Introduce Yourself

JDUMMITT
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:45 am

Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:26 pm

Hello, My name is Josh. I am very excited to be in a group like this.

How long have you been drinking tea?
I have been drinking tea since a young age. I remember when i was young, my grandmother volunteered at a local Historic Museum and i would go with her to volunteer, and the curator would always have tea for when we closed. Lets just say she would ask " Josh are you going to have some tea with that sugar".
Lets just say, i don't add anything to my tea anymore.
By the way I am 26, so about 20 some years.

What kind of tea do you drink?
The teas i like that most come from The Black tea category, But i have been trying a lot of different teas as of recent with my research.
Right now i am drinking a pot of Paris by Harney and Sons
How do you prepare your tea?
I try to keep to the recommended preparations. but am always interested in learning different ways to prepare tea

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
History has always been a subject i have worked with. So it is only natural that i would fall in love with the history of tea, both its origins and it influences in society.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Well beside that it the only hot beverage i really enjoy. At the Museum here in my home town, I have put together a few tea party's. (By the way its a living history museum) So when we do tea party's its also with a talk on the history, and i found that the more i research, the more i found that it has a long and great and terrible history. So i have been since then working to make my presentation better. That's why i am here, to learn more.

What is your location?
I live in Connecticut
User avatar
heichaholiday
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:25 am
Location: Virginia
Contact:

Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:56 pm

How long have you been drinking tea?
I've always been drinking tea to some extent but I only seriously got into tea two to three years ago with Japanese greens but then I got hooked on puerh and other dark teas.

What kind of tea do you drink?
I drink mostly Chinese teas: usually puerh with shou and young sheng being predominant. I also really like other dark teas such as liu baos. I occasionally drink Wuyi oolongs but not often.

How do you prepare your tea?
I usually use a porcelain gaiwan with boiling water and just vary infusion time. It even works with the one sencha I still have but I don't drink greens enough to be super picky. I also just got a small Jianshui pot for shou.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Really, anything puerh but I also really enjoy heicha of all types. I will happily try anything though.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
I lurked on the tea subreddit for a long time but I recently made an instagram account and I really enjoy the community. For the tea itself, I really just enjoy sitting down and focusing on the experience.

What is your location?
I'm in Virginia and when school is in session I go to VCU in Richmond.

My instagram account is also under heichaholiday and I do lots there; I made a steepster very recently but I mostly use it for posting reviews that I already did on instagram.
Kyara
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:01 pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:31 pm

How long have you been drinking tea?
I started 15 years ago

What kind of tea do you drink?
Mostly oolongs and puerh, some senchas but I have a bit of everything from time to time.

How do you prepare your tea?
Gongfu style

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Slowly exploring aged/semi aged sheng and Liu Bao.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
It all started with tea ceremony lessons. Then It is a such nice topic to nerd out on, possibilities are pretty much endless.

What is your location?
Belgium
Blissful_Sloth
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:31 pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:39 pm

Hello all! This seems like a nice place to learn about tea. Besides the subreddit /r/tea, most tea resources online seem to be blogs and vendor pages, it is nice to have a place more dedicated to discussion.

How long have you been drinking tea?
I've been drinking tea for a couple of years now. Tea in bags never appealed to me much. For some reason I bought a large porcelain-enameled metal teapot out of the blue in college and started brewing chai during winters. It was very nice, but I didn't start drinking tea in earnest until I got a gaiwan a few months ago.

What kind of tea do you drink?
I have only had chinese teas for the most part. So far I've found teas I've liked in a variety of styles, especially green and oolong. When I just want to drink tea all day it's usually black.

How do you prepare your tea?
I brew gong fu when I can, I find it very relaxing. I typically use a ceramic gaiwan, although as an early Christmas present, I received two yixing pots, which I use for non-roasted and roasted oolongs. When I'm brewing lots of black tea I have a decently large cast-iron teapot I use.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now
I would love to try and learn more about all kinds of tea! I am very interested in trying tea from different areas of the world. Right now I am especially interested in matcha. I've had some low-grade matcha before and it is an extremely interesting experience.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Gong fu! Really opened my eyes to the nicer aspects of tea, including appreciating whole leaf tea and pulling apart its flavor profile with gong fu brewing. I also enjoy the calming affect of tea, it goes wonderfully with meditation and mindfulness in general.

What is your location?
St. Louis, Missouri
Noonie
Posts: 360
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:30 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada

Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:03 pm

How long have you been drinking tea?
Close to 10 years, last 7 much more seriously.

What kind of tea do you drink?
Favourite is Sencha, followed by High Mountain Oolong, Wuyi and lastly, Matcha.

How do you prepare your tea?
Eastern style, usually based on vendors recommendations.


What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Where the industry is heading, in the Far East as well as In the West.


What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Taste. Culture to continue to explore. Taste

What is your location?
Canada
Last edited by Noonie on Wed Dec 13, 2017 10:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
lukeasaur
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:17 pm

Tue Dec 12, 2017 3:45 pm

Hello, I’m Luke, from Minnesota! I’m happy to join a forum, it reminds me of when I was a teen (although those forums were about games, not tea) :)

I’ve been drinking tea for about two and a half years. My family never drank it, but I was curious, so when I got my first paycheck from writing, I decided to try out some tea. I drink mostly black tea (flavored and unflavored) and a fair amount of pu’er and jasmine green tea, as well as roobois and other tisanes. I like other tea, though - that’s just what I enjoy multiple times a week!

At home I brew tea with an electric kettle and either a basket infuser or a gaiwan. At work, I have a gaiwan and a thermos. I also love my DavidsTea brand “ice tea press” in the summer, although their tea is not my favorite.

I’d really like to branch out past drinking mostly black tea, especially green and white teas. I’ve heard so much good about green teas but I just don’t tend to drink some. Hoping to get some for Christmas... but I’ll just buy it if I don’t :p

I got into tea because I don’t like coffee and wanted to stop drinking so much soda, and stayed because I love the taste!
User avatar
Killy
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 5:34 pm
Location: Barcelona
Contact:

Tue Dec 12, 2017 4:50 pm

Benvinguda! I was just in BCN, and was there on the day when independence was declared! Which Chinese martial arts do you practice?
^.^ Thanks!

"May you live interesting times", say the (fake) chinese curse xD So true here in my city

I'm a Bei Shaolin (Northern Shaolin) practitioner, from Chan Kowk Way lineage (some Hung Sing Choy Li Fut, Qi Xing Tang Lang and Fanzi Ying zhao in the curriculum too)

Tea is equally challenging & rewarding as traditional wushu. That's its beauty for me
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TeaHive
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 5:36 pm
Location: Ventura, CA
Contact:

Tue Dec 12, 2017 6:07 pm

Hi everyone! I'm newly in love with tea and looking forward to learning and discussing all things tea!
I've got a new YouTube channel you can check out as well also called "TeaHive"

How long have you been drinking tea?
5 years if we include teabags... but gong fu a little over a year

What kind of tea do you drink?
All types! There is just too much try to decide on a favorite type. Lately I've been getting our white tea fix in with Teabook's White Cloud.

How do you prepare your tea?
Gong Fu er'y day!

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
How locations and elevation and all the factors that go into making tea, change and effect it.


What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
I've always been into trying new and different things. Eastern tea is one of them.
The community tea brings is what keeps me there. Sharing with friends and family.

What is your location?
Southern California, USA
Last edited by TeaHive on Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
John_B
Posts: 186
Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 4:42 am
Location: Bangkok
Contact:

Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:33 pm

Nice to meet all of you! Or to rejoin some. I go on and on about tea in different places--sorry about that getting to be a bit much, if it does--but I'll still introduce myself here. My name is John Bickel and I write a blog about tea, Tea in the Ancient World, based out of Bangkok these days, but I'm American.


How long have you been drinking tea?

I started on loose teas around 9 years ago, and went further with research and discussion four or five years ago.

What kind of tea do you drink?

I tend to like green tea the least, so don't do much with Japanese teas, but I drink a broad range of other types.

How do you prepare your tea?

Western or Gongfu style (or a hybrid), in an infuser device or French press, or gaiwan or clay pot. I use cold brewing to get the last out of some teas and use grandpa style brewing on the road sometimes.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

I'm onto exploring pu'er more now. I've tried a good number of versions but am trying to go a bit deeper.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?

I was into tisanes when I was younger, and travel to tea producing countries kept bringing up the subject. I bought tea in Laos, Vietnam, Japan, and China before I was really into tea (as much as now) and just kept going with it. The subject was also about exploring social media, starting a blog, and being active in different media outlets to see which I liked. Related to that I'll mention that blog and a FB group (International Tea Talk) that I co-founded and admin for (but don't own; a Chinese vendor who founded it with me does):

http://teaintheancientworld.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1647370545538088/
User avatar
mrmopu
Posts: 269
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2017 5:48 am
Location: Blacksburg Va.
Contact:

Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:43 pm

heichaholiday wrote:
Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:56 pm
How long have you been drinking tea?
I've always been drinking tea to some extent but I only seriously got into tea two to three years ago with Japanese greens but then I got hooked on puerh and other dark teas.

What kind of tea do you drink?
I drink mostly Chinese teas: usually puerh with shou and young sheng being predominant. I also really like other dark teas such as liu baos. I occasionally drink Wuyi oolongs but not often.

How do you prepare your tea?
I usually use a porcelain gaiwan with boiling water and just vary infusion time. It even works with the one sencha I still have but I don't drink greens enough to be super picky. I also just got a small Jianshui pot for shou.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Really, anything puerh but I also really enjoy heicha of all types. I will happily try anything though.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
I lurked on the tea subreddit for a long time but I recently made an instagram account and I really enjoy the community. For the tea itself, I really just enjoy sitting down and focusing on the experience.

What is your location?
I'm in Virginia and when school is in session I go to VCU in Richmond.

My instagram account is also under heichaholiday and I do lots there; I made a steepster very recently but I mostly use it for posting reviews that I already did on instagram.
Another Virginian! :D
User avatar
mrmopu
Posts: 269
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2017 5:48 am
Location: Blacksburg Va.
Contact:

Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:47 pm

John_B wrote:
Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:33 pm
Nice to meet all of you! Or to rejoin some. I go on and on about tea in different places--sorry about that getting to be a bit much, if it does--but I'll still introduce myself here. My name is John Bickel and I write a blog about tea, Tea in the Ancient World, based out of Bangkok these days, but I'm American.


How long have you been drinking tea?

I started on loose teas around 9 years ago, and went further with research and discussion four or five years ago.

What kind of tea do you drink?

I tend to like green tea the least, so don't do much with Japanese teas, but I drink a broad range of other types.

How do you prepare your tea?

Western or Gongfu style (or a hybrid), in an infuser device or French press, or gaiwan or clay pot. I use cold brewing to get the last out of some teas and use grandpa style brewing on the road sometimes.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

I'm onto exploring pu'er more now. I've tried a good number of versions but am trying to go a bit deeper.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?

I was into tisanes when I was younger, and travel to tea producing countries kept bringing up the subject. I bought tea in Laos, Vietnam, Japan, and China before I was really into tea (as much as now) and just kept going with it. The subject was also about exploring social media, starting a blog, and being active in different media outlets to see which I liked. Related to that I'll mention that blog and a FB group (International Tea Talk) that I co-founded and admin for (but don't own; a Chinese vendor who founded it with me does):

http://teaintheancientworld.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1647370545538088/
Writes a fine blog.
Rui
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun Dec 10, 2017 12:44 am
Location: Luebeck - Germany

Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:39 am

First of all, thank you Victoria for pointing me to this new forum.

Most people should know something about me from previous social media contacts. For the ones who do not know me I am adding the extra information below.

How long have you been drinking tea?

Since I was a child, therefore over half century.

What kind of tea do you drink?

95% pu'er tea throughout the year, mostly sheng. In late spring and summer I also drink pre-Qing Ming green teas like Longjing (Dragon Well) and Mao Feng.

How do you prepare your tea?

Usually with water but if anyone has any other recommendations I am tempted to try.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

All things 'TEA' from the Cammelia Sinensis type. So far I have managed to amass a small book library of well over 50 tea books.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?

My family was split between coffee ( :shock: :o :( ) and tea drinkers ( :) :D :lol: ) until I met my wife when the scale tilted heavily over towards tea.

What is your location?

Wherever there is a decent tea really but I tend to hang around near London most of the time. Otherwise in expeditions to other countries in search for more tea.

What things do you regret most?

By far not enough pu'er drinkers in UK, or oolong drinkers, or white tea drinkers, or yellow tea drinkers or even fresh green tea drinkers as a matter of fact.

[/quote]
User avatar
Elise
Posts: 235
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 2:22 pm
Location: Geneva, Switzerland

Wed Dec 13, 2017 3:52 am

Hi TeaForum members,

I live in Geneva, Switzerland and my mother tongue is French and not English, so please excuse my mistakes.
Active member of the french Forum des Amateurs de Thé for almost 2 years now, I am also a longtime tea drinker (impossible to remember when it all started :? ).
Trained as a ceramic artist with a Japanese ceramist (BA), I then completed a MA in Asian art (mainly Japan, China, Korea). I learned Japanese language with one year spent in Tokyo and have basis in Chinese language.
A previous job led me to spend a lot of time in China where I was able to learn gongfucha and be introduced to Yixing teapot contemporary artists.
I am now conducing Phd research about Japanese contemporary ceramics in relation to chanoyu.

Concerning my tastes in tea, it will be easier to list the teas that I don't drink, i.e: Yellow label (and others) teabags as well as perfumed teas, it's pretty much that...
I drink mostly sheng and japanese sencha, but I like almost all tea families and find pleasure with good teas of any kind.

In order to understand deeper the Japanese tea world, I had the feeling that reading and seeing the objects would never make all the job. So I just started lessons to learn the basis of the japanese chanoyu etiquette.

"What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?"
Well... it seems to me that ceramics and Asia... can't go without tea :D

I am looking forwards to knowing you better and exchanging about tea.

Elise
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wabichajin
Posts: 5
Joined: Wed Dec 13, 2017 2:30 am
Location: Japan

Wed Dec 13, 2017 4:14 am

Hey guys, I was a bit of a lurker on TeaChat but maybe I'll be more active here... :roll:

How long have you been drinking tea?

Ten years :shock:

What kind of tea do you drink?

I'll try anything whole leaf that's only Camellia sinensis, but I'm deep into puerh and other heicha, especially Liu Bao.

How do you prepare your tea?

Almost always an "abbreviated" gong fun without all the fussing with cha hai and scent cups. I sometimes do grandpa style.

I study Sado, Japanese tea ceremony, but I do that more for the meditative and ceremonial aspects than the tea. Good matcha doesn't wow me nearly as much as aged oolongs or puerh.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

The "feelings" (cha qi, I guess you could say?) experienced while drinking tea, rather than the aromas or flavors. To a lesser extent, delving into water and heating methods.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?

Good question... Not sure myself. Originally started with collecting Japanese pottery, especially Hagi. I think TeaChat and Hojo had pretty big influences on sparking my interest in tea though.

What is your location?

Born in SoCal, traveling the world. :ugeek:
Currently residing in Shikoku, Japan.
Maxpolun
New user
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Dec 12, 2017 11:33 am

Wed Dec 13, 2017 9:48 am

I saw this forum linked from reddit.com/r/tea -- I'll probably mostly lurk, but I figured I'd introduce myself anyways :-)

How long have you been drinking tea?

I've drank tea for a long time, but just recently have become more serious about it.

What kind of tea do you drink?

I don't like most tisanes, but most true tea styles I do enjoy. Previously I've mostly drank either British stye black teas or Japanese green teas, and I still enjoy those, but as I've been getting more serious with tea I've gotten interested in Chinese teas of all types.

How do you prepare your tea?

This is also a bit in flux -- previously used teabags or western style loose leaf, but I've gotten a gaiwan and like the results. However I'm looking for a simpler answer for drinking tea when I'm short on time or working. I've tried Grandpa style, and it makes good tea and is very simple, but I hate getting tea leaves in my mouth. Maybe a gongfu style strainer or a tumbler is the answer?

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?

This is a large category. I think my most immediate concern is better ways to get good tea results at the office. Other than that I'm interested in trying more Chinese teas, especially puers and oolongs.

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?

I don't like coffee :-) Tea tastes good without cream or sugar (I don't drink milk and hate sweet drinks).

What is your location?

I live in central NJ, work in NYC.
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