Friday TeaDay 5/08/09 Brew variable finale!?!

[xuancheng]

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I love it when people quote Salsero and you get to see the teaday pic again as you scroll down.

Hopefully others feel the same. I like the porcelain and the composition of todays photograph.

Today I drank "Hundred year old bush" Yancha, Marukyu Koyaemen Sencha, Hibiki-an pinnacle matcha, and 'superfine' Wuniuzao. After dinner I had White Swan green tea from Lishui, Zhejiang.

[Victoria]

I guess I'd say leaf amount and time. Everything else is variable.

Again this AM: Arya Estate First Flush from Upton.

Have a nice day everyone!

[Odinsfury]

I chose temperature and time because it seems to me when brewing sencha if I have these two parameters correct but I'm tinkering with the leaf amount I can still get a great cup of tea.

Fukamushi this morning.

[Salsero]

Ah! Is it the horse gaiwan from jing teashop? Your photo shows the lovely texture of the porcelain much better than their website photo! And it's sold out already

Yes it is the one from Jing, and I see that it is sold out, but the Little Fisherman one is also nice. It holds only 50 ml, but you were thinking of getting a minuscule gaiwan anyway unless you were able to train your husband to drink tea with you. Those husbands, however, can be very difficult to train.

[Intuit]

The key variable that has been consistently ignored here is the patient training of the palate to detect new flavors. This is a purely neurological adaptation that is positively associated with aesthetic enjoyment of tea.

No matter how sophisticated your experience, when you are exposed to a new tea that is unfamiliar to you, you must 'play with the conditions' that cause efflux of flavor and odor components that are familiar to you and also those new (specific to the cultivar type and processing steps employed).

An example would be a black tea drinker who is new to oolong or pu'erh teas, finds common flavor elements that they are attracted (and previously adapted to from previous experience), but also discover new flavor elements that makes it different yet enjoyable as well.

Or it could be an oolong/black/red tea drinker who has not had luck with sucessful extraction of green teas, and discovers (from visits to TC) that they may not have been preparing it correctly (or purchased poor quality greens previously).

Suddenly, their palate is exposed to new and very different mixture of compounds that they may find exceptionally pleasing; tea-drinking interest is elevated and their passion for teas is rekindled.

Mint tea this morning.

[orguz]

...

I love it when people quote Salsero and you get to see the teaday pic again as you scroll down.

Hopefully others feel the same. I like the porcelain and the composition of todays photograph.

Today I drank "Hundred year old bush" Yancha, Marukyu Koyaemen Sencha, Hibiki-an pinnacle matcha, and 'superfine' Wuniuzao. After dinner I had White Swan green tea from Lishui, Zhejiang.

+1

The first thing I noticed was how thin the Gaiwan is, the edge seems paper thin. I have one of those 'golden rooster on one leg cup' for holding an inverted pot to drain, and the edge likewise is thin unfortunately I chipped it already

[Salsero]

Last night I broke a white gaiwan that was nearly thin as paper, so your comments today are especially appreciated. Fortunately, I still have a similar one from TeaGallery, and I have ordered a set of six more plain white ones from Dragon Tea, hoping that they will be as thin.

In my tea mug this morning was a disappointing white Darjeeling from Margaret's Hope. Since then I have been making up for it with this Hibiki-an Genmaicha-iri (with matcha) that I always love, a tiny roasted astringency and a ton of fresh green taste.

I'm pretty excited about the new artisan subforum. Thanks, Chip!

[bsteele]

Leaf amount and temp? Difficult call. I don't really know why I picked that. But I do know that it's easier to control time than temp (sans thermometer) so I guess time isn't a huge concern for me?

Whoooo knows.

[Drax]

And it's sold out already

Woo hoo! I must have gotten the last one... I ordered it early this week with some tea (pu'erh, of course, but also my first yellow tea). Oh, and the little fisherman gaiwan, too!

[brlarson]

So, we're to assume that the distribution of utility is dominated by two of the brewing variables? I don't believe it, but I chose time and temp.

It looks like I spoiled myself using so much Zencha gyo leaf. I tried brewing with a 4:1 ratio of leaf to water at 100F and it was good, but again today I used 10 grams with 1.5 oz of water at 100F and it was incredible yet again. This is sad:-) It tasted strongly of young, tender asparagus tops, and I _love_ asparagus. Going forward, it looks like this gyo will be for special occasions only.

[Chip]

So, we're to assume that the distribution of utility is dominated by two of the brewing variables? I don't believe it, but I chose time and temp.

Definitely not, but there were poll limitations, I think 15 is the max. Try doing all 4 variables every which way possible. Well, my statistics course did not stick with me, but it is A LOT of poll options.

So, I did ask everyone to list all 4 in order in their post, but I am beginning to wonder if anyone reads my OP anymore.

It looks like I spoiled myself using so much Zencha gyo leaf. I tried brewing with a 4:1 ratio of leaf to water at 100F and it was good, but again today I used 10 grams with 1.5 oz of water at 100F and it was incredible yet again. This is sad:-) It tasted strongly of young, tender asparagus tops, and I _love_ asparagus. Going forward, it looks like this gyo will be for special occasions only.

I read this the other day and thought, WOWZA! I would surely be bouncing off the walls. Still, very intriguing, and I do love asparagus (even if I never know how to spell it).

Continuing my TD with Magokoro from Yuuki-Cha!

[brlarson]

So, I did ask everyone to list all 4 in order in their post, but I am beginning to wonder if anyone reads my OP anymore.

Oh. I got so twisted when I read the topic that I never made it to the end of your OP. Sorry about that.

I'll try to finish answering late tonight.

B

[cherylopal]

...

I love it when people quote Salsero and you get to see the teaday pic again as you scroll down.

Yes!!! I agree and can't say enough how much I enjoy his tea pictures...


... and herb_master's photos and geekgirls too

[cherylopal]

So, I did ask everyone to list all 4 in order in their post, but I am beginning to wonder if anyone reads my OP anymore.

Sorry- just read the poll this am pre-caffeine and answered it- had to be at work 30 min earlier and have been waking early to brew my Ocha sincha and again sorry so missed posting all 4.

[Herb_Master]

...

I love it when people quote Salsero and you get to see the teaday pic again as you scroll down.

Yes!!! I agree and can't say enough how much I enjoy his tea pictures...


... and herb_master's photos and geekgirls too

Ooops! sorry C, my camera has failed to make it into the garden this last 10 days, and several new flowers have come out! My weekend is Tuesday and Wednesday (I work Saturday and Sunday) and it rained all day Tuesday and the best part of wednesday.

Plus my teatable is so cluttered with the many different teas that I have been trying there is no room to get a good shot.

I must tidy up, store everything away again and then maybe some of the new teas and teaware can appear. But if the sun shines - I will go into the garden!