Hello Again, Steeping times in todays economy

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Jan 3rd, '12, 16:23
Posts: 6
Joined: Dec 26th, '11, 18:46

Hello Again, Steeping times in todays economy

by ron45 » Jan 3rd, '12, 16:23

Thanks to Chip for the excellent help. I'm a coffee/espresso lover who also loves tea and I drink more cups of tea a day then coffee these days. Been getting tea on line and trying some new teas and mostly liking the result.

My first question has to do with steeping. A neighbor who was having a cup of Hojicha with me one day filled his cup three times and used the same tea bag. BTW, that tea is organic roasted green tea. The difference is like roasted almonds and raw almonds. All the things you like about green tea with something more going on in the flavor. Pretty nice. I realize that raw, nearly anything, is better than cooked.

So my question is about the fine points of the stretching of the tea, so to speak. Do purists do this? I'd guess not. Do folks who sell tea do it or recommend it?

Thinking about it I'd guess you back off a little on the first steep time. I often use two minutes or less for roasted teas. This seems to result in a satisfactory second cup. What do you guys do?

Briefly, `wife and I have been off grid since 83 when we chose to drop out of the rat race.[ here after to be known as the Matrix ] First movie was a perfect metaphor for today's modern societies. My submarine and pill, was a touring rock band in the late sixties. It was `We' and `They' all the way. There is good and bad in that view of the world. But formative years are just that. Don't do the fun stuff any more [ you can supply your own version ] but have pretty much kept the outlook one gains from that perspective. I don't think much of global corporate raptors or govt. or politicians. The difference is I've felt that way since` 65.

I still hug trees and people, and you should know if you ever hug a Jeffrey Pine, it's bark around the base of the tree will look like puzzle pieces, and if you peel off a fresh piece you will be delighted by the smell of vanilla. That's good enough reason to hug trees as if we needed any more reasons. They give us oxygen, nuts, coffee and tea, that's a good chunk of the best things in life.

Is everyone up on their polyphenol lore concerning coffee and the husks of the beans. Like teas it's very high in a lot of good stuff.... before you roast it. Then, `probably can include teas too, a good portion, as much as half is lost. Life Extension Foundation has come up w/a coffee that is soaked before roasting, and again after, in the same secret solution, probably water, to restore most of the lost polyphenols. One in particular called chlorogenic acid seems to be the star polyphenol is increased by 186 % according to the studies they quote. There are multiple trials going on which suggest a significant dose related effect on reducing effects of many of the most common serious ailments of todays world. Starbucks is probably a better investment these days. It's all in the Dec issue of Life Extension Magazine or on line at lef.org. I don't work for them. But saw the first references to free radical damage on Johnny Carson in the early 80s. Been using some of their stuff ever since. It is part of the thrust of their research. But only part as they are looking at every thing. But Swanson Vitamins uses the same sources as LEF and charges lots less. Enough for now. I look forward to getting to know some of you.

Ron

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Jan 3rd, '12, 17:55
Posts: 1574
Joined: Dec 30th, '08, 21:16
Location: The foot of the great Smoky Mountains

Re: Hello Again, Steeping times in todays economy

by iannon » Jan 3rd, '12, 17:55

Hello Ron,
are you are speaking of re steeping teas in general or more exactly hojicha type teas? well i guess either way I would say most of us here live by re-steeping all of our teas. Depending on the quality of the leaf and your leaf/water ratio's for most Japanese greens (including Hojicha) I go between 3 and 6 steeps. For something like quality Yancha.. almost endless. I usually wear out before the leaf does, In general the same for good Pu. I just had a Yancha on new Years eve that I basically drank/re-steeped non stop from 9am to close to Midnight. Even for "average" yancha I re-steep 6 to 12 times.

Ian

Jan 9th, '12, 18:54
Posts: 6
Joined: Dec 26th, '11, 18:46

Re: Hello Again, Steeping times in todays economy

by ron45 » Jan 9th, '12, 18:54

iannon wrote:Hello Ron,
are you are speaking of re steeping teas in general or more exactly hojicha type teas? well i guess either way I would say most of us here live by re-steeping all of our teas. Depending on the quality of the leaf and your leaf/water ratio's for most Japanese greens (including Hojicha) I go between 3 and 6 steeps. For something like quality Yancha.. almost endless. I usually wear out before the leaf does, In general the same for good Pu. I just had a Yancha on new Years eve that I basically drank/re-steeped non stop from 9am to close to Midnight. Even for "average" yancha I re-steep 6 to 12 times.

Ian
Thanks Ian, sounds like you know japanese tea well. I am not familiar with yancha but we do have Bancha. I think the one I've tried is from the same company selling Hojicha. I forget the company but they've been in healthfood stores since the late 60s if I'm not mistaken. I'm surprised about the number of steepings... sp ck doesn't like lots of these words.

I do usually use a cup that keeps things hot and holds about 16 ounces.

With Trader Joe's English Breakfast I get a drinkable cup after about a minute or so. I haven't tried more than one steep after the first one.

So do you wait for the color you want or how else does one decide on the right time. Are you drinking you tea neat or with condiments?

I'd like to find a black tea that stands up against some half and half and honey with out taking over my senses line most of the Lap Sang Sou whatevers do. I tried a Kee Mun from a place called 3 Qs or something like that on line. I must confess I'm not a connoisseur of fine teas or I'd probably drink them all straight.

Speaking of that... the best herb tea that has ever visited my taste buds is Pita Tea. It feels like the thing most meant to be in my mouth. But it may not seem so if you are not a pita. That is a body type from Ayruvedic medicine. The pita tea comes from Maharishi international or something like that.

What are some teas to try that will stand up to half and half and honey? I'm trying to cut back on the honey, it's still sugar. I remember making chai from a recipe in THe Himalayan Mountain Vegitarian Cook Book and in it I used a Red Label brand black tea, I think. There was an Indian food store in Albq for a while who stocked that tea. It was a tea the poor people drank according to the Lady. It was good in the chai. They start with the herbs and do an extraction that begins with a quart of water and is boiled till half of it is gone, then Milk is added and when it comes to a boil you add the tea and turn it off to steep. Black pepper corns, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger not a drink for a hot pm in the desert but very enjoyable anytime if you like those herb/spices.

Any one deal with Trois G Tea on line? Their prices seemed reasonable in the bulk tea category.

Ron

Ron

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