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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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More seed style grade (revisited)
I never got around to taking pictures of the seed or pod grade tea but
the vendor did. These shapes are a little more irregular than the TKY pods and the Zui Mei Ren seeds but definitely the 'sealed' style I've tried to describe. These seeds, pods, nuggets essentially never open in the pot. Here the vendor claims 15 infusions for this Fujian grade. I wouldn't disagree from what I've seen so far with my two samples. On IE hold the cursor over the picture till you get the enlargment icon to zoom in on the pictu http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...zhong_wang.jpg Jim Old post "More seed style grade" The only difference between the 'seed' of the Zui Mei Ren, whatever variety that is, and the 'pod' of the Tie Kwan Yin is the size of the leaf. I only knew that from 3 ten minutes of boiling infusion where a few popped open. Any rolled leaf I've seen is still discernable as a leaf such as surface irregularities, a beginning or end, a twist and a roll, a tuck, etc such as the herbal Kuding Pearls or the photos. All I can say as before the grade looks like a teardrop seed with point. It is completely smooth with no visible seams. The leaf looks like it has been seamlessly sealed. You can find a few irregular shapes which looks like a bulge or the end of a stem. I know rolled leaf but nothing like this. I wouldn't even think that much about it except it doesn't behave in the pot like other knots of leaf. I would say it looks rolled and then somehow seared but it doesn't looked burned or baked. Since there seems to be some interest I'll take some photos and email the curious. It won't be this week or even probably next. I'd send samples but that is all I have till I order some and then that is a shipment from China. |
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That's really unusual Jim. Stating the obvious I guess. I am eager to hear
if anyone recognizes the type. 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 "Space Cowboy" > wrote in message oups.com... >I never got around to taking pictures of the seed or pod grade tea but > the vendor did. These shapes are a little more irregular than the TKY > pods and the Zui Mei Ren seeds but definitely the 'sealed' style I've > tried to describe. These seeds, pods, nuggets essentially never open > in the pot. Here the vendor claims 15 infusions for this Fujian grade. > I wouldn't disagree from what I've seen so far with my two samples. > > On IE hold the cursor over the picture till you get the enlargment icon > to zoom in on the pictu > > http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...zhong_wang.jpg > > Jim > > Old post "More seed style grade" > > The only difference between the 'seed' of the Zui Mei Ren, whatever > variety that is, and the 'pod' of the Tie Kwan Yin is the size of the > leaf. I only knew that from 3 ten minutes of boiling infusion where a > few popped open. Any rolled leaf I've seen is still discernable as a > leaf such as surface irregularities, a beginning or end, a twist and a > roll, a tuck, etc such as the herbal Kuding Pearls or the photos. All > I can say as before the grade looks like a teardrop seed with point. It > is completely smooth with no visible seams. The leaf looks like it has > been seamlessly sealed. You can find a few irregular shapes which > looks like a bulge or the end of a stem. I know rolled leaf but > nothing like this. I wouldn't even think that much about it except it > doesn't behave in the pot like other knots of leaf. I would say it > looks rolled and then somehow seared but it doesn't looked burned or > baked. Since there seems to be some interest I'll take some photos and > email the curious. It won't be this week or even probably next. I'd > send samples but that is all I have till I order some and then that is > a shipment from China. > |
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"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message > http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...zhong_wang.jpg That's weird. These tea leaves look as if they have been digested by a bird. Kuri |
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It really looks like Ren Cen Wulong to me, actually. Can you describe
the taste and the color of the liquor? If it's sweet and the liquor is a bit orange, you have yourself some type of grade of Ren Cen Wulong (Ginseng Wulong). The leaves are coated with powdered Ginseng after it's cooked; quite tasty and it's popular in Taiwan. I have some tea that looks like this sitting right behind me on my tea shelf. |
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Mydnight wrote: > It really looks like Ren Cen Wulong to me, actually. Can you describe > the taste and the color of the liquor? If it's sweet and the liquor is > a bit orange, you have yourself some type of grade of Ren Cen Wulong > (Ginseng Wulong). The leaves are coated with powdered Ginseng after > it's cooked; quite tasty and it's popular in Taiwan. > > I have some tea that looks like this sitting right behind me on my tea > shelf. Hi Mydnight, I have tried this exact same tea from this vendor and it is indeed coated with ginseng. The vendor also offers a "Ren Shen Fujian Wulong" but it is a different tea from this tea. They both "look" the same though. The Ren Shen Fujian Wulong can be found at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll... 820&tc=photo Mike |
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Mike Petro wrote: > Mydnight wrote: > > It really looks like Ren Cen Wulong to me, actually. Can you describe > > the taste and the color of the liquor? If it's sweet and the liquor is > > a bit orange, you have yourself some type of grade of Ren Cen Wulong > > (Ginseng Wulong). The leaves are coated with powdered Ginseng after > > it's cooked; quite tasty and it's popular in Taiwan. > > > > I have some tea that looks like this sitting right behind me on my tea > > shelf. > > Hi Mydnight, I have tried this exact same tea from this vendor and it > is indeed coated with ginseng. > > The vendor also offers a "Ren Shen Fujian Wulong" but it is a different > tea from this tea. They both "look" the same though. The Ren Shen > Fujian Wulong can be found at > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll... 820&tc=photo > > Mike PS the "Ren Shen Fujian Wulong" is the more expensive of the two. |
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> Mike Petro wrote: > > Mydnight wrote: > > > It really looks like Ren Cen Wulong to me, actually. Can you describe > > > the taste and the color of the liquor? If it's sweet and the liquor is > > > a bit orange, you have yourself some type of grade of Ren Cen Wulong > > > (Ginseng Wulong). The leaves are coated with powdered Ginseng after > > > it's cooked; quite tasty and it's popular in Taiwan. > > > > > > I have some tea that looks like this sitting right behind me on my tea > > > shelf. > > > > Hi Mydnight, I have tried this exact same tea from this vendor and it > > is indeed coated with ginseng. > > > > The vendor also offers a "Ren Shen Fujian Wulong" but it is a different > > tea from this tea. They both "look" the same though. The Ren Shen > > Fujian Wulong can be found at > > http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll... 820&tc=photo > > > > Mike > > > PS the "Ren Shen Fujian Wulong" is the more expensive of the two. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=4389583 022 |
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Your description is good as mine. In this photo I call the style
'nuggets' because of more irregularity in the shape. The vendor calls this tea Wang Zhong Wang which is noted by the url. The term 'seed' and 'pod' are my own description of the other two teas so I'm not referring to any other standard of which I know. You can call the leaf petrified because it is that hard. It's almost like it is compressed. Occasionally one will slowly open in the pot revealing a whole leaf. It could be it is some germinating leaf structure. If that were so I wouldn't expect the TKY to taste similar to the ones that go through the Orthodox method of preparation. But then maybe the ungerminated form is processed like the Orthodox. The 'finish' is consistent across the three teas. My samples come in little commercial bags and not loose as you see here. Jim Michael Plant wrote: > Space 6/30/05 > > > > I never got around to taking pictures of the seed or pod grade tea but > > the vendor did. These shapes are a little more irregular than the TKY > > pods and the Zui Mei Ren seeds but definitely the 'sealed' style I've > > tried to describe. These seeds, pods, nuggets essentially never open > > in the pot. Here the vendor claims 15 infusions for this Fujian grade. > > I wouldn't disagree from what I've seen so far with my two samples. > > > > On IE hold the cursor over the picture till you get the enlargment icon > > to zoom in on the pictu > > > > http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y10...zhong_wang.jpg > > > > Jim ....I delete me... > Jim, > > Could you fill me in here. The picture -- it's a great picture, btw -- looks > like stones of granite. Are these petrified pods? Also, I'm not familiar > with "pod grade tea." Is this one of those semi-official terms for tea > repleat with tea pods and seeds? I haven't encountered such, except in a > lone Pu'erh now well known in NYC. > > Michael |
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"Mike Petro" > wrote in message oups.com... > ................... Mike, can you tell us your opinion on this tea? Thanks. Sasha. |
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I'm almost allergic to ginseng. Even the smell causes me to cramp. If
my three samples were coated I think I would have a reaction. Even allowing for a coating would it cause the leaf to become almost petrified or impenetrable. The dealer does have a ginseng style that looks like this but he identifies it as such. I'm leaning toward the suggestion it is an ungerminated leaf structure. Jim Mydnight wrote: > It really looks like Ren Cen Wulong to me, actually. Can you describe > the taste and the color of the liquor? If it's sweet and the liquor is > a bit orange, you have yourself some type of grade of Ren Cen Wulong > (Ginseng Wulong). The leaves are coated with powdered Ginseng after > it's cooked; quite tasty and it's popular in Taiwan. > > I have some tea that looks like this sitting right behind me on my tea > shelf. |
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Alex Chaihorsky wrote: > "Mike Petro" > wrote in message > oups.com... > > > .................. > > Mike, can you tell us your opinion on this tea? > > Thanks. > > Sasha. Sure, let me preface this by saying that I am not an oolong aficionado by any stretch of the imagination. YMMV It was sweet, nutty, somewhat fruity, and somewhat toasty. It brewed up an orangish tan. I got a solid 8 steeps out of it. It is nice for a change of pace but is not your typical oolong. Mike |
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"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message > I'm almost allergic to ginseng. I have always been told that the "ginseng" in many Chinese products was regular carrot. You wouldn't be allergic to false ginseng. I've done a browsing in Japanese about bird's sh... looking tea. I expected finding bird's nest tea, but I've seen only pages about the ginseng tea Mydnight talks about. They advertise it for people allergic to pollen (a huge market here). You can see a photo of ginseng TGY here : http://makeashorterlink.com/?I3C125D5B Also, if they can coat tea with ginseng powder, they can probably do it with other flavors. Kuri |
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"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message oups.com... > I'm leaning toward the > suggestion it is an ungerminated leaf structure. > > Jim > What exactly do you mean by that? Leaf does not actually come from a germinated state, unless we are talking about tiny, barely visible ones that just comes out of the bud. And these are no Camelia teabuds for sure. Without exposure to the light a leaf cannot develop neither its size, no its color, so if after numerous brews these "nuggets" open up into something looking like a developed leaf that mean that this leaf was rolled into that "nugget" state after it has a chance to fully develop. May be they do not cover this particular tea with ginseng material, but they may use something else. Sasha. |
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"Mike Petro" > wrote in message ups.com... > Sure, let me preface this by saying that I am not an oolong aficionado > by any stretch of the imagination. YMMV > > It was sweet, nutty, somewhat fruity, and somewhat toasty. It brewed > up an orangish tan. I got a solid 8 steeps out of it. > > It is nice for a change of pace but is not your typical oolong. > > Mike Thanks, Mike. Did you gongfu it? Does it have any wonderful fragrance? I enjoy a good fresh oolong once in a while but only gongfu style and only for its fragrance, not its taste. Shui Xian is an exception. Sasha. |
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I thought the tea plant would go to seed if left on it's own. That is
flower and with cross pollination producing seeds which birds would eat and and crap elsewhere with a chance to grow. Every leaf on every tree I've seen is produced from some growth nodule first (origin of nipped in the bud) including my Russian Olives which is considered a weed in my state and smell better than my fruit trees. There is something in the pu of which others speak but that comes from the wild tree. I have some but no real tasting yet. I think my germinated leaf supposition has been debunked. I'm still trying to account for the hardness of the rolled leaf. The samples of which I speak are in commercial packaging but I don't see the characters for ginseng anywhere not even the Wang Zhong Wang. The TKY is not flavored with anything because I drink the Orthodox versions enough. It is on the mild green side. I'm on my fourth 8 oz cup seeded with 10 pods which I estimate at 2g total and only one looks like a leaf and not a pod. There would be little taste in the next cup. All I can say is this style of leaf from three samples so far is nothing I've ever seen. I don't see any flavoring producing this type of tea. Jim Alex Chaihorsky wrote: > "Space Cowboy" > wrote in message > oups.com... > > I'm leaning toward the > > suggestion it is an ungerminated leaf structure. > > > > Jim > > > > What exactly do you mean by that? Leaf does not actually come from a > germinated state, unless we are talking about tiny, barely visible ones that > just comes out of the bud. And these are no Camelia teabuds for sure. > Without exposure to the light a leaf cannot develop neither its size, no its > color, so if after numerous brews these "nuggets" open up into something > looking like a developed leaf that mean that this leaf was rolled into that > "nugget" state after it has a chance to fully develop. > May be they do not cover this particular tea with ginseng material, but they > may use something else. > > Sasha. |
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"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message > I thought the tea plant would go to seed if left on it's own. Tea seeds in Uji have 1 cm of diameter, and they appear when the leaves are old and thick at the end of Summer. It's much bigger than your pods. I don't know for other sorts of tea bush, but that seems unlikely. They may have used the young tips not fully developped. >The TKY is not flavored with anything because I drink the > Orthodox versions enough. Tea flavored tea ? They coat it with the powder of the same tea ? I don't know what that would bring exactly, but my supermarket now sells wulong and TGY in shape of mini tuo-chas, because it looks cool and it's convenient ( dosed for one standard pot, easy to carry). Maybe the coating protects the leave from staling. Kuri |
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Alex Chaihorsky wrote: > "Mike Petro" > wrote in message > ups.com... > > > Sure, let me preface this by saying that I am not an oolong aficionado > > by any stretch of the imagination. YMMV > > > > It was sweet, nutty, somewhat fruity, and somewhat toasty. It brewed > > up an orangish tan. I got a solid 8 steeps out of it. > > > > It is nice for a change of pace but is not your typical oolong. > > > > Mike > > > Thanks, Mike. > > Did you gongfu it? Does it have any wonderful fragrance? I enjoy a good > fresh oolong once in a while but only gongfu style and only for its > fragrance, not its taste. Shui Xian is an exception. > > Sasha. I used 3.1g of tea in a 5oz gaiwan. I used techniques and timings similar to a gongfu session. It was mildly aromatic but I did not use the smelling cup like you typicaly do. I didnt want to put it in one of my yixing pots either since it looked so different than any other oolong. I am convinced it is a coating. The leaves look like they were probably rolled first and then coated in some manner. After several steeps you can see the coating break and the leaves expand a bit but the leaves dont ever really unfurl. Mike |
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In article >,
"Melinda" > wrote: > That's really unusual Jim. Stating the obvious I guess. I am eager to hear > if anyone recognizes the type. It looks exactly like an oolong I tried a while back called Blue Spring - you can find info on google using the string - "Blue Spring" +oolong As I recall, it's coated with herbs, including some kind of anise - I remember a distinct licorice taste. It was pleasant enough, but not so's I'd make it a regular................p* |
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I've got a good url on the botany of the tea plant somewhere.
Apparently I should find it again. Everyone once in awhile I'm allowed to walk the plank backwards till I fall in. Don't make me rise up from Davy Jones' Locker if I ever discover that the tea bush is allowed to flower in Japan for whatever reason. Interesting your comment about the Xiao (mini) tuochas. I mention recently buying some in Chinatown and not caring for the taste compared to other cheap green puerh. I just looked again and the only English is Green Tea and I can't find any characters for Sheng or Puerh. The leaf you can peel with hand. I think it is an ordinary green tea in tuocha form without much taste. Can you describe the surface of the wulong and TGY tuocha and how hard it is. If it looks like the ones we've seen then problem solved. It is compressed for whatever reason. It could very well be that the one tea I described as a seed is really a seed. The larger pod and nugget is definitely rolled leaf and hard beyond belief with a completely smooth sealed like surface. The ginseng would have to be acting as a hard glaze hiding the irregular surface of the rolled leaf and preventing it from coming apart after several infusions. I mentioned before the TenRen King tea with American Ginseng you find behind herbal counters. It is so expensive I've never cared to buy some to even discover if the grade is similar to what I'm talking about. Someone in Fujian is producing at least 3 different non flavored commercial oolongs with a grade of tea I haven't seen before. Five if you count the obvious RenShen already mentioned from China and Taiwan. Sometimes I think my posts give people a bad hair day. Jim kuri wrote: > "Space Cowboy" > wrote in message > > > I thought the tea plant would go to seed if left on it's own. > > Tea seeds in Uji have 1 cm of diameter, and they appear when the leaves are > old and thick at the end of Summer. > It's much bigger than your pods. I don't know for other sorts of tea bush, > but that seems unlikely. > They may have used the young tips not fully developped. > > >The TKY is not flavored with anything because I drink the > > Orthodox versions enough. > > Tea flavored tea ? They coat it with the powder of the same tea ? I don't > know what that would bring exactly, but my supermarket now sells wulong and > TGY in shape of mini tuo-chas, because it looks cool and it's convenient ( > dosed for one standard pot, easy to carry). Maybe the coating protects the > leave from staling. > > Kuri |
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"Space Cowboy" > wrote in message > Don't make me rise up from Davy Jones' Locker if I ever discover that the tea bush is allowed to > flower in Japan for whatever reason. What do you mean ? Tea bush do flower and the rest of the flower becomes seed...or they don't get any seeds to plant new teabush or to show to visitors of the * tea museums*. >Can you describe the surface of the wulong and TGY tuocha and how hard > it is. They are just like the mini-tuochas of puer in the same brand, except they made them sligthly larger for wulongs and shapes are a little different for each kind so you can tell which is which. For that brand, they are not very smooth and not very hard, you can break away a few bits with your finger. For puer, they sell the mini-tuochas cheaper than their tuo chas (that are hard and smooth) and spare leaf puer, and the mini-tuocha contains broken leaves and stalks, it's obviously a by-product and it's meant to be drunk today, not stored to get older. For wulongs, tuochas are obviously a marketing trick, as they are more expensive (by weight) than the spare leaves and is done of the same leaves- that get broken in the process. > It could very well be that the one > tea I described as a seed is really a seed. A seed of what ? > The larger pod and nugget is definitely rolled leaf and hard beyond belief with a completely > smooth sealed like surface. That can be they took a leaf with an attached young leaf not yet opened. They put them in that *glue* (the stuff made of "maybe" ginseng powder) before rolling, and coating it again. Then the chunk of glued leaf is the hard object and it's so well stuck that it never unfolds in your pot. Did you try to open the seed ? > I mentioned before the TenRen King tea with American Ginseng you find behind herbal > counters. Not all the ginseng teas have the *bird sh...* style. Last time I had ginseng tea, that was leaves not even rolled + bits of ginseng. You can't tell before opening the package. Kuri |
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Most plantations are cuttings from the same bush. Your earlier
statement didn't mention flower or fruit just leaves. A picture is worth a thousand words so flower on the left and fruit on the right: http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty...m_sin_5740.jpg So far the concensus is the sheen is caused by a glue of some sort. Two of my three samples I never tasted so they could be caramelized with *bird sh...* for all I know. The TKY nugget taste like orthodox TKY. I like the theory if I could taste what it was coated with. I guess you could coat the leaf with a neutral glaze which I assume would enhance multiple steeps which is the only claim I see made by the vendor. I like your suggestion the entire leaf is coated and not just the surface. That would explain why I never see anything breaking away from the surface of the shell as another claimed. It is a fun style of tea I think perfect for gongfu but I'm an agony of the leaf fan and never wait for the chicken eggs to hatch. It is a good style to drink straight from the cup because the seeds,pods,nuggets sink to the bottom with time release liquor. Jim kuri wrote: > "Space Cowboy" > wrote in message > > > Don't make me rise up from Davy Jones' Locker if I ever discover that the > tea bush is allowed to > > flower in Japan for whatever reason. > > What do you mean ? Tea bush do flower and the rest of the flower becomes > seed...or they don't get any seeds to plant new teabush or to show to > visitors of the * tea museums*. > > The larger pod and nugget is definitely rolled leaf and hard beyond belief > with a completely > > smooth sealed like surface. > > That can be they took a leaf with an attached young leaf not yet opened. > They put them in that *glue* (the stuff made of "maybe" ginseng powder) > before rolling, and coating it again. Then the chunk of glued leaf is the > hard object and it's so well stuck that it never unfolds in your pot. Did > you try to open the seed ? |
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