Search found 962 matches

by mbanu
Thu Jun 02, 2022 4:43 pm
Forum: Fermented Tea
Topic: Eleanor Roosevelt's pu'er mistake
Replies: 2
Views: 1243

Eleanor Roosevelt's pu'er mistake

Another interesting quote from Tea with Presidential Families by Beulah Munshower Sommer and Pearl Dexter, This time about a 1930s tea between President Roosevelt's wife Eleanor and Chiang Kai-shek's wife Soong Mei-ling. One of their first guests was Madame Chiang Kai-shek. Mrs. Roosevelt took great...
by mbanu
Tue May 31, 2022 11:27 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Fundamental Gong Fu: Boiling it down to the essence
Replies: 4
Views: 1394

Re: Fundamental Gong Fu: Boiling it down to the essence

That's a good way to start a fight. :lol: The sort of transformation that happened to British tea, where a brew time was decided on through a collection of scientific-sounding experimental arguments related to extracted tannins and "theine" shaped by commercial market pressures, was only able to hap...
by mbanu
Sat May 21, 2022 2:58 pm
Forum: Herbal Tea
Topic: What Herbal Are You Drinking
Replies: 78
Views: 71613

Re: What Herbal Are You Drinking

Had a chance to try some alfalfa-mint tea today -- maybe unsurprisingly, it tastes like vegetable broth. :lol:
by mbanu
Tue May 17, 2022 2:45 pm
Forum: Black Tea
Topic: What Black Are You Drinking
Replies: 680
Views: 342521

Re: What Black Are You Drinking

Today it is a Taylors of Harrogate Earl Grey. Not bad! Based on broken Keemun, arrived in good shape, strong Bergamot but still English-style Earl Grey rather than Russian style. My first impression is that it is better than U.S. (Polish-packed) Twinings, at least to my tastes. Wish I'd saved some ...
by mbanu
Tue May 17, 2022 12:15 am
Forum: China & Taiwan
Topic: Richard Nixon's Yixing teapot?
Replies: 7
Views: 1694

Richard Nixon's Yixing teapot?

Wasn't sure if it deserved its own thread, but I was reading Tea with Presidential Families by Beulah Munshower Sommer and Pearl Dexter, and they mention that Nixon received a Yixing teapot as a gift while visiting China. They also included a photo, making it more likely than the Nixon Da Hong Pao s...
by mbanu
Thu May 12, 2022 10:56 pm
Forum: Black Tea
Topic: What Black Are You Drinking
Replies: 680
Views: 342521

Re: What Black Are You Drinking

bettys.jpg Today it's "Taylors Tea Room Blend" -- maybe re-branded Bettys Tea Room Blend? (Bettys gets the nice double-lid tins, it looks like, while Taylors has to make do with single-lid.) East-African/Assam CTC -- not a lot going on aroma-wise, "best-by" for this batch is the end of September, b...
by mbanu
Tue May 10, 2022 3:19 pm
Forum: Black Tea
Topic: What Black Are You Drinking
Replies: 680
Views: 342521

Re: What Black Are You Drinking

Today it is a Taylors of Harrogate Earl Grey. Not bad! Based on broken Keemun, arrived in good shape, strong Bergamot but still English-style Earl Grey rather than Russian style. My first impression is that it is better than U.S. (Polish-packed) Twinings, at least to my tastes. Wish I'd saved some o...
by mbanu
Sat May 07, 2022 10:03 am
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Glass Infuser/strainer
Replies: 8
Views: 3017

Re: Glass Infuser/strainer

Hi All, I am new on this forum. I recently broke my glass infuser, and need to replace it. The teapot that I have is 600ml, and at the bottom of the teapot it has the brand name of HongJian. I have search the Internet and unable to find this replacement part. I understand that a glass teapot with t...
by mbanu
Wed May 04, 2022 4:05 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Looking to speak to international tea-lovers who moved to the UK
Replies: 1
Views: 840

Re: Looking to speak to international tea-lovers who moved to the UK

Welcome! I hope you will consider staying after your project is through. There are more Sinophiles here than Anglophiles, so you might not get many responses, sadly. You might have more luck in reverse, through looking for references to British tea in social media not dedicated to tea. If a young wo...
by mbanu
Sat Apr 30, 2022 3:01 pm
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: What would you tell your novice self about tea
Replies: 60
Views: 15626

Re: What would you tell your novice self about tea

Ask yourself the basics, not "How do I do this?" but "Why do I want to do this?" If you don't, you will get sucked up into somebody else's teatime. ;) There are a lot of strong-willed characters in tea, who will barge ahead and may take you with them through their own momentum. You may find yourself...
by mbanu
Mon Apr 25, 2022 4:17 am
Forum: Black Tea
Topic: What Black Are You Drinking
Replies: 680
Views: 342521

Re: What Black Are You Drinking

Tried to bake a bread pudding, so I gave the loose-leaf Constant Comment another go. Not really happy with the pudding, but the tea turned out OK. :D More of the same. :) One thing I appreciate about the loose-leaf variety is that Bigelow is self-aware of how strong the flavoring is, so they use a ...
by mbanu
Thu Apr 21, 2022 3:32 pm
Forum: Fermented Tea
Topic: What Pu'er Are You Drinking
Replies: 2051
Views: 923944

Re: What Pu'er Are You Drinking

mbanu did you break yours up? I had just been shaving bits off at a time, and while initially I had liked the brick more than the cake I got, now I've flipped on it. Unfortunately that particular cake seems sold out though. I get the feeling the brick is not homogenous since the first few times I t...
by mbanu
Wed Apr 20, 2022 1:26 pm
Forum: Fermented Tea
Topic: What Pu'er Are You Drinking
Replies: 2051
Views: 923944

Re: What Pu'er Are You Drinking

Today is a cooked brick from the Hung Chong Tai Tea Company of Hong Kong (鴻昌泰茶莊) by way of Tak Shing Hong in Los Angeles. Dry stored (no traditional storage flavor), but a very loose brick -- easily came apart in my hands with no need for a knife or pick. Sweet cherry type shou, nice with dimsum. M...
by mbanu
Sat Apr 16, 2022 7:42 pm
Forum: Miscellaneous
Topic: Sublimation coatings
Replies: 0
Views: 2564

Sublimation coatings

shuanisagenius.jpg If you ever buy a one-off novelty tea mug not made by the potter themselves, it likely uses this method rather than the older paint-and-overglaze, so I thought maybe a thread would be interesting. If I understand correctly, the mug is usually given some kind of plastic coat, and ...
by mbanu
Wed Apr 13, 2022 8:41 pm
Forum: News, Publications, & Research
Topic: Tea commercials
Replies: 42
Views: 26147

Re: Tea commercials

Compare maybe with Lipton USA in 1994, trying to convince Americans that drinking tea could be manly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jqq5sSoAY0 Apparently this was successful enough for bottled tea to cause some marketing problems in 2021, leading to a split -- consider Lipton USA's two new ads, ...