Tea Accessories

water and fire. lol

Carol

~~~~~~~ "And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." ~~~ ~~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~~~~~~

If you wanted to buy just one accessory with which you could brew nearly any type of tea, I would recommend a Chatsford mug or a Chatsford teapot. An electric kettle is another thing that really comes in handy. Since I mostly drink Japanese green teas these days, I do have some tetsubin and one clay kyusu which I use nearly every day.

N.

On 10 Jul 2003, C. S. appeared before the congregation in "rec.food.drink.tea" assembled, and proclaimed:

Don't forget the kettle and cup. Otherwise, you're just going to end up with damp ashes. :)

Derek

My votes:

For multiple cups of tea: the Chatsford teapot gets my vote, too. Upton sells a hardened version that resists breakage.

For one cup: a Teeli filter basket. Light, strong, comes with top that you can also use as a drip plate for the used filter, imparts no taste, dishwasher safe.

For travel: Der Ideale Teenetz unbleached, cotton tea sock, No. 1 (7cm size). Light, folds flat into its plastic bag, folds and stretches to fit cup, mug, pot or jar.

For beauty: Jennaer Glass Tea Mug with Infuser for one; or their glass teapots (sold by Adagio, Todd & Holland, and others).

For frugality or emergencies: Nylon ankle stocking and Mason jar. Perhaps the best infusion system of all, if you can put up with the looks, stares, and abuse.

For dire emergencies: Athletic sock and top of shaving cream can. Hey -- it works!

Bert

For the extremely dexterous and willing to learn: a Chinese guywan.

Z

Whoopsy-Daisy! I knew I was doing *something* wrong.

Carol

~~~~~~~ "And he that breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom." ~~~ ~~~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~~~~~~~

It's the plural of "green tuo cha" (sorry). "Tuo cha" is Mandarin Chinese for "bowl tea". I've seen pu erh (composted black tea) in this form. Green tuo chas taste different than pu erh - less humic, bitterer, smokier and, naturally, greener. They definitely need lower brewing temperatures. I have had green tuo chas in anywhere from the single serving to the half-pound sizes. The latter required hardened implements to break apart. All were from Yunnan province. I've seen cheap harsh versions of the big ones in Chinese grocery stores labelled "Yunnan Tuo Cha".

Upton

, under "Yunnan Compressed Green Tuo Cha") has a picture and description, which reads: "Although green tea in this form is rare, it has a long history in China. One tuo cha is sufficient for 2-4 cups and produces a delicate liquor with mellow flavor and smoky undertones. Enjoyable to drink and fun to watch as the leaves unfold. Available in sample size and original round box of

125 grams." (The order form says it's only 100 g.)

I hope you try it and like it.

Rick.

I noticed that no one's mentioned a timer. Without mine, I'd use at least twice as much tea, due to throwing away all those 30-minute steepings.

Keith

Must have...unbleached paper filters for dusty teas.

-LG