancestors look down upon you with disdain, but we appreciate your efforts.

>>20322191
I got one from YS for less than $6 and I really like it

Take 2 at Russian Caravan

Turns out I still had a big of lapsang left that I found when trying to organize my stash. 2g of dianhong, 2g of TGY, and 1g of lapsang. First infusion was kind of weird, but the later infusions meshed together somewhat cohesively.

>>20322041
>Fire cider
That sounds wild. It's the opposite of a pleasant drink to sip at your desk.

>>20323047
Fun experiment

>>20323047
I've wanted to try making my own Caravan blend for a while now. Is there a single vendor that has all the ingredients?

>>20323464
Upton tea imports should (they also sell a few Russian caravan blends), i don't know how smokey their lapsing is.
This is probably the kind of oolong used in Russian caravan but its worth researching further in case im totally wrong.
https://www.uptontea.com/formosa-oolong-tea/taiwan-loose-leaf-oolong-tea/p/V00251/
I would probably get their Chinese lapsang since reviews say the formosa one isn't smokey

>>20320268
yeah, sencha hits different. it can get really savory, intense and quite complex

>>20323542
Actually disregard that oolong suggestion, im not sure if it's brown enough

Jingmai black, only have one session left, hope we get new ones this spring

>>20323700
The Naka black at FL sounds like it could be good

>>20323785
Was added to the shop after my order i'll see if I'll get it for my spring order I want to try it. Looking forward for some fen shui ling but not sure we'll get any. New black from unknown mountain would be nice, oolong from ailao also.

My poorfag white2tea order has arrived
The free dragonball is Alienist, their new smoked aged maocha cake

Hey guys. Visited a local franchise that sells looseleaf. Bought a green tea that they called "Jasmin Pearl." Comes in these little pearls. The aroma smells like mothballs, but the taste is mild and pleasant and nothing like how it smells. How does that happen?

>>20323863
It's pretty common for tea to smell different than it tastes. Those floral smells particularly seem to mostly stay in the aroma.
I dunno what a mothball smells like, but floral smells can go kinda weird at high strength, I have a daffodil that smells like rancid piss.

>>20323785
I have 100g on the way

>>20323852
Good looking order. Hopefully I get an alien ball with my alien towel and greens.

Trying Peak Vulture for the first time. Tree reflecting in the cup nicely.
Brews up very dark. Flavor seems quite singular, very chocolaty and earthy without the typical cream, vanilla, fruit or yeast I tend to get from ripe.
The standout is the body and texture, very thick and mouth-coating. Really nice.

Something a bit different from both the factory ripes and Lumber Slut I've been drinking lately. Not getting significant wo dui, but I wonder if the flavor will change with such a recent production.

>>20324242
Good photo, good review. I agree completely. Love having some around. I think a decade of age would treat something like this very well.

>>20324254
yeah, it hits different for sure. will need to drink some more to decide how much I like the minimalist earthy chocolate flavor, but the texture is top tier. they weren't joking with the "Thick, dark and smooth" description. makes me wonder what parameters result in this, I'm guessing high fermentation and maybe material from some single area?

first impressions are way more positive than the Snoozefest, which I found to be just okay

Ive seen several tea listings recently that say something like
>Experienced puer drinkers tend to focus more on mouthfeel then flavor
Is this true for you?
Is this a reasonable statement or cope for bland but thick teas?

>>20324596
I think you learn to enjoy the subtleties like mouthfeel and aftertaste more with time, while newbies mostly appreciate the flavor and aroma
but the flavor and aroma obviously still matter

>>20324596
I like my teas thicc and slicc.

>>20324596
Blandness always sucks if you ask me, but mouthfeel can elevate a good tea to a great tea

>>20324609
I do love when you get a nice tea with an aftertaste that lasts 20 minutes with complex sweet roack sugar mineral notes. Good stuff

I almost forgot about my cheap farmer leaf 23 Yingpan Shan Black. When i first got this i didn't like it as much as last years batch. Now that ive let it rest a bit its nicer, more fruity notes shine through. It still has a bit of a sour note i didn't notice in the previous batch but still fine for 7¢ / g. Maybe a few more months will mellow it out some more.

>>20324596
that Peak Vulture I just tried seems to be an example of a tea that's more about the mouthfeel than the flavor. I think mouthfeel is important for ripe
I'll add though that a good mouthfeel doesn't have to be super thick, it can be mineralic, fluffy or fizzy or otherwise interesting. this especially goes for raw pu-erh

>>20324701
i feel like my descriptions of things never align with how other people view them in this thread, the yingpan shan just tastes like bread and pepper to me (its very good).

im getting notes of ummm teak smoked spalted maple woodchips (crushed underfoot by child's sketchers sneaker in 2001 playground of my youth) ummm mineralistic oxydated sodium nodule, also chocolate, vanilla, strawberry shortcake, deuterium, the mouthfeel is ummm malty, unctuous creamy, fizzy, ummmm water with leaves in it-y, ummm flowing, unabated suburban sprinkler water collecting on a curb and flowing into a small river of waterlogged lawn clippings gently coasting in clumpy islands into the rusty drain, loudly, cascading into the metallic depths in my gated community at night where there is no crime

>>20324958
honestly the last line of that was poetry

>>20324958
I want what this anon is drinking. Must be some kind of fu brick...

>>20324958
>W2T when asked about where their tea comes from

>>20324958

puer fans in chat, why do yall like the dirt tea? Yes its got great thick mouthfeel, but you can get that with a tea that has actually pleasant flavors

>>20325184
it reminds me of the time i spent underground suckling from tree roots for seventeen years in my youth.

>>20325051
>I bought it off a soccermom and mislabeled it
Sorry guys that Fall Baller was actually a Springaling Fling. No refunds.

>>20325184
I like the taste, but what do you suggest?

A nice haul today! My Peak Vulture came in along with some dan cong I've been meaning to try and two ripe/raw blends. 2024 Riparian and 2024 Jamrock Steady. Got a freebie Alienist that seems at least 30% larger than any pearl I've seen from w2t, stickers, and an engraved pick. I'm going to let it all rest for a while but I'm looking forward to the ripe/raw blends which I've never had before.

>>20325392
Very jelly of that pick. I think those are usually december/jan tea club freebies.

>>20325184
Raw puer is better then the fermented stuff. You can get fantastic dynamic tasty ripe but it costs $$$.

What does chrysanthemum tea taste like?

>>20325723
I just finished off a minibrick of this. Just that little bit of flower in the tea added a complex earthy spice to the mix. Very pleasant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNsOJHp-hg0

I have been brewing 3.5-4g CTC Orange Pekoe for 4 minutes. I tried brewing for 5 just now and it tastes a little 'dirty', I'm not really sure how else to describe it. When I do a second infusion, I brew between 6-8 minutes and it usually tastes quite dirty; should I just try brewing for 4-5 on the second one? I'm trying to make a really strong drink but I also notice the colour on the second infusion is translucent rather than deep black opaque.

>>20325972
> I tried brewing for 5 just now and it tastes a little 'dirty',
Yeah that makes sense
If you want it stronger, keep the same brew time add more tea, try and extra gram and go from there. CTC is processed in a way where it infuses quickly and has a strong taste. You may find that a second brew with it just doesn't taste great because you have already gotten most of the flavor out of it. A second brew with black tea is always going to be a bit lighter in taste and color. It's worth trying a shorter second brew to see if it tastes better.

Please provide me some information on infusers. My current one is a mesh cup sort of thing and while it's perfectly functional it's a pain in the ass to clean because the mesh is thick enough on the bottom that simply turning it upside down is insufficient.
What kind of infuser do you use for loose leaf?

>>20324958
gem

>>20325184
i dont know what the fuck a mouth feel is, i just like the taste

>>20325723
Short steeps, it is light and floral. Longer steeps it is darker, thicker, slight bitter.

>>20326337
like drinking cum vs drinking rubbing alcohol

>>20326172
if you want peak ease of cleaning, a gaiwan will still outperform any infuser

>>20325392
nice. might try the Alienist freebie today

Trying the Alienist mini. Really heavy roast on this thing. Not getting much of the underlying sheng material, really just dark roast flavors. It seems to be better when brewed light.
Can't say I'm convinced by this experiment, though could be an interesting one to try for yancha appreciators.

This hobby is such a rabbit hole, no wonder people just drink it bagged and call it a day, I was happier back then as well.

>>20326701
What's ruining the enjoyment for you?
Just being overwhelmed from options?
If so don't fall into the average constant mass buy mindset and chasing highs/fomo aspect of tea.
Find teas you enjoy and buy them, and experiment with extras on orders.
Tea is what you make of it, some people just want a light caffeine experience, some people chase flavors, some the body feel, some collecting cups/gaiwans/etc.
I just enjoy an all day session of whatever tea I like(cheap or otherwise) and enjoy the process and enjoying tasty tea.
If there's days I don't want to 'waste' the leaves on a small amount of brew, I just use less and steep longer.

>>20326725
Didn't mean to have sage there kek, enjoying some Jin Guan Yin Anxi Oolong while wfh right now

Anyone else here who just drinks straight out of the gaiwan? People on the internet obsess over mug gongfu but it seems pointless unless you're serving multiple people or are drinking really high end expensive shit

>>20326749
do it up man, whatever you enjoy lmao.
I just use a larger 190ml cup and do a full gaiwan poor into it so the leaves can rest/cool, but if it tastes good and lasts a while that's pretty sweet and simple.
I've done a lot of grandpa style mug brewing but with generally a lot less leaves, ever thought of doing it with a gaiwan desu.
Do you try drinking through it fast so it doesn't get bitter or do you use less leaves?

>>20326725
nta but I felt the pressure to buy with those limited time w2t releases, it's annoying.
I just want my comfy sips

what is the greatest cinnamon-heavy tea out there?

>>20326766
>dubs
nice
I'll be honest, I don't care about limited releases because if it's a tea I truly enjoy I'll probably never find it again or be able to buy more cakes of it before they sell out.
It's also why I don't really hop in the discord often, mostly just to chill and see people's gongfu setups lmfao.
Some people get into a group think about certain things or unintentionally spreading fomo by hyping releases.
I usually just do 2 big orders a year and drink through it at my pace.
>>20326782
Don't have much experience there but, Harney and Sons Cinnamon spice, or if you want a tastier experience their hot apple spice is pretty cinna forward.
Only bagged tea I buy is that hot apple spice it's fucking good.

>>20326756
Mine is only 120ml (so probably only around 80ml of actual water) so it's usually gone in a few sips anyway. Haven't noticed it getting too bitter but so far I've only tried green tea in it so far, might be different with oolongs or whatever.

first session with the Moon Waffles
really viscous and warming, hay, oat milk, slightly floral, some brown sugar or dark honey that reminds me of some of the nicer yunnan blacks

really enjoying it. I should definitely drink some more white teas, but I have no idea how to tell which ones are good, the prices just seem random
early on I've been dissuaded from white tea with some bland examples but this one and the Jingmai one from FarmerLeaf have been really tasty

Crystal cup for fen shui ling oolong black it deserve it.

>>20326725
Options and perfectionism mostly, in terms of tea making and equipment sets as well, I wish I could have the clueless, naive, happy go lucky attitude I had when I was only drinking bagged, now I mess up a bit, or it doesn't come out well or I get fleeced on some tea or equipment and I get stressed.

>>20326821
Maybe buy less expensive stuff. Also, if you buy some tea which doesn't taste amazing on its own because of the presence of a flaw - bitterness, astringency, some other off taste - usually you can save it by blending with another tea.

>>20326827
>Maybe buy less expensive stuff.
I guess that's a FOMO problem in general that I gotta work on
>usually you can save it by blending with another tea
Never tried this though, I'll remember to try it next time I'm in a pinch, thanks anon.

>>20326789
sweet, that's something I might try sometime for fun, thanks for the idea mang.
>>20326797
Haven't tried white2tea yet(been using YS for many years), are a lot of their cakes pressed like that in sections? What does the average square weight? Seems like a cool pressing concept to make sectioning it out easier.
>>20326821
I learned this with being a whiskey enjoyer, price doesn't mean quality or taste.
I have like 5 gaiwans and a few pots so I understand that, but really you only need 2-3 giawans at most, anything more is just for fun.
If you over think tea, it becomes a bad time, same with any hobby really.
If you enjoy a tea and it's cheap, it doesn't mean you have a bad palette or taste, it's what you enjoy, don't try pushing to expensive shit because other people think it's "refined". For example I prefer middle ground green teas vs a lot heavier vegetal high end green teas.
If there's specific flavors or qualities you don't enjoy they may be greatly increased in pricier teas for honing in on it.

>>20326797
Who has these available? They sound wonderful.

>debate getting new teas for a week from yunnan
>switch to night shift, get distracted
>the teas I wanted are now out of stock
I mean I guess it's on the international site but shipping is longer and more costly. Kicking myself rn.

...xiaguan pencil pot
I have ran out of way to avoid throwing decades old cardboard in the bin

>>20326864
White2tea
Any reccs for more viscous white teas?

>>20326749
>straight out of the gaiwan
That's why the gaiwan was created. Pouring tea from the gaiwan into a cup or pitcher is a modern thing.

What sets a yellow tea apart from Green/White teas?

>>20324958
kek'd

>>20327104
It's like green tea, but after pan frying and before drying they bag it up and let it sit in heat and moisture for some time, a day or so.

>>20327118
Oh, interesting! Thank you very much.

>>20326749
Too hot and can't control steep time. Do you drink directly from a coffee pot, too?

FarmerLeaf just announced they'll be organising small tea tours around the tea mountains

Hello, I'm still learning about tea and moving beyond the basics of "put bag in hot water" that I grew up with. I wanted to ask, what does it actually mean to 'push' a tea? Does it mean steeping it longer/brew it at a higher than usual temperature? Thank you for the explanation.

>>20327322
Damn. I bet that would be really fun.

>>20327328
Yes pretty much, just getting a stronger brew by some means.

>>20327328
>Does it mean steeping it longer/brew it at a higher than usual temperature?
Yeah, exactly that. Steeping a tea really strong can make it taste quite different. It can also help you get one more steep out of a tea that's mostly done.

>>20327322
I'm going to go. No doubt in my mind.

>>20327328
To add to what >>20327348 and >>20327351 said, even after leaves are 'spent' (i.e. not producing any substantial flavor), you can do multiminute steeps to bring out some light notes and to enjoy the mouthfeel and/or after flavors that may linger. Where it's more like a soup, so might not be enjoyable to you, but something to try.
For example with this oolong >>20326728 I get around 8-10 steeps with my heavier leaf load(last 2 are where you 'push' it) and I usually do another 2 steeping at 2 then 3 minutes after.

>>20326172
I use a mesh basket like this.
After brewing i tap it out in the trash, pull out any remaining large leaves with my finger and then turn it upside down and rinse it under the sink.

>>20326797
Nice, glad you like it!

>>20326871
>the teas I wanted are now out of stock
If its this years loose leaf he should restock them on the US website relatively quickly

>>20326937
Nice, most of the newer ones have vent holes in the bottom but i have an old 2006 one is use to store all my leftover tea dust from cakes. When I'm feeling brave i brew a couple grams up grampa style. Its surprisingly decent.

Finishing up a jingmai gulan sample I got as a freebie, this is pretty tasty stuff. The fragrance was surprisingly nice in the early steeps and, good sweetness. Bretty good and also thank fuck it's spring and I'm leaving the ripe dungeon

>>20327556
>store all my leftover tea dust from cakes
Nice idea. I ran out of small objects to stash away in them, I'll do this next.

>>20327348
>>20327351
>>20327401
Thank you very much for the clarification, that's what I thought. I'm looking forward to experimenting with and learning more about tea in the weeks to come!

My teahome order came in!
Shipping took like a week and a half. No tracking once it hit the US. It also was signature required just as a heads up, i guess because this order was larger it got sent as a different shipping option then the last one.
Will get tasting notes up in the next few days.
Got 300g of the regular legend of tung ting
150g of roasted alishan oolong.
And another 300g of roasted tea crumbs.
Im glad this came quick i was really missing the legend of tung ting after i finished off my first order.

>>20327245
>Do you drink directly from a coffee pot, too?
You don't? lol what a faggot

>>20327629
>teahome
>go to site
>it's all chink runes
why do they do this?

>>20327322
>>20327348
>>20327392
https://www.farmer-leaf.com/pages/tea-tour
>The tour will cost you:
>1560 usd if you go alone
>1140 usd per person for two people
>860 usd per person for three people
I guess I need to make tea friends, 860usd is really not bad at all for 5 days.
This is definitely something I want to do.
I've never used discord, is the server they link at the bottom of that page worth joining?

>>20327665
>even their copyright notice is in english
ffs.

>>20327671
I will bring my chink friend to translate chinkenese for me, but that's steep...

>>20327671
ok I need to understand, don't you need a visa to visit chink land? anyone know how to do this shit? are the visas zoned by whatever CCP evil economic region bs?

>>20327665
>go to site
>it's all chink runes
>why do they do this?
Teahome mostly caters to the domestic Taiwan market. They just happen to ship intentionally to a few counties. Just use a chromium based browser and the in page translation feature.
Its a little annoying but they also don't charge western vendor prices for their teas so it's fine with me.

>>20327671
It's cheap. Flights to get out there and back will be like 7 grand.
The discord is fine. Slow, quiet, but pretty good quality. No massive egos dominating channels, but lots of fags. Typical discord fair. If you don't use discord already, no it isn't really worth joining for the FL disc. This thread is faster and has better quality.

>>20327671
>Be alert to criminal schemes, such as:

> “Tourist Tea” Scams: PRC nationals invite visitors out to tea and leave them with an exorbitant bill.

lol, based state department.

>>20327723
>Flights to get out there and back will be like 7 grand.
It's not that bad.
I'm looking at some random flight connection site and from let's say eu it's sub 2k.
Some of these flights are like 30 hours thought.

>>20327629
Nice anon, I am currently waiting on my teahome order to arrive. When I first looked at your picture I was worried that the tea wasn't labeled in english, but it seems like the one on the left is and we just can't see the others. I have heard good things about their tea so I am looking foreward to it.

>>20327723
Good to know about the discord, thanks.
Looking at google flights, from the US round trip flights appear to vary pretty wildly from around $2k to around $8k. It's going to be a while before I can save up for and take a vacation anyways though, and I've been thinking about spending a few days in Hong Kong and/or Singapore as well, so idk. I've got more research to do and plenty of time to do it.
>>20327748
Lmao

>>20327748
>“Tourist Tea” Scams: PRC nationals invite visitors out to tea and leave them with an exorbitant bill.
I see people complaining about this from time to time and i still don't understand how it's possible. Who the fuck thinks it's a good idea to accept an invitation from a total stranger.

>>20327701
>Just use a chromium based browser and the in page translation feature.
I wish firefox's "local SMT" translator supported chink runes. It's really useful for French.

>>20327773
Yeah they are all labeled in English somewhere except for the tea crumbs and those are pretty self explanatory.
>>20327835
>I wish firefox's "local SMT" translator supported chink runes. It's really useful for French.
It was apparently sponsored by the EU or some European organization which is why that's mostly the languages it covers currently.

bros I've been in love with hojicha, any similar or better recommendations?

>>20327862
drink sencha?

>>20327862
genmai cha? (echoing >>20327898)

>>20327898
>>20327898
tried sencha and genmaicha, but I much prefer hojicha over both. they are both quite different from hojicha, I was hoping for something more like it

>>20327907
Longjing has a mellow nutty flavor, is that what you like about hojicha?

>>20327913
I'll try this, and yeah, exactly

>>20327812
People who go to a foreign country to drink tea, mate. The whole point is to drink deeply not just from the tea, but from the font culture and people there. Shithead locals abuse soft, postmodern adventurers.

>>20327748
>will wanted to kidnap me all along
Damn it I knew his teas were too good.

>>20326782
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinnamon_tea
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sujeonggwa

>>20327862
Genmai cha
Roasted bancha
Roasted barley tea
Charcoal roasted wuyi oolongs (yancha)

>>20328016
And fuck the ganmaicha with matcha in it, shit sux just get the stuff that is all toasted rice and sencha

>>20327982
I hope he traps me in his puer dungeon

>>20327953
>tfw no shithead cute han girl will ever tempt me with her puer and lead me to her tea dungeon, where i'll be forced to pay exorbitant prices.

Yesheng cold brew; need it or keep it?

>>20328528
It's probably interesting

If you don't mind reading machine translated articles http://www.puerh.fr/article/ Has some solid scholarship on puer.

>>20328686
I guess I'll find out.

Found out today that if you leave out a half glass of Lagavulin 8 year scotch that it smells exactly like quality Lapsang

Was at a health food store and saw they had some Japanese green tea from Republic of Tea, and that has got to be the absolute worst thing I've ever put in my body holy duck that was awful. Smelled awful, tasted awful. Told a tea friend and he pretty much went "lol lmao yeah they suck", I didn't know.
Took a little hit to my willingness to order green teas but we'll see.

My w2t puer sampler arrived and the 4 cakes are packed together in bamboo. Wouldn't that mix the aromas and affect the teas? What should I do with them now and when will they be ready to drink? I got a tiny sample of waffles ripe as well, I'll try that first.

>>20328984
For shipping it's no problem. You should put them in some kind of storage with with a humidity solution. Although they're ready to drink now.
In long term storage, teas should be segregated by genre. However it takes months if not years of incorrect storage to permanently mess up a cake. Don't sweat the small stuff for now, just enjoy your tea. Focus more on preparation and enjoyment. And of course, post pictures and your review and critique.

Any advice for storing tea bricks? Should I just keep it wrapped in paper like for cakes or is there a specific method i should use?

Gaiwan isn't as easy as it looks, that thing is scalding hot.

>>20328984
>when will they be ready to drink?
Now
>>20328983
Green tea has gotta be fresh, pretty much any green tea you can find on a store shelf is gonna be old and bland tasting.
That said did you brew with boiling water? You gotta let the water cool off for 3 minutes or so after you boil it to brew green tea. Something like 80 to 90°c

>>20329104
Just store them the same as cakes.
>>20329136
Yeah they are a bit tricky at first, make sure you aren't overfilling it, if the water is too high the rim is gonna get uncomfortably hot.

im brand new here, was in the last thread asking about what i should do and i was recommended this taetea '7542' and '7572' stuff. I dont have the most ideal setup, but I do have a temp control water boiler and a french press.

I am very surprised that I liked the raw more than the ripe! as I am typing this many hours later I can swear that I can still taste this salty mineral flavor on my own teeth, how the hell is that? this stuff is growing on me, it does not fuck with my stomach like coffee does literally at all. I am intrigued and will be lurking here for awhile now. do you need to 'wash' the ripe puer with a flash infusion and dumping the first infusion? ahh shit and now i have a tab open with this stupid mud and leaves site. i get too interested in rabbit hole hobbyist things. i will probably make another order with maybe something a bit cheaper than thsi 20 dollars for 150g stuff. also the cakes were way harder to break apart than i thought they would be

>>20329156
>does not fuck with my stomach like coffee does literally at all

Be careful with that. Raws on an empty stomach can be irritating. I've had an early morning spew drinking brick dust.

Curious if anyone here has sources for tea industry news. Stuff like when specific estates are picking/processing, which teas are contenders for competitions, research in new cultivars/varietals etc.

>>20329136
Yeah I burned myself and spilled some tea the first few times I used one. Once you get a feel for it the ergonomics (and the ease of cleaning in particular) actually are quite nice

no shit its not "real" matcha but is it at least powdered green tea? or sencha at least? what the fuck am i drinking? i question products with buzz words "full of antioxdants" "anti aging"

>>20329156
Nice stuff, the raw there is pretty well liked, I haven't tried that ripe.
>do you need to 'wash' the ripe puer
It's preferable with ripe especially if it carries some funky smells. Otherwise it shouldn't be needed in a french press.
>also the cakes were way harder to break apart than i thought they would be
You can use a small (clean) screwdriver or awl to help, or grab a $1 puerh pick off aliexpress.

>>20329413
I don't think it'll be anything other than powdered green tea, it's probably just shit quality, when they bang on about health nonsense it usually is.

Late night cursed tisane.

Rooibos with leftover cinnamon toast crunch cereal milk. I was worried it'd bee too sweet, but it wasn't that bad.

>>20329437
As horrifying as that is, I can kind of imagine rooibos taking a vanilla-like role in that mix

>>20329413
if you have a lot of that, consider making some cookies with it

I need to get some quality white tea ASAP, looking to buy from theTea.pl for quick local delivery
can any white tea fiends tell me if these sound any good?
https://thetea.pl/en/produkt/2023-nannuo-xiao-shu-bai-cha/
https://thetea.pl/en/produkt/2019-jingmai-semi-wild-bai-cha/

>>20329136
Avoid overfilling, and you only want to use you fingers at highest point of the lip that flares out, and your first pointer finger knuckle on the lid. I usually us my thumb, ring finger, and pinky finger.
Makes a big difference, and do not slow pour(longer the water is sitting at the lid, the quicker and hotter it gets, common sense but it's a distinct point). Additionally, can angle the lid slightly deeper in to get a faster pour.
Once you're more comfortable and figure out what it wants(each gaiwan is different) you can get pretty fast clean pours without feeling it besides a gentle warmth.
>>20329437
You have an interesting mind Anon.
I'm genuinely curious as to what the experience was like.

>>20295045
SAUCE PLS.
the cheapest I found on aliexpress was 5$. How is that even possible including shipping? There's no way they wouldn't make any loss in shipping alone.
Once I found a listing of something being sold for 0.01$ incl. shipping and I was ruthless enough to take advantage of changs mistake and ended up receiving 200 kindle cases for 2€ in a huge spendition package. After receiving it, chang still hadn't noticed his mistake, so I ordered another 30 of so of them.

Started drinking ripe at midnight and was able to get full night of deep sleep. I need to get more ripe for nightly tea sessions.

>>20328748
It's awful.
Very strong pungent honey like flavor with perfumey notes.
Definitely don't "cold brew" this stuff.

just cracked open the 2022 version of this meme cake
the dry peppery woods are hitting just right, same for the slightly smoky, slightly bitter aftertaste. feels like this might be a bit more burly and woody with less vanilla than 2021

really standout ripe for the price honestly, distinctive and memorable

>>20328718
that's impressive

>>20329824
Wtf, ripe gets me so wired I'd swear it has some crazy unknown psychoactive chemicals in it. Gives me a bit of a headache, too.

>>20329906
It gets me to a good place. I also drink plenty of glycine throughout the day and that probably helps.

>>20329883
I refuse to buy meme tea cakes. call me a boomer or whatever, but I just can't stomach giving w2t my money.

>>20329937
This is part of why I haven't ordered from w2t yet, seems super edgy and heavy on presentation mattering.
I've heard good things about some of their teas but still hesitant to pull the trigger on like my 240 dollar cart I have on there lmfao.
I like YS style of some simple but also nice designs.

>>20327812
Let them sue, I wouldn't pay

>>20330022
>get stopped by CCP ching chong agents at the gate for unpaid bills
IDK man, I just wouldn't go to China at all. It sounds like a lawless shithole country with a few designated jewels (major metros) in a sea of shit.

>>20329937
>>20330016
I've also avoided them for a while, but found their large selection of inexpensive ripe too tempting in the end. The white tea I tried yesterday was really enjoyable too.
They also make a lot of weird experimental shit like smoked everything, blends of white and black tea etc. so there are some unique things to try.
For raw pu-erh I'll stick with farmerleaf and maybe cspuerh though. White2tea's cheaper raws haven't wowed me and they don't really do free shipping or discounts.

>>20329937
Boomer.
Their teas are usually good. Their marketing is also good given it's spoken about more than any other's here.
>>20330043
My perspective is inverted. Their population in dense cities are degenerate, a universal axiom, and their rural areas are more sane and hospitable. People in major metros are nuts. I would feel much more comfortable travelling, accompanied, through Xishuangbanna than I would through Guanguzhou.
>>20330054
Those experiments are appealing and accessible. Granted w2t maybe isn't great for beginners, not without guidance anyway, but what they're doing has its place. I'm glad they're around

>>20330054
So you'd recommend their ripes?
>>20330212
Anything you'd specifically recommend?
Currently have the following in the cart that I haven't pulled the trigger on(mostly due to marketing):
1: 2022 moon waffles cake
2: 2021 lesser evils cake
3: 2023 milan maocha top shelf brick
4: assort ministacks(2019 Gongmei,2020 demon slayer,2018 smooth cocoa
Wouldn't say I'm an expert puer drinker but I'm definitely not a beginner.

>been mostly drinking tea in a metal infuser right in the cup, cause I have a big cup and I just drink one at a time so why bother with a pot
>go out and have some oolong at a restaurant
>like it and decide to buy myself some oolong
>brew it at home and it tastes nothing like the restaurant
>realise it tastes metallic-y
>next cup I brew I just dump the leaves in (it's big pieces, not quite whole leaves I think but big enough that it doesn't float everywhere or get in the way of drinking)
>actually tastes like oolong
>realise I've been drinking metal-flavoured tea for like the past three years or so
Fuck. Okay so for my teas which are smaller than whole-leaf or near that, which would just create a bunch of dust in the cup if used without an infuser, how are they supposed to be brewed? Is a pot (and pouring through a strainer) the only way? I really wanna be lazy and brew directly in the cup.

I checked some fancy tea websites and the only infusers they sell are also ultra-cheap metal ones. Like you'll sell £50 per 100g tea, but the only infusers you have for sale are a pack of ten for £5, or something, which surely aren't gonna be any better than my £1-2 tier infusers from amazon.

>>20330212
>marketing is also good
Good and annoying aren't mutually exclusive. I don't let it stop me buying stuff though, I just want tea at the end of the day.

>>20329156
>as I am typing this many hours later I can swear that I can still taste this salty mineral flavor on my own teeth, how the hell is that?
Its referred to as lasting sweetness / i forgot how it's spelled in Chinese something like hai gen. Anyway yeah it's pretty cool when you get some tea where the flavor lasts on your tongue like 20-30 minutes after you drink it.

>>20330262
Homie do the pour through a strainer method, it's super easy and simple with a gaiwan and takes 0 effort.
Get something like this
>pic rel
The bigger one fits my large 190ml cup perfectly, and the smaller one fits my small 90ml cups.
Can also work with a mug or whatever you got going on.

>>20330274
*Hui gan
Is how it's spelled in Chinese

>>20330275
Yeah but that means I have to brew in a pot, then rinse the pot afterwards. I do have strainers, it's just more annoyance to deal with. Reeeee
I would've thought it should be easy to have in-cup brewing to a decent quality. I'm not trying to do chinese traditional brewing here, I steep the fuck out of my leaves in one infusion, I just want it to taste nice.

>>20330289
I guess you can use those paper disposable teabags.

>>20330022
>Let them sue
They won't do shit, this is illegal. These people are not inviting tourists into an actual business and charging them hidden foreigner prices, they are taking people in shady places (that are not actually teahouses) and force them to drink and pay. If you tell them to fuck off they can't do anything to you (at most they'll threaten to beat you up). That's why i'm saying you have to be a special kind of stupid to not only accept an invitation from a total stranger, but also follow them into a backstreet shithole.

>>20330292
Fair enough, I guess I'll just have to pot then

>>20330251
From that list I've only had Demon Slayer. It's a passable huang pian, but all huang pian is a little on the boring side. Inoffensive but always smooth and easy to brew.
I've heard good things about Moon Waffles though I've never had the moonlight white style. Milan Maocha bricks are also something worth putting in your order. You have a solid cart. Maybe grab some dragon balls of some things that sound interesting to you. I tend to shill Boat Captain and Camphornought.
>>20330262
Oolong is also a really diverse family. Something at a restaurant may not be what you buy unless you're specific.
>>20330268
Yes sir.

>have the stomach flu
Tea for this feel?

>>20330311
Honey and onion

>>20330305
Boat captain sounds interesting, how's the smoke?
I've only tried a couple smoked oolongs, never puers, I'm a peaty whiskey enjoyer(taliskers/ardbeg/laphroig/etc) so sounds up my alley.

>>20330311
Young raw

>>20330305
>Oolong is also a really diverse family.
I know, I bought a couple of different ones. But what clued me in is that it tasted the same as my "black teas".

>>20330317
It smells strong, but it isnt so in flavor. Not overwhelming on the tongue. Nowhere near as angry as a lapsang suchong. It reminds me of my pipe as the bowl is nearly finished and there are some ashy notes in the draw.
>>20330369
I'm a little surprised this isn't brought up more often given how frequently the big metal infusers are recommended for beginners. It might be the case that it's dogma suggested to beginners from anons. It's likely that anybody interested in tea enough to find the thread and ask for recommendations has an adventurous spirit enough to start with a gaiwan or teapot despite being recommended the submersibles infusers. You may have fallen through the cracks.

>>20330423
>You may have fallen through the cracks.
It's actually my first time posting itt, I didn't really get any recommendations, but infusers are just such an accepted everyday part of life, sold everywhere with no warnings etc., that I never even suspected an issue.
I can tell the taste now even in the black teas I was used to, but before having realised it was even a possibility, I don't think I would ever have figured it out on my own without the opportunity to do a direct comparison test.

If this is actually normal and not just me having particularly shitty infusers, I'm honestly really surprised this isn't extremely common knowledge. Why are they even sold, let alone apparently recommended? A cheapo plasticky teabag probably has less effect on taste than this.

>>20330311
Ma huang.
>>20330251
I like moonwaffles and lesser evils alot. All their ripes I've had are pretty good(better than the the YS house ripes and XG Sweet at least). I'd say the most disappointing one I've got now is Old reliable, but someone else would probably love it. Its not bad, just tastes a bit like hot arizona sweet tea. I like a little more complexity. Haven't found anything that stands out like the Bo Jun but I stick in the $20-50 range. A friend of mine just snagged some of those 2024 oolongs. Only thing I've heard back from him is he already broke the gaiwan lid.

>>20330462
>Ma huang
Your what?

yeah, I was shushed out by the discorders in the last thread when I mentioned that metal infusers make shitty tea. wtf? the hivemind is strong in this general. group buy, group think.
I woudn't take reccs from here right now.
>>20330467
picrel

>>20330459
Depending on how you feel about plastic the finum brew baskets are popular

>>20330537
>plastic
meh
>are popular
so are metal infusers lmao

I'll just brew straight in the pot from now then, and deal with rinsing the pot out. (My pot is a bitch to rinse because it's got a tiny lid, I should probably get a smaller one with a more reasonable design.)

>mom found the puerh cakes

>>20330601
>mom found the tea drawer :(

>>20330478
>hivemind
No.

>>20330755
>>20330755
>>20330755
>>20330755

>>20329514
I'm no fiend but they both sound good to me, though it depends on what you like as usual.
The first and younger one looks like it's made from lower quality leaves and more oxidized since it wouldn't be quite as good/interesting/nuanced if pressed and packed earlier (though white tea isn't kill green'd so it'll keep oxidizing, albeit more slowly, even in cakes), though the price is lower to match.
The second was less oxidized when pressed and I reckon it'll be """more like an average white tea""", despite being left to age more.
None of them will be anything like the average pu-erh, rather more like a mix between white-floral and red-fruity, scarcely tannic and easy to drink.
I'd personally buy the second one despite the higher price since it's still reasonably priced and I prefer lightly oxidized teas, plus I'd be curious to see the effect of 5 years of storage on a cake of white.

>>20329762
yeah. youre utterly deranged by the way.
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256805357714241.html
>>20327862
thanks for another catincomputer pic for my collection

>>20329762
...what did you do with them...?

One last KTM shill post, they have a dayi nugget brick that's $30, looks to have a pretty high nugget content
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2020-dayi-lao-cha-tou-old-tea-head-brick-250g-puerh-shou-cha-ripe-tea?variant=43687244595430

>>20331049
>catincomputer pic for my collection
a trade has been made

>>20331078
Sell them to normalfags on ebay