Thanks for the advice. I'll take a look-see at the Houde Asian Art place soon, my tea selection is dwindling.
Green Tea
- Thread starter Edcculus
- Start date
Lapsang Souchong is also a good black tea if you like scotch and cigars. 
Adagio tea is just average. Everything I ever had from Upton was past its prime. Good thing there are a zillion tea vendors out there.
Lapsang Souchong is also a good black tea if you like scotch and cigars.
Tolkien's favourite, no less.
I think you have to be careful with this tea (real name: Zhengshan Xiaozhong). Due to its smoked processing, some unscrupulous producers use very low quality leaves. The supermarket-grade Twinings often falls into this category (though they do higher grades for hotels).
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
There are indeed, but from my limited experience, 90% of them are pretenders who know little about their tea or its sourcing.
Verified favourites within the tea community are listed on the right-hand column of vendor links on the following tea-community web-site:
http://community.livejournal.com/puerh_tea/
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
That's what scares me the most about getting into some of the authentic stuff. How do I know it's the real thing, or something some guy bought at a gift shop in Beijing and brought it back to the States wrapped in his single pair of boxers he brought for his one week stay? That's not a flavor profile I want to experience.
At least with some of the bigger retailers I know what I'm getting. May not be the best tea in the world, but it blows what I can get at the grocery store out of the pond.
Thanks for that mental image.
I'll be sticking with my coffee for the next few weeks now. 
Ah, the heady aroma of underpants.
It comes down to finding a vendor you can trust. The ones linked on the right-hand of that Pu'er Livejournal (previous post) are tried-and-tested by many dozens of folk. The on-line tea community is usually fairly damning of bad vendors, so those that thrive do so because they're fair, not overly priced, and offering decent wares (generally speaking). Stick with those linked sites and you'll be fine - and you won't have to resort to stable, average tea.
If you're shopping from random tea stores... it's a wee bit more tricky. Boxer short aroma is definitely a possibility. Once you've got used to the details and whatnot, it's fairly easy to spot the pretenders. Good tea is fairly hard to fake - thankfully
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
I had a pot of China Green Yannan Silver Tips from SpecialTeas tonight. Very good stuff.
+1 on that Timmy, The silver tips are pretty dern good teas...
Thanks for that mental image.
There is that one coffee story I could tell...
Ah, the heady aroma of underpants.
It comes down to finding a vendor you can trust. The ones linked on the right-hand of that Pu'er Livejournal (previous post) are tried-and-tested by many dozens of folk. The on-line tea community is usually fairly damning of bad vendors, so those that thrive do so because they're fair, not overly priced, and offering decent wares (generally speaking). Stick with those linked sites and you'll be fine - and you won't have to resort to stable, average tea.
If you're shopping from random tea stores... it's a wee bit more tricky. Boxer short aroma is definitely a possibility. Once you've got used to the details and whatnot, it's fairly easy to spot the pretenders. Good tea is fairly hard to fake - thankfully
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Bookmarked! I should just start a folder in my favorites called "Hobbes"! I check the Half Dipper daily and I've read back though most of 2007. Keep up the good work!
There is that one coffee story I could tell...
I can personally watch the beans go into the roaster, out the roaster, into a fresh paper bag then into my grinder and french press. I think I'm safe.
Question for the Earl.
I just picked up some cheap dragon well green tea. Tenfu's Tea Dragon Well (http://www.postalbay.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=351) Actually bought at a local asian grocery store (cheaper than listed as well)
I know that it's probably bottom barrel as far as qualities go, but do you have any tips for making it?
The instructions on the package seem vague. "Directions: Wait 60 second for the first brew, and allow an additional 5 to 10 seconds for the following brews according to personal preferences."
For quantieies there's a chart that just says "Tea leave volume 30%"
What's the generally reccomended prep method for dragon well?
I just picked up some cheap dragon well green tea. Tenfu's Tea Dragon Well (http://www.postalbay.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=351) Actually bought at a local asian grocery store (cheaper than listed as well)
I know that it's probably bottom barrel as far as qualities go, but do you have any tips for making it?
The instructions on the package seem vague. "Directions: Wait 60 second for the first brew, and allow an additional 5 to 10 seconds for the following brews according to personal preferences."
For quantieies there's a chart that just says "Tea leave volume 30%"
What's the generally reccomended prep method for dragon well?
Use 180 degree water (just steaming) and steep for maybe 2 minutes. Use a heaping teaspoon per 4-6 oz of water. This should be a good starting point for you.
Good quality teas can be re-steeped over and over again, hence the directions. The odd volume measurements probably refer to traditional brewing in a gaiwan.
Good quality teas can be re-steeped over and over again, hence the directions. The odd volume measurements probably refer to traditional brewing in a gaiwan.
Cool, more teatalk!
Dragon Well! You're starting with a good one! Even low-grade longjing (for it is he) can taste decent, so you're off to a good start.
Scotto speaketh the truth, for he is wise. Here's what the instructions mean:
It's a gaiwan ("lid-cup"). Filling it a third-full with tea, then you brew it short. It's like an espresso, but you can brew it many times - you probably won't get the best out of it until the third infusion or so, in fact. Each infusion should be about 5s longer than the previous. The only part I disagree with is the initial infusion time: 60s is far too long, and will destroy your lovely longjing - start with 10-15s.
As for brewing it "English style" in a large teapot, I think Scotto's advice is spot on.
Once you start buying better teas, think about grabbing a gaiwan. It brings much more character out of the tea, like the difference between an espresso and an "Americano", say. Green tea is typically not brewed in pots, but in gaiwan - you don't want the excessive heat that a pot retains, usually.
Gaiwan are super cheap. You can grab a serviceable one for about $5 from a Chinatown near you. I take one to conferences, as part of my survival kit along with my Vision and T&H:
Here's a gaiwan brewing up some molilongzhu ("jasmine dragon-pearls") - Scotto, you should have some of these in the package I've recently sent your way...
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Dragon Well! You're starting with a good one! Even low-grade longjing (for it is he) can taste decent, so you're off to a good start.
Scotto speaketh the truth, for he is wise. Here's what the instructions mean:
It's a gaiwan ("lid-cup"). Filling it a third-full with tea, then you brew it short. It's like an espresso, but you can brew it many times - you probably won't get the best out of it until the third infusion or so, in fact. Each infusion should be about 5s longer than the previous. The only part I disagree with is the initial infusion time: 60s is far too long, and will destroy your lovely longjing - start with 10-15s.
As for brewing it "English style" in a large teapot, I think Scotto's advice is spot on.
Once you start buying better teas, think about grabbing a gaiwan. It brings much more character out of the tea, like the difference between an espresso and an "Americano", say. Green tea is typically not brewed in pots, but in gaiwan - you don't want the excessive heat that a pot retains, usually.
Gaiwan are super cheap. You can grab a serviceable one for about $5 from a Chinatown near you. I take one to conferences, as part of my survival kit along with my Vision and T&H:
Here's a gaiwan brewing up some molilongzhu ("jasmine dragon-pearls") - Scotto, you should have some of these in the package I've recently sent your way...
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
So I take it that if I'm serving several people "English style" it would be best to make just enough for one cup each in the pot then add more water to the pot if additional cups are needed?
If I'm using an electric kettle, would it be best to let it boil, then cool, or just grab it before it comes to a full boil?
The info is much appreciated, the batch I whipped up last night proved to be way over powered and over steeped.
We're having my sister (who is a burgeoning teanut) and her boyfriend over for dinner this weekend and I want to have my method down pat.
Also Hobbes, if I may inquire, what line of work are you in? (If you'd rather keep it private, feel free to PM or just ignore the request)
If I'm using an electric kettle, would it be best to let it boil, then cool, or just grab it before it comes to a full boil?
The info is much appreciated, the batch I whipped up last night proved to be way over powered and over steeped.
We're having my sister (who is a burgeoning teanut) and her boyfriend over for dinner this weekend and I want to have my method down pat.
Also Hobbes, if I may inquire, what line of work are you in? (If you'd rather keep it private, feel free to PM or just ignore the request)
That's best, yes indeed - otherwise you end up with superbitter grossness left in the pot. Some folk like to decant the brew into another pot or jar to stop it brewing further (Chinese call this a gongdaobei, which is very popular).
It's best not to let it reach the boil, because then you're retaining the oxygen dissolved in the water.
We're having my sister (who is a burgeoning teanut) and her boyfriend over for dinner this weekend and I want to have my method down pat.
Also Hobbes, if I may inquire, what line of work are you in?
I'm a researcher in a university engineering department - machine learning, applications of A.I., statistics and probability. My general field is creating systems that provide early warning of failure in jet engines, humans lying in hospital beds, power plants, etc. It's all the same technology, just with different "patients" providing the data.
Toodlepip,
Hobbes
Thanks again,
Some more questions.
Do you drink it straight from the gaiwan, pour it into another cup first or is this just personal preference?
I had suspected it was some sort of university function. Very cool, inventing the future, or a safer one...
Some more questions.
Do you drink it straight from the gaiwan, pour it into another cup first or is this just personal preference?
I had suspected it was some sort of university function. Very cool, inventing the future, or a safer one...
Pour it into another cup or it will over brew and become nasty quickly. There is a bit of an art in how you grab the thing with the lid slightly askew to let the liquor out but keep the leaves in.
That being said, my experience working with lots and lots of Chinese folks (who often don't care much about "high end" tea) is they just keep the leaves in there and use their teeth as a filter. No thanks.
That being said, my experience working with lots and lots of Chinese folks (who often don't care much about "high end" tea) is they just keep the leaves in there and use their teeth as a filter. No thanks.
