What is in your cup?

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by aceflor

Strong Coffee, con leche (solo un poquito). Kids are still asleep, so I am savoring my last half hour of quietness today, then it's tennis for petit prince, ikea and toy's r us for petite princesse and me, the building site, some time with my brother, picking up petit prince by his friend... there goes my saturday!
Wednesday is a bank holiday here, and we will stay cozily at home, doing NADA and hopefully enjoying the pool. I did swim yesterday, but today it is supposed to be rainy today. I so it will indeed rain, because I allowed petite princesse to draw with chalk on the patio, it is wonderful but very, very big with every tile covered, S is going to have a fit, and if I have to clean it myself on Wed, that'll be a lot of work.... and I'd rather have it washed out by the rain than by me, it is indeed beautiful....

Might want to snap a picture before it rains....

[astra]

Originally Posted by MeiLin

In my insulated cup: kukicha. Which, despite the name, is roasted, not kooky.

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Because of the low grade, it's one of the few green teas I actually like, rather than tolerate. Pearls before swine, I guess.
I remember back in the 70's, when the Macrobiotic folks were all raving about this tea. It was going to be THE cure for all that ails us. Bancha tea they were calling it. Or Twig tea. Although almost all tea in Japan is harvested by big hedge cutting machines, they usually take the time to remove the stems and twigs before it gets sold. With bancha (kukicha) they don't bother, so it can be sold cheaply... except when it gets called 'special.'

Bancha?
I thought Bancha is Bancha, never heard of kukicha.
I tried two types of Bancha: Bancha and Bancha Houjicha (roasted Bancha). Both of them are in line with wiki link.
Accordingly to Kukicha is a twig tea as you say but it not Bancha.

I confess. I am confused.


Today started as a wonderful black tea morning

Assam SFTGFOP1 Mangalam - lost its grade 7/10 and dropped to 6/10. Still a good one, it definitely has a flavour characteristic of good Assam (but apparently it is very expensive - £8.55/100gr when fantastic 9-10/10 Fortnum and Mason's Assam (at least the three that I finished) cost £10/100gr). Maybe I am too harsh with it. Most certainly Fortnum and Mason has spoiled me. Second cuppa was Assam Mohokutie , third cuppa Keemun Mao Feng, fourth was English Breakfast from Tea House of Emporium to accompany late breakfast. I finish my black tea feast today with the last cup of Tippy Yunnan. Very good China Black from NBTea. It stood the test of time. I tried it in February and liked. I ordered it again a week ago and didn't change my opinion.
Tea House of Emporium's English Breakfast is another one that its place 6/10 as a very good and inexpensive morning/breakfast tea.


Later today, I am going to try a new Sencha from NBTea - Sencha Yamato. I am very curious and looking forward to drink it. It is more expensive than their Sencha Uji that I like. We will see

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by astra

Bancha?
I thought Bancha is Bancha, never heard of kukicha.
I tried two types of Bancha: Bancha and Bancha Houjicha (roasted Bancha). Both of them are in line with wiki link.
Accordingly to Kukicha is a twig tea as you say but it not Bancha.

I confess. I am confused.

Running an 'advanced search' in Google, requiring both kukicha AND Bancha turned up 54,800 results. Here are just a few...

http://www.goodhealthinfo.net/mdr/glossary.htm
Bancha twig tea: Correctly named kukicha, bancha consists of the stems and leaves from mature Japanese tea bushes. Bancha tea aids in digestion. It contains no chemical dyes. Bancha makes an excellent after-dinner beverage.

http://www.healthstore.uk.com/p46148...-tea-125g.html

http://www.dragonherbarium.com/bulk-...ellia-sinensis

http://santostrading.com.au/bulkfood/item-DRI278.html

Instead of twigs, I'm having berries. Juniper berries. Clear blue liquid.

Stitchawl

[astra]

Ehm. Do you think you made it any easier?


I need a break with a cup of something good...

[astra]

Cuppa #6

NBTea's Sencha Yamato.
Not impressed. It was bitter. Maybe I put more than necessary.
I did 78°C, 2min, 1tsp heaped.
They suggested 75-80°C, 2-3min,

One level heaped teaspoon

I wish I new how to manage it

Next time it will be 78°C, 2min, 1tsp - level.

[aceflor]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

......

Stitchawl

This is pure art. Love it !

Originally Posted by bjones6416

When I read your post, it brought back the strange dream I was having when I awoke this morning. Superman (yes the comic book one) and his sister (??? I guess I made her up) were living this quiet suburban life, but there were complications because of not being able to tell others who they were. They were both married and both had small children. I fit in there somewhere, but now that I'm fully awake I can't remember where.

Black coffee in my cup, although it sounds like I must be drinking (or smoking) something stronger...

bjones, what have you been drinking (smoking ? ) ?

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Might want to snap a picture before it rains....

It did not. She decided she'll finish tomorrow, so I'll wait until then. Afterwards... I'll leave it and be beheaded .

Originally Posted by astra

Cuppa #6

NBTea's Sencha Yamato.
Not impressed. It was bitter. Maybe I put more than necessary.
I did 78°C, 2min, 1tsp heaped.
They suggested 75-80°C, 2-3min,
I wish I new how to manage it

Next time it will be 78°C, 2min, 1tsp - level.

This is so romantic...

Talking of which, am reading "Must you go" by Anita Fraser, which is based on her diaries while living with Harold Pinter. A very interesting mix of "daily life" and Jet-Setting. But truly a very romantic love story those two had.
At a certain moment she describes a visit they made to someone they knew in Bayswater. As she describes the building (the one at the exact corner of Bayswater Rd / Queensway ), I realize it is my grandmother's building, overlooking Hyde Park, where I stayed every summer and Xmas. And she describes it at a period where I was there frequently, so I recognize everything she says. Memories, memories.....

[astra]

Originally Posted by aceflor

This is pure art. Love it !

Originally Posted by aceflor

This is so romantic...

word "heaped" gave you the idea?


A few weeks ago somebody mentioned a new tea for me.
Bojenmi
She bought it today and I tried it.
Well....not strictly herbal flavour but drinkable tisane

[astra]

Second cup of Sencha Yamato.
This time 1tsp level, 76-78°C, 2min
Good one. But not as good as Sencha Uji though.
Sencha Yamato has more grassy flavour than Uji. This grassy undertone reminds a bit Kabusecha/Gyokuro that I didn't like. When I finish this tester, I am going to open one of the two Sencha I ordered from Japan's O-Cha.com


When I finish with both Sencha from Japan, I will order Twig tea. Probably in 4-6 months.


P.S. I will try Yamato again: 1 heaped tsp but steep for 1min only.
Tomorrow.

[Stephen_Melling]

Last night's wine...almost today's breakfast!!

[astra]

Originally Posted by astra

P.S. I will try Yamato again: 1 heaped tsp but steep for 1min only.
Tomorrow.

Error.
Today.
Tonight.
No. It is not my Sencha.
Grassy.

[CRussel]

Yech. Bagged Earl Grey in a paper cup.

[RainingLemur]

Kicking back, watching "Grave Encounters," and having a frosty stein of IPA.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by CRussel

Yech. Bagged Earl Grey in a paper cup.

I think I threw up a little in the back of my throat...


Stitchawl

[astra]

Good morning.

After cold shower, the first cup of tea, Fortnum and Mason's Assam Mohokutie
Superb tea

[astra]

Breakfast of cottage cheese and home made baked apple went really well. Palmier was fantastic
It must be accompanied by a good cup of tea.
Another one of Assam Mohokutie with a book in bed.