I recently decided to explore some of China's classical green teas and
ordered Supreme Tai Ping Hou Kui and Liu An Gua Pian from Dragon Tea
House. I did not get any brewing recommendations and my initial
attempts to brew the teas in both a glass and a small porcelain pot
yielded a rather bland tea in both cases. It was not weak, just not
very distinct or special in any great way.

Is there a trick to getting the most out of the uniqueness of each of
these teas?

On Mar 26, 6:43*pm, Hyllan > wrote:
> I recently decided to explore some of China's classical green teas and
> ordered Supreme Tai Ping Hou Kui and Liu An Gua Pian from Dragon Tea
> House. I did not get any brewing recommendations and my initial
> attempts to brew the teas in both a glass and a small porcelain pot
> yielded a rather bland tea in both cases. It was not weak, just not
> very distinct or special in any great way.
>
> Is there a trick to getting the most out of the uniqueness of each of
> these teas?

You may have brewed the tea for either too long or short or too hot.
Try 80 degrees or even cooler and go for a minute and half or try even
a cooler tea (luke warm) and let it sit. Do not steam in your gaiwan.
I learned the later technique from Roy Fong and it has improved my
appreciation of greens.
Shen

On Mar 26, 9:43 pm, Hyllan > wrote:
> I recently decided to explore some of China's classical green teas and
> ordered Supreme Tai Ping Hou Kui and Liu An Gua Pian from Dragon Tea
> House. I did not get any brewing recommendations and my initial
> attempts to brew the teas in both a glass and a small porcelain pot
> yielded a rather bland tea in both cases. It was not weak, just not
> very distinct or special in any great way.
>
> Is there a trick to getting the most out of the uniqueness of each of
> these teas?

Shen's reply is about it (but higher temp water ~100c for the Liu
An)... I just wanted to add that TPHK has to be one of my least
favorite green teas. I have now tried it from three sources with quite
a variance in price and none of it has changed my mind. It is just an
off-putting tea for me. I have previously described the "roast-beef"
like flavor I get from it and other times a plastic taste. I have
tried (no lie) at least 50 times in almost as many different
preparations and it just doesn't do it, I will say that you need to
use a lot of leaf or else forget it. Liu An is admittedly not one of
my strong suits and I'm relatively inexperienced with it, but while it
isn't a personal favorite either I can appreciate it a bit more and
brewing is more forgiving as far as what I've seen. I treat it like a
green Puerh and a quick rinse as well as hotter water (90-100c).

In keeping with my own philosophy on tea (and life) many times the
most revered "classic" items aren't really the best. They may have had
a special reason or special context that made them so at one time but
often outside of that framework there is little actual substance. Just
as peasant dishes tend to be the most flavorful and enjoyable.

- Dominic

"Dominic T." > writes:

> [...Taiping Hou Kui...]
>
> Liu An is admittedly not one of my strong suits and I'm relatively
> inexperienced with it, but while it isn't a personal favorite either
> I can appreciate it a bit more and brewing is more forgiving as far
> as what I've seen. I treat it like a green Puerh and a quick rinse
> as well as hotter water (90-100c).

Are you sure you're talking about Liu An Guapian here? It sounds as
if you mean the post-fermented Liu An tea, which is quite different: a
tea that most people prefer to drink once it's aged for many years.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

On Mar 27, 9:46 am, Lewis Perin > wrote:
> "Dominic T." > writes:
> > [...Taiping Hou Kui...]
>
> > Liu An is admittedly not one of my strong suits and I'm relatively
> > inexperienced with it, but while it isn't a personal favorite either
> > I can appreciate it a bit more and brewing is more forgiving as far
> > as what I've seen. I treat it like a green Puerh and a quick rinse
> > as well as hotter water (90-100c).
>
> Are you sure you're talking about Liu An Guapian here? It sounds as
> if you mean the post-fermented Liu An tea, which is quite different: a
> tea that most people prefer to drink once it's aged for many years.
>
> /Lew
> ---
> Lew Perin /

Oop sorry (reading comprehension FTL) the OP meant "sunflower/melon
seed" Liu An... my bad. Yes, Lew you caught me. Good thing someone's
here to keep me honst

- Dominic

Important 2 noe d nature of teas first:
Tai Ping Hou Kui - first fried in the pan briefly & then baked
thorough
Liu An Gua Pian - fully fried in the pan & handpressed.

Flavors:
Tai Ping Hou Kui - fragrance is lingering but strong, sweet, slightly
grassy & 'full flavor' in the mouth
Liu An Gua Pian - fragrance is more pronounced, flavor is sweet &
lively in the mouth with a long lasting aftertaste

While you can use close 2 boiling temperature 2 brew Liu An Gua Pia,
with Tai Ping Hou Kui you can use this method: using 80c temperature,
pour in just enough water 2 cover the leaves, take 3 deep breaths,
then fill up the gaiwan. Take another 2 deep breaths & then pour out
the tea. With Tai Ping Hou Kui, the 2nd & 3rd brews are usually the
better ones.

You can use the swirling method 2 extract the best out of Liu An Gua
Pian, but that also means cutting back your tea enjoying time. Also
using 80c temperature, fill the gaiwan 2 about 70% full, then
carefully rotate the gaiwan on its base for about 30-50sec, then pour
out. With this method you can brew only about twice, thrice if the tea
is of good quality.

kevo

On 27 Mar, 02:43, Hyllan > wrote:
> I recently decided to explore some of China's classical green teas and
> ordered Supreme Tai Ping Hou Kui and Liu An Gua Pian from Dragon Tea
> House. I did not get any brewing recommendations and my initial
> attempts to brew the teas in both a glass and a small porcelain pot
> yielded a rather bland tea in both cases. It was not weak, just not
> very distinct or special in any great way.
>
> Is there a trick to getting the most out of the uniqueness of each of
> these teas?

Thanks for the advices guys.