A brain teazer. I'd agree but traditionally oxidized smaller leaf
infuses more quickly so it must be more 'porous' or it could simply be
skimming or sloughing the crusted oxidized surface. I can't even
account for the quicker infusion. As I noted before the smaller leaf
does not seem as 'bloated' proportionally as the larger oolong leaf.
I need to get leaf grades in black, oolong and green and notice the
absorbtion in each category. It is hard to get graded leaf across
each spectrum. I tried a new oolong yesterday expecting expecting a
more noticeable water drop but it behaved like some smaller blacks. I
suspect it was a less oxidized than the other oolongs. Just more
variables.

Jim

(Melinda) wrote in message . com>...
> I'm not a scientist, I don't even play one on an infomercial, but
> here's my thought. If, at a microscopic or cellular level, there are
> more open "cavaties" in a large leaf than a small one (because the
> small one has had more of it's "cavaties" crushed in the processing)
> then there would be more little pockets for the water to seep into
> after you had poured it in initially. If the water was able to get
> everywhere it eventually would be able to (by steeping for a period of
> time) when it was first poured in, then you wouldn't see a water drop
> because, indeed, the water isn't being removed. The only reason it
> could be dropping is if it were seeping into spaces it couldn't access
> immediately after you poured the water in. I hope that made sense,
> bleh....I need another cuppa....
>
> Melinda