Last night, as I was laying in bed trying to get to sleep, I realized
something. My friends and colleagues thing me somewhat of a tea
gourmet - or even a tea snob. But I don't think that's accurate.

I make almost all of my tea in either a single pot with an infuser or
in my Tea-one (A tall pitcher and top's got a filter basket. Push a
button and the tea drains out after steeping.) I never use two pots,
and I don't use different pots for different types of tea (although I
have thought about it).

I don't like puerh.

I don't measure out my tea by weight. I merely eyeball what I think is
the right amount on a teaspoon. And then I drink it out of a mug.

I don't like puerh.

I keep my teas stored in a drawer, in airtight plastic bottles because
its convenient. I know there are better methods, but I don't have the
gumption to switch. (At least I keep them "air tight" and "dark".)

I don't like puerh.

While I appreciate the intricacies of gungfu, I have no desire to
actually do it myself. Sure, it's a good cup of tea, but I don't think
its worth the effort. And for me to do it for the sake of doing it
would be pretentious. (I'm not saying that doing gungfu is
pretentious. I'm saying that it would be "for me" - it's a personal
thing.)

I don't like puerh.

I do appreciate good teas, however. And I know what "bad tea" is. I
was at a conference last week that had bagged tea at the snack table.
It wasn't too bad, but I missed my stash of teas at home. At the same
time, I often can't tell the difference between two grades of the same
tea - while I know others who can.

Did I mention that I don't like puerh?

And I have hardly any "tea memorabilia" around, except a few teacups I
bought when I was in Russia. Save for the absence of a coffee pot in
our house, no one would really know from visiting that I drink tea.

All of that has brought me to one rather startling conclusion. I am
not a tea gourmet (a connoisseur of tea). I am, in fact, simply a
gourmand (one who is heartily interested in good tea).

Maybe, one day, I'll move myself up the tea drinkers hierarchy. But in
the mean time, I'm just going to enjoy my tea.

The "gourmet" is dead. Long live the "gourmand"!

--
Derek

Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are
men who want crops without plowing the ground. -- Frederick Douglass,
abolitionist, editor and orator (1817-1895)