cazalea
[Seiko Moderator]
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TEA - the whys and wherefores
I don't know why I started with this title, but for an overview of hot, brewed tea it will do.
AndrewD has asked me to write a series on tea.
Drinking tea (compared to drinking coffee) is a bit like riding a bike (compared to driving a car).
It seems simple, we learn in childhood, we never forget how to do it, and anyone can successfully drink tea (or ride a bike).
These statements are true enough. But there's always more to learn about a subject. For example, observe these 3 types of tea (prior to brewing). They don't look very similar, do they?
Here are some names of teas behind piles of the leaves (or textured tea-leaf nodules)
Here's what those same leaves look like afterwards. A few look (and smell) like a dog's dinner, and the others look (and smell) like the forest after a rainfall.
Here are a few containers from which you can consume your freshly brewed tea. How you drink it makes a difference in the taste.
Here are a bunch of packages of tea. All contain 100g of tea leaves. Why do they differ in size (density)?
Here are some tea leaves steeping in boiled water
I know comparatively little about tea. I am not Chinese, Japanese or Indian.
My family all live in Seattle and drink coffee made from freshly ground beans purchased at the moment of brewing from specialty shops, etc. etc.
But I've lived in England, had thousands of cuppas. attacked the subject like a Purist, scoured the Internet, bought tea in London and Paris tea shops (not duty-free) and spend several decades drinking all sorts of teas.
Shall I continue this exploration of teas?
Cheers
TEA - the whys and wherefores
I don't know why I started with this title, but for an overview of hot, brewed tea it will do. AndrewD has asked me to write a series on tea. Drinking tea (compared to drinking coffee) is a bit like riding a bike (compared to driving a car). It seems simp...
That would be very interesting.
I am more in the Black Tea Category, to say all. But hey I would like to know more about the others! Best, Nicolas
Nicolas, have you ever tried Jugetsudo across from Gerard Mulot
on Rue de Seine? I've walked past it many times on my way to satisfy my sweet tooth, and it looks beautiful. One of these days...
I can think of a few....
Mulot, Pierre Hermes, Da Rosa, dalloyau, la hune, and I know I'm just scratching the surface
re: tea
I enjoy tea more than coffee. In the kitchen pantry we have all kinds of packaged and loose tea leaves. Not into the herbal teas but there are many Chinese ones that are really good. I remember the first time I visited Hong Kong, we went to a place for di...
It seems that there is a whole world to explore when it comes to tea
And there's an elegance to tea that coffee just doesn't have. I'm thinking of the kettles, the pots, the vessels to drink from, the tables to serve on, the beautiful tea houses I've seen. Tea seems to be a distination, whereas coffee seems to accompany yo...
want to learn more
Very cool topic Mike. I enjoy drinking tea, hot or cold. Earl grey or genmai is my favorite. BTW- there's an awesome tea house in Koreatown, let me know the next time you're in the area and we can stop by for a cup of tea. Regards, ED-209 ...
My coffee to tea consumption is like the odds . . .
. . . of the Raiders winning another Superbowl in my lifetime - right around 500:1. I usually have the urge when ill - green tea with honey and lemon soothes a sore throat. Picnics are another occasion; iced tea works well as an accompaniment with smoked ...
Love your scientific approach
Keep it coming we coffee drinkers need to know more if you wanna convert us :) Best D
Take a trip to Asia...
Go to Asia and go to a tea house. Tea is something that I enjoy immensely and unfortunately, unlike wine, it's taken even more seriously. While one can derive more pleasure from wine, tea is taken very seriously because you're not necessarily in a good mo...
great post. I drink tea daily (way more than coffee)
my favorite is probably Jasmine, chrysanthemum , but drink green daily. When I was last in China, I got this tea that had floral buds that opened up after steeping. Very cool and tasty. I also like peach flavored and my favorite cold drink of choice is ic...
How Much is a Cup of Tea
In line with requests from some readers of my previous post on teas, I am going to proceed with some "hard" facts about a cup of tea, rather than starting with flowery language about aromas, charming tea ladies, ancient rituals or tiny sandwiches and scon...
What is Tea?
Tea is said to be the most popular beverage in the world, but (speaking as an American) its origins and production processes are not very well known, at least compared to coffee. Coffee consists of special beans that are carefully picked, dried and/or roa...