tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post3720765330106396361..comments2023-12-30T05:41:12.280+13:00Comments on The Ruins of the Moment: Tea — one of the great joys of lifepohanginapetehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11463792721091291063noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-52085107515451618732011-01-14T11:57:36.210+13:002011-01-14T11:57:36.210+13:00Avus, I know the "sergeant major's tea&qu...Avus, I know the "sergeant major's tea" very well, although I've never heard it called that here (very apt, though). It's a particular style of "gumboot" tea — one whose effects on the human body, particularly the visage, are probably best not thought about.<br />;^)pohanginapetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11463792721091291063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-3605314887830289772011-01-14T03:27:39.332+13:002011-01-14T03:27:39.332+13:00I imagine your "gumboot tea" must be sli...I imagine your "gumboot tea" must be slightly related to what we, in the army, called "sergeant major's tea". It was said to have reached (unattainable)perfection when it was so strong that a teaspoon would stand upright, unsupported, in the cup!Avushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16512540148378201058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-87009846477462775362011-01-13T08:43:35.748+13:002011-01-13T08:43:35.748+13:00Miguel, Blogger drives me nuts sometimes. I've...Miguel, Blogger drives me nuts sometimes. I've lost comments in the past, but some time ago I installed the <em>Lazarus form recovery</em> extension (for Firefox) and so far it's always managed to retrieve lost comments.<br /> Great to hear you've restarted your blog. I'll pop over soon, and will check out the photoblog.<br /><br />Zhoen, I've tried a couple of white teas — delicious, but one definitely had more flavour than the other. Unfortunately, the one I preferred was also much more expensive :^( <br /> So much choice...<br /><br />RR, ha! I must offer some rabbit-dropping tea to guests sometime... Yes, I have some cheap Gunpowder from a local Asian supplies store — nice enough, but I tend to leave it sitting in the packet in favour of the good stuff. But I haven't tried a high quality gunpowder, although one of the Oolongs has been rolled in a similar fashion.pohanginapetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11463792721091291063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-62147715010384802322011-01-13T07:27:43.061+13:002011-01-13T07:27:43.061+13:00Have you tried any of the Gunpowder teas (as oppos...Have you tried any of the Gunpowder teas (as opposed to Gum-Boot)? Some lovely minty flavours, and you can usually convince the uninitiated that you're brewing rabbit droppings.Relatively Retiringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07648407316162715318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-44049286568351903722011-01-13T05:25:22.122+13:002011-01-13T05:25:22.122+13:00I do like white teas, but given short breaks at wo...I do like white teas, but given short breaks at work, I wouldn't waste any kind of good tea there. I think white tea actually has more flavor, very round. I'll look for the GABA next time I order tea.Zhoenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03515663141425057088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-15190793167224373332011-01-12T23:20:16.058+13:002011-01-12T23:20:16.058+13:00Ach, I left a very long and involved comment, only...Ach, I left a very long and involved comment, only to have it erased by Blogger. Phooey!<br /><br />Added that I started up my blog again and also started a new photoblog (http://laughing-knees.com/chamber-moon/)butukihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12473964455146342069noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-86098463274726907792011-01-12T14:10:54.769+13:002011-01-12T14:10:54.769+13:00Ooh, Zhoen, now I'll have to try some Puerh......Ooh, Zhoen, now I'll have to try some Puerh... If you don't have access to boiling water, white teas might be worth investigating because they should be brewed at a lower temperature; however, given the kinds of teas you enjoy, you might find them a bit subtle. On the other hand, one you might really enjoy is a <a href="http://www.yayateahouse.co.nz/Oolong-Tea-2.php#Taiwan" rel="nofollow">Taiwanese GABA Oolong</a> (the GABA refers to the high concentration of gamma aminobutyric acid); Jo included a sample with my last order and I loved it — delicious flavours like ripe fruit, and it brews best at 85°C.<br /><br />Feel free to rant about tea any time ;^)pohanginapetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11463792721091291063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-71805468391020029962011-01-12T10:25:44.039+13:002011-01-12T10:25:44.039+13:00I like lapsang souchon, mostly for the aroma. Pur...I like lapsang souchon, mostly for the aroma. Pur-eh is an absolute favorite, which I get several brewings out of. The Hong Kong Tea House serves one type, and they pronounce it Po Lei. My mainstay is strong Indian style Assam. I use an oolong at work, with the not-quite-boiling water, it's not great, but it's at least drinkable, especially on the second brewing. Used to love Keemun, haven't had any in a very long time. <br /><br />Nothing wrong with tea bags, it's just that so much of what is put in it is dust, or garbage tea to start with. The small fragments aren't necessarily bad, but they steep very quickly. And most commercial brands aren't good. <br /><br />Um, sorry, ranting. I'll go have some tea now.Zhoenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03515663141425057088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-23783677768770933022011-01-12T09:43:57.837+13:002011-01-12T09:43:57.837+13:00Robin, "gumboot" might be a peculiarly N...Robin, "gumboot" might be a peculiarly New Zealand term when applied to tea. They're all blended rather than single estate, they're usually from Ceylon/Sri Lanka (I think) and the quality varies hugely, from appalling to not bad ;^)<br /><br />I'm still at an early stage of exploring different teas. I do like some of the Darjeeling first flush teas, which to me taste "fresher" than the second flush teas (which are apparently preferred by many experienced tea drinkers), and right now I'm particularly enjoying a traditional non-smoked Lapsang Souchong, which has distinct, delicious flavours — almost fruit-like. Some of the Oolong teas are excellent, too. Eventually I suppose I'll start trying Puerh tea, too. <br /><br />I don't want to imagine a world without tea, or where it's unaffordable. Good tea's already expensive, although not as crippling as the prices suggest — a little goes a long way (e.g. I usually get 3 infusions from one brew).pohanginapetehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11463792721091291063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191028737265893759.post-31430568986780237932011-01-12T05:24:52.472+13:002011-01-12T05:24:52.472+13:00I had to google gumboot tea to get an idea of what...I had to google gumboot tea to get an idea of what you sometimes drink with a drop of milk! What kind of tea do you prefer? We brew a pot of tea every morning. I suspect it must be a non-descript gumboot tea. It's an English Breakfast tea from Assam that we have shipped from the San Francisco Herb Co. Did you read recently that tea growers in India are experiencing some of the effects of global climate change? That's a scary prospect: a world without tea.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com