I have been challenged by a fellow Wrimo to get to 25K before midnight on my NaNoWriMo novel. That means I have currently a little less than three hours to get three thousand more words down. That should be doable IF I can find some discipline to do it and don’t give up and go to bed. Now, I’ve just got to the bit where the actual plot really starts, so it’s turned a bit more difficult. (And why is it all my posts here must have a setting?)
Obviously tea is required for this little project, and I turned to the only proper white one (meaning one of good quality and/or without additives) that I’ve got. I don’t know why, really, it just struck me, when I was looking in the cupboard as a creative type tea. I am also going to put on some creative type music and write, write, write.
For some reason this also inspired me to bring my first yixing pot back into use. It’s been dormant for a while. It just seemed proper somehow. Every time I scald this, I regret that I didn’t have as many pots back when I bought it as I do now so that it’s not seasoned to one particular kind of tea. I’ve got it to the point now where you pour clean boiling water in it to warm it up before brewing and then it has visibly changed colour when you pour it away.
Obviously, I’m not going to get a ‘clean’ taste of this particular tea out of this pot, but I’m not good enough at tasting the differences that it’s generally a problem. Just an aesthetic sort of little complaint. At least it has never been used for anything other than greens and whites, so at least it’s not going to take on a side note of Lapsang Souchong or some such. Obviously, I desperately need a new yixing pot. Or several. grin
I can’t say anything about the proporties really because I don’t know if they’re really the REAL proporties, but it’s sort of a light yellowy colour. The smell has a note of chamomile (which I’m 98% sure has never been made in this pot), and underneath a nicely sweet smell. Thankfully, I’m not getting any chamomile flavour, but the pot has definitely affected the flavour. It tastes more green than white, but with a light astringency and a sweet grassy flavour, I’m not really going to complain about it.
This was really more a review of my pot than it was of my tea, wasn’t it? If you’re curious, you can go and check out what I said about this tea earlier and compare. :)
People who liked this
Comments
I’ve never tried brewing tea in the oriental style although what I’ve been hearing about it sounds really interesting. Then again I’m not sure I’d have the patience to go through the process. ;)
I’ve seen white Darjeelings and other white Indian teas for sale now and then, but the prices are usually prohibitively expensive, so I’ve wondered if they’re worth digging into my wallet for or if they’re just a fad.
@ Notarevolution: I made it. I hit 25K just literally a couple of minutes before midnight, so I’m now six whole days ahead. :)
@ Jillian: My yixing isn’t really traditional oriental, it’s much too large for that, holding about 2½ cups worth. I just brew in it like I would in a normal pot. I’ve got a real tiny chinese one but I used that one for a really smoky yellow tea so now I can’t use it for anything else. It’s decorative, though, so it’s standing on top of my tv now and looking nice. :)
As for the white Darjeelings, I have no clue about the price of them so I can’t tell you wether or not their value for the money. I got mine as a gift, see, from an LJ friend who lives in India and from what I understand by her tea more or less directly from the estate. I only know what I had to pay in customs. I CAN say though that this one is indeed rather nice. :)
I’ve never tried brewing tea in the oriental style although what I’ve been hearing about it sounds really interesting. Then again I’m not sure I’d have the patience to go through the process. ;)
I’ve seen white Darjeelings and other white Indian teas for sale now and then, but the prices are usually prohibitively expensive, so I’ve wondered if they’re worth digging into my wallet for or if they’re just a fad.
@ Notarevolution: I made it. I hit 25K just literally a couple of minutes before midnight, so I’m now six whole days ahead. :)
@ Jillian: My yixing isn’t really traditional oriental, it’s much too large for that, holding about 2½ cups worth. I just brew in it like I would in a normal pot. I’ve got a real tiny chinese one but I used that one for a really smoky yellow tea so now I can’t use it for anything else. It’s decorative, though, so it’s standing on top of my tv now and looking nice. :)
As for the white Darjeelings, I have no clue about the price of them so I can’t tell you wether or not their value for the money. I got mine as a gift, see, from an LJ friend who lives in India and from what I understand by her tea more or less directly from the estate. I only know what I had to pay in customs. I CAN say though that this one is indeed rather nice. :)