On Oct 4, 9:08*pm, Ed > wrote:
> As I venture further into this passion, I find myself collecting quite
> a variety of teas. *I am wondering if most people stick to a few on
> hand or end up with a collection.
>
> Ed

That's part of the journey. It starts off with a few because that's
all you know, then it grows and you have small packets of everything
all over the place, then you'll have large packets of everything all
over the place, then you'll have a few specific teas, then eventually
repeat one or more of those earlier stages. I've hit a point where
I need only about 8 teas in my cupboard to be happy and cover my
bases. I rotate out 2-3 of them depending on season or my mood.
Occasionally I'll get a bug to explore a new type of tea and that
number will double, maybe one of those from the exploration will make
it into the couple that rotate but often not. Once you really nail
down your likes and dislikes and have tried representations from
almost every category the numbers dwindle.

The only advice I could offer is to buy one or two really good teas
(even if they seem expensive and the amounts are less) instead of four
or five cheap but mediocre teas. I wish I had done this myself earlier
on, but just didn't know better.

It's an adventure that encompasses history, art, people, regions,
cultures, and much more than what ends up in your cup, and often that
trumps even the best tea so don't forget to step back a bit and take
it all in.

- Dominic