I just learned something important today, something I never even thought of.
I took my glass of Emperor Long Jing outside. It's not hot out, I think it's
about 65 F, and there's a slight wind blowing, it's cloudy and there's no
smog or smells I can detect out there (except for the new-mown grass, but
that's when I pull my nose OUT of my glass) Anyway, suddenly the tea came
alive for me...I detected something like baked winter squash with sweet (but
not lots of sweet.) I think the air in my house might be too stale or
something for me to grasp the scents. The difference was amazing.

Strange hmm?

Melinda



--
"I know. You know I know. I know you know I know. We know Henry knows,
and Henry knows we know it."

We're a knowledgeable family." ::smiles:: -Geoffrey, Lion in Winter

4/26/05

>
> I just learned something important today, something I never even thought of.
> I took my glass of Emperor Long Jing outside. It's not hot out, I think it's
> about 65 F, and there's a slight wind blowing, it's cloudy and there's no
> smog or smells I can detect out there (except for the new-mown grass, but
> that's when I pull my nose OUT of my glass) Anyway, suddenly the tea came
> alive for me...I detected something like baked winter squash with sweet (but
> not lots of sweet.) I think the air in my house might be too stale or
> something for me to grasp the scents. The difference was amazing.
>
> Strange hmm?
>
> Melinda



Melinda,

Not strange at all, rather a valuable observation, I'd say. First, these
LJ's are delicate teas and can be easily overwhelmed. Second, there is no
accounting for these things. I'm much more alive to tea nuance in the early
morning. Go know. While you're at it, try brewing the tea in water around
the same temperature as the ambient air. Before a few minutes, you'll have a
nice cup of tea. In the summer I find cool water in my Chinese glass
carry-along thing works wonderfully well.

Michael

Michael

4/26/05

>
> I just learned something important today, something I never even thought of.
> I took my glass of Emperor Long Jing outside. It's not hot out, I think it's
> about 65 F, and there's a slight wind blowing, it's cloudy and there's no
> smog or smells I can detect out there (except for the new-mown grass, but
> that's when I pull my nose OUT of my glass) Anyway, suddenly the tea came
> alive for me...I detected something like baked winter squash with sweet (but
> not lots of sweet.) I think the air in my house might be too stale or
> something for me to grasp the scents. The difference was amazing.
>
> Strange hmm?
>
> Melinda



Melinda,

Not strange at all, rather a valuable observation, I'd say. First, these
LJ's are delicate teas and can be easily overwhelmed. Second, there is no
accounting for these things. I'm much more alive to tea nuance in the early
morning. Go know. While you're at it, try brewing the tea in water around
the same temperature as the ambient air. Before a few minutes, you'll have a
nice cup of tea. In the summer I find cool water in my Chinese glass
carry-along thing works wonderfully well.

Michael

Michael

I really do believe that discovering tea is a spiritual journey. When
you are least expecting it, the qualities of a tea will surprise you.
It's not something that you can plan. But I think this is one of the
reasons why I recommend drinking the same type of tea during the week
or perhaps comparing two or three different types of tea from the same
region at once. You get to drink the tea at different times and
perhaps in different places.

Perhaps our minds and bodies get more and more used to what we are
drinking as well. Notice how it's hard to describe the flavor of
something, but how easily you can picture it in your mind.

Once, I tasted a 40 year old port. It's was deliciously caramel. The
experience was incredible, but I could never reproduce it again.

In any case, the discovery of tea is a journey that will take you to
many different people, and to different places. Perhaps it is a medium
for something greater.

Melinda wrote:
> I just learned something important today, something I never even thought of.
> I took my glass of Emperor Long Jing outside.
> I think the air in my house might be too stale or
> something for me to grasp the scents. The difference was amazing.

Hello, Melinda,

It's proverbial among campers that everything tastes better outdoors
Earlier humans were outdoor beings; we had lived our lives and taken our
sustenance from this fascinating planet. Artificial environments cannot
duplicate the qualities without.

To live too much indoors, a recent thing, I think, is like having the
indoor cat: there's the yearning to just get outside where we belong...

I'm new here, by the way... reading the wonderful past posts... I agree
with Teadrinker that tea has spiritual aspects

Carl
/ tooo many 'o's in yahoo ;p