tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41759052654733048642024-03-12T15:25:07.038-07:00Tea GooberBrethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-11725796807034702012013-08-22T13:02:00.000-07:002013-09-28T06:12:32.807-07:00Yi Ho Yeong - Brother Anthony,s 2013 Ujeon? Sejak?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I am very lucky to have the opportunity to try this tea. I,m guessing that the making of this tea was a joint effort between Brother Anthony and Yi Ho Yong. I really don,t know anything else about it, and maybe that,s for the better.<br />
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In the opening pages of The Korean Way Of Tea by Brother Anthony and Hong Kyeong-Hee ask the reader to imagine what it would be like to arrive at a home in the early morning hours. The host has brought water from a mountain spring and made tea for you with leaves harvested from her own tea bushes, made with her own two hands. Nothing but the sounds of a bubbling mountain spring and fresh, crisp, spring air. Well, evidently, this tea was made by the very same person they are referring to in the book. I am honored!<br />
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A few weeks ago I received a package from Arthur and he kindly included this tea along with the others I had ordered. Thank you Arthur! He couldn't remember which he had sent, hence the title of this post. If I had to guess I would say this is Sejak, the dry leaves are a little thicker and chunkier than I would expect from an Ujeon. I have only had Ujeon once before so it,s not as though I really know what I,m talking about here.<br />
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The aroma from the dry leaf is pristine, clean and sweet. Notes of pine, grain and florals. Very pungent but not heavy. Why can,t all my green teas smell so gorgeous? I wonder how much this tea costs?<br />
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The sweet smell of toasted grain and pine wafts from the pot as I pour out the first infusion. Very rich but delicate and balanced. A tad too yellow for a Ujeon, don,t ya think?<br />
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The second infusions color is much more yellow and not quite as clear as the first, it,s also sweeter. What I find interesting about this tea is that it has a very full and rich mouth feel but the flavors are never heavy and dull. When the tea starts to fade in later infusions it,s flavor and aroma stays very clean and pure. As opposed to heavy dull and chalky.<br />
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Tiny, tiny little baby leaves, what a pain this must have been to harvest. A labor of love I guess. God Bless Em!Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-28698919984663853962013-07-25T13:10:00.000-07:002013-07-26T08:51:54.115-07:002013 Jukro Hwagae Valley JungjakIn a recent episode of Tea Goober we talked about<span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://teadork.blogspot.com/2013/05/2013-jukro-sejak.html"><span style="color: lime;"> Jukro,s 2013 Sejak</span></a>.</span> Now it,s time to try Jukro,s 2013 Jungjak. Sejak grade tea is usually made from the second flush, while Jungjak is made from the third flush. The first flush is called Ujeon, but who can afford that? Not me! If you would be so kind as to click on the link above you will see the difference in the dry leafs appearance. The Jungjak grade is noticeably thicker and chunkier. The dry leafs aroma is heavier with the smell of pine, grain, honey and slightly herbaceous.<br />
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Park Jong Il,s tea ware has such personality. It,s hard to put my finger on it but they seem to be kinda whimsical. From this angle it reminds me of a Carp gasping for air. Maybe he is hungry for some good tea.<br />
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Park Jong Il,s cup has gone through quite a change in appearance. The interior is speckled with tiny little flecks of discoloration and blisters. I like this pot and cup very much.<br />
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The teas flavor reflects the leafs aroma very well. Grain, honey, slightly piney or sappy and herbaceous. Mouth feel is full and round, no sharp corners here. Like Jukro,s 2013 Sejak, it has a noticeable creaminess. And like Jukro,s 2013 Sejak, the cereal or malted grain flavors, which I associate with Korean green tea is barely noticeable.<br />
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I,m not gonna go on and on describing the teas flavor as it progresses through consecutive infusions.<br />
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The color of the soup is darker than the Sejak grade. Much heavier and richer. I enjoy both Sejak and Jungjak but if I had to choose one or the other, it would be Jungjak. I like big flavors and aromas.<br />
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If you are interested this tea can be found at<a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/?document_srl=6983"><span style="color: lime;"> Good Green Tea</span></a>. It,s not cheap. I guess that goes without saying though. Korean teas never are.Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-33659454663777338912013-07-17T12:55:00.001-07:002013-07-18T14:54:28.272-07:002013 Jukro Jiri Mountain BahlyochaA couple of months ago Sam of<a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/"><span style="color: lime;"> Good Green Tea </span></a>asked as he was preparing to leave for Korea if there was any particular teas I would like him to bring back with him. This is one of the two teas I requested. Over the past several years I have had quite a few Korean Yellow teas and have liked all of them. All the different producers seem to have their own unique way of making their oxidized teas and the flavors can vary considerably. I had never had Jukro,s Bahlyocha before but knew I was in for a treat, as all their teas are excellent.<br />
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Typical packaging for Jukro, Paper outer bag, inside the paper bag is a sealed foil bag, inside the foil bag is a wax paper bag.<br />
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Even though summer is in full swing here in Austin I can,t help it, I've got to try this tea. Normally this time of day in Austin (93 degrees) an ice cold<a href="http://www.shiner.com/"><span style="color: lime;"> Shiner Bock</span> </a>is my beverage of choice.<br />
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The appearance of the dry leaf tells me what I,m in for. The dry leafs aroma is heavy with deep, dark chocolate, notes of honey, malted grain and spice.. With the heavier oxidation of the leaf the floral aspects are pushed to the background but are still there for the observant, mostly in the later infusions.<br />
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The dry leaf is very thick and chunky. Which tells me there is lots of juicy goodness to be had. Even though I have yet to taste this tea I know without a shadow of a doubt that I,m really, really, going to like it a lot. All the tell, tale sign,s are there.<br />
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Here,s a tea that,s right up my alley. Jukro,s Bahlyocha has a very rich and full mouth feel. Malted grain, honey, toasted nut,s, dark chocolate with just the slightest suggestion of spice. Makes my palette very happy. This tea seems to be more durable than other Bahlyocha,s I've had, easily 5-6 infusions. The flavors don,t wash out easily, they go on and on without dropping any of the grain and cocoa aspects.<br />
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I remember when I used to be so meticulous with weights and measurements when it came to brewing tea. Over the past couple of years I have become less obsessive about it all. I don,t weigh anything anymore, just a few good pinches of tea goes into the pot. Add water and observe how the leaves are opening up. When fully saturated, that's the signal that everything is good to go. There are times when I don,t get it quite right but no matter the situation it,s always easily correctable. More or less water, or longer or shorter steeping s, makes everything right again. This all has to do with how many infusions you get from any tea.<br />
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As of today, Sam hasn't updated his site and this tea isn't offered yet. But I,m sure if you ask nicely he would be more than happy to hook you up with some of this delicious tea.Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-31479673888048127392013-07-14T08:43:00.002-07:002013-07-14T08:43:39.840-07:00Jukro 2013 Jungjak Balhyocha<a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/"><span style="color: lime;">Sam,s</span></a> back from Korea and as promised he brought some very nice teas home with him. Sometime later I,ll write a post for each of these. Very curious about the Jungjak as well as their Balhyocha.<br />
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<br />Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-53160891142437622862013-06-26T13:02:00.000-07:002013-06-27T12:02:54.416-07:002012 Autumnal Darjeeling Oakyti<br />
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A few days ago I received a package with a nice little assortment of teas from Arthur of<a href="http://morningcranetea.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: lime;"> Morning Crane Tea.</span></a> This was the tea that demanded my immediate attention. I have been an admirer of teas from both Darjeeling and Nepal for a long time. In my opinion Nepalese teas are quite often superior to their Darjeeling neighbors and are usually far less expensive. But......first things first! Is this a Darjeeling or a Nepalese tea? It has to be one or the other....right? Well, not really. On the tea packet Arthur explains that the area where this tea is from borders both countries. The Mechi River being the dividing line between Nepal and India share very similar tea plants and growing conditions which makes it,s origin pretty much irrelevant.<br />
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The photos of this tea that Arthur has on his blog is what first sparked my interest because this tea looks nothing like I've ever seen from either Darjeeling or Nepal before. This teas leaves resemble little sticks, very different than the large, flaky leaves I've encountered in the past. And that,s kind of what they feel like as well, little sticks. When placing the dry leaf into the pot they make a clinking sound. They are very, very dense and compact. Kinda resembles a Yunnan tea, doesn't it? Which leads me to wonder, is this tea China Jat? Which is what the vast majority of Darjeeling teas are made from. Or the Assam varietal that is native to India. Judging from the teas aroma, appearance and flavor I,d have to bet on the later.<br />
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This tea "Treasure Gold" is made from plants that for whatever reason, climactic conditions? Produces leaves that are a golden color. This doesn't happen every year, just once in a Blue Moon.<br />
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The aroma from the dry leaf is heavy, rich and full .It,s not dissimilar to Korean Hwangcha but definitely in a category of it,s own. Honey, roasted grain and fruit are there for the taking, you don,t have to sit and ponder about these flavors and aromas, they are there in abundance.<br />
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The teas flavor matches the aroma to perfection. Sweet honey, roasted grain or cereal, a touch of fruit and the mere suggestion of spice. Full, rich mouth feel. I can still taste this tea flavor even an hour after having drank it. Astringency is very, very minimal and it,s only really noticeable in the later infusions.<br />
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This particular tea session I used a Yixing pot with repeated brewing to see how the tea would stand up. I probably won,t try this again with this tea.<br />
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I have stated in previous posts that in my opinion some teas do not stand up to repeated steeping very well. This is by no means a strike against it. Some teas reveal nuances of flavor and aroma with repeated brewing and it can be interesting to watch it,s flavor change and evolve. But some teas have nothing further to reveal, with additional steeping it just becomes gradually weaker with it,s flavor unchanged. It,s just the nature of the tea, nothing to do with quality.<br />
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So, my criteria for determining whether or not a tea is gong-fu-able is......does it,s flavor change or evolve with repeated brewing. If not, I use a western style approach. Less leaf, more water, longer steeping time. Enjoy it in all it,s glory, get the full impact and call it a day. But.....that,s just me. You guys do whatever you see fit, after all, it,s your tea.<br />
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The leaf is exhausted, it,s on it,s fourth steeping and still the leaves, sticks won,t fully open. What a wonderful, strange tea this is. I hope everyone gets a chance to try this tea before it,s gone. This is a tea that anybody would appreciate. Brewing parameters don,t need to be strictly adhered to because this tea is very user friendly.Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-21196207834507251412013-06-06T10:13:00.000-07:002013-06-06T15:45:17.762-07:002013 Giddapahar Hand Rolled, First Flush Darjeeling<br />
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I know the whole where, when and why of how my infatuation with tea began. It seems so long ago, and..... I guess it was. I,m thinking it was about forty or so years ago was when I first encountered a cup of really good Darjeeling tea. It obviously made quite an impression on me. That particular Darjeeling I just happened to stumble upon, a fortunate recipient of circumstance. I was visiting a friend in San Francisco and had stopped in at a local coffee shop. She had ordered a pot of Darjeeling and I had a cup from her pot. That first cup marks the beginning of a never ending search for good tea.<br />
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A lot has changed since then. What, with the invention of that world wide inter-web thing-a-mo-bob. Anybody reading this is aware of how easy it is to get just about anything you can think of.<br />
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I have bought tea from<a href="http://www.norbutea.com/index.php"><span style="color: lime;"> Norbu</span></a> on just a few previous occasions. He now sources his own teas. Not just buying online and reselling. He has a pretty wide selection with teas in every category. Green, Oolong, Black or Puerh. This tea is entirely hand made, which is rare for Darjeeling. Norbu was so impressed upon tasting this tea that he bought the entire (albeit tiny,3 kg.) lot.<br />
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Now isn't that a pretty site? These leaves are very large, crispy and flaky. The scent of the dry leaf is extremely floral and with just a hint of vegetation. The flavor matches the aroma to perfection. Sweet, floral with just the slightest trace of greenery. There is no astringency at all. The muscatel flavor and aroma we expect from a Darjeeling are there, but being pushed to the background they are barely noticeable.<br />
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I don,t brew Darjeeling teas using a Gong fu method. Just one 3-4 minute steeping works out best for me. In my opinion, using a gong fu approach doesn't work well because the flavors are too hit or miss. All the flavor aspects need to be represented in one fell swoop to be fully appreciated.<br />
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Even though the cups are brown you can see the color of the brew. A light golden, amber. The tea smells sweet with florals coming out the ying-yang. You can see in the picture below that there are some stems still attached to the leaves. In my book this is not a bad thing at all. In fact I kinda like teas with some stems still in the mix.<br />
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I've had these cups (made by Park Jong Il ) for over a year but never used them before today, they are just a tad too small for my liking. I have never used them for photography purposes before because I reckoned the brown glaze wouldn't allow the teas color to be accurately represented. But there it is.......plain as day.<br />
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A cup of good Darjeeling always brings back memories. It,s funny how with just one sip, that distinctive flavor takes me right back to where it all began. I,m right back in San Francisco sitting on a side walk cafe with a cool ocean breeze.<br />
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Minus the pony tail and flip flops!<br />
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<br />Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-57237833846019307432013-05-30T13:15:00.000-07:002013-06-04T09:56:40.759-07:002013 Zeda Sejak<br />
As I posted yesterday, I received both the Zeda And Jukro 2013 Sejak teas from Sam of <span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/"><span style="color: lime;"> Good Green Tea</span></a> </span>in the mail a few days ago. I have never had the pleasure of trying any of Zeda,s teas before so......lets get the party rolling and discover what we have here. As it states on the packet, Grown in the Hwaegae Valley of South Korea, known for producing high quality green tea. Heavenly mellow aroma, sweet note with a touch of vegetation.<br />
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Yikes! What a horrible picture. Zeda packages their products in a less elaborate style than Jukro, but that don,t mean anything really. Whats inside is what counts and what I,m seeing and smelling looks good.<br />
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The water has boiled, everything is set, so let,s brew some Sejak and enjoy.<br />
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There! That,s more like it, isn,t it? Comparing Zeda to Jukro, the Zeda,s dry leaf seems to be much longer and spindly. The scent is a touch more vegetal but a little lighter, brighter than Jukro,s Sejak.<br />
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This is always the exciting moment when your trying new teas. The tea is steeping, the pitcher and cups are pre-heating. Now your just waiting to see what emerges from the pot. Will it live up to my expectations? Or will it be just another pot of tea.<br />
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This is a very nice, well made tea. A nutty, vegetal, pine tree scent wafts from the pot and cup. It smells really good. The flavor and aroma I associate with Korean green tea is that of malted grain and honey, but there is only the slightest trace of those characteristics here. This tea isn,t a disappointment by any means. Zeda,s Sejak has a lot of depth and richness. The aftertaste hits full force permeating my nasal passage, which is no small feat as I have horrendous allergies this time of year. I would be really interested in trying Zeda,s Jungjak, which has got to be equally gorgeous.<br />
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If you have never had fresh Korean teas ( or any fresh green tea ) it really pays to get good quality spring water, the difference it makes is astonishing. Here is Austin the water is very hard and can kill the flavor and aroma of any tea. Even when I have filtered it, the water still tastes of chalk and minerals.<br />
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The spent leaf is a mix of whole and torn leaves. A beautiful healthy green. Zeda,s Sejak has more than lived up to my expectations. It,s gorgeous! The durability is good also, 3-4 infusions before it washes out.<br />
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I must get more of this tea. One thing that kinda annoys me about some of these teas is that they are packaged is such tiny quantities. This Sejak comes in a 40 gm. packet. To me, that's really just a little more than a sample size. I,d be much happier with a 100 gm package. But..........that,s just me being nit-picky.<br />
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<a href="http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/2013-zeda-saejak-semi-wild-hwagae.html"><span style="color: lime;">Go see what Matt has to say about this tea.</span></a>Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-36989831637228584622013-05-29T12:38:00.000-07:002013-06-04T09:58:57.538-07:002013 Jukro Sejak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
The long awaited 2013 Korean teas are now available from Sam of <span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/"><span style="color: lime;"> Good Green Tea </span></a> </span>Apparently <a href="http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: lime;"> Matt </span></a>received the exact same teas on the same day that I received mine. 2013 Jukro Sejak and 2013 Zeda Sejak. I have never had the Zeda brand of teas before and I,m curious to see how different they are. But I,m going to sit on the Zeda and dig right into the Jukro.</div>
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The packaging is a little different this year, they have included a booklet that is more or less a menu of Jukro,s offerings. Of course the teas are all in ultra deluxe packaging. On the front page of the booklet it states "Can make deep scent only with honest hands"......... this has me worried. Could I possibly make a deep scent? After all, look at how I have lived my life, all the people I have hurt.......Just kidding, I,m a good guy. This reads like a disclaimer, as if they are saying, if you fail to make a decent cup of tea it,s your own moral character that,s to blame. Despite my degree of honesty I,m gonna dig right in and see if I can conjure up a deep scent.</div>
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I can never get an accurate color of the dry leaf with this old, worn out camera. But just the same, here it is. The dry leaf is actually a rich, deep, forest green. The aroma is equally deep and rich with a slightly toasty, vegetal smell with a touch of that clean, crisp pine forest in the background. There is also the slightest suggestion of salinity.</div>
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As the tea is poured from the pot that much anticipated smell of toasted grains and that unique deep forest greenery permeates the senses. The smell makes me think of a pine forest on a crisp and cool morning. The flavor is more vegetal and toasty than grain with traces of honey or malt. With Junjak it seems that the pecking order flip-flops with the grain taking dominance, with a fuller mouth feel.<br />
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You can see by the teas color that it brews up clean and clear. It has a very light body but the aroma and flavor are rich. A very delicate level of sweetness washes over the taste buds and leaves me wanted more.So.......the infusions march forward until the leaf is exhausted and I am satiated.<br />
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Are those not some of the freshest looking leaves? All in all the picking standard is good but a good portion of the leaves have been torn. I don,t know if that affects the flavor all that much anyways. I,m looking forward to Jukro,s 2013 Junjak as well. A later harvest tea which has more body and toasted grain flavors but lacks the clarity of a Sejak, at least thats the way I think of it. Jukro is really consistent, the 2013 tea is identical in all aspects to the<a href="http://teadork.blogspot.com/2012/04/2011-jukro-hwagae-valley-sejak.html"><span style="color: lime;"> 2011</span></a> version I have posted on previously.</div>
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Thats about all I can think of to say about this tea. Very, very nice. But expensive.</div>
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<a href="http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/2013-cho-tae-yeon-jukro-saejak-semi.html"><span style="color: lime;">Go see Matt for his take on this tea.</span></a></div>
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Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-30029227482475144462013-05-24T13:20:00.001-07:002013-05-24T16:35:04.162-07:00Ginko's Mothers TeaI am always in search of teas that are not your everyday sorta things that you find from any number of online stores. When I saw that<a href="http://www.lifeinteacup.com/green-tea"><span style="color: lime;"> Ginko</span></a> was offering a handmade China green that was made by a Mom (not her Mom) it stirred up all kinds of interest in me. I picture a little Chinese woman living a quiet life, just tending her garden and once a year making her own tea. You know perfectly well a Mom is only going to pick the best leaves and see to it that every step of the drying process is done correctly. If you want anything done right, do it yourself. This Mom knows how to make some good tea.<br />
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The dry leaf is small in size but thick and chunky. Moms tea has a really pungent aroma. Almost like a Lu Shan Clouds and Mist tea but with a lot more depth. One kinda odd thing about it is that from the moment you add water to the pot the leaves immediately sink to the bottom. It's the only green tea I've seen do this. They absolutely refuse to float, even when I encourage them they stand their ground and refuse to budge.<br />
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Mom's tea is pretty much what you would expect from a Mom, unpretentious and humble but satisfying. Very full mouth feel, rich and herbal with a touch of salinity. The aftertaste is the only time I notice any sweetness. Ginko has a small quantity of this tea and is offering it at a absurdly low price. Limited to 2 packets per customer, I'm already at my limit. A really unique tea that I wish I could get more of.<br />
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<br />Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-29154344888681947332013-05-09T15:00:00.003-07:002013-05-10T08:33:28.459-07:00Ginko's Great BuddhaI have the good fortune to be the ( very appreciative) recipient of some of Ginko's <a href="http://www.lifeinteacup.com/green-tea"><span style="color: lime;">(Life In A Tea Cup</span></a>) Great Buddha Dragon Well. It has been a very long time since Ive had the pleasure of a cup of pre Qing Ming Dragon Well. Ginko was kind enough to send me a few teas from her current selection. These Pre-Qing Ming teas are not available in large quantity's, they are not going to last long. So, I,m hoping everyone gets a chance to try these teas before they are sold out.<br />
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Pre-Qing Ming teas are the first leaves to emerge after the dormancy of Winter. Before the rain is what I remember it as meaning. Highly valued and sought after by tea lovers. But having said that, they are not to everybody,s liking. For some westerners the flavors are too delicate. I think of them as being teas with pristine clarity and focus.<br />
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Cute little tin isn't it? It contents are superlative. So green and vibrant. The aroma from the dry leaf is so fresh and sweet. And there is something that reminds me of pine. You can see in the picture below that the picking standard was very consistent. Practically every leaf and bud set are the same size. The dry leaf is still pliable. Not brittle and crumbly. This pliability is testament to its freshness.<br />
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My tea table is just about functionality today. No flowers or dramatic lighting. It is, what it is. The tea has been brewed with loving care and attention. Freshly heated spring water that has dropped to 175 degrees. With Pre-Qing Ming teas I try to be careful with brewing time. A gentle approach pays off.<br />
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There are a lot of people that are of the opinion that you don,t have to be all that careful brewing these Pre-Qing Ming teas. I am not one of them. It's too easy to kill the tea by water that is too hot or too lengthy an infusion time. The end result of either of these scenarios is that what should the slightest bite of astringency can easily wind up being the more dominant aspect in the cup, you don't want that.<br />
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The aroma of sugar snap peas and pine as well as some very delicate florals waft from the pot and cup. The first sips are sweet as could be. The pine or maybe I should say sap like flavors contrast with the sugar cane sweetness, a perfect balance. Typically I think of Dragon Well teas to be kinda nutty, yeasty, toasty and slightly vegetal, but this one is different, so clean and delicate.<br />
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The color of the brewed tea is actually a tad lighter than the picture below. Crystal clear with an almost silvery sheen. Pretty darned durable too boot. I get 3-4 infusions before it starts to fade. The teas aftertaste is unrelenting. It's sweetness permeates the entire mouth and even the nasal passage. It's early spring and I am usually so congested this time of year due to allergies that I cant smell a thing, but this tea seems to have helped to clear me up a little. I wonder if there is any history of tea being used as a decongestant?<br />
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Thank You Ginko! I cant wait to try the some of your other offerings. As this years teas are making their way to the states I,m keeping a close eye on <span style="color: lime;"><a href="http://www.lifeinteacup.com/green-tea"><span style="color: lime;"> Life In A Tea Cup</span></a> </span> to see what else you have in store for all of us tea lovers. The proofs in the pudding. Evidently, Ginko has some MOFO connections. Take advantage of it for crying out loud. For more information on this tea pay a visit to Ginko. She,ll hook you up!Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-639632349011638732013-05-02T16:43:00.000-07:002013-05-03T08:08:14.923-07:00Kim Song Tae DdokchaFor years I have been reading<a href="http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: lime;"> Mattcha's</span></a> blog (All things tea, especially Korean) With all the various types of tea that is made in Korea be it Ujeon, Sejak, Jungjak, Hwangcha. One of the teas that most intrigued me was<a href="http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-fuck-is-ddok-cha.html"><span style="color: lime;"> Ddokcha</span>.</a> Actually back when I first started reading Matt's blog I had never had any type of Korean tea. I think it was 2008 when Matt first started his blog and back then there was no chance in hell that a westerner shopping online was going to run across any Korean teas. Things have changed. Now it's fairly easy to find some good quality, handmade Korean teas. Reading through Matts blog today it's easy to see that Matt played a significant role in these teas and tea wares becoming easier to source. Always educational and informative. He has taken on some massive projects with his blog, remember the<a href="http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/korean-tea-classics-book-club-dong-cha.html"><span style="color: lime;"> Book Club?</span></a> So.......we all owe Matt a big<br />
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Or maybe we should hold him to blame. Haha!<br />
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Anyways, on to the Ddokcha. The one I brewed today was made by Kim Song Tae. A gift from<br />
<a href="http://morningcranetea.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: lime;"> Morning Crane Tea.</span></a> A small circular wafer of compressed tea. I had a general idea of how to brew this tea, a fairly large qty. of water and a brewing time of about 2-3 hours. I knew going into this that the brewing time was crucial, too little and the teas bitterness would dominate. I tasted the tea as it brewed to learn what to look for and to see the how the flavor and aroma changed as the tea continued to simmer away in a glass kettle.<br />
The tea has a very pungent aroma of spice's. Sure enough as it continued to brew the Ddokcha developed a rounder, softer, sweeter flavor. The soup had changed from a pale yellow to a deep orange color. I had tasted it at around the 2 hour mark and it was quite bitter and astringent. By hour 3 the tea was pretty good. Even though this was the first time I have tasted Ddokcha I think it is a simple, unpretentious tea. There is not tons of complexity but what is there is pretty straight forward and easy to enjoy.<br />
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Next time I'll take some pics and do the whole kit and kaboodle for ya!Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-8226675551481787562013-04-25T13:01:00.001-07:002013-04-28T08:14:58.789-07:00Jeong Jae Yeun Jiri Mountain Hwang-ChaThis particular Hwang-Cha is something extra special. Why is it special? Because this tea was handmade from wild tea bushes. Also because it is made before Buddha's birthday. (first flush in other words) Which from what I understand is a bit unusual because typically the first and second flush are used for making green tea. Later in the season is when leaves are picked for Hwang-Cha production. So...Jeong Jae Yeun must have real a passion for Hwang-Cha if he is willing to sacrifice the first leaves of spring to make this type of tea.<br />
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This tea as well as a couple of others were acquired from<a href="http://morningcranetea.blogspot.com/2012/11/is-this-best-hwangcha-made-in-korea.html"><span style="color: lime;"> Morning Crane Tea</span>.</a> Arthur (Morning Crane Tea) also sent along some samples of Dok-Cha. I have never had Dok-Cha before and I;m a little uncertain as to how to brew it. One cake type Dok-Cha and a disk type Dok-Cha. The cake type requires roasting before brewing but the disk type doesn't. Water to disk-cake ratio? I have no idea. Have to get in touch with<span style="color: lime;"> <a href="http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/what-fuck-is-ddok-cha.html"><span style="color: lime;"> Matt </span></a></span>he will know. But I;ll get around to that sometime in the future.<br />
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As you can see the dried leaf is very long and chunky. Even with the help of the funnel it's not easy to get these leaves into the pot without breaking them. In my opinion this tea requires a lot of leaf to get fully saturated flavors, 6 gm's for this 8 oz. pot. Sounds like a lot but skimping on the quantity is a mistake. I think a lot of people, including myself, have the tendency to skimp on the leaf qty. in an attempt to make their teas last a bit longer. But not using enough leaf brews a cup of fairly lifeless tea no matter the teas quality.<br />
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Very full and rich, sweet flavors of grain, malt and honey. I agree with Matt that there are some fig like fruit flavors. The tea's aroma follows suit matching the flavor. This tea requires opening up. Meaning that the leaf is very tight and compact and consequently the first infusion isn't necessarily representative of what it's capable of. By the second and third infusion it's depth starts to shine.<br />
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I will say that the Balhyocha made from later harvest's seem to have more body. Not that this one is lacking in any way.......Just saying! It's durability can go the distance without missing a beat. None of the flavors drop out, they just change positions, an attribute that I relish in any tea.<br />
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195 degree water and the first infusion is a bit pale isn't it? I'm not concerned, I've been drinking this tea for several days now and I know that this is just the beginning of whats to come. This is a very nice tea that I'm enjoying very much. I've been getting 5-6 infusions from the leaf. And every one of them is still very full and rich, as opposed to washed out and thin. I do increase the water temperature a bit in the later infusions trying to get every last bit of goodness from the leaf.<br />
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Arthur asks, Is this the best Hwangcha made in Korea? I don't know, but in my book it's superb. Arthur says he will be back from Korea in June with freshly made teas, can't wait.<br />
<br />Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-43459764447332945732012-04-30T12:57:00.000-07:002012-04-30T16:07:46.417-07:002011 Ssangke Black Tea SejakHere's something tasty for us to try today, Ssangke's, Black Tea Sejak. In my opinion, Korean black tea's have absolutely nothing common with western style black tea's. No astringency or bitterness to be found here. This is the 2nd time Ive purchased this tea from Sam at<a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Good Green Tea</span></a><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">.</span> It's not often that I find tea's that I deem good enough to re-order, but this tea is really, really good. The usual scenario with me is that initially I,m really liking a tea then by the time Ive finished the bag Ive grown weary of it, not the case with this one. Pricey? Yes, but not exceedingly so. $27.99 for 40 gms. But they are presently on sale, refer to Good Green Tea's site to find out the sale price. Inside the container are two, 20 gm. zip top packets. As far as I,m concerned, it's money well spent. And if you take into consideration that Good Green Tea offers free priority mail shipping and that Sam's fast as lightning when it comes to getting your order out, then it's really a justifiable / affordable treat. <br />
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But then again......if there is one thing I am exceptionally good at it's justifying buying expensive tea's and tea ware's. <br />
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The container states, Black tea Sejak is a tea that was fermented and aged for 500 days.<br />
As a Sejak tea, it also has a refreshing, light taste and has a bright tea color that resembles the sunset. Compared to ordinary teas, this aged tea has a mild taste that everyone of all ages can enjoy.<br />
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I agree that this is a tea that everyone would enjoy. The aroma wafting from the tea pot would even hold the attention of a child. As soon as the water hits the pot there is the delicious smell of nut's, chocolate and honey. The malted grain aroma's are there as well. Smells sweet as could be, kinda like a candy bar.<br />
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The dry leaf is mostly whole unbroken leaves that also remind me of chocolate. You can see that though the leaf is primarily the color of cocoa there are little touches of green still to be found. So, this tea hasn't really been "fully fermented" as a typical black tea is.<br />
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The picture above is the first infusion. The flavors mimic the aroma to perfection. Nuts, chocolate, toffee, honey, toasted grain and the faintest touch of very delicate florals. It's kinda surprising that the floral aspects are still intact after being fermented and aged for 500 days. The floral flavors don't deminish with repeated steepings, in fact they become more noticable in the later brews.<br />
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This tea is so rich and sweet that it's kinda like having a dessert. In the background there is the slightest hint of a dry, woodsy aspect. Very durable, I easily get 4-5 good steepings.<br />
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Pictured below are the spent leaves. It's not really a "black tea" it's more of an Oolong to me. Or should I say Balhyocha, which is the Korean name for a semi-fermented tea.<br />
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This is a very nice tea that I,m enjoying a lot. Again, as I mentioned above, this tea is actually quite affordable. But like all Korean tea's they are expensive when compared to tea's from another origin. So, for me these tea's fall into the category of "special treat" not an everyday sorta tea.<br />
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Once again the packaging of Jukro teas is DELUXE. So many layers of stuff to open before you get to the tea. The Sejak is packaged in two 40 gram sealed packets. The Jungjak is packaged in one 80 gm. packet but inside the foil bag that you see in the picture below is guess what?.......Another bag, this time a bag made of wax paper. Jeez...............I,m getting excited over wax paper?<br />
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The sign of a true tea head, bull dog clips. There never seems to be enough of them. Thank you Jukro for packaging your teas with these indispensable tea accessories.<br />
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The dry leaf is noticeably chunkier and larger. Not a great picture here, too much glare, kinda washed out and dull, but you get the idea. The leafs aroma is heavier and sweeter smelling than the Sejak. The toasted, malted grain aroma's take dominance. Woodsy, earthy and sticky sweet. Smells delicious!</div>
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Like the Sejak, the Jungjak's flavors accurately match the teas aromas. The Jungjak's mouth feel is heavier, coating the palate with woodsy, nutty, toasted grain and honey flavors. Lacking the pristine clarity of the Sejak, substituting equally delicious but simpler flavors. In the later infusions the fruit and florals make an appearance, but they are more like stone fruits. Where as the Sejak has more of a lighter fruit flavor, such as pears. The notes of pine and sap found in the Sejak are not present here. <br />
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Like the Sejak, the Jungjak's durability is excellent. I get three good infusions, maybe four if I was a little more careful with my timing, I tend to let the later infusions steep for a little longer than necessary, not intentionally but because I get distracted easily sometimes. You would think that when dealing with teas that are this pricey I'd learn to pay more attention, but no, sad to say, but I don't.<br />
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You can see that the tea brews up almost as clean as the Sejak. Maybe just a tad more yellow. Jukro's teas are for me a special treat, not something I could afford to drink regularly, that is, were they always available. Sam at <a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"> Good Green Tea</span></a> has only a couple of these teas left in stock, and they probably won't last long. </div>
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I accidentally deleted the picture of the used leaves, I,ll add another at a later time.</div>Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-71102209604022852082012-04-26T12:41:00.001-07:002012-04-26T14:46:13.325-07:002011 Jukro's Hwagae Valley Sejak<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Like me, this tea is getting to be quite elderly but not quite ready to retire. Sam at<a href="http://www.goodgreentea.net/goodgreentea/xe/xe/"> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Good Green Tea</span></a> is offering a line of Jukro teas, as well as Hankook and Ssangkye brands. Sam's a real nice guy and offers these teas at a fair price and free shipping. By the way, he is pretty darned fast at getting his orders out, it's never taken more than two days for me to receive my order. My purchase consisted of this Sejak and Jukro's Jungjak.<br />
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Being from the 2011 season I was a little hesitant to spend my hard earned cash on these teas. But then again, I was very surprised when I had tasted Ssangkye's 2011 Jungno, tasted as fresh as could be and was a superb Korean green tea. So what the hell......I went ahead and placed my order. <br />
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Such elaborate packaging. Jukro's teas come in 80 gm. containers but are packaged in two 40 gm. sealed packets and thrown in for good measure is a small bulldog clip to re-close the bags after opening, these guy's think of everything.</div>
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The dry leaf is long and spindly, mostly whole un-broken leaves. I guess all that packaging paid off. It smells very fresh and green, kind of an earthy, foresty green. In the background there is the faintest of pine or sap aroma's that are just begging for some hot water to let them come out to play.<br />
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So the waters been heated, the table set, let's get down to business and see what we have here. <br />
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Just as I expected, there it is, the whole rooms been filled with that smell that is so unique to Korean tea's. Toasted grain and honey with the aforementioned pine and sap playing their part. So clean and pure, but quite earthy and foresty at the same time. Jukro's tea's seem to me to be a little more down to earth and wild tasting than other Korean tea's Ive had, maybe that's their niche.</div>
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The cup brews up so clean and crystal clear. The same notes of grain and honey that is in the aroma are in the tea's flavors as well. In the aftertaste the pine is the most noticeable aspect, along with a very subtle sweetness.<br />
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You can see for yourself that the picking standard was pretty good, mostly whole leaves. A very fresh vibrant green for being a year old now. Typically they turn a green grey with time. I consider the price of this tea as money well spent. No regrets, I,m loving every sip. The flavors hold up pretty well through 3-4 infusions. Never becoming overly vegetal and chalky, but remaining the same as it started, just toning it down with each additional infusion until the leaf is spent. Though in the later cups there is a little tartness, it's barely noticeable, and not necessarily a bad thing.</div>
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Next up..............Jukro's Jungjak.Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-20447011462836868682012-04-20T12:04:00.000-07:002012-04-20T16:31:14.856-07:00Tea Trekker's Organic Co-Op JungjakIve been drinking this Jungjak for a while now. <a href="http://www.teatrekker.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Tea Trekker</span></a> has this on sale for $72.00 a lb. From what I understand this tea is grown in the Hwagae valley and it's a blend from a co-op of growers. This batch of Jungjak is from a late spring pluck (4th pluck, early May ) so it's flavors are just a little more assertive and maybe a little less refined than an earlier harvest would be. But just the same it's flavors and aromas are pretty darned nice, especially for the asking price.<br />
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As you can see the dry leaf is a little on the chunky side. Not bad, but much coarser than an earlier harvested tea. The smell of the dry leaf is unmistakably Korean green tea. It has that toasted grain aroma with slight vegetal notes. Using water that's at 175 degrees this tea brews a cup that tastes of malted grain, a little woodsy and sweet. In the background are some fruity aspects and just the faintest of florals. Using water that's 180-185 brings the vegetal flavors to the foreground.<br />
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Just a photo-op for my new Park Jong Il teapot. Ive had this pot for a couple of months and it's pretty well seasoned now. When new it brewed a pretty bland pot of tea. Both it's interior and exterior are un-glazed so it takes a while for the interior to become saturated with tea oils. The pot holds heat very well but unlike most stoneware teapots it's walls are fairly thin (a testement to the potters skill ) and consequently doesn't over steep green teas.<br />
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With most quality Korean tea's I usually will re-steep the leaves 2-3 times. But with this particular tea the second infusion is kinda ummm........not so great. But all in all, this is a good everyday sorta tea that's sold at an attractive price.<br />
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You can tell by the soups color that it's from a late harvest, much deeper yellow and not as clear and clean.</div>
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Sorry for the kinda bland, washed out pics but my camera wasn't being very co-operative today.</div>
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Another Park Jong Il tea cup. I love this cup, it holds a fairly large amount for a Korean cup, maybe 5 ounces or so. The glaze seems to change daily with new little fractures showing up. One thing Ive noticed is that if you use it daily it becomes kinda dark and grey on the inside but returns to it's normal color if left to dry overnight. Ive become quite a fan of Park Jong Il's tea wares and am looking forward to adding to my collection. There's something about Korean tea wares, or should I say Korean pottery in general that appeals to me. More than just another material acquisition for my tea cabinet, there is something I find very down to earth and unpretentious. The soft, creamy glaze of the cups have no need for decoration. There is a world of beauty in the glaze itself. The slight shine of the teapot is the result of being fired in a wood burning kiln. Park Jong Il uses pine as his wood of choice. You,ll notice that one side of the teapot is shiny and the other side is matte. The shiny side is the one that was facing the fire in the kiln.<br />
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It's been well over a year since I last posted on Tea Goober. My absence has nothing to do with lack of interest, I,m still drinking just as much tea as ever. I still enjoy staying up with what everyone else is writing about. It's just that in a lot of ways it's much more enjoyable to be a spectator than a participant. There has been many a time Ive ruined a tea session trying to get good photos. I know a lot of my fellow tea bloggers can relate to that. But just the same, I couldn't help showing off my new tea wares. A teapot and Tum-bung-mun tea cup made by Park Jong Il. Gorgeous aren't they? Thank you Arthur for making these superb wares and teas available. If you haven't been to Arthur's site then by all means head on over <a href="http://morningcranetea.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Morning Crane Tea</span></a> <br />
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Dan-Cha ( Korean black tea ) lacks much of the bitterness and astringency that are normally associated with traditional black teas. Though the flavors are definitely that of a fully fermented tea it's much lighter and delicate. Kinda like Bahlyocha with a slight edge. To me thats exactly what this tea is, Bahlyocha thats been taken just a step further in the oxidation process. <br />
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Very durable, with that slightly sweet,woodsy grain like flavor hanging in there to the last cup.<br />
In the later infusions there are some fruit and floral aspects, just like a good bahlyocha. As you can see it brews up a light amber cup with great clarity.<br />
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Ive found all Korean teas whether they be green, oolong ( yellow tea) or black all have a distinctive flavor and aroma that is unique to their place of origin. A malted grain, slightly sweet cup. It's interesting how you can trace the flavor characteristics through the different grades of tea. Ujeon, Sejak, Jungjak, Daejak. They all have their own individuality and character but there is an undercurrent that ties them all together. This Dan-Cha is in my opinion a great value. If you like Bahlyocha, you'll like Dan-Cha, they share a lot traits.<br />
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Lets raise a cup to the 2012 season and see what it brings.Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-26003166838279396762011-01-23T11:30:00.000-08:002011-04-30T06:15:06.439-07:0090's Blue Dingxing "Yiwu"Bug bites and all, I think the wrapper is what lured me most to this tea, very old fashioned looking. I wish I knew what is says. Like most everyone else, I had first seen this cake at <a href="http://www.essenceoftea.co.uk/news.html"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Essence Of Tea</span></a> and had since read both<span style="color: #ffd966;"> </span><a href="http://half-dipper.blogspot.com/2010/08/2001-dingxing-yiwu.html"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Hobbes</span> </a>and <a href="http://marshaln.xanga.com/727670623/10-years-old-dingxing-puerh/"><span style="color: #ffd966;">MarshalN's</span> </a>review of it. EOT has several teas that I am interested in but could never muster up the gumption to pay EOT prices, (nothing personal EOT) Thankfully there are a few of these cakes showing up here and there, <a href="http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=36&zenid=a594e9490ed587c6cecd0b40c9599ca0"><span style="color: #ffd966;">Puerh Shop</span></a> has a few interesting cakes in the "Aged Tea" section and offered at a price that is more in line with my budget.<br />
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The date of manufacture seems to vary depending on your source of information. Puerh Shop claims it to be from the 90"s. Others claim it to be from 2001. I don't think it matters all that much. What matters is the content. So, lets dig in and see what we have here.<br />
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What a chubby cake! I don't know why but it always pleases me to unwrap a new cake and find a nice, thick, chunky, slab of tea. Ummm......yeah I do, because it usually means that the cake has been stoned pressed and consequently will be easier to break apart without breaking the leaves.<br />
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Thick and chunky leaves with a generous portion of twigs, I love rustic teas. There is the faintest of woodsy aromas wafting from the cake as well as the smell of wet storage. But as the wet storage smell is not all that strong I,m not too alarmed, I,ll give it a couple of good rinses and see whats left of it. <br />
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Whats in the cup is a pretty tasty tea. Woodsy and earthy with just a trace of astringency and some vegetal flavors from it's youth are still in the tea. Plenty of sweetness in both the soup and the aroma. Here and there I detect florals and sometimes spice. But the predominant thing is wood and earth. The wet storage aspects fade fairly quickly as I hoped they would. By the third to fourth infusion the tea has really opened up and it's origins become evident. I bet this tea was kinda fruity when freshly processed, I can barely taste something that reminds me of pears.<br />
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This is a decent tea (in my opinion) I can see how it could benefit from further storage but I,m liking it now. A hearty tea with a robust and sweet aftertaste. Very durable, I,m up to ten infusions and it's still going strong but just starting to wane. Brews up a nicely orange"d heading towards amber cup with good clarity. At Puerh Shops prices this is a decent tea. If I were to have bought this from EOT at his prices, I would have been kinda disappointed.<br />
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As you can see the tea is comprised of lots of chopped leaf, some rather large whole leaves, and plenty of twigs. Some burnished red and brown, and some still clinging to the greenness of youth. Not bad really, not bad at all. I couldn't see myself stockpiling this tea, but a couple of cakes for future consumption sounds like a good idea.Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-44957742226065681042011-01-22T14:03:00.000-08:002011-01-22T17:47:56.687-08:002010 Dragon Whiskers Mao Jian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TTs5c5dr1LI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/YxYEXQFLzgU/s1600/DSC04724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" s5="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TTs5c5dr1LI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/YxYEXQFLzgU/s640/DSC04724.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
He's so sleepy, he can just barely keep his peepers open. I think it's safe to assume that I can now have an un-interrupted tea break, if I,m very quiet about it. Tyson thinks he needs to be involved in everything I do. Boxers are a great breed of dog, good natured and fun. But if they have one fault, it's separation anxiety. He has to be constantly touching you, leaning against you, or worst of all, staring at you. <br />
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If I had to choose just one type of tea to drink for the rest of my life, it would undoubtedly be green tea. I generally like all types of tea but green tea is the only tea that I actually crave. From <a href="http://www.teatrekker.com/shop/zhe-jiang-mao-jian-a/"><span style="color: #ffd966;">"Tea Trekker"</span></a> this Mao Jian is a fairly new addition to their catalog. Bob and Mary Lou bought this tea during their recent trip to the Fang Cun Tea Market in Guangzhou China. They made the decision to add this to their catalog immediately upon tasting it, and I can see why, it's delicious! Ive become a big advocate of Tea Trekker, everything Ive had from them was excellent quality and priced fairly.<br />
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This Mao Jian is an early spring harvest tea from Zhejiang province. The Mao Jian pluck is defined as one bud and leaf. Hand rolled and pan fired. When it comes to green tea I don't bother with scales for weighing the quantity, I just get a feel for it. It's probably around 3 grams of leaf to six ounces of water. This Mao Jian needs cooler water than other China greens. I get the best results using water at about 175 degrees. Water temperature and brewing times are important factors of brewing green tea that I am fairly diligent about. Timing is everything, it's not that this tea will become bitter or astringent if the water is too hot, but you will exhaust the leaf prematurely and you won't get as many brews from it.<br />
Be observant and pay attention when brewing green tea. Decant too soon and the brew isn't all it could have been, the flavors and aromas haven't been fully developed. Wait a little too long and the best flavors to be had are long gone and there's no way to go back and get them in the subsequent brews. You blew it! Brewing first pluck greens can be a challenge, but it's worth the effort when it comes to some farm fresh, high quality teas.<br />
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That picture up there speaks volumes about the quality and the condition of this tea. Absolutely beautiful leaf with such a healthy green color. As you can see below the brew is a crystal clear, golden color. Slightly sweet, rich and vegetal. As soon as the water hits the dry leaf there is an explosion of the most mouth watering aromas wafting from the shiboridashi. This is what good green tea is all about. And whats more is that it's not a very expensive tea.At $60.00 a lb. it's a very fair price for a tea of this quality.<br />
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Very easy to brew, I get three good infusions from the leaf. This tea infuses pretty quickly, about 1&1/2 to 2 minutes. The second infusion is almost indistinguishable from the first, no real noticeable difference in the flavor, color or the body. The third infusion is almost as good, definitely fading but still too good to let it go to waste.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Well, I almost made it through the entire session without Tyson waking up. The Postman rang the doorbell and Tyson was off and running again. Both a blessing and a curse because the Postman brought more tea. </div>Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-58821363750778941782011-01-08T13:57:00.000-08:002011-01-08T16:36:35.710-08:0090's CNNP 7542<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TSizmHrEEhI/AAAAAAAAErM/jCTPyimo2sY/s1600/DSC04711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" n4="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TSizmHrEEhI/AAAAAAAAErM/jCTPyimo2sY/s640/DSC04711.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
It's one of those days that I don't know what I want to drink. Growing bored with all of my go-to teas Ive been drinking lately, so I resorted to my box of tea samples and tid-bits for inspiration. And bless my cotton socks I might have found something here. I don't know where I got this from or how long Ive had it. Ive always liked Menghai's 7542 but Ive never had the old school, CNNP version of it before. So this is the proper, back in the day (before Dayi) version of 7542. Although I have to keep in mind the 7542's price point, which tells a lot. I figure that if a cake sells for $17.00 or so, what could the ratio of high grade mao cha to plantation grown filler be? After having travelled through all the middle men before it got to me and that's the price I paid, then these cakes must be cheap as dirt to produce.<br />
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But then again, even though this is pre-Dayi, it's still cheap tea and maybe I shouldn't have high hopes for this tea seeing that it's been in the sample box for God knows how long. Also it's a fairly small chunk of tea, it's not going to be representative of the same tea stored as a whole cake in a proper storage environment.<br />
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There is indeed a noticeable difference in the teas composition. Modern day 7542 is made from a much more consistent leaf size. This tea also has some twigs ranging in size from insignificant to full blown sticks, that's something I haven't seen in a Dayi 7542. This tea consists of various leaf sizes and it's much easier to see the blend itself. Some of the leaves are kinda thin and paper like, while others are quite thick and chunky. The dry leaf has only the slightest of wet storage odors remaining.<br />
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Seven grams of leaf go into the yixing, two good rinses (trying to diminish any traces of wet storage) and lets see what we have here. The characteristics that Ive come to expect from the 7542 recipe is definitely in the cup. Woodsy and leathery with barely noticeable traces of smoke. Almost no bitterness to be found and just enough sweetness to provide contrast to the wood and leather.<br />
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This tea was initially wet stored, and probably quite heavily, but it's been dry for so long that it brews up a pretty light and clear amber color. This is pretty much a straight forward, basic sheng with not much in the way of complexity. What Folgers is to coffee is what this tea is to raw puerh. Nothing wrong with it but nothing to write home about either. This teas less than ideal storage hasn't "ruined" the tea, but even if it were to go into a moderately humid environment for revivifying I,m not sure it's salvageable. It's lost too much at this point.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Drinking these kinds of teas provide some insight into how important storage environments are to puerh. I,m kinda leery of buying "aged sheng" from online vendors for this exact reason. Just because it's from a reputable maker and it's a popular tea doesn't mean anything really. Whats been done to it over the years plays such a big role in the teas outcome. This tea is probably still available online somewhere out there, but I wouldn't want it if they were giving it away. Just doesn't cut the mustard in my book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">I wonder..........is it possible that you can learn what good tea should taste like...... by drinking bad tea? I think what you learn is the tell tale signs of improper or negligent storage conditions. The year the tea was made doesn't matter, the name brand or maker doesn't matter, nor it's blend or mountain of origin. These three issues can give you an indication of what to expect or what the teas potential might be. But there is only one way to tell for sure........Drink It!</div>Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-40265065362166366402010-12-09T16:02:00.000-08:002010-12-09T16:09:40.971-08:00The Taming Of The ShuIsn't that a corny title? Well, at least it's appropriate for the issue at hand. 2006 is the year that Menghai won the Gold Award for the V93 tuocha, and this is the same tea from the same year. I had bought these when they first became available (six years ago) and they have been in storage ever since. Still available <a href="http://www.tuochatea.com/tuocha/dayi_v93_pu_erh_tuocha.htm"><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">(here)</span></a> but at about twice the price they sold for when first released.<br />
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Menghai still sets the standard when it comes to cooked puerh, you really can't beat em. Although there are shu's from other company's that are well on their way to challenging Menghai's position. The world is full of average quality, mediocre shu and it can be a bit of a challenge to find the good stuff. But once the goods have been procured, it needs to go into storage for at least several years to mellow. At five years of age this tea has (in my opinion) reached it's potential. Well, maybe another year or two of clean, dry storage would bring further improvements but for the most part it's good to go. <br />
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I,m not a subscriber to the "older is better" school of thought when it comes to cooked puerh. Shu definitely needs it's storage time but it can't stand up to the lengthy storage time that a raw puerh needs. In my opinion, shu reaches it's potential within a five to ten year time span and then starts to fade and loose it;s flavor. The handful of shu's Ive had that were older than ten years were not very good, they were bland and boring.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">The color of the dry leaf is exactly what I want to see, a nice healthy caramel brown with some red and gold bit's here and there. Not the dull, monochromatic shades of muck you,ll find in lesser teas.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">What I really like about the V93 recipe is it's cleanliness in the cup. It's not one of those heavy, sludge like shu's. It's flavors and aroma's are woodsy, rich and nutty with a caramel like sweetness. What also sets it apart from the others is the crisp and clean aspects it brings to the cup. It brews up a deep amber cup with sparkling clarity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Easily brews ten to fifteen infusions, which is a bit much even for me. Autumn and Winter is the only time of year I drink cooked puerh, any other season and the flavors are too much for my palate. But in the cold of Winter it's very satisfying.</div>Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-80677235886205577232010-12-04T11:07:00.000-08:002010-12-05T19:50:29.791-08:00Ding Gu Da FangI always feel a little guilty about having all of these teas going un-drunk and wasting away in the tea cabinet. So, Ive been making an honest effort to consume a substantial quantity of these neglected teas before Christmas gets here and I get bombarded with more gifts of tea. <br />
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</div>Ding Gu Da Fang is a China green tea that was once a tribute tea during the Qing Dynasty and at one time was included in the list of China's 10 famous teas. Legend has it that a Buddhist monk by the name of Da Fang invented this tea during the Song Dynasty. Ding Gu translates as Valley Peak. Grown in the An Hui province.<br />
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First thing many people say about this tea is that it reminiscent of a Long Jing, "Poppycock" it's only similarity as far as I can see is that the dry leaf kinda resembles Long Jing in that it's kinda flat, thin and a yellowish green in color. It has none of the toasty, yeasty flavors that I associate with a Long Jing. The leaf in the above picture looks pretty tattered (bottom of the caddie) but you can see in the top picture that the dry leaf is for the most part whole and beautiful. <br />
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Ding Gu Da Fang tastes of chestnuts, smooth and buttery, slightly sweet and vegetal with a medium body. It's not a dainty tea by any means. Most of the descriptions Ive read about Ding Gu Da Fang tea always refers to it as being rather strong tasting, Ive never thought of it as strong. Ive also never had a Ding Gu Da Fang that was anything more than a really good everyday type of tea, just a rich and tasty cup that wouldn't hurt any ones budget. For my tastes this tea requires extra leaf to get fully saturated flavors, I typically use about 3&1/2 gms. per 6 oz. 185 degree water, with a 2-3 minute infusion time. Ive had a kilo of this tea in the cabinet since last spring and though I drink it almost daily Ive got a long ways to go before it's gone. For anyone interested in trying this tea<a href="http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/item.asp?review=expand&itemID=ZG46#reviews"> <span style="color: #cccccc;">"Uptons"</span></a> has just re-stocked it (which is where I had bought this batch) and it's affordable too boot!<br />
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The only reason for the above picture is just because I like the cup, but it's not mine. I got it for a friend and it's on it's way to Canada. Oh well......we bonded a little, we laughed, we cried, but now it's time for you to go. The cups as well as the shiboridashi in this post were made by Petr Novak. The shiboridashi has some issues, the glaze is chipping off all around the edge of the lid. But I don't know why, it's never been treated roughly. Perhaps Petr can tell us why the glaze is crumbling?Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-860559279243654982010-12-02T13:14:00.000-08:002010-12-03T18:25:52.529-08:00That Red Tin Ti Kuan Yin OolongThis tea was given to me by a well meaning person a long, long time ago. We have all seen these tins on the shelves of just about every Chinese market. I always appreciate the gift of tea, no matter how humble it may be. I had actually forgotten about this tin of oolong, it's been in the cabinet for a year or more. Today while digging through all the bags, tins, boxes of teas I found this and thought I,d give it a go. I,m probably not any different than most people reading this in that Ive got more tea samples and bits of this and that laying around than I,ll ever get around to trying. I,m making a concerted effort to try to whittle these teas down a bit before buying anything else.<br />
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I had to run some errands today and stopped by the Asian market and sure enough, there it was on the shelf. At $5.99 a tin I shouldn't expect much. I see that<a href="http://www.puerhshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=24&products_id=509"> "Puerh Shop"</a> has this same exact tea on sale for $13.77 Just go's to show that you should be very careful where you spend your money. Not all of Puerh Shop's teas are this over priced, some of his teas are very good and sold at a fair price. <br />
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Opening the tins outer and inner lids unleashes a very strong roasted aroma with some very pungent citrus aspects wafting into the room. The teas dry leaf is pretty darned strong smelling. Could be a good sign, could be a sign of overly roasted bland and lifeless tea. So......lets get some leaf into the pot, give it a good rinse and see what we have here.<br />
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First things first, the first infusion smells very strongly of the roast and a floral smell that Ive always thought of as "grapefruit flower" a very clean and tart citrus with just a touch of spice is in the mix as well. The aroma is impressive, it smells good. The tea brews up fairly clear with a deep amber color. The flavor isn't bad, actually, it's a lot better than I thought it would be considering it's price. It's body is a little thin and not much in the way of sweetness, but all in all, it's really not a bad tea. Perfectly acceptable as a matter of fact. Of course you can't compare this tea to others selling for a lot more money but it has some of the same flavors and aromas as those higher priced oolongs.<br />
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It was a nice gift after all. Now I,m not saying I'd run out and buy a few tins of this stuff but what I have I,ll drink and enjoy it. We all know that you get what you pay for but every once in a while I,m surprised at some of these mass produced teas. Most of them are not very good, or even drinkable for that matter. I don't always have to have some really expensive tea in my cup to be happy, and most days I,m too busy and don't have enough time to really appreciate my tea. So, I save my "good" teas for a time when I can give them the attention they deserve. But having said that, sooner or latter after drinking these kinds of teas for a while I will get to the point where I,m wanting something sublime. And no matter how hard you look you are never going to find sublime for $5.99 or $13.77 depending on where you shop. Nope, your going to have to fork out the dough.Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-78978204392334371862010-11-25T14:34:00.000-08:002010-11-25T15:16:49.749-08:00What The Pho!<div align="center"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy Thanksgiving</span></div><div align="center"></div> As there are no family around this year I am at liberty to cook whatever I want for Thanksgiving dinner. I don't like turkey at all, and for that matter most of the traditional dishes that accompany the Thanksgiving feast are not at the top of my list of favorite foods. I do like Yams though. O.K. so.......what to cook? I decided to make Pho ( pronounced fuh ) Pho is Vietnam's national dish. A big steaming bowl of rice noodles, with either chicken or beef, swimming in a broth made from your meat bones of choice, onions, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, sugar, salt, fish sauce and black pepper corns. After the broth has simmered for hours the noodles get topped with mung bean sprouts, cilantro, Thai basil, lime, green onions, hoisen sauce and saracha (hot sauce) and a generous quantity of the broth. I love this stuff, so much better than pho-king turkey and the like. <br />
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By the way, there is no tea that I know of that can compete with the pungent flavors of this soup, so don't even waste your time or tea. If you have never had Pho before, and you like this kind of stuff, it's very easy to make and quite affordable. And it's fairly healthy, lean meats, rice noodles and spices and herbs. But it's best to wait a few hours before breaking out your tea and tea gear because after eating this soup your tea will be completely tasteless.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TO7hcG9XXtI/AAAAAAAAEmE/q9ssPpHtKRI/s1600/pho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TO7hcG9XXtI/AAAAAAAAEmE/q9ssPpHtKRI/s640/pho.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Brethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10328523694226680438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4175905265473304864.post-64282416057196947352010-10-25T21:34:00.000-07:002010-11-02T11:09:56.292-07:00The Tea Tables of Seol Seok-cheolGo ahead and get your credit card, your going to need it.<br />
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Just thought I,d post about<a href="http://www.antiquealive.com/"><span style="color: yellow;"> "Antiques Alive"</span></a> for anybody interested. I accidentally stumbled upon this site and found that they offer some very interesting and cool handmade items that are made by Korean master craftsman. I,m not going to go into any details about the company or any of the artists, all that info is available on their site. But I will say, Seol Seok-cheol's tables are very cool, mines <strike>on the way</strike> here. They also sell Korean tea. Though they don't say who the maker is they do state that it's handmade from wild tea bushes.<br />
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To find the tea and tea wares on Antiques Alive click on "For The Table" section.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TNBT0vie1EI/AAAAAAAAElg/-Fd5wcsKJSE/s1600/DSC04629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" nx="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_bsIKj4uMJik/TNBT0vie1EI/AAAAAAAAElg/-Fd5wcsKJSE/s640/DSC04629.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div align="center">The table I chose is one of the more basic designs and made from Paulownia.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Handmade lamps that are made from Mulberry paper.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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