Wholemeal Crank

Except in asian restaurants, I generally only order herbal teas that I know are forgiving about steeping conditions. Even in asian restaurants, the tea making is pretty haphazard. And wherever possible, I always ask them for the tea on the side, which generally puzzles the staff no end, but lets me control the steeping.

Started with a pot of gyokuro, unfortunately got a bit distracted and infused too long. Made up for that with some Dan Cong Oolong.

Today, I'm drinking a ripe/shu puerh, the Mangyan Guoyan Golden Peacock from Norbutea. Sweet, earthy, a little fruity, a friendly pu. This time not really brewed gongfu, but with multiple infusions mixed into the thermos, with a little skill perhaps in the timing of the infusions, and it holds its own very well there.

Glad to hear you're enjoying it. One thing I really love about that tea is how forgiving it is--forget it a bit too long, and it doesn't make you regret it. Perfect for the office, or for introducing someone to the idea of puerh. It got me interested enough to buy my first beeng.

This morning, Yunnan Mao Feng from Norbutea. Yesterday, Big Red Robe Wuyi. And also yesterday, pleased to see some tea at the office gift exchange that was not being given by me to one of my usuual suspects tea circle. We're taking over.....person by person, cup by cup....

Orchid oolong today....this one is a blend of oolong and osmanthus blossom. Not sure where I got it from, but lately have enjoyed osmanthus mixed with golden yunnan black tea that I won't be too sad when I use it up.

do any of these use a built-in or a inserted strainer? or do you simply hope the leaves sink by the time you're pouring that first cup?

Fortunately, I have help. Today supplied four colleagues during clinic, and ran out before really starting my evening paperwork session.

Alishan High Mountain Spring oolong. Working my way through the spring 2009 Oolongs so I will have room in my cupboard for the 2010s....

What are the leaves called when they're for sale at 99 Ranch?

Thinking here of celery and artichokes, where cutting them shorter--1/4 inch, say--can eliminate the need to peel: if you cut them very short, do they still need to be scooped or peeled?

Thanks for the info, and the warnings on the flowers ! The friend who was describing this says he's never seen any part of it for sale in the US, but I don't know how hard he's tried. Los Angeles is a big place.... I'll keep my eyes open. I'm just curious after hearing his descriptions, but I'd love to find a reliable source as a gift to my friend.

Today I brewed the Yunnan Mao Feng at about 175 degrees, and it is sweeter--still not a honeyed sweetness. I am particularly loving something camphorous that adds what I think of as a 'wild' note--it's quite present in the wild white camellia leaves from norbu, and also in the white bud sheng puerh. But today I realized it is a more general tea note that was also present in the black tea I made last night, just here the flavor contex is different. I like this one just as much as the senchas and gyokuros, each is a splendid but entirely different type of tea, and quite a bit better than the dragonwell that is 10 times the price.

Last tea of the night, Golden Yunnan Xtra Fancy from Chado with some osmanthus blossoms. 2nd time I've combined them and it is fabulous. I may have to make up some of this combo to give as gifts for christmas. Today, starting with Yunnan Mao Feng green tea from norbu.

Into the evening with a pot of the Spring Diamond Tie Guan Yin from norbutea. Next up will be something smokier or earthier to fit with the dank wet day.

Have now had my stainless simplex tea kettle for several weeks. It has a lot of water spots, but a few seconds of rubbing with a clean towel and it is again brilliantly shiny. It whistles gently, and the build of the whistle is slow--gives you a chance to get to it before it goes full bore shriek. It pours much more neatly than my revere pot, which is now officially retired and heading for goodwill. I'm quite pleased with my little collection of teaware now, and have only a couple of small gaps that I'd still like to fill in. The sencha and gyokuro teas are cut so small that they rapidly clog the built-in strainer holes on the spouts of my little chinese teapots; and my larger japanese teapot with a metal mesh strainer is too large for brewing just a few grams of these teas at a time. If I could just stop breaking the glass pots....

Yesterday, I finished off my Hairy Crab with just 1 gram of tea in a 60mL yixing, doing longer infusions to help make up for the again quite low leaf-to-water ratio, and I did about 5 in the morning, abandoned the leaves all day, and then after a quick cool-water rinse, did another 3 infusions in the evening, these last 2-3 minutes apiece, and there was still some flavor and body left. I will not be ordering more of this tea because my cupboards runneth over, but will keep it in mind when I need some more.....

With those restrictions, I would want to feature fruit. Any number of cobblers and tarts should work, depending on what you put into the topping or crust. If eggs are ok, blood orange curd. If eggs are not ok, how about raspberry-nectarine tart? Or warm gingerbread topped with fresh applesauce--I have a simple gingerbread recipe that has butter and egg but no milk, if you need. And this is a vegetable disguised as a fruit--squash mock apple tarts. Also consider a sweet yeasted bread--thinking here of madnakash, enriched with milk, honey, and butter, and then dipped in a date syrup: should take easily to substitution with soymilk, or fruit juice. Dress up sorbet with shortbread cookies.

More oolong this afternoon, the Alishan High Mountain Summer Oolong. Very smooth.

Started the day with the last of the hairy crab, in little yixing pot. Very nice.

A colleague at work yesterday was telling us about the drumstick plant, something that is apparently in every kitchen garden in Kerala, where he is from. A little googling revealed a picture of a vegetable I didn't recall ever seeing in the Indian groceries I've shopped in, and it's strange enough that I think I would have noticed it. Wikipedia has a good picture and basic description of Moringa oleifera here. Apparently the leaves, stem, flowers and fruit are all edible. Does anyone know if this is grown or imported into the US?

Today I ran out of time to make my pre-clinic pot of tea, and I thus have been enjoying a pot of the 2007 norbu white bud sheng puerh all by myself. As usual, it's an exceptionally lovely mix of smoky and sweet, and I get impatient just waiting for each cupful to cool down before I can drink it.

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Today at work, a nice mix of an orchid oolong and the wonderful rishi peach blossom white tea. The peach blossom is overpowering on it's own, but lovely mixed with something else. Today the orchid oolong seemed like a perfect foil.

I only have about 1 gram left. I think it's time for the tiniest yixing to eek out several more infusions.