#tea diary

[medievalfawn]

before and after of my first gongfu tea session

#diary #tea #tea party #gong fu cha #gongfu tea #tea diary

[apatheticfluorescence]

the changes gyokuro goes through is wild. The first steeping is almost like drinking sea water. It tastes like kombu and nori and is quite thick. Almost medicine like grassiness but unexpectedly not bitter, which is strange considering how strong the flavors are.

Second steeping is already much less umami tasting, and the fruitiness becomes prominent and has a zippy lemon character.

The third and fourth steeping are also drastically different, the third escapes me but the stone fruit comes out more and the citrus mellows out more like orange than lemon.

The fourth reminded me of the perfume like super floral scent of pomelo rind. That smell sometimes reminds me of a candle scent, which is funny because it left a strange lotion-like emollient quality in the mouth. Several minutes later I've got that metallic flavor that persists after eating nori. What is going on

#Tea diary

[mirrorstone]

Today’s tea is jasmine and mango green. I usually drink looseleaf tea, but as you can see today, it’s teabags. I do think with looseleaf tea you tend to get a superior flavor, so it may surprise you that one of my favorite brands of jasmine tea, stassen, is actually a bagged tea. It has a wonderful fresh, floral jasmine flavor that reminds me of jasmine pearls, and sets it apart from other jasmine teabags I’ve tried that taste drier and more perfumey. I actually do like teabags for flavored tea, because you tend to get a stronger flavor, due to using artificial flavors rather than whole ingredients. Sometimes you just want a cup of tea with artificial mango flavoring haha. As always, I just drink whatever I think tastes good. When the jasmine is combined with the mango tea, you get a sweet blend of fruit and flora, with the fresh vegetal greenness of the base tea, that makes me think of a warm afternoon somewhere tropical.

I included the teapot in the picture today, because I was too tickled by making green tea in the green teapot. Come to think of it, I have a green mug that would have matched the teapot much better. This picture could have been so much more aesthetically pleasing if I’d thought about that. Well, you’ll just have to wait and see it later, I guess.

Today’s mug is one of those starbucks mugs that everyone has. I’ve lived in a lot of different states, and visited many others, and I’d like to collect mugs from my favorites. So far I have three, who knows how many more to go? Who knows how many more will fit in my cupboard either. North Carolina is a state I think I didn’t appreciate as much when I lived there, but now that I don’t anymore, there’s a lot I miss. When we go back to visit family, I get warm feelings of nostalgia when I go to the farmers market and buy scuppernongs (can only get them in the south), visit the natural sciences museum I loved when I was a kid (and still do) and eat the local food (barbecue and hushpuppies and calabash plates, and fried okra...) For now, it’s nice to have a cup of tea and remember what I like about it.

#tea #tea diary

[bipedalseal]

having some jasmine tea rn and it is INSANE. why was the world hiding this from me

#just kidding i always order jasmine tea at milk tea shops #but its my first time drinking it without milk and its sooo good #tea diary #tea log #me tea #omg iforgot my tag #mine

[discoveryofhappiness]

Day 2 : Yunnan Imperial

Day 2 of my tea advent calendar was a black/red tea, which I picked because the weather was very moody and frosty and I thought it would be nice.

This tea I prepared using the gong fu method, and the leaves you see are just a little of the sample. This tea didn't last as long as the green tea I tried yesterday, but the flavour was a beautiful mix of floral and sweet and warm. It's very what you would imagine when you think of a black/red tea with no flavourings, and it was so lovely and smooth. Not even a little astringency or bitterness which I was very pleased about. This is the third steep:

It's a lovely deep red, very pretty. It's a simple tea, but wonderful quality.

#tea #tea diary #tea time #black tea #red tea #advent calendar #gong fu cha #gongfu tea

[tumbly-teahouse]

tea diary #1: what i learned about tea today 🍵

♥ Camellia sinensis is an evergreen shrub indigenous to China from which all true teas are made

♥ Tea plants release chemicals in the sun to repel bugs which lend the yield a bitter flavor yet make it lower in caffeine than shaded tea

♥ Matcha is made with only the 1st three buds that have been shaded at least 3 weeks prior to harvest which makes it the most caffeinated tea

♥ Black teas actually tend to be lower than most green teas in caffeine as caffeine degrades during the oxidation process

♥ Roasting green tea over charcoal produces hojicha: a dark brown tea from Japan with a red color and sweet nutty flavor once brewed (though still considered a green tea since it is not oxidized)

#tea diary #tea #teablr

[sighcomics]

Teatime :)

#my art #this comic i did for melotober art challenge on insta #daily comic #20 days of comics so far!! #i hhave loads to post #tea time #stuffed animals #plushies #cute art #illustration #indie comic #kawaii art #digital art #cute illustration #artists on tumblr #new artist #comictober #diary comic #webcomic #original comic #comic strip

[tea-eaterz]

fighting the exam and life anxiety through a dance battle

#did i just threw myself a dance party for my weight? #i sure did #at least one thing i'm doing right #tea diary

[elainiisms]

need a constant steady flow of yuri content or i will wither up and die

#yuri #lesbian #sapphic #wlw #yuri manga #yuri anime #urasekai picnic #bloom into you #tamen de gushi #relationship guidelines #btd #bad thinking diary #she is still cute today #sadistic beauty side story #i'm in love with the villainess #handsome girl and sheltered girl #whispering you a love song #that time i was blackmailed by the class's green tea bitch #the magical revolution of the reincarnated princess and the genius young lady #the guy she was interested in wasn't a guy at all

[life-spire]

#curators on tumblr #tea #teapot #tea cup #tea set #teacup #candle #candlelight #candes #book #books #journal #diary #study #studying #literature #laptop #technology #writing #cozycore

[galina]

When things are dark I try to remind myself there's there's so much love and kindness and hope. And people who can see each other, really see each other, and they're bright, reflecting back, shining. There's change and it starts at the very edges, coming slowly into view, becoming bright and clear.

#diary #just need this optimism right now bc I'm slipping out #this image from a day when someone saw me and was kind #today someone was not kind but I chose to be #tea #london #winter #cosy #motivation

[die-rosastrasse]

my friend gifted me the cutest handmade tea with mesmerizing glitter 💖

#tea #tea time #gif #glitter #olga's diary #gift ideas #Cottagecore #Fairycore #tea drinker #porcelain #asmr #satisfying

[bambalina777]

⋆｡˚୨ Stevie Nicks ୧˚｡⋆

#girlblogging #aesthetic #plum diaries #whisper girl #fairydiaries #positive thoughts #self care #sugarplumdiaries #positivity #coquette #fleetwood mac #stevie nicks #whimsy #whimsical #whimsigoth #witchcore #witchcraft #witch aesthetic #edge of seventeen #sylvia plath #figtree #strangers #ethel cain #princess tea party #strawberry girl #the virgin suicides #twilight #bambalinafairy #blythe doll #bambalina

[mirrorstone]

I’ve decided to do something self-indulgent and start taking daily(ish) pictures of my tea for a little tea diary. I’ve never managed to keep a journal, but I drink tea almost every day and I usually have something to say about it. These days, I often feel like life goes by in a blur, so maybe it’ll be nice to take ten minutes to stage a photo and think about the day.

Today’s tea is looseleaf assam, with honey and milk. I often think that this assam has some nice honey notes, so adding honey to it really brings those out. It’s got a nice, bold flavor, and it’s one of my everyday favorites.

The mug is from an outing to a home goods store that was supposed to be for a new oven mitt, after I got scorched through the old one. I’d recently given away some mugs because the shelf was getting full, but I loved the pattern on this one so much I had to buy it anyway, although I have to deliberately avoid thinking about how all the different types of flowers are coming off the same stem.

#tea #tea diary

[nuzzle]

apologies for my inactivity and to the replies/asks i haven't gotten back to. i got the sickest i've been in a long time over the winter vacation and things have been a bit busier for me as of late. but, i figured i would ease back into posting with this mini diary/photo dump of a memorable day!

my partner and i spent our time off work together dressing up and having a bunch of tea sessions.. i finally had an opportunity to wear my new tweed coat with rose buttons out and about.

and of course we brought along my most dear and beloved best friend usakumya! i think by this point she has been to nearly all of the best afternoon tea spots in NYC. we're going to have to start traveling away from home to show her something new...

this is the JSK with the panel of lace that i was eyeing--actually having seen it in a flatlay photo here on tumblr! super happy to have added it to my wardrobe. as for the coord details: my coat, JSK, blouse, socks and bag are all from baby. the headbow is innocent world, shoes are angelic pretty and my necklaces are from vivienne westwood and tiffany's. i also learned a valuable lesson as to how tea party shoes got their name.. with the uncomfortable lack of sole support i can't imagine doing anything else in them!

the lovely spot we had tea at ended up being a favorite out of many. it was adorned with vintage decor and furniture full of character. there were old postcards and works of art embedded within the glass covering of the table. the chandeliers of teacups, heart dishes and all of the lace doilies made for a very cottagey atmosphere which we loved.

this beautiful porcelain pot of sugar was one of the more interesting ones i've seen, with dried fruit and flowers included!

the star shaped sugar on the chocolate covered strawberries and the frog tea pot were also charmingly cute!!

#diary #afternoon tea #lolita fashion #egl #egl fashion #egl community #egl coord #btssb #baby the stars shine bright #angelic pretty #innocent world #vivienne westwood #tiffany's #usakumya

[discoveryofhappiness]

24 Days of Tea, Day 1

So I got a tea advent calendar from Imperial Teas of Lincoln this year, and I have always wanted to properly document my tea drinking because I want to keep track of what I do or don't like so I'm going to do one post for every day :D this is what the box looks like:

I prepare tea in lots of different ways, though I always use the temperature typically used for that tea, e.g. always use 100C for black/red tea. Though the teas aren't a surprise for each day, I prefer picking out what I have time for that day, and I mostly prepare tea using the Gong fu method, but I do have milk tea in a mug for some teas and sometimes double boil tea in a pan if its something like Chai with lots of whole spices, I even cold brew tea a lot haha, I get creative depending on the type. Anyway here is day 1!!

This is Gunpowder Temple of Heaven, which is a green tea. I prepared this using the Gong fu style and it was wonderful, it was mild and a little smoky like the description said, and actually in the first steep (I don't throw out the first steep on a tea pet because I don't have a traditional set yet, I make do with a cheaper mix of things I already have in the kitchen) it almost tasted like popcorn. It was a pretty typical high quality green tea with that grassy but slightly sweet and smoky flavour, and here is the colour on the third steep:

Very pretty light yellow that looked great in my white tea cup. The flavour lasted VERY long, and my mother ended up mixing it with another green tea in a pot brew. Very nice tea session :)

#tea #gong fu cha #green tea #advent calendar #tea diary #tea review #tea time