Monday TeaDay 7/13/09 TeaLessons?

[Chip]

Happy TeaDay TeaFriends. Please come in and share with us what is in your cup today.

Yesterday most responders had discovered something that has helped their brewing results. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Do you enjoy learning about the teas you drink? If so, share something you have learned ...

I am looking forward to learning and sharing this TeaDay. Bottoms up.

[Salsero]

I love learning about tea. The latest thing I learned was about the processing and grade variations of Tai Ping Hou Kui at the Hojo site where Oni discovered a whole new plateau of quality for this stuff. Now I must get me some! ... that's the bad thing about learning ... it leads to yearning. Better to be like Buddha here: wakeful in his field of green tea and without desire. He looks pretty happy.

[Herb_Master]

With some oolongs leaves are plucked from the tree ONLY once a year

With others 4 times, Spring, Early Summer, Late Summer and Autumn

In Malaysia in the Cameron Highlands the bushes are strimmed nearly bare EVERY 6 weeks.

[Herb_Master]

Sal, I like that Buddha a lot more than most of the little buddhas that crop up for sale online and in stores.

Have you any good online sites for your tea friends?

[Drax]

I've learned so many things in such a short time about tea, but I doubt I've learned anything that people haven't heard already! One thing I learned about recently (as posted in the 'other tea' forum), is that kombucha can refer to two things. Most people refer to kombucha as the SCOBY-like fermented tea (i.e. the mother mushroom created tea), but in Japan, kombu means 'seaweed' so there, kombucha means a tea made from powdered seaweed. The Japanese term for the fermented tea is kocha kinoko, or tea mushroom.

Sadly though, no tea for me this morning. I have gallbladder tests in about 2 hours, so I get no liquids or food until after then....

[Salsero]

Sal, I like that Buddha a lot more than most of the little buddhas that crop up for sale online and in stores.

Have you any good online sites for your tea friends?

The little guy is on loan, so I don't have all the info, but he was purchased before "online" existed ... decades ago, I think in Hong Kong.

[JP]

It may be a bit of a tangent here, but the geography of tea is fascinating. Being a traveler, I like to learn where the various teas origins are and the cultures behind the people in those areas. It can help in understanding the importance of tea for those places, and add more appreciation for the leaf that is currently in the cup.

[sriracha]

I recently read that the process of roasting tea leaves to make houjicha produces a chemical that helps improve circulation, interesting bit of info for me who so often is cold.. I passed this on to my Dad, too, who is even worse from decades of smoking.

Not that he seemed interested at all, though.

Having some of Victoria's fantastic Darjeeling right now, amazing tea.

[Chip]

Most definitely enjoy learning about the teas I am drinking. I seem to best absorb this info over time, and not cramming tons of info into my poor little head in a short period of time.

I like to be an educated consumer, which can at times be frustrating with tea since there is soooo much misinformation out there. Some is due to "myth" or the tendency for the Chinese especially to exaggerate ... and then there is virtual fraud and deceit going on as well. It can be most diconcerting at times when trying to learn.

It is rewarding to share what I have learned here on TeaChat and with others.

Began the TD with Yutaka Midori from O-Cha. Verrrry good today, increased the temp a bit and this was rewarded. YM is such a different tea. SweeTea showed up to the TeaTable today and enjoyed the YM while Pyrit and Wulong simply craved attention.

[Mrs. Chip]

Most definitely enjoy learning about the teas I am drinking. I seem to best absorb this info over time, and not cramming tons of info into my poor little head in a short period of time.

Began the TD with Yutaka Midori from O-Cha. Verrrry good today.

I of course shall agree with the MOD on all of the above.

I am enjoying learning daily from 'my very own TeaTeacher' It is a very slow, but rewarding process... so much tea facts to learn and sooo little time!

Looking forward to sharing a tea from Adagio in a little while.

Have a TEArrific TeaDay everyone!
.

[Janine]

I think it's important to be constantly learning. I search out new things, and new people, and new input - I've learned from practically everyone I ever drank tea with: great acknowledged masters and rather humble people with their own theories. It has all helped to filter out what works and what doesn't. And I'll keep on doing it.

Actually I wondered where to post about a blog that I find really interesting. So - I'll put it here and Chip can tell me...

Roy Fong of Imperial Tea Court has a blog called "Camellia-Sinensis". Now Roy is probably the most well-acknowledged tea pioneer in the US I know. (I've also met James Norwood Pratt and David Lee Hoffman visiting Roy - in addition to the man in charge of exporting all ag products from Yunnan!) Roy also is about as down to earth as you can get, and shares his tea knowledge when he sees me brewing and pouring (haha, do you think that means I know what I am doing?).

Anyway, I find his travelogues utterly fascinating. Roy is traveling all over China - he participates in planning, growing and evaluating tea farms and methods. The last entry I read has him going to a lesser-known farming area for tea (Shaanxi province), searching out a place for his own tea farm plans. Anyway, I find his travels fascinating and the photos well worth seeing.

http://camelliasinensisblog.blogspot.com/

I am boiling water. I haven't decided what to drink yet!

[gingkoseto]

I love reading about tea while drinking tea

Something I learned and have been impressed in recent years is, most teas I drink were relatively "newly" developed in recent 20-150 years, although this period is only a small portion of the entire tea history. Thinking of this, I won't feel too sad about teas that "extincted" and teas that are too rare to get hold of

[leiche]

Maybe.

No tea for me yet, just orange juice. It's no fun being sick in the summer. And it's finally not raining.

[tea-guy]

I absolutely adore learning about the teas I drink! There are many reasons for this, but mostly I find myself a culture buff.

Genmaicha (one of my favorites) was originally created by peasant farmers and monks looking to extend the life of their supplies of tea. Thus allowing them to make a batch of tea last much longer through the season(s) than they could before! The result is also delicious!

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In my cup today: Banana Split Black Tea from 52teas.

[depravitea]

Definitely! I love the history.
Something I learned recently - A Legend.

The legend goes that in ancient times there was once a special troup of tea picking monkeys trained by Chinese tea farmers/gatherers. The monkeys would climb the wild tea trees and pick the leaves that were unreachable to the farmers.

I know this isn't factual history, but it is a fact that this is a legend

Anyone know where I can find a Trained Tea Picking Monkey?


This morning - Strong, black Ceylon. Just what I needed to feel human again.