Greetings!
Posted: Jan 23rd, '08, 12:04
Hello, another newbie here.
I had been drinking Yogi green tea bags for several years never thinking much of it until my recent trip to Portland OR where I visited the Tao of Tea teahouse with some friends and WOW! I don't think I'll ever be the same!
I had the Frozen Summit Oolong and it was the most wonderful thing i'd ever tasted in my life. I also used Gaiwan cups for brewing which were so beautiful and I loved being able to see the tea floating. So now that I have been converted I need a little more knowledge about loose leaf teas and gong fu/ yixing methods as I simply can't bring myself to microwave another teabag ever again!
I purchased some China Gunpowder Green Tea from my supermarket and added about two teaspoons in my Beehouse teapot/infuser. After two minutes I poured a cup which tasted nice (nowhere near as nice as my frozen summit though) and it had a yellowish color. It appeared that the water level had gone down below the infuser so I left the leaves in the teapot. My next cup was very bitter however!
I would like to purchase a yixing tea pot, two I guess, as I like green and now I think I really like Oolong too. I know that you are supposed to only use one tyoe of tea in each pot but does that mean you can put any oolong in one pot, or only one particular kind of oolong?
Also for warming your water, does anyone use the stovetop, or is everyone using an electric kettle? I've seen pictures of little candle bowls that kettles sit on top of to keep warm, does anyone use one of those? Where can I find one?
Ok last question, I have heard round yixing pots are good for rolled oolong, would the classic style work then? Or would the rounder dragon style be better? And what shape would work well for my green tea?
Thank you all! It was a wonderful surprise to find a thriving tea community here!
-Alisha
I had been drinking Yogi green tea bags for several years never thinking much of it until my recent trip to Portland OR where I visited the Tao of Tea teahouse with some friends and WOW! I don't think I'll ever be the same!
I had the Frozen Summit Oolong and it was the most wonderful thing i'd ever tasted in my life. I also used Gaiwan cups for brewing which were so beautiful and I loved being able to see the tea floating. So now that I have been converted I need a little more knowledge about loose leaf teas and gong fu/ yixing methods as I simply can't bring myself to microwave another teabag ever again!
I purchased some China Gunpowder Green Tea from my supermarket and added about two teaspoons in my Beehouse teapot/infuser. After two minutes I poured a cup which tasted nice (nowhere near as nice as my frozen summit though) and it had a yellowish color. It appeared that the water level had gone down below the infuser so I left the leaves in the teapot. My next cup was very bitter however!
I would like to purchase a yixing tea pot, two I guess, as I like green and now I think I really like Oolong too. I know that you are supposed to only use one tyoe of tea in each pot but does that mean you can put any oolong in one pot, or only one particular kind of oolong?
Also for warming your water, does anyone use the stovetop, or is everyone using an electric kettle? I've seen pictures of little candle bowls that kettles sit on top of to keep warm, does anyone use one of those? Where can I find one?
Ok last question, I have heard round yixing pots are good for rolled oolong, would the classic style work then? Or would the rounder dragon style be better? And what shape would work well for my green tea?
Thank you all! It was a wonderful surprise to find a thriving tea community here!
-Alisha