Hi, I'm a new member!

[Chaisha]

Hi guys,
I'm Davide, I have been interested in tea only for the last few years but I am really in love with it and the culture around it.
My favourite teas are greens (in these days). Kukicha, Gyokuro and Wu Lu are the first ones popping to mind.
I'm a 25 year old medical student from Italy, I live near Como.
Hope to get to know you!

[jayinhk]

Hi guys,
I'm Davide, I have been interested in tea only for the last few years but I am really in love with it and the culture around it.
My favourite teas are greens (in these days). Kukicha, Gyokuro and Wu Lu are the first ones popping to mind.
I'm a 25 year old medical student from Italy, I live near Como.
Hope to get to know you!

Welcome to TeaChat!

[debunix]

Welcome!

You'll find lots to learn about green teas here, and if you're not careful, you might be tempted to enjoy oolongs, white teas, black teas and puerhs too!

[Chaisha]

Thanks I'd like to!
Would also like to get to know highly oxydate oolongs
2 days from now I'm going to a tea bar around in Milan, do you have any suggestions about a tea you like I could try?

[debunix]

Thanks I'd like to!
Would also like to get to know highly oxydate oolongs
2 days from now I'm going to a tea bar around in Milan, do you have any suggestions about a tea you like I could try?

What do you like best in the green teas you're drinking now? Floral scent? Umami richness? Spicy notes? This will help us guide you to a first oolong.

[Chaisha]

Thanks I'd like to!
Would also like to get to know highly oxydate oolongs
2 days from now I'm going to a tea bar around in Milan, do you have any suggestions about a tea you like I could try?

What do you like best in the green teas you're drinking now? Floral scent? Umami richness? Spicy notes? This will help us guide you to a first oolong.

I like best the umami richness I think! ^^

[debunix]

I like best the umami richness I think! ^^

Hmmmm....that does sound like you might like nice traditional roast oolong. It's always tricky to know what their better offerings might be at the shop you'll be visiting, but any nice Wuyi oolong or Tie Guan Yin, or even something like a very highly oxidized Taiwanese "brandy' or 'imperial pearl' might be nice.

[Chaisha]

I like best the umami richness I think! ^^

Hmmmm....that does sound like you might like nice traditional roast oolong. It's always tricky to know what their better offerings might be at the shop you'll be visiting, but any nice Wuyi oolong or Tie Guan Yin, or even something like a very highly oxidized Taiwanese "brandy' or 'imperial pearl' might be nice.

Alright, thank you I'm going to try asking for the Taiwanese ones since I never had a tea from there ^^ (flawed and kind of nonsensical logic, I know!)
I'll let you know afterwards

[daidokorocha]

I like best the umami richness I think! ^^

Hmmmm....that does sound like you might like nice traditional roast oolong. It's always tricky to know what their better offerings might be at the shop you'll be visiting, but any nice Wuyi oolong or Tie Guan Yin, or even something like a very highly oxidized Taiwanese "brandy' or 'imperial pearl' might be nice.

Alright, thank you I'm going to try asking for the Taiwanese ones since I never had a tea from there ^^ (flawed and kind of nonsensical logic, I know!)
I'll let you know afterwards

I really do suggest that anybody who drinks tea whatsoever as a hobby try more oxidized tieguanyin. It is very famous and as someone who loves the same teas you love, I think it may appeal to you. There are many different flavors you can get out of tieguanyin certainly, so buying might be difficult. Therefore, to me, it doesn't work so well just to try one tieguanyin, but instead one must sample many. Certainly though, please try and enjoy as much tea as you see fit. Where are you currently getting your tea?

On the more personal side, it is nice to see an Italian on the board. I love Italy, though I have never been so far north as Como. In fact, I have never been north past Rome. My fiancee's paternal family is all from Foggia and San Marcos in Lamis in Puglia, so perhaps one can say there is some southern bias when travelling in Italy. The maternal side is all from the Algarve in Portugal, so even in trips within Portugal there is once again heavy southern bias!

[Tead Off]

I like best the umami richness I think! ^^

Hmmmm....that does sound like you might like nice traditional roast oolong. It's always tricky to know what their better offerings might be at the shop you'll be visiting, but any nice Wuyi oolong or Tie Guan Yin, or even something like a very highly oxidized Taiwanese "brandy' or 'imperial pearl' might be nice.

Alright, thank you I'm going to try asking for the Taiwanese ones since I never had a tea from there ^^ (flawed and kind of nonsensical logic, I know!)
I'll let you know afterwards

I'm not quite sure I could equate roasted oolongs with giving umami richness. But, they remain some of the tastiest teas in existence. I can highly recommend TeaMaster's 2013 TGY. This is a roasted TGY from the mainland, not Taiwan, and is a real find. It's deep sweetness and layered flavor and aroma far outshine the roasted texture that many teas are mired in.

[debunix]

I'm not quite sure I could equate roasted oolongs with giving umami richness. But, they remain some of the tastiest teas in existence. I can highly recommend TeaMaster's 2013 TGY. This is a roasted TGY from the mainland, not Taiwan, and is a real find. It's deep sweetness and layered flavor and aroma far outshine the roasted texture that many teas are mired in.

I'm not equating them, but the toasty richness and depth of a nice roasted oolong or the subtle earthiness of a nice shu puerh might be better starting places for someone whose love is the umami in a green tea than for someone who seeks the delicate floral notes in the early infusions. I would suggest greener oolongs and Dan Congs for someone who likes the floral notes, not for the *same* characteristics, but for something that is not so different and equally enjoyable.

It's also hard to predict what a particular brick & mortar shop might have available, and what they might call it: I remember trying to find similar teas to those mentioned in the Harney & Sons book of tea, where they essentially suggest a tea tasting course with quite specific teas that I could not find in my local tea shop. It was very frustrating.

[Tead Off]

I'm not quite sure I could equate roasted oolongs with giving umami richness. But, they remain some of the tastiest teas in existence. I can highly recommend TeaMaster's 2013 TGY. This is a roasted TGY from the mainland, not Taiwan, and is a real find. It's deep sweetness and layered flavor and aroma far outshine the roasted texture that many teas are mired in.

I'm not equating them, but the toasty richness and depth of a nice roasted oolong or the subtle earthiness of a nice shu puerh might be better starting places for someone whose love is the umami in a green tea than for someone who seeks the delicate floral notes in the early infusions. I would suggest greener oolongs and Dan Congs for someone who likes the floral notes, not for the *same* characteristics, but for something that is not so different and equally enjoyable.

It's also hard to predict what a particular brick & mortar shop might have available, and what they might call it: I remember trying to find similar teas to those mentioned in the Harney & Sons book of tea, where they essentially suggest a tea tasting course with quite specific teas that I could not find in my local tea shop. It was very frustrating.

You know, on 2nd thought, there is a Yancha that equates with umami savoriness. It is Bai Ji Guan. All the others I've had exhibit sweetness. I think savory would be the chief descriptive for umami.

[debunix]

Where is Bai Ji Guan grown/made?

[CWarren]

Where is Bai Ji Guan grown/made?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bai_Jiguan_tea


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[Chaisha]

Hi again
Today I drank the Wuyi Qi Lan!
It's a kind of taste I really liked, a bit stronger than what I usually drink!
I'm going to go back there in a few days to buy some teas since I have to be around the place for other reasons ^^
Thanks for the warm welcome!

@daidokorocha: ^^ I've never been to Puglia, I have a friend from university who is from there though! I'd like to try some of the local cuisine Have been to Rome once and I really liked it (Love Piazza di Spagna-la barcaccia!). Aside from that I have relatives in Friuli and in Sicilia (talk about weird XD) If you happen to be around give a call Como is really a beautiful place -even if it costs quite a bit :\

@Tead off: I'll be there again probably on saturday or sunday so I'm going to ask for TGY 2013 (that got me really curious after reading about it, also I'd like to try a low-oxydate one) and buy some Bai ji guan and Tieguanyin to bring back home!

On a different note I usually buy my tea in a place in Milan called "La teiera eclettica", I'd post a link but I'm not sure I can!
It's a really nice place to enjoy some sips while relaxing ^^ Also it's in Porta Venezia, which is a place I really like.
If you get the chance to be in Milan I suggest trying the place, it's also kind of known around here I think!
Where do you guys usually buy it?
Thanks again for the warm welcome and all the suggestions They've been really helpful since I knew nothing about oolongs per se!
I'll tell you what I think after drinking them (and having a comparison)!

By the way after reading around in this forum I ordered the book "Tea: History, terroirs, varieties" and the Harney and Sons book of tea, hope they arrive soon!