What's your tea of choice when you're sad?

[Léon]

That's right: any tea is the right tea.

[Bok]

That's right: any tea is the right tea.

Well, some teas can make sad too. Some make me wish I’d had not wasted the time brewing them…

[Léon]

The only regret I can imagine is after buying some kind of tea, but even that should not be seen as a problem.

It should just be enjoyed in a slightly different way.

For me every tea is the right tea, just like every day is the right day.

[Andrew S]

Drinking tea while unable to taste or smell anything (hopefully temporarily, like last time).

As someone who enjoys being able to taste and smell things, I think that that counts as being sad...

So, therefore, aged Hong-Kong-stored cooked puer - smooth, comforting, brewed in a massive pot, lazily. Aged enough to calm me down; not powerful enough to make me think or feel too much. Just right...

There are, of course, all sorts of bad aspects of being robbed of the ability to taste or smell tea, but I suppose that it brings other things into focus a little bit more. Like how the hongcha that I had on Friday was still a pleasant, warming, comforting experience, even without the 'warm' flavour, albeit that it felt like there was a slightly bitter aspect to it when there wasn't any 'flavour' for that bitterness to counteract. Or how yesterday's SunSing FuHai 'felt' much more young and lively than when I was able to taste its wet-stored flavour (which, perhaps, explains the energetic, potent, vibrant feeling that I get from it, despite all the wet storage).

(and I'm convinced that that's a pug, not a lion, on the lid)

Andrew

[Iizuki]

Drinking tea while unable to taste or smell anything (hopefully temporarily, like last time).

As someone who enjoys being able to taste and smell things, I think that that counts as being sad...

A rough fate indeed. Hope the tastes make their return soon!

[Sunyata]

Drinking tea while unable to taste or smell anything (hopefully temporarily, like last time).

As someone who enjoys being able to taste and smell things, I think that that counts as being sad...

So, therefore, aged Hong-Kong-stored cooked puer - smooth, comforting, brewed in a massive pot, lazily. Aged enough to calm me down; not powerful enough to make me think or feel too much. Just right...

There are, of course, all sorts of bad aspects of being robbed of the ability to taste or smell tea, but I suppose that it brings other things into focus a little bit more. Like how the hongcha that I had on Friday was still a pleasant, warming, comforting experience, even without the 'warm' flavour, albeit that it felt like there was a slightly bitter aspect to it when there wasn't any 'flavour' for that bitterness to counteract. Or how yesterday's SunSing FuHai 'felt' much more young and lively than when I was able to taste its wet-stored flavour (which, perhaps, explains the energetic, potent, vibrant feeling that I get from it, despite all the wet storage).

(and I'm convinced that that's a pug, not a lion, on the lid)

Andrew

Did you get covid again? Last time I got it I couldnt smell or taste for a week, and was worried to death.

[Andrew S]

Did you get covid again? Last time I got it I couldnt smell or taste for a week, and was worried to death.

Correct - it's finally starting to come back rather suddenly today, almost exactly a week later.

Last time it took about a month in total to get back to being completely normal, with a frustrating period of intermittent returns of smells every now and then instead of a gradual return (as well as a disturbing initial 'confusion' of smells which preceded the total loss of smell - the first 'sign' for me was when the smell of a small burning electrical component in a fan made me think that there was a small, dead, rotting animal somewhere that I somehow hadn't noticed... until the component went pop and my fan stopped working).

Not pleasant to think that this may be something that will linger on in our world like this for the conceivable future, but then, there are far worse things that this virus has done. I'll have a little celebratory tea of some (aged) kind once I'm even closer to normal.

If anyone else gets afflicted, perhaps suggest some aged liubao or cooked puer would work - it should be smooth and relaxing, and even someone who hates the flavour or smell of something like that won't be able to complain about that for a little while...

Andrew

[mbanu]

The best tea when sad is tea with friends; the tea gives an excuse to meet and talk.

Fresh tea can help for focusing on new beginnings, while old tea (provided it has held up well) can help for perspective. But, sometimes a familiar tea is best, as it can be grounding.

Even in the infinite tea-multiverse the internet allows us to live in, tea choices are still bound by what you happen to have when whatever made you sad happens, and all teas have practical brewing issues that must be considered. If you are tired as well as sad, a very fussy tea might not be helpful. However, if it is a tea you can easily make with no trouble, no matter what else is going on, a fussy tea brewed well can help a bit with confidence.

[Léon]

If I would feel really really really sad, I would visit this forum.

[TeaTotaling]

I’ve been having a really hard time lately because I have 2 serous problems that are difficult for me to resolve. Since I haven’t been sleeping well lately...

@Janice I'm in similar waters so I know how incredibly difficult it is to function & problem solve when sleep is elusive.

Regarding the post, Baihao Yinzhen & high quality matcha have been potent blues busters for me. Morning tea + scripture reading + prayer really set a positive tone for my day in the face of life's challenges.

[Newdawn07]

Jasmine Tea from In Nature Teas.

The taste, the golden glow, the sweet aroma lifts the mood!

Embroidery optional.

[sheep.payday2]

Embroidery optional.

Why, such a sweet design! And that photo alone could lift the mood, thanks for sharing.

[Baisao]

Isn't it also the simple act of this tea making routine that can bring comfort? Processing an event, day, misfortune, while making tea.

Having somewhat recently gone through a period of exceptional and repeated loss— 5 events in 6 months— I can confirm that tea, and the friends I’ve made through tea, brought enormous comfort to me. Tea also gave me contemplative time to process those losses and come to terms with those most existential of questions. I spent many hours looking into the abyss with the rhythm of my session as my only comfort.

In the immediate weeks following each loss my tea skills were off. I found that grief disrupted my experience of time. I don’t use a timer, it is something I feel in my hand, like a hot or agitated sensation when the tea is ready to be poured. But after each event my hand didn’t know when to pour or I’d unexpectedly be “spaced out” for minutes at a time. Each event took about 3-4 weeks to recover my chronoception, which I took as a sign of healing.

I wasn’t brewing anything challenging during this time. Mere intention can be enough to alter the character of the liquor so I am certain my tea was dreadful and inconsistent. All the more reason to employ familiar, forgiving teas.