This is a bit of an OCD topic, nevertheless...
Let's do what we do best, and enter the minutia of tea practices as if our lives depended on it....
So, I have a single silver spoon that I use to scoop tea out with. Now that I've included black tea into my tea menu, I now use the same spoon for scooping both black and green...
Many are fond of not using, say, a single kyuusu for black and green tea, as there might be some absorption on some level...
Does anyone out there think that the spoon's surface could absorb something, which then could be imparted to the leaf, and then to the pot???
Example, I scoop black tea out in the morning and make tea... Then I scoop green tea out (now the green tea leaf may absorb some of the black tea leaf residue on the spoon from the morning) and now I'm left with a green tea that is slightly off...
You get the picture....
Does anyone actually think there is validity to this, or is this really just a case of insanitea?
What say you?
Nov 10th, '07, 17:30
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Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
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Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Chip and Mary are moderators...you know that means? They work for "the man". They're part of the beauracracy....no better than the post man. I wouldnt trust them.
Get a new spoon...that's what i would do...ya...get a new spoon. When you grab, walk near your telephone and say really loudly (so the bug in the reciever will pick it up) "HAh, i sure am glad i listened to Tomasini and didn't reuse that contaminated silver spoon"
Get a new spoon...that's what i would do...ya...get a new spoon. When you grab, walk near your telephone and say really loudly (so the bug in the reciever will pick it up) "HAh, i sure am glad i listened to Tomasini and didn't reuse that contaminated silver spoon"
Jan 2nd, '08, 12:35
Posts: 402
Joined: Jun 15th, '05, 21:35
Location: Norristown, PA
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jogrebe
If you are concerned just wash and dry the spoon between uses. Personally I virtually never wash my measuring teaspoon that I use for tea and I haven't found any difference that I could taste. If it looks dusty I wipe it off before using it to scoop up a tea.
John Grebe
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."
~C. S. Lewis
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."
~C. S. Lewis
Mar 20th, '08, 16:07
Posts: 344
Joined: Jan 23rd, '08, 00:59
Location: Williamsburg, VA
As you know there are many levels of insaniTEA that occur in this world. There are some people who only use one pot for all genres of tea and there are some who use a different pot for all "types" of tea (genre being green, black oolong, etc; type meaning sencha, gyokuro, silver needle, etc.) Personally, I have a different pot for Jap. Greens, Chinese greens, White tea, and Pu-Erh, but dont go to next extreme of having a different pot for each type. For all of my teas I use a bamboo spoon for measuring and if there is any dust/residue/etc. left over I just blow it off. Clealy my bamboo spoon is much more porous and therefore more apt to obtain a flavor from another type of tea than your metal spoon. I have NEVER noticed a difference in taste at all. The main reason I feel you are completely fine is the fact that I am one of those people that WILL NOT use a kyusu with a metal screen in it becuse I CAN tell a difference and an almost metallic flavor. Many here, even the hardcores dont notice a difference. I think that if I can tell a differnece with something as small as that but cannot tell a difference with the spoon than you my friend are certainly safe. Wow, I didnt realize how long an explnation that was until I finished! I hope this helps some more!
-Nick (TaiPing)
-Nick (TaiPing)