Tea time--tell me about your favorites

[Marie]

I know there must be fellow tea drinkers on this list, encompassing, as it does, so many Asian fans and fanatics of Asian culture worldwide. Long before I ever discovered Tony Leung, Leslie Cheung or Chinese language movies, I was into tea. I am very lucky that one of the US's largest gourmet stores is 10 minutes from my house, and they carry a fine selection of fine loose tea from Asia and a lot of great teaware. If I had the money, I would start a collection of yixing tea pots (I currently have a collection of 1). The store is very smart in that they display the most exquisite teapots at the entrance to the store and you have to walk past them to enter the store (which is also the coffee and tea department--smart marketing people). Many of these yixing tea pots are made with special marbled clay and have little figures molded on the teapot. My current favorite is marbled brown pot with a little lizard on the top of the lid.

I have two current favorite teas--an old pu-erh that tastes and smells a bit like old leaves on the forest floor (for fellow pu-erh drinkers, you know what I mean and that this is a good thing) and a very delicate Yun Wu Cloud Mist green tea. Ah, just thinking about the Yun Wu give me the idea to finish this message and go and brew a pot.

I would love to hear from fellow devotees of tea.

Marie

[nellyesque]

As a frugal college student, my budget does not allow for the consumption of quality teas. Jasmine Tea bags and Lipton quick brew bags are unfortunately, then, the only tea choices I have while at school haha. Fortunately my parents frequently prepare tie guan yin whenever I go home for holidays.
To be honest, I don't really know a lot about tea and tea drinking. At this moment, water is my beverage of choice. Perhaps when I graduate, I'll develop a more refined palate and greater appreciation for teas. Sorry if my response sucks.

Btw: your collection sounds cool! I collect stamps and coinage (its a family tradition) ^_^;;

[Marie]

Hi Nellyesque,

Tie guan yin is another great tea that I have enjoyed over the years. I know what you mean about being a student--you have to make compromises because of limited budget. At least you get to drink great tea when you go home. Among my family, I'm the only one who cares anything about tea. I have tried to convert my husband over the years, but he was corrupted at a very early age by drinking strong coffee and eating very spicy food, so perhaps his palette cannot appreciate the subtle flavors and aromas of fine tea.

I love the names of some of the teas that they sell at A Southern Season. They can have such evocative names, like "monkey-picked" and "wild tree maiden" in the title. Some of the teas are VERY expensive--so expensive that I cannot think of buying them (US$10.95 an ounce (which brews only a few cups of tea)). These are the teas that typically have the most interesting names, too. I guess sometime I will have to splurge and spend $50 on some of these very special teas and treat it like buying very expensive wine, something you do to celebrate and not for everyday. Now I just need to find a few tea drinkers in my town who would savor these teas with me. A sensual experience of drinking such fine tea should be shared with others to increase the enjoyment. Then I could use my finest teaware and have a lovely tea time.

Marie

[Kerilyn]

Hi Marie!

I love great tea, I like English tea, I insist on Yorkshire Tea and PG Tips. Unfortunately, I've only made with tea bags, haven't had the time to try using tea leaves . My tea pot is a simple trustworthy Brown Betty
I think it's interesting that steady diets of intense foods can limit your ability to taste subtle flavours. Maybe my life-long avoidance of anything remotely spicy has made me more appreciative of fine foods?
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