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A cautionary tale


grandcru

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I have been enjoying some exquisite Flowery Pekoe white tea I purchased in L.A.'s Chinatown a few weeks ago. It has a subtle but persistent flavor which appeals to the wine lover in me. Today, I thought I'd mix things up a bit by throwing in a small pinch of Lapsang Souchong, hoping to marry the pros of each into an irresistible blend.

Big mistake, as those of you who have mixed with LS are probably saying to yourselves. LS is just too overwhelming, and if I were ever to attempt it again, a couple of threads would be all I'd throw in. I am just beginning to explore high-end tea, so my blending skills will be on a heckuva learning curve. I will be loathe to adulterate my white tea with anything else after this. :hmmm:

Kriss Reed

Long Beach, CA

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For many of us, the "purist" approach has the best overall satifaction ....

yet a little "experimenting" from time to time, can be quite stimulating, should you uncover a new "hybrid blend".... Thanks for the tip!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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i know what you mean. i like both green tea and yerba mate a lot. recently, i bought green tea blended with lemongrass, and yerba mate blended with something else (i can't remember). neither of them are as good as the plain teas themselves...

"The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the ocean."

--Isak Dinesen

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i know what you mean. i like both green tea and yerba mate a lot. recently, i bought green tea blended with lemongrass, and yerba mate blended with something else (i can't remember). neither of them are as good as the plain teas themselves...

Maybe, as is so common elsewhere in the food and beverage world, the quality of the teas that were blended was not so hot.

I've often found that anything that is purchased already flavored or blended is usually lower quality or cheaper stuff, since the general consensus is that the subtle flavor components will be lost anyway.

Which is why bars use cheaper wine to do spritzers and stuff. (Do they even do those anymore? Can you tell how long it's been since I've been in a bar?)

Screw it. It's a Butterball.
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I thought this topic was going to be ironic: "White tea" was what hot water was called in China when famine halted production from the tea plantations!

I'm a canning clean freak because there's no sorry large enough to cover the, "Oops! I gave you botulism" regrets.

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  • 2 weeks later...
A nice blend is pu'erh with a pinch of jasmine green tea.

Was anyone else in Vegas last week for the tea exhibition?

I wasn't at the Take Me 2 Tea-in Vegas.

Did you have a good time?

Which workshops did you attend?

Did you take pictures?

Were there lots of samples?

Joanne

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jpr54_:

Had a great time. It was my first time in Vegas. Crazy city. Great place to visit for a few days but wouldn't want to live there.

Didn't take in any workshops. I was there mainly to see what was new, say hello to some people and hang out with likeminded folks.

Sorry no photos. Lots of samples and some incredible Chinese teas.

Will try and make it next year as well, maybe even RI in the fall.

slowfood/slowwine

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