Friday TeaDay 2/20/09 Casual or formal approach?

[olivierco]

I quite always use my digital scale for tea but I now seldom measure the temperature or the quantity of water.

Ujibashi san no ma sencha to celebrate the beginning of my vacations.

[Aphroditea]

I voted 'Middle of the Road' because there are teas, like my morning blacks, that aren't as fussy and times of day where my brain is in a 1000 places at once and so my leaf and time are totally best guessed.

But, when I DO have time and energy to sit down for some gong fu I am much more accurate and fussy.

I also have quite a few friends who drink tea for whom the concept of leaf amount and steep temp and time are new concepts, so in THAT regard I am far fussier than they are - they even make fun of me....and that is just for my afternoon cup of green....I fear gong fuing around them

In my cup today: The Eighth Doctor Sig Blend (I wanted something scrumptious and sexy this morning and this TOTALLY fits the bill).

[gingkoseto]

I am very serious about avoid using any scale or thermometer in my brewing

For some teas (mainly oolong), I have very specific rules to follow, and I won't brew it if I don't have enough time or can't concentrate. But most green tea and black tea are easy teas for me. I can do them anytime and in a more relaxed way.

[Trey Winston]

In my cup today: The Eighth Doctor Sig Blend (I wanted something scrumptious and sexy this morning and this TOTALLY fits the bill).

A Doctor Who reference, I take it? Elaborate, please?

[auggy]

I voted middle of the road because I think I'm casual, but I think I'm also in a little bit of denial since I measure out in grams vs using a spoon, regularly bust out the thermometer and can't imagine not using a timer. But my attitude is relaxed and non-ritualized so I view that as more casual.

Keemun today. I'm having horrible flashes of this morning when DH asked me to put milk and sugar in his. Now, I'm all for using both of those in harsher and flavored black teas, but keemun? Really? It makes me sad that my lovely leaf when to that. I should have made him PG Tips.

[Intuit]

By formal, I mean to employ a proper teapot/teaware, setting a respectful tea table, and making an occasion of it (no distractions).

I always try to use good tea brewing technique, regardless of the teaware used. However, I won't necessarily weigh the tea or measure the water - eyeball will usually work for all but finicky teas, or unless its new to me.

Assam in the cup this morning. Green tea/match blend later on.

[Victoria]

More casual than not I guess, usually. I only use a timer no scale or thermometer
Sometimes at home I won't use a timer, but most times I need to, like at work.

In my morning cup a nice Baozhong Oolong, so good I made a second steep
to take with me in my glass thermos.

Have a nice day everyone!

[Chip]

Although I am not ritualistic per se, I am still pretty precise in my approach to tea, using the technology that is readily at hand.

Gyokuro Kame from O-Cha to start the day, weighed out the leaf, used a thermometer, and timer. But still I did not consider this overly rigid or formal. The Kame was excellent, SweeTea would agree ... Pyrit sat attentively watching, strange.

[Pentox]

I'm more on the formal side. It depends on where I am though. My tea I make at work is heavily casual, but when i'm at home reviewing for my blog I keep it formal and heavily tech aided to guarantee consistency.

[brad4419]

I voted "More Casual/laid-back/unfussy &/or easygoing than not" because although I do measure the amount of tea leaf, monitor the temp. of the water and use a stop watch on my steep times I really don't do any gongfu or ritual tea making. Maybe I should have voted in the middle but oh well I guess I feel casual making tea


Im trying to use up some walmart teabags (there not mine I swear, I was just holding them for a friend ) so I had Twinnings Prince of Wales and celestial seasonings Imperial White Peach for breakfast.

Tonight will be having Genmai chai.

[Pentox]

This morning: Se Zhong (now known as Glorious Seed) ala Lupicia.

I liked the untranslated name better.

[silvermage2000]

I am pretty casual with brewing.

[Intuit]

"Keemun today. I'm having horrible flashes of this morning when DH asked me to put milk and sugar in his. Now, I'm all for using both of those in harsher and flavored black teas, but keemun? Really? It makes me sad that my lovely leaf when to that. I should have made him PG Tips."

Keemun is lower than your typical breakfast teas in caffeine, that's why it's sweeter and doesn't need buffering to cut the acidity - once your palate is acclimated to the difference. Whole different ballgame than PG Tips.

Your Hub is used to a hearty coffee or breakfast tea early in the morning. Probably best to serve him a hearty breakfast blend, with milk and sugar, and keep the delicate Keemun for later in the day, when his tastebuds are better attuned.

[Janine]

In my not-so-humble-opinion, fussy is not formal. Classics on tea don't talk about painstakingly worrying about details, but about practice. And how can painstaking lead to good relations with the tea or with others. No, I vote no. Fussy and painstaking is not what formality is about, at all. Being in the moment does not mean fussy, worrying, and all the rest of it. Think of good ballet or dance... the greatest practice by the greatest artist makes it look like anybody can do it, like you could do it. okay, okay...end of lecture.

More puerh today. continues to be delicious

[GT500Driver]

I'm more laid back. Teaware wise, I use an Ingenuitea, and only recently have I been using an actual teacup, heh. My morning tea tends to be in a travel mug though. With brewing, I use a thermometer for my greens, not quite as picky with others, but stilluse it often. I don't weigh my teas.

Started the morning with Golden Monkey from Adagio. Enjoyed that, having a resteep right now. Probably going to try an Oolong for the first time today in a little while, or perhaps a new white... not sure yet.