Tea: Get your tea questions answered here.

[Cotton Cloudy]

Hi everyone

Tea is my biggest passion in life, and I love helping people getting started in it, and maybe giving you some information on things you didn't already know.

I'm going to Yunnan soon to study to be a tea master, so ask away! I'll try to get to all of you

[Lemon Cheesecake]

what is the best match tea to get, I have been wanting to try it and the tea store in town is quite expensive and I wouldn't know what to ask for with it or know what was a good tea

[Cotton Cloudy]

what is the best match tea to get, I have been wanting to try it and the tea store in town is quite expensive and I wouldn't know what to ask for with it or know what was a good tea

First off what is the tea store in your town? I wouldn't recommend anything from Teavana.

The best matcha are ones sourced directly from Japan. I would recommend either checking Ito En or Ocha. They have excellent matchas available for sale.

Now the thing about matcha is that you also you need all of the tools to brew it correctly. This includes the whisk, the bowl, the bamboo scoop, and a matcha sifter. Western tools are not good substitutes and your matcha simply won't come out well using them.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

No, it's a specialty tea shop, not a chain. I suppose I will have to wait to try matcha tea when I can find some place that has all the proper tools. Maybe a trip to the city. Thanks for letting me know! I would have hated to buy some and been disappointed

[Cotton Cloudy]

No, it's a specialty tea shop, not a chain. I suppose I will have to wait to try matcha tea when I can find some place that has all the proper tools. Maybe a trip to the city. Thanks for letting me know! I would have hated to buy some and been disappointed

Not at all! I would recommend getting the tools first before the tea, it can be expensive to get into but in my opinion it's well worth the money.

Here are some tips for making matcha when you are able to get some!

-Use only a 1/2 cup of water at a time. Matcha is always made with very small amounts of water

-use water that is 175 degrees. NEVER boil your matcha

-PREHEAT PREHEAT PREHEAT This is where most mistakes are made, always make sure your matcha bowl is preheated with hot water, if you brew your matcha in a cold bowl your tea suffers a big temperature drop and it turns out overly watery. Make sure you dip your whisk in the hot water too, it helps the prongs to spread apart and create more matcha foam.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

Good to know, thank you! I usually boil my water so I would've boiled it. Do you recommend heating the tea cup for tea normally?

[Cotton Cloudy]

Good to know, thank you! I usually boil my water so I would've boiled it. Do you recommend heating the tea cup for tea normally?

I always recommend that you preheat all teaware, including your drinking cup and tea pot

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I know about the teapot but don't know why I don't remember to heat the tea cups first. Do you have a favorite pastry or dessert or biscuit you like to eat with your tea?

[Cotton Cloudy]

I know about the teapot but don't know why I don't remember to heat the tea cups first. Do you have a favorite pastry or dessert or biscuit you like to eat with your tea?

I'm a purist in the highest sense, meaning that I drink tea neat (no milk, or sugar) and I drink it alone

When I'm drinking tea I like to just focus on the flavor the tea and note the characteristics that it has. Especially if I'm trying a tea for the first time

[galled]

Hey, cool! Glad you started this thread.

I caught the tail end of a program on TV once and what I could gather from what little I saw was that all tea leaves come from (root from - pardon the pun) cuttings of a single tea plant in China that Buddha (I think) discovered. I may have it all wrong, but perhaps you know the story.

Also, is this where you're going in China?

If I have it right, that's simply incredible.

[Cotton Cloudy]

Hey, cool! Glad you started this thread.

I caught the tail end of a program on TV once and what I could gather from what little I saw was that all tea leaves come from (root from - pardon the pun) cuttings of a single tea plant in China that Buddha (I think) discovered. I may have it all wrong, but perhaps you know the story.

Also, is this where you're going in China?

If I have it right, that's simply incredible.

The exact origins of tea is unknown, but the most famous story tells of the emperor of China at the time named Shen Nong. Legend says he was boiling some water when some leaves from the Camellia Sinensis (tea) bush fell into his cup. They say that he liked it so much that tea was then born.

Tea origins have been deeply linked to starting in Yunnan, so yes! This is where I will be traveling

[Maro]

Ahn I love tea so much as well. Whenever I find a new kind to try I have it neat as well myself. Been debating what to get tea wise that can help with cramps and general aches n such.

[Cotton Cloudy]

Ahn I love tea so much as well. Whenever I find a new kind to try I have it neat as well myself. Been debating what to get tea wise that can help with cramps and general aches n such.

Chamomile, honeysuckle, and ginger have known anti-inflammatory properties, maybe give them a try?

I also suggest Chrysanthemum as well, which is known as the "Chamomile of the East"

[Maro]

Hmmm I'll try to find some of those when I get paid again. I tend to drink my detox tea "mix" when sick.

[Cotton Cloudy]

Hmmm I'll try to find some of those when I get paid again. I tend to drink my detox tea "mix" when sick.

What is in your mix?