/ck/ - Food & Cooking

>>8135576
a rooibos from the local food co-op with a touch of honey. quite honestly one of my favorite teas ever and also happens to be super cheap at $13/lb

I discovered that a wholesome drink of dog piss is quite relaxing, and easy to obtain.

>>8135615
what

>>8135675
dont hate

Keep it alive boys

Tea leaves in Taiwan

Lots

>>8135880
damn son

I've never had tea before. I like flavored waters, so I figure I might like weak teas. What should a beginner get? I'm not a huge fan of coffee.

>>8135924
>flavored water
what

>>8135944
You've never seen flavored water before? It's basically just water with (usually fruit) flavor added. It's usually pretty weak.

>>8135944
fuck outta here degenerate

>>8135954
>drinking diabetuus is degenerate
the fuck

Oolong tea + gatorade. Enough said.

>>8135576
Still waiting for my Gong Fu set so I will probably save my teas for it. I'll drink Matcha in the meanwhile. Maybe a dark roasted Oolong later if I really need to. I probably will.

bump

I tried a puerh sample, and I think the people that claim to like it are either suffering from Stockholm syndrome due to exposure in their culture, or chinkaboo memers on the internet.

>>8137248
Good post
Now kill yourself

>>8137248
You're going to judge a whole range of puer of different types and ages from one sample?

>>8137275
Since I wouldn't buy any, and it's not likely that anyone will ever serve it to me, I guess so. It was bad enough to kill my curiosity.

>>8137294
I hear you man. One time I had a really cheap shitty beer so now I think all beer sucks because I'm a complete fucking moron.

>>8137310
Enjoy your half-rotten leaves faggot.

Currently drinking some shiraore from Yuuki-cha, it's the first tea I've ordered online and I don't think I'm going to buy much loose leaf in stores anymore.

>>8137322
The only faggot here is you.

>>8135876
>>8135880
oolong I assume, based on the place/leaf size

>>8137248
there's a huge difference between the good stuff and the 'puehr' that is sold in asian grocery stores, you just had a shit tier ripe with the fish/basement taste still on it

Got a gift of some Shincha off of Ocha&co from a family member.
Bretty fucking great green tea senpai, would reccomend if you're willing to wait for a shipment from nipponland

>>8137248
dont you have tendies to eat?

>>8135576
I just started. Ordered a black, oolong, green, white, and pu-erh from YS. Loving it so far, using a gaiwan, experimenting with steeping times and temperatures, etc.

So scared of trying the pu-erh for the first time.

I drink green tea all day, a minimal of 6 cups a day. Even though it does not have a lot of caffeine, it is still enough to make it difficult to fall asleep quickly. So I started adding a cup of cherry tea to drink right before bed...and not only did it help me get to sleep faster, I had some of the most deep, uninterrupted peaceful sleep I've had in a long time.

Tieguanyin. An oolong and green hybrid. I like to 'wash' the leaves with a bit of boiling water first and immediately dump it (you can use this to 'wash' your cup too) before steeping for the first time.

Does anyone here actually get tea drunk regularly? What is it like and what kind of tea are you drinking?

>>8138069
Chrysanthemum anon here. I'm glad people defended it's flavor; I was ready to shelf the stuff indefinitely, but I gave it another try and discovered I had fucked it up as usual. It's a very pleasant sweetness and up there among my favorite tisanes.

>>8138046
never going back my negro

>>8135924
>I've never had tea before
How does this occur

going to start cold brewing

How's this?

https://www.amazon.com/Fruit-Tea-Infusion-Pitcher-Beverage/dp/B015DS5R74/

whats a good place to start with green tea? i want something flavorful enough that i wont be tempted to put sweeteners or anything in it, a big issue that i have with tea is that it always seems to smell better than it tastes.

i'm trying to drink less coffee, so please help

>>8138500
genmaicha or longjing. The former is sencha mixed with brown rice and is quite popular, and the latter is perhaps the most widely known and consumed Chinese green. Remember not to scald the leaves.

>>8138428
I like the Takeya ones personally.

>>8138528
not really interested in flash chilling

could I do a regular 8 hour cold brew with this?

https://www.amazon.com/Takeya-Flash-Chill®-Quarts-Blueberry/dp/B0095ZBJSS/

>>8138555
Definitely, and the infuser in that one is massive so your leaves will have plenty of room to expand and float around.

I bought bigelow green tea, decaf as well. Did I do bad? How should I prepare it? 2 minute only and then squeeze? Pls help

>>8138689
>teabags
kys

>>8138702
I am ordering the leaves one soon, but where should I go to? Aliexpress? What tea set do I use?

>>8135576
i have that same gaiwan! i don't have the cups though now i'm jealous

sage tea is pretty good, rec me tea

If I like the Trader Joe's Irish breakfast tea they have, is there a better version of Irish breakfast I can upgrade to?

It's pretty good, I just want to know how deep this hole goes.

>>8138733
Do you want Chinese or Japanese?

>>8138793
https://secure.uptontea.com/store/catalog.asp?begin=0&categoryID=249

Check out Upton's blends.

>>8135576
I tried black tea today and its like a less bitter, weaker coffee. I quite enjoyed it.

Are there any other coffee-like teas?

>>8138907
Hojicha is roasted green tea, you may enjoy it and it's easy to brew with just boiling water.

>>8138829

Yeah, I think I'm going to treat myself and give these guys a shot. Any recs for a green tea while I'm there? Something with a nutty flavor?

>>8138932
Try genmaicha, I think you'll be pleased with it.

>>8138940
Alright random anon, I'm trusting you on this one.
I've been itching for some good tea after buying a lot of bad boxes of stuff recently.

Tonight seems like a good night to just go for it, get myself something new.

>>8138970
It's got a nice nutty flavour because of the brown rice that's a part of it, it's also very good served cold.

Brewing-wise I normally always start off with Den's Tea's suggestions and then adjust however I see fit.

>>8138988
Yeah. I've been drinking random bagged jenk that looks interesting at the store and is awful.
It's time for me to at least be as discerning as what coffee I drink.

No more crap, spend the extra $4 or whatever to get something good.

>>8138998
That's a good way to look at it, and you're going to notice a big difference going from bags to loose leaf, t's oftentimes not even that bad price-wise since you can re-steep the leaves multiple times

>>8138907
How is black tea anything like coffee? Get the fuck out of /ck/

>>8138988
You should NOT use boiling water for any green tea. Start with 75 degrees for Genmaicha.

>>8139032
Good to know, thanks!

The other one I got was the River Shannon Breakfast Blend (irish breakfast), and the site says boiling is good. That correct? I didn't even know temperature mattered that much, but I guess it affects the steeping.

>>8139024
Not the anon you're replying to, but I had one once that was kind of coffee-ish as well.
It was very strong, malty and rich. If it wasn't so malty, it could've probably passed as a horribly brewed coffee.

>>8138907
Mugicha (barley tea) is very coffeelike because it's roasted. It's good hot or cold too. No caffeine of course.

>>8139032
Eh, boiling is fine for hojicha, for genmaicha it's been awhile so I can't say for sure, but isn't it robust enough to handle it?

>>8139041
>and the site says boiling is good. That correct?
Yep, black tea takes boiling water.

is anything from this website worth the money? http://www.adagio.com/masters/index.html

>>8139076
No way, Genmaicha is just Sencha with toasted rice. Sencha is easily scorched.

>>8139076
>>8139041
Black/red tea is actually best at 85-95 degrees depending on the size of the leaves. The bigger the leaf the higher the temperature (buds and the top leaves are smaller). Boiling water is basically only suited for Oolongs (which have large leaves). Pu-erhs can also handle it but 95 degrees is better.

>>8139041
http://chinalifeweb.com/guides/the-tea-brewing-chart/
This is a good chart. Start with these parameters.

I'm a big coffee drinker and I just want to get some tea to add some variety in my diet.

Problem is I think Green Tea is gross, White I found to be pleasant but rather boring. Haven't tried much else.

So what's a good tea for a Coffee Drinker. I want earthy, nuttiness so Genmaicha sounds appealing.

>>8139259
Pu-erh

>>8138056
Watch out for the iron levels in your blood green tea washes a huge chunk of it away I had iron shortage and the doctor didn't understand why until he saw that I consumed over a liter of green tea a day

>>8139299
It's a good idea to incorporate some iron rich organ meats into your diet if you drink a lot of green tea. Chicken hearts are pretty good. Liver pate as well.

>>8135924
i don't understand this

>>8139648
Good post

>>8138932
Wuyi rock Oolongs also have a great nutty flavor.

>>8139085
Sort of. Overall their tea is slightly overpriced, especially for the Chinese stuff. Check out Yunnan Sourcing for better quality/price Chinese teas. Adagio teas are good though.

>>8139564
>>8139299
I've never heard of this, is it just green tea? Also source? I eat a ton of meat and vegetables cooked in a carbon steel pan which adds more iron. Also vitamins, so I'm fine it just seems bizarre that tea would specifically wash out iron.

>>8139143
Ive never heard of this before, I'll check it out. But anon that was asking...
>>8139146
This is probably the most orthodox brewing guide and might be a good place for starters without knowing anything about leaf size etc.

>>8139711
It doesn't "wash out" iron. It makes iron absorption harder. Just google green tea iron absorption and pick your source.

>>8139715
You can see on the tea if it's small leaves or large leaves but generally there's a method to it. For instance Oolongs are always large leaves since Oolongs are always made with the third and fourth leaves and so on. That's what Oolongs are. Greens are almost always made out of the top leaves. It's different leaves for different teas, not that you need to measure the leaf so you'll know exactly how large it is but which leaf is used of the plant. I hope I make sense to you.

Just finished my morning pot of golden-tipped Assam. Every morning, no exceptions. I don't feel right without it.
Later, I'll have some Chai, and this afternoon, I'll switch to Sencha, and then this evening, I'll have Sleepytime tea to relax.
I have too much tea, though. I need use up what I have before I buy anymore. I have a large tin of really exquisite Earl Grey that I've barely touched, and I haven't even opened the Dragon Pearl tea I bought 2 weeks ago.
>mfw tea hoarding

>>8139564
I keep it in order by earing edam
Since I try to eat less meat
But some chicken liver with onions is indeed delicious aswell

>>8139786
what's your good earl grey?
I know a teafag who really likes the stuff so I'd like to send some to him

>>8135876
>>8135880

cool photos bro

>>8139711
It isn't just green tea. Black tea is worse. The tannins affect iron absorption.

Does anyone make it Russian style with concentrated tea and hot water?

>>8139259
ripe (cooked) puer

>>8140728
just burning it then?

Having some earl grey and some crepes rn, watching the hockey game... Life's good, /ck/

My Chinese roommate gave me some tea in a little gold vacuum-sealed packet. She said it's loose leaf green tea. The packet has no English writing on it except the words "Savoring Tea" on the back.

How should I brew it?

>>8141229
What brewing utensils do you have at your disposal? 80 C water is a safe bet for most greens, and you could always just ask your roommate how to brew it.

>>8141247

She said she wasn't sure and that she had always just dumped it in a cup and microwaved it for a minute.

I'm extremely new to tea brewing. I have an electric kettle, a ceramic teapot, and a cast iron teapot. The electric kettle doesn't have a temperature gauge but I have thermometers.

>>8141291
Okay, I'm a little inexperienced with the teapot, but I would put around 1 tablespoon per 6 ounces of water, and steep it at 80 C water for a minute.

>>8141291
post a photo of the tea or the package

Constant Comment a best

How the fuck i am supposed to break a puerh toucha?

>>8141728
They make little picks for the purpose, but any sharp pointy object will work.

I'll bump the thread by saying that light Oolongs are probably my least favourite of any tea. Dark Oolongs are one of my favourite types tho.

What can I put into Earl Grey to make it taste less bitter?

in before sugar.

>>8142547
You can steep it for less time, or add honey.

>>8142547
It shouldn't be bitter. Maybe a lower temperature? Or a better Earl Grey.

>>8138046
Which greens did you get and how are they like?

>>8138500
Green tea is not sweet. The only way to make it sweet is to either get a mix with dried fruit or artificial sweeteners. There's plenty of flavor, just not sweet.

Besides >>8138526
I personally enjoy mao feng. I got some from YS and it's great.

>>8138733
Read the pastebin.

>>8138970
>>8138988
Keep in mind, the rice could be shit. It's rare, but it happens.

>>8142883
Gyokuro is pretty sweet.

>>8139136
Genmaicha can also be done with bancha I think.

Please don't take this post as an attack on tea or anything, but
How do I like tea?
Any time I drink it, it's flavour isn't strong enough for me to think the time spent making it was worth it
Have I just been having shitty tea or am I making it wrong? I'm steeping it the amount it tells me to
Maybe my taste buds are just shit

>>8142913
I've also seen fancy genmaicha with matcha. It's all down to the genmaicha.

>>8138056
something like this anon??
http://www.buddhateas.com/wild-cherry-bark-tea.html?gclid=Cj0KEQjwmri_BRCZpaHkuIH75_IBEiQAIG0rIUwOXnQJV4r6Yt3NTc5hB5teMLbPtwfDQIvMiUswUtcaAu8m8P8HAQ

>>8142949
Sounds like you've only had shit tea, but can you give us some more details? It's hard to know what you're doing wrong when you're not explaining what you're doing.

>>8135202
I ended up going with this before I saw your post. I'll probably go with some of your recs next time, thanks.

>>8142964
Basically just what I do is take my glass/mug, pour boiling water in it and leave the bag in it for whatever the box says

>>8143017
get you some good local honey anon, it can truthfully make any tea taste pretty good

>>8143017
>le boiling water and tea bag
>why does it taste like shit
Try getting something else than the tea dust from factory floors and then come and ask again if it still doesn't have any taste.

>>8142985
Man they have free shipping for orders of 60$, you could've ordered 15$ worth of tea on top that and pay the same price. Womp womp.

>>8142985
Also, I agree with the other guy, definitely check the laoshan black.

>>8143034
I ordered from the international site, not the US one and I didn't see anything about free shipping over 60

>>8143030
>tipstrilby.jpg

>>8143056
He's right, though. Teabags are bottom of the barrel.

>>8143056
Why? Sick of people asking asking why their 6 months old tea bags from the pantry doesn't taste like anything. 30% of the posts in these threads could be avoided if people just made the effort to either read the thread of just google "tea" and learn the basics. Tea bags is the equivalent of chicken tendies.

>>8143054
Yeah, I checked it's US only and for 75$. My bad. Womp womp.

>>8142949
>>8143017
That's just shit tea. Try getting some loose leaf tea from your local tea shop and see if you can get into that. If you like it you can move upwards and buy more premium loose leaf tea online. Tea is great but tea bags are awful. Take this as well.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puldqGnW9P0

>>8143074
I thought I really fucked up there for a second
you scared me

>>8143098
Damn. I really dont like chinalife but I cant argue that their videos are one of the best entry levels for people to get into tea

As we all know the temperature of the boiled water is important for imparting optimal taste of different types of tea.

Once I've boiled water and assuming it's 100C is there some shortcut to knowing how much the temperature drops in a specific amount of time once poured (in a mug or cup for instance) or would I have to rely on a thermometer?

>>8142883
sencha is sweet

>>8143227
I've heard it drops ~10 degrees each time when poured.

>>8143227
1)Pick a standard vessel
2)Use thermometer for the first time to document temperature drop through time from boil
3)Use same vessel each time
4)????
5)Profit


>>8143302
Not the one I've tried (admittedly not the best) and not sweet in the traditional sense. For people who only drink tea when sick with tons of honey/sugar or only drink strongly flavored tea, what we mean by sweet tea is simply not the same.

>>8142949
Read the pastebin or a book

Wow, this teapot kicks ass. The basket takes up close to the entire volume of the pot, so you can cram enough leaf to cover a wall full of chinks with plenty of room to expand.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BD1O00G/

>>8143370
Fuck off shill

>>8139143
i honestly feel that you should try any tea at boil first to test the range, you can always pull back if it gets too strong, but for a gaiwan i think starting low,so the bitter tastes and edges dont show, is kinda counterproductive.
tldr: try any tea at boil, then adjust

>>8143338
So if I poured it back and forth between two cups ten times it'll freeze?

>>8143370
>>8143434
I have a small hario, got it before they raised the price on Amazon. They're great teapots, mine is borosilicate and I got it for like 9 or 13$ shipped.

>>8143434
Yes, I am a Hario rep and fuck the chinks Nippon strong.

>>8142985
>Drunk on Red
>Hua Xiang
my nigga

>>8142577
>>8142623
THANK.
Lowering water temp helped.

>>8135576
Does tea have an acquired taste, or are my tastebuds just genetically inferior? I've tasted tea a shit ton, but it always tastes awful.

>>8135576
Drinking some fancy tea a guy bought and foolishly left in the office kitchen

It's Assam mixed with vanilla and bergamot oil

>>8139146
I think this chart is worth putting on the pastebin.

Bought myself some Milky Oolong tea as pictured. Light taste, very lovely sweet aroma. I might try the Houjicha I bought alongside it soon.

>>8143898
If its in bags its trash, if its loose leaf it can be good but its probably still trash, welcome to tea

>>8143911
>fancy tea
>indian shit
Lmao

>>8142875
Imperial Grade Laoshan Green Tea from Shandong (Spring 16). Only green I've ordered from YS, though, so not sure how it holds up to other Chinese greens. Still, I like it. Gonna have some tomorrow morning, probably.

>>8143458
Yes.

Mixing Matcha in Kefir was a mistake.

New to this and I'm mostly just interested in cold brewing.

I have no idea what I'm doing. How is this list for iced tea?

>>8135615
i'm way too tired to fucking understand, thanks for the best laugh of my life

>>8144792
Looks like a decent start. In my experience black teas on the fruitier spectrum make the best cold brew. Other teas are also good but they got to have a strong character to them. I would personally skip the breakfast blends tho since they are more earthy/malty.

>>8144805
>black teas on the fruitier spectrum
Do you have any specific suggestions?

>>8144810
Example
http://chinalifeweb.com/shop/product/tea-rrbc/87/
But just read about the teas and see if they are fruity in the description.

>>8136061
together?

Just tried the Thai version of Bubble tea. That shit was overly sweet and pretty disgusting desu. The Thai guy who sold it to me warned me but I wouldn't listen.

>>8143184
At least you get the opportunity to snark about them on every thread

>>8144436
He's always here with a sneer for other people

>>8145184
Its usually not me, Ive defended them a lot actually, just wouldnt buy for them as I drink mainly puerh

I only drink Thiele

get on my level.

>>8135924
Straight up green tea is pretty neutral.
Rooibus based ones are nice too.
Black tea/English Breakfast tea is common, usually served with sugar and milk.
Just buy some and try it senpai :^]

i want a nice vanilla tea WITHOUT BOURBON WHY IS BOURBON IN EVERYTHING.

>>8145366

Because you're too lazy or ignorant to do things yourself and instead are reliant on pre-made products.

>>8145368
Didn't get the bourbon/vanilla joke

>>8145366
fag

>>8138932
Don't buy Aliexpress. The rice is awful.

>>8140728
Samovar style? Maybe if they weren't $100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00

>>8146218
You can by a Turkish teapot to do the same thing, it's essentially two teapots stacked on top each other in a double boiler position. I doubt think Russian peeps use samovars every day, they should have a similar thing. Google çaydanlık .

>>8140728
I do but unless you are conditioned into drinking that way from childhood, I don't really recommend it, especially with good quality tea. Super long steep time (15-20 min) kinda avarages all the small nuances. Also if you are not careful, it will turn out bitter as shit.

If you want to try eat, I'll recommend you to get a cheapish English breakfast or something along those lines and a cheapish strong Assam (Ahmad Tea is preferred by most) and mix them according to your taste.

It's October 1st /ck/... do you know what this means?

TEA SEASON HAS ARRIVED!

It's when it's okay to admit we're all a little gay when the Autumn arrives, it makes us more feminine and loving when the chill weather arrives. Living here up near Seattle which is perfect for tea.

>>8146581
this is why i hate western style tea drinking, is so gay and pansy.

>>8146581
What the fuck are you talking about? First, tea season is in the spring. You what do you mean by "us"? Only 'Zeke and his paw think drinking tea is feminine, due to some odd residual hatred for British taxes.

>>8146762
and an eastern tea ceremony is the equivalent of a 4-year-old having a tea party

what's your point?

>>8146785
he probably drinks pumpkin latte from starbucks

Thoughts on making herbal tea from fresh leaves? I have some lemon balm, pineapple sage and peppermint outside and I've hardly ever tried making fresh tea. Not sure if I should bother trying to dry the leaves.

>>8143945
Ausbro or does the Tea Centre exist outside of Chermside shopping centre? I just started going there recently since getting into tea.

also what is "added milk essence" ?

>>8146785
Americans have this macho persona of thinking tea is for British fags because of a war that occurred 250+ years ago.

>>8146864
My preferred tea is loose, without sugar or milk, stirred not shaken.

Finally did it. My first ripe puerh. Once you get past the smell of rotting fish it is actually pretty great.

>>8147347
Rotting fish means it was stored improperly you dumb faggot.

>>8147355
Negativo. Ripe puerh, especially young ripe puerh, still has some of the stank from the fermenting process. This abates over the years, but is expected in younger teas.

>>8147355
that is for raw puerh, you poopoo head

>>8147347
Nice tray! Where did you get it?

>>8147384
Honestly I only got it because I saw the Tea DB guys have the same one: https://www.amazon.com/Tasteful-Bamboo-Gongfu-Table-Serving/dp/B00SMFQRKW/ref=sr_1_10?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1475387344&sr=1-10&keywords=tea%2Btray&th=1

No Pu erh should smell or taste like rotten fish. That's a sign of poor quality.

>>8147407
that is just like your opinion man

>>8147407
>what is dui wei

>>8147431
A term to trick suckers like yourself so you'll keep buying their shit tea.

>>8142985
Anon from last thread. Those are all great choices. I thought I hated Rou gui until I had the YS version.

What is the best way to have consistent water temperature? I don't want to spend a tonne on a fancy boiler but it seems like there's no cheap option for relatively precise temps

>>8135576
I drink mountain goat piss, I'm waiting on my next shipment from the Himalayas.

>>8147509
Then boil it on the stove and use a thermometer? Or study alchemy. Idk.

>>8147167
They have more than just Chermside assuming you're in QLD Ausbro. Brisbane Arcade, Indooroopilly Shopping Centre, Robina Town Centre, Ferry Road Markets Southport, Stockland Shopping Centre Townsville, and Grand Central Shopping Centre Toowoomba. We only have Emporium here in VIC.

Would guess that's extra milk flavouring since Milky Oolong is quite subtle.

From their own site
https://www.theteacentre.com.au/milky-oolong

>>8147147
Go for it. especially if you have mint or dandelion. Whenever I use lemon balm all I can feel is all the little hairs in it.

>>8148137
Kek

>>8148137
brits are disgusting

>>8148147
It's obviously made up

>>8148137
This is what happens when you fall for the teabag meme

>>8147363
Why do you people buy tea imported from China? Do you not realize they pretty much have no regulations for their crops? Farmers spray their teas with pesticides like there's no tomorrow. And I highly doubt they wash their tea after the harvest, it probably goes straight into the processing facilities.

You're literally drinking a cup of pesticides.

>>8148234
Really makes you think

>>8148234
>Do you not realize they pretty much have no regulations for their crops?

Sure, there's a lot of hype about that. But the solution is easy: it's called "doing your research". The state of laws in China is irrelevant since I'm trusting 3rd parties who test for this sort of thing and review it. It's no different than reading reviews and test data when you're buying a car or a major household appliance. You never trust what the maker/factory says regardless of country, you rely on 3rd party studies.

Drinking a Bulang Hong Cha as we speak. It's so fucking good it's ridiculous. Red/black tea is so comfy.

>>8148234
>Do you not realize they pretty much have no regulations for their crops?

But countries which import substances and goods do. Just because it's 'Made in China' does not automatically make it something bad.

You're picture is also stupid and demonstrates a lack of understanding about GMOs.

What's the most antioxidant thread.

>>8148234
That pic makes no sense. China doesn't allow GMO foods.

>>8148234
>being this much of a cuck

>>8147453
If you could give me some more information about the conspiracy of dui wei in ripe puerh, I would really appreciate it.

>>8149458
you have to look into his ass

>>8149458
You have to look into my ass.

whats the best alcohol to mix with chai tea? im thinking bourbon

i dont understand, why would you want to soak the teabag for a limited time? wouldnt more time = more flavor?

what do you guys think about stash tea?

I buy their bulk 100 packs from amazon every couple of months. current ive tried their black double spice chai, lemon ginger, pumpkin spice, and raspberry hibiscus. only one i didnt like was lemon ginger because it smelled like lemony cleaning soap and tasted too sharp

>>8150246
Looks like a bunch of condoms

>>8150201
bourbon or gin

>>8150216
>>8150246

>teabag

>>8150201

>mix with tea tea

>>8150201
I wonder if rum would work. Unspiced, of course.

>>8150246
Their loose jasmine green is actually pretty decent. I only use bags if they're free.

>>8150246
how the pumpkin spice

>>8150246
Their Meyer Lemon is dank.

Do people have recommendations on teapots/infusers? Started drinking tea recently and the cheap infusing ball I got does not filter well enough, especially for something like lapsang.

>>8150265
i use leaves but i have one of those metal orb strainers that you put the leaves into. i call it a teabag for simplicity

am i still a pleb for using one of these?
why are teabags considered bad?
my original question still stands

>this stampede of plebs

>>8150296
Those are okay, but you can do better.

A better choice is one of those mug steepers that sits in the whole mug. It allows the tea leaves to expand and flow a bit further.

For individual cusp though, I love these fucking things in pic related. (Davids Tea Steeper. I bought this one just because it was bigger than the other offerings, but I think Adagio is the main one people recommend. teavanna has one too) Makes the best cup of tea I've ever had. The difference is really obvious to me.

For more than one cup, you'll want to be looking at tea pots with a strainer basket.

>>8150296
teabags are LITERALLY dust collected from the floor

I can't reinfuse another cold brew with used leaves from a previous cold brew, can I?

Also, would it ever be a good idea to give my tea a very quick rinse in hot water at its recommended brewing temp (just to open up the leaves and not actually brew it) and then cold brew with it? If so, what would I expect to cut my cold brewing time down by if I did?

>>8150520
Of course you can reuse it, several times if you have tea suited for it. Regarding the second question a rinse is probably a good idea, especially with balled rolled Oolongs. I personally only cold brew with tea that I've already brewed once and haven't got time to steep again.

you faggots might as well toss compost into hot water.

that's AlL tea is.fucking random ass leaves that some nip laughs his ass off to whatever kind of commie banks they have over there as he takes his shekels back to where he ripped you off for fucking leaves.

jesus christ what a bunch of fags.

>>8150548
I just didn't know you could reinfuse the leaves for cold brew the same way you could for hot.

>I personally only cold brew with tea that I've already brewed once and haven't got time to steep again.

Is that purely due to a lack of time? Is there any health concern regarding cold brew for leaves that haven't previously been steeped or rinsed in hot water?

So far I'm of the impression that sun brew = bad, cold brew = okay, hot brew = good.

>>8150552
But it has some mild drugs in it.

>>8150559

https://northchems.ca/products/4-aco-dmt

here, consider yourself cured of the need for tea.

>>8150559
Why do you even answer bait?

>>8150557
Yeah, if I brew tea in the morning for instance and I don't have time for more steepings I throw it in a bottle and put it in the fridge so I don't waste it. I don't think there are any differences regarding the health aspects at all. To my understanding the reason why sun brewing isn't good is because it has potential for bacteria growth. That's not an issue with cold brewing.

Is that purely due to a lack of time? Is there any health concern regarding cold brew for leaves that haven't previously been steeped or rinsed in hot water?

So far I'm of the impression that sun brew = bad, cold brew = okay, hot brew = good.

>>8150601
Didn't mean to add half your post to mine but it happened anyway.

Why do some sites label yerba mate as tea?

>>8151078
They probably don't take their tea very seriously. Sites should sell herbals as herbals, otherwise I wouldn't even bother with them.

>>8151078

Probably because "Tea" is commonly understood to refer to any sort of plant-based beverage that is made by steeping it in water. It also helps to get the idea across to customers who don't know what yerba mate is. When you tell them it's "tea" they instantly understand that it's a beverage made by steeping the yerba mate plant in water.

>tfw bought 3 new teas today
>tfw can't try them before wednesday

Exited af. New Chinese dragon pearl jasmin, new Jin Jao (South Korea) and a 100g of Swedish Söderblandning (tea blend with added spices)

>>8151138
Are you Swedish?

I was looking at getting some nice tea, but a lot of it is like $60 for a thing of it. Can you guys recommend some more budget tea?

>>8151145
yep

>>8151147
>$60 for a thing of it
What does this even mean? Also tea types are generally not so much cheaper than others, it has more to do with what grade it is.

>>8151159
Ok, me too. I was just wondering if people outisde Sweden knew about Söderblandning. I've heard it's sold in the UK and Germany as well.

My order of a Dan Cong oolong and black just arrived, and they threw in roasted oolong dragon ball. I love what-cha

>>8151160
Cake was the term I was looking for.

>>8151187
Why do you need to buy Pu erh if you don't want to pay for cakes?

>>8151187
a cake is kind of a large amount to just order blind when you arent experienced, if it's puer you are interested in, most sites that are serious about it also sell samples, loose leaf teas tend to be available in smaller amounts

>>8151199
>>8151207
I dont know what Pu erh is, but I want tea

I bought this
http://what-cha.com/intro-to-tea-collection/intro-to-tea-collection/

What else do I need? Like I have a kettle but I could use a new one. Do I need something else?

>>8151147
go to yunnansourcing.com, so you can order by smaller increments. They do samples of their expensive pu erh cakes as well, so if you want to try something really expensive, you can just order a sample.

Follow up from the last thread:

My Upton tea recommended by anon got here.

I got gen-mai cha (pictured) which is absolutely excellent, exactly what I was looking for. The ricey notes are great any time of the day.

I also bought the River Shannon irish breakfast tea, which is pretty good but not as outstanding as the other one.

Then they sent me a large free sample of the Russian Earl Grey which is incredible, best I've had.

So, listening to internet strangers panned out? Thanks?

>>8151320
A teapot with a removable infuser is useful so you don't overbrew, and a thermometer so you don't burn the lighter teas.

>>8151379
can you recommend one?

>>8151416
For the teapot, anything like this will work
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0007WTBQ0
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CXTSPCU
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0028OIJBI
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000FLG8XC
They come in all price ranges, but functionally they'll all be fine.

For the thermometer, any standard food thermometer would work, I use this one https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007CJR67C cheap and does the job.

>>8151430
Got one, thanks.

>>8151378
A few years ago I bought a fucking pound of chamomile. I've used it and given some away over time and I think I still have at least half of it left. At one point a separate portion of it had gotten bugs in it and I thought I would have to throw it all out, but the massive bag somehow survived.

This stuff is almost 5 years old and it still smells fine and brews a strong infusion which makes me sleepy. So, I guess don't buy a fucking pound of chamomile unless you really love it or you're going to take a bath in it or something. I'm pretty sure you could be relaxed for a whole year if you drank your way through it.

Is this just a meme?

What's to stop someone from brewing gong fu with a regular teapot?

>>8151367
I'm glad to hear you liked everything, if you ever want to order a larger quantity of genmaicha Yuuki-cha sells 200 grams of it (organic) for about $10.

>>8151765
I think it is catered for people that want to drink tea at their jobs or outside their homes

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/organic-green-tea/bancha/kyobancha

Ordering this soon, but I want to add a few things to make shipping worthwhile. Any suggestions? Not looking for gyokuro or matcha.

I bought the into-to-tea thing from What-Cha. How long do these guys take to ship?

>>8151792
Usually takes 3 or 4 days when I order from them, though it'll be longer if you're not in the UK.

>>8151798
Yeah from the US

>>8151788
http://www.yuuki-cha.com/organic-green-tea/kamairicha

I was reading that tea is better in small amounts.

What's the typical amount teafags drink when indulging?

>>8151854
Which of these have you tried?

>>8151887
Six cups is the most I've had in one sitting, three for black teas. If it's a tisane I have no qualms with just downing that constantly.

Best tea for writing essays?

what kind of tea leaves should i get if i normally drink black chai teabags

>>8152106
Assam is my go to for Indian teas.

>>8151990
go for something either super comfortaing, or something that is either Guyusa or Mate based.

Comfort is good for writing since it gets you into the groove better, and mate and G have a slower release chemical that makes the alert high last longer with a slower come down.

>>8151887
Like 3 liters a day if I have some tea that can be steeped a lot of times, if I stay with greens/ whites I end up drinking about one or two

I really need a new kettle, probably a gooseneck one. Are the temperature controlled kettles worth the hype? ~$80 seems a little steep..

>>8152319
cringe pure cringe

>>8151887
I'd say I drink at most two liters at most a day. 1L oolong in the morning. 1L of black or green depending on the season. I drink the green/black throughout my work day. The most at one sitting is 1L if I'm gaiwan brewing. 0.5L if I'm at work with my libre tea mug. I don't think it's a problem, especially if you drink as much or more water than tea.

>>8151167
i just placed a fuckhuge order with them
i'm feelin it

>>8152314
>worth the hype
There's no hype, if you drink a lot of tea that needs non boiling water go for it, if not, no point

>>8152328
At least teabag people have their own thread and dont need to shit up this one

>>8151765
>What's to stop someone from brewing gong fu with a regular teapot?
How are you going to brew gong fu with a 500ml tea pot with a small infuser basket?

>>8152422
>oolong in the morning
Why?

>>8153542
only shit teapots have small infuser baskets

>>8151887
I drink over 4 litres a day most days.
Tea is pretty much the only thing I drink, is that bad?

>>8153918
Please do give an example of a regular teapot where you can brew gong fu.

>>8154000
One of those small glass ones, theorethicaly you can brew gong fu anywhere you want, what matters is the leaf to water ratio and steep times

>>8154028
But you can't. The pot is too big and the basket is too small/narrow.

Best place to buy high grade Lapsang?

>>8154181
You dont have to use the basket, a lot of pots have those holes before the spout and even if they dont you can buy one of those spiral thingys you can insert.
A gaiwan is always better, dont intend to have a normal western teapot ever again, but a lot of people dont have a gaiwan and that shouldnt stop them from brewing their tea correctly

>>8154275
Smoked or not smoked?

I ordered some Lapsang Souchong.
I don't hate it but can't say I love it either.
Is it supposed to remind me of barbeque sauce?

>>8148234
>I need to wear this when I "water" your food

Oh yeah, I just want some dirty fuck wearing whatever getting shit on my food when he's watering it.

>using friend's samovar
>accidentally put too much tea in the pot (Russian Earl Grey)
>strong as hell, even my Russian friend can barley handle it
>even after we put honey and cream in
>all of us get headaches
>my friend starts stumbling around

>>8154867
yes, a lot of people say that taste also like smoked ham.

>>8154420
Smoked, naturally.

>>8155152
One time, my mom said she'd make me a cup of tea after she bought me some sort of black tea. She used one of those mug infusers that are about the size of the mug.
So for some reason she though she was supposed to fill up the entire infuser with tea. It used almost the whole package.
And when I took it out there was barely any water left.
I laughed pretty hard.

>>8155177
>>8154867
I'd say it reminds me of old medieval castles and buildings that are so common in Europe.

>>8135576
ive only drank tea bags my entire life. what are some essential leafs i should try?

what spices/recipes should i try too?

>>8155221
this tea seems fine
https://teadb.org/lapsang-souchong/
http://www.teaclassico.com/Red-Tea/chinese-red-tea/lapsang-souchong.html

>>8155152
sounds like excess caffeine to me, happens to me from time to time when I drink some teas on an empty stomach

>>8155253
that reminds me of badly stored puerh
>>8155279
lapsang souchong
tieguanyin
some japanese green (sencha for example)
the basics mostly

>>8153590
Honestly it's an attempt to make me get up early with a morning ritual. Oolong and a book. I drink black tea as soon as I get to work. I might switch when it's colder though.

>>8151166
>Are you Swedish
>Yep

>Proceeds to answer in English

Just found an Oriental mart that sells a very fine genmaicha. What's everyone drinking this very instant?

rooibos tea o:

>>8155651
some cheap black iced tea that i cold brewed
holding me over until my yunnan sourcing and what-cha orders come

>>8155279
Long jing

>>8155556
But why Oolong in particular? It has the lowest amount of caffeine.

>>8155651
Because this is an English board.

>just found an oriental mart that sells a very fine genmaicha
Nope, take a pic to prove me wrong

Time to make a new thread, boys.

>>8156618
>page 1
>time to make a new thread

starting the day with a korean green.

>>8156649
Is it shit?

>>8156653
nah it's pretty good imo.
corn flavour right from the start.

>>8156663
Is it flavoured?

>>8156671
no. but often green teas can have these kinds of flavours: longjing being nutty etc.

>>8156676
Alrite, drinking a Sencha as we speak

>>8156649
where from?

>>8156649
I always wanted to try some Korean teas. I don't know anything about them or where to find a good vendor though.

>>8156774
>>8156783
what-cha

>>8156703
I feel sencha does better with longer steep times instead of these gong-fu flash brews.

>>8156800
>sencha does better with longer steeps times
you what
sencha gets bitter pretty fast if you do that

>>8156800
I brew Sencha western style so yeah, agreed

>>8156834
longer here meaning ~30 seconds instead of flash brews.
also my tea always never gets bitter. except shengs.

who /grandpa/ here?

>>8156869
What's the point really? Doesn't it oversteep?

>>8157122
don't want to brew western
no gaiwan yet
lazy
easy
using old sample from adagio
could be worse

>>8157122
>>8157138
I have a gaiwan and clay pots and grandpa style all the time, some teas actually work better like that, its actually how most people drink tea in china anyway

>>8157144
>>8157138
How do you do it? Don't you have to drink it quickly so it doesn't oversteep?

>>8157248
you dont put as much leaf, also helps to use tea that doesnt get too bitter when it oversteeps

>>8157255
So it's like a mix of western and gong fu?

>>8157296
http://www.marshaln.com/whats-grandpa-style/
found the blog post about it, call it how you want, its just convenient and tasty

>>8157373
How is this better than western style tho? Seems like a shit brewing system desu. Maybe I'm ignorant.

>>8156869
Grandpa at work, gaiwan at home. Sometimes I'll do a "ghetto gaiwan" at work with the libre tea mug. Add my leaf and a small amount of water, pour out into mug. This only happens if I'm doing lots of work at the computer.

>>8156606
I like the taste. Besides, the first thing I do at work is brew a black tea for the caffeine while I get my stuff ready. The oolong gives me enough to get going.

>>8157436
its just quick and easy and works fine, people use it a lot in china because there are everywhere and they can just have the leaves in a thermos or canteen an refilling throughout the day

>>8157465
*there are hot water dispensers everywhere

>>8157465
Yeah, but just because they do it in China doesn't mean it's better than western? They eat gutter oil in China as well

>>8157473
>the place were tea drinking come from
>they have been doing for more than 4000 years
i dont know, give them some credit

>>8157552
I know I know, I do give them credit, but mainly for gong fu brewing. Having said that I'm interested in thi grandpa style and I will definitely try it. I'm just opposing the idea that everything from China has to be better than from the west by definition.

>>8157638
For example many Japanese people brew their Sencha in teabags

Can someone rec me a spearmint green tea? Loose or bagged is fine. I mostly find herbal or black spearmint locally. I found a blend on Teavana that looks decent, but I'm wary because
>Charbucks

>>8157744
What do you mean by spearmint green? morrocan tea?
If so get loose leaf gunpowder tea and buy fresh mint, much better than the flavored shit

>>8157766
>gunpowder/Moroccan
Yes.
That sounds pretty good for home, but at work I don't have access to a fridge or a break room to store fresh herbs. I'd really need a ready to go blend.

>>8156783
Look out for Sparrow's Tongue grown on Chirisan

>>8157809
Wow wuyis grown in other regions sound interesting. Have you had proper sparrows tongue from Wuyi? How did it compare?

>>8157937
Haven't had Chinese sparrows tongue from wuyi mountain; I was talking about jak seol cha from Chirisan mountain - Hwangae region I think (my packet is sadly gone now and the place I bought it no longer has a listing).
Anyway it was extremely elegant, sweet and vegetal with no bitterness at all, especially when brewed at low 50c temps. I'd buy it again next time I see it.

I've got some kyobancha coming in the mail--excited!

>>8151913
Haven't yet actually. I'm waiting on http://www.yuuki-cha.com/organic-green-tea/kamairicha/tokujo-kamairicha

>>8158663
Let me know how that is; I ended up just ordering a cup to go with the tea.

New thread: >>8158748