I am a green tea lover, and thought I knew a little about it until I read your posts. I've been drinking it almost daily, especially jasmine tea, for several years (5, 6?) but have recently eliminated simple carbs from my diet (sugar, white flour, white rice, etc.) so my daily tea has become even more of a pleasure. I drink one 24-ounce pot. I can see some of you would cringe if you saw me prepare it: eyeballing the quantity, and pouring the water when it "sounds right." But I'm always very happy with the result, so...
I'm looking forward to doing some searches here for answers to some of my long-held questions: how much does the caffiene content vary among types and brands; what are the other caffeine-like substances I've heard about; what's the recent research on green tea benefits, and so on.
If anything it sounds like you have it perfectly! Eyeballing the amount and going by sound/"feel" of the water is exactly how it should be done. There never will be a thermometer or scale involved in my tea making. (although I must admit I've used one twice but to check how close my "feel" for a particular temp really was before brewing a seriously expensive tea.)
I'm a jasmine green fan as well, and it is still a comfort tea for me even after all these years and teas. I do find a lot of enjoyment from dragon pearls/tears which are little rolled balls with two leaves and a bud and a jasmine petal. Worth a shot as the quality is top notch.
You're doing just fine, stick with it and your feel will get even better with time. I generally now get within 5 degrees of the water temp I want by time and feel alone, which is close enough in anyones book. There is a ton of info in these archives, and while I primarily enjoy Japanese greens I have started to get more into chinese greens. Congrats.
Outrageously. It can vary a lot from year to year with the same tea, even. Most of it comes out in the first steep too, since it's very soluble.
There are all kinds of xanthines in tea that have similar effects to caffeine, most notably theophylline. They are all more or less in the same chemical family with caffeine and most folks just wave their hands and call all of them together "caffeine" even though technically they are not.
I have no idea. If it tastes good in your mouth and makes you feel good, what more benefit do you need?
I have to agree with Dominc, the way you are brewing is perfect "for you". Since I am an engineer I am a bit meticulous about understanding variables. So I did *start* out using thermometers and scales etc, but that was only until I got a *feel* for what it took to make tea the way I like it, and how to repeatably brew tea the way I like it. Once I developed that *feel* I stopped using the instrumentation. Now, admittedly, I do still use the toys on occasion when I am trying to tackle a new tea genre, but eventually I get back to the touchy feely method.
If you are always happy with the result - you are way ahead of most of us here :)))))))))))) My advice - buy a simple gongfu set and try more wulongs, both cheap an not so cheap. The more you try the more your skills will develop and the more your skills develop the more you will want to try.
I have to admit, this is sort of exciting. I belong to several Yahoo Groups, and had done a green tea search there a few times over the last couple of years. There's not much activity. And now here you all are on Google! It's kind of like walking into a room and discovering everyone is listening to your favorite music or talking about your favorite book. I know people who are passionate about coffee and/or beer brewing, but not tea, and certainly not the lovely green stuff.
I think you're right Dominic. I feel wise when I just "know" the water is ready. I'll stick with the way I do it.
Jasmine is my tea of choice, but I drink others as well. A Teavana store opened near me recently, and I bought some gyokuro there. I'm sure it was over-priced, but it sure is yummy. I have already checked out some of the vendors I've seen mentioned here, and am very excited to try some new things. I also love Republic of Tea's Spring Cherry green tea. I imagine most of you skip flavored teas, but I really enjoy it. I have a thing for cherry blossoms and japanese culture, too. Can't really explain it, since I'm not Asian.
I'm surprised to see so many men here; I guess in a tea group I expected to find a bunch of southern housewives who wear hats and eat cucumber sandwiches. I guess they're drinking Lipton. And they're probably not measuring and taking water temperature readings ;). C'mon, admit it...some of you probably keep charts, too? I would.
I'd think if they're serious, they're brewing with loose leaves and using those little silver strainers with little silver tongs for sugar lumps. "One lump or two, dear?"
Yes, there are so many teas, there's no way I can possibly remember them all. I keep a tea journal to record tea, vendor, price, brew tests (amount of tea, water temp, time) to attain the optimal taste for me, and other applicable comments that vary from "Yuck!" to "Must reorder!" or "Keep as staple!"
Tea coverage here is pretty even keeled, with a strong weighting to Pu-Erh. I try to toss in some green talk when possible and a few others do too. The nice thing is that tea is tea, and learning and reading about so many new and specific teas has really opened up my eyes from the tunnel vision I had for years. Now, I could care less what tea is being talked about because it has all become part of my knowledge and cup. At first I was a bit bummed that green tea (specifically Japanese) was so seldom touched on, but that has gone away big time. Teas I never woul dhave even tried outside of coincidence are now some of my most sought after, like Shui Xian. Black (cooked) Pu-erh has left my radar but I gave it hell, and uncooked has found a spot in the lineup as a
3rd string... I can appreciate them now though and occasionally crave on or the other which is way more than if it had not been for this group.
Woo-hoo someone thinks I'm right :) Your new, give it time :) Seriously though, it may seem like your going about it wrong or just shooting in the dark but honestly that is what its about and how you learn. I've never seen a little old chinese man with a digital scale and thermometer and bunsen burners brew me a cup of tea, and I'm sure the ancients didn't either. Scales or specific sized scoops may have been used, but I'd imagine that is about it.
Go for it! I know it may get looked down upon at times, and alot of the time deservedly so, but flavored teas have a place. I enjoy the crappy yellow tin Jasmine tea, and higher end jasmine pearls, and even some different greens processed with jasmine petals. I like lotus root flavored greens, I enjoy ginger-peach black tea, and a few others.. but I never expect them to be something I'm going to sit and contemplate or hunt for subtle nuances. I enjoy them for what they are. I too was enamored with Japanese culture, and I kind of got away from some of it because of the fakenes and ceremony and money/class type stuff, but I still enjoy a lot of the culture, philosophy, and tea. China's past is just so much older and rich and detailed that it has kind of stolen some of the thunder for me.
Yep, I played hockey for 12 years a pretty solid pugilist and I proudly display and claim the little Yixing teapots in my home as my own. :) Tea is one of those things that really has a masculine side that never is seen in America or portrayed in many ways, it is every bit as equal if not morese to wine, food, etc. I actually keep em all in my head, I have a pretty solid memory but it does fail me at times. I've been kicking around the idea of a notebook, and I may start.
No, we're on Usenet. Google is what you and many others use to reach Usenet. This may seem academic, but if Google ever decides to change its corporate strategy, it could suddenly become salient to you.
Lotus root flavored green tea? I thought it was the flowers...I've never tried a lotus tea though so I have no idea. I've had fresh lotus root but can't quite fit that taste in with green tea...could you describe this taste for me Dominic? Interesting...
That's too funny; my husband is a Geologist, and I'm in human services, so I'm quite accustomed to being corrected on matters of the computer/net. I've actually become quite deficient in that area because I don't have to pay attention. I'm just glad your comment didn't have the word "duh" in it ;).
By accessing through Usenet, you contribute to the maintenance of the internet, or our little corner of it, as commercial free as possible. By subscribing to Google, you buy into the internet as the commercial enterprise that the www has become. Nonetheless, it's often unavoidable. Rant rant rant. Rave rave rave.
I think Kirsten is a guy. Are you a guy or a girl? Not that it matters that much. Guys and girls can enjoy tea equally well in our modern electronic society, can we not?
Yep, I also enjoy Lotus flower infused greens... I guess lotus root is a Japanese thing (I actually never even realized it until you questioned it) Called "Hasucha." Normally it is a powder of dried lotus root and ginger, but I have had a number of greens with this added in. Normally it is a sencha or bancha, nothing spectacular teawise but it is an enjoyable flavored tea.
The claimed medicinal value is lungs, mucus, sinus, respiratory, etc. that kind of stuff, it makes a good drink when you are sick or stuffy. My mother goes for solid ginger brewed and distilled down, but I prefer lotus root/ginger myself as it is a little less harsh.
Now that hard part, describing the taste. (I swear this is not my strong suit unless I happen to have a cup right in front of me and I can sip and describe it... Michael likes to get me on this too :) Lotus root is kind of a toughie, but I guess the thoughts that come to mind are Water Chestnut/Artichoke/Jicima. And there is a hint of the same taste as that of the flower in there too.
I'm sure if you hunt around on google for "lotus root tea" or Hasucha you'll come across some other info. But it's worth a try if you like to experiment with new tastes.
My lotus tea from Chinatown taste much like a good quality light roast TKY. It has a smoother and slightly sweet finish. The dry leaf looks oolong, and the wet leaf green. Anytime you see scents with tea from China it's basis is medicinal more than taste. Jasmine soothes the nerves, lotus clears the head, osmanthus calms the stomach, rose cleans the blood. I freely add dried flowers and fruits to my tea for the change of pace not because I'm trying to cure myself of anything. You'll be surprised at how much is out there when you go looking.
No, of course not. One of the things I like about RFDT is that it's one of the places on the Internet where people (still) hope to encounter information that will change their minds, and where they don't take corrections as insults. Thanks for confirming that you're, uh, one of us.
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