/ck/ - Food & Cooking

is it ok for pu'erh to be very difficult to break up? i bought a small pu'erh tuocha from YS that tasted delicious but was full of tiny pieces (so small you couldn't feel them and because the liquid was nearly black you couldn't see them until you finished the cup) since it was so rock hard i had to nearly shatter it to get it in my gaiwan to brew it. does this indicate lower quality, or is it just a normal variable?

just bought about 70$ worth of loose leaf from twinnings for 50 using coupon codes and free shipping. it's great for everyday drinking and the stash will last me well into next year.

been looking for some higher end stuff however. My pu'erh brick is almost gone

lol at you tea fags.
It's something you drink when you have a cold, not something to drink because it supposedly tastes good

>>11177495
Check out the pastebin in the OP and try ordering some nice loose-leaf, not teabags, and you might see how it actually can taste good :) . It's also a fun hobby to collect nice cups, teapots, etc. and to share a drink of tea with friends. Makes for a completely different experience than what you would think tea is (i.e. boiled tap water in a mug with some Constant Comment or cheap chamomile)

>>11177553
>share a drink of tea with friends
We're not gay, lol

>>11177495
>>11177560
based retard

>>11177560
Ok, you're not willing to try it. Maybe one day. thanks for the bumps

>>11177375
Some bricks are very compressed and need quite some time and elbow grease to get them loose. I assume you have a pick, right?

>>11178058
I just use a small jewelers screwdriver like this one. Don't really see the point in buying a specific pick for pu'erh, does it really work that much better? Other pu'erhs i've had have been looser and the same screwdriver worked fine on them with little/no breakage

how many cups of tea do you guys drink a day

>>11178186
2-8
tend to make more at work than home

>>11178186
hmm.. usually 3 teas a day (one in morning, one in afternoon after work, and another at night), in gaiwan or kyusu usually. 3rd is usually hojicha at night since it's a good before-bed tea because it has very little caffeine, I buy huge amounts of it in bulk. I get around 7 brews out of one gaiwan (really depends which tea though, some only are worth 3 some maybe even 15), and 3 out of the hojicha/other nip teas so +/- 17! that number surprised me, thought it would be less. as >>11178188 said though I make more on a day when I don't have much to do. this might be bad math though and a little too generalized, i'm tired.

anyone got that picture of the pizza eating soyboy? you know, the one where he eats it with knife and fork.

i drink roiboos exclusively from the brand perchs

>>11178240
>i drink roiboos exclusively
Good taste anon

>>11178254
thank you, what do you drink?

>>11178186
usually 9. 1 in the morning, 2 at lunch and 6 when i get home from work. usually Darjeeling with no milk but i also have some spiced green tea and some Chinese jasmine for the weekends

>>11178257
Rooibos

>>11178262
Excellent

Some anon in the last thread talked about using upwards of 4g tea/100g h20 in the last thread, so we're gonna gove it a shot with the Yutaka Midori. I'm expecting something with a super deep color and intense flavor.

>>11178795

Oh Jesus. Too much. Not bitter, just....a lot. It's like drinking orange juice from concentrate except not mixing it with any extra water.

>>11178821

Second infusion. Instant steep. I started pouring as soon as I got the lid of the kyusu back on. It's definitely more pleasant than the first. It's still got a punch, but without being completely overhwelming.

Black could be anywhere.

Ordered a simple, clay gaiwan. Came in with a broken lid. I'm not even bothered about the process for the refund or anything, I was just looking forward to using it when I got home.

At least there's also a jin xuan oolong in the same order, first time trying that one.

drinking some green tea right now. Go through about 4 bags a day

>>11178821
Interesting, now I want to try it.

>>11178186
4-6, Usually pic related. No milk or sugar.

>>11178990
Kintsugi it.

And I've been drinking Lapsang Souchong. I'm working my way through this bag of it.

Ordered some Guangzhou milk oolong and some Nepal black. Got a 20% discount which is pretty nice. Currently stuck drinking some low grade black tea my relatives brought back from Iran a couple years back. That shit is terrible.

What is Turkish tea like? i've had chinese tea, japanese tea, taiwanese tea, moroccan tea, indian tea, british tea, and french tea but am super interested in learning about other tea cultures. Any other notable ones? Never tried anything Russian.

>>11178990
i know that feel.. my first (albeit cheap and probably/definitely fake) yixing teapot was shattered upon opening it. i was mad about my $35+shipping down the drain but even more mad that I wasn't able to use the teapot i had waited for and wanted so badly. Got a refund though

>>11179444
How? i've broke too many gaiwan lids during drunken gongfu sessions

>>11179394
stop drinking lipton!

>>11179567
disregard this, like what you like. If you like Lipton, that means it's good (for you at least) and don't let others opinions ruin what you enjoy. I think what they meant more is that you could potentially find something you like much more and broaden horizons by drinking loose leaf tea! or at least other brands teabags. Lipton is full of filler and tea dust - I think of it as the hot dog of tea, full of whatever scraps are around, but still can be good; loose leaf is like a quality steak (but it is just as cheap)

check the pastebin for recommendations

>>11179585
I bought Lipton because it was the only looseleaf Darjeeling available by the pound in my area. Went to an Indian grocery and that was the only choice.

Any other looseleaf Darjeeling around here is sold in small quantities and much higher-priced per ounce.

>>11179796
dude, just upgrade to Twinnings. even bagged it kicks the shit out of lipton. and won't break the bank.

pick up a bag of this stuff at a Persian market a while back. It's basically low quality Assam but it's serviceable if you enjoy strong bitter black tea.

I'm wondering where to get something better but along those lines. what's a good place to order online samplers?

>>11179957
Assam is ok. I just find Darjeeling to be mellower.

>>11179796
try vahdamteas, its similar price to Twinnings but straight from the growers in India

What is the appeal of tea? Every tea I've ever tasted is just lightly flavored water.

>>11180008
tastes good

>>11180008
2 options:
a) you are a tastelet
b) bad tea
even if you don't like it, the flavor and aroma of good tea will at least make an impression on you

>>11178795
4g for japanese teas? I don't think I've ever heard that before, seems way too much. It's good for chinese greens though 3-4g/100ml.
>>11179564
>>11179444
>kintsugi a cheap clay lid
It would probably be cheaper to buy 10-20 new gaiwans
>>11178152
I'm not sure how big that is, but it should work fine. As I said, some bricks are super compressed, no way around that.

lol Americans and their dirty leaf water.
I'm drinking vodka, for men.

This is my new love. Bought 454g of the stuff. I do 15g/450ml at 98-100C. 1st steep for 70 seconds, 2nd for 50, maybe a 3rd for a couple minutes. The roast of hojicha goes swimmingly well with the toast and feel of rice/genmaicha. It tastes... comfy.
https://www.denstea.com/genmaicha-houjigenmaicha-550-c-104_107.html

>>11180270
And on a slightly related note if you ever get the chance to try hojicha ice cream, jump on that shit.

>>11177343
I just had a masala chae after sunday pakistani-style breakfast (basically indian breakfast but with giant bowls on the table to help yourself to, rather than a buffet).
Love the burn it gives after some curry and chilli peppers.

>>11178152
actual picks are bigger and have more weight to them so prying apart bricks is easier..a screwdriver like that is small so its harder

but its just a matter of convenience, some people use a small knife or whatever--but of course one has to be careful if so

personally i dont care too much about breakage

>>11177560
Some of us are fags, fag.

>>11180136
>tea
>drank mostly by all of eastern world and europe
>americans
>?????

>>11180105
to be fair, I didn't know what a gaiwan was.

been drinking my tea in coffee mugs mostly. thinking of getting proper teacups however. and a decent teapot.

any pro-cons of the different materials I've seen? earth, iron, glass, etc

I'm looking to get a glazed gaiwan for use as an all around steeping vessel so I can finally try out my hojicha.

Apart from the fact that I hate Amazon, is there any reason not to get one from Amazon? Seems like it will be the quickest option.

Anyone try Colombian tea? How does it compare to other regions?

>>11181046
gaiwans aren't very good for Japanese tea, the small pieces in hojicha/other japanese teas, which tend to have smaller leaves, will slip through the lid. a regular teapot would be better suited. Gaiwans are a Chinese thing

and yes amazon is fine, there is barely any difference in the tea when brewed in a $5 gaiwan or a $50 gaiwan

having some decent tea

>>11180999
Iron is a poor choice for black teas. Shit gets hot and stays hot for a long time, uncomfortable to drink from when your teas have been steeping near boiling.

Otherwise it's all personal preference.

>>11181132
>he doesn't steep his teas overnight
Why even drink tea if it's going to taste like water?

>>11181147
Enjoy your tannins, shitpost-kun.

>>11181116

I guess I'm mostly just looking for a cheap glazed vessel. My kyusu is unglazed so I don't want to do the hojicha in it.

>>11181132
iron teapots are a French invention inspired from Japanese iron kettles, which was brought back and Japan then became fond of. in France they steep teas for longer times at lower temperatures, so the iron is good for keeping it at a steady heat for several minutes. You absolutely can and should make black tea with them, just change your method

Why don't Japs make black teas? Or whites? Or anything but greens? It seems there's very little variety in their tea culture compared to China.

>>11178262
Based, literally the best tea

Usually I'm drinking lipton rooibos tea, however I've started drinking pic related recently, with a dash of maple.

I think it's dethroned rooibos as my personal favourite

when you want that feel never end

>>11181212
Japanese tea culture evolved hand-in-hand with Japanese Buddhism, so there is a strong emphasis on reductionist simplicity.
Japanese monks looked at the complicated medicinal blends China was making at the time and rejected the practice, preaching that literally all you need is a plain cup of sencha (and later matcha).
That said, they do have a couple of interesting variations on green tea, like gyokuro and houjicha.

>>11181212
>>11181267
I recommend reading the "Book of Tea", by Kazuko Okakuro. Gives a good insight into everything evolved in china and then japan, and the philosophy being drinking tea in Japan then and now.

Is there any point to those tiny teacups when you drink tea alone? What bothers me is, when I pour only half of a teapot, the rest of the tea is still brewing. What do you guys usually do?

My old roommate used to make herbal blend teas and I would love to try them. He had a blend for every sort of mood or ailment and they really worked. I've tried to get into it myself but all the "hippie mom" bullshit turns me off. Does anybody have any resources on crafting herbal teas that isn't a greasy-looking stay-at-home mom with a fake smile who's afraid to try anything with actual physical effects?

>>11181433
You pour all the tea from the teapot into a 'cha hai' like in the picture, which you then pour into the little cups. I like the little cups because it cools down faster but the tea inside the cha hai (aka 'fairness pitcher') stays warm, while with one big cup by the time it cools enough to take your first sip it'll be lukewarm by the last sip.

>>11181252
Living life on the edge there, buddy!?

>>11181433
depends on what your after....a mug of tea or a tasting.....the tiny cups i feel get used more for tea as a social event/getting the nice stuff that is realy worth time and attention out

sometimes i do like using the small cups and breaking out a nice tea when im alone, it can be relaxing.....but at the end of the day i think its more to do with what YOU want out of the tea
(tho i do think some teas do drink beater one way, and some the other)

>>11181433
i have this for indian and a gaiwan for chinese

*Tsss-kkkkt*

*Sip*

*Brrrraaaaap*


A Monster Low Carb for me, amigos

>>11177343
nice(^_^)

>>11181433
>What bothers me is, when I pour only half of a teapot, the rest of the tea is still brewing.

In the Western method, tea is decantered into a second pot for serving to prevent this.
Since I'm not Gucci enough for that I just pour it into a thermos to refill my cup from.

>>11181647
came here to post this

>>11178795
>>11178821
>>11178832
Ha, nice to see that you tried it. 4 full grams might be a little on the high side, but I just had some with that amount this morning. I never really go below 3g. I like having mine strong and love that specific flavor that fukamushi have. I always keep my temps low and have fairly soft water, plus an unglazed kyusu with a fine mesh. It's hard to say how it would turn out with different variables.

>>11181459
>>11181515
>>11181598
>>11181843
Thanks guys. I guess second pot is a good idea. I could keep in in a towel or sock to keep it warm as well.

Comfy late afternoon breakfast time after sleeping in on a sunday

>>11181071
got a sample from upton for it
still sitting in my tea drawer

>>11182136
pu'erh wrappers are looking closer and closer to heroin stamp bags every day

>>11180136
>>11180580
we poured our tea into Boston harbor

>>11183616
did the tea steep in the harbor? mightve been the biggest pot of tea ever made

>>11183622
First recorded cold brew

>>11182529
Which one is it?

Hello /tea/. Have you ever drinked any non-pu'er tea stored for too long before? Today my father was cleaning up the mess in our old house kitchen and DAMN there were two tins lously tagged "Earl Grey" forgotten by time at the end of a cabinet. He said he remembers buying them like 20 years ago or so from who knows where. "Would this still be drinkable?" he asked. And I thought "Why not?" So there I went blindly to adventure myself into the brewing of some unknow leaves.

It was terribly perfumed, and I still have my doubts, but I managed to serve myself a cup... (if you're curious: water at 85°c, rinsed for 10 seconds, and steeped 2 minutes). The liquor was bright red, like your average Earl Grey, but it had the most astringent tart taste ever, and the dry aftertaste stayed the same, lingering at the back of my mouth for too long. I can't really describe it, it was so weird... no mould whatsoever, but somehow it reminded me of cigarettes? and blood?? (as in the iron taste from blood, though that could've been thanks to the tins it was stored in).

Moral of the story: don't drink old cheap earl grey unless you want a real reason to get angry at a beverage.

>>11178832
>>11178821
Why is sencha so much greener than chinese greens?

>>11184514
It's steamed instead of pan-fired.

>>11184527
Neat

What tea do you guys serve guest? I usually serve a simple green tea in western ware, but sencha with family.

Some “mini Tuocha” puerh...

>>11184563
Sencha is good all the way, you can't go wrong with it. Now, if only friends.... would visit me...

>>11184563
Earl grey. Our tea culture consists of chamomile or lemongrass for when you have a cold, so people find the strong flavor and sweet smell of it exotic, since it goes with milk and sugar they're not presented with an extremely different flavor from their morning coffee that they won't be able to appreciate, and feel elegant when you tell them it's a commonplace drink on England. Because these poor people still think bongs are classy.

>>11178186
coffee in the morning
black or mint tea at lunch
herbal tea at night

What is in /tea/'s opinion the most underrated growing region for black tea?

which chinese tea has the most caffeine for the morning? does pu’erh have more/less caffeine on average than other teas?

>inb4 some bullshit about terroirs and shade and cultivar or whatever

>>11185153
Go find it, it's easy.

>>11185153
why specifically chinese tea?

>>11185162
that means nothing, theres a 100000 kinds of greens, oolongs, blacks, etc. i mean more specifically

>>11185175
gaiwans are easier to deal with in the morning than fucking around cleaning out a kyusu. plus i bought a cute new gaiwan i want to use

>>11185196
Oh I know it means nothing, but to be more specific I'd have to make the same research you should have done before asking.

>>11185153
>which chinese tea has the most caffeine for the morning?
who cares? Drink whatever tea you like the best. Want more caffeine? take a pill.

>>11185196
You do realize that you can put any kind of tea into a gaiwan?

>>11184748
The only reason I haven't hosted a Tea party yet is because I have no friends.

>>11185849
family came round mine for Sunday lunch, afterwards i served them Darjeeling tea in a pretty little china tea set i bought for my birthday. mum demanded milk in hers and brother would only drink instant coffee with 6 sugars

Any teas that can make kava taste not disgusting? I know that oksusu-cha makes it much worse.

>>11185890
>Demanded milk
That's fine, it's hers for her to enjoy however she wants.
>Only drink instant coffee
Didn't even taste the tea? Rude.

>>11185131
>What is in /tea/'s opinion the most underrated growing region for black tea?

nobody got an opinion?

>>11185849
>tfw have to tea party with imaginary friends
I guess I could let my cat join in the party

>>11185949
why drink kava if it tastes disgusting

>>11186273
in the ground

>>11186273
All I know is that Indian teas are overrated

>>11186383
agreed.

>>11186383
Darjeeling is great!

Stupid question: what's the point of a gaiwan? I simply make tea in a Breville One-Touch and it seems just fine to me. I have a gaiwan that I never used and that I was about to donate to some thrift store, but seeing that a lot of people use them give me second thoughts about getting rid of it.

>>11186417
Indian teas in general are overrated. Everyone knows that Darjeeling is great therefore it is rated appropiately.

>>11186273
Lipton is great!

>>11185849
>>11185890
You dorks should arrange an internet tea party over skype

>>11186419
It's a tea pot from before pottery advanced enough to make spouts.
Still useful over your breville if you want to give gong-fu style brewing a shot though.

Best tisanes or chamomile like teas? I have gerd so caffeine is a no no :(

>>11184041
TSA2 Season's Pick Leafy Black Tea Organic
Origin: Bitaco, Colombia
2 tsp / 6 oz cup, steep @ 212F / 4-5 min (or to taste)

>>11186273
I buy locally what smells good and online what's on sale or is different from what I've had so far, I couldn't tell you what is underrated because I don't know other's opinions about things.

>>11185236
not really.. a lot of japanese teas have lots of small pieces that would slip through

>>11185217
dont be a fag about it, was just a question

>>11185220
not very into that idea, of course i would want a tea that tastes nice along with having a high caffeine content

>>11186291
vodka tastes even worse but people still drink it

>>11186493
I'm partial to anything that is a mix of mints, and fruit tisanes with guava. I buy locally so I don't have any recs, it's much easier to find herbal in regular coffee shops than good tea.

>>11187529
what is it about guava that makes it so good in tea? i love guava juice and guava drinks but i'm pretty indifferent about the fruit (not talking bland imports, had it straight from tropical trees and wasn't impressed)

>>11188254
There's different kinds of it, I've had a really small one that is bright pink inside that doesn't taste of much of anything and a bigger, light yellow all around one that was great, so I guess they make drinks out of the best tasting kind there is out there.

>>11181252
Nice mouse

>>11186493
Rooibos has no caffeine and tastes good plain, but also comes mixed like chai or with other stronger flavors and they're all pretty good if you're into that sort of thing.

Which way do you guys hold a gaiwan? I pick the whole thing up, including the saucer, and use my thumb to hold the lid while the rest of my fingers hold it up at the bottom side of the saucer. I'm pretty sure it's the most pleb way to do it, but it's much easier than picking it up by the rim of the gaiwan and burning yourself

>>11189256
do you have ham hands by any chance?

>>11177484
colorful

>>11189256
The rim shouldn't be that hot, unless you overfilled it.

What do you think is the best tea when you feel like you're starting to get a bit sick?

>>11181212
Less land area for starters, autism for seconds. That said genmaicha is a necessary winter tea for me.

>>11190358
Probably something herbal, idk. Definitely nothing with microbial activity e.g. pu'er

>>11190358
Chamomile ginger for sure, or at least not something with actual theine.

>>11190293
it's not

>>11189295
i have big big man hands but they're not fat

>>11190293
it's usually not too hot but the way i do it is still less hot and i feel gives me better control

What is a good place to buy loose leaf tea from online? in the states

>>11191393
https://pastebin.com/4ZEuMwBJ

>>11186493
I've brewed valerian root with peppermint, it's good, especially at night. But like anon up there already said, anything rooibos is the best.

>>11184621
Very small cakes you don't have to break seems like a good idea to me, are they overall more expensive than buying large ones?

>>11192441
Generally yes, you are paying for the extra work and packaging to make individual cakes or balls for the most part.

>>11184621
How old is that?

I've just spent 15 minutes wondering about this tea here showing unknown qualities/taste
what really happened:
last night i put dilluted lemon juice into the water heater to decalcify it and completely forgot about it this morning.

am i going to die?

>>11192551
idk but did it taste good?

>>11178186
Currently 2-3, thats after an initial coffee

>>11191393
yunnansourcing.us
If you have no idea what to buy, ask here.

>>11192441
Nah, they are about the same price per grams, maybe just a little bit more expensive. I kinda like those small cakes or sometimes they shape it like chocolate - pic related

>>11192521
This is Meng Hai 2004 Lao mini Tuocha. Was pretty good, but you can steep it just like 3-4 times, than it’s too weak and watery.

is it safe to buy pu'er on amazon?

Which tea has the fullest green?

so is loose leaf tea really worth the extra cost and hassle?

>>11193251
there's barely any extra cost and there's much less "hassle" than it looks. yes, it's worth it

>>11193157
japanese teas have much brighter green color, probably a sencha

>>11192885
you won't die or anything probably just bad pu'erh

>>11177495
I’m so grateful I’m not this retarded.

>>11181252
utilitarian masterrace I see.

I'm drinking a Nepalese black tea blend with ginger and other spices, I also have some young raw pu-erh I got recently from my trusty health tea house chink(s), and on the topic of ebay chinks I feel I've been the victim of shilling, and I ended up winning an auction for this zisha (yeah right) teapot, paid a bit less than €11 in total, I needed it for the pu-erh anyway so it's not all bad, I'll let you know how it turns out to be, and if it's good I'll likely buy another, similar one from the same chink(s) for my bi luo chun next year, I've been brewing it in cups this past summer
I'll let you know how it is as soon as it arrives

What's the point of all these fancy pants tea kettles, heaters, cups and "culture".

What's wrong with a normal giant glass and stainless steel filter? I bet most of ytoh wouldn't be able to taste the difference in a blind test.

>>11193453
>what's the point
well it arguably tastes good and some people enjoy it, if that's not enough for you then what's the point in eating anything other than the strict basic, not-very-flavorsome stuff you need to survive?
>what's wrong with other things
nothing wrong if you like it really

that stainless filter in a glass will probably make it much more difficult to brew many teas properly - yours looks like a black tea or highly oxidised oolong, and to extract the tannins and other flavorful stuff from it you need very hot water, no less that about 95°C for at least 5 seconds, and the tea needs to move around because the diffusion of flavorful stuff works better when there's not a very high concentration of tea in a small place, and not free in the majority of the water

also unless you pre-heat your glass at least once and cover it, the temperature of the water will drop lower than that as soon as you filled your glass, and clay teapots are convenient for this because they retain heat well and distribute it uniformly, unlike most glasses and mugs, so clay teapots are actually a more convenient way to brew tea properly, and that will likely be the biggest difference in taste between your method and a more traditional one

also it's cool to have small teapots around and impressing friends and girls when you have them over

>>11193453
I probably couldn't taste culture in a blind test myself.
The rest I think I could, but why would you think I/we can't if you don't even seem to have tried it yourself?

>find out about a local tea shop advertising over 140 loose teas
>get excited and look them up online
>scented trash at $20 an ounce
Thank god for the internet.

IHOP tea master race

>>11193251
cheaper tbhonest

>>11177343
Sprouts brand black tea. Tried some stuff from Yunnan Sourcing but it was absolute crap. I've been scared to try anything from the pastebin ever since because I'm on too tight a budget to screw this up

>>11195595
What did you order? What was wrong with it? I haven't used it much but I've never had something bad from yunnansourcing yet.

>>11177343
मैं भारती हूँ इसलिए चाय पी रहा हूँ
Absolutely delicious

>>11196055
king of duck shit aroma
tasted like duck shit

>>11196454
...you might be a tastelet. it's called that because of the aroma of the soil it grows in, while the tea's flavor should be light and floral. you probably just don't like dan cong oolongs and thought it tasted like that because of misleading name, not the tea itself

>>11196473
u got trolled bro

>>11197226
Hahaha, fucking epic bro.

>>11196377
?

is pouring over a coffee filter like drip coffee make the tea taste better that doing it teabag style? i have so many coffee filters but rarely drink coffee anymore and i dont want them to go to waste

>>11198399
Not really. Tea does best directly in the water. You can use them as makeshift teabags though. Works good for chamomile, rooibos, or anything else with fine bits that get stuck in mesh filters. I do it the lazy way and thread a bamboo skewer through the top edge, then you can just set it onto a mug and let it steep.

>>11196454
I drink black tea everyday just for that duck shit aroma, what are you on about?

I have one of those electric kettles that has an infuser basket in it so you can brew tea directly in it. After using it is just rinsing okay or do I need to do more to clean it? I never brewed anything in the last kettle I had.

>>11198831
Yes, in fact, avoid getting soap on the strainer.

Green chink tea. Grandpa lazy steeping.
Sky phoenix or something like that.
While i have a proper gongfu set, i`m actually too lasy to use it, so i don`t chase really elite stuff.

BTW, recommend me greens with thick herbal aromas. Should i try chink sencha?

>>11179564
Russian tea culture is mostly black teas with lots of snacks.

However, if you want to experience russian tea, then you need to brew the leaves really strong (about 3x than normal, i think) in a small teapot. Add some brew to your cup and mix it with hot water (from a samovar or simply from your kettle).
Use good quality Indian or Chinese tea for brewing. Georgean tea is garbage and Russian grown tea is extremely rare.

Add sugar to taste. Take a bite of your preferred snack (sweets, pancakes, cakes, gingerbread and so on).

>>11199349
yes, Japanese greens have a much stronger flavor generally than Chinese greens which are very smooth and light

bought a cute little Jap teapet

do you guys have cross-cultural tea sets? i use a kyusu with a chinese fairness pitcher, gaiwan with genmaicha in it, etc.

>>11200132
damn 4chan and its sideways picture magick

>>11180270
Every time I brew genmaicha it just tastes like I'm drinking water left over from microwaving rice

This might be a stretch but does anyone have that infograph that has like 30 different kinds of tea's and when to drink them? Its was drawn, I remember seeing it years ago but ive since lost it.

>>11177343
For me, it's Twinings English Breakfast, the best tea.

What's the difference, taste wise, between brewing loose leaf ripe pu-erh and cakes?

>>11200319
agreed, but...
>bagged version

get their loose leaf, it's really good for the price

Who else here /samovar/?

Looking for recs for a tea tray like in op, ceramic or wood I don't mind

>>11199349
>chink sencha
I doubt the chinks can do proper sencha
anyway, sencha is less smokey and more grassy and astringent than most chink greens like long jing, not very "herbal", just grassy
thick herbal aromas you can find in lightly oxidised tie guan yin, young (less than 4 years ideally) raw pu-erh, yun feng or however it's called, and bi luo chun, kind of
most greens are more grassy than herbal to me, and those last two are the most herbal and flowery ones I can think of
>>11200074
I respectfully disagree with this statement, unless you compare, say, genmaicha with yun feng, nip tea will be lighter and grassy-er any time
>>11200132
it's your phone, not 4chan
also any good quality tea set is cross cultural unless you're from a chinese speaking country

>>11201074
I was looking at them on AliExpress, they seem ok but I've never used the service so I don't know if a store's rating can be trusted.

>>11202327
aliexpress is great for cheap electronics, not sure if id trust the quality of wood related products

>>11202327
A stores rating isn't trustworthy. Pictures of a product are not trustworthy. Always check reviews for pictures and complaints. Many reviewers are retarded and leave low reviews for non-product reasons. Aliexpress will 99.99% side with you in a dispute, unless you majorly fucked up or are a known fraudster. Never mark a product as received until AFTER you've inspected it for damage and tested it thoroughly. Never pay for faster shipping. Never ship with DHL, they will tax you to hell and back (one exception exists).

t. /csg/

>>11198831
>I have one of those electric kettles that has an infuser basket in it so you can brew tea directly in it.
i also have on of those, but i'd never use it. i dont want left over tea/dust constantly tainting every brew. i brew mine in this, it holds two cups and the jacket keeps it warm for a while

>>11178186
Average around 2 probably.

If I am working in the office, about 6.

If not, probably 0.

>>11199349
>BTW, recommend me greens with thick herbal aromas.
try getting some jasmine tea, its green that has been rolled in jasmine oil to give it scent

>>11201074
got this of amazon, ~£15

Shrinkflation:
>Shrinkflation is a rise in the general price level of goods per unit of weight or volume, brought about by a reduction in the weight or size of the item sold.

Just FYI. This happened in the last few months. I don't get them often. I think the last 'full size' one was about 3 months ago.

>>11202799
Calories went up, but no mention of change in recipe. Suspicious.

>>11193453
It's kind'a like how everything tastes better when someone else makes it because you didn't experience it happening. Or how most foods taste better off a wooden spoon/fork than off a steel one due to how much more pleasant wood 'feels'. Getting 'taste' and 'enjoyment' confused.

But, is that really a problem? Isn't our end goal not taste, but rather enjoyment? I think it's fine. 'To each their own' and all that. Personally, I don't own a single fancy tea appliance. I make my tea with hot water from the Keurig. I make my coldbrew with a tea jug and goat milk filter bag. I'm cheap.

>>11202799
>always keep refrigerated
must be cancer

>>11202901
Only the 'new' formula needs to be refrigerated?. What the hell did they put in there?

What would be the tea equivalent of black coffee?

>>11203000
ctc assam tea? i've never had it where it wasn't strong as fuck even with half the tea as i normally brew

>>11203000
What specifically are you looking for?
Strong, robust taste?
High caffeine content?
The fedora tipping aesthetic of drinking a bitter black brew in a crowd of triple cream mocha lattes with syrup?

>>11203198
All three

>>11203392
That would be three different teas at least and I'm not even sure there is such a thing as a fedora tea

>>11203392
I'd go with an oversteeped broken leaf Assam.

>>11203417
fedora tea would probably be earl grey, hot.

>>11203432
Not nearly the same aesthetic.

Oh man, just tried a white 2 tea smooch ball. Grabbed a couple during the last sale while I was picking up some shou and I don't really know sheng at all.
Kinda blown away by the flavor. One of the first teas I can say I've had that actually has some "fruit" flavor to it.

Anyone got any recommendations for similar shengs? Or should I just look into other Lincang shengs?

>>11181395
>mfw this is sitting on my shelf
Excellent

for me, it's Lipton® Black Tea, America's Favorite Tea™, brewed in a Samsung™ microwave with tap water

>>11204535
from a bag, of course

>>11204539
A decade or two ago Luzianne had this commercial that ribbed Lipton for their instructions on the box, which specific "for best results, serve hot" or something. While Luzianne's box said something about being best for iced tea.

After that, Lipton's boxes all mysteriously changed to brag about being made for iced tea.

>>11204888
It took me a while to find this specific one. After watching like 25 other commercials, it's interesting this one is the only one that shows that picture of the Lipton bag. They had commercials all through 1978-1994 but this is the first and last to show it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN8njVz04XM

>>11178186
It really depends on the day and how I'm feeling. There's only so much liquid you can take per day anyway before you just start spending half of the day at the toilet. You gotta budget between tea and anything else you might want to have, like water, alcohol, milk and juice. Some days I don't have any tea, others I might chug down multiple pots.

>>11204888
>>11204937
Sounds like a conspiracy

>>11178186
green tea in the morning and noon, white/herbal in the evening.

What snacks do you have with your tea?

>>11178186
Three cups of green during an office morning, only one on weekends, and a cup of black or oolong at night.

Weird question but what tea do you think would taste okay with salt added? I've been drinking water with mineral salt to fix my electrolytes (mainly potassium) but I'm wondering if there's a tea that would help mask the taste.

I considered black coffee but it has too much caffeine to use every day as something to wash down salt with.

>>11177495
Imagine being this wrong

>>11206693
nothing

>>11206743
>mainly potassium

Like nigga just eat some bananas

>>11207070
>eating like a normal person
Where's the fun in that?

>>11206693
mochi with red bean paste

>>11207105
bought or homemade?
mocchi is delicious

>>11206693
nothing mostly
muffins sometimes
miscellaneous sweets rarely

>>11207284
bought from a store in Japantown, same family since like 120 years ago, makes them fresh every day

Silver Needle

Recommendations for yixing pots? Any reputable sellers?

>>11207456
Where's your silver needle from? I've been meaning to try whites for a while.

Anyone brew at work? I almost always brew gongfu at home, and I've been hesitant to bring a set into work. I've tried strainer balls, the mesh cups, etc. They're all kinda shit and the tea just doesn't come out right.

I just picked up a really small tray that's just big enough to fit a gaiwan, gong dao bei, strainer, and one cup. It's super comfy, and I might just get a second one to keep at home.I don't drink as much as I'd like simply because cleaning the larger tray I have is such a pain in the ass. Anyway, the small tray would be great for work.

The problem is the kettle. I don't want a huge-ass 2L kettle sitting on my desk. What I want is something like a small half-liter glass kettle with temperature controls, but I can't find anything that fits the bill. I've picked up a 1L gooseneck since I need a new kettle anyway. Might take that one into the office.

So, anyone else have experience? Do you get bullied? Is it comfy? Any tips for a small-footprint, minimal setup?

>>11208222
Thermos jug for water supply

>>11208246
but muh perfect temperature

How the fuck do chinese restaurants brew their tea? The tea I've had in all of them always tastes similar, and usually really good, but I've never been able to figure out what it is. I asked a waitress once, and she told me it was jasmine green tea, but it ain't like any green jasmine I've brewed at home.

>>11177343
Coffe is better. Stay mad teafag.

The only teas I like are fruit flavoured ones and I wanted to get into better tea so I bought a jar of pure black tea which smells good but when I brew it I can't get half the cup down
How do I make it more bearable, it's just too strong

>>11208315
more water less leaf lower temp add sugar

>>11208263
Well ask them where they get their tea and how they brew it

>>11208315
what >>11208336 said except for the add sugar part, it's pointless then to be honest

Always been a coffee guy, but recently got some matcha. Haven't tried it yet, is it any good? And what do I do with it? (ceremonial grade if that helps)

>>11208391
buy a bamboo matcha whisk first and don't touch the matcha until you get it. don't even look at it.

>>11193453
weebs

>>11206693
>my dream breakfast

>>11208411
Could I not use a normal whisk? Also got any tips for heats and timings since I know literally nothing about tea.

>>11208463
a normal whisk is too big, the metal will impart too much taste into the tea, and doesn't work to create the foam you want in matcha.

>tips for heats and timings
would've been easier to ask jewgle

>>11208315
Look up how to brew gong fu style. It seems pompous at first, but it's really straight forward. You're probably brewing some leaf in a big pot of boiling water which is a good way to get bitter tea.

Brew in very small amounts, with a lot of leaf and the correct temperature water, for only a few seconds at a time. You can steep the same bunch of leaf multiple times. The tea you get will be still be strong, but if done correctly you'll only get the good flavors of the tea without extract much of the bitter compounds.

>>11180999
Cast iron pots are really best for western style brewing(little bit of tea, lot of water, long steep times) and brewing for multiple people, as they are larger and keep the tea warm.
Earthen ware is good for drinking a single variety of tea because it holds on the minerality and flavor. Glass is good all around but better suited to more delicate teas (white, green) as it dissipates heat quickly. Porcelain is probably the most versatile.

Anyone know any local tea places in Philly? There's the one in RTM which is decent, and there's another one in an office building, but that lady creeps me the fuck out.

>>11208346
There's some teas I like better with sugar than by themselves, generally the lower quality ones, but if you already bought 50 grams of them, why not add sugar or even milk to improve the experience?

>>11208222
I usually make quick "put tea into pot, pour water, drink while morning", but i am recently tring to find way to keep the energy level without the caffeine - the withdrawal on Saturdays always kills my weekends and i don't want to drink tea for caffeine. I want to drink it, because i like tea.

>>11206743
>Weird question but what tea do you think would taste okay with salt added? I
I think salt actually nicely complements "black" puer.

is there ever a situation where butter in tea is acceptable?

>>11210200
you do you man
if you like the flavor or texture or whatever go for it

Mornin', /ck/.

Starting off the day with some Tsuen tea shop San no Ma.

This week has/is going to be full of weeb shit.

Ordered a gaiwan to brew the hojicha in (and nobody can tell me otherwise).

Going to a local greenhouse's bonsai day.

Probably ordering my first decent weeb knife after getting a small set of Shun Soras a while back. Still haven't decided which one yet and the list is still long but....

Masakage Yuki
Mazaki Kasumi
Ikazuchi SS Clad Super Blue
Tanaka SS Clad Super Blue
Yoshikane SKD
Gengetsu SS Clad W2
Kintaro SS Clad Super Blue

Looking at all of these in a 210mm gyuto.

>>11210200
Tibetan butter tea. It's an acquired taste.

>>11206743
Mongolia and Kashmir have traditions of salted tea but those folks are weird.

>>11210200
its delicious, i used to buy a decent loose leaf comodity chinese black tea and id do a strong brew of it and mix it with butter, roasted barley flour, and a pinch of salt and called it breakfast

>>11210699
will look into this
hopefully it will improve my throat singing too

got some yamacha the other day; I can only get one variety every month or so because of my poorness.
It is very good though, a unique taste for japanese greens. Perhaps due to the wildness.

>>11210699
I'm gunna try butter tea but I am waiting for wintertime. Seems like a very hearty drink.

Someone on seekay told me it isn't very good though. We will see

>>11206743
Maybeee in japanese green. But you would want to use so little it would probably do nothing for your potassium. Eat a banana, drink so coconut water

>inb4 zoomer
its really high in potassium

>>11210914
>>11211090
Doesn't taste very good, I had it while in Tibet. the salt and butter in it is more for sustenance to survive in the mountains than for flavor. maybe it would be better with regular butter instead of yak butter. It looks beautiful at least. Will 100% improve your throat potential though

>>11177343
Look I really like Japanese food and all but sencha taste like shit

Anyone here start drinking tea to cut down and eventually stop their coffee consumption? Considering it since coffee seems to contribute to my acid reflux a lot more these days.

>>11211239
Cool

>>11211243
am i wrong though? it just taste like shitty vegetable stock.

>>11211241
I didn't start because of that but it was a nice side effect. I was getting too close to being one of those "no talkie" people but now I can really go with or without caffeine, I just drink it because I enjoy it.

>>11211254

What kind of tea did you first start drinking? Wouldn't mind starting with a strong, bold tea to replicate my usual morning coffee.

>>11211328
I started with classic English teas - earl grey, darjeeling, english breakfast, etc. which are pretty easy to enjoy for someone used to coffee. Quickly moved on to mostly drinking Chinese or Japanese teas, a good one for you might be Keemun black tea which is dark, strong, and malty. I suggest anyone who wants to try drinking looseleaf teas buy a gaiwan to brew in, it doesn't seem like it but it's much simpler to use and is more convenient than a big teapot. Easier to experiment with finding your favorite steeping times and temperatures. You don't need an expensive one, a $10 one works just fine

>>11211369

Thanks bud

When I brew sencha gongfu style I think it's okay but when I brew it "correctly" it tastes like shit. Am I broken?

>>11211544
but gong fu is correctly, anon

>>11211552
Is it? Like I'd typically rinse a Chinese green, and then steep for like 15 seconds, but a lot of the stuff I'm reading about japanese greens is saying not to rinse and to steep for like a minute, and at that point it just tastes like salty, bitter leaf water to me.

>>11211552
no, for japanese teas it is not traditional at all. it's not even the best way for some chinese teas

>>11211564
use less leaf and more water than you would with gongfu

>>11211241
>seems to contribute to my acid reflux a lot more
That's how I started.
If you have nothing to drink except coffee, start drinking tea certainly will replace some of your coffee consumption.

>drink coffee like everyone
>drink like 3-4 cups of instant coffee everyday
>drink even stronger canned coffee whenever outside
>eventually I could fall asleep sitting down, after drinking coffee
>don't forget to mention the uncomfortable feelings in my stomach
>"Why don't just drink some tea?"
>so many kinds of tea to try
>finally cut down to 1 cup of coffee everyday
>and that one cup is purely for my amusement

You don't need to start it hardcore, need a strong taste, steep it extra long to make it bitter, making a big fucking deal to "replace" coffee; start small, keep your morning coffee, try any tea until you find something you like.

>>11211970
That's really one of the fun things about tea, the variety. You can prepare coffee a bunch of ways but the coffee doesn't have much variation.

>>11211544
Forget gong fu for sencha. Japan is not China. Sencha is processed differently from Chinese greens.
Try about 2 tsps per 300/400 ml. Water about 80c, steep 60-90 secs first brew, 90-120secs second brew.

What is the optimal way to brew tie guan yin?

>>11212161
gong fu

>>11212174
I meant specifics, you nerd.

>>11212182
depends how you like it

>>11212224
people always ask the best steeping temperatures and times and amounts, but the whole point of gongfu is really to experiment and find what makes your favorite tea

>>11179444
I bought a lapsang a month ago and I finally got to it. It had been stored in the small paper bag the store gave it to me in and I forgot about it. It smells like paper bag. It tastes like very bitter paper bag.

How was yours?

My dad bough me 'moringa tea', which fags hail as the second coming of christ in plant form, since it's used in this an that, but since nobody's (probably) studied the negative effects (and you can bet your as it has antinutrients, as all plants do) I can't find much useful info. I drank it once, and it burns my throat, this with cold water at first, then with hot. I drank lemon juice neet before and it's nothing compared, it's like chillis being rubbed against you throat, and since it doesn't dissolve, it's like hot sand.
Anyone got any experience with this, or advice how or why if at all I should consume this?
I've been excluding almost all plant material from my diet, so I've kinda stopped drinking tea for the most part..

>>11212953

Very woody. Very smoky. But I drank mine every day since the first day and stored it in an airtight container. I just like smoked food. Never knew why.

>>11213453
Smoked is fine, but there wasn't any smoke in this, now I'm wondering if it was the tea I got that was bad or just the way it was stored.

>>11214657
It could be both. If they sold it to you like that they may have been storing it that way for who knows how long. All tea loses flavor of stored improperly, especially scented ones like lapsang souchong.

Gaiwan hojicha incoming.

>>11214932

90 seconds at 180 degrees F. This reminds me a lot more of genmaicha than I thought it would. Still quite seaweedy but with that roasted, nutty flavor really standing out.

>>11214943
Looks great but please crop your photo so I don't have to see your foot. How much water/leaf did you use?

>>11215086

2.4g/100g

What sites are particularly good for buying teaware?

>>11215194

I'm biased as an o-cha fanboy but they have some really good stuff. Not a huge selection but everything they have is well made and nice to look at.

>>11215200
I was more asking about chines teaware, sorry. Though, I should probably get a kyusu at some point.

>>11215404

Oh word. I just got my gaiwan (>>11214932) from Amazon because I wanted it quick but yunnan sourcing seems to have a good selection.

>got 3 months of a tea of the month club a while back
>one box was all oolongs that I've barely touched because I'm not fond of floral flavors that these all have prominently
>drank one today that I really liked
>can't find the paper saying what teas are in each packet

>>11215559
Email the service and ask for the paper.

>>11215972
I don't even remember which month it was. I still have it somewhere anyway, I'll just have to dig a little.

Ordered a $5 sampler from Verdant, I'm excited to see where this goes. Usually we get Bigelow or make large pitchers of Lipton for iced tea throughout the day

>>11212280
Tea in general is like that. You should obviously start with the recommended temps and times as a guideline, but experimenting to find what you personally like best is something people really should do. After all, you're the one drinking the tea, as long as tastes good to you, fuck everyone else.

>>11216656
excellent

>>11216703
gongfu does make it easier and more methodical to experiment than brewing a whole cup or teapot at a time. It's always interesting to taste the differences between the first, second, third, and subsequent steeps as well.

>>11213080
>I've been excluding almost all plant material from my diet
this is a fucking troll right?

Heil everyone.

I love Yerba Maté, I basically drink it everyday for hours because I was being a NEET Lazy nigger. However, I'm going to continue my studies and I'll never be home...I'll never have time to drink it at home peaceful, with the gourd and the metal straw...And I don't want to take the gourd with me, it would be a mess.
I would want to know if there is a way to "produce" raw Yerba Mate water and to put it in a gourd? Like that, I could just drink it like an Ice Tea. But how would you do it? You have not only put hot water on the yerba mate, but you also have to use the metal straw to get the infusion...And I don't want to spend hours of spitting yerba mate out of my mouth, into my metal gourd.
Thank you.

>>11217313
Just buy the bottled stuff. Not nearly as good, but not bad when you get the unsweetened kind. Real mate is definitely a home drink unless you live by a mate place.

>>11217332
No way, I'll never buy bottled crap. I've been searching and apparently, I can prepare it with a French Press at home.

I just had matcha for the first time and now I want to brew it at home, but I've never made tea before. Do I really need to buy the super expensive ceremonial shit? Do I really need the meme ceramic bowl and bamboo whisk?

>>11217345
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diNt0ZUfIHE

Well, I'll have to buy a french press...

What's your favorite jasmine green tea, and how do you prepare it?

>>11217367
You can use any bowl. The whisk is definitely recommended, because it's real thin and will mix everything evenly. Definitely hard to recreate the same froth without it, but you could try with a small fork maybe.
But, since everything is "meme", why don't you just shove water and matcha into a blender like the barbarian you are. Better yet, go get a macha pumpkin spice latte at starbucks, that'll work better.

>>11217382
fucking disgusting

>>11217382
>healthy to drink leaves
>strains them out anyway

>>11217627
Okay I will take your word on the whisk, I don't know, it just seemed like a meme item when I first looked at it, I didn't know that it had some special frothing properties. What kind of matcha is good for drinking though? Do I really need the expensive kind?

>>11177343
A whole gallon of unsweetened Lipton faggot. I brew it until it's black. I call it my "black tar tea" very strong. Wanna fight about it?

>>11217393
I buy an unmarked green jasmine $1 for 100 grams at a local japanese store and drink a couple cups a day as my main source of caffeine. It gives you both the pleasure of the jasmine smell and taste and the pleasant surprise of how much better any decent jasmine is when you brew something actually good.

>>11217865
there's three grades: cooking, regular, and ceremonial. you want the regular grade which won't break the bank.

>>11208463
>>11217627
One of these things will mix matcha just fine.

>>11217865
Try and avoid the absolute cheapest stuff, it's ground sencha instead of real matcha.

>>11212280
>he can't share his favorite tea because he doesn't measure tea weight, water volume and temperature and time of infusion
Nice contribution

>>11218225
I have one of those. I call it the santorum machine

>>11218742
what does this even mean
i do all of these things, gongfu just makes it easy to use these variables to make better tea

newb here, no need to add sugar/honey to japanese teas right?

>>11217873
No one cares.

>>11218919
If you're brewing gong fu style (i.e., correctly) you shouldn't be adding any cream or sweetener. Sweetener and creamers are used in Western brewing to mask the bitter flavors pulled out of the tea by hot and long steeping times.

Technically Japanese teas aren't supposed to be brewed gongfu, but the technique is similar enough that the same truths apply.

>>11218911
Are you >>11212161?

>>11218225
>or you could replace the thing you don't want to spend too much on with something more expensive
Right.

Here's my new teapot. Came in the mail yesterday. Brewed some genmaicha with it.

>>11219461
The one in the picture costs 3 USD.
Obviously if they have enough money to be buying matcha they can afford a chasen and that's ideal. Way more likely they have one of those frothers sitting around though and it will at least be drinkable that way.

>>11219492
Plain white ceramic is the best there is, good pick.

Tell me why I shouldn't.

>>11219648
Because you should also order some tea, since you're already paying shipping anyway. Personally I don't like serving from ceramic to a glass server, but that's just me.

>>11219668
>Personally I don't like serving from ceramic to a glass server, but that's just me.
Why's that? I like to be able to see the tea after its steeped, and glass gaiwans get way too hot to handle with blacks and oolongs.