Tuesday TeaDay 7/15/08 Tea vendor fanatic?

[Chip]

Yesterday, the poll indicated that almost 6 out of 7 voters wanted a new "Show Off" topic. At this writing, the vote is 39-7. There was a lot of great feedback on the ANNOUNCEMENT topic. THANX! You can still discuss this topic and vote til Midnight.

Welcome TeaFriends to TeaDay. Today is the last installment of Fanatical TeaDay...maybe. Shall we brew and share what is in our cups today...all day! I am looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone...so, bottoms up, refill, repeat often!

Today's TeaPoll and discussion topic is about how fanatical are you about where you buy your tea. Please share.

Have a great TeaDay, everyone!

[Salsero]

One of Bears’ great recommendations: the 2003 Keyixing Yiwu sheng puerh cake. It’s young, but on its way to glory! Surprisingly dark for a five-year-old sheng, this is only the third infusion of the session. Do you see the two little Japanese boats sailing west by northwest across the tray?



Click for a larger image.

For a view later in the session, click here.

Here’s hoping all our TeaBuddies have a nice Tuesday.

[Terrasi]

I'm new enough to tea to not yet have a serious preference to the vendor which I buy from. I tend to buy from Adagio because it's the most convenient for me (easy to use), but I'm not fanatical about it.

[Trey Winston]

I'm probably fanatical, because I demand that the tea is is of the latest harvest (pretty important with whites).
On the other hand, convenience means something too, which is why I like Adagio Europe.

[olivierco]

Pretty fanatical I guess.
I like to have detailed informations on the tea I buy.
I also have some difficulties/reluctance to try a new store. My main concern is the quality and the freshness.
I am quite satisfied from my current shops (ocha, ippodo, hibiki-an, zencha, palais des thés, mariage frères).
Since I have joined teachat, it is a little easier for me to try a new store. I bought from adagio europe, made last week my first houdeasianart order and am considering ordering from Jing tea shop, teacuppa or hanhook within the next months.

This morning Yunnan golden tips and now houjicha with my lunch.

[Trey Winston]

So I was inspired by Salsero's exquisite pictures (every day - how is that even possible?) to try one of my own. It's Silver Needle, of course, with some wild cherries that have just ripened. They are entirely delicious.
It makes for an interesting contrast in flavors, and one which I will have to get used to - I have never before seen the tree so laden with cherries. There must be a thousand, at least, and some of the branches are near the breaking point. But I suspect the starlings are about to make their move.

The cup is nothing special, just an old heirloom I sometimes use.

[chrl42]

I am not that fanatical..

With money I pay, and in China, that tea is that tea..

Unless I empty my pocket and buy hand-made, very first-picked teas from a guard watching place..

[soapy]

I am not that fanatical..

With money I pay, and in China, that tea is that tea..

Unless I empty my pocket and buy hand-made, very first-picked teas from a guard watching place..

I can only imagine what a treat first picked teas would be!

[Salsero]

So I was inspired ... to try one of my own. It's Silver Needle, of course, with some wild cherries that have just ripened. They are entirely delicious.

Wow, what a wonderful photograph! The cup is lovely, even more so knowing it's been in your family. I never imagined that you could find a tree so loaded with wild cherries or even that cherries just grew wild somewhere! Just thinking about the contrast between the cherries and the Silver Needles makes my mouth water.

And that view behind the cup. Do you live in such a magnificent place? It looks like a picture postcard.

BTW, I have been worndering: is Nørwåy really how you spell Norway in Norwegian? It looks the same as in English except for the diacritical marks.

[Katrina]

I think most of us will be coming over for tea at your place, Trey. Gorgeous.

I guess I'm not completely fanatical as I will occasionally buy at a grocery store, but I'm pretty fanatical about cleanliness and storage.

Wenshan Baochong this morning. And, Tenuki, you were 100% right. I can't believe I wasted any of this on western brewing methods. Gongfu only from here on out.

[soapy]

I think most of us will be coming over for tea at your place, Trey. Gorgeous.

Yes Trey I totally Agree what time is tea at your place!! absolutely sereal
Just beautiful!
I could sit for hours looking at that view!

[joelbct]

Somewhere between "pretty" and "extremely..." Let's just say the Express Mail postman is on a first name basis w/ me, due to my frequent shipments from Japan.

<--- this morning, drinking an Assam Meleng Estate mixed with Vithkanande Ceylon. Good stuff...

[Victoria]

TREY!! Holy cow! Your view is just amazing! Oh my!

As soon as my new White Assam arrives, I'm packing it and heading East!
I hope the cherries will still be good by the time I arrive! Anyone else
wanna grab their favorite white and join me at Trey's?

I'm pretty fanatical now that I've been here awhile.
Maybe spoiled is a better word.

[auggy]

Morning all! Good news today - my kitty ate something this morning! It's the first she's eaten since at least Friday and most likely as early as Wednesday. She let me hand feed her 19 treats. I was half an hour late to work, but who cares. My kitty eating is much more important than anything they could come up with here! Hopefully she will eat more today and I'll go from being cautiously hopeful to full out optimistic.

Poll-wise, I'm probably fanatical. But mostly because of how long it takes me to order something. I have a list of teas I want, so each time I do an order, I have to visit all of the links, see which ones I really want now and fit my current needs, then I search around the site(s) it looks like I'll be purchasing from to see if there is anything new I need, then I'll save the finalists in a folder and revisit later to make sure I haven't changed my mind. Then I'll finally order. It's a process.

Rose Marzipan this morning. Yum. Though I think I made it a bit strong - I haven't finished my 12 oz cup yet and already I can feel the caffeine.

[Riene]

I'll join you, Victoria, and head for Norway on the first available flight!

Trey, your tea-view is gorgeous. I used to have a cherry tree--they are lovely in spring. I hope you'll show us more pictures as the season progresses into winter.

Auggy--glad your kitty is doing better this morning!

I voted "probably fanatical" because I do purchase my breakfast black teas from various sources such as grocery stores and Amazon, as long as they are known brands like TofH Scottish Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, PG Tips, Yorkshire Gold, Barry's, etc.

Every green and oolong I've ever bought at a grocery store has been nasty. I suspect I'll only order my oolongs from Adagio in the future, since I'm liking the samples so far.

Greens I have not yet begun to experiment with.

Drinking TofH Irish Breakfast this morning. Need to go find food.