Wednesday TeaDay 8/20/08 TeaShopping currently?

[Pentox]

i'm supposed to be on a tea budget, but while i was buying new fish i found a tea shop i'd never been to before. of course i had to go in, and ended up with a lavender blend tisane.

Oh? what's the shop?

[Cinnamon Kitty]

I have a list of teas that I would like to get from about 5 different vendors currently. Similar to many other people, I do a lot of window shopping and enjoy filling the online shopping carts, but not hitting the purchase button. I did get some sencha locally today. The shop only had a half-ounce left so I ended up with that and had a nice chat with the owner about brewing Japanese Greens for iced tea. That definitely made my day today.

So far today, I had a nice blend of Organic Monk's Blend with a bit of Orange Blossom Oolong and am about to start some Shui Xian Wuyi to last me for the rest of the evening.

[Jack_teachat]

On Friday I am going to the South of France for just over a week and so I will probably place an order (probably O-Cha) mid way through the week so it arrives the week after when I am back.

Yunnan Gold and Fukamushi shincha for me today.

Jack

[Salsero]

On Friday I am going to the South of France for just over a week

Can the rest of us go along?

[Chip]

A good TeaDay, but too busy to fully enjoy it. I had the now famous Yutaka Midori from O-Cha, this is still some shincha. Really rocked.

Out for dinner, I asked for hot water only after not liking their Tetley only offering. She brought me the bag anyway and charged me $1.99 for a bag I left on the table. I decided to let it go and not say anything since I was stretching the rules anyway by asking just for the hot water instead. A good server will usually accommodate such a request.

But the real story was the first attempt of O-Cha Uji sencha teabag. This stuff is the real deal starting with the aroma of the dry leaf to the amount of leaf per bag, to the brew. I did 2 hot steeps that were both very good. Then threw the bag into my ice water. In a few minutes I had green colored iced sencha that was very refreshing!

So, despite the fact that I paid 2 bucks for hot water, I still left happy.

[Pentox]

So, despite the fact that I paid 2 bucks for hot water, I still left happy.

heh, but if you go by the principle that if it's more expensive you'll enjoy it more, all the more worth it to you!

Darn this topic, it got me thinking about new vendors and I found another 3 I want to try out. Dangit....

[Chip]

Well, tbh, I should be majorly PO'd for paying 2 bucks for a Tetley bag, plus T&T. That was some expensive tea dust. This was just an Issac's (fancy bird named sandwich chain) not a 5* restuarant.

Good tea and the anticipation of trying something new/never tried, can really change one's outlook!

[laran7]

I'm pretty over whelmed. I've been doing some reading about green teas - and am bummed out to have spent ten dollars on a thermometer that does not even work.

I have a list - but won't be ordering in reality for a couple of weeks - Tukatori Midori. Golden Monkey, and more Matcha. ( all suggested by Teachatters - thank you )

I am drinking some sencha from the local herb store steeped in a cup I loved - but never really used .

A gripe - Tea related books seem to be special order items - when I've looked - locally I come up with nothing.

"The Way of Tea" by Kim Chuen Lim and Kai Sim Lain looks helpful on Amazon -

[Chip]

Laran, what thermometer did you buy?

I used to use a Taylor pocket version, non digital type for years and it had perfect temp (I would check it every once in a while).

Now I have both Taylor and Polder versions of digital pocket thermometers. They seem to keep perfect calibration.

There is a TeaBook topic HERE!

[laran7]

Laran, what thermometer did you buy?

There is a TeaBook topic HERE!

I'm embarassed to say - but here goes; After receiving my order from Uptons I saw a thermometer for tea, in their catalogue, that had been color coded for Green, Oolong and black teas. I thought it was a great idea and that I could easily color code one myself by painting the appropriate temparature ranges on a cooking thermometer. I bought a Good Grips meat thermometer because it had an easy to read dial face and a clip on the side. I've tried clipping it into any kind of vessel and pouring boiling water over it - it will not read up to 212 degrees;
and takes so long to register a temperature that the water is cooling off by the time it's above 100. Its my own fault. I will never use it for meat - and have never used anything like it and the difference in the way it is meant to be used - and testing water is huge. Grrrr (On the bright side maybe that is funny-who would want a chcken cooked to 212 degrees? )

I looked at the tea book forum thread - Oliverco posted a childrens book about Asian Culture and customs that include the Tea ceremony. That is much more my speed - Best wishes

[joelbct]

I love that we can order some of the world's best Tea's online, and have them delivered right to our Doorsteps in a few days! Miracle of miracles

I probably average $50-100 on Tea per month, most of that online. Some months I might spend $0, some months I might spend $200+, depending on how my supply is holding up.

Matcha definitely helps kick up the number. My tastes in Leaf tea are a bit costly too, but hey, most things worthwhile in life take hard work or money earned by hard work, so I can't complain about the price of Tea.

Besides, all the better that the Tea merchants and Tea Farmers get their fair share for supplying us with this sublime substance!

[Riene]

I have a new Adagio order mentally started, but am not yet ready to place it. Besides...I'm out of space.

Started the day with Barry's Gold Blend breakfast tea. Had iced tea with dinner. Need sleep....work is intense right now.

[murrius]

Currently I have Fukamushi-Sencha Maki, Matcha Kaze, Gyokuro Kin, and Sencha Zuiko on order from Den's Tea.

This morning disaster struck. I brewed a pot of sencha and filled my thermal mug for my morning commute. Driving to work I knew it was time to drink my tea but had a small sense of foreboding. I looked down at my cup holder and saw to my horror that it was empty. I had taken my briefcase, my lunch, car keys, etc but had completely forgotten my thermal mug. NO TEA! I actually exclaimed out loud as I looked at the place where my tea should have been.

This evening I made up for it by brewing a large pot of bancha.

[Chip]

Currently I have Fukamushi-Sencha Maki, Matcha Kaze, Gyokuro Kin, and Sencha Zuiko on order from Den's Tea.

This morning disaster struck. I brewed a pot of sencha and filled my thermal mug for my morning commute. Driving to work I knew it was time to drink my tea but had a small sense of foreboding. I looked down at my cup holder and saw to my horror that it was empty. I had taken my briefcase, my lunch, car keys, etc but had completely forgotten my thermal mug. NO TEA! I actually exclaimed out loud as I looked at the place where my tea should have been.

Nice order.

Whoa, deja vu all over again ... we have all left out travel tea on the kitchen counter. I have already left it on the roof of my car. Really bad on teaware.

I think I heard your exclamation ... something like this ...

"TEEEEEEEEEEEA!!!"

[kymidwife]

I never rule out the possibility of shopping for new tea... but don't have a shopping list waiting right now. I have a few teas I am DYING to get ahold of.... but trying to hold out for the oolong box. I have so much tea accumulated, and depending on how this health situation goes, I may be finding myself on very limited caffeine consumption for a while (God forbid, maybe forever). So I'm trying not to over-buy. I've traded some nice samples lately with several teafriends, which satisfies my need to try new things, helps alleviate my growing burden of too much tea, and is a fun way to make friends.

I'm waiting breathlessly for that amazing 2 yr old tree Baozong oolong everyone is hoo-ha'ing about from Teamasters.... and actually several other of the wenshans from TM. I hope there's some left in the box pass when it gets to me. If not, I will just have to order some.

Sarah