Took my new gaiwan for a test run with this! I wanted to start out with a tea I had tried before, for comparison purposes. I’m still totally entertained by how these leaves start out so small, and end up so big. And with my glass gaiwan, I can watch it happen! So. 4g of tea for 4oz of water. I can’t remember exactly how I timed the steepings, but I think it was something like: rinse, 20s, 20s, 30s, 45s, 60s, 1.5min, 2 min, 3 min. It’s not dramatically different from steeping western-style with multiple infusions, but there’s definitely more of a progression of flavours. It starts out light, gets sweeter, then creamier, then grassier. Also, I think I’ve found a solution to the “holy crap that’s a huge (cumulative) amount of tea” problem: I set up a pyrex measuring cup next to me on the table, and with each steeping I poured 2oz into my little cup to drink and 2oz into the pyrex cup. At the end the pyrex cup got a covering of saran wrap and went in the fridge, so tomorrow I’ll see what it this Jin Xuan tastes like cold. :)
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Well it has been over a year and everyone I know thinks my tea obsession is a bit out of hand, so… I guess I’m not a total newbie anymore. :)
I’m drinking a lot more pure tea these days, though I still love a good flavoured blend too. Current favourites: Chinese and Taiwanese blacks, fresh Chinese greens, oolongs both green and roasted, sheng puer.
I really love companies that buy directly from tea farmers, and have an emphasis on quality and sustainability. Favourites: Verdant, Whispering Pines, Eco Cha, White 2 Tea. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere, so I buy almost all my tea online.
For hot tea, I’m usually brewing in either a 100ml gaiwan, or a 10oz mug with a steeping basket. For cold tea, I cold brew overnight in 500ml mason jars.
My cupboard on Steepster doesn’t include small samples, just the ones I have at least 15g of. So if you see something you’re interested in, I probably have enough to share. :)
Location
Northwestern Ontario, Canada
