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Richard Kilgore

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Posts posted by Richard Kilgore

    Tea Tasting: Sencha Select, Japanese Green Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    There are still two free samples of the Sencha Select provided by eGullet Society member Kyle Stewart at The Cultured Cup. Please PM me if you are interested after reviewing the first post.

    As I have mentioned in other topics, I have known Kyle Stewart, co-owner of The Cultured Cup, for some time now, having bought tea from his shop for many years, at least 10 years I believe it is. And for the past three years or so Kyle has been instrumental to my tea education through the T-Bar Club at The Cultured Cup. Kyle attended the World Tea Expo in Las Vegas this summer and completed his three years of training with the Speciality Tea Institute to become the first certified tea specialist in Texas. I have had many pleasant times with Kyle and his staff - Adam, Kelly and Sam, trading teas and sharing new tea discoveries. More than just a tea merchant I happen to buy tea from, Kyle is a culinary friend as well as a tea friend - the wonderful tea pairings at Sharon Hage's York Street restaurant and a shared interest in Asian food.

    What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 1)

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Yesterday I brewed the delicious Ceylon Lumbini Estate, FBOP from Tea Source. Then dabbled with the Sencha Select from The Cultured Cup that is the current free sample offering for a Tea Tasting & Discussion here in the Coffee & Tea forum. This is a very nice sencha.

    Started the day today with the fine Keemun Hao Ya A from Tea Source. Later I'll probably brew the pu-erh from norbutea that is featured in the current Tea Tasting & Discussion.

    New to Tea.

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Astringent refers to a drying pucker at the front of the mouth.

    When you find a pu-erh to be musty, it probably means that it was "wet stored", that it stored in a too humid environment.

    What Tea Are You Drinking Today? (Part 1)

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Brewed a Lapsang Souchong this morning, but just didn't get it right Western style...too little leaf I am sure. I'll try again soon, because I have brewed this one before and know what it can do if I do my part.

    Later the Spring 2009 First Pluck Alishan High Mountain Taiwan Oolong from norbutea.com. Still a wonderful tea - both aroma and flavor, only slightly diminished after opening the bag a while ago.

    Cooking with Paula Wolfert's Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking

    in Cooking

    Posted

    Thanks for the detailed post, Smithy. Those are now three I definitely want to do.

    What kind of clay pots are you all using for cooking from the book? I have a tagine, a 2 qt La Chamba casserole and a 3 qt La Chamba tall pot. I just ordered a 9 inch cazuela, and I'll probably order a larger La Chamba Casserole.

    In the book Paula says you can cook 75% of the recipies with five types of pots. I think you can probably cook 40 - 50% with three clay pots: a casserole of about 4 1/2 qts., a cazuela, and a Chinese sand pot.

    Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home

    in Cookbooks & References

    Posted

    what's in the fried chicken kit?

    What it says on the bag is "All-Natural FRIED CHICKEN KIT Ad Hoc's signature lemon-herb brine and savory coating mix for making crispy, golden fried chicken" and "INCLUDES 2 packets of brine and 2 packets of coating mix -- enough to make two family-sized batches (8-10 pieces each) or one party-sized batch (16-20 pieces)"

    What a diappointment! I was really interested in how they got a chicken to get in that bag.

    Japanese Green Teas - Sencha, Gyokuro...and more,

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Organic Kumamoto Sencha Yabe Supreme

    2009 Harvest

    Mid Steamed

    Tea Bush Varietals: Saemidori & Okumidori

    Origin: Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan

    Certified Organic By: JAS

    NET Weight: 100g (3.53oz)

    Brewing Suggestion: 1 gram of leaves per 1oz of water at 70°C for 1 min.

    Second & third infusions at 70°C for 10-30 seconds.

    from yuuki-cha.com

    I have been brewing this sencha for a little over a month in a small Tokoname kyusu and a larger Banko kyusu. About 5.5 ounces water in the latter and 2.5 ounces in the former. Britta filtered water. One gram leaf per ounce water. The infusion sequence was the same for both:

    1: 158 F, 1 minute

    2: 158 F, 10 sec.

    3: 158 F, 30 sec.

    4: 148 F, 1 min,

    5: 148 F, 2 min

    Banko kyusu - The first infusion displayed rich umami with no astringency or harshness. The second showed umami and a very slight astringent edge. Sweetness emerged on the third and the edge was gone and umami still present. The flavor was slightly diminished on the fourth, but still good with umami, sweetness and no astringency. Surprisingly, the fifth was still good, though thinner and diminished.

    Tokoname kyusu - in contrast to the results with the Banko kyusu, the first four infusions showed more astringency and a roughness or harshness, but this was balanced with the sweet and umami elements. (Another sencha brewed very roughly in this pot without the balancing umami and sweetness.)

    My taste preference runs toward the smoothing sweetness typically offered by the Banko, but the balancing act found in the Tokoname with this sencha was still interesting and enjoyable.

    So far my experiences brewing gyokuros over the last few months and senchas over several years tells me that you can get a good result with various teapots, but you can get a superior result for your personal taste preference by matching the tea and teapot. Some tweaking and experimenting really pays off.

    This sencha also reinforced the truth that it's best to drink a sencha, any sencha, as soon as possible after the vacuum package is opened. Some say within two months, but my goal is a month. After a month the fading becomes increasingly obvious.

    Tea Tasting: Sencha Select, Japanese Green Tea

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Kyle Stewart at The Cultured Cup is providing their Sencha Select for this Tea Tasting & Discussion. The bag was opened at The Cup just two days ago and this Japanese green tea smells wonderful. Kyle is providing 10 gram samples to me and three other members of the eGullet Society.

    The three free samples are available to members who 1) will do at least two brewing sessions from the sample, 2) will report on their experience and participate in the discussion within 7 days of receiving the sample, and 3) who have previously posted at least ten (10) substantive posts (questions, answers, comments that add to discussions) in the Coffee and Tea forum. The 10 g sample is enough to brew four first infusion cups western style in a teapot or infuser cup (about 2.5 g to 6 ounces of water), or it may be brewed Japanese style in a kyusu (about .6 g per ounce of water). More brewing suggestions to come.

    Preference will be given until midnight (EDST) Monday October 26, 2009 to those who have not participated in the last two tastings.

    As always, everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate in the discussion, whether or not you receive a sample.

    So, please PM me now if you would like to receive one of the the free samples and participate in the tasting and discussion.

    "Western" style brewing

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Exactly. Well put. I agree. For the most part.

    Western style can involve at least two infusions, although many people are not aware they can do so or don't want to bother. I have brewed some high quality teas as many as 5 - 9 times western style, though it's usually 2 - 3 times for mornings with black/red teas.

    Tea Tasting: Okayati Estate Darjeeling 1st Flush

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Thanks to everyone for participating and to Bill Waddington at teasource.com Tea Source for providing the samples of this Okayati Estate Darjeeling 1st Flush. As usual we have a variety of responses to the teas we try in these Tea Tasting & Discussions. Personal taste buds interact not only with the tea leaf, but a variety of brewing methods.

    There are several new Tea Tasting & Discussions in the pipeline. Be the first to know by subscribing to the Coffee & Tea forum.

    "Western" style brewing

    in Coffee & Tea

    Posted

    Good question.

    In general, I think of it as having to do as much with the leaf:water ratio as the type of pot. About 2.0 g per 6 ounce cup, adjusted to taste. (This in contrast to gong fu cha, using a ratio of about 1.5 - 2.0 g: 1 ounce water and brewing in a gaiwan or yixing tea pot.) I can stretch "Western style" to include brewing in an infuser cup, using that 2.0 g:6 ounce ratio.

    But never leaving the leaves in a pot partially full of water, which usually will result in something you will not enjoy. At all.

    The two pot method works great. Brew in one, then decant into a serving pot. Or if making just one cup in a small pot, pour directly into your cup.

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