Tea (rec.drink.tea) Discussion relating to tea, the world's second most consumed beverage (after water), made by infusing or boiling the leaves of the tea plant (C. sinensis or close relatives) in water.

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  #1 (permalink)   Report Post  
TheMadHacker
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags



From a health perspective which is better?
I've read three books and none of them agree.
Anyway care to share?

Thanks


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Blair P. Houghton
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

TheMadHacker > wrote:
>
>
>From a health perspective which is better?
>I've read three books and none of them agree.
>Anyway care to share?


Depends on whether you chew, and if you leave the staple in.

--Blair
"I think the string is 'good fiber'."
  #3 (permalink)   Report Post  
Zephyrus
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

TheMadHacker > wrote in message >. ..
> From a health perspective which is better?
> I've read three books and none of them agree.
> Anyway care to share?
>
> Thanks


In theory, there shouldn't be any difference. The only obvious
difference would be that whole-leaf loose tea would infuse more
slowly, not always releasing all of its potential in one steep. Of
course, with many teas (esp. chinese ones) you can (and should)
reinfuse the leaves.

However, since bagged tea usually is of a much lower grade than loose
tea, loose probably would be more beneficial to health. And since
bagged tea has usually had a lot of time on the store shelf in useless
cardboard boxes and paper sleeves to go stale, thus losing some of its
health-benefiting chemicals (to say nothing of flavor), loose tea
probably has an edge over bagged stuff.

Oh, and a third thing: it's been said on this newsgroup before that
the only way to get the full potential out of a bunch of tea leaves is
to *eat* the spent leaves--which would be tastier and easier with
loose-leaf.

Just some ruminations.

ZBL
  #4 (permalink)   Report Post  
Holly E. Ordway
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

Zephyrus wrote:

> However, since bagged tea usually is of a much lower grade than loose
> tea, loose probably would be more beneficial to health.


Could you elaborate on this? I've seen it stated as a given many times, but
I've never read a clear explanation of what the "lower grade" vs. "higher
grade" means.

I understand that the "higher grade" tea has larger pieces of tea leaf, and
the "lower grade" tea is smaller pieces and dust. But why is it preferable
to have larger pieces? Is there any other factor in the "grade" of the tea?

Also, larger pieces of tea leaf may take longer to release their flavor
(allowing for a second steeping if desired), but if you typically just do a
single steeping, does that matter?

Cheers,
Holly
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Zephyrus
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

My understanding is that a "good grade" of tea simply is a tea that
conforms unusually well to tea-ideals of the country that made it. For
instance, Chinese tea drinkers value large, shapely leaves and want
many steeps out of leaves, so expensive Chinese teas are usually
whole-leaf (and sometimes elaborately shaped) and almost always give
multiple steeps, especially oolong.

The Japanese, however, don't value the multiple steeps or leaf style,
so their "high grade" tea doesn't necessarily have these qualities.

That's not even to touch on country-specific preferences in taste
(Chinese earthy vs. Japanese "clean" vs. Vietnamese STRONG). Again,
expensive "high grade" teas will usually be unusually good examples of
the preferences of the the country of origin.

"Leaf grades" are another matter--mostly for Indian teas, I think.

http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/inf...NFOgrading.asp

Incedently, I find that whole leaves usually give subtler tea, and are
less likely to become bitter. But, chacun a son gout.

ZBL


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Michael Plant
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

4/13/04


> My understanding is that a "good grade" of tea simply is a tea that
> conforms unusually well to tea-ideals of the country that made it. For
> instance, Chinese tea drinkers value large, shapely leaves and want
> many steeps out of leaves, so expensive Chinese teas are usually
> whole-leaf (and sometimes elaborately shaped) and almost always give
> multiple steeps, especially oolong.
>
> The Japanese, however, don't value the multiple steeps or leaf style,
> so their "high grade" tea doesn't necessarily have these qualities.
>
> That's not even to touch on country-specific preferences in taste
> (Chinese earthy vs. Japanese "clean" vs. Vietnamese STRONG). Again,
> expensive "high grade" teas will usually be unusually good examples of
> the preferences of the the country of origin.
>
> "Leaf grades" are another matter--mostly for Indian teas, I think.
>
>
http://www.uptontea.com/shopcart/inf...NFOgrading.asp
>
> Incedently, I find that whole leaves usually give subtler tea, and are
> less likely to become bitter. But, chacun a son gout.
>
> ZBL



Good points all. Quality is culture specific.

What do I do with my T-Sac tea filters (read "tea bags")? I weigh out the
tea on the scale in my office, place the appropriate amount in each sac,
place the sacs in a metal cylindrical tea canister, put the canister with
the rest of my junk in the brief case or back pack, head off to any cafe or
restaurant, request hot water, and do my own tea thing. Works for me. (If
I'm gungfuing, I just pour the tea out of the sac, which is just folded
over, unstapled and untied.) Wouldn't do this in a "tea" type place. Would
do it in Starbucks.

  #12 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags



Michael Plant wrote:

> Actually, I think you're quite correct about the leaf. The Chinese revere a
> beautifully made, full unbroken leaf, while I've never gotten a Japanese tea
> regardless of price that was truly full unbroken leaf. The Japanese leaf
> parts are large enough though to offer multiple infusions. I'm often struck
> by the artificial looking green of so many Japanese teas -- that fake
> looking blue-green needle.


Well, Michael, you can always let those brilliant Japanese greens sit
out on the shelf for a few months till they fade, and then they'll look
(and taste?) like the dull Chinese leaves you seem to prefer...

Joshing aside, what's so fake and artificial about the color of Japanese
greens? It's the color of fresh vegetation.

--crymad
  #13 (permalink)   Report Post  
Michael Plant
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

4/15/04

>
>
> Michael Plant wrote:
>
>> Actually, I think you're quite correct about the leaf. The Chinese revere a
>> beautifully made, full unbroken leaf, while I've never gotten a Japanese tea
>> regardless of price that was truly full unbroken leaf. The Japanese leaf
>> parts are large enough though to offer multiple infusions. I'm often struck
>> by the artificial looking green of so many Japanese teas -- that fake
>> looking blue-green needle.

>
> Well, Michael, you can always let those brilliant Japanese greens sit
> out on the shelf for a few months till they fade, and then they'll look
> (and taste?) like the dull Chinese leaves you seem to prefer...


Yuk, yuk.
>
> Joshing aside, what's so fake and artificial about the color of Japanese
> greens? It's the color of fresh vegetation.


Sorry didn't mean to step on toes. It's just the sight/sense impression I
get. Astroturf. I really do love a fine Gyokuro or Sencha, "fine" being a
judgement *my* mouth makes; other mouths may judge differently. Must admit
that floating in the water, Gyokuro has been the most beautiful tea I've
ever seen. (Gyokuro, not me, floating in the water, that is.)

Kidding aside, would you agree that at the top of the line, the Chinese are
more concerned with the physical look of whole uncut leaf than the Japanese
are?

BTW, at the the Japanese don't make the teas pass through the Obfuscation
Board before they're released. In China it sometimes seems tea names lead to
nothing but confusion.

  #15 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags



Michael Plant wrote:

> Kidding aside, would you agree that at the top of the line, the Chinese are
> more concerned with the physical look of whole uncut leaf than the Japanese
> are?


Certainly. This is an interesting observation, considering the
importance of appearances in Japan. Then again, tea in Japan is brewed
in a covered pot, leaves hidden from view. The color of the liquor and
the vessel from which it's drunk get all the attention.

--crymad


  #16 (permalink)   Report Post  
Zephyrus
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

crymad > wrote in message >...
> Michael Plant wrote:
>
> > Kidding aside, would you agree that at the top of the line, the Chinese are
> > more concerned with the physical look of whole uncut leaf than the Japanese
> > are?

>
> Certainly. This is an interesting observation, considering the
> importance of appearances in Japan. Then again, tea in Japan is brewed
> in a covered pot, leaves hidden from view. The color of the liquor and
> the vessel from which it's drunk get all the attention.
>
> --crymad


I've heard that attributed to the fact that the Japanese have a higher
standard of living than the Chinese, and thus lack the requisite
underpaid laborors to pluck and shape the leaves perfectly: from what
I was told, the Japanese rely more on machines than the Chinese.

ZBL
  #17 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags



Zephyrus wrote:
>
> crymad > wrote in message >...
> > Michael Plant wrote:
> >
> > > Kidding aside, would you agree that at the top of the line, the Chinese are
> > > more concerned with the physical look of whole uncut leaf than the Japanese
> > > are?

> >
> > Certainly. This is an interesting observation, considering the
> > importance of appearances in Japan. Then again, tea in Japan is brewed
> > in a covered pot, leaves hidden from view. The color of the liquor and
> > the vessel from which it's drunk get all the attention.
> >
> > --crymad

>
> I've heard that attributed to the fact that the Japanese have a higher
> standard of living than the Chinese, and thus lack the requisite
> underpaid laborors to pluck and shape the leaves perfectly: from what
> I was told, the Japanese rely more on machines than the Chinese.


The Japanese do rely heavily on machines for modern tea processing. But
I don't believe the needle-like appearance of Japanese dry leaf is a
cost-saving by-product of industry. The machines mimic the the hand
rolling process. In fact, hand-rolled tea ("temomi") is still available
in Japan. albeit at a very high cost, and the thin, needle-like form of
these teas is even more pronounced.

--crymad
  #18 (permalink)   Report Post  
Blair P. Houghton
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

crymad > wrote:
>rolling process. In fact, hand-rolled tea ("temomi") is still available
>in Japan. albeit at a very high cost, and the thin, needle-like form of
>these teas is even more pronounced.


Does the needle-like rolling do anything significant
for the flavor, asside from adding a lot of skin-oil
to the cup?

--Blair
"Sorry."
  #19 (permalink)   Report Post  
Nigel at Teacraft
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

crymad > wrote in message >...

> > I've heard that attributed to the fact that the Japanese have a higher
> > standard of living than the Chinese, and thus lack the requisite
> > underpaid laborors to pluck and shape the leaves perfectly: from what
> > I was told, the Japanese rely more on machines than the Chinese.

>
> The Japanese do rely heavily on machines for modern tea processing. But
> I don't believe the needle-like appearance of Japanese dry leaf is a
> cost-saving by-product of industry. The machines mimic the the hand
> rolling process. In fact, hand-rolled tea ("temomi") is still available
> in Japan. albeit at a very high cost, and the thin, needle-like form of
> these teas is even more pronounced.


Traditionally green leaf was hand rolled in China on palms of the
hands rotating anticlockwise ninety degrees out of sync. In Japan
leaf was hand rolled backwards and forwards between hands and a flat
surface.
Thus in China there is twist and curl - ultimately giving the
gunpowder pellet. The orthodox rolling table, particularly the double
acting type, is based on the rotating hand action. In Japan the
forwards-backwards hand motion forms cylindrical needles, and Japanese
green tea machinery mimics this action and product.

Nigel at Teacraft
  #20 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags



Nigel at Teacraft wrote:
>
> crymad > wrote in message >...


> > I don't believe the needle-like appearance of Japanese dry leaf is a
> > cost-saving by-product of industry. The machines mimic the the hand
> > rolling process. In fact, hand-rolled tea ("temomi") is still available
> > in Japan, albeit at a very high cost, and the thin, needle-like form of
> > these teas is even more pronounced.

>
> Traditionally green leaf was hand rolled in China on palms of the
> hands rotating anticlockwise ninety degrees out of sync. In Japan
> leaf was hand rolled backwards and forwards between hands and a flat
> surface.
> Thus in China there is twist and curl - ultimately giving the
> gunpowder pellet. The orthodox rolling table, particularly the double
> acting type, is based on the rotating hand action. In Japan the
> forwards-backwards hand motion forms cylindrical needles, and Japanese
> green tea machinery mimics this action and product.


A good presentation of the Japanese hand-rolled tea process can be seen
he

http://www.town.matsumoto.kagoshima....atsumoto03.htm

--crymad


  #21 (permalink)   Report Post  
Blair P. Houghton
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

crymad > wrote:
>A good presentation of the Japanese hand-rolled tea process can be seen
>he
>
>http://www.town.matsumoto.kagoshima....atsumoto03.htm


Man...

I was gonna make up a good caption-joke about it, but then I got
to the last page and...crap...not even I can do it justice...

--Blair
"You can't make this stuff up."
  #22 (permalink)   Report Post  
Rich Hudson
 
Posts: n/a
Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

To respond to a few of the comments made he

I lived in Japan for 10 years, and bagged green tea is looked on there
in the same way that the gourmet coffee drinkers I know in the U.S.
would entertain the thought of McDonald's coffee. The simple reason is
that tea bags contain the "sweepings" that are left over after
loose-leaf tea makers have first pick, plus twigs that wouldn't be
allowed in the better loose-leaf green teas.

As for multiple steepings, the way the typical Japanese tea drinker
does it is to put leaves in the pot and keep adding leaves and hot
water as the infusion is depleted.

When I'm drinking tea at the office, I usually infuse three times,
adding a pinch of new leaves for the 3rd cup (I use an over-the-cup
infuser). With good teas, the second infusion has different qualities.
Not weaker, but different.

Back to bags vs. leaves: I also think that more of the "good stuff"
comes out of the leaves when they're free to flow around the teapot.
I've tried putting loose-leaf tea (from mellowmonk.com) in
do-it-yourself tea bags that I found at a local Japanese market, but
the infusion just wasn't as good as brewing "unfettered" leaves.

Cheers,

Rich (a fogie newbie glad to be aboard)
  #23 (permalink)   Report Post  
Tom
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

>Rich (a fogie newbie glad to be aboard)
>


welcome

--Tom
-oo-
""\o~
------------------------------------
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto."
Terrance
  #24 (permalink)   Report Post  
Tom
 
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Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

>Rich (a fogie newbie glad to be aboard)
>


welcome

--Tom
-oo-
""\o~
------------------------------------
"Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto."
Terrance
  #27 (permalink)   Report Post  
Zephyrus
 
Posts: n/a
Default mellowmonk.com (WAS: Loose Tea vs. Tea bags)

> I've tried putting loose-leaf tea (from mellowmonk.com) in
> do-it-yourself tea bags that I found at a local Japanese market, but
> the infusion just wasn't as good as brewing "unfettered" leaves.


Out of curiosity, what's mellowmonk.com's tea like? What's the service
like?

The fact that they devote a site to selling only one tea makes me
interested (& a little leery): I don't know what to make of this
vendor.

Anyone with experience with 'em?

ZBL
  #28 (permalink)   Report Post  
Zephyrus
 
Posts: n/a
Default mellowmonk.com (WAS: Loose Tea vs. Tea bags)

> I've tried putting loose-leaf tea (from mellowmonk.com) in
> do-it-yourself tea bags that I found at a local Japanese market, but
> the infusion just wasn't as good as brewing "unfettered" leaves.


Out of curiosity, what's mellowmonk.com's tea like? What's the service
like?

The fact that they devote a site to selling only one tea makes me
interested (& a little leery): I don't know what to make of this
vendor.

Anyone with experience with 'em?

ZBL
  #29 (permalink)   Report Post  
DLG
 
Posts: n/a
Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

About bag v.s. leaves, one of the reason for bag will be it keep
everything in bags, so you won't have to deal with those unwanted
leavings, but in traditional Chinese teacraft, those leavings were at
the top of to-be-avoid list.
Also, as a consideration of usages, bags are more likely to be applied
in those fast serving circumstances, while loose leaves sits more on
entertaining and relaxation side.
Talking about diffusion of the chemical ingredient in tea leaves: as a
common sence, it is impossible to analysis everything out of an
organic body, another common sence, every ingredient has some effect
on human body, so you will never know which one told you to drink more
water or which one gives you a headache; But the ancestors of Chinese
tea-lovers left all their experiences to later generations, and I
haven't found any tea-bag dosages.

About Chinese tea v.s. Japanese tea, I never been to Japan and seldom
drink Japanese tea, so I won't comment on this, but I lived in China
longer than Rich lived in Japan, and began to drink Chinese tea almost
15 years ago, so I know what I have been drinking, and what to drink
according to different situations.

About the names to Chinese tea, as I said earlier, China was a huge
country of agriculture and the tea was sitting at the top of the
culture, and, Chinese linguistic system is too different compare
western lingusitic systems, and if one want to map/image every tea
name from an element-richer environment to a relatively limited
expression, confusion, I am afriad, will be the only thing that one
could expect.
A donwn-side factor contributes to this confusion would came from the
some dealers, especially those not that honest and those not having
enough knowledge. From the middle of 19th centry, the Chinese original
social structure was ruined by so many "things", and a health tea
industry hasn't been restore yet by now, but unfortunately, there is
nobody to be blamed...back to names, I don't think by only use
original English without imported linguistic elements could help to
clarify the confusion.
Again, Chinese tea drinking is not only for a refresment, culture
elements were built-in bolcks down to every tiny detail of tea
drinking, enen on those names. So, if your central processing unit
could only deal with English and rather reluctant to carry out an
upgrade, I don't see any possibility for your system to deal with more
complicated informations; and as to the confusion, maybe just stay in.



(Rich Hudson) wrote in message . com>...
> To respond to a few of the comments made he
>
> I lived in Japan for 10 years, and bagged green tea is looked on there
> in the same way that the gourmet coffee drinkers I know in the U.S.
> would entertain the thought of McDonald's coffee. The simple reason is
> that tea bags contain the "sweepings" that are left over after
> loose-leaf tea makers have first pick, plus twigs that wouldn't be
> allowed in the better loose-leaf green teas.
>
> As for multiple steepings, the way the typical Japanese tea drinker
> does it is to put leaves in the pot and keep adding leaves and hot
> water as the infusion is depleted.
>
> When I'm drinking tea at the office, I usually infuse three times,
> adding a pinch of new leaves for the 3rd cup (I use an over-the-cup
> infuser). With good teas, the second infusion has different qualities.
> Not weaker, but different.
>
> Back to bags vs. leaves: I also think that more of the "good stuff"
> comes out of the leaves when they're free to flow around the teapot.
> I've tried putting loose-leaf tea (from mellowmonk.com) in
> do-it-yourself tea bags that I found at a local Japanese market, but
> the infusion just wasn't as good as brewing "unfettered" leaves.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rich (a fogie newbie glad to be aboard)

  #30 (permalink)   Report Post  
DLG
 
Posts: n/a
Default Loose Tea vs. Tea bags

About bag v.s. leaves, one of the reason for bag will be it keep
everything in bags, so you won't have to deal with those unwanted
leavings, but in traditional Chinese teacraft, those leavings were at
the top of to-be-avoid list.
Also, as a consideration of usages, bags are more likely to be applied
in those fast serving circumstances, while loose leaves sits more on
entertaining and relaxation side.
Talking about diffusion of the chemical ingredient in tea leaves: as a
common sence, it is impossible to analysis everything out of an
organic body, another common sence, every ingredient has some effect
on human body, so you will never know which one told you to drink more
water or which one gives you a headache; But the ancestors of Chinese
tea-lovers left all their experiences to later generations, and I
haven't found any tea-bag dosages.

About Chinese tea v.s. Japanese tea, I never been to Japan and seldom
drink Japanese tea, so I won't comment on this, but I lived in China
longer than Rich lived in Japan, and began to drink Chinese tea almost
15 years ago, so I know what I have been drinking, and what to drink
according to different situations.

About the names to Chinese tea, as I said earlier, China was a huge
country of agriculture and the tea was sitting at the top of the
culture, and, Chinese linguistic system is too different compare
western lingusitic systems, and if one want to map/image every tea
name from an element-richer environment to a relatively limited
expression, confusion, I am afriad, will be the only thing that one
could expect.
A donwn-side factor contributes to this confusion would came from the
some dealers, especially those not that honest and those not having
enough knowledge. From the middle of 19th centry, the Chinese original
social structure was ruined by so many "things", and a health tea
industry hasn't been restore yet by now, but unfortunately, there is
nobody to be blamed...back to names, I don't think by only use
original English without imported linguistic elements could help to
clarify the confusion.
Again, Chinese tea drinking is not only for a refresment, culture
elements were built-in bolcks down to every tiny detail of tea
drinking, enen on those names. So, if your central processing unit
could only deal with English and rather reluctant to carry out an
upgrade, I don't see any possibility for your system to deal with more
complicated informations; and as to the confusion, maybe just stay in.



(Rich Hudson) wrote in message . com>...
> To respond to a few of the comments made he
>
> I lived in Japan for 10 years, and bagged green tea is looked on there
> in the same way that the gourmet coffee drinkers I know in the U.S.
> would entertain the thought of McDonald's coffee. The simple reason is
> that tea bags contain the "sweepings" that are left over after
> loose-leaf tea makers have first pick, plus twigs that wouldn't be
> allowed in the better loose-leaf green teas.
>
> As for multiple steepings, the way the typical Japanese tea drinker
> does it is to put leaves in the pot and keep adding leaves and hot
> water as the infusion is depleted.
>
> When I'm drinking tea at the office, I usually infuse three times,
> adding a pinch of new leaves for the 3rd cup (I use an over-the-cup
> infuser). With good teas, the second infusion has different qualities.
> Not weaker, but different.
>
> Back to bags vs. leaves: I also think that more of the "good stuff"
> comes out of the leaves when they're free to flow around the teapot.
> I've tried putting loose-leaf tea (from mellowmonk.com) in
> do-it-yourself tea bags that I found at a local Japanese market, but
> the infusion just wasn't as good as brewing "unfettered" leaves.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Rich (a fogie newbie glad to be aboard)



  #31 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea



DLG wrote:

> About Chinese tea v.s. Japanese tea, I never been to Japan and seldom
> drink Japanese tea, so I won't comment on this, but I lived in China
> longer than Rich lived in Japan, and began to drink Chinese tea almost
> 15 years ago, so I know what I have been drinking, and what to drink
> according to different situations.


Seldom drink Japanese tea? Please do comment on this. What about
Japanese tea finds you indifferent?

--crymad
  #32 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea



DLG wrote:

> About Chinese tea v.s. Japanese tea, I never been to Japan and seldom
> drink Japanese tea, so I won't comment on this, but I lived in China
> longer than Rich lived in Japan, and began to drink Chinese tea almost
> 15 years ago, so I know what I have been drinking, and what to drink
> according to different situations.


Seldom drink Japanese tea? Please do comment on this. What about
Japanese tea finds you indifferent?

--crymad
  #33 (permalink)   Report Post  
Rich Hudson
 
Posts: n/a
Default mellowmonk.com (WAS: Loose Tea vs. Tea bags)

> Out of curiosity, what's mellowmonk.com's tea like? What's the service
> like?
> The fact that they devote a site to selling only one tea makes me
> interested (& a little leery): I don't know what to make of this
> vendor.
> Anyone with experience with 'em?


I'm happy enough with their service. Last time I ordered, I ordered on
a Sunday, so the tea didn't ship until the next day (which may be good
compared to a lot of websites). I did get confirmation emails right
away. Once the tea shipped I got it in a day (I'm in the S.F. Bay
Area, like they are, however).

It's definitely a small operation. I hadn't heard of them until
recently, so if they're new, they probably don't have the cash to
expand into other offerings. (I ran my own business for a while and I
know how tight money can be in the beginning.) Still, I like that they
buy from family tea farms (plantations?) and they even give the names
and photos of their growers, which I don't think anyone else does.

As for the tea, I drink a couple pots of it a day (every day), so I
want a tea that (1) I won't get tired of drinking and (2) I can afford
to drink that much of, and mellowmonk.com fits the bill on both
counts.

Just my $0.02,

Rich
  #34 (permalink)   Report Post  
Rich Hudson
 
Posts: n/a
Default mellowmonk.com (WAS: Loose Tea vs. Tea bags)

> Out of curiosity, what's mellowmonk.com's tea like? What's the service
> like?
> The fact that they devote a site to selling only one tea makes me
> interested (& a little leery): I don't know what to make of this
> vendor.
> Anyone with experience with 'em?


I'm happy enough with their service. Last time I ordered, I ordered on
a Sunday, so the tea didn't ship until the next day (which may be good
compared to a lot of websites). I did get confirmation emails right
away. Once the tea shipped I got it in a day (I'm in the S.F. Bay
Area, like they are, however).

It's definitely a small operation. I hadn't heard of them until
recently, so if they're new, they probably don't have the cash to
expand into other offerings. (I ran my own business for a while and I
know how tight money can be in the beginning.) Still, I like that they
buy from family tea farms (plantations?) and they even give the names
and photos of their growers, which I don't think anyone else does.

As for the tea, I drink a couple pots of it a day (every day), so I
want a tea that (1) I won't get tired of drinking and (2) I can afford
to drink that much of, and mellowmonk.com fits the bill on both
counts.

Just my $0.02,

Rich
  #35 (permalink)   Report Post  
DLG
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea

I think I got a strong habit in Chinese tea drinking, and don't think
I could be able to give comprehensive comments on Japanese tea. I
think one could easily find some difference after a brief research.





crymad > wrote in message >...
> DLG wrote:
>
> > About Chinese tea v.s. Japanese tea, I never been to Japan and seldom
> > drink Japanese tea, so I won't comment on this, but I lived in China
> > longer than Rich lived in Japan, and began to drink Chinese tea almost
> > 15 years ago, so I know what I have been drinking, and what to drink
> > according to different situations.

>
> Seldom drink Japanese tea? Please do comment on this. What about
> Japanese tea finds you indifferent?
>
> --crymad



  #36 (permalink)   Report Post  
DLG
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea

I think I got a strong habit in Chinese tea drinking, and don't think
I could be able to give comprehensive comments on Japanese tea. I
think one could easily find some difference after a brief research.





crymad > wrote in message >...
> DLG wrote:
>
> > About Chinese tea v.s. Japanese tea, I never been to Japan and seldom
> > drink Japanese tea, so I won't comment on this, but I lived in China
> > longer than Rich lived in Japan, and began to drink Chinese tea almost
> > 15 years ago, so I know what I have been drinking, and what to drink
> > according to different situations.

>
> Seldom drink Japanese tea? Please do comment on this. What about
> Japanese tea finds you indifferent?
>
> --crymad

  #37 (permalink)   Report Post  
Sean McEntee
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea

DLG wrote:
> I think I got a strong habit in Chinese tea drinking, and don't think
> I could be able to give comprehensive comments on Japanese tea. I
> think one could easily find some difference after a brief research.


Like Rich, I've lived in Japan (but never China) and so got into the
habit of drinking Japanese green tea. (I'll have to check out
mellowmonk.com). About the only Chinese green tea that I've tried
(knowingly, that is) yielded an almost brown infusion from dark green
leaves. I thought it was either a misrepresentation, or a style of
green tea that's more popular among the Chinese. I've heard that green
tea isn't that popular in China (though I'm not disputing that they
produce some fine ones, and I don't want to get into a
Chinese-vs.-Japanese-green tea debate) but it is ironic that even in
Japan most of the mass-market green teas, whether bagged, loose, or
ready to drink, come from China now. That according to the proprieter
of a Japanese market I visit occasionally -- for sake, natto,
shishamo, and all the other wonderful things from Japan I can't seem
to live without since moving back to the States.
  #38 (permalink)   Report Post  
Sean McEntee
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea

DLG wrote:
> I think I got a strong habit in Chinese tea drinking, and don't think
> I could be able to give comprehensive comments on Japanese tea. I
> think one could easily find some difference after a brief research.


Like Rich, I've lived in Japan (but never China) and so got into the
habit of drinking Japanese green tea. (I'll have to check out
mellowmonk.com). About the only Chinese green tea that I've tried
(knowingly, that is) yielded an almost brown infusion from dark green
leaves. I thought it was either a misrepresentation, or a style of
green tea that's more popular among the Chinese. I've heard that green
tea isn't that popular in China (though I'm not disputing that they
produce some fine ones, and I don't want to get into a
Chinese-vs.-Japanese-green tea debate) but it is ironic that even in
Japan most of the mass-market green teas, whether bagged, loose, or
ready to drink, come from China now. That according to the proprieter
of a Japanese market I visit occasionally -- for sake, natto,
shishamo, and all the other wonderful things from Japan I can't seem
to live without since moving back to the States.
  #39 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea



Sean McEntee wrote:

> but it is ironic that even in
> Japan most of the mass-market green teas, whether bagged, loose, or
> ready to drink, come from China now. That according to the proprieter
> of a Japanese market I visit occasionally


What exactly do you mean by "mass-market" loose tea? Loose tea
available in groceries and department stores? Because this tea is most
assuredly Japanese in origin.

--crymad
  #40 (permalink)   Report Post  
crymad
 
Posts: n/a
Default Chinese tea vs. Japanese tea



Sean McEntee wrote:

> but it is ironic that even in
> Japan most of the mass-market green teas, whether bagged, loose, or
> ready to drink, come from China now. That according to the proprieter
> of a Japanese market I visit occasionally


What exactly do you mean by "mass-market" loose tea? Loose tea
available in groceries and department stores? Because this tea is most
assuredly Japanese in origin.

--crymad
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