I am quite embarrassed that it took me almost a month to post pictures of my beloved new Yixing Teapots. Nevertheless, I wanted to share pictures of these little gems. I must admit that at this time I think I am more enamored with how adorable they are than I probably should be. That is once I got over the initial shock of how small individual serve Yixing Teapots really are.

My teapots were purchased from Necessiteas, just click on the name to access the website. “Necessiteas is a small company that believes in the beauty of yixing teapots as well as the enjoyment and health benefits of tea.” I found the company very easy to work with and would certainly purchase more teapots from them in the future. I had such a difficult time deciding on a teapot considering there was a large variety to choose from. Once my decision was made, I even purchased the most delicate looking cups.

Take a look at my purchases:

Temple Teapot

To the left is the Temple Teapot. As seen in the picture, this teapot has a seperate infuser in addition to the strainer in the spout. A forest is etched into the front of this Yixing Teapot, while the back contains Chinese characters. This pot holds 7 ounces.

I have decided to use this pot for oolong teas. During the first brew, I noticed the lid dribbles down the spout when pouring.  As recommended, I tried to pour at slightly different angles with little success at curbing the dribble.

In the picture to the right, you can see the Chinese characters spoken about above more clearly. (I love the color of this teapot.)

I had so much fun during my first brewing experience. Feeling just like a kid in a candy store, this was the first teapot of the three that I decided to use. Too bad I didn’t have anyone to share this tea experience with.

I wanted to drink out of my little teacups with a friend who loves tea as much as I do. Okay, even half as much would do.

Now, on to my next Yixing Teapot…

Four Pictures Teapot

This little teapot was an unexpected find. It is the smallest of the three teapots, but so much fun to look at over and over again.

When brewing I did not experience any dribbles from the lid or spout. As the smallest of the pots, I dedicated its use to green tea. Of all the teas I drink, green tea is probably the one I drink the least. This is not to mean that I do not drink a significant amount - especially with my recent Green Tea Sampler purchase.

The Four Pictures Yixing Teapot holds 6 ounces.

Basket Teapot

The last teapot in my new Yixing Teapot “collection” is the Basket Teapot. I immediately loved the intricate design of this pot as seen in the picture to the right. While I have been duly 

warned that intricate designs impact the natural patina that occurs with continued use, I purchased this pot anyway.

After much deliberation, I decided to use this teapot when brewing white teas. I tend to brew more Oolong and White tea then all of the other teas I enjoy drinking, hence the bigger pot designations. This pot holds approximately 7.5 ounces.

When brewing and pouring, I found that this pot had no dribbles at all. It is such a fun teapot to brew my tea.

You’ve seen my fun purchases - what do you think?

In the mood for something new and refreshing, I decided to brew and sample Green Tea Tropical. I have been drinking so much white tea that I was in need of a change - fast! Nothing is more exciting than trying a new brew! Tea that is…

Composition: A Chinese green tea blend with pineapple, guava, and flowers.

Dry Visual: Green Tea Tropical is a loose tea in a silken tea bag. Check out the picture I pulled from the Mighty Leaf website - isn’t that teabag pretty cool looking! The visual was not as clear as I would like, but this tea was a burst of color - predominantly green with reds, blues, and yellows interspersed.

Dry Aroma: Absolutely delicious! If I could eat the dry tea leave whole I would if the taste equalled the smell…

Flavor: Stronger than I anticipated, Green Tea Tropical did not have the vegetal taste that accompanies many green teas. Very robust the tropical flavors of pineapple and guava are predominant in this brew with more subtle floral hints. Green Tea Tropical was accompanied by a tartness that required the addition of a sweetener to round out. My sweetener of choice was Sugar In The Raw - I did not want to alter the taste by using honey. Perhaps if brewed for slightly less time than the recommended time the tartness would be less pronounced. 

Liquor: A rich amber.

Brewing Time: Recommended brewing time is 3 minutes.  I brewed for the recommended 3 minutes.

Manufacturer: Mighty Leaf Tea

Caffeine: Yes

Minus the tartness, Green Tea Tropical is a fantastic summertime tea. I look forward to the opportunity to brew and drink as an iced tea. Possibly even serve with a slice of fresh pineapple floating in the glass. This would no doubt transport me to a tropical paradise.

It seems like I am on a white tea kick. So please feign your surprise that I am drinking and reviewing yet another white tea - this time White Peony. This tea was included in my white tea sampler from Adagio Teas.

Composition: White tea from the Fujian province of China.

Dry Visual: White Peony, known locally as Pai Mu Tan, is tea made from tea buds collected and withered prior to opening. This tea is fun to look at - the whole, unfurled leaves remind of Christmas. The leaves are various shades of large leaves and appear to have a fresh dusting of frost.

Dry Aroma: An earthy mix - part woodsy yet partially earthy.

Flavor: Very mild and delicate flavor - White Peony is naturally sweet. There is no need to add sweetener, but if you decide to only a dab is necessary. My recommendation would be Sugar in the Raw over Honey. White Peony is delicious; however, I did not see a significant difference between this tea, Silver Needle and Decadence.  They are almost interchangeable.

Liquor: A rich but light golden color.

Brewing Time: Recommended brewing time is 7 minutes.  I brewed for the recommended 7 minutes.

Manufacturer: Adagio Teas

Caffeine: Yes

Tomorrow, I’ll have to surprise you and drink a different tea for review and posting. Perhaps a good oolong or puerh. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!

Many of you “agonized” with me during my journey to purchase a Yixing Teapot. As my first Yixing teaware purchase it was fraught with many unexpected dilemmas. Nothing serious, just a tea lover stumbling over her own lack of knowledge while on a quest to find the perfect teapot. I was once again reminded that there is yet still much to learn about the world of tea.

In my search for knowledge, I came across an excellent article, Ritualizing the Habit, Part One - Teapots: Yixing, Gaiwan, Kyusu and Co. on Ya-Ya’s Teaboard. I have included an excerpt of the article for your learning pleasure: 

With this mini-series Ritualizing the habit, I intend to give a brief and practical overview of some of the basic utensils used in tea preparation.

In part one, I will focus on the most important accessory for tea preparation: the teapot. Without delving too deep into the specifics of materials, etc., I’ll explain the general use, benefits and limitations, as well as give some recommendations regarding practical sizes of some common teapot types.

This article includes a lot of great information on the types of teapots used for various types of tea brewing. I would be remiss for not sharing the knowledge.  For the full story…

The Green Tea Sampler I purchased from Adagio Teas contained six different varieties of green tea. This was truly a step out of the box for me, the person who claimed to not like green tea. Yet over the past few months, I have actually enjoyed several new green teas. However, the difference between the aforementioned green tea experiences and my recent Green Tea Sampler experiences is the lack of flavoring. Meaning the sampler mostly contained green teas without added flavors. This leads me to the green tea I sampled this morning - Pi Lo Chun…

Composition: Green tea from the Fuji-an province of China.

Dry Visual: Pi Lo Chun is very unique looking. The leaves are various shades of green shaped in tiny spirals. According to the Adagio Teas website, “Pi Lo Chun (sometimes written biluochun) translates as ‘green snail spring’ a reference to this tea’s distinctive spiral-shaped leaves.”

Dry Aroma: Very vegetal - one whiff and there are no doubts about whether Pi Lo Chun is a green tea.

Flavor: A true green tea lover would enjoy Pi Lo Chun. Of the green teas I have recently sampled it is not my favorite. The tea is certainly robust with a fairly strong vegetal flavor. I tasted both without as well as with sweetener. Today’s preferred sweetener was honey - the flavorful nature of honey was needed to round out the bitterness of Pi Lo Chun.

Liquor: A rich golden color.

Brewing Time: Recommended brewing time is 3 minutes.  After brewing for 3 minutes, I must admit that I was quite impressed by the strength of the tea. Do not over-brew Pi Lo Chun!

Manufacturer: Adagio Teas

Caffeine: Yes

I learned an interesting fact about Pi Lo Chun after reading the Adagio Teas website. “It is produced in the short span of time between the Spring Equinox (end of March) and Clear Brightness (early April).” Regardless whether a tea is my favorite or not, I am always fascinated by the times of year the tea is harvested, the parts of the tea plant used to create each tea, even the geographic location from whence the tea originates. Each of these nuances creates such a distinctive difference in the flavor, aroma, and many other features of the tea.

Until my next review… Happy Tea Drinking!

It has been a while since I have sampled tea from The Simple Leaf, so this tasting is long overdue. Excited to have a new tea experience, I eagerly opened my new package of Decadence.  Many thanks to The Simple Leaf website for this awesome picture. The very name was enough to pique my interest… Dacadence. 

Composition: White tea from the Rungmook Estate in Darjeeling, India.

Dry Visual: Very green rolled leaves of various shades with a mild “dusting” of fur.

Dry Aroma: Somewhat earthy - but very light.  It was surprising, because I expected the aroma to be a little vegetal. 

Flavor: Excellent! I was very impressed by the strength of Decadence. Considering white tea has a  milder, more delicate taste, Decadence was full of flavor.  Naturally sweet, easily enjoyed both with or without sweetener I enjoyed Decadence like a purist. No sugar, honey, or artificial sweetener - simply tea. Even as I write this review, I am thinking of brewing another cup to discern what I believe to be a fruity undertone. After many swishes around the mouth, I cannot be sure - it is quite faint.

Liquor: A very light brown - darker than what I would expect from a white tea.

Brewing Time: Recommended brewing time is 3 minutes.  I brewed for 3 minutes and remain quite impressed by the strength of the flavor. 

Manufacturer: The Simple Leaf

Caffeine: Yes

Decadence has become one of my favorite white teas.  I would certainly recommend it to other White Tea lovers on the prowl for a new tea. If you have had the pleasure of drinking Decadence, stop by and share your experience.  Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!

All weekend long, I have been drinking Silver Needle. Purchased as part of my White Tea Sampler from Adagio teas, I was excited to brew and taste. For over a year, I enjoyed Winter White Earl Grey by Harney and Sons daily. The purchase of the White Tea Sampler was encouraged by my desire to enjoy a pure White Tea with no added flavors. After brewing and tasting, I could not wait to share my Silver Needle experience.

Composition: White tea, nothing more and nothing less.

Dry Visual: Very green rolled leaves (resembling fat pine needles) with silver fur - hence the name.

Dry Aroma: Slightly vegetal - but very light. 

Flavor: Delicious! I was very impressed with the light taste. Naturally sweet, easily enjoyed both with or without sweetener. I must admit depending upon my mood I really enjoyed with just a hint of sugar in the raw - preferring it over honey whose flavor almost overpowered the delicate taste of Silver Needle. This tea had  very unique flavor - not vegetal, not woodsy, not smokey, just pure tea. I could drink Silver Needle every day.

Liquor: Beautiful amber - actually gold color.

Brewing Time: Recommended brewing time is 7 minutes.  I brewed for 7 minutes during the first two infusions. 10 to 12 minutes for subsequent infusions using my new Yixing Teapot dedicated to white teas.

Manufacturer: Adagio Teas

Caffeine: Yes

Silver Needle is a tea I could drink on a daily basis. It is light and refreshing maintaining its character after multiple infusions. Never bitter always delicious. Until we meet again… Happy Tea Drinking!

 There is nothing better than catching the things we love most on sale. Especially when it’s tea. From now until November 1, 2008, whenever you purchase tea from Tavalon Tea and use the promo code “escapade” (without the “quotes”) you will receive 20% off your purchase. Yep, I said it… 20% off.

If you have never ordered from Tavalon Tea, below is an excerpt from their website. 

” The goal of tavalon is to push tea back into the spotlight by presenting a fresh, new, accessible face for tea– tavalon tea.

Our mission is to become a tea company for both tea connoisseurs and newcomers to the tea world. We aim to build a strong outlet which provides premium teas and accessories to a mainstream audience.”

You don’t have to just take their word, I have tasted, reviewed and enjoyed several teas by Tavalon.  Serenity and Lemongreen to name a couple.

If this is your first Tavalon experience or if you have been drinking them for years, stop by and comment.  Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!

My latest tea experience was Okayti Darjeeling Autumn Flush Oolong I received as a swap from Jessica of Authori+ea. Thanks Jessica! Sadly, this wonderful tea has been sitting in my tea stash for over a month waiting for me to brew and sample. With great anticipation, I steeped in my new mug from Sur La Table. Yes, the mug I have yet to take pictures of and post - sometimes I move at a snails pace. Not intentionally, just too many things to do. Enough of my ramblings… let’s talk tea.

Composition: According to the packaging, artisan whole leaf black tea blend. This darjeeling tea is grown in the high altitude Himalayan foothills.

Dry Visual: Earthy mix of greens, browns, and tan. The leaves appear to be broken. Thanks Mighty Leaf for the wonderful picture.

Dry Aroma: Slightly woodsy 

Flavor: Fantastic! Naturally sweet, I almost ruined the natural flavor by adding a sweetener prior to tasting. Thank goodness I stopped myself! Okayti Darjeeling Autumn Flush Oolong has a light feel in the mouth - very clean with no dryness. If you want to add sweetener you can, but it is not necessary.

Liquor: Deep amber, almost rust.

Brewing Time: Recommended brewing time is 3 - 5 minutes.  I decided to brew for 4 minutes.

Manufacturer: Mighty Leaf Tea

Caffeine: Yes

Okayti Darjeeling Autumn Flush Oolong is great tea for Oolong drinkers. It was simply delicious and a welcome diversion from the world of flavored teas. If you get a chance to try it, return and comment. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!

As I continued by search, to find the best Gongfu or Kungfu cha brewing technique, I found this detailed description outlined on WIKI-How. A portion of the instructions are similar to those in my last post; however, there is a great deal of additional information that I previously did not consider. There seems to more “ceremonial” actions involved as well as more emphasis on tea types. But, you can be the judge.

Brewing Technique #2

1. Appreciate the tradition. In the Chinese traditional tea culture, Kung Fu tea has a certain etiquette that goes along with it, a procedure that drinkers follow. Each different place adds various details. Study the various ways in which Kung Fu tea is served and enjoyed, and eventually you will develop your own unique way.
2. Get a tea set: This will include a tea tray (hollow tray with a container inside which can contain all the water that will be spilled during the process), teapot, fair cup (a separate tea vessel), tasting cups, and aroma cups (sniffer cups).
3. Prepare the tea leaves in advance, so that they are ready to be placed in the pot as soon as it has been warmed. A tea caddy, or “tea presentation vessel,” is recommended for this purpose, as is a proper set of tea tools. Approximately one to two teaspoons of leaves is a good quantity to begin with and is easily adjusted to taste after the initial infusion. Keep in mind that due to the many variations of tea processing, some leaves are a lot more compact than others. For instance: in terms of volume of leaves, you will need less Tieguanyin than Yan Cha or Formosa Oolong.
4. Rinse all vessels with hot water. This signifies that the ritual of tea making has begun by purifying the pot, cleaning it of dust and residue and making it ready to receive the tea. It also warms the vessels since the hot water is then poured into the serving pitcher and from there into the tasting cups. This is done because at room temperature ceramic teaware is usually quite cold and unsuited to brewing fine teas whose temperature must be carefully controlled. After rinsing, the water should be discarded into the draining tray or a waste water bowl.
5. Before infusion, pour hot water over the leaves and then quickly pour it off. This removes any dust from the leaves and begins to open them up—-releasing the tea’s aroma, which should be savored prior to infusion. This set prepares the palate to appreciate the full flavor of the tea.
6. Use pure or mineral water to brew the tea. Tap water should be avoided, since its chemical treatment imparts undesirable flavors and odors which interfere with the delicate aromatics of tea. (Home filters and other water purification systems can minimize and, in some cases, eliminate these problems.) The best water for tea brewing is spring water with a natural mineral content that’s neither too hard nor too soft. Since T.D.S., “total dissolved solids”, or mineral content measured in parts per million, varies greatly from water to water, you may want to do your own taste-test of waters available in your area to determine which one has the best flavor, body and compatibility with the tea you drink.
7. Fill the pot to the top with hot water and cover. Pour water over the top of the pot, drawing the stream over the air hole until a little water comes out the spout. When this occurs, you know the pot is full and heated to the right temperature.
8. Pour the water into the fair cup to heat it. A fair cup allows the tea to be poured from the teapot into a holding vessel. Sometimes these fair cups use a filter to trap unwanted tea particles that may have passed on from the teapot.
9. Add tea leaves and let steep.
   • Oolong Tea: For light oolongs, such as Bao Zhong & Imperial Green, use 70°-80°C (158°-176°F) water and an infusion time of 3 to 5 minutes. For darker styles, including Tieguanyin & Yan Cha—between 80° and 90°C (176-194°F) again steeping 3 to 5 minutes.
   • Black Tea: You will probably find that water between 85° and 95°C (185°-203°F) and a three minute infusion works best for black tea. You may want to experiment with lower temperatures and longer steeping times.
   • Puerh Tea: Use water that’s just come to a boil and infuse 3-5 minutes.
10. When the leaves have infused their essence, pour the tea out into the pitcher (fair cup). This intermediate step between the teapot and the individual cups allows the tea to be mixed while pouring (the first tea coming out of the teapot will be less strong than the one on the bottom of the teapot). Moreover, it allows to precisely adjust the brewing time in the teapot (all the tea comes out quickly, instead of being slowly poured in the individual cups).
11. From the fair cup, distribute the tea in the aroma cups, keeping the pitcher close to the cups and pouring slowly. This reduces the movement of the tea, maintaining its temperature.
12. After the aroma cups are filled, position one tasting cup, upside down, over each aroma cup. After tasting cups are positioned, take each cup pair and quickly flip it: this is a very delicate step since the cups are becoming hot on the outside. Notice that the tea will not spill out because no air can enter the aroma cups. After this is done, each guest will simply lift the aroma cup from the tasting one.  Another option to this step is to give each guest the aroma cup and separately the tasting cup. The guests will then simply pour the tea from aroma to tasting cups and proceed by smelling in the same manner.
13. At this point, the aroma cup can be brought near the nose to receive the fragrance of the tea by inhaling the steam.
14. After smelling, drink the tea from the tasting cups. Drink by taking small sips that allow to fully enjoy the taste, aromas and qualities of the tea.
15. A good green tea will allow up to four or five brews. Add water to the teapot and start again from point 10 to your will.

This is a call to experienced Gongfu or Kungfu cha Brewers. After reading each technique, which of the two do you prefer. If neither, please submit your preferred Gongfu or Kungfu cha Brewing Technique either as a comment to this post or via email: teaescapade@yahoo.com.

I look forward to your responses. Until then… Happy Tea Drinking!