Friday TeaDay 10/02/09 Friend help?

[Chip]

Good TeaDay everyone! Today is a great day to enjoy tea and share what is in your cup throughout the day!

Yesterday we discussed our fave teas for the month of September. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic. Your friend is thinking about starting to drink tea and asks you for your best advice, what would it be? Please share with us.

You can vote for up to 3 poll options today!

I am looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

[olivierco]

My first advice would be "Buy good loose leaf tea and a small porcelain teapot".

Karigane gyokuro this morning.

[Ebtoulson]

I recently got my brother into tea (huge coffee fan), all it really took was for him to try some good quality tea. In order to push him along I gave him some tea and let him brew/drink anything I had .

Its taking a little bit of time for him to get used to the times and temperatures of brewing, so I choose brewing. So far he's liked everything I've thrown at him except some pu, which he won't try because he's had a bad experience with one that smelled like 'a farm', and matcha.

[Drax]

I would probably start w/ the type of tea to try first and move from there. It's probably best to keep things relatively simple at first so as not to be overwhelming.

This morning, I'm still enjoying some tai ping hou kui. O Monkey King, thank you for not tasting like monkey.

[Trey Winston]

I would probably start w/ the type of tea to try first and move from there.

I think I would do the same. And pointing the friend in question to TeaChat might be my next move.

Having some White Peony today. Slightly oversteeped, it seems. Sic transit etc.

[Selaphiel]

All of the above

But I chose "Do not buy too much tea". I did that and it ends up being very expensive and you do not have the time to get through it all. But on the other hand, it let me taste through samples from pretty much the entire tea spectrum.

Going for some Yutaka Midori now

[CynTEAa]

Thanks for the congrats yesterday, folks. It's been a fun ride!

For the poll I chose the first option, but I'd also advise about not overbuying initially. A little goes a long way when you are just learning what you like!

Happy Friday!

[Chip]

I changed poll options to allow 3 votes.

[gingkoseto]

I say, not much decision needed. I will give her some teaware and some tea samples and let her start right away.

I voted for what tea to start and about brewing. A friend of mine has been drinking green tea and jasmine tea in her entire life, and recently decide to try oolong. I gave her a 150ml yixing and a bunch of samples. About brewing, all I said is, boiling water, short infusions. I believe she will soon figure out everything else.

If a non-tea drinker start to enjoy tea, I will suggest her to start with a mug only, at the most with an additional strainer or tea cage. Don't worry she doesn't know what teaware to buy. She may discover too many to buy soon anyway

[brlarson]

This is a great topic question!

My niece wanted to learn about tea, so we gave her a 14oz porcelain teapot, a tea scoop, seven top quality black and oolong teas from across China India and Sri Lanka, simple instructions how to brew, and a gift certificate good for tea tastings and/or classes at a really good local tea emporium. Everything came from the Steeping Room in Austin. She is lucky to have such a good shop nearby.

My votes were for `brewing', `teaware selection', and `where to find the truth'. Knowing where to find the truth was the most important thing for me, next was brewing technique, and next after that was teaware selection.

Foojoy Fenghuang Oolong in my cup this morning. It's been a long week and I wanted to start today a calmly as I could.

[geeber1]

I chose "what tea to try first" followed by not overbuying tea or teaware. You can get by for quite a while on the basics so I would recommend that they try a basic keemun, ceylon, or nilgiris and a basic, small porcelain pot with an infuser basket.

Keemun Rhapsody in my cup this morning.

[Victoria]

It would be about deciding what tea to try first.

In my cup this morning Yuuki-Cha Koucha.

Next up some Floating Leaves Tea AliShan Traditional from last year's harvest. I just found a sealed bag, here's hoping it's not lost too much of its beauty.

[depravitea]

What to try.
How to brew it.
Not to overbuy teaware.

I think those are the most important things. Those were all things I could have used some help with when starting out. I think those three things relate to the others in the list as well.
For example: Whichever tea you decide to try first may dictate from where you purchase it.

Nothing fancy today. A solid Assam which went well with toast.

[JBaymore]

Not to overbuy teaware.

That one is easy to deal with....... since there is no such thing as "too much teaware".

best,

..........john

[depravitea]

Not to overbuy teaware.

That one is easy to deal with....... since there is no such thing as "too much teaware".

best,

..........john

I don't know... It's very easy to get caught up in unnecessary teaware in my opinion. I've purchased things that I rarely, sometimes never, use.
I wish I had known the versatility of the gaiwan before buying teapots.
Live and learn, or tuition, as it's been called here.