I am not sure what should be considered as "seriously drinking". Definitely >15 years for loose leaf drinking. But it's less than 15 years ago since I started to explore dong ding oolong, less than 10 years ago since I started TGY, and just about 3 years for Wuyi tea, dan cong and a good variety of other teas that I can obtain through internet.
I could see Taiwan oolong, TGY, longjing, jasmine tea and a few other teas get everywhere in the world fast anyway. But if we were not in the internet era, probably by now I wouldn't have tried a lot of teas, let it alone some very special and precious tea samples from teachatters! Seldom I feel grateful about modern technology, but come to think about tea drinking, Hallelujah for the internet!
May 13th, '09, 09:46
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May 13th, '09, 09:49
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May 13th, '09, 10:27
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I've been drinking tea for around two years.
Yutaka Midori in my cup this morning and IT'S AWFUL! It's awful because yesterday the system I use to filter water "got dropped" and broke. Today I had to make my tea with tap water. Gak! It tastes like chlorine. It tastes like I dipped my cup in a public swimming pool, put some green dye in it, and chugged in down. The universe is not unfolding as it should........ whoa is me! *
* murrius cries in his "tea"
Yutaka Midori in my cup this morning and IT'S AWFUL! It's awful because yesterday the system I use to filter water "got dropped" and broke. Today I had to make my tea with tap water. Gak! It tastes like chlorine. It tastes like I dipped my cup in a public swimming pool, put some green dye in it, and chugged in down. The universe is not unfolding as it should........ whoa is me! *
* murrius cries in his "tea"
Life-long love affair.
Was allowed occasional cup of tea as a youngster, and have been a tea lover for well over 30 years, although tea variety and quality were restricted to local purchases or those made while on travel.
Access to loose-leaf tea was a significant hindrance to tea consumption (other than cheap, lower quality teabags available in grocery stores) for many years here in the US until the mid-90s and the advent of on-line retail trade and search engines like Google.
Scots Breakfast in the cup this morning.
Access to loose-leaf tea was a significant hindrance to tea consumption (other than cheap, lower quality teabags available in grocery stores) for many years here in the US until the mid-90s and the advent of on-line retail trade and search engines like Google.
Scots Breakfast in the cup this morning.
Good morning, everyone.
I've been a tea drinker all my life, but it's only been within the last 5 years that I became serious about it.
First tea in my cup this A.M.: Green Melange, a free sample that came in my last TeaSource order. Fruity, sweet, gentle - my kind of tea, but not terribly outstanding.
Now trying Wu Ling, a high mountain oolong from TeaFromTaiwan (pretty good so far).
I've been a tea drinker all my life, but it's only been within the last 5 years that I became serious about it.
First tea in my cup this A.M.: Green Melange, a free sample that came in my last TeaSource order. Fruity, sweet, gentle - my kind of tea, but not terribly outstanding.
Now trying Wu Ling, a high mountain oolong from TeaFromTaiwan (pretty good so far).
"Top off the tea... it lubricates the grey matter."
(Jerry Ledbetter, "Good Neighbors")
(Jerry Ledbetter, "Good Neighbors")
Sal, that tea looks seriously snake-y!
I've loved tea since I was a little girl and my dad gave me sips of his tea, and always loved iced tea, but didn't get into loose-leaf until late 2007 when I found Adagio.
This morning at home I had some Yunnan from a tea swap (I believe from Yunnan Sourcing). I'm not sure why, I loved this one, but didn't like the Adagio versions at all.
I've loved tea since I was a little girl and my dad gave me sips of his tea, and always loved iced tea, but didn't get into loose-leaf until late 2007 when I found Adagio.
This morning at home I had some Yunnan from a tea swap (I believe from Yunnan Sourcing). I'm not sure why, I loved this one, but didn't like the Adagio versions at all.
May 13th, '09, 12:39
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Sal, that tea looks like it was being served in The Temple Of Doom!
While I have always been a tea drinker versus never drink coffee, it was 1999 when I took the leap and never looked back. I was fairly serious a few years before that, but went gung ho when I finally found real tea that was unfortunately not available locally.
Began the TD with Chiran Supreme from O-Cha, still 2008 vintage, but still extremely good. SweeTea slurped sencha, while Pyrit and Gandalf just hung out at the TeaTable.
Have a great TD everyone.
While I have always been a tea drinker versus never drink coffee, it was 1999 when I took the leap and never looked back. I was fairly serious a few years before that, but went gung ho when I finally found real tea that was unfortunately not available locally.
Began the TD with Chiran Supreme from O-Cha, still 2008 vintage, but still extremely good. SweeTea slurped sencha, while Pyrit and Gandalf just hung out at the TeaTable.
Have a great TD everyone.
Last edited by Chip on May 13th, '09, 12:43, edited 1 time in total.
I grew up drinking tea, and I'm 20, so I'd say at least 15 years. However, I've only been drinking looseleaf for about a year. Before it was just Twinings Earl Grey and sometimes Lemon Zinger from Celestial Seasonings to be different. Now I've ordered multiple different teas from Adagio, and am brancing into rooiboses, whites, and more!
I've been a tea drinker since early childhood, so it's more than 15 years for me 
The first 10 years of my tea drinking experience were totally influenced by my parents (hehe--you don't have a choice when you are 10!), and revolved around Assams and Darjeelings. Later (around 5 years ago) I started branching out to greens, and about a year ago I dived into Oolongs...
Drinking coffee today--fighting an urge to fall asleep at the desk. On the positive side--I was in SF for work the last couple of days, and managed to spend 15 minutes at Lupicia. My new kyusu and some samples of sencha and Uji gyokuro are waiting for me at home!
The first 10 years of my tea drinking experience were totally influenced by my parents (hehe--you don't have a choice when you are 10!), and revolved around Assams and Darjeelings. Later (around 5 years ago) I started branching out to greens, and about a year ago I dived into Oolongs...Drinking coffee today--fighting an urge to fall asleep at the desk. On the positive side--I was in SF for work the last couple of days, and managed to spend 15 minutes at Lupicia. My new kyusu and some samples of sencha and Uji gyokuro are waiting for me at home!
May 13th, '09, 12:50
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I voted for <15 just because I skimmed the question and missed "seriously". The first time I had hot tea, I was 16 and in England... While I wasn't a regular tea drinker then, that's the first time I established that I liked hot tea. But for regular tea drinking, it would be <2, plus any time I was in Japan before that.
Earl Grey Bravo this morning. Made a little weak but decently without a scale.
Sal, that pic kind of gives me the willies. Reminds me of this noodle soup I had in Japan... then I realized the noodles had eyes.
Earl Grey Bravo this morning. Made a little weak but decently without a scale.
Sal, that pic kind of gives me the willies. Reminds me of this noodle soup I had in Japan... then I realized the noodles had eyes.
May 13th, '09, 12:54
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That is interesting, a lot of the (Chinese not Malay) tea drinker friends of the owners of Wisdom arts in Kuala Lumpur have turned to wine recently. They drop by the the shop to partake of the tea and produce bottles of wine they have managed to acquire for the admiration of each other. They have limited accessibility to wine in Malaysia and now find that the different nuances of grapes, vintages and producers is exactly the same tasting experience that they have been enjoying with tea for 30 years.gingko wrote:A bit off the track, but I often show off to people that I started wine drinking at the age of 6But till now I am still very illiterate about wine, not a serious drinker, no taste, and drink it just for its health benefit
I started drinking wine at the age of 11, family camping holidays in France.
Best wishes from Cheshire
May 13th, '09, 12:56
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Are you using the Uji bags?cherylopal wrote: Ocha tea bag this am- still playing with the timing- today was water from the deerpark cooler just outside my classroom, microwave for 2 minutes 25 sec, steeped for 50 sec- good- we'll see as I drink it.
chip- I know you loves these tea bags- any tips for brewing??
2 min 30 sec usually heats the water to 170F
Since I am usually, well always, out when I use these bags, I approach them pretty casually. The water comes "precooled" by the server.
I put the bag in after showing it off a bit to impress upon everyone that I am different or strange.
I smell it after around a minute, these bags have 5 grams of leaf in them, around a minute is usually pretty good.
I lift the bag out and shake it a bit.
I will resteep once with hot, then plunge it into my cold water and will actually squeeze it at this point, this is usually around dessert time.
3 enjoyable steeps while out to eat!
blah blah blah SENCHA blah blah blah!!!
Thank you Chip!Chip wrote:Are you using the Uji bags?cherylopal wrote: Ocha tea bag this am- still playing with the timing- today was water from the deerpark cooler just outside my classroom, microwave for 2 minutes 25 sec, steeped for 50 sec- good- we'll see as I drink it.
chip- I know you loves these tea bags- any tips for brewing??
2 min 30 sec usually heats the water to 170F
Since I am usually, well always, out when I use these bags, I approach them pretty casually. The water comes "precooled" by the server.
I put the bag in after showing it off a bit to impress upon everyone that I am different or strange.
I smell it after around a minute, these bags have 5 grams of leaf in them, around a minute is usually pretty good.
I lift the bag out and shake it a bit.
I will resteep once with hot, then plunge it into my cold water and will actually squeeze it at this point, this is usually around dessert time.
3 enjoyable steeps while out to eat!
They are the Uji- jumped into Ocha cart after reading your review on one of the teachat polls- and I'm finding that I love them for travel and at work at this very busy time of year. One more question- I brewed a cup this am with every intention of brewing a second right before the kids came in- well, its now 2:30 and I decided to just go for a fresh bag.
How long do Japanese greens keep even if in a teabag? (too tired to experiment this pm!)
cheryl