Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

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When was the first time ... you tried a particular type of tea and knew you were hooked on this type? Details, details, details!

< 1 week
1
5%
<1 month
1
5%
< 6 months
3
14%
< 1 year
0
No votes
< 2 years
6
27%
< 5 years
4
18%
< 10 years
5
23%
< 20 years
2
9%
More!
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 22

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Nov 19th, '10, 00:33
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Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by Chip » Nov 19th, '10, 00:33

Greetings TeaFriends! Please drop in and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Yesterday we discussed our last "brick and mortar store" tea purchase. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. When was the first time ... you tried a particular type of tea and knew you were hooked on this type? Details, details, details!

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone, bottoms up.

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Nov 19th, '10, 00:54
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by Chip » Nov 19th, '10, 00:54

Happy 20th Guitar9876!

Nov 19th, '10, 01:17
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by auhckw » Nov 19th, '10, 01:17

My first love was Gyokuro. Stuck with it for couple of months, then I found my 2nd love Ripe Pu, then 3rd love Aged Raw Pu, and now I am planning to have an affair with Oolong and in between going to flirt with Chinese Green Tea.

So yeah, it is complicated :twisted:

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Nov 19th, '10, 01:54
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by debunix » Nov 19th, '10, 01:54

My first tea experiences were rather vague--can't remember the details--but also quite specific--my dad sharing a tea with me and then taking me to buy my first tins of each, so I would recognize the specific brand that has been recommended to him.

The first tea I clearly remember causing that, "Oooh, I like this and I want to try a whole bunch of teas like it," reaction was Rishi's 'Ancient Tree Tuo Cha Puerh'--cute little tablets that led to a trip to my local chinatown tea shop and my first beengs of puerh. Can't remember many details of that first infusion except the general sense of earthy, a little sweet, and "I like!" It was more than 2 but less than 5 years ago.

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Nov 19th, '10, 02:11
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by Nenugal » Nov 19th, '10, 02:11

My first meeting with "real" tea was when I came across a pack of genmaicha in a local asian food shop 15 years ago. I bought it because it looked funny, but I really enjoyed the taste and aroma. Unfortunately the shop stopped selling genmaicha and it was impossible to find in the tea shops around here at that time. Until 6 months ago, infrequently encountered genmaicha was my only real loose leaf tea experience; I was mostly a coffee drinker. Then I came across a "Chinese loose leaf tea collection" that I bought as a souvenir from a trip to Hamburg (!). It contained a very nice TGY that caught my attention and lead me to where I am today, drinking expensive asamushi, brewed in a small kyusu with swirly patterns, from a handmade cup, while reading TeaChat.

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Nov 19th, '10, 02:21
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by Metaltigertea » Nov 19th, '10, 02:21

Hi
For me it was a chance meeting with a lovely young lady named Gen Maicha in an Asian grocery store in a little coastal village.She was bold, individual and incredibly earthy. I stray on occasion but she understands that I will always come back with an increased appreciation for her special ability to keep me grounded.

Nov 19th, '10, 02:37
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by auhckw » Nov 19th, '10, 02:37

Image

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Nov 19th, '10, 09:48
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by TwoPynts » Nov 19th, '10, 09:48

Tough to say. I like so many teas and tried them all at different times.
About 10 years ago I tried some Chai from a Whole Food and loved it and new I had to get it again.

Speaking of which, Tazo Organic Chai in my cup this AM.
My favorite bag chai I think, though I need more than one bag to create enough flavor in my mug.

EDIT: I tried genmaicha a few months ago and loved it. Bought 2lbs of it afterwards. :lol: About 4-5 years ago I had barley tea at a Japanese restaurant. It has been by go-to for iced tea ever since.

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Nov 19th, '10, 10:18
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by tortoise » Nov 19th, '10, 10:18

Pretty hard to say. I voted for less than 6 months with the discovery of fukamushi from O-Cha. I had terrific gyokuro, asamushi, and matcha on an extended visit to Japan a while ago, but I was not able to capitalize on my new addiction once I returned to the states, so that kind of petered out. I thought I'd have to go back to japan to get that tea again and wrote it all off completely. I stuck to the best sencha I could get from certain american vendors or Whole Foods.

But Kaoru Supreme was a game changer. Now, in large part thanks to TC, I have many places to go to for japanese tea.

I hate to be posting about japanese greens all the time here, but I am all in with both feet really trying to get well oriented with this tea-geography. At some point I will diversify, but now...

...Adagio Sencha Premier in a hagiyaki from AN.

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Nov 19th, '10, 10:49
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by Chip » Nov 19th, '10, 10:49

Almost 10 years ago, I by some miracle bought a bag of SP Sencha from SpecialTeas, it was in the prepackaged foil bag direct from Japan. This was the day I realllly met sencha. It was mind blowing comparing it to the mediocre sencha I had up to that point (which I sort of liked).

I was sold lock, stock, and barrel on sencha from this day forward, though it took almost 5 years to repeat the experience since they never restocked the item, and I had to settle back into mediocrity ... til finally doors opened for tea direct from Japan! YAY!!!

Began the TD with "Togei" sencha from OTTI 7. SweeTea was back at the TeaTable for a tasting while Shincha and Wulong observed.

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Nov 19th, '10, 10:54
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by Mrs. Chip » Nov 19th, '10, 10:54

Chip wrote:
Began the TD with "Togei" sencha from OTTI 7. SweeTea was back at the TeaTable for a tasting while Shincha and Wulong observed.
+1 ... and with the Mod! :wink:
This sencha is a nice way to start the day, flavorful and mildly sweet.

Next up at work for me will be the big A's Silver Needle.

Although well over 30 years ago for me, started of course with Lipton black in bags ... however, my love at first taste was just over 2 years ago when I started to drink tea with Chip in the mornings and of course it was sencha.

How could I live in this house and not like sencha! :shock:

Happy Birthday Guitar9876!

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Nov 19th, '10, 11:06
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by geeber1 » Nov 19th, '10, 11:06

auhckw wrote:Image
Now THAT should be on a TeaShirt!

For me it was really the first time I tried loose-leaf tea. There was such a profound difference that I knew I wouldn't ever be happy with bags again. Plus it was kind of like I had finally found my niche.

Had some delicious Keemun Mao Feng at home this morning.

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Nov 19th, '10, 11:09
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by artmom » Nov 19th, '10, 11:09

<20 - Lost in the Tea Mists of time! Assam. :)

No Tea yet this morning; but probably Red Peach from Silk Road Teas.

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Nov 19th, '10, 13:55
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by entropyembrace » Nov 19th, '10, 13:55

Somewhere between 5 and 10 years ago I got really obsessed with earl grey...I was using 4+ teabags a day! :shock: :lol:

Before that I was drinking tea, but not every day.

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Nov 19th, '10, 14:40
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Re: Friday TeaDay 11/19/10 First time for ... ?

by guitar9876 » Nov 19th, '10, 14:40

Japanese tea was really my first love. :lol: I think it was about 3ish years ago that I ordered some tea from O-cha and I knew I was hooked. I think it was the YM... :D :D
Thanks for the Birthday wishes!!!

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