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Hi!

I've been following the postings for a few days, so it's now time to post something about myself.

I've kinda-sorta been dabbling with the tea bags off and on for a while and then went to San Francisco last month for a vacation and found myself at a tea shop in Chinatown, as a part of a tour. I got to taste many types of Chinese tea and wound up going home with a Chinese tea set, some "blue tea" (an oolong), and a tea strainer. Once I got home, I started investigating tea vendors, knowing that I wanted to try even more tea; that's where I found Upton Tea and started ordering samples, as well as a Chatsford teapot for brewing them in. Off of eBay came a couple of larger gaiwan sets and a Bodum Chambord teapot/press that's on the way. The money keeps running out, so I've had to slow down. :)

As for which teas I'm liking the most at this point, white tea seems to be my favorite for hot tea and as for iced tea, Upton's No. 1 Tippy Orthodox Darjeeling is impressive (markedly better than the iced tea bags!) and I have some Extra Bergamont Earl Grey cold brewing in the fridge now. I've got some samples of Adagio's flavored white teas on the way that I'm looking forward to trying. :)

Besides all that, I'm a librarian who likes to cook, scrapbook, read, and stay involved in church activities, among other things. I'm married have a couple of 4-legged children of the feline persuasion.

My husband and I are opposites on a lot of things, so it doesn't surprise me that I've taken to hot tea since he knows the location of just about every Starbucks in our area and will not hesitate to stop at one when he needs to. :)

Anyway, I'm glad to have found this group and look forward to more reading and posting.

HeatherB

Reply to
HeatherB
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Welcome, Heather!

Yep, it's great to use a vendor from whom you can buy samples, isn't it? And I use the "cold steeping" method for iced tea exclusively - super easy, works great.

Another tea I can recommed iced is Upton's China Lychee, but it isn't at all tangy or slightly pungent like a Darjeeling, it has a unique sweetness because of the Lychee juice (a Chinese fruit). So if that isn't your thing, it may not be for you.

Reply to
RJP

Welcome, HeatherB. Stick around and post whatever/whenever you want. There's a lot of knowledge around here.

Reply to
pilo_

Hi Heather, This is a wonderful NG and you can ask as many questions you want and everyone is nice. I am somewhat of a newbie and was given great information and I am enjoying great tea on my limited budget. Do worry that a question may sound stupid, as I did, because these experts will treat you as a friend. While I got a lot of help from many people, Dominic T. helped me out so much and I appreciate all he suggested to me. My tea-drinking is so much more flavorful and enjoyable thanks to him

Good luck, Jane Hudson

Reply to
FERRANTE

Welcome Heather, and thank you Jane, I'm humbled. To think my ramblings helped someone is great :) I'm not a technical tea drinker, and I tend to be very simple and real about my tea. I don't overthink things and I don't abide by much more than my own senses. I always reccomend reading Okakura's "The Book of Tea" to newcomers as it was a great intro for me a good number of years ago. It is available to read for free online on Project Gutenberg.

There is a great blend of knowledge and personalities around here, and it makes it a great NG especially the low amount of spam and flaming. There are specialists in different areas and a great mix of backgrounds. I fully believe in staying true to older ways of tea, and simplification of tea when things become too overly complex. I also follow my own judgement for the most part and manage to do so on a pretty small budget. I splurge once or twice a year on high-end tea but tend to always go back to my old standby's that are middle-of-the-road. I, in fact, reccomend starting out drinking low-grade tea and teabags from local asian/indian markets to get a good foundation and then once you have learned which teas you enjoy, then home in on some better quality versions of those and you will then appreciate what makes a middle to high-end tea so great at times. I have also received some great suggestions from members here that have taken me on totally new journey's I would have missed out on otherwise.

Welcome aboard!

- Dominic

Reply to
Dominic T.

What a great experience for you!

Samples are the best way to get into different teas.

One of my favorites.

It's always the money, isn't it?

Some cats like tea, too. Mine drank the ones she liked until I learned to use a cover to keep her nose out, either a proper lid like for a Chatsford mug or a plastic lid like from a can of nuts.

Welcome to the group! Have you seen our FAQ? Here's a link:

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Reply to
Bluesea

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