Naftal

That is very interesting !I was wondering:How would this be done in a wok?

I know that tea is used in many other ways besides its use as a beverage.I see it used in any number of products when I go to the local Japanese market. But, I am unsure as to how these delights are made. I would be interested hearing from anyone with experience in this. ( As an aside, I have read and heard from others that Lapsang Souchong can be ground in a spice-mill and used to give fish a smokey flavor. Has anyone done this?)

Thank you !!!!!!!!

Thanks, Naftal. I'll be interested to read what you find out. ← So this is what I was shown( it is a variation on the first method you mentioned):fill the empty teapot with cold water, put it in a pot filled with cold water, and bring it to a boil. Afterwards, fill the pot with leaves and boil it as before. Also, you may know this, but (according to my sources) the reason one seasons a pot is to rid it of any sand or mud that may have gathered in the pot when it was made. This makes sense to me,clay being what is ...

Just an opinion- I have read that( due to the popularity of yixing) there are many pots labeled yixing that are not really yixing. And they exhibit the properties you describe. Obviously, one cannot be sure. This is just a thought...

Well, after a good start, things have really slowed down. Why? I am really interested hearing from people on this topic. What teas do you like and how would you describe the taste?

Greetings-This is a very interesting topic. I don't have an opinion yet.But my tea teacher was trained in China and I'll let you know what he says.

CKatCook-Just curious :What is the berry in plumberry (which berry)? nakji-Is cold sencha common in Japan? Hest88-Do you have a favorit Pu'er? gfron1-Thanks for sharing your tasting notes,got any more?And, I agree with your views on aged pu'er.Also, do you happen to know the grade of the Dragon Well you had? Dragon Well is one of my favorits too. jpr54_Thanks for your input. I always look forward to your responses. All-Thanks sooooooooo much! Your responses are exactly what I am looking for.I would like to see a lot more conversations about the taste of tea. After all, tea is food.

Ok- so I know I prefer An Ji to Dragon Well White, But why? I haven't the clue. I do know why I love Pu'er. An 8 year old loose Pu'er reminds me of the lake front. I think of clean lake water and wet tree-bark(I said this was subjective!). So, The point is...how do you describe the taste of your favorite tea?

Since the author refered to the Michigan wine industry:Paul Lukacs considers the L. Mawby Talismon Brut to be one of the 40 best wines in the country

We are most definitely agreed on your point. I wouldn't even think of suggesting such a thing. What I am saying. among other things, is that it might not do any harm if we thought of Kant, Rousseau or John Rawls as setting a scene for ethical behavior. I am also saying that (at least to me) critics in any field who have not a philosophical thought in their heads as they sit down at their computers (or with their ball point pens) to influence public decision making and inspire public thought and debate might do well to find another profession. ← Since I agree with you, I'd like your imput on the following question: Can food critics be wrong? Can the clueless masses (of which I am one) be right? I would like to cite the following examples from art history: Ruskin had a really hard time with some of Whistler's stuff and-as you know-the critics hated Impressionism when it first burst on the art- scene. If this is off-topic, please let me know

Yes!Thank you,thank you, thank you so much These are ,in my opinion, perfectly wonderful ideas I always buy a meal at the place I bring my tea to. And I tip well too. I would never think of doing other- wise.Most restos can't afford to stock a pu'er, I can respect that. I am not asking them to serve fine food and exceptional tea, just exceptional food(which they do).As mentioned earlier if I want exceptional tea, I go to my local Chinese teahouse and get a 6-year old Beencha :cool:Lastly, I don't mean to insult the many fine restaurants that have good tea selections. I know there are many places that carry good tea. And, to those of you who do I say "God Bless You!!! "

As the one who started Patrons with Tea bags-I am very much against people taking any food item into a restaurant without placing a substatial order. I eat regularly at the place I bring my tea. I have a full meal and I leave a good tip.Lastly, I really like tsquare's contribution to this discussion

Wonderful stuff, thanks. I will just make two points: 1)I do know many people who are fussy about water temp. I am not, if I can use my own tea the water can be any temperature it wants, as far as I am concerned, the only issue is the tea. 2)The Chinese teahouse that I frequent serves their green, oolong and black teas at different temperatures. Not only that, but they offer the same three taps to the public so they can resteep their teas And,each table gets its own timer(set at 3 min.). I personally do not expect anything like this at any other restaurants. And a question...Is there really any difference between the tea enthusiast who wants his tea properly steeped and the chef who wants his food properly cooked? I hope I am not out of place with this. I am really curious.

I could live with this. It makes a lot of sense.

Hello-You raise very interesting point. My response: If this is"blackmail" (and I am not sure that it is), isn't the blackmailing mutual? I will continue to go to a restaurant that serves wonderful food and lets me bring my own tea instead of going to an equally wonderful, or better, place that won't let me do this. As I mentioned earlier, I am deeply into good tea.

Hello- This is just my purely subjective opinion but...I never use milk when drinking chinese or japanese, teas but I always use milk when drinking indian or ceylonese teas. And I love Earl Grey.

In the coffee and tea forum there was a very interesting discussion about patrons bringing their own tea to restaurants. I am really into good tea and I asked a waitress at a place I frequent if she could just bring me a pot of hot water into which I could put my own tea. She was willing to do that and now I have a pot of water waiting for me whenever I go there. Would most restaurants do this, or am I just lucky? But,most importantly, I am wondering how people would take being asked that question? I do not want to offend anyone.

Hello- I am really interested. Would this be similar to a vinaigrette?

Hello-First you might want to look into these websites.san shui teasandhou deandImperial teaand Second, if you are interested in traditional Chinese utensils, you might look up (google)'gong fu cha'/'gungfu cha'. The websites mentioned above have info on this very interesting subject.

Hello again- As usual, I have two questions, and one is a language question: First: What are the Manderin characters for "Gaiwan"(the lidded/ handle-less tea-cup)and what are the proper tones for the transliteration? Second:I am still looking for someone well-versed in any of the various Chinese tea traditions...anyone? Thanks!

Hello- Tea is a subject that is very near and dear to my heart. So,I was wondering if you have anything new to report. Have you been resteeping ? How is it turning out? Are you familiar with Gong Fu Cha?

Hello- I really enjoy this thread. I have been wondering: Have you brought any tea to a restaurant? How were you received?

So the Basic Asian Mart at 25750 Novi Road is really a market. They have a kitchen on-site and my Taiwanese friend assured me that they serve real chinese food. So I bought a bag of frozen dumplings and after cooking them just like the lady at the store instructed proceeded to enjoy this amazing and oh so tasty treat. They have a small menu available for in house dining. Happy Year of the Rat:huh:

I love how high-quality leaves can resteep! Bitterness in teas is from the tannins in the leaves. There's only a limited amount of tannins, so once they've been released in the first steep or a long steep, that's it. The leaves do not need to rest between steepings. Although they shouldn't be let to dry out before resteeping. Traditional gaiwan (and yixing teapot) sets come with a little decanter/pitcher thing(sorry I don't know what they're called!) plus the cups. You'd steep the tea for the proper number of minutes, then pour it into the decanter, then serve it in the cups. Otherwise, you could also try using water that is slightly cooler (below boiling), around 70 C. Tannins take longer to leach out in cooler water, so the resulting tea will taste less bitter. Short of digging out the leaves, there's not a whole lot you can do for oversteeped tea in the gaiwan, other than diluting with more water. ← Hello- The decanter is called a chahai in Chinese. The literal translation is"tea sea", but "faircup" or "serving vessel" would be a better translation. You can buy them alone at this site.