Wednesday TeaDay 3/18/09 Touched by tea?

[tea-guy]

The pollster means we have 5 individual physical senses. I am asking for one to try and distinguish the 5 senses one by one, today it is TOUCH. you may feel the steam touch your nose, but you smell the aroma. You feel the tea touch your tongue, but you taste the tea. Etc ...

You can certainly abstract this if you choose, but we DO have 5 individual senses that work together to create an experience.

In that case, I'd say a nice round 30%. While my hands and fingers may not touch the tea leaves, I do consider the tea to be touching my palate with its sometimes buttery coating and often warm and soothing liquidity.

Aww man... now I need some Golden Spring... brb!

[brlarson]

Touch is less than 10% of the experience for me. The feel of certain of teacups does help me to focus on the tea drinking experience, it helps create a sense of ritual.

Mark T Wendell's (black) formosa oolong this morning.

[TIM]

touching and holding yixing to warm them up, touching the temp. of the water for green tea, touching the surface of the pot to see how hot it is, and touching the tea cup in my hand are big part of the experience. 30+%

[Nexius8510]

I chose 10%! I do enjoy sometimes holding some of the leaves, wet or dry, Inspecting them or just appreciating some of the characteristics of them. I do enjoy handling some of the teaware, my kyusu and gaiwan for instance. I probably would have chose 20% but sometimes I burn my finger using my gaiwan and that frustrates me sometimes. Haha, but other than that, I love it.

No tea for me yet, but some of Den's Genmaicha Extra Green in a minute Happy TeaDay!

[geeber1]

For me touch is minimal, 10%, but I do like the feel of certain teaware (holding and fondling chawan, for example)

Sal, I think there's a support group out there for you Chawan fondlers!

I though of touch in a different way, as in the way the tea feels in your mouth when you're drinking it. Some are thin-feeling in your mouth while others are full and rich.

As far as touching the leaves, I don't really, because I don't want to crush them into smaller pieces. But I do like the feeling of a nice warm mug on a cold day!

[Chip]

I though of touch in a different way, as in the way the tea feels in your mouth when you're drinking it. Some are thin-feeling in your mouth while others are full and rich.

As far as touching the leaves, I don't really, because I don't want to crush them into smaller pieces. But I do like the feeling of a nice warm mug on a cold day!

Well said, good point.

I don't know if I ever touch the leaves, purposely.

Moving on to Fukamushi Supreme from O-Cha, always delicious ... my Hagi cup feels nice and comfortably warm and has a pleasant moistness to the outside, a pretty unique feature of Hagi, and each one is different in how much or how little moisture one may feel.

[brlarson]

I think there's a support group out there for you Chawan fondlers!

Hmmm... how do you know that???

I thought of touch in a different way, as in the way the tea feels in your mouth when you're drinking it. Some are thin-feeling in your mouth while others are full and rich.

The tongue can certainly detect temperature and weight and probably viscosity, of course I don't typically going about feeling things with my tongue. Honest.

[geeber1]

I think there's a support group out there for you Chawan fondlers!

Hmmm... how do you know that???

Do you want to join?

[Victoria]

Hummm well my first thought was 20% but that puts me at 50% with only two down so ... well yet, 10% seems too low - so yeah 20%. I love the feel of
the cup in my hands. I am a huge teaware fan, mostly because of all the different shapes and textures.

In my cup this morning: Lupicia Nilgiri.

Have a nice day everyone!

[brlarson]

I think there's a support group out there for you Chawan fondlers!

Hmmm... how do you know that???

Do you want to join?

I appreciate your generous offer! but my obsession/fetish plate is rather full at the moment. Maybe I'll take you up on it after Halloween.

Best!

[tea-guy]

I think there's a support group out there for you Chawan fondlers!

Hmmm... how do you know that???

Do you want to join?

I appreciate your generous offer! but my obsession/fetish plate is rather full at the moment. Maybe I'll take you up on it after Halloween.

Best!

I've always heard it's best to keep your options open.

[chad]

I, too, voted 10%. I don't own a lot of teaware so I don't "feel" my mugs, gaiwan, etc.

I love the mouth feel of a second infusion of several of my teas...silky or "slick" feeling across the palette is unique.

Pai Mu Tan so far today.

[omegapd]

just brewed up some Harney's Apple Cinnamon tea. I like it- bought it for the wife for Christmas and it didn't go over well at all, so now it's back in my cabinet.

Off to pick the kiddo up from school and relax the rest of the day. Oh Victoria, did I mention I was on vacation this week?

[acdidion]

I voted zero because I would say that it is less than 5% of the experience. The temperature is of course important because tea should be hot unless of course it is iced in which case it should be cold and it usually is not very good when tea is in between. It also matters how it feels in my mouth. It isn't that touch isn't important, its just that the other senses are much more important when it comes to tea.

[kongni]

Since I have five senses I think each of my senses would get about 20%
Thoughts and emotions are not 'senses' I guess but peace of mind compliments all of my senses when sipping tea

Sencha this morning and afternoon.

Looking forward to shincha soon!