Tea General

Usually black or earl grey to start the day before work. On days off I usually have Rooibos Chai or some random herbal blend.

Black with milk, no sugar. I used to be a die hard PG Tips guy but Barry's Gold turned out to not only be stronger, but is also cheaper at my grocery store.

If I wasn't a poorfag it would be high quality Assam tea with milk, or high quality Darjeeling tea with no milk.

Drinking "Amber Gaba" Oolong right now. Such a comfy tasting Oolong. Love the honey cinnamon-ish taste.

anyone know how long is the shelf life of tiegaunyin? i bought some but i think is too old, it barely taste like anything.

I don't keep tea past six months.

Could someone tldr 1940's Japanese tea preparation?

Why 1940s?

Beginner here.

About how much tea should I get for a month, say of English Breakfast or something I drink daily (just myself). Local shop sells loose leaf by the oz/pound

Did I fuck up having an electric kettle? Is there something "better" about a stove top one?

Does anyone else get uncomfortable getting Chinese teas (pu erh, Jasmine etc)
Being the manufacturing hub for anything too noxious for sensible countries to do, I'm pretty certain those plants will absorb anything in the air, soil, fertilising supply.

Just save money on the milk and buy the better tea you enjoy. You get hundreds of cups of something you really enjoy most for a staple price rather than hundreds of cups you only mostly enjoy.

Teabag x the cups tea you drink a day x 2 months = how much you should buy

They're hardly different, electric kettle may be difficult to clean if you live in an area with hard water.

fuck you

i dont know how much is it but 100g is enough for a month and i drink a lot, like eight cups everyday.
just embrace the mouth cancer senpai

Yeah, that's a thing I'm concerned about. However I think the top quality "obscure" teas are reasonably spared from this. I mean the top quality tea isn't really cultivated in the middle of a computer factory. Most Oolongs I drink is from Taiwan anyhow.

What are you guys drinking?
>tfw too late here for anything but oolongs

some lapsang, is never too late for lapsang

I need to buy more lapsang, I ran out last week.

Just drank a quite OKish Sencha.
Any of you got some tips on how to brew high quality chinese black teas? No matter what I do:
Much tea, short brew (somehow weird and I don't know how to describe it. The tea tastes quite well actually, but there is no body, as in as soon as you swallow it tastes like you just drank some distilled water)
Fewer tea, long brew (too thin)
Much tea, long brew (bitter, otherwise ok)

The tea just won't taste the way I'd like it to. It's quite expensive (like 20€/50g) and a wide variety of different kinds, but the problem remains the same for every one so I'm a bit hesitating to experiment more. Any tips?
Oolong, just like black/red tea is fairly resistant to ageing.
Even green tea ages okisch, if you keep it cooled and airtight.
I think your problem is a different one, there are several kinds of TGY being sold.
Some have a much deeper taste than others which are quite bloomy. Especially cheaper ones are usually the deeper ones, while the more expensive ones get bloomier the more you pay. That's also the reason why I usually prefer cheaper TGY.

Also, is the /csg/ guy around?

are you brewing in a gaiwan? usually i pre heat it and add 5 grams, but i tend to let it brew like 2-3 minutes and then 30 seconds more.

I'm using a 180ml (I think?), may be 130 or 160ml, pot made of celadon.
I got a japanese houhin around though, which pretty much is a gaiwan. I guess I'll just give that one a try. I'll be back in like 5 min.

for reference, that's what I'm using now. Currently waiting for the tea to cool down a little

Hm weird, I feel like it's actually better from the Houhin. I'll have to vary the brewingtime a little, but overall it's much better than from the celadon teapot.
Well shit, I just bought that one for exactly these teas. Maybe it's because the volume of the houhin is smaller... I'll have to experiment a little. Thanks user.

Regarding the Pastebin:
Thes du Japon is a great source for japanese teas as well. To be honest I prefer their selection to yuuki-cha, as I feel like the quality is more persistent.

My sister bought me a gaiwan for helping her out around the house (she broke her arm) and it came in today.
Trying it out with Mu Ye Chun from Mandala. It's fucking good, it's creamy, vegetal, a bit of basil taste on the first steep.
Steeps: 20 (rinse) - 25 - 30 - 30 - 35
Not done yet, either. 200F for all steeps.

I have another gaiwan and proper teacups coming in the mail sometime this or next week.

Newbie here. Should I reuse tea bags? Throwing one away after drinking one cup feels a bit wasteful.

No, because the quality is shit anyway. You can if you want, but there's no point like there is with better quality leaf.

ah, thanks.

Depends on the tea entirely. Just try it and if you like it keep at it. If you don't, don't. You won't harm yourself, but most of the healthy stuff was dissolved the first time. So except for maybe taste, you don't gain much from drinking two cups of tea.

There really is no reason to pay any more for a herbal/fruit tea than what tea bags cost I think, except you like more expensive blends better of course. But the quality pretty much remains the same.
Quality of black/green tea bags is mostly shit though.

its probably because of the volume and the ceramic
or that is my experience with chinese tea
i really want a nice red gaiwan
depends, if they are more of less whole leaf you can use them more times, if they are dust nope.

I was referring to actual tea, yes, not herbals/fruit blends.
You can get marginally better quality with tea bags sometimes, compared to the dust you usually get, but at that point you may as well just get loose leaf and get the top quality shit.

This one was from Amazon, but I also got another one from teaware.house, I've been shopping around a lot but finding gaiwans seems to be tough.
I spotted one at yunnan sourcing that looks cool, too.

How's my shelf looking? The flavored stuff is leftover from before I got actually into tea, the rest is pretty new.
Mostly all from mandala because I tend to find a place I like and stick with it until I try everything, then mostly go back for refills on stuff I like/new products.
Will shift to YS or White2Tea next (I've got a shipment incoming from White2Tea since I joined their monthly club recently).

Maybe i will come as a try hard.
But how you guys set the ambient for drinking tea?

I tend to put some asian instrumental music and burn incense.

I just focus on the tea and drink it slowly while enjoying it. I also focus on the making of the tea and try to relax and enjoy myself.
I don't think it's try hard, user, it's just like people who light some candles and put on some nice music and get comfy to read a book.

I usually put on a kimono and then apply copious amounts of Comme des Garçons Incense Series 3 Kyoto, it really puts me in the mood

Then I put Hozan Yamamoto's "The Suite for Shakuhachi" CD in my all 47labs audio system (made in Japan by Junji Kimara), remove my vintage-WW2 masunaga eyeglasses and seikosha brand military-issue wristwatch, and bow in the general direction of the yasikuni shrine

Jasmin master race coming through

for gaiwans is better to shop around aliexpress or ebay, if you are feeling brave taobao is also an excellent option.

ken sama you still alive!

I shopped around aliexpress too but didn't find one that caught my attention. Originally I bought the teaware.house one along with some teacups, then wanted a darker gaiwan to match the darker teacups I got.
I shopped all around and didn't find anything until my sister finally pointed out amazon had one that was pretty close to what I was looking for.

I'm keeping an eye on aliexpress though, I'll probably snag some teacups if nothing else.

I enjoy milk tea more than non-milk tea though. Darjeleeng is a standout because it's one of the few teas that I think tastes good without milk (and infact tastes bad with milk). Lapsang souchong is another one that I like without milk, but by and large I prefer a good hearty cup of black tea with milk. I grew up in a former British colony and that "chai" was their drink of choice all day long (not the masala Indian kind, "chai" was just what they called tea with milk).

>I was referring to actual tea, yes, not herbals/fruit blends.
I guessed so, but most normies don't even know that those aren't actually tea, so I wanted to clarify.
I really don't. Maybe listen to some jap music, but other than that I just chill for a bit and stop "working" on my essay or whatever.

Don't listen to the baka who say I was killed in tsunami no tohoku. I've just been too busy practicing the art of hōchōdō

Anybody know any good chamomile blends or any good relaxing teas? I've been drinking harney and sons chamomile and teavanas peach tranquility.

>teavana
eeeugh

Are there other smoky teas? Or am I lumped with lapsang for ever?

some dahopao?

Roasted oolong, some pu er. There is plenty.

I watch moe anime girls and eat raw whale before slicing my belly open

>he doesn't drink pu-ehr
pleeb

I never got to try them, as most are too expensive for my liking and the cheap ones I had once tasted like somebody just opened a grave.
I generally don't like chinese teas too much (they are ok, but I just prefer japanese green teas, especially for what they cost) though, so I'm never sure whether I should try some PuErh at some point. There is a good teahouse 300km from here that actually offers some tastings, maybe I'll go there once, but shit ain't cheap. I think 40€ per person for an afternoon.

Just order some samples, senpai. Mandala tea has 10 dollar shipping overseas (they're based in the US). Most samples are around 7 dollars for an ounce, and 25 for a 100g cake if you end up liking it.
Would recommend:
Autumn Song raw
Silver Buds raw
Mu Ye Chun

Just remember if pu er tastes fishy, it was probably improperly stored. Buy from a reputable dealer.
White2Tea is also an option, they've got a 400g sampler of 4 different pu er (ripe or raw) for 40 USD and they have free shipping world wide for either of those two samplers.
I believe they also have some samples, too.

You could also try chinalife, who I believe are located in the UK. They have good quality shit, including pu er.

Thanks familia, I might try that once I'm not totally broke and sold some of my old techstuff.

Also remember if you can get past the upfront cost it will last a while. I've got a gaiwan, so it's a bit different, but the ratio stays about the same.
I use 3g (either from a 30g sample or 100g cake) with a 140ml gaiwan, and I resteep 10+ times. So for a 30g sample (7 dollars) that's 100 cups, or about 7 cents.
Granted that doesn't include shipping, but it's not bad, either way.

Salada. good for hot tea, sun tea, whiskey/rum/vodka, etc etc etc

come at me

the fuck is salada

Jesus Christ

I saw some 2 & 3kg bags of loose leaf jasmine and pu-erh tea in the asian market the other day. Found it amusing.

I normally go for light black teas (especially floral, flavoured ones like earl grey) but I've been thinking of trying some of the chinese types (though smaller portions) to brew at home since I normally only have them in restaurants.

I know right?

Wheres the best place to find tea bricks/cakes?

I'm trying to make rose ice tea like in the Asian takeaway drink shops.
I understand it has brewed tea, sugar and is chilled. Should I use rose petals or something like liquid rose essence?

I've had a Russian tea that was pretty smoky, but it might have just been a blend that included lapsang souchong.

Slightly like if black tea and sweet licorice candy crossed the line.

Why would anyone brew such a tiny amount in a tiny pot like this?

Enjoy your lead poisoning

Chamomile + milk + honey

Russian Caravan

Would buy if I could finish it before it got stale

that dont look like puer at all
you know that most tea comes from china, right

I've drunk 2l of Rosehip today, send help it's too good.

I like to brew chamomile with some fresh ginger then lightly sweeten it.

>Why would anyone brew such a tiny amount in a tiny pot like this?
Gong Fu brewing style.
The idea is lots of leaf in not very much water. You do multiple short steeps to get different characteristics of the tea. The cups are only around 50mL each.

>So for a 30g sample (7 dollars) that's 100 cups, or about 7 cents.
Well, that's only true when you acutally drink all of the samples and don't feel like you're drinking freshly brewed compost. But I know what you mean, I calculate the same way when buying japanese teas. 25€ for 100g Sencha seem pretty expensive, but in the end it's not much more than I'd be paying for some sodie pop, but the Sencha is way healthier and I actually prefer it (well, sometimes).
Honestly, don't buy that cheap. You don't need to pay 25€/100g or even more, as some do, but at least get something around 5€. Personally I like to get organic teas when they are that cheap, since the cheap ones are more often pesticide loaded. If that stuff on the left is supposed to be the jasmine tea, it looks like total garbage and I'm not exaggerating.
I honestly have no Idea how to make "rose tea", but I'd recommend putting some lemon slices (optional) into a borosilicate glas pot, filling it to the brim with ice and then pouring the hot tea over the ice, cooling it down in an instant. Let the tea brew for longer than usual, or use more leafs to compensate the melting ice.
Then add some applejuice (maybe also grapejuice). Easy as can be and really great. I have no Idea how the taste like roses is achieved though.
Do you know how expensive good taiwanese Oolongs are? Nearly unaffordable if you want to make 1L pots.
If it's about drinking tea those portions are obviously retarded, but when it's about the taste, it's all you really need.

This thread is relevant to my interests. The only time I drink tea is if I have a sore throat, and it's usually Chamomile with some honey. But I think a nice cup of tea after lunch (caffeinated) would be a nice way to get some more energy for the afternoon and have tea instead of coffee which I would like to keep as a morning drink.

Any tea or brand suggestions?

It's really up to you entirely.
If you want to drink it directly after eating, you might want to stay away from green tea, as it is said to reduce the amount of iron that can be absorbed from food eaten (I think) half an our earlier.
Other than that, what's your budget, do you like mild stuff, is it supposed to be grassy, or rather malty? Something in between?

>Other than that, what's your budget, do you like mild stuff, is it supposed to be grassy, or rather malty? Something in between?
Budget would be no more than an 8oz bag of coffee grounds I guess. So no more $10 per package.

Mild stuff is too watery for me. I like flavor. I don't mind bitter flavor either, I like my coffee black. Something in between perhaps so I can get a feel for what I really like more.

What are some good, cheap brands of Indian teas? How do I leave the eternal circle of Assam and Darjeeling and get into some more "exotic" Indian teas?

Hey guys, should we put a template in the OP from now on, like most generals have? Something like
>Budget
>Location
>Flavored/unflavored
>Preferred amount of drinking (1-2L or just a cup or two)
>Experiences

mild stuff doesn't necessarily mean watery. I'd say a japanese kamairicha isn't watery, but it's not even close to being as poignant as a Gyokuro or a strong black tea.
I guess you're from the US, as you use oz and $?
If I were you, I'd get a sampler pack like this:
what-cha.com/intro-to-tea-collection/intro-to-tea-collection/
Then you'll know what you like. When you tasted them, just come back and tell us which you liked, why and what you'd like to improve, or if you'd like something entirely different.
You have to stop looking for brands. Also where you from?

Southern US, what does that affect?

Yea I'm from the Midwest

>what-cha.com/intro-to-tea-collection/intro-to-tea-collection/
Thanks, ordered and I'll get back to you on this.

Well, in Germany we got some halfway decent local dealers, don't know about the southern US though.
I'd just recommend what-cha to you as well, they seem to have some indian stuff and they are the only reputable seller that ships to the US I know.
Personally I quite like indian white teas.
Darjeeling isn't bad tea inherently btw. there are some very expensive, good varients. Darjeeling is just the area it's grown.

Alright, see you around, I hope you'll like some of it. The dosage will probably look ludacris to you, if you're used to teabags, but do as they say.
Also a little thing because of the honey+chamomile tea, you might wanna add the honey once the tea cooled down a little, since the good stuff in honey dies when it's heated above 70 or 80°C (not sure anymore)

Thanks, I'll follow the instructions

>Also a little thing because of the honey+chamomile tea, you might wanna add the honey once the tea cooled down a little, since the good stuff in honey dies when it's heated above 70 or 80°C (not sure anymore)
That's good to know I'll remember that for the future.

Just drank some Ganlu, this stuff:
de.nannuoshan.org/collections/green/products/ganlu-2016
I quite like it acutally, but I think 28€ for 100g are way too much. I'd much rather get a Kamairicha for half that.
Does anyone know a source where it's any cheaper and still good?

get some lapsang souchong, pure smokey goodness

Ah crap, forgot image.
Leafes are quite intact, as you can see.

Those look very nice
>Leafes
Leaves* my friend

Indian teas are basically Assam and Darjeeling. Go for Chinese teas if you want variation and something "exotic".

Ah crap. I frequent /pol/, not a full blown /pol/ack though, so all I read all the time (I'm German, but on the board in general) is "a fucking leaf" in response to Canadian posters. School has been some time, so I forgot some of the weirdness of the English language.
Just wanted to drink some Longjing. Turns out it got moldy, due to it being stored in a shitty vessel. Shit. Was very high quality also...
Well, Huo Shan Huang Ya time.

Nice blog

I usually only make one cup of tea at a time so I was thinking of getting pic related or some sort of equivalent. It greatly appeals to my laziness.

Should I be investing in some sort of small cast iron teapot instead? I kind of want the teapot on the basis that it's more fun. Is there any real difference besides that for a single serving?

problem I have with these is, that you still need to put them on a plate after using/clean them directly. I find a can to be more comfy, since I often forgot the plate for mine. Other than that is good.

pot, not can, goddamn

high lel

I hire an entire troupe of Asians to ceremoniously sit with me and tell stories of the Bong Daka Shogunate in their native language. After the tea is finished, I have the most attractive woman of the group smack me up a bit, and then I cry while begging them to leave. Costly, but there's nothing quite like it.

>teabags

--------------------------

Anyone bought from Jing Tea?

They're abit expensive, but I'd like to know if they're worth the price

That's pretty much all there is to Indian teas. You can research some top quality Assam and Darjeeling, or get into Chinese blacks, but there's not much else in India. Might be able to find something from a neighboring country like Nepal.

Get into Chinese blacks if you haven't. Yunnan and keemun are among the best teas I've drunk.

Haha, wasn't planning on it. I knew it wouldn't be any good, ai just found the portions and thin plastic bag to be funny. I normally go to a proper tea supplier for my tea. Maybe they're for smoking stuff or sus restaurants.

how do i into quality tea? ive been drinking pleb tier english breakfast with a lot of sugar and milk since i was a kid, can i come back from this?

Anyone know where/how I can order Mamoud black tea? Im in ny. Its a tea made in sri Lanka but i saw it in a few places in the middle east.

Can't find it online

Start weaning yourself off the sugar.
Yes you can come back from it, I've done similar.
Where do you live?
If UK: chinalife
If US: upton tea imports, mandala tea, what-cha

Try some different blacks, and some small samples of other unflavored stuff like lapsang souchong, etc
If you are unsure of a tea you want to try see if it pops up on steepster (a tea review site) and check what people are saying about it. They are generally pretty levelheaded there.