Welcome everyone to our virtual TeaRoom. Please share what is in your cup today and sit a spell ... AND CHECK OUT THE GAIWAN CONTEST under TEAWARE!
Yesterday responders were pretty split on the source of the best teabag they had ever had. You can still vote and discuss yesterday's topic.
Today's TeaRoom poll and discussion topic. Opening a new bag of tea yesterday and looking upon the leaves for the first time, I wondered, do you ever find satisfaction in looking at your dry tea leaves before they are forever changed by the addition of hot water? What are the most striking leaves you ever saw?
I am looking forward to sharing TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.
Jan 31st, '09, 01:16
Posts: 20891
Joined: Apr 22nd, '06, 20:52
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Back in the TeaCave atop Mt. Fuji
Jan 31st, '09, 01:26
Posts: 5151
Joined: Dec 20th, '06, 23:33
Scrolling: scrolling
Location: Gainesville, Florida
Jan 31st, '09, 03:07
Posts: 1953
Joined: Apr 6th, '08, 19:02
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Contact:
chamekke
Yes, I look at the leaves every single time. It's fun to appreciate how they are transformed by steeping: before and after.
Also, I don't know how to read tea leaves, but my gran did... I'm told she was very good at it too.
Also, I don't know how to read tea leaves, but my gran did... I'm told she was very good at it too.
______________________
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cosy, doesn't try it on."
- Billy Connolly
Jan 31st, '09, 03:20
Posts: 1559
Joined: Jan 28th, '07, 02:24
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Contact:
Space Samurai
Me too! Just the other day, I made an oolong and was totally fascinated by a small stem with its two large leaves sitting in my gaiwan- I kept looking at the leaves and then the container with the very small leaf balls and then back. I called DH over to see and thought about taking it in too work to show my class...Salsero wrote:Whew, yes. Looking at them, playing with them, smelling them, running around showing them to people, ... I love the leaves!
then I just drank and enjoyed the tea. I think pausing and noticing the leaf in it's quiet state before water is part of the enjoyment of tea for me.
Wanted to add that I showed my first graders pictures of that tea house on top of the mountain that was posted a few days ago- they loved it! (We're studying China now) A few of the comments beyond wow and cool were- how do they not fall off, where is the fence? why aren't they roped in? what if they run out of my favorite tea right before I get there? (I loved that one!) someone answered with - just pick another favorite (that boy gets it!!) how do they get down?
Drinking pi lo chun from adagio
Last edited by cherylopal on Jan 31st, '09, 09:17, edited 1 time in total.
Yes, all the time. It goes along with enjoying the aroma, watching the transformation, and finally tasting the brew. Mmmmm.
This morning I'm trying the 2001 White Dragon ripe pu-erh of Jing Gu. I was intrigued to learn that this stuff was first ripened in 30kg-sized melons. Wow! I only have a bag of 25g, however, but I am enjoying my first cup. Shus have such subtle variations from each other, I am sorely at a loss for words to describe those subtleties....
This morning I'm trying the 2001 White Dragon ripe pu-erh of Jing Gu. I was intrigued to learn that this stuff was first ripened in 30kg-sized melons. Wow! I only have a bag of 25g, however, but I am enjoying my first cup. Shus have such subtle variations from each other, I am sorely at a loss for words to describe those subtleties....
Jan 31st, '09, 08:22
Posts: 84
Joined: Feb 18th, '08, 19:05
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Contact:
brianlavelle
Nice pic, Space. You can almost smell that wonderful roasted aroma! Visual, aesthetic and olfactory.Space Samurai wrote:Absolutely, I love to get in close and admire the leaves. Tea is a wondeful visual aesthetic pleasure.
I always have a good look at the leaves before I brew: definitely part of the enjoyment.
I'm still on the 2001 Jin Chang Hao Yiwu from yesterday - and it's tasting even better today.
Have a good TeaWeekend everyone.
Dry leaf can be beautiful. Yunnan Gold springs to mind... And a good dark green sencha/gyokuro or shincha is nice eye candy.
Not to mention a golden-tippy Assam
or hand-rolled Ceylon
The wet leaf is interesting too, smells more like the actual tea...
Anyway, drinking Kawane Sencha from Ito En, haven't had it before, highly recommend. Don't even remember which prefecture its from, I think Uji or Shizuoka. Deep, vibrant, delicious. Not listed on their site, but maybe they'd ship it if you call them...