Introduce Yourself

t-curious
Posts: 67
Joined: Mon Dec 11, 2017 7:22 pm
Location: Omaha, Nebraska

Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:39 pm

Welcome to the forum @Xiong! Good luck as you move forward with your tea studies. This will be a good resource for you. :)
faj
Posts: 710
Joined: Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:45 am
Location: Quebec

Tue Oct 15, 2019 6:45 am

My name is Frederic, I am from Quebec, Canada.

In my youth, I never was a tea or coffee drinker. For me, tea was powder that came in bags. I had an aunt who drank "tea" like this, and that was the extent of my exposure to tea. My awakening began, maybe 12 years ago, during a social gathering. I wanted to drink something that was not coffee, and there were tea bags. Not wanting something bitter, I left the bag in the hot water for a few seconds only. I was surprised at the result, and that started me drinking tea in bags. That lasted for years. I knew loose leaf tea was a thing and wanted to try it sometime, but in the day-to-day that was not a priority, and I did not know of a single store selling loose leaf tea.

For some reason, despite researching and purchasing basically everything from the Internet, it somehow had never dawned on my that you could order tea online... But one day a couple years back, I happened to be traveling to a bigger city and stumbled upon a tea shop with my life partner. We went in, tasted a couple of teas, purchased a few bags, and went home, then started ordering online from them. From that day, I have been drinking tea, typically several times a day.

I am still very much in "discovery mode". I have tried to drink as many types of teas as I could, including various green, red, oolongs and a few pu'ers, mainly from China, Japan and Taiwan. I have tried several Indian teas, but have note developed the same level of interest in them. I mostly prepare and drink tea in glass at this time, but have started developing an interest in clay. I just purchased a Tokoname kyusu, and am researching Yixing teapots.

My quest to better understand and appreciate tea is just starting, and unfortunately most of that is done alone or with my close ones, who know very little about tea. I hope at some point to experiment in more depth with teas I like to better understand how various variables (leaf ratio, time, temperature, water type, infusion vessel, mood...) affect the result.

Contrary to wine or spirits, tea is something you can drink every day, several times a day. Tea a companion. The taste of tea is subtle, so it requires you to focus. Being the kind of person that looks for some peace in the middle of a busy and sometimes stressful life, I appreciate how that, along with the rituals you develop around tea, helps create moments of calm and clarity.
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Victoria
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Location: Santa Monica, CA
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Tue Oct 15, 2019 2:26 pm

Welcome Frederic aka @faj to TeaForum. You may find a few other members here from your area to meet up with. Even so, this is a great virtual community of explorers to share with. It’s true that with tea you can drink it every day without the worries of say wine and beer. It can open the mind with a clear focus, and yet can be calming and meditative as well. Enjoy the journey 🍃
Xiong
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Oct 09, 2019 11:58 am
Location: Northeastern USA

Tue Oct 15, 2019 2:49 pm

pedant wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:00 pm
welcome back to loose leaf tea, Xiong

oh yeah, and welcome to the forum, too :mrgreen:
t-curious wrote:
Wed Oct 09, 2019 8:39 pm
Welcome to the forum Xiong! Good luck as you move forward with your tea studies. This will be a good resource for you. :)
Thank You.

Ordered a book today to see where it might all take me "Tea Sommelier: A Step-by-Step Guide"
Ludovitche
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:43 pm
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thu Oct 17, 2019 10:34 pm

My name is Jean-Nicolas, I am French but I live now in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

How long have you been drinking tea?
One year, I'm new to tea.
I thought tea was only tea bags and flavored tea, didn't like any of it...
Then I tried puerh and was immediately hooked.

What kind of tea do you drink?
I'm a puerh addict.
I doubt any other type of tea can be more enjoyable to me, but since I'm a newbie, I regularly try other types of tea to make sure :)
I also enjoy, yancha oolong, Taiwanese oolong, aged white tea, the occasional hongcha, and Liu-an.

How do you prepare your tea?
Simplified gongfu session.
At home I use gaiwans and a regular electric kettle.
At work I do tea in front of my computer with a Kamjove Press Art Cup, and a good vacuum flask to keep the water hot an hour (I find it difficult to bring a gongfu set at my company... it wouldn't fit on my tiny office desk anyways, and i can't be in the kitchen all the time - employee life :|).

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?
Well being new to tea, I have everything to learn...
My main concern is puerh, and there is always more to learn about that type of tea, starting with preparing it well...
I'd also need to learn how to buy a teapot that suits me, I haven't found the time yet to study the subject and choose what clay / shape I want.
Ideally, I'd like to know how to buy aged tea (20+ years) that's not a waste of my money (I have a limited budget, can't make too many newbie mistakes !) :lol:

I'd also like to learn more about making tea for other people, to help a friend set up a few tea options for his new coffee shop :
- prepare oolong western style (nobody I know is patient enough for gong fu sessions, and not enough employees in this shop to use a gaiwan anyways)
- prepare cold matcha latte and other good looking teas with sugar in it (it's really not my thing but it sells)
- naturally flavoured tea - reasonably prices jasmine tea that is made with actual jasmine flower, or something similar.
- any idea people on this forum have :!:

What factors lead you to delve into the world of tea, and what is keeping you there?
Last year a Chinese doctor advised me to try puerh to treat some minor health discomfort... and I started collecting puerh 2 weeks later.
Bad ripe mini tuos, of course, at the time ;)

I drink tea mainly for the effect and the routine, but it also has to taste good - I'm not drinking bitter green tea (or boring tea bags) because "it's good for health" - no, thank you.
I used to take a lot of stimulants, coffee and cigarette, sugar and alcohol... Tea is now my main drug - most days, my only drug - and I drink at least a liter of it everyday now.

And in the case of puerh, I'm also fascinated by the complexity of the taste - I never drink the same tea two days in a row, enjoying raw and ripes of all ages.
Plus it's a hobby, the hunting and collecting is part of the pleasure, if I'm being honest with myself :oops:

What is your location?
Chiang Mai, Thailand.
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Jo
Mrs. Chip
Posts: 268
Joined: Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:48 pm
Location: Pennsylvania

Fri Oct 18, 2019 9:38 am

Welcome Xiong, faj, and Ludovitche to Teaforum, so happy to have you here with us. Looking forward to seeing you around :mrgreen:
Ludovitche
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Oct 17, 2019 9:43 pm
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Fri Oct 18, 2019 10:10 am

Jo wrote:
Fri Oct 18, 2019 9:38 am
Welcome Xiong, faj, and Ludovitche to Teaforum, so happy to have you here with us. Looking forward to seeing you around :mrgreen:
Well thank you
I do have questions, see you soon :)
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Victoria
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Fri Oct 18, 2019 1:09 pm

Welcome to TeaForum Jean-Nicolas, aka @Ludovitche and @Xiong. Looking forward to your journey together with other members here.
lucylove
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2019 3:54 pm
Location: US

Mon Oct 21, 2019 4:18 pm

Hi! I'm Lucy, I'm from England but now live in the US, and I've been drinking tea nearly my entire life. I've only recently started sampling loose leaf tea, and I'm sold! My favourite so far is chai. I look forward to lots of tea chat!
swordofmytriumph
Posts: 429
Joined: Sun Dec 16, 2018 5:19 am
Location: Seattle, USA

Mon Oct 21, 2019 4:23 pm

Welcome @lucylove! Glad to have you here!
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MichaelT
New user
Posts: 2
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:36 am

Tue Oct 22, 2019 7:49 am

Hi everyone! My name is Michael. I was born in New Jersey but raised as an Argentine as I have family in Buenos Aires. I've been drinking yerba mate all my life. Recently opened up an online store called Matero where I sell yerba mate and related accessories. I joined here to get more involved in the community and contribute. My knowledge is mostly around yerba mate 8-)
twt_reddit
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 3:54 pm

Tue Oct 22, 2019 4:29 pm

Hi,

I've been lurking here for a week or two and found it quite useful for my venturing into Yancha (& Dancong).

I've got seriously into tea about a year and a half ago. crazy hobby :D

I drink mostly Puer, but now more Chinese Oolongs, and some Taiwanese teas, mostly gongfu.

I have to admit I'm a bit relived that the western facing vendors for Yancha, Dancong & Tieguanyin appears to be much smaller than puer, as chasing good teas is exhausting :lol:
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powersnacks
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:14 pm
Location: New Jersey

Wed Oct 23, 2019 11:52 am

How long have you been drinking tea?

I've drank tea my whole life, but I've really become more mindful about it within the last year or so.

What kind of tea do you drink?


I mainly drink raw puer tea. But I have been expanding my tastes quite a bit. I love Yunnan Gold and some Chinese green teas. I drink a good amount of Hojicha too

How do you prepare your tea?


I brew gongfu style for almost everything. I have a gaiwan, as well as a clay teapot from a potter in Canada that uses iron-rich Canadian clay.

What tea knowledge are you interested in exploring right now?


I am still learning so much about nearly all of it. Every time I feel like I understand more, I realize how much more there is to learn. I'm growing my knowledge of the various places puer comes from. Also developing myself when it comes to Japanese teas.

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


Mainly a lot of Whoppers candy/malt-based candy. I went on a deep-dive online to find other things that tasted malty, and someone suggested Yunnan Gold. From there, I ordered some and loved it. Eventually I got a puer sample.

The puer tasted like dirt for the first 4 times I tried it. On my last try, I tasted a hint of plum. Then I was hooked. I appreciate the depth of tea so much.

What is your location?

I'm in NJ, up near NYC.
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Victoria
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Wed Oct 23, 2019 4:59 pm

Welcome to TeaForum @powersnacks. We have several members near you, maybe one day you’ll all meet up.
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powersnacks
Posts: 30
Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2019 8:14 pm
Location: New Jersey

Wed Oct 23, 2019 8:50 pm

Victoria wrote:
Wed Oct 23, 2019 4:59 pm
Welcome to TeaForum powersnacks. We have several members near you, maybe one day you’ll all meet up.
Thanks for the welcome! Yeah, I'd love to give it a shot. I only recently found out about the NY Tea Society, which might have a couple folks from here as regulars :)
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