Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

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Today we shall discuss and expound on your "Personal Tea Ceremony" influence, please share with us. The answers may surprise all of us!

Traditional Chinese influenced
6
30%
Traditional Japanese influenced
2
10%
Traditional European influenced
0
No votes
Modern or American ingenuity influenced
0
No votes
My own eclectic mix
9
45%
Other
3
15%
 
Total votes: 20

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Jul 3rd, '11, 00:48
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Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by Chip » Jul 3rd, '11, 00:48

Happy Day before July 4th and Tour de France Team Time Trial!!! ... could be an interesting day for Contador!
But it is Sunday, so, we can celebrate with tea all day long.


So, drink up, and remember to stop by here often to share what is in your cup!!! I enjoy reading about what TEA everyone is drinking.

Yesterday was a FreeDay on TeaDay, however today we shall discuss and expound on your "Personal Tea Ceremony" influence, please share with us. The answers may surprise all of us! :wink: It is always a pleasure getting to know each other.

Have a great TeaDay, and remember to stop by here throughout the day!!! I am looking forward to sharing this day with everyone. :mrgreen:

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Jul 3rd, '11, 02:19
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by FlyedPiper » Jul 3rd, '11, 02:19

If I'm brewing tea for guests that I normally don't drink tea with (I have a friend who comes over and mooches off my new orders- it's much less formal with him) it's usually oolong and I bust out my Yixing pot and do the whole deal. I find Chinese tea ceremony to be very relaxed and more about having something interesting to look at and making a good cup of tea. More than enough for the average guest.

I do have a sort of "ritual" I go through when making matcha for myself or a guest though, if they're into it. It's pretty simple and mainly just consists of focusing on my hand movements and staying in the present moment. It's like 5 or 10 minutes of Zen in my day. No matter what else is going on I have that at least. :mrgreen:

Not that I believe any one moment is more special than another in life. But tea as entertainment and a "spiritual" exercise is nice too.

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Jul 3rd, '11, 10:04
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by tortoise » Jul 3rd, '11, 10:04

I just make tea. This is sometimes interpreted as "ceremony" by guests, and that makes me cringe. Sure, I might do things like pour water over the clay tea pot, etc, but it's not a performance really. Just making tea.

yutaka midori from O-Cha

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Jul 3rd, '11, 10:35
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by AdamMY » Jul 3rd, '11, 10:35

I went with other because I am not really sure. I mean when using a Yixing one can argue that I am more influenced by the Chinese side. When making korean teas, perhaps a bit influenced by Korean style. I am not even sure about Japanese as I can't say I have seen many video's of Japanese style preparation of Gyokuro and Sencha.

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Jul 3rd, '11, 10:39
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by debunix » Jul 3rd, '11, 10:39

I don't think I have a ceremony. I simply spend part of my day near the tea kettle and make and drink tea as I am doing other things. Unless I am making photographing it or making notes for a tea review, I am not primarily focused on the tea during the whole session, although I do try to pay enough attention to brew it properly and to enjoy each sip consciously.

Starting this morning with TeaChat, and the O-Cha 'Aoi' sencha, in my Petr Novak Kyusu, with the Yuzamushi getting a workout holding tea for the small yunomi.

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Jul 3rd, '11, 12:10
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by Xell » Jul 3rd, '11, 12:10

Using most convenient method. For me most important is the taste of tea, everything else is far behind :) For example if i would have to choose between using amazing tea set made by a famous master with mediocre tea and really good tea in cheap kyusu and a coffee cup, i would choose good tea :lol:

Too hot and humid now, can't enjoy hot tea :( Drinking a lot of cold houjicha followed by mugicha. Tomorrow i'll try to prepare some cold genmaicha, didn't try cold one yet. I would like some special tea fridge, now i don't have enough space. I want a lot bigger variation of cold teas and just use what i want at the moment. Something sweet is missing :)

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Jul 3rd, '11, 18:20
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by Chip » Jul 3rd, '11, 18:20

Mostly a hybrid mix of Japanese and personal experience of what works for me.

So, I am not so wrapped up in tradition or how it MUST be done. But regardles, there is perhaps an anchoring in tradition.

Began the TD with organic shincha Kagoshima Asamushi from the O-C with the Mrs. served up in a Hagi SO 10 Ice Split Wan. Came out quite veggie today and less sweet.

Next up, Warashina Supreme 2010 brewed up in Petr-Yaki TeaBark Kyusu.

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Jul 3rd, '11, 18:32
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by David R. » Jul 3rd, '11, 18:32

Not a ceremony, but for very good tea, I know the result will be far better if I am focused on what I am doing. It means a clean place, no outside interference if possible, some nice teaware... I guess with time, all gestures become an habit, a ritual. For an outsider, it could be seen as a kind of ceremony.

Hopefully, there are teas that require less attention which enables me to do other things at the same time.

Same shincha as usual this morning, then 2011 Lao Hei Zhai raw puerh the afternoon.

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Jul 3rd, '11, 18:46
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by debunix » Jul 3rd, '11, 18:46

Several more teas so far today, in small quantities each, including a tasting of a fancy grade new style/green Ti Kuan Yin from TenRen (a gift from a tea friend), which was tasty but not in the same class as my usual favorites; some Ya Shi 2009 Dan Cong oolong; and a shockingly unbitter session with an unknown 'Assam' tea, a gift from another tea friend.

These have been drunk at work, without ceremony, but with appreciation and pleasure (and surprise, at the Assam!).

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Jul 3rd, '11, 21:12
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by Chip » Jul 3rd, '11, 21:12

BTW, you can interchange "ceremony" with "style" if this suits your ... style more!

Opened a bag of the Kame Gyokuro several hours ago, left enough for one steep out so it could be enjoyed tonight!

My style will be Japanese, pretty traditional, but not too rigid. :mrgreen:

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Jul 4th, '11, 16:40
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by rhondabee » Jul 4th, '11, 16:40

I guess my style is sort of a modified Taiwanese/Chinese style using a gaiwan, fair cup, strainer and small teacup. At work though, a gaiwan, strainer and Japanese cup. I warm everything at home, but at work do not. I probably smell the gaiwan lid and wet leaves more often than is considered normal/proper, but I usually brew along, so it doesn't matter. :) I think I need to get some of those aroma cups. Today still drinking the last of some 2010 Winter Lishan oolong.

Jul 7th, '11, 09:56
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by Chasm » Jul 7th, '11, 09:56

tortoise wrote:I just make tea. This is sometimes interpreted as "ceremony" by guests, and that makes me cringe. Sure, I might do things like pour water over the clay tea pot, etc, but it's not a performance really. Just making tea.
I discovered recently that some people will insist on calling matcha prepared by a Japanese person a tea ceremony, even if it's just matcha prepared by a Japanese person. I couldn't help flinching it kind of belittles the huge amount of study and skill the person had put into actual tea ceremony.

Jul 7th, '11, 10:05
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Re: Sunday 7/3/11 Tea Style?

by Chasm » Jul 7th, '11, 10:05

I went with "my own eclectic mix", because I suppose that's the closest. Much or most of my knowledge of how to make tea properly comes from reading Stephane at Teamasters and putting a lot of hard work into brewing Chinese greens and oolongs until I hit some minimal level of competency. But at the moment I drink mostly Japanese greens using whatever I think does the job best, which, looking at my tea tray, is a complete mishmash.

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