Recipe Tea: What are you steeping these days?

Drinking some Tieguanyin at the moment. Definitely different from the Ali Shan, but I'm only on the first infusion.

One of the things I love about drinking oolong is that every infusion reveals something else about the tea. If you're an oolong drinker, how do you brew it? I'm just using a cup and a Finum basket. I'm sure I could take it to the next level with a minimal investment.

P.S. I need a new teapot anyway. Mine has gone missing.

 

I've never brewed mate, but here's a guide from Serious Eats: Tea Time: How to Steep Yerba Mate | Serious Eats The French press method looks reasonable. As for how long it will keep in the fridge after it is brewed--that is something you'll probably have to figure out as you go.

 

You mean the way too expensive for what you're getting price? I like their teas, and bought some this summer when I was away from my regular teashop, but I wouldn't buy there again.

Buy Loose Leaf Tea Online | Free shipping over $49 is a much better deal.

Yeah, I don't like her chai. The Tazo chai was my favorite. Now I just brew from loose at home.

 

I was trying to dig out my French press for my Assam when my package of Ti Kuan Yin fell straight into the sink, which was full of hot (but plain) water. Unfortunately, the ziploc was a bit open, but I moved quickly, fishing it out and dumping what was there on to some paper towels on a plate. I patted it dry, disposed of any tea too wet to continue, and zapped it in the microwave for thirty seconds to completely dry it out. I'll let it sit for a while before it goes back into storage.

Man, I'm glad I knew how good the microwave is at drying things.

 

Yeah, that about describes the face I made.

 

Maybe make an offering to the Iron Goddess of Mercy.


--- merged: Mar 26, 2015 at 4:47 PM ---
Also, that goddess is actually pretty hot.

 

OMG, Uncle Jesse.

 

I went on a tea pilgrimage over the long weekend. I got the following:

• Grand Cru Matcha: extra fine and high grade; mixes really well; has a smooth and creamy texture and awesome flavour; not a crazy price
• Irish Breakfast: finally available at the tea place I go to; it's normally hard to find in loose leaf bulk; the blend isn't the best I've had, but it's very good
• Nepalese black tea (from the Jun Chiyabari tea garden in the Highlands): absolutely love this stuff; it's rich and sweet; honey tones with a hint of chocolate; it even smells divine; one must drink it black
• Korean Sejak green tea: "sejak" means second flush; an earthy green similar to the Chinese green that's no longer available to me; so it's not vegetal/grassy like Japanese sencha, but rather earthy and buttery, a bit less bitter
• Roasted Gyokuro: OMG I haven't even had this yet; I only got $5 worth because it's pricey; this should give me about three double-steeps; it smells divine; imagine the best of both worlds: charcoal-roasted hojicha and shaded "jade dew" gyokuro; I'm looking forward to this

 

OMG want.

 

An article the other tea freaks around here might find interesting: Why Great Tea Doesn't Come Cheap: Digging Into the High Mountain Economy | Serious Eats

 

Lately, I've been drinking a lot of a tisane mixed by my friend's dad. It has rooibos, rose hips, hibiscus, and some other stuff in it. I try to drink a pint a day, as it's meant to have health benefits. At the very least, it has a lot of vitamin C.

 

I found the teapot in the last move. Phew.

I've been drinking a lot of a tisane lately. I need to go back to drinking more proper tea.