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- #21
5 Must-Have Teas for the Beginner
- Thread starter TstebinsB
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Which tea are you jasmine/molihua drinkers enjoying? It's so difficult to find one that uses real flowers, rather than essence oils!
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
P.s. Pretty much every Beijing resident I ever met drinks jasmine tea almost exclusively. Even the grizzled old taxi drivers, who look super tough, always list "molihuacha" as being their drink of choice when I ask them (in my broken Mandarin). Jasmine tea - the drink of real men!
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
P.s. Pretty much every Beijing resident I ever met drinks jasmine tea almost exclusively. Even the grizzled old taxi drivers, who look super tough, always list "molihuacha" as being their drink of choice when I ask them (in my broken Mandarin). Jasmine tea - the drink of real men!
Pu-erh is great. If you have a "China town" close by, you can pick it up on the cheap. I go to Oakland and get it for dirt cheap. Have you tried Genmaicha? It is green tea with rice in it. The rice adds a touch of sweetness (very subtle), and a nice mellow-ness as well. Its great for a change of pace.
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- #24
NYC has the biggest Chinatown outside Hong Kong. I'll have to visit with the locals.
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- #25
I've been to Toronto's very large Chinatown, as well as large Asian malls, specialty tea shops - and the pu'erh pickings are very slim and over-priced.
As to what to take with your tea, green teas, pu'erh, whites, oolongs, and many other Chinese/Japanese teas are self-drinking (no milk or sweetener).
Black teas are often taken with milk and/or sweetener.
The heavier/stronger the tea, the more likely it can/should be taken with milk and/or sweetener.
These are just rules of thumb.
As to what to take with your tea, green teas, pu'erh, whites, oolongs, and many other Chinese/Japanese teas are self-drinking (no milk or sweetener).
Black teas are often taken with milk and/or sweetener.
The heavier/stronger the tea, the more likely it can/should be taken with milk and/or sweetener.
These are just rules of thumb.
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- #27
Thanks for the insght.
Let's see...
in the first half of the day I drink Earl Grey.
in the second half of the day I drink decaffeinated Earl Grey!
LOL - but its the truth!
in the first half of the day I drink Earl Grey.
in the second half of the day I drink decaffeinated Earl Grey!
LOL - but its the truth!
You won't find any.
What about Ten Ren in Chinatown. Spent a delightful afternoon there and bought a boatload of high quality Chinese Oolongs. I realize that it is a chain, but what the hell do I know.
As for my list it is similar to Ouch's except different:
Ti Kuan
Ti Kuan
Ti Kuan
Ti Kuan
Lung Ching
Or: high quality Chinese Oolong and Dragon's Well
While at Ten Ren I discovered this tea pot:
http://piaoiteapot.com/
It has changed how I drink tea. So easy to do multiple steepings/'washings' of the tea that you can really appreciate the evolution of the taste.
Good luck
Oh...another great source for loose teas online is Uptontea.com
If memory serves, I started out with tea when I was 6 or 7 -- perhaps younger.
Went on a Twinings binge in college.
Most recently got back into it two years ago. (25 years post-college)
I now typically keep 6-12 varieties of loose-leaf teas both at home & at work.
Typical go-to teas, in no particular order (depends on my mood), include:
And I enjoy a decent Ti-Kwan-Yin every now & again.
Rooibos when I want something hot & wet, but not caffeinated.
Pu-erh - I can take it or leave it, but I don't seek it out. I bought a quarter pound of tuo-cha cakes about a year ago, and 2/3, if not 3/4, of the package remains
Not a fan of Japanese green tea.
Jasmine - a nasty thing to do to tea
Earl Grey - another nasty thing to do to tea
- Richard (whose opinions are worth what's paid for them)
Went on a Twinings binge in college.
Most recently got back into it two years ago. (25 years post-college)
I now typically keep 6-12 varieties of loose-leaf teas both at home & at work.
Typical go-to teas, in no particular order (depends on my mood), include:
- Silver Needle (white) - not often, but when I want it, nothing else will do
- Chinese Yunnan (black) - a staple
- Chinese Green (currently fond of Fujian greens) - another staple
- a 'heavy' first-flush, light-ish second flush or autumnal Darjeeling - don't like too much bite - a recent favourite
- Bai Hao Oolong (a.k.a. Oriental Beauty) - a rather heavily oxidized (70% or so) Formosa oolong - yet another staple
And I enjoy a decent Ti-Kwan-Yin every now & again.
Rooibos when I want something hot & wet, but not caffeinated.
Pu-erh - I can take it or leave it, but I don't seek it out. I bought a quarter pound of tuo-cha cakes about a year ago, and 2/3, if not 3/4, of the package remains
Not a fan of Japanese green tea.
Jasmine - a nasty thing to do to tea
Earl Grey - another nasty thing to do to tea
- Richard (whose opinions are worth what's paid for them)
That's exactly what I used to do. Then my taste improved.
(Just kidding.)I spent a ton in Ten Tea over the years. Wish I had it all back. (Not kidding.)
That's exactly what I used to do. Then my taste improved.
I spent a ton in Ten Tea over the years. Wish I had it all back. (Not kidding.)
So where should I go to get good teas? My best source is my Chinese friend who goes back with his mom every year and brings me back a kilo or so. But I drink A LOT and doesn't last.
I have was very pleased with Ten Ren's special Winter Harvest Oolong last year.
I use
Specialteas.com
Uptontea.com
If you only want one kind of tea and want a lot, you can always try Googling that particular kind of tea and find a bulk supplier (typically a kilogram or more).Uptontea.com
- Richard
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- #35
My understanding was that time is typically not kind to the better Japanese (or Chinese) greens, and that freshness is desirable.
Am I misinformed?
- Richard
I think Tie Guan Yin oolong is a must.
Also try Darjeeling both first and second flush.
Also try Darjeeling both first and second flush.
For evening tea right before bed, I enjoy Hojicha, a Japanese tea made from charcoal toasted tea leaves and twigs. I has a very low caffeine content and a gentle nutty flavor.
I am a big fan of Adagio Teas selection and feedback system, although I have gone through two Ingenui-Tea pots and both have fallen apart very quickly - the filter disk no longer fits tightly and floats to the top when hot water is poured in.
For a decadent flavored tea, the Coconut Pouchong by Golden Moon is a fantastic Dessert Tea. I usually prefer a straight up unflavored tea, but this one is great...
I am a big fan of Adagio Teas selection and feedback system, although I have gone through two Ingenui-Tea pots and both have fallen apart very quickly - the filter disk no longer fits tightly and floats to the top when hot water is poured in.
For a decadent flavored tea, the Coconut Pouchong by Golden Moon is a fantastic Dessert Tea. I usually prefer a straight up unflavored tea, but this one is great...
Adagio's where I started when my renewed interest in tea bit a couple of years back.
You may also wish to try SpecialTeas (especially for Chinese greens & oolongs), o-cha (for Japanese greens), and Upton Tea (a splendid selection of Darjeelings (70+ when last I looked)).
- Richard
I've had good Jsmine (scented with flowers) from TenRen, pricey, but good.
I'm going to try some of the Jasmine tea from YS, as the jasmine pearls look quite good in my next order assuming Scott confirms that they're scented with the flowers and nothing else.
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