Ok, so tonight there's absolutely nothing going on here at work(I monitor data networks) so I'll sneak in a post here to tell you about my journey here-.=)
I began drinking tea when I became friends with the new girl in class when I was 11. Her family were drinking tea all day long, all of them. I don't remember the tea any more but I distinctly remember their HUGE handmade cups, and their steeping style of more or less just dunking a tea ball a couple of times in hot water. Very weak tea in other words, but it suited a first-timer like me.
I added both milk and sugar the first few times they made me tea, but quickly dropped the sugar. I still don't like sweet tea, not even iced. For most of my school years I kept on drinking tea, mostly Earl Grey since that was what my family bought, along with the occasional tin of jasmine. One cup before going to school, one or two when I came back. Sometimes later at night.
In my late teens and early twenties I started frequenting a certain tea shop in Stockholm and I became obsessed with flavoured teas, the weirder the better. This was the first of my tea crazes, which may have begun with a family trip to England where I bought tins of stuff like lychee tea at F&M.
I experimented with these for a number of years, until I realized most of them consisted of the same low grade teas with artificial flavourings added.
Around this time I developed a preference for pure black teas and I found a liking for Yunnan and Keemun, later Assam. Darjeelings have yet to wow me. It's not that I hate them, but given a choice I'd rather have something else.
Greens and oolongs I had only fleeting experiences with until quite recently.
I still remember what must have been my first oolong though, which must have been cheap 'Formosa oolong' a friend and I purchased from her local tea vendor. I remember the large leaves and long steeping times(something like 7 minutes done western style). The taste made me think of how an old, unpainted wooden park bench would smell in the rain.
In recent years I didn't pay much attention to tea, I kept to a small number of tried and tested favourites both flavoured and 'pure' and was ok with that. Greens crept in from time to time but failed to make an impression on me, in part due to me being unfamiliar with good brewing procedures...i e I basically cooked the lot of them
I do think however that having been a tea drinker for so long(I'm 38 ) has given me an understanding of quality and that I am able to distinguish between good and bad tea to an extent(Madeira greens...don't go there).
I'm no snob though, I happily drink what's available at any given time and try to make the best cup possible with what I have.
Recent developments have been finding a number of tea blogs...which led me here where I've lurked without signing up, for about four months.
These blogs introduced me to oolongs and the gong fu brewing method and I began buying my tea from the shops and Internet vendors they recommended.
Still greens didn't grab me until very recently after reading here and making a trip to my favourite Japanese food shop. This was two or three weeks ago and I'd been sort of curious about houji- and kukicha. That shop had both types on sale, marked down due to the packages having expired but they were ridiculously cheap so I though 'what the heck', got both plus some genmaicha for less than $1/100 g. I usually have it with food, very delicious.
But the kukicha....wow! The package said deep-steamed and the aroma is just...like no tea I 've come across before. Sort of savoury and strong...umami?
I had four 400 ml pots that first night.
And don't start me on teaware...
So here I am! Tea level +1
real name: Helen
lives: Sweden
occupation: IT "professional" Most days I feel far from a pro...
family: nope...five cats though
Right ,this is probably the longest post I've ever written...if you've made it all the way through i just wanted to say hi, and please take care of me...
Jun 19th, '09, 18:29
Posts: 375
Joined: Jun 15th, '09, 07:05
Location: Lat: N 59º 37' 3.79" Long: E 17º 49' 35.49" or thereabouts
Hi Helen, well some premium oolongs are on the way to you soon!
Welcome to our forum, glad you decided to join us!
Welcome to our forum, glad you decided to join us!
- Victoria -
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
http://victoriasown.blogspot.com/
Welcome Helen! I loved the "take care of me"... this bunch takes great care of your heart and your tea palate, but not so protective of the bank account. The teaware threads are quite hazardous!
So glad to have you here...
Sarah
So glad to have you here...
Sarah
***This organic blend is earthy & spicy, with a fragrant aroma & smooth flavor to captivate the senses. Naturally sweetened in the Kentucky sunshine & infused with natural energy. Equally delicious when served piping hot or crisply chilled.***
Jun 20th, '09, 15:20
Posts: 375
Joined: Jun 15th, '09, 07:05
Location: Lat: N 59º 37' 3.79" Long: E 17º 49' 35.49" or thereabouts
Thank you all for your warm welcome!
@kymidwife: Yeah...discovering all these teas and paraphernalia has been rather expensive...but then again I don't drink, smoke or have any other costly vices so, so be it! Tea is good for you, it's definitely worth my money. =)
Latest purchase has been a bag of O-Cha's Yutaka Midori since so many of you have been raving about it. I've yet to brew it up though, I'm waiting for my first kyusu to arrive...which should be any day now.
@Trey: We conquer the tea world, one forum at a time..
@kymidwife: Yeah...discovering all these teas and paraphernalia has been rather expensive...but then again I don't drink, smoke or have any other costly vices so, so be it! Tea is good for you, it's definitely worth my money. =)
Latest purchase has been a bag of O-Cha's Yutaka Midori since so many of you have been raving about it. I've yet to brew it up though, I'm waiting for my first kyusu to arrive...which should be any day now.
@Trey: We conquer the tea world, one forum at a time..
Welcome to our great forum and enjoy your YM! Greens are definately my fave.sriracha wrote:Thank you all for your warm welcome!
Latest purchase has been a bag of O-Cha's Yutaka Midori since so many of you have been raving about it. I've yet to brew it up though, I'm waiting for my first kyusu to arrive...which should be any day now.
Where did you get your kyusu? Shows us a picture when it arrives!
Jun 22nd, '09, 13:21
Posts: 1953
Joined: Apr 6th, '08, 19:02
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Contact:
chamekke
Re: a little bit about me
Welcome, Helen!
Heh, most of us here are teaware addicts anyway. Nothing we enjoy more than a spot of mutual enablingsriracha wrote:And don't start me on teaware...
______________________
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
Jun 22nd, '09, 13:33
Posts: 2625
Joined: May 31st, '08, 02:44
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Portland, OR
Contact:
Geekgirl
Re: a little bit about me
ROTFL!!! so true, so true...chamekke wrote: Heh, most of us here are teaware addicts anyway. Nothing we enjoy more than a spot of mutual enabling
Danger Danger!!
Warning Warning!
TeaChat membership may prove to be addictive to susceptible individuals.
Tea-mania: pursuit of new teas, technique angst and teaware lust, regardless of space and budgetary constraints.
And yes, we freely and unabashedly enable your addictive tendencies.
TeaChat membership may prove to be addictive to susceptible individuals.
Tea-mania: pursuit of new teas, technique angst and teaware lust, regardless of space and budgetary constraints.
And yes, we freely and unabashedly enable your addictive tendencies.