Just saw this post on fb from Kim Whye Kee’s (Qi Pottery):
“Many people will tell you that when you brew a tea thick, you can get the 韵(yun) and 回甘 after-taste better. This might be true. Both happen because of your glands reacting to the flavours and chemicals in the tea.
Train your glands to be sensitive enough to pick up these reactions with the light brew rather than the heavy brew.
Otherwise it is like taking drug - you have to constantly seek new highs because your tastebuds get numb after a while with the regular heavy brew. When that happens, your glands will pick up the strong notes but not the lighter finer ones.”
Interesting thought! Makes me think, if I should think over my brewing habits. I can by no means be accused of brewing a tea too light, haha
Noticed that a lot of folks in Taiwan brew their tea light, too light for my taste.
Opinions?
On brewing tea thick
Tea is already a lighter and milder drink as compared to others, I prefer brewing it as thick and strong as possible. Drinking a variety of teas trains your glands to pick up the different notes, I don't think it is necessary to make a habit of brewing lighter for that - so brewing lighter should be more because you like ligher taste than for any other reason.
Compared to what drinks?
I can drink coffee on an empty stomach, but would never do so with black or green tea! Makes me dizzy and feeling sick.
Chocolate? While not light, certainly a mild sort of drink, unless you go for pure cocoa which is bitter.
Mate ok, that one is harsh.
In general I would say it depends a lot on the tea, too many different kinds to generalise this sort of thing.
I suppose I had coffee primarily in my mind, as I used to mainly drink coffee until begining teas a few years ago. I still drink the occasional cup of strong coffee and consider all types of teas milder than it.
I've never had any problem drinking any kind of teas on an empty stomach, though I've often heard others mention issues with that. It was anyway just a generalisation as you say, and I can understand that there would be a lot of exceptions for people with different constitutions - I only mentioned that as a reason for my personal preferance in stronger and thicker brews.
I've never had any problem drinking any kind of teas on an empty stomach, though I've often heard others mention issues with that. It was anyway just a generalisation as you say, and I can understand that there would be a lot of exceptions for people with different constitutions - I only mentioned that as a reason for my personal preferance in stronger and thicker brews.
Interesting topic, and one I was just thinking about the other day!
I find that my brewing habits will change with the same tea depending on when I am drinking it. I tend to make a lighter brew in the morning. My taste buds seem to enjoy it and be most sensitive early in the day. I also drink tea on an empty stomach a lot and this is easy on it.
After meals I make my thickest or heartiest brewings. My taste buds are worn and require a little extra punch. The thicker soup sits best in my stomach at this time.
I revert back to lighter brewing for evening. My taste buds are not as open and the flavor will seem more muted than it would in the morning, but I find it more relaxing and insures my stomach will be in good shape for bed time.
I find that my brewing habits will change with the same tea depending on when I am drinking it. I tend to make a lighter brew in the morning. My taste buds seem to enjoy it and be most sensitive early in the day. I also drink tea on an empty stomach a lot and this is easy on it.
After meals I make my thickest or heartiest brewings. My taste buds are worn and require a little extra punch. The thicker soup sits best in my stomach at this time.
I revert back to lighter brewing for evening. My taste buds are not as open and the flavor will seem more muted than it would in the morning, but I find it more relaxing and insures my stomach will be in good shape for bed time.
-
Ethan Kurland
- Vendor
- Posts: 1034
- Joined: Thu Oct 12, 2017 1:01 am
- Location: Boston
- Contact:
Leaf to water ratio seems crucial to me. Sweet or bitter notes that may add character or charm to the drinking of a brew made with a modest amount of leaves; while being heavy with leaves may lead those notes to stop being subtle and dominate the palate. I've often had friends enjoy a tea prepared by me but not enjoy the same tea after I have handed a packet of it to them from which they take and use 3 X the amount of tea that I use for an infusion. Or at least, I don't enjoy this new version, not just a stronger brew. lt's not just a matter of weak or strong;, thin or thick, but putting some flavors and effects in one's mouth in quantities that are okay or not okay.
Differences in how individuals handle teas' flavors and forces make it difficult to enjoy tea in a group and of course as Brent has pointed out, even one person can vary how he likes his tea based on the time of day etc.
Differences in how individuals handle teas' flavors and forces make it difficult to enjoy tea in a group and of course as Brent has pointed out, even one person can vary how he likes his tea based on the time of day etc.
I like to think that some teas deserve to be treated lightly to allow the subtleties to shine through, while other’s benefit from being brewed practically as thick and strong as you can before it becomes bitter.
I might tread more lightly with a Biluochun for instance, where it’s the subtitles that make it special, wheras I’d give no such consideration to Liu Bao or shou – I think thickness is a big part of why I reach for those teas.
I might tread more lightly with a Biluochun for instance, where it’s the subtitles that make it special, wheras I’d give no such consideration to Liu Bao or shou – I think thickness is a big part of why I reach for those teas.