Wednesday TeaDay 6/10/09 Reasons for drinking tea?

[geeber1]

Hope it's a great day, Mrs. Chip!

I voted for the love of the leaf, which I think encompasses all of the other choices.

No tea in my cup right now - I'll have to take care of that problem!

[shogun89]

Geez, I could have gone with many of those. . . . I choose warm my body and soul though, as tea provides a nice time of relaxation for me.

[entropyembrace]

Happy Birthday Mrs Chip!

Most of the poll options contribute to my interest in tea but I voted for warms my body and soul because I find drinking good quality tea to be a deeply relaxing experience and I think that's the most important aspect of tea drinking for me.

I'm enjoying Autumn 08 Rou Gui oolong tea from jing tea shop today

[Cinnamon Kitty]

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Chip!

I drink tea because I like it. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't drink it. Most of the poll answers are appropriate though. Health, culture, history, the leaf, the five senses, warming my body and soul, etc.

My cup currently contains an orange chai blend from the signature blend box pass. The exact name and creator escape me at the moment since the label is in the other room. I am surprised that the chai doesn't overwhelm the orange, especially after sampling a vanilla chai blend in which all I could taste was the chai, but no vanilla. The orange chai is very tasty though.

[silvermage2000]

I drink tea because I like it. And I think its a fairly healthy drink. A cup of carmel o mine today.

[brandon]

...but the history of it and the diffrent tea cultures make it one of the most interesting things i ever came across.

I totally agree. Some of my friends look at me like I have some kind of mental disorder when I go off on some new piece of history I've just learned, but seriously, this is such an interesting subject! Tea has been a catalyst of war. It's been swapped for drugs. It's been a huge import/export business for how many hundreds (one could argue thousands) of years? I just read that during WWII tea was hidden in warehouses all throughout London so that the city's entire supply would not be destroyed when the city was bombed. Now that is a serious love for tea...

I'm grateful I live in a time where it's so readily available.

Wow another history nut. Welcome to the forum.

[depravitea]

Wow another history nut. Welcome to the forum.

Thanks very much. I really like reading and posting on this forum. I want to learn all I can about the history, production and tasting of tea, it has definitely become one of my favorite subjects, and definitely my favorite drink! (I like it even more than beer. It's still hard for me to believe lol.)

[tea fish]

Amen to all of the above. I began to drink tea in earnest when I was surprised by an oolong. Since then, I've become taken by how relaxing it is to prepare and drink tea, not to mention its weird vocabulary (like "Super Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe" and "agony of leaves") and even its history. I loved Salsero's line about Puerh on the sweating flanks of horses crossing the Himalayas. There's some microhistory for you.

I hope that your Bday Teaday has been good, Mrs Chip...

[murrius]

The church I work out is in the middle of a pertussis (whooping cough) outbreak. Fun. Last year around this time was lice.

Whoa! Sort of slow biblical mini plagues.

I hope you miss out on the whooping cough. Actually, I hope you missed out on the lice as well.

[TaiPing Hou Kui]

Let me start by saying happy birthday to Mrs. Chip! Anyway, I suppose I drink tea for all of the above reasons.......sometimes I try and have a meticulously accurate tea ceremony....other times it is a personal ceremony.......it stimulates all my senses........it is just hands down a fascinating plant, leaf, beverage, etc. It also just plaint makes you feel good............and I suppose it doesnt taste half bad either

*About to be in my cup........exhibition grade gyokuro from Hoshino Village.....brewing in my new hagi houhin

-Nick

[Riene]

The five senses, I suppose. I like the taste, the feel of the china cups, the aroma, the color, watching the swirl of milk into the tea, the taste, the caffeine, the heat of the cup warming my hands in the winter.

[brad4419]

Wow another history nut. Welcome to the forum.

Thanks very much. I really like reading and posting on this forum. I want to learn all I can about the history, production and tasting of tea, it has definitely become one of my favorite subjects, and definitely my favorite drink! (I like it even more than beer. It's still hard for me to believe lol.)

depravitea if you havent stumbled upon this yet It sounds like you might like it. Its about the old tea road.

http://www.teachat.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... t=tea+road

Apple mint to finish off the herbal day.

[kymidwife]

Love of leaf... warm... healthier than sugary drinks... tastes great...

But mostly I find it a reasonably good substitute for sex and chocolate.

Broke open the YM shincha this morning... mmmmmmm. Iced Sae Midori all day at work... mmm. Soon I will be peeing green.

Happy Birthday Mrs. Chip!!!

Sarah

[Chip]

Went temporarliy insane and blended O-Cha Sae Midori and Zencha Takumi, sometimes blending is not the answer, but it was pretty decent.

Then took the Mrs. to IKEA to buy her a display unit for "her birthday." I ... er she ended up with 3 units. Now she has to put them together ... well, maybe not.

While out, an O-Cha Uji teabag was incredibly good, I know I talk about these enough, but they are better than 99% of vendors' loose leaf sencha. Buy 'em if you have not already. They are THAT good.

[Mrs. Chip]

Thank you everyone for all the birthday wishes! I had a most TEAriffic birthday!

Had fun shopping with the Mod, actually I think he had as much if not more than I did! We definately needed these units as we have totally run out of display area for all of 'our' wares. Plus obviously we need everything to be CatProof.

Chip took me out for my birthday dinner to our fave Italian Restaurant, Bertolini's and the food was awesome as expected. We shared the O-Cha green tea and I also had a glass of Pinot Grigio to celebrate the day.

SLT together to end the TD.

Oh Geek, I got 'em, maybe pictures tomorrow.