Hi again all,
For Christmas my daughter bought me a Brown Betty tea pot, which I
wanted, and two packages of unflavored white tea, which I didn't. How
do you make this tea? Every time I make it it seems very bland and
flavorless. How can I make it so it has some flavor? Kitty

It needs some skill to brew white tea
1) hot water should not be too hot , 75 degrees will be fine.
2) put a tea spoon of tea ( 5 gr) into a cup
3) pour 1/4 of hot water into the cup and wait for 2 min
4) after 2 min, fill up the cup with hot water.
5) wait for another 3 min .
you will tast a good white tea



"Kitty" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi again all,
> For Christmas my daughter bought me a Brown Betty tea pot, which I
> wanted, and two packages of unflavored white tea, which I didn't. How
> do you make this tea? Every time I make it it seems very bland and
> flavorless. How can I make it so it has some flavor? Kitty
>

thanks, I'll try that now. I don't know how to measure 75 degrees.
I have been trying to pour when the kettle starts to make noise. I
hope that is about right. I don't have a candy thermometer. I looked
all day. LOL Kitty

/27/06


> It needs some skill to brew white tea
> 1) hot water should not be too hot , 75 degrees will be fine.
> 2) put a tea spoon of tea ( 5 gr) into a cup
> 3) pour 1/4 of hot water into the cup and wait for 2 min
> 4) after 2 min, fill up the cup with hot water.
> 5) wait for another 3 min .
> you will tast a good white tea

There is another school of thought regarding white tea: Steep it at a far
lower temperature for more time. The resulting brew might change the water
very little, but the aftertaste will be very pleasing. According to this
concept, the white tea will affect the water without actually adding much
flavor. Your two part method is very interesting. How are the results
different/better than starting with a lower temperature? (Not that I doubt
you; I'll try it the next time I get my hands on some decent Yin Zhen.)

Michael

Just realized: 75 degrees **C**. Sorry. That's more like 160F.
I was responding to a misreading of 175F. Anyway, I'd still
try at 130 or 140F for a longer time, just to see what happens.

Michael




/27/06


> It needs some skill to brew white tea
> 1) hot water should not be too hot , 75 degrees will be fine.
> 2) put a tea spoon of tea ( 5 gr) into a cup
> 3) pour 1/4 of hot water into the cup and wait for 2 min
> 4) after 2 min, fill up the cup with hot water.
> 5) wait for another 3 min .
> you will tast a good white tea

There is another school of thought regarding white tea: Steep it at a far
lower temperature for more time. The resulting brew might change the water
very little, but the aftertaste will be very pleasing. According to this
concept, the white tea will affect the water without actually adding much
flavor. Your two part method is very interesting. How are the results
different/better than starting with a lower temperature? (Not that I doubt
you; I'll try it the next time I get my hands on some decent Yin Zhen.)

Michael

White tea has an ephemeral taste. Till you know what it is, brew it
with boiling water and lots and lots of leaf letting it stew in the pot
for at least 5 minutes. It can take the abuse. There is no such thing
as a astringent bitter overbrewed white tea. The white tea that cries
out for a glass pot is Yinzhen. It will look like stalactites in the
water. One of my favorite anytime teas is a white tea called SowMee.
It is cheap and easily found in Chinatown. It makes a mushy pot of
tea. It looks like autumn leaves after a rain. The other white tea is
called BaiMuDan. It contains hair particulate which adds a nice foam
to the cup. I especially like a White tea when I'm tired of everything
else.

Jim

PS Damn that tetanus shot hurts. You never know when a remodeler will
need an extra hand besides the one that hands them the check at the end
of the week.

Kitty wrote:
> Hi again all,
> For Christmas my daughter bought me a Brown Betty tea pot, which I
> wanted, and two packages of unflavored white tea, which I didn't. How
> do you make this tea? Every time I make it it seems very bland and
> flavorless. How can I make it so it has some flavor? Kitty

Space 4/28/06


> White tea has an ephemeral taste. Till you know what it is, brew it
> with boiling water and lots and lots of leaf letting it stew in the pot
> for at least 5 minutes. It can take the abuse. There is no such thing
> as a astringent bitter overbrewed white tea. The white tea that cries
> out for a glass pot is Yinzhen. It will look like stalactites in the
> water. One of my favorite anytime teas is a white tea called SowMee.
> It is cheap and easily found in Chinatown. It makes a mushy pot of
> tea. It looks like autumn leaves after a rain. The other white tea is
> called BaiMuDan. It contains hair particulate which adds a nice foam
> to the cup. I especially like a White tea when I'm tired of everything
> else.
>
> Jim

Aha! Bai Mu Dan has some buds and some adjacent leaves. Sow Mee -- I'm not
sure this isn't Shu Mei -- is all leaf without bud. Yin Zhen is pure bud, no
leaf. I was talking earlier about the latter. While I don't think Bai Mu Dan
is impervious at all to oversteeping in too hot a temperature, it is
certainly more forgiving than Yin Zhen. Yin Zhen and Bai Mu Dan are
completely different animals to my taste. Try them both. I'd leave the Sow
Mee/Shu Mei (or is that Dim Sum?) alone. It's not very good, but this is
clearly a matter of different strokes for different folks. And ephemeral is
certainly the right word.

Michael

actually , there is not much choice for white tea, Bai Mu Dan, Shu Mei and
Silver Needle, and i strong recommend white tea- Silver Needle, it tastes
completely different to the other kind of tea.


"Michael Plant" > wrote in message
...
> Space 4/28/06
>
>
> > White tea has an ephemeral taste. Till you know what it is, brew it
> > with boiling water and lots and lots of leaf letting it stew in the pot
> > for at least 5 minutes. It can take the abuse. There is no such thing
> > as a astringent bitter overbrewed white tea. The white tea that cries
> > out for a glass pot is Yinzhen. It will look like stalactites in the
> > water. One of my favorite anytime teas is a white tea called SowMee.
> > It is cheap and easily found in Chinatown. It makes a mushy pot of
> > tea. It looks like autumn leaves after a rain. The other white tea is
> > called BaiMuDan. It contains hair particulate which adds a nice foam
> > to the cup. I especially like a White tea when I'm tired of everything
> > else.
> >
> > Jim
>
> Aha! Bai Mu Dan has some buds and some adjacent leaves. Sow Mee -- I'm not
> sure this isn't Shu Mei -- is all leaf without bud. Yin Zhen is pure bud,
no
> leaf. I was talking earlier about the latter. While I don't think Bai Mu
Dan
> is impervious at all to oversteeping in too hot a temperature, it is
> certainly more forgiving than Yin Zhen. Yin Zhen and Bai Mu Dan are
> completely different animals to my taste. Try them both. I'd leave the Sow
> Mee/Shu Mei (or is that Dim Sum?) alone. It's not very good, but this is
> clearly a matter of different strokes for different folks. And ephemeral
is
> certainly the right word.
>
> Michael
>

Michael Plant > writes:

> Space 4/28/06
>
>
> > White tea has an ephemeral taste. Till you know what it is, brew it
> > with boiling water and lots and lots of leaf letting it stew in the pot
> > for at least 5 minutes. It can take the abuse. There is no such thing
> > as a astringent bitter overbrewed white tea. The white tea that cries
> > out for a glass pot is Yinzhen. It will look like stalactites in the
> > water. One of my favorite anytime teas is a white tea called SowMee.
> > It is cheap and easily found in Chinatown. It makes a mushy pot of
> > tea. It looks like autumn leaves after a rain. The other white tea is
> > called BaiMuDan. It contains hair particulate which adds a nice foam
> > to the cup. I especially like a White tea when I'm tired of everything
> > else.
> >
> > Jim
>
> Aha! Bai Mu Dan has some buds and some adjacent leaves. Sow Mee -- I'm not
> sure this isn't Shu Mei

Shou Mei.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

(Scott Dorsey) writes:

> Kitty > wrote:
> >thanks, I'll try that now. I don't know how to measure 75 degrees.
> >I have been trying to pour when the kettle starts to make noise. I
> >hope that is about right. I don't have a candy thermometer. I looked
> >all day. LOL Kitty
>
> Try C&H Surplus Sales or Edmund Optics and get a 14-inch laboratory
> thermometer. They are only a couple bucks, and they are just wonderful
> to have in the kitchen for all kinds of things.
>
> Pour boiling water in an open pan, then wait for it to come down to
> 75'C (around 170'F). Count how long it takes to come down. Then when
> you want to make tea next time, you use the same pan and just time it
> instead of using the thermometer.

Or, if you're impatient, use a thermometer to add enough room-temp
water to the water you've boiled to bring it down to the desired
temperature. If you measure the volumes, you won't need the
thermometer again.

/Lew
---
Lew Perin /
http://www.panix.com/~perin/babelcarp.html

Nothing wrong with different strokes. If I had to drink one tea for
the rest of my life it would be SowMee. It's the only tea I can think
of with a refreshing taste. It is the most honest tea I've ever
tasted. It is more nutrients than taste. It is the Gatorade of teas.
One day it struck me. Simple teas taste great. This is the best of
the simplest. It has the singularity of aroma and taste. It can't
fool anyone. What you smell and taste is what you get. Honestly you
can't appreciate this tea till you down lots of pots of everything
else.

Jim

Michael Plant wrote:
....Jim deletes Jim...Jim delete Michael...
> Space 4/28/06
>
>
> > One of my favorite anytime teas is a white tea called SowMee.
> > It is cheap and easily found in Chinatown. It makes a mushy pot of
> > tea. It looks like autumn leaves after a rain.

>
> I'd leave the Sow
> Mee/Shu Mei (or is that Dim Sum?) alone. It's not very good, but this is
> clearly a matter of different strokes for different folks. And ephemeral is
> certainly the right word.
>
> Michael

Lewis Perin wrote:
> Michael Plant > writes:
>
> > Aha! Bai Mu Dan has some buds and some adjacent leaves. Sow Mee -- I'm not
> > sure this isn't Shu Mei
>
> Shou Mei.

I just bought seven ounces of this for $3.29 at Ranch 99 Market in
Shoreline, WA. FooJoy brand.
It's pretty much like the loose-leaf "White Tea with Cantaloupe" from
Zhena's Gypsy Tea that I bought at a T.J. Maxx, but that was 2.5 ounces
for about four or five bucks. And without the cantaloupe flavoring.

It doesn't really look very white, though. It looks like an assortment
of green-to-greenish-brown leaf and twig pieces.

Has anybody tried the "peony white" from CoffeeBeanDirect.com yet?
I've got my eye on it, seriously considering ordering a bag.


stePH
--
in cup: blend of Vietnamese green and FooJoy "Mao Feng" green.

> Kitty > wrote:
>>thanks, I'll try that now. I don't know how to measure 75 degrees.

If your tap water is about 10 degrees C (50 F), then put in 5/18 (about a
fourth) of it and 13/18 (about three fourths) boiling. That will get you
75 degrees.

Rick.

That's the standard Shou Mei found in Chinatown. It's the same as the
Sunflower Fujian CNNP SowMee you see occasionally. It is White tea
leaves and not the Yinzhen bud. For practical purposes don't consider
the two the same. Don't be afraid to mush up a pot with SowMee for the
sweet toasty flavor mentioned on the box. BaiMuDan or White Peony is a
mid season transition from bud to leaf. The bud is more dry and the
hair creates a dust. I'd spend my money on a Yinzhen or save it on a
SowMee. If you like a froth that tickles the throat then BaiMuDan.

Jim

stePH wrote:
> Lewis Perin wrote:
> > Michael Plant > writes:
> >
> > > Aha! Bai Mu Dan has some buds and some adjacent leaves. Sow Mee -- I'm not
> > > sure this isn't Shu Mei
> >
> > Shou Mei.
>
> I just bought seven ounces of this for $3.29 at Ranch 99 Market in
> Shoreline, WA. FooJoy brand.
> It's pretty much like the loose-leaf "White Tea with Cantaloupe" from
> Zhena's Gypsy Tea that I bought at a T.J. Maxx, but that was 2.5 ounces
> for about four or five bucks. And without the cantaloupe flavoring.
>
> It doesn't really look very white, though. It looks like an assortment
> of green-to-greenish-brown leaf and twig pieces.
>
> Has anybody tried the "peony white" from CoffeeBeanDirect.com yet?
> I've got my eye on it, seriously considering ordering a bag.
>
>
> stePH
> --
> in cup: blend of Vietnamese green and FooJoy "Mao Feng" green.

thanks again everyone. the tea's I was given are silver needle and
sowmee both from Englishteastore.com I'm working on enjoying one,
then I will work on the other. I reckon that is the best way to decide
if I like either and give them the chance to impress me or grow on me.
I'll try all the different ideas and maybe something nice will come
out. thanks again, Kitty

>For Christmas my daughter bought me a Brown Betty tea pot, which I
>wanted, and two packages of unflavored white tea, which I didn't. How
>do you make this tea? Every time I make it it seems very bland and
>flavorless. How can I make it so it has some flavor? Kitty


Could be that you just got some bad white tea.

Rick Chappell wrote:
> If your tap water is about 10 degrees C (50 F), then put in 5/18 (about a
> fourth) of it and 13/18 (about three fourths) boiling. That will get you 75 degrees.


Here's what I've started doing (for greens, whites ...) :

Cold water in cup
Leaves floating atop
Add freshly boiled water

That's as fast and simple as I've ever come across (and I'm a true fan
of simple)

" I really like silver needles.If you can get the first pick of the
spring available now you will love it.. "

Well this is 2005 pick since it was bought at christmas.
I think it says on it also, 2005. thanks, Kitty

5/15/0
6

>
> Rick Chappell wrote:
>> If your tap water is about 10 degrees C (50 F), then put in 5/18 (about a
>> fourth) of it and 13/18 (about three fourths) boiling. That will get you 75
>> degrees.

Rick pretty much hits it on the head here, but his numbers are slightly off.
I find 11/36 together with 25/36 a bit more efficacious in most cases.
Nonetheless, needless to say, we each need to experiment to get it right.

> Here's what I've started doing (for greens, whites ...) :
>
> Cold water in cup
> Leaves floating atop
> Add freshly boiled water
>
> That's as fast and simple as I've ever come across (and I'm a true fan
> of simple)

I'm going to try that. Notice Mud suggests no times or quantities. That's
simple enough! I've got a little YiXing that brews my most delicate green
teas so happily that I hardly have to give the tea a second thought, other
than to enjoy it. The pot seems to know just how to handle everything.
Michael
>

Michael Plant wrote:
> > That's as fast and simple as I've ever come across (and I'm a true fan
> > of simple)
>
> ......That's simple enough! ..........

To complicate matters I'll point out that I started to do this not long
after Frank's masterly brewing of the delicious Rohini last year ...
tui and la, though I cannot remember which way is tui and which way is
la ... two sides of the same movement, no?

Anyway, something (actually two things) about this cup method just
seemed right, and the taste bears it out :

I prefer to look at floating half wet leaves than a pile of dry ones,
and

I have a good feeling about the initial 'zhong!' flush of boiling water
(but immediately cut short before 'cooking' begins)

Bah! Time to find something simpler. (Back to the jar?)

Cheers, Michael! Im Teas

> Michael Plant wrote:
>>> That's as fast and simple as I've ever come across (and I'm a true fan
>>> of simple)
>>
>> ......That's simple enough! ..........
>
> To complicate matters I'll point out that I started to do this not long
> after Frank's masterly brewing of the delicious Rohini last year ...
> tui and la, though I cannot remember which way is tui and which way is
> la ... two sides of the same movement, no?
>
> Anyway, something (actually two things) about this cup method just
> seemed right, and the taste bears it out :
>
> I prefer to look at floating half wet leaves than a pile of dry ones,
> and
>
> I have a good feeling about the initial 'zhong!' flush of boiling water
> (but immediately cut short before 'cooking' begins)

I've got one of those glass double walled cylindrical Chinese doohickies
with the plastic screen filter at the upper most end. In hot weather I just
throw in the LJ, put in cold water, head off, wait about 20 minutes before
starting to drink. Then, I periodically refill the water throughout the day.
Sort of fun to refill at cafe counters, using tap water of course, not your
fancy bottled kind. This level of sophistication does not grow on trees, and
I do not recommend that you try this trick at home.
>
> Bah! Time to find something simpler. (Back to the jar?)

Yes, it's beside me. I'm beside myself. There's wisdom in the jar!
Or, I *think* that's how it goes; anyway, delicious wisdom of
the north, peaty and pleasant, full bodied, and not for the weak.
Thanks!

> Cheers, Michael! Im Teas

Cheers,
Michael;

>

Heh, I meant the above.

Tried an advertised 'like Bond' c. Casino Royale martini yesterday,
poured half of it down my crotch ... strange-shaped glass. The 'modern'
chinese thermos is so like the 'jar' but I've yet to try it. Half jar
half pot.

Were you talking longjing?

'Cedric' Im Teas (fr yr reggae affics)
teaismud at yahhodotcom