Sunday TeaDay 8/17/08 Black tea, multible steeping?

[Proinsias]

I tend to go for multiple infusions of black tea.

Today seen many, many infusions of Georgian black tea. The mini gaiwan was filled with leaf twice and both fills were being appreciated at the sweet water stage.

I've been drinking a lot of Sikkim and Darjeeling this week, in a 250ml clay pot with multiple infusions.

[laran7]

It is my question too - I have been warming the cup before I start whisking ( I am using a chasen ) but I never get the bubbes throughout the cup - only on the edges - maybe I am pushing too hard - I thought I would at least be reaching the center of the matcha if I made sure the center of the whisk reached it - also I did not dry the bowl after warming it. Two new things to try. ( Beautiful cups of Matcha, GeekgirlUnveiled)

I just bought a thermometer by "Good Grips" - because it had a little clasp on the side and a plastic sleeve to keep the themometer in. It is supposed to be a meat thermometer ( I rarely eat meat ) but I thought the clasp would make it ideal for testing water before I poured it onto tea or placing in a cup that I would pour water into. It turns out that this thermometer registers 180 degrees (F) even when I put it into "just off the boil water". Which makes me think it is pointless to use for anything.

Oh yeah! I don't even bother to try to resteep ( European) black teas - I think that that removes most of the flavor and certainly the caffeine and leaves tinted water in its place. And I drink black teas for the lift. (Which may not entirely come from water soluable caffeine, and maybe I should re think this .) I agree that the idea of one steep per bag probably originated with the poor quality tea leaves being used in bags - ( I'm sorry I can't seem to copy many quotes in the same post - GeekgirlUnveiled, Bronzebed, Chip, Salsero, Riene and Britt, you all have me thinking and experimenting)

[chamekke]

Sal: I still haven't bought one of those snazzy little sifters. I've been thinking about it because I drink matcha every day now. What is this about rust???

Rust can be an issue on the less expensive matcha-burui or matcha sifters, which are generally made of tin. Because the material is less durable, these sifters are comparatively inexpensive. The stainless-steel ones are comparatively archival but are harder to come by... and a lot more expensive. My tea sensei only uses the latter, as you might expect.

Tea Circle sells both (click the link to see examples of both).

Of course, you can use a small mesh-wire tea strainer to sift your matcha. It doesn't have to be something fancy.

[chamekke]

Apparently, something else that affects the frothiness of the whisked matcha is the fineness with which the matcha is ground.

In the Urasenke school of Japanese tea ceremony, a lot of emphasis is placed on having a good layer of fine froth on top (with no larger bubbles or "frog eyes", as britt mentioned) - usually slightly raised in the centre, which is where you remove the whisk.

However, the tradition in Omotesenke (another school) is to whisk in such a way that there is only a thin layer of froth - and when the whisk is removed from the bowl, to leave that thin froth in the shape of a crescent moon. The rest of the liquid is froth-free. It's quite something to see when done well, and I've been trying to hunt down an online photo I saw that illustrated this perfectly, but I've had no luck.

Now, you may know that certain matcha-s are sold as being approved by/for the Urasenke school, the Omotesenke school, and so forth. There was a discussion about the Froth Question on one of the tea-ceremony discussion lists, and the consensus was that these matchas are actually ground differently - with the Omote matcha (IIRC) being a coarser grind than the Ura matcha.

P.S. I found another photo. This is from a blog of an Omotesenke tea student:

[Salsero]

Chamekke, we need to get an ISBN number for you. You are better than an encyclopedia.

[chamekke]

Well, I forgot to mention that most of the matcha sold in the West is almost certainly meant to be "frothed" a la Urasenke.

And I also forgot to say that the matcha-s that are made for koicha (i.e. the more expensive ones, with the names usually ending in -mukashi), normally don't have to froth at all. So although these teas may be "favoured" by a particular school, they can be more ecumenically enjoyed in general.

Here is a webpage on the Marukyu Koyamaen site that lists matcha "by tea school", in case anyone is curious.

[auggy]

Uhm, I forgot the poll question - too distracted by the matcha - but I voted.

Jasmine #12 for me currently. I picked up a lovely darjeeling first flush yesterday and had some this morning. And I'm thinking darjeelings are the only blacks (so far) that I like unflavored. But I was buzzing a bit after it, moreso than usual. Wonder if that is just a darjeeling thing?

[chamekke]

Sorry, I did go seriously off-topic just then

I realized that it's the leaf size which determines whether I do multiple infusions or not with black tea. Where it's a whole or near-whole leaf, I do. If the pieces are smaller (or again, if they're flavoured), I usually don't.

[Geekgirl]

Sorry, I did go seriously off-topic just then

Like you were the one that started it! I think I derailed things when I posted not one, but THREE green tea pics on page 2.

I think I'm in the same camp with leaf size and multiple steeps. I don't resteep very broken black tea because it seems to turn into a pile of mush.

But I also wonder if the heavy oxidizing makes it easier to infuse, thus far less flavor is left after the first or second steep? All I know is that 2nd steep on black tea usually seems to be more bitter and less flavorful. (IMO, YMMV)

[Cinnamon Kitty]

There are some black teas that I will resteep and others that only are good for one infusion. I find that the full leaf black teas definitely resteep better than the broken leaf ones.

I started today with the remains of my sample of Lesla Estate Kenyan Black Tea though I didn't get a chance to resteep it. My friends and I decided to hit up the wine trail before we head back to college next weekend, which was a lot of fun. Currently, I am ending the day with a blend of peppermint and lavender flowers. It is an interesting flavor, but very relaxing.

[Chip]

Sorry, I did go seriously off-topic just then

Like you were the one that started it! I think I derailed things when I posted not one, but THREE green tea pics on page 2.

Off topic discussions are expected and completely acceptable. However, Geek, your photos were not only gorgous, but right on the theme of TeaDay, "what is in your cup today?" Actually, the entire matcha discussion was born from your photo of the matcha you were enjoying today.

Finishing my day with Rishi Fair Trade Certified Spring Sprout Green. 2nd try at this green. Very different and complex. One thing many Chinese greens have over Japanese is complexity, IMHO.

[bronzebed]

sorry for going off topic. thanks everyone for the advice and resources. i will definitely be trying again tomorrow with my matcha experiments.

geekgirl-love the mug.

[Salsero]

I will definitely be trying again tomorrow with my matcha experiments.

... and we will be here listening for the cry of triumph or the whimper of defeat. Either way, let us know.

[Jack_teachat]

That is way cool! How on earth did you find that great passage? The author was thinking about the same stuff we are interested in today, the language is a bit different, but the word infusion is still our funny little old-fashioned sounding term. I suspect that the one shot style of brewing came with the teabag ... or descends from the cheap teas (prolly fannings and dust) that were all the working class could afford in 19th century England. Thomas Lipton (the Sam Walton of tea history) and the rush of tea sellers to come up with cheaper and cheaper products probably encouraged the demise of quality leaf.

Hi Sal

The reference came to mind because I am currently reading into the possibility of writing my History Masters dissertation on the concept of tea drinking as a vice in eighteenth century England, the source in question being something I read just a couple of days ago. I was also thinking that the 'one shot' style of brewing is probably associated with the British due to the development of the tea bag slightly later on.

An interesting fact about poor quality tea in this period.... A House of Commons Parliamentary Select Committee towards the end of the eighteenth century concluded that around 4 million lbs of so-called 'tea' a year was being manufactured out of sloe, liquorice and ash leaves This is even more alarming when we note that the amount of taxed genuine tea coming into England in this period was little over 6 million lbs per year!

Jack

[Salsero]

dissertation on the concept of tea drinking as a vice in eighteenth century England

This is pretty cool stuff to be throwing around in this forum of teaheads! A vice, huh? That makes it sound a lot more interesting. Frankly, I've had my fill of "the health benefits of tea" and I am ready for "the wild and sinful" side. Mmmm, know a good source for this ash leaf tea? As a puerh drinker, it could be a step up from some of what I've gotten out of China.