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/ck/ - Food & Cooking


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14322239 No.14322239 [Reply] [Original]

/tea/
basket aged edition

/tea/ FAQ: (version 2.1 coming soon)
https://pastebin.com/P6Pcyv3U

"Suggest tea for me"
>Your country
>What tea have you tried before
>Do you own a teapot, gaiwan etc
Tea bags are OK, but inferior.

previous thread
>>14291788

>> No.14322258

Tea News
Anon has the itch >>14321528
Anon wants to pack lips of tea >>14314662
Anon receives some tea >>14302619
Anon brews some old mulch >>14302014
Anon has teapot troubles >>14319614
Shipping is still a mess. If you order from china make sure you get EMS shipping at minimum. DHL or FedEx if you want your tea fast.
Shipping from Japan is still limited to DHL and FedEx only.
Early spring greens are starting to sell out from Japanese vendors. Make sure you get your order in soon.

>> No.14322296
File: 54 KB, 996x296, gongfu.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14322296

Okay so this is the current text for the gongfu section of the pastebin. Please give your comments on what I should add or change.

>> No.14322350

>>14322296

I don't see anything particularly wrong with it. Only thing you might add is to preheat the gaiwan if you're not using a tea that requires a rinse.

>> No.14322356

Sipping my first infusion of Crimson Lotus's 2019 Lao Man'E. It's already quite intense; I was expecting bitterness but this is more than I bargained for. Probably should have eaten something first. Texture and aftertaste are fabulous though. Aroma is of golden raisin mixed with that petroleum/battery aura of young sheng. Wonder what this will be like a few years down the line.

>> No.14322386

>>14322356
Oh man, someone had to bite the bullet and try lao man E. Do they specify if it's the "sweet" version of lao man E leaves or the extra bitter version?

>> No.14322408

>>14322356
>>14322386
I looked it up myself, they say it's a blend of the bitter and sweet varietals, and it's a fall picking. So apparently it can get even more bitter. Their cake seems like the best of the Lao Man E cakes to drink young. King tea mall and bitter leaf both have spring pickings of the all bitter varietals, they are much more expensive, and I probably wouldn't want to drink them for a good 15-20 years.

>> No.14322458

>>14322239
Which is a better tea: builders or Irish Breakfast? I always enjoy sitting outside with a cuppa strong PG Tips with sugar, but I never tried Irish Breakfast.

>> No.14322510
File: 18 KB, 554x554, pillivuytmug.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14322510

Since I brew everything grampa style I don't get to splash out on fancy teapots so I figured I would treat myself to a nice pillivuyt french porcelain mug. Hopefully it's good quality.
If anyone has suggestions for good straight walled mugs in the 8-10oz range let me know. I'm especially interested in porcelain, English bone china, or Chinese steam kiln stuff. Plain white preferred but as long as the inside is white it will do.

>> No.14322517

>>14322458
I don't really like British tea, when I bought a box of pg tips I had to keep my brew times to less than 60 seconds to make a cup I could enjoy. If I had to choose I would get a fancy whole leaf English breakfast blend, Irish breakfast is way too bracing.

>> No.14322616

>>14322458
if PG tips is similar to the brand Yorkshire, then I always preferred the Irish style (Barry's). Just seems like an overall upgrade.

>> No.14323017

So when WWIII with China starts will you anons have enough tea to last a couple years? I have about 50 puerh cakes, and ten pounds or so of super high grade oolongs, white, and red teas.

>> No.14323019

>>14322239
Those cups must be trash, instant hand burns

>> No.14323108

>>14323019
Yeah I agree. I'm pretty skeptical about using any kind of glass teaware.

>> No.14323143
File: 38 KB, 540x936, 1593364700149.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14323143

>tfw love tea
>live in burgerville though and the only stuff I've had is bigelow processed cancer
how badly am I missing out bros

>> No.14323148

>>14323143
There are some quite good teas out there that are definitely worth a try.

>> No.14323186

>>14322296
quick rinse is just that, quick. after 20 seconds half of your oolong will be gone.
gongfu is decanting into pitcher, with or without strainer, then into cups. skippable, I know, but you said gong-fu. smell of emptied pitcher is one of the fun things to take note of between the brews.

>>14322350
and there are those goyim ;). also skippable, but gong-fu.

also my small quick session gaiwan is 65ml, where is your god now?

>> No.14323201

>>14323143
Ollie from Green Tea Guru seems to have decent selection of chink tea. He's legit, as you can see in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPD-r3zfcwA

theteaguru.co.uk

He also sells healing crystals and beads.

There's also https://what-cha.com/

>> No.14323382

>>14323201
I appreciate you anon.

>> No.14323388

What is a good gift for the tea person that has everything?

>multiple gaiwan sets and quality brewing accessories.
>temperature controlled room to store tea.
>always gets top shelf tea of all types.
>I know the person has been to at least one tea plantation.

At first I thought about getting a really nice tea cake but I don't want to give the person a duplicate.

Then I thought about putting money toward a special tea plantation tour but COVID.

Any ideas /tea/?

>> No.14323409

>>14322239
Am I a pleb for making loose leaf tea in a pint glass with a tea ball?
I do 2 pints of green and 2 pints of red bush every day

>> No.14323420

>>14323388
at this point I would probably settle for a simple heartfelt handjob.
joking aside he wouldn't say no to this https://yunnansourcing.com/products/2016-hai-lang-hao-lao-ban-zhang-gu-shu-ancient-arbor-raw-pu-erh-tea-cake
even if it's duplicate

>> No.14323494

>>14323388
i generally think it's a bad idea to give people gifts related to their hobby. most of the time you'll end up being off the mark, chances are they know what they want and you're unlikely to be able to guess it.
however, you might be able to try to get something they didn't know they wanted. your budget for this gift seems pretty high. yunnan sourcing sells silver teapots. if he doesn't have one already, it might be a good idea. i've heard they have good properties for brewing, and if nothing else, they're beautiful as hell.

>> No.14323549

>>14322239
Is herbal tea meant to smell nice but taste of water? I don't get it.

t. black tea w/milk erry day

>> No.14323612

Update on the Lao Man'E-
this is overwhelmingly bitter, I'm going to stash it away for a few years and see what that does to it.

>> No.14323659

>>14323612
Sounds fun. I should get a sample.

>> No.14323712

>>14323612
>>14323659
Actually I'm not sure, the aftertaste is pretty good and it seems to last forever. It's like very dark chocolate, which isn't a note I'm used to in sheng. Very energizing, too.

>> No.14323814

>>14323388
Get em a sample of some 1950s liu bao
https://essenceoftea.com/collections/liu-bao-tea/products/1950s-pu-tian-gong-qing-liu-bao

>> No.14323830

>>14323814
Maybe throw in some 80s 7542
https://essenceoftea.com/collections/puerh-tea/products/1980s-menghai-7542-10g
They have some really high end oolong too if your friend is into that.

>> No.14323863
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14323863

After months of waiting, stressing, and other broken pieces of teaware given up in sacrifice. My one of a kind, hand made, commissioned teaware has arrived. It looks like pancakes, and is just stunningly beautiful.

Post your teaware lads. I’m probably gonna pass out Before I can have a session with it cause I’ve been awake For like two days waiting for the delivery so I wouldn’t miss it.

>> No.14323892

>>14323863
Pretty sweet anon. I hope it treats you well.

>> No.14324016

>>14323863

Hell yeah! What's the inaugural brew going to be?

>> No.14324025

>>14324016
I’m trying to choose still. But very likely a raw pu-erh, maybe crimson lotus’ daydream or intrigue. Or the purple voodoo black tea cake from YS. might roll a die or something to decide

>> No.14324054
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14324054

These "mustache guard" mugs might be pretty good for grandpa brewing.

>> No.14325428

Bump

>> No.14325494
File: 2.10 MB, 4032x3024, 00000PORTRAIT_00000_BURST20200629224036459_compress9.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14325494

Late night Yame gyokuro. My bread slicer at the bakery exploded itself last Saturday and won't be fixed until later tomorrow, so after baking and finishing up my invoicing I'm going to have to head back in to slice stuff by hand. Caffeine will be necessary.

>> No.14325646

>>14324054
I always found those little guards on bone china charming. Peak late-Victorian elegance. :-)

>> No.14325803

Hey everyone, I need advice on getting a teapot. I drink almost exclusively quality green tea, genmaicha, sencha, roasted barley, and occasionally gyokuro.
I need advice on a teapot that has a strainer that's fine enough to catch most of the fine leaves and is also big, at least 700ml but ideally 1000ml or more even.
Hardmode is finding one under $30.
Up until now, I have been brewing in a-n exceptionally large mug with a far too small strainer mated to the mug with a thin wooden ring I made. I also use a normal teapot that does not have a strainer.
I could sure use some advice!

>> No.14326104

>>14325803

I think that's going to be a pretty tall order. Japanese teas are generally brewed in smaller vessels and then steeped several times, so finding anything that big is going to be a little bit difficult, especially with your other criteria.

I'd say definitely go porcelain as it's cheap and won't ghost the flavors of those various teas, and maybe look for a more western style pot with a basket infuser in it.

>> No.14326118

>>14325803
https://www.amazon.com/Hario-CHN-70T-Kyusu-Fukami-700ml/dp/B00BD1O0WO/

They are only in stock in England the the shipping will push you a little over $30 but this is as good as it's going to get.

>> No.14326131

>>14326118
I found one that ships from inside the US.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cha-Kyusu-Fukami-Tea-Pot-700ml-Kitchen-amp-Dining/402265559036

>> No.14326612

>>14324025
decided to go with the purple voodoo, and man is the cake easy to break apart. its loose like a white tea cake, like seriously I could shake it lightly and get what I need off of it, damn.

>> No.14326638
File: 112 KB, 662x662, EYyMuIfVcAMJ_48.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14326638

What's a good tea for caffeine content?

>> No.14326643

>>14326638
black

>> No.14326672

>>14326612
Good choice, I liked purple voodoo. Goes well with a sweet breakfast too.

>> No.14326686

>>14326672
it is pretty good. bit sweeter than another purple leaf black tea I had, kinda like good grape jam on toast. and it lingers, like a breath of light wine is the way I'd describe it

>> No.14326696
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14326696

>>14326638

On average vendors actually put more caffeine into Green Tea than Black.

>> No.14327244

heichafags, how different is heicha from sheng and would you use your sheng yixing for heicha or liu bao?

>> No.14327270
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14327270

>>14327244
>heichafags, how different is heicha from sheng and would you use your sheng yixing for heicha or liu bao?

>> No.14327417

>>14327244
>how different is heicha from sheng
It's pretty different. It's some of it is kind of close to sheng, others are much closer to shu. I'm not a yixing guy partially because of stuff like this. I absolutely wouldn't use the same pot for sheng and hei cha. I also would probably not want to use the same pot for different hei cha. EX I would not want to use the same pot for liu bao and fu brick.

>> No.14327437

>>14327417
Really none of them taste like puer. The closest is probably liu bao to ripe puer but it's still pretty different.

>> No.14327533

W2T order placed April 2 has cleared US customs and is at a USPS distribution facility. Soon, anons.

>> No.14327585

What are folks thoughts on the necessity of seasoning new Yixing ware? I'm noticing a fairly distinct muting of flavor in mine so far and am wondering if that's par for the course early on or if a 10 minute boil and then a soak in strong tea will speed the process along. Probably worth mentioning I'm using it for shu and only have some milder material on hand right now.

>> No.14327600
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14327600

>>14327244

>> No.14327699

>>14327437
>>14327417
ty anons, ill use glass

>> No.14327826

>>14326104
>>14326118
>>14326131
Thanks for the suggestions. I saw that one on amazon and considered it, i'll probably go with that one. Thought I might ask in case anyone had resources I might have not known about.

>> No.14327844

>>14323863
This is a gorgeous set, I'm so happy for you

>> No.14328118

Take the Grandpastylepill

>> No.14328783
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14328783

Do you guys have ever bought teaware from Aliexpress? I live in Brazil and can't find them around here. Getting it from USA with the current exchange is out of question, so I started to look in the chinese stores. It will be my first kit, so what should I look for when choosing mine? I'm focusing on something easy to carry, since I will take my kit weekly with me to the university and probably some of my classmates will drink it with me.
https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/33008089228.html
https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/32901891073.html
https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/4000005897049.html
https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/4000751092984.html
These kits in special caught my attention, but I don't know if I should get one of them. Also,
https://pt.aliexpress.com/item/4000651923800.html
Would these be good samples to buy? I have zero experience with tea and maybe would be good to get them, so I would start rating what I like or not before buying more expensive tea.

>> No.14328891

>>14328783
Anything from Aliexpress is a crapshoot. For teaware I'd be concerned with lead exposure (though that's a risk with ceramic glazes in general, cause fucking everything is poisonous apparently).

>> No.14329353

Is herbal tea looked down upon by tea snobs? I like tea at night and it seems to be the best option.

>> No.14329496

>>14329353

I personally find herbal tisanes to be a lot less offensive than the stuff you see that's essentially garbage tea with a bunch of random stuff mixed into it. If I want to drink something where caffeine is a concern I'll generally reach for hojicha, but I also always have Bengal Spice, Lemon Ginger, and Chamomile tea bags in hand. Nothing beats Lemon Ginger with some honey when you've got a cold.

>> No.14330162

>>14328783
i've never met anyone who's ever had a good experience with aliexpress. from what i've heard you'd have to be insane or desperate to buy something from them. 50 brazilbucks for 28 tea samples is also disturbingly cheap.
check out yunnan sourcing. you'll probably be able to find what you need within a reasonable price range. they have gong fu thermoses for just about as cheap as those tea sets, which would probably be even more effective for your purposes. then you can buy as much tea as you can afford and you'll be good to go. i think shipping from china is still slow as fuck though.

>> No.14330531

>>14330162
Well, I can say that I'm quite desperate lol. I never had any bad surprise from buying there, and the samples were there just as an example, I would look for a more reliable sample pack. I've checked Yunnan Sourcing before posting that and they don't ship to Brazil, apparently. Maybe I should look for other options. It's sad.

>> No.14330762

I hate puer. Young and old, raw and ripe, everything I try makes me want to fucking puke. How do you acquire a taste for it?

>> No.14330848

>>14329353
Nah. Herbal tea is quite relaxing at night.
t. chamomile drinker at night :-)

>> No.14330958

>>14330531
are you sure they don't ship to brazil? i'm looking at the shipping page of their site and it gives options for brazil.

>> No.14331303

>>14330762
You don't. Who told you you have to like puerh? Stick to what you like.

>> No.14331821

>>14330762
how long are you brewing it? cause I took a sip from the a raw pu-erh dragon ball opened up in before brewing, and it was the worst thing I ever tasted. hell even a few extra seconds can fuck with a pu-erh's taste, let alone minutes

>> No.14332196
File: 55 KB, 720x705, 1587876252375.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14332196

I tried gyokuru for the first time today and it tasted like broccoli. I have very little experience with Japanese teas so I'm concerned I did something wrong.

4 grams of tea
120ml water
60c
3 minutes
Does that sound right?

>> No.14332203

>>14330531
Yunnan sourcing is overpriced and you are not gonna get a good sampling out of them. They don't actually sell samples, 50g minimum on most things

>> No.14332252

I once found a mango tea that had sat at the back of a cupboard for easily 10 years. It had a absolute black appearance but the tea was a dark orange color. I dont know what happened to it during those years but it was legit a 11/10 cup o tea. I havd tried tons of mango teas trying to chase that dragon but none can even compare.

>> No.14332301

china jasmine dragon phoenix pearls are probably one of the best teas. or just china jasmine in my opinion. or pai mu tan, also nice. probably a bit basic but they are just, so fucking good. drink more or less daily, multiple cups

>> No.14332303

>>14330848
fresh linden tree leaf tea. so fucking good. favourite non-tea tea.

>> No.14332306

>>14326638
darjeeling, chai, assam or any other black teas. just, either double bg it if you're a bagfag or just add more than the reccomended amount of tea. (i usually drink all teas like this)

>> No.14332410

>>14330762
drain first batch, steep for 15-30 seconds only

>> No.14332492

>>14332410
3,5-4,5g for 100ml

>> No.14332563
File: 178 KB, 720x1209, 20200701_070434.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14332563

This is my first order from yunnan, how'd I do? Any personal tips/advice for brewing any of it?

>> No.14332586

>>14332563
idbe interested how those dragon balls and mini tuo work for you, because i tend to buy beeng. I ve never had small packed sheng on the level of beeng.

Never had buds, but i usually avoid these wierd "novelties". At least its cheap.

Next time you should try prober beeng or brick, but i can understand your reluctance to buy 357g of something you ve never tasted before.

For puerhs there is a brake line line of 5-9 years where the taste changes radicaly.

As for brewing i do all puerh 4,5g to 100dl, first batch goes down the drain and times are 15s 15s 20s 30s

>> No.14332590
File: 291 KB, 811x436, 1460049862537.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14332590

Give me the absolute best oolong tea I can accessibly get in the USA.

>> No.14332592

>>14332590
https://verdanttea.com/teas/big-red-robe-style-tieguanyin-strip-style-anxi-oolong/

I like this

>> No.14332668
File: 339 KB, 2158x2889, _20200701_075440.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14332668

I went to check my favorite tea spot in the world, and the closest bus stop to it is reportedly closed. I hope that's not true, or I'm fucked (and also any of the older locals who need to get into town)

>> No.14332680
File: 56 KB, 720x479, bottled green tea.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14332680

>>14322239
What green tea is used in bottled green tea? I can drink this stuff all day.

>> No.14332687

>>14332680
its called sugar anon
>>14332668
drive

>> No.14332691

>>14332680
Sencha

>> No.14332692

>>14330958
It does mention Brazil somewhere in the shipping methods page, but when I tried to buy, it didn't showed up in the country options.
>>14332203
Yeah, I could notice that a bit. Do you have any other suggestions for me?

>> No.14332700

>>14332687
None of the teas pictured contain sugar, dude.

>> No.14332719

>>14332700
Accept my apology. I didnt even check the bottle. I ve never seen one without sugar.

>> No.14332728

>>14332196
It's pretty normal for it to taste like vegetables.

>> No.14332749

>>14332586
The YS "dragon balls" are pretty decent. They make them themselves with decent maocha. Specifically the high tech ones are just a blend of all the maocha samples they get in the spring when they are buying teas.
I have no idea about those mini ripe tuos.

>> No.14332760

>>14332196
i have problem with almost all jap teas except tamaryokucha (for obvious reasons). Their taste just cannot compete with chad chinese greens and mostly just goest the way of the grass and the sea

>> No.14332767

>>14332590
If you don't mind shipping from England these guys have the real luxury stuff.
https://essenceoftea.com/collections/wuyi-yancha
As far as US based vendors probably these guys
https://redblossomtea.com/collections/oolong
They have some aged oolongs which they have carefully aged themselves which is not super easy to buy from western facing vendors.

>> No.14332781

>>14322510
Make sure you get a mug that has a lid. The lid is a useful tool in grandpa style - later on, you can put the lid on to keep heat in and boost a waning tea.

>> No.14332805

>>14327585
>necessity of seasoning
unless you want to drink teawater for the first two months, you are going to have to season it. Even with seasoning first 5ish batches are going to be weak.

Some recomand using stron tea without leaves out of fear that the the powder will get into the pores, but you should brush inside od the pot anyway so here is mine manual:
1)plenty of tea, teapot and water into a pot. Put something under the pot (so it doesnt touch the bottom) or boil might break it.
2) boil for one hour
3) leave cooling for two more
4) wash off and brush (with clean brush of course)
5) brew strong tea and wash insides
6) now you can brew your first batch
I dont understand what you mean by milder material. You have to season it with the type of tea you will be brewing.

>> No.14332872

>>14332196

Parameters seem good to me for a first brew. You may not be a fan. Gyokuro definitely has a very deep, vegetal savoriness to it.

>> No.14332898

>>14332805

By milder material I meant that the two not garbage shu I have on hand right now are overall quite mild in flavor, so the fact that they're getting muted to a noticeable degree is less surprising to me than if I had some more aggressive teas.

Thanks for the tips. I also just read through Marshaln's blog posts on the matter and will probably skip the boiling but give it a good soak in tea today.

>> No.14332905

>>14332898
>skip the boiling
thats more for protection from shitty chinese health standarst and possible clay dust

>> No.14332914

>>14332905

I already rinsed it with boiling water several times and then used it for a few brews so we're past that point, for better or worse. It also shipped from a US based vendor and it kind of seems like they may have cleaned it up before sending it out as there was no dust or debris to speak of.

>> No.14332919

Moving my electric kettle into my room was the best decision I ever made.

>> No.14332924

>>14332919
>too lazy to go to kitchen
pathetic

>> No.14332939

>>14332924
Yep. I drink 3-4 cups a day so it's a lot of trips.

>> No.14332951

About how many times can you refill a cup of grandpa-style tea before you have to change the leaves?

>> No.14332952

>>14332939
is your kitchen over seven mountains, forest pristine and the oceans blue? Stretch your legs m8

>> No.14333158
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14333158

Of course a few months after I made a massive order to King Tea Mall he adds dozens of cakes made between 2002 and 2007. I guess I shouldn't complain since I'm happy to have it available but I would have ordered a bunch of it if he had it in stock at the time. I really need to try more LiMing factory cakes.
Also this has to be my favorite gaiwan that I have seen yet. I wish it wasn't raw clay on the inside or I would have bought it already.

>> No.14333163
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14333163

>>14333158
So fucking cool.

>> No.14333166

>>14333163
beautiful

>> No.14333174

>>14333163

I tend to avoid anything that isn't quite simple but that's really pretty. What cakes from that time are you seeing now that are piquing your interest?

>> No.14333576
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14333576

Currently outside with my dog and a pipe and the mail carrier came through. A day under 3 months but it's here. Was reading Puer: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic, too, so that felt appropriate.

>> No.14333624
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14333624

>>14333576

Going to give this a day to air out and then let it adjust to humidified storage. I'll crack into it all this weekend.

>> No.14333668

>>14333163
GOD DAMNU~~ the unglazed inside breaks the deal for me. I bought unglazed cups once - big mistake, I can still feel the rough material on my lips, what are they thinking.

PSA for gaiwanless and people afraid of the gaiwan - king tea mall just added loadsa new gaiwans and assorted teaware. almost chink prices too, as usual. now it's the time to grab one along with some cheap factory cake or more expensive semi-aged one.
I love to see real prices of pieces sold at teaware house (2dog's operation), makes me laugh.
I also strongly recommend trying a small 70ml gaiwan - very good for sheng with age, which keeps going long. spares you some trips to the bathroom.

>>14333624
I have waffles on the way too with some black cake, looks like it's moving as usual, not the covid tempo, we'll see. you USA?

>> No.14333688

>>14333624
Really excited to hear about all of these. I've only head good things about their ripes. I'm normally not a fan of tea with stuff added to it but I would strongly consider getting one of their ripes that's blended with aged Mandarin skins if I ever get around to ordering from them.

>> No.14333706

>>14333688
yeah, I have a sample of that too. dripdobitters.
if it will be good, then fullchea sells some aged chenpi in bags which I can quickly snap up and brew with my shou. nice.

>> No.14333727

>>14333174
>What cakes from that time are you seeing now that are piquing your interest?
https://kingteamall.com/collections/liming/products/2005-laotongzhi-meng-hai-qiao-mu-remote-forested-mountains-wild-tea-cake-357g-puerh-sheng-cha-raw-tea
https://kingteamall.com/collections/changtai/products/2006-changtai-cha-hu-chen-bu-lang-ye-sheng-bulang-wild-400g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha
https://kingteamall.com/collections/xinghai/products/2006-xinghai-bu-lang-shan-bulang-mountain-cake-357g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha?variant=32115228377191
https://kingteamall.com/collections/xinghai/products/2006-xinghai-song-ode-cake-357g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha?variant=32098116206695
https://kingteamall.com/collections/xinghai/products/2006-xinghai-jing-mai-sheng-tai-yuan-cha-jingmai-organic-round-cake-357g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha
https://kingteamall.com/collections/liming/products/2007-liming-zao-chun-yin-hao-early-spring-silver-hairs-701-batch-200g-cake-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha
Especially those last two sound really good.

>> No.14333734

>>14323863
i bet it was worth every penny nice buy!

>> No.14333750

>>14333706
I have only had one of those cheap golden horse brand puer stuffed mandarins. The puer they used was pretty lame but the citrus flavor was great. It reminded me of back in 2005 or so when camel used to sell tins of 10 flavored cigarettes, they had a really fantastic citrus flavor one.

>> No.14333769

>>14333750
so it's more like earl grey's bergamot or grapefruit? I heard the latter.

>The puer they used was pretty lame
I imagine. good thing I have some fucking tasty cakes on hand.
man, you make me want to order those chenpis and I have already order from fullchea on the way.
one at a time, I guess.

>> No.14333775
File: 1.25 MB, 1580x2048, Screenshot_20200701-155139.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14333775

>>14333727
Oh hahaha the price on that second to last cake is $700, i thought the $39 sample price was the cake price kek. A bit too rich for my blood.

>> No.14333783

Has anyone been watching the youtube try guys channel, where the one guy is making a tea company these past few weeks?

I just want to know how he's gonna manufacturer/produce/ship it.

Is something like this how?
https://www.bevsource.com/operational-services-support-every-step-production-beyond

How did someone like red bull do it?

Do you just ask bank for 10 B-illion $ loan and make your own factory?

They used shopify to buy a website domain.
Apparently they might of bought 3 simular domains so no one would take them? (Not sure if they did that)

And they paid a designer to make, own, and use their logo art that they made.

But i think you need some legal art sale contract form?
https://www.artrights.me/en/contracts-artist-and-gallery/ ?

Apparently they want 1 tea for morning/energy
And a 2nd tea for night/relaxation?

Are there some good ingredients/chemicals/fluids/foods that could be used in tea but usually aren't?
Maybe something like maple syrup?

How do you get drinks into Billions/T-rillions of stores, retail, food/grocery, gas, pharmacy, schools, and every other place in the country/world?

Do you make a bad deal with pepsi/coke company?

I'm hoping the youtube channel might exsplain more.

>> No.14333828

>>14333727

Those do look super interesting, and KTM continues to have some really reasonable prices on stuff. He seems to actually care about shit like that. He had been complaining about Dayi prices rising a few weeks back and was basically like, "just because folks are hyping your shit doesn't mean it's any better than it was a year ago, stop raising your prices."

>>14333668

Yeah East Coast US.

>>14333688

I've been meaning to pick up some of that from someone at some point.

>> No.14333913

A few more affordable semi aged cakes that look promising.
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2004-changtai-chen-hong-chang-yi-wu-yiwu-cake-400g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha?variant=31991323590759
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2006-liming-7540-cake-357g-puerh-sheng-cha-raw-tea
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2006-nanqiao-che-fo-nan-753-601-batch-cake-357g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2006-changtai-long-ma-rui-ming-dragon-horse-ruiming-cake-400g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-chacha?variant=32038113575015
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2005-changtai-jing-gu-chang-tai-hao-jinggu-wild-cake-400g-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-chacha
https://kingteamall.com/collections/home-page/products/2006-changtai-tian-xia-tong-an-hk-tongan-horse-cake-400g-puerh-sheng-cha-raw-tea
some really interesting stuff. I'm always excited to have more factory teas available as I'm still a bit hesitant about the aging potential of these small tea vendor productions. There are some questions about processing styles that are en vogue these days but at the very least vendors tend to try to press cakes that can be drank right away, so they don't necessarily have the power to go 15-20 years.
>>14333828
Yeah I'm glad that KTM keeps things mostly affordable. His prices for Dayi are getting crazy but so are everyone elses.

>> No.14333916

>>14322239
why does my oolong start tasting like icing sugar after the 4th pour?

>> No.14333941

>>14333916
because it's "your oolong" and we have no other info about it. perhaps it has some icing sugar blended in.
who the fuck knows?

>> No.14334163
File: 1.84 MB, 4032x3024, 00100lrPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20200701172135465_COVER_compress43.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14334163

I pulled my Cambro pumidors out of my little cabinet to make room down there, and since they're out in the light now I made some quick shipping label wraps for them.

>> No.14334205

I keep all my tea cakes and pouches in a cupboard. Where you keep yours

>> No.14334219

>>14334205

See >>14334163, with a 65% Boveda pack in each.

>> No.14334224

>>14334163
How many standard size ~357g cakes can you fit in one of those things. I'm going to have to get some for the winter.

>> No.14334235

>>14334224

6 - 8 I'd guess. I have smaller cakes and tuos in there too so not sure exactly.

>> No.14334380

>>14332563
haven't tried any of those, looking forward to hearing how they are!

>> No.14334396

>>14334235
Nice that should work for me.

>> No.14334411

>>14332919
mines next to my desk, on little set of drawers where i keep my tea. anti-vibration mat and noise canceling headphones are a godsend
>>14332939
>3-4 cups a day
weak, im on 15-20 a day

>> No.14334479

>>14334411
yeah, 3-4 is a weak day for me. how big are your cups? i drink about 2 one litre tea pots and like two 2-3 deci mugs. sometimes more, sometimes less. all loose leaf

>> No.14334488

>>14334479
100ml so thats ~2L plus 500ml i cold brew overnight

>> No.14334513

I usually brew grampa style and toss the leaves after I get through about 1.5 litres. So lately I have been drinking 3-4.5 litres from about 9-12g of tea leaves.

>> No.14334520

>>14334488
awww tiny cups. some cups can be really cute, love the floral designs of mini tea cups.
also, once saw a tea pot in the shape of an elliphant aaah it was so cute the little trunk was for pouring water aahhhh
also, do you think it's worth paying 50-100 to idk how many euros to buy a kyusu? or is glass and metal strainers perfectly fine?

>> No.14334548

>>14334520
i use a gaiwan or a glass teapot both with a strainer. kyusu looks cool i'd buy one but i'd probably never use it

>> No.14334560

>>14334548
thanks, gaiwans look really cool.
just kinda scared ordering them online, don't want them to come broken.
for now i'll just stick to the glass tea pot with iron strainer

>> No.14334613

>>14334411
>15-20
How often do you change tea leaves?

>> No.14334720

>>14334613
i usually get ~13-15 cups from 5g of black/puerh, then another 5 from 3.5g of green

>> No.14334732

>>14334720
what type of green tea do you drink usually?

>> No.14334736

>>14334732
dragon well

>> No.14334833

>>14325494
how hot are you brewing it?
i opened up my package yesterday, tried brewing it at ~55 but its a bit unnerving drinking tea that lukewarm

>> No.14335359
File: 1.78 MB, 4032x3024, 00100lrPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20200701213114342_COVER_compress87.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14335359

Taking a bath.

>> No.14335399

>>14335359
Tell us the taste later.

>> No.14335427

>>14335399

>imagine the smell

>> No.14335538
File: 22 KB, 406x302, sniff.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14335538

>>14335427

>> No.14336737

>>14335359
So this whole seasoning of clay teapots thing.
Is the goal to get tea liquid to soak into the clay or to develop a layer of tea staining on the surface of the clay?

>> No.14336748

>>14322239
>>14309196
sorry for the delay

gong-fu brewing might be done in a gaiwan as well as a small teapot as well as as a teapot, and a teapot is considered the "traditional" way, so I would most definitely include that
I wouldn't steep a tea for only 5 or 10 seconds for the first time, as leaves take a bit to become hydrated and open up if they're rolled; rather, as Hojo often suggests, a long-ish first infusion, more like 45s or so, produces a result that has a lot more of the character that you get from subsequent infusion rather than being "light"
that too of course is a matter of preference, but since reliable sources, like Hojo, suggest otherwise, I would take that into consideration for a general reference/guide
washing the tea is only recommended for pu-erh and oolong but it may well be useful for other types of tea, like reds with small leaves that can easily get broken during shipping and handling

>> No.14336753

>>14336737

Given the porous nature of clay teaware I assume some of the compounds from the tea are making their way into the material, if only slightly, but don't quote me on that.

>> No.14336769

>>14336748
Thanks anon, i will tweak it some.

>> No.14336798

>>14336737
from that bath you make a bit of the tea penetrate the clay pores
the "tea stain" layer on the inside of the teapot is formed if you make all the water evaporate, same as what happens with a kettle (and possibly your kitchen sink) and limestone residues, and that's the dark stuff that you don't want to scrub off from the inside of the teapot when washing it
imo the latter has a much bigger impact than the former, but your autism is the limit so definitely try the former method as well and see how big a difference it makes
>>14336769
sure thing

>> No.14336812

>>14336798
It might be fun to throw a cheap clay teapot in a vacuum chamber while it soaking in tea just to see what happens.

>> No.14336870

>>14323863
I've had three sessions with this set so far, and it is just amazing. keeps heat from the surface, but retains it well. the lid has a nice fit, as does the saucer, and the large handle makes it much easier to use.

Also the dots, called iron blossoms, add interesting texture and look to the glaze, as they are iron from the clay that burned through, which isn't picked up in the picture but in person you can clearly see they're specks of iron, most easily on that big fucking blossom you can see on the cup.

also its really pretty, and besides looking like a pancake also resembles a quail's eggs. It was well worth what I spent for it. also the potter was about to send a replacement set when it arrived, do to how long it was taking to arrive.
Great customer service.

>> No.14336930
File: 247 KB, 1600x1200, 1593684306674.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14336930

So does anyone drink their gongfu brewed Chinese tea out of a luxurious European porcelain teacup? I'm kind of tempted to do this since it's pretty easy to find nice pieces for cheap if you don't care about getting stuff with high collector value.

>> No.14336993

what the fuck is this gonfu meme bullshit. there's literal loads of actual tea but instead you buy fake leaves from fucking chink land
this entire thread has to be chinks promoting their worthless country

>> No.14337085
File: 2.87 MB, 5664x2752, gaiwans.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14337085

>>14336930
thats what i do, mines from the 1960's i believe it was a gift from my grandmother
>>14336993
what are you talking about, tea started in china and everything here is actual tea just processed in different ways. gonfu is a method of preparing tea

>> No.14337109

>>14337085
eyyy the white one looks really nice.
honestly, chinese teas are better than indian/shrilankan teas usually (not saying all, they all have good and bad teas) but the chinese tend to have more sweet and floral soft nice teas and with great flavours like pu-erh or pai mu tan or china jasmine.
india tends to have more spicy teas, still good, just different

>> No.14337178

>>14336930
porcelain is for snobbish cunts. Honest white mansubscribes to "viilage" style of teaware so clay is the way and if beaten and used youll only enhance your experience.
Dont be a nigger anon, only tasteless nigger goes for the rare materials without seeing the downtoearth basics as the true patrician way

>> No.14337496

>>14337178
what about glass?

>> No.14337510

>>14337496
its nice for seeing the color of the tea

>> No.14337772

>>14337510
just get a light colored glaze on your clay man

>> No.14338206

>>14336870

Really glad you like it, anon. I've always had trouble spending money on things like clothes or movies, but shelling out some cash for a Nice Thing that is beautiful and works exactly as it's supposed to has always seemed to come easy to me. Having those sorts of things around is very comforting.

>> No.14338350

>>14337510
i love watching the tea leaves expand, especially in ball-like teas, such as china jasmine dragon poenix pearls or black dragon pearls. or just all teas in general

>> No.14338351

>>14322239
>>Your country
USA, bit of a tea novice
>>What tea have you tried before
Green, peppermint white, english, irish, and scottish breakfast, earl and lady grey, rooibos, and a bunch of those berry flavored ones when I was younger
>>Do you own a teapot, gaiwan etc
I have a kettle and a proper teapot

>> No.14338361

>>14338351
very cool, american.
what type of green tea?
also what type of tea pot do you have?

>> No.14338435

>>14338351
no puerh? go for it anon-kun its worth it

>> No.14338463

>>14338361
Whatever type the Trader Joe's store brand is.
It's cast iron.
>>14338435
I'll put an order in for some. Thanks for the rec, Anon. Anything I should keep in mind while brewing or choosing a variety?

>> No.14338487

>>14338463
>choosing a variety
id recommend sheng (raw), gong fu preparation. Try one 1-7 and one older than 9 years to see the difference in ageging

>> No.14338501

>>14322239

I'm in britain but im a tea noob besides typical "boil water and throw a teabag in the cup". how do I start getting into this properly?

>> No.14338521

>>14338501
There's an faq in the op. In general you should get some loose tea, get something to brew it in (pot, tea ball, measuring cup + a strainer, whatever), then brew it following the instructions for that type of tea. Try different teas and see what you like.

>> No.14338524

>>14338501
buy bancha, black mao feng, and pick not too expansive oolong. Prepare each according to traders recommandation. Learn gong fu preparation, its worth it

>> No.14338528
File: 878 KB, 2448x3264, unknown_tea.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14338528

just dug through my kitchen and found this
the tin doesnt have anything other than chinese on it, which i cant read
thoughts, /tea/bros?

>> No.14338532

>>14338528
long jing aka dragon well tea

>> No.14338552

>>14338528

Note that green teas have a short shelf life, so if that's been in the back of a cupboard for 3 years it's probably going to be rough.

>> No.14338554

>>14338524
>>14338521

oh im really sorry guys my blind ass missed the FAQ link. Thank you for your advice, I'll look into that.

>> No.14338557

>>14338528
put enough leaf to cover the bottom of the mug.
boil water.
wait about 2-3 minutes after boiling.
waiter into mug, tea into belly.
when you reach about halfway through the mug, add water.
if you swallow some leafs just eat it or spit it.
enjoy.

>>14338552
it may be a little weak, but try it first. not "rough"

>> No.14338564

>>14338532
>>14338552
>>14338557
unfathomably based, feel free to bang my wife or sister

>> No.14338592

>>14338564
I'll take both at the same time, while you watch us sipping some tea.
if you try the tea, report back here. we love converting people here in our sect.

>> No.14338819

>>14338501
use loose leaf. no more tea bags, friend. also maybe start with just a glass tea pot with an iron strainer (no plastic shit) probs won't be more than like 20 quid.

>> No.14338827

>>14338819
i could find all that on amazon, right? And it would be a case of putting the leaves in the iron strainer, then placing them in the glass tea pot and adding boiling water, right? I imagine the quantity of water and the time you leave it to sit in the hot water is the key. I'll try to find some basic bancha stuff ig. I don't really know much about tea besides that you shouldn't add sugar and the one time my friend who lives in Taiwan gave me some special purge tea that made me shit myself.

>> No.14338836

>>14338827
i'd recommend china jasnime. personally favourite everyday tea.
and yeah, depending on the tea, just add how much you need into the strainer and into your tea pot, add hot water, temperature varies, it usually says on the packet

>> No.14338844

>>14338836

https://www.t2tea.com/en/us/tea/green-tea/china-jasmine-loose-leaf-tea-D26.html does this look ok anon? It's 10 bucks for 40 cups so

>> No.14338848

>>14338827
and yeah, should be on amazon.
something like this, maybe https://www.amazon.com/Hiware-Removable-Infuser-Stovetop-Blooming/dp/B01LZSA84J/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Teapot+with+Strainer&qid=1593718492&sr=8-2 ?

>> No.14338860

>>14338848

oh I see, so the tea goes into the infuser? That looks great, thank you anon

>> No.14338874

>>14338844
>>14338836
be warned tho, jasmine has very peculiar taste and unlike tea has almost no variety. If it doesnt suit you dont renounce the as whole because among the thousands of teas there is almost endless variety of tastes from mighty and earthy to mild and grassy

>> No.14338887

>>14338874

I'm down to try anything, I think I have an open mind. I've had marmite and organ meat and bugs even, so I'm at least willing to approach this with an open minded perspective.

>> No.14339005

>>14338887
i happen to really like jasmine flowers, but i know some do not. just be warned, you'll get addicted if you do like it

>> No.14339613

>>14338501
meileaf had good youtube vids, their tea is good but a little pricey

>> No.14340326

>>14338887
Sorry for the late reply. If you want to try some puer from Amazon you can order from this store
https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/13C2EA08-0075-49A9-BFCD-163233DD6D39
They are an official storefront for one of the largest puer factories in china and your orders will ship from a USA Amazon warehouse. The prices are a bit higher than if you imported from China but it's easy. The easiest thing to get are the little tins of ripe and raw tea. If you are feeling adventurous get the 7542 tea cake. If you are feeling rich get this ripe and raw cake gift set.
https://www.amazon.com/TAETEA-Happiness-Harmony-TEA-Organic/dp/B07FTCTR6Y
I also made some suggestions to other anons last thread for teas to try out
>>14286807

>> No.14341934
File: 435 KB, 500x280, pouring-green-tea.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14341934

>> No.14341963

>>14341934

Cute

>> No.14342029

ok boys after reading this thread for five minutes i ahve impulse bought a loose-leaf tea infuser and a sample kit from whatcha

wish me luck friends

>> No.14342323

>>14342029
an infuser is usually detrimental to the infusion quality as the leaves won't have much space to unroll and run around in the water, so consider skipping it unless you'll only be using the english style brewing method rather than the gong-fu method
also good luck, and have fun

>> No.14342360

am I the only one here who writes haiku about their tea and teawares?

>> No.14342411

>>14342323
The basket style ones are mostly fine.

>> No.14342446

>>14342029
Based enjoy anon

>> No.14342477

>>14342029
>sample kit from whatcha
Nice, that was one of the first sites I bought from when I was getting into tea and it was pretty much perfect for a beginner. Have a blast, anon!

>> No.14343242

>>14337178
this
it also keeps the heat much better

>> No.14343255

>>14338532
>>14338564
could also be sencha
sencha is also pressed
longjing is roasted, so it should be more brownish looking

>> No.14343270

>>14332680
based nip
bottled teas in europe generally suck

>> No.14343286
File: 573 KB, 1267x816, ExpensiveRipe.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14343286

YS doing a pretty expensive ripe this year.
Has anyone tried one of these high end ripes before? I have to wonder if they are worth the money.

>> No.14343349

https://www.ebay.de/itm/Japanese-Green-Tea-Powder-Uji-No-Hana-Flower-100g-Premium-Matcha-Latte-Japan/153440817576?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649
>100g 'ceremonial style kyoto matcha ' for 9 shekels
what am I in for?
will they send me painted sand?

>> No.14343354

>that first sip of the day

>> No.14343359

>>14343286
I also noticed that YS is doing a lot of pressings of aged maocha for their raw cakes this year. I have had a few cakes pressed from aged material made by xiaguan and they can be good but I've seen purists say that they think tea looses too much flavor aged in loose form compared to being pressed into cakes right away. Also at least for xiaguan their aged maocha seems to have some issue with it, usually that it's incredibly smokey, and that's why they kept it sitting around for a while before they pressed it.

>> No.14343377

>>14343349
Well it is shipping from Japan. It's probably fairly low quality late spring or fall harvest sencha. Probably made with older bigger leaves and maybe even stems that are typically used for bancha.

>> No.14343429

>>14343377
first time drinking matcha for me so I probably won't notice that much if it's low quality

>> No.14343710

>>14343429
The big issue with matcha is freshness. If you don't like it don't give up on matcha completely until you have ordered it from one of the Japanese vendors listed in the pastebin in the OP. It will be significantly more expensive but that's just the nature of matcha.

>> No.14343759

>>14343710
yea. I'll do that. thanks Anon

>> No.14343991

>>14343354
>when you're traveling or need to leave early for some reason and can't start your day with tea

>> No.14344491

Anyone else get super happy or content after drinking a bunch of tea? What is the chemical doing that?

>> No.14344521

>>14344491
There was some speculation the L-theanine might be involved. Things like tea and coffee contain hundreds of compounds and 90% of them have not been investigated in any meaningful detail.

>> No.14345092

My tea order has been sitting in a warehouse in china since mid May waiting to make it on a plane. The King Tea Mall guy just emailed me unprompted to say he is keeping an eye on my order and that a few other peoples orders from around the same time had also stalled. He also said he would reship it for free if it disappeared but who knows if he really would. Not much I can do but wait.

>> No.14345101

>>14344491
thats being 'tea drunk'. its great.

>> No.14345102

>Need to flavor water to be able to drink it
Y'all a disgrace

>> No.14345941

Late night tea

>> No.14346259

>>14345092

He seems like good people to me. I'd give it time and I also think he's genuine in what he said. He was really helpful in helping me find where my package was when USPS lost it.

>> No.14346358

>>14334163
are those botanical illustrations just something you printed from the internet? I would an original or print of something like that.

>> No.14346375

>>14343286
pretty cheap compared to a lot of the stuff you see out of bitterleaf, white2tea, meileaf and the like. I've always found YS to have great value, probably worth a sample.

>> No.14346379

>>14346358

I just googled "Camellia sinensis diagram". Would be nice if they layed nicer but trying to stick a two dimensional sheet on a 3-dimensional surface is hard. I figure once it's sticker bombed it'll be hard to notice.

>> No.14346380

>>14345101
until its not. One or two steeps can be the difference between calming bliss and rushy anxiety for me.

>> No.14346626

Does anyone else feel tea kind of makes your anus a bit "loose"? Like a few hours after drinking I feel my ass is dirty and when I check with toilet paper it always comes up a bit dirty even if I wipe multiple times.

>> No.14346652
File: 179 KB, 497x640, 1570794371715.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14346652

>>14346626
I was midway through writing serious post about tea bloggers and shills
>Yes, I blind caked this 2020 [...] ($240.00 for 200g cake or $1.20/g) the day these were released. Let me tell you why….
but your post made me realize where the fuck I am.
Have a good day, loose anus anon. Persevere!

>> No.14346659

>>14346652
I don't really visit /ck/ but coming here today and seeing there is a tea thread I couldn't help but ask. I'm glad I could contribute to the thread.

>> No.14346834

I'm having some more of the sample of Xiaguan 2013 love forever I picked up a while ago. If anyone here makes a king tea mall order at some point I would love it if you would grab a sample of this cake. It has some flavor that I haven't run into in any other puer, some kind of bitterness or astringency, that I have a hard time describing and I would like to hear someone else's thoughts on it.

>> No.14346865
File: 68 KB, 854x640, 11133915_926601097361024_6850642523984798333_n.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14346865

Anon posting about trying a Lao Man E cake earlier got me thinking about how the puer market has changed. Years ago it would be pretty unlikely for you to find a pure Lao Man E cake. Typically tea like that would be used as part of a blend of tea from several different regions to add some specific character to a tea. Now with the huge increase in raw maocha prices and the increased popularity of single origin teas you are much more likely to encounter something like a pure Lao Man E cake. I guess it's interesting from a novelty perspective and to be able to try tea from a single village or farm, but I think something like Lao Man E tea really shines as part of a carefully crafted blend and not on its own. Pic related is apparently a picture from Lao Man E village.

>> No.14346891

>>14346865

That's pretty interesting, and another way that puerh is reminding me of pipe tobacco. Latakia is a smoke cured tobacco that is super, well, smokey, and most often exists as a part of an overall blend to add its leathery, campfirey character, but there is a Cornell and Diehl blend called Star of the East that is straight up 100% Latakia. I'm a big fan of it actually, but goddamn it is exactly what it says it is on the tin.

>> No.14346892

>>14346626
>drinks tea
>loose anus

Should we tell him?

>> No.14346927

Just found this guy's channel recently where he essentially does a primer course on gongfu (what it is, what everything is called, why you do the things you do) and then explores particular topics in much more depth in follow up videos. I find it's simple, straight forward, and without pretense. May be good material for the pastebin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ_7sfEf9-8

>> No.14346935

Has anyone had gastrointestinal distress from drinking puerh or is that a sign of old/bad tea?

>> No.14347199

>>14346935
Depends on what you mean by
>gastrointestinal distress
If you mean stomach aches or nausea that can absolutely happen when drinking young raw puer, much like with Japanese green tea. Some of these teas can be pretty aggressive and are best consumed on a full stomach. I don't really put much stock in weight loss claims about tea bit some hei cha especially fu cha i find feels like it kicks my digestive system into high gear and makes my stomach quickly dissolve whatever is in it. It's nice after a big greasy or heavy meal but it can cause a nasty stomach ache if you drink it on a totally empty stomach.

>> No.14347268

Anyone in Australia know a good place to get some good quality tea? The overseas sellers all charge extortionate shipping costs.

>> No.14347315

>>14347268
I don't know how good these guys are, i don't like that they sell lots of herbal blends.
https://www.tealyra.com.au
Same with these guys, buy they have some selection of unflavored tea.
https://adoretea.com.au
Same with these guys
https://www.t2tea.com/en/au/Home
There is some Australian puer vendor but I can't find them at the moment.
Another option is trying some of the Chinese ebay vendors that offer free shipping, the big ones being dragon tea house and health tea house. They might be charging a few dollars for shipping post covid but it's pretty cheap compared to most places.
Also king tea mall is a Chinese vendor with decent shipping prices and they have a larger selection of tea other than puer this year. Make sure you get EMS shipping if you order from them.

>> No.14347349
File: 97 KB, 947x582, Screenshot_20200704_142123.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14347349

Do you keep the leaves in or take them out before drinking?

>> No.14347441

>>14347268
I'll rec you these guys since they ship from Melbourne and seem to have solid pu'er, but the BLM banner on the front page is pretty grating.
https://kuura.co/

>> No.14348149

>>14347349
>Do you keep the leaves in or take them out before drinking?
I leave them in. But I take out the stems or any other bits that stay floating on the top.

>> No.14348156

>>14332668
I want to go to random remote places in Japan I have found over time. These are my travel ambitions.

>> No.14348166

>>14332719
I honestly have never seen a japanese bottled/canned tea with sugar. Do they even exist?

>> No.14348219

Does anyone else like to eat a few tea leaves after they've finished brewing?
I started out of curiosity, it's fun to pick up the flavor differences in the leaves between different types of tea.
I think Darjeeling leaves are actually delicious.

>> No.14348252

>>14348219
I eat them while drinking cause I do grandpa style

Tastes good man

>> No.14348525

>>14346927
Scott from Yunnan Sourcing is he only tea youtuber who isnt cringe.

>> No.14348572

>>14348525
He looks like he has aids. But his videos are usually tolerable. The Famer Leaf channel has some of the most informative videos about production and the industry but he is also pretty creepy looking. The teaDB guys are okay but they kind of half ass things sometimes because they record 5 or so videos in one sitting.

>> No.14348914

I'm going to have to make a third supplementary domestic tea order to hold me over until my order gets here from China. Im down to only half a kilo or so of tea at this point.

>> No.14348929

>>14322239
Can someone explain me how to taste tea?

>> No.14348978

>>14348929
>make tea
>taste
unless you're using bagged tea which ranges from water to bitter water

>> No.14348991

>>14348929
Is this the tea has no flavor meme again?
If you're being serious the really nerdy pretending you know what you are doing way to do a tea tasting is to brew it fairly strong and slurp it. The slurping helps distribute the tea to the different parts of your tounge and changes how you taste the tea vs a standard sip. Taking gulps also tends to give you a different flavor profile. I'm sure there are a million videos on YouTube about cupping coffee if you want to get an idea about what the "professionals" do. There's even a similar thing to coffee cupping for tea where it is brewed unpleasantly strong, i think it's the method they use for tea competitions in asia.

>> No.14349055

>>14348991
Thanks. I just want to learn how to make the most of each sip. Now I'll get started on studying flavor profiles and stuff, I guess.

>> No.14349281
File: 2.08 MB, 4032x3024, 00100lrPORTRAIT_00100_BURST20200704165417399_COVER_compress31.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14349281

Trying the 2018 Waffles. On steep 7 or 8 now. It feels like it hasn't fully opened up since shipping but it has a lot of promise behind it. Brees up nice and thick with no funkiness in the liquor even though there's a bit in the dry leaf. Getting definite chocolate and buttermilk notes from it.

>> No.14349295

>>14323388
A girlfriend

>> No.14349707

drinking some oolong from 2008, tastes pretty gud. has an almost chocolaty mocha flavor and an odd after taste. the smell is also pretty gud

>> No.14349730

>>14349707
found it! https://www.taiwanteacrafts.com/product/2008-songboling-aged-oolong-tea/?v=7516fd43adaa

>> No.14350097

>>14343286
>70USD
had one 130USD for 200g brick. I dont think expensive shous are worth it. Go for sheng

>> No.14350320

>>14349730
I'm finishing off some dan cong oolong I bought in 2016. It's heavily roasted enough to be aged but it wasn't great material in the first place so I'm not sure if the aging made much difference.

>> No.14350333

>>14350097
What tea was it that you bought? But yeah I agree I'm not really sold on expensive shou, but I haven't actually tried enough for that to be an educated opinion.

>> No.14350337

>>14349707
Aged oolong is pretty cool. I drank a 1974 baozhong today, tastes like sweet dirt. Some younger and/or reroasted ones take on a strong coffee note.

>> No.14350343

>>14350097
>>14350333
I'm considering getting a brick of really high end Haiwan tea, it's about $80 for 500g. That's about the most I would spend per g on shou I think.

>> No.14350665
File: 3.04 MB, 4160x3120, IMG_20200704_110748198.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14350665

Drinking Yame Gyokuro - and have I been pleb filtered?
Brewing as per o-cha's brewing instructions
But the taste is kinda lacking - it's all bitter leafy greens vegetables with none of the pleasant savouriness or sea-side depth of the Sae Midori
Really doesn't hold up to multiple infusions either - I know greens get more bitter the more times you brew them but this is particularly astringent while all the vegetal flavours are completely dulled down


Am I brewing this wrong? I like the vegetal aspect but I thought there'd be more to this tea than that

>> No.14351374

Coofs

>> No.14351703

Would getting a Samovar be worth it? I get that an electric kettle would do the same thing, but they look so ornate and nice. I think fanciness and casual indulgence really adds to the casual tea experience.

>> No.14351964

>>14350665

What are you brewing it at? I find 1.2g/30ml water to be appropriate when brewing at about 2.5 minutes at 140F, 30 s at 140F, 1.5 minutes at 150F , and then about 4 minutes at 160F, adding 10 degrees and a few minutes for a total of 6-ish infusions.

I will say that I think the Yame is not particularly forgiving in brewing, but I've never had it go bitter.

>> No.14352007

>>14351964
i'm doing it at 1g/30ml
first infusion is 2.5 minutes at 55~60 (never hotter) with the lid off for the first infusion, then 45 seconds, 1 minutes, 1.5 mins and 3 mins at 55~60 with the lid on for the subsequent infusions - i didn't think it was worth doing more than 4 infusions. Followed this rough format both times
Should I be adding more tea?

>> No.14352017

>>14352007
sorry should have noted that those temperatures are in celsius
>>14347268
>>14347441
will second the rec for kuura, especially the vector sheng
seems like there are a few decent sources for chinese tea here in aus, i guess because it actually benefits from aging

is buying japanese greens really only worth it when you're buying from japan?

>> No.14352107

>>14350333
i have gone back and looked. I mixed the prices with some other tea. The one i had was 60 USD per brick 2006 CNNP Kunming Tea Factory 7581 Zhuan

>> No.14352250

>>14351703
A samovar is very much overkill I think. They are pretty cool but if you want to get into overly elaborate ways to heat water cast iron kettles or those Chinese clay kettles are a little more reasonable starting points.

>> No.14352255

>>14352107
Even that is kind of pricey for ripe. Thanks anon.

>> No.14352257

>>14351703
samovar is useful only in making samovar tea - extremely strong tea thereafter mixed with water. If you dont want to drnk it this way, dont buy it

>> No.14352406

>>14352007

I use more but that's not crazy far off. You may just not like it. I do find the Yame sharper than other gyokuros but as I said, I'm not finding it to brew up bitter at all.

>> No.14352483

My 2013 Ripe Xiaguan arrived yesterday. I ordered it from an obscure site called puerhtea.eu, can recommend it for fellow Europeans who are getting fucked by their customs agencies. They ship from the Netherlands and the prices are reasonable. The Xiaguan is also good, has a dominant but not overly imposing earthy taste and a dark reddish brown color of the liquor

>> No.14352576

>>14346626
I'm afraid that might not be tea or at least not what I am thinking of as tea

>> No.14352724

>>14350337
Yeah that's what I was thinking with the 2008. it tasted like coffee and chocolate, kinda like a mocha

>> No.14352879

What tisane is closest to a black tea with at least a little bit of bitterness? I can't find anything that pairs as well with sweets at night.

>> No.14352954

>>14352879
Japanese barley tea?

>> No.14352985

>>14352954
Already have it. It's nice, but not at all close to real tea. Much thinner and doesn't have any bitterness.

>> No.14353042

>>14352985
Maybe roasted chicory root, roasted dandelion root or chaga mushroom. They are all used as coffee substitutes so they should be in the realm of an English or Irish breakfast style tea. I have harvested chaga mushroom before and it's pretty decent if you get it get it in a ground or pulverized form, the small chunks in a kind of gravel consistency, the big pieces are hard to work with.

>> No.14353057
File: 1.60 MB, 1361x1814, 1593966800040.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14353057

Trying a sample of a 2018 yiwu gushu sheng cake from King Tea Mall. I've had this sample sitting around for a while. The dry leaf smells pretty good. Very fruity.

>> No.14353237

>>14353057
First infusion, The tea is bright, fruit and hay, some vegetal green notes, mild sweet finish.
Second infusion, more fruit, more sweetness, finish is a bit stronger dried fruit and just a tiny bit of bitterness.

>> No.14353378

>>14353237
Third infusion, mild, vegetal, still some dried fruit. I have no idea how something like this would age. I do have a 2009 yiwu cake that had some wet storage, so it's tough to get an idea of how this material would age in drier conditions. Probably a deeper dried fruit flavor.

>> No.14353502

I'm having a freebie of "dong cheon daejak 'semi-wild'" I got from a whatcha order a while back. It's a pale green color when brewed. Afraid I'm too inexperienced to comment on the flavor too well. It's supposed to have a toasty taste which I'm not really getting, going to do my second infusion a bit lighter I think to see if I can get it to come though.

On a side note what does "semi-wild" even mean? Is it just a marketing term or does it actually refer to the cultivation technique?

>> No.14353545

>>14353502
Semi-wild is definitely a marketing term, similar to untended bushes. The idea is that they are tea trees that are near a village but aren't sprayed or otherwise tended to beyond harvesting. Somewhere between a tea plantation and old wild trees in the middle of the woods somewhere. It absolutely a thing that exists.

>> No.14353562

>>14348525
>>14348572
>HEY EVERYBODY this is Don from Mei Leaf and in THIS video, we're drinking A PINNACLE, GU SHU PU ERH TEA
>sniiiiiiffffffffffffff
>I'm getting, I'm getting... CARMELIZED COURGETTES, BOISENBERRY BUISCUITS and RHUBARB TARTS

>> No.14353574

>>14348525

I liked this guy's stuff specifically because he's straight forward and without the cringe or pretense.

>> No.14353608

>>14353574
exactly, just stream of consciousness tasting with the occasional anecdote or knowledge drop. He's obviously promoting his teas but it feels less like a sales pitch and more like your just sharing a session with the dude.

>> No.14353849

>>14353608

I like Scott's stuff, but was meaning to say that those are the reasons I like the guy I linked.

>> No.14354503

>>14353378
Got a few more infusions out of that. I've been pretty happy with the samples I have gotten from King Tea Mall. I might actually buy one of his cakes eventually. Might be fun to try that crazy bitter Lao Man E.

>> No.14354912

>>14353057

Was it KTM house branded?

>> No.14354938

>>14354912
Yeah I'm pretty sure it was this tea.
https://kingteamall.com/collections/available/products/free-shipping-2018-spring-yi-wu-huang-tian-gushu-357g-cake-puerh-raw-tea-sheng-cha

>> No.14355808

>>14332919
Fuck those haters, having an electric kettle near my desk is the greatest. I've placed it so i still have to stand to get it/make tea but its so comfy.

>> No.14355821

>>14333624
>>14333688
>>14333706
I'ma big fan of w2t's shou's, and his chenpi ones are great too. I've just finished a cake of Big O and a sample of Drip'd of bitters with a cake of that on the way. Both very similar, with the dripd having a stronger chenpi punch.

>> No.14356329
File: 132 KB, 266x251, 1590932209159.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
14356329

How do you reuse teabags? For my 2nd to 3rd reuse, I hold the teabag close to the lip of the mug and I pour boiling water through the teabag like a filter? Surprisingly enough, black tea is still pretty strong at the 3rd reuse.

>> No.14357153

Coof

>> No.14357340
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14357340

>>14355821
Cool, i ordered a ton of raw and neglected to get any ripe so I will have to grab a few cakes soon from somewhere.
Has anyone tried any ripe from the boyou factory? I see several vendors selling it claiming that it's very good.

>> No.14357636

>>14356329
upgrade to loose, even cheapest loose is a massive quality improvement over teabag

>> No.14357657

>>14356329
>>14357636
check the bags you have just incase, sometimes more expensive bagged brands will use loose leaf (which you would preferable remove from the bag so they can expand more)

>> No.14357661

>>14355808
>he doesn't heat his water in an iron kettle over a fire he kindled using two sticks

>> No.14358073

Tried gyokuro from Ippodo tea which is supposed to be "strong", but it seems kind of subtle to me even when brewing in a large pot. I like it, but if I were to buy one of their cheap ones, would it just taste like water to me?

>> No.14358309

>>14358073

What parameters did you use? Gyokuro can have some subtler aspects to it but I've found it to be pretty universally intense.

>> No.14358335

>>14358309
I followed the instructions, which were 2 tablespoons, 140 F for the first brew, in a teapot with a little tea strainer.

>> No.14358373

>>14358335

Brew times?

>> No.14358404

>>14358373
90 sec

>> No.14358429

>>14358404

That could be it. Gyokuro is generally steeped between 2 and 3 minutes for the first infusion, and is traditionally done with the lid off so you can keep an eye on the leaves, and the first infusion is judged to be "done" when the leaves are fully opened.

I'd try again with a longer first steep time, and then subsequent infusions, in general, are done at 140F for 30s, 150F for 1.5 minutes, then for several minutes increasing every steep after that, increasing the temp 10F each time. I can generally get 5-7 good steeps out of gyokuro.

Also, do you know the harvest date on it? According to o-cha's website freshly harvested gyokuro can be a little on the subtler side and often needs to wait until the fall to truly open up.

>> No.14358525

>>14358429
No, I figured it out. I went to look at the instructions again and it wants a tiny amount of water (3 oz) when my default pot is like 8-10. I only have a 5-6 oz one on me, but it's way better now.

>> No.14359049

>>14358525

Glad to hear it. I will say that for Japanese greens in particular, picking up a 10 or 15 dollar scale is really worth it to get everything accurate and consistent.