Monday TeaDay 2/02/09 Which leaf, dry or wet?

[teahandle]

I think dry. In general, the dry tend to always be interesting to me - but there are some wet leaves that look like the crud that gathers in the backyard during autumn.

Started the day off with a mix of Adagio Cocounut and Cream, then Foxtrot on the way to work, and Julius Meinl's Blue Sky now.

[Chip]

I've voted "it's a toss-up" since really I enjoy looking at teas both ways. As Victoria says, it depends on the tea. If I had to choose one or the other, however, on balance the wet teas are most pleasurable. (Special shoutout for certain teas looking especially attractive/interesting while they are steeping, e.g. Trey's Silver Needle example.)

Incidentally, my original poll idea was "What do you think is the most attractive tea to look at when it is still dry" (and, alternately, wet/steeped) ... but this is an interesting twist!

In my cup: coffee. Sorry: it's Monday

LOL, you just revealed Tuesday and Wednesday polls in a single post. I am planning on carrying this over for a few more days.

[Intuit]

Dry leaf to learn a bit about the processing of a particular tea.

Wet leaf to learn a bit about the native qualities of the tea type and cultivar if it's a single-sourced tea and to match general visual characteristics the leaf to flavor/aroma qualities of the tea.

Assam breakfast blend this morning. Autumnal Flush Darjeeling later on.

[snafu]

I couldn't decide which I liked better so voted toss up. With some teas it's obvious: I love fukamushi sencha but after a few steeps it can look like what my cat throws up when she munches on houseplants.

Drinking Da Yu Ling oolong at work today, probably some Kaboku sencha at home later.

[danibob]

With sencha I tend to find dry leaf more intriguing, and thus spend more time examining it then I do with wet leaf. However, it is usually the opposite with oolongs. So I guess for me its a toss up. Or, rather, depends on the tea.

Earl Grey right now. My second cup of black tea today. Need the caffeine

[Victoria]

In my cup this morning TGY from Jing Tea Shop.
This is the best tea I have had all year. Ha!

Have a nice day everyone!

[Geekgirl]

Toss-up for me. I usually look at the wet leaves, but I'm far more likely to photo the dry, or the flash-rinse.

Still trying to finish up my so-so matcha so I can justify breaking into the Waka. mmmm... drooling already. I see lots of matcha in my teaday.

[olivierco]

Toss up for me.

Ujibashi san no ma sencha before dinner. Keemun mao feng imperial in a few minutes.

[Pentox]

I lean mostly toward dry leaf. Dry sencha/gyokuro is very intriguing to me since you can learn about the flavor before you try the flavor. Oolong is just kinda amusing to look at the dry leaf, whereas I enjoy seeing the infused oolong leaves more than sencha. The exception to all though was Temomicha where the leaves before and after were just outstanding.

[leiche]

Definitely dry. Wet tea leaves almost always look gross to me, except during steeping.

Now to go finish off my roasted TGY from Red Blossom.

[shogun89]

For whole leaf tea its wet leaves hands down.

[Chip]

Generally dry for me. Japanese greens rarely improve in appearance once wet. Chinese teas, it is a toss up.

Tried Den's Shin-Ryoku sencha as a late TeaDay start, brewed semi English style. I think it came out pretty good this way.

[Victoria]

In my cup this afternoon - Adagio Cucumber White.
Did I mention I don't like cucumbers?
I really love this tea - it is very sweet and light and refreshing,
with a taste that is so unique.

[Pentox]

Started the day out with some rather mundane sencha, moved on to Ippodo Hojicha for the afternoon.

[TaiPing Hou Kui]

I would have to say it is definitely a toss up.....it is beautiful to see the leaves unfurled and imagine what they might have looked like when still swaying in a breeze but then again it is equally as beautiful to look at a deep green sencha unbrewed....
-Nick