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I agree with Sara. The same thing goes for figs. The dried version and the fresh version make totally different results! I experimented them before dinner today with my Phoenix Honey Orchid oolong tea. This is really a very puzzling issue, isn’t it?
Do you mean the yeast in puer tea can be cultured to make the same thing for making sourdough? I’d be interested to know.
Traditional real quality tea used to be “new” to me and I admit that there was this “discovery” euphoria when I first found Tea Guardian and then Tea Hong. However, it is quality and compatibility that keep me drinking all these wonderful teas today. I think this idea applied for most things in life, don’t you think?
@ zachno, you are right, Darjeeling is a lot “grassier” than some Chinese green teas. As a matter of fact, it is so to all the authentic Chinese green teas I have tried so far. I used to have it in my small array of tea collection, but I don’t know where to put it now: it is not real green tea, not real oolong and not real black tea. It has not the taste and aroma characters of them. I don’t have a reason to bear with its grassiness since I have the better tasting real green and real white teas, if I had to drink tea only for health at all.
That explains why mostly oolong and puers are used in gongfu infusion. However, I find that even with them, using longer infusion time and less tealeaves is much easier to get better tasting tea.
I think I’d rather use an infuser mug. I think it is a lot easier to handle and much more environmental friendly.
That’s very good info! Thanks a lot 😉 I checked it out and the article gives two different sources. I think only Camellia Forest Nursery carry the kind of Camellia for tea. I hope I’ll have good updates soon.
I do not know about the other two Phoenix oolongs, but for Milan Xiang (Honey Orchid) and Black Leaf, I can treat them like other whole leaf black tea — I prewarm the teapot and use water at about 195F.
In the beginning I did measure the amount of leaves but now I think I know how much is 5g of Phoenix oolong and just pour the amount of leaves into my palm before throwing them into the pot. This pot I normally use for making tea for myself should be about 400cc.I steep them for at least 5 min, but sometimes 6 or 7 if I want my tea stronger. Honey Orchid tends to become stronger if you let the tea cool down too much in the cup. Black Leaf does the same thing but not as strong.I am still practicing the gaiwan with both teas. I find Black Leaf is easier to give pleasing results. With Honey Orchid, I have to use a little less leaf than Black Leaf and very slightly lower temperature. Once an infusion is right, it is an unbelievable tea! I think it is 3g of leaves for my 100cc utility gaiwan for 30 seconds. I have also tried the same amount of leaves in my 250cc mug to steep for 3 or 4 minutes. I think it is even more stunning this way. It is less pleasing if I don’t blanch the leaves. I skip the pre-warm step in this method and as long as I blanch, the tea is as great as I can ever make it.The new pack looks nice and everything, but it really is too small for me. The order arrived only last week and I need to re-order again now. It’d be nice if Leo offers larger packaging like before, or larger.Are you starting to plant yet? I am quite interested to do the same, and hoping to make tea that I can really drink.
I have a small one with coating (glaze?) inside. I was impressed with its look and very unexpected weight. I think because of the thick material. It feels substantial and has a certain sense of safeness with this weight. I used it as a teapot. The problem is the arch handle. When you pour tea, the thickness (or rather thinness) of it makes it difficult to hold tight and since it is hinged, it can swing a little bit when you tilt the teapot. And yes, bebemochi is right, the lid can easily drop out too. That makes me feel very nervous each time I use it. It has now become a decoration 🙁
