I was sitting here reading all the interesting posts and it occured to me ... TeaChat is definitely an express lane, a short cut ... no, a very direct route in one's personal TeaJourney. I have honestly seen newer members learn more in 6 months here on TC than I did in 6 years learning on my own without TC, mainly through all the detours that vendors tend to create.
UncleIroh wrote: ... my first experience with sencha involved leaf from teavana (which may have been my first mistake right there), which i promptly boiled and steeped for five minutes ... if not for the brewing info on this forum, i might have concluded that i hated sencha and never come back to it. but i did, with techniques improved by the experience and knowledge shared here, and now it's a daily companion. so thank you, teachat!
Related to this thought, listening to vendors brewing directions, etc can retard that growth considerably. As I read newbie, UncleIroh's post, it reminded me of my very
first green from RoT I ever had. Sky Between the Branches. The directions on the label said
boiling water. That was nasty brew. It is amazing how we seem to have more TeaSmarts here than the "pros."
I think almost all of us have had sencha help on TeaChat!