You know that feeling you have when you come across a youtube video and you realise that you are watching a genuinely passionate expert? It's good isn't it...
I work at tea shops... retail tea industries dont teach you anything lol. We are given a script. But this channel is so much better to learn from. Love this!
I am definitely so ignorant, I came here because someone gave me this tea and now I discovered this is almost a whole science. Thanks for the knowledge !
Don, I want to say thank you. I'd been falling in love with raw puerh over some months until one morning before breakfast when I'd indulged in a gifted, high quality cake. The bodily effects were overwhelming and disheartening since I unknowingly chalked it up to my long-standing intestinal issues. Due to those issues, I'm unable to drink coffee and must closely monitor my diet. Tea has thusly been a refuge for me, and raw puerh a true treat. You can imagine my dismay thinking I wouldn't be able to drink it anymore. However, when I found your video, I did a follow-along brew and learned of puerh's natural bodily effects and how to appreciate them, not to mention how to infuse properly and understand the notes I'm smelling and tasting. So thank you once again for dispelling an otherwise dispiriting situation.
I quite drinking alcohol and started drinking and making Kombucha and so my fascination with tea has grown which led me down the rabbit hole to where I’ve now come across your channel. I love your enthusiasm, now I’m going to attempt Gong-Fu Cha and maybe I can kick my coffee habit as well. Thank you sir
Do you realise, Don, that despite the infinite depth of the tea world you are a prominent master of it? It might be easy to forget with the overwhelming complexity there is to it, but remember, you are a forerunner of this movement. Thank you for it, you are a true Inspiration!
Separation between master and student should be impossible because mastery is a process rather than a goal and that process makes us all eternal students. I love exploring the complexity and sharing experiments with everyone. It is a pleasure to contribute to a movement that we love and we are thankful for the community it has created around us.
@@MeiLeaf I agree that mastery is a journey rather than the goal. But the journey can be undertaken with a varying degree of dedication, devotion and the light spread along the way. And you, dear Don travel the path of tea in a masterful way!
Great channel , Don is a true master. I discovered the world of GongFu PuErh back in the 90s at the Chinese supermarket. The lady showed me how to brew I purchased a tea set, that was very cheap. The journey exploring tea is never ending and this is such a great channel with amazing content. Its a pleasure to watch.
I appreciated the little added detail, the qualification: that everyone has their own taste, and can adapt to that. Alot of tutorials don't ring 100% true, primarily in descriptions of the fruitiness of teas. (That may be for experts, with greater subtlety.) Anyway, it is true that tea OFFERS many classes of flavour; which effects how we learn every time we brew, according to what we like. Ie. We may learn that some flavours are not a 'subject' we enjoy studying! I like the subtlety that Don picks up, by listening to his customer. ...It sounds like he really truly has found a revelation in tea. (As should everyone.)
Today, I was watching videos here on Dancong, as just as I was leaving China I was introduced to it by a tea master friend and brought some high quality Dancong back (but I don't know which kind!). Anyway, I was drinking along with the video and was astounded and bewitched by the delightful, pleasing fruit tones in it. To be truthful, when I first tried it in the shop---and admittedly was was a bit rushed, tying up a life of 11 years in China, making my last stops to tea friends--it seemed a bit astringent and I didn't notice fruitiness at all. How could I have missed it? So happy my attention was called to it! I don't know why my friends hadn't introduced it to me sooner--I had been drinking teas with them for years. I have Wechatted this friend back in China to find out which Dancong it is, but anyway, a friend and I are going to watch the video of different kinds of Dancong together tomorrow and try to guess which fruit taste it is. These videos have really helped me appreciate the subtleties of several teas. All those years in China, shou pu'erh was always my favorite and never could appreciate the astringent contrast of sheng pu'erh (but also, it seemed to have a bad effect on me--felt like more caffeine and gave an unpleasant physical sensation to my tongue and throat--sensitivity?) But as I bought and was gifted a great deal of high quality and fairly old sheng pu'erh (as well as many lovely quantities of shou), I'm going to try to give it another chance. Anyway, my point here is that as dubious and affected as it may sound, many teas have these fruity tones to them, as well as the earthy.
Your harder/softer advice was really helpful. I think I've been going too hard on greener pu resulting in it being much too bitter for my palette. GREAT ADVICE! THANKS!
Okay, I know, I'm a little eccentric... I'm only just beginning to explore Tea properly, but, as usual, with me, I'm going off in far too many directions at once. I am quite fixed in my ways as regards preparation but I like what I call "Navy tea". A good strong brew of black tea. I like it sweet and I like it with milk. I've decided I REALLY like Suki tea. HOWEVER...., I am very interested to explore other possiblities and, in particular, green tea and teas (and drinks) made from herbs other than Camellia sinensis. Now, obviously green tea, coffee and cocoa spring to mind, but I'm experimenting with 'Ivan' tea from willowherb and nettle tea as well as Greek mountain tea. I also like cold tea and iced coffee, so I like to make green tea with honey and chill it as a pocket drink - and then, of course, you could lose yourself in the connoiseur range of different types of honey, I once did a fast, subsisting on only honey and water and after four days it was astonishing how the taste buds began to discern a vastly more complex range of perfumes and aromas to the honey, it had dimensions I had never perceived before. currently I have started carrying a tiny bottle of very strong-brewed Arabic coffee with a big spoonful of heather honey. I use that as a quick "wake-up" shot, but I'll drink Ivan tea before bed time, because it helps give a good night's sleep. I use chilled green tea with honey as a sipper when I am doing long presentations, it keeps me alert and my vocal chords lubricated. I'm experimenting too with Salop and a Grecian wild flower tea I found. I'd also like to get into what to eat with tea, and I'm nuts for Dim Sum, so I'd really love to have a sort of "Tea Garden" with Dim Sum or sushi snacks and also invent my own, with equally obsessive attention to baking cakes and breads, such as date & chestnut malted loaf or hemp-seed bread. In particular I want to explore the psychoactive principles of teas and the nutritional combinations of foods. I think even considering kava kava. I'd like to get into additives to tea and coffee as well, such as hibiscus, Earl Grey, vanilla, bergamot, lavender, mint, chrysanthemum, ginger, cardamom, etc. etc. I am also intrigued by perfumery. My key hobby is botany & that veers into herbal medicines and psycho-active principles, but not to trip anyone out - but, perhaps just help relax or be gently stimulated. I think taking time out for a well made cup of tea should be a meditative respite from the day and a chance to nourish the body and mind as well as stimulate the taste buds and senses. I've never related to wine connoiseurs, but I used to be fussy about my beers, again, because there is a specific flavour pattern I seek. My favourite, so far, was to mix Cannabea with Duvel and the body of the cannabis takes over the job of the hops (to which it is related) but the maltiness of the beer combined is exquisite. Then there is Pilsner..... and that does in a whole other direction that I better not broach here. Nevertheless, can you imagine sitting in a speciality Tea Garden and enjoying different teas when different flora is in bloom, spreading their scents at different times of the day and year and trying to compliment the one with the other? I really don't know where I am going with all of this.... perhaps a new form of aromatherapy... taste-o-therapy.... or herbalchemy.... I don't know. I am, however, keen to experiment and I've certainly found some things I really enjoyed - so who knows where it might go? I am certainly interested to understand tea and tea ceremony far better and now, obviously, very keen to taste more variations.
This was the most ocd experience of my longish life. Thank you Sir for all your knowledge. No critique but I found your voice really pounding and had to watch on silent.
I am new to all of this and I'm so thankful I came upon your channel. As a former teacher I always say just because someone knows a subject doesn't mean they can teach it,but you certainly have a gift of instruction thank you so much. I will be Watching all your videos.
Don, I have tried all brewing methods and the one that I found works is complete sweetness max flavor and max infusion from the tea and I feel gets maximum money’s worth out of it. I put 6 grams I a half gallon of filtered water for maximum 3 days on the counter. A hour or so before I strain it (coffee filter) I put it in the refrigerator. Puer is the best done this way.
I've been using that "roll-up" tech to great effect when brewing Japanese teas, which tend to form a dam that traps liquid behind it. It's much more effective than holding your arm up in the air for 2 or 3 minutes waiting for it to slowly drip.
His tea usually tastes like all sort of stuff. Strawberry, Apple, Orange, Watermelon, Durian, Cinnamon, Chocolate, Banana, Apricots, Avocados, Starfruit, Tomato, Potato, Papaya, Vanilla, etc, etc ,etc and etc.
Hello there, I am a first-timer with this tea, and am looking to purchase some. Having never brewed tea in this manner; you have opened my eyes to a whole new world of flavors and textures. Thank you very much.
I just love it the way you're using technical terminology. Indeed, we are extracting various substances here, so why not. In chemistry and chemical engineering when we are talking about extraction, it's usually liquid to liquid extraction, where one liquid could be an organic solvent like hexane and the other phase would be water. However, solid to liquid extractions exist too, and that would be the term applicable to tea steeping. Keep on using precise terminology. Great work. Oh, and speaking of terminology. Many times I've thought about comparing the different notes found in tea to the real thing. So for instance, you said you found some jasmine in this tea, so why not calibrate your senses with actual jasmine flowers and see if your perception of this tea changes. I found some smoky notes in my one of my oolongs and immediately thought I should get some smoked fish to figure out if I'm reading this right.
Thank you for your presentation. This was a very demonstration. Very refreshing explanation for someone like me who is starting with puerh. Thank you again
Wow, great channel. I mainly brew very simply: the pot from my v60, 10-15g of tea to 700g water, give it 10 mins and transfer. Am I committing some horrible sin? Tastes fine to me, don't deprive yourself of good tea because you're intimidated by all the ritual and jargon!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Last year i am interested with gong fu cha and i have tried twice at local tea shop. Since then i am interrsted although i don't understand why there are pressed pu erh tea and it is more than $200. Finally i understandafter watch this video.
Holy Hell, so true! I've never known so many adjectives were available out there. Plus, I do not think I have tasted many of those flavors or fruits or veggies. Plus the different woods. Going to my local woodworking shop for wood to grate. A whole new World!!
I've been drinking green tea and oolongs for a while and finally journeying into the world of puerh. What are the differences between white tea in tea cake form and raw puerh? One difference appears to be the source plant (with puerh coming from the larger leaf varieties), but is the white tea in cake form fermented as well?
Amazing and informational video!. It's small but for safety purposes, when picking out pu-erh tea with a knife, the knife should pick away or at least parallel but not toward the other hand to avoid injuries.
I just came to UA-cam to try and figure out what tea to buy where I am in Darjeeling, now I'm down the rabbit hole and plan to become a tea connoisseur.
Great information is being shared in this video. Regarding water: I use spring water,rather then filtered tap,although in a pinch,I will do filtered tap.
So if you just do just 3 infusions after that how do you store the wet tea leaves and may I ask you to be my tea teacher I haven't brewed anything yet I would like to know a few things first and do you know any of the teas that might get me out of having diabetes
Funny thing is, when I bough my first gaiwan and watched a few videos, nobody taught me this method. However, I did figure it out on my own by just experimenting with different things. I noticed that the dipping seems to go on and on, so I tried draining the tea from the opposite direction and noticed that the liquid came out rather quickly. I'm glad I found that out, since it allowed me to drain the leaves better. Must be some type of filtration cake forming effect. If you're constantly draining in one direction, the leaves and dust tend to clog up the narrow passage way. By going the other way, you're essentially bypassing the cake, which simply means you're draining the liquid faster.
I believe i can add another term with which we may describe the taste (or scent). Actually, the set of words for "tension". The tea i just had, id descrive its taste as [overall] "tense". Theres more to it im sure but eh, anywyas. 😊
1. Face cream? What kind? Lol I need something like that 2. I am new, what's with the fish??? 3. I wish I could smell scents the way you do, my goodness! Is this like your super power? I'm so jelly
The face cream could be similar to green tea face cream, I’ve used to before and it works great. The fish is his tea pet. It’s used during gongfu tea ceremonies and is meant to bring good luck.
When I was in Thailand I tried Dew Drop tea and loved it but can’t find it anywhere here in the states. Do you have any information on the tea itself? Any resources on where to purchase the tea are also greatly appreciated. 🙏
Thank you! The breathing out smell thing is my favorite part of oolong and pu erh. I had started to aerate very often while drinking (alone). Good to know that's getting in the way.
What do you think about deliberately taking a scent, WHILST with a sip in your mouth. I do believe it may be a different overall experience as compared to them separate.
"Nougat, salted caramels, forest honeys, hints of pomelo, some lilac". Are there any flavors not present? lol. Best description of the world's best (and oldest) tea!
I love these Gaiwan tricks and hacks. The knuckle you say? Interesting. Here's another thing I like to do with the Gaiwan. I like to keep hot water in the Gaiwan's saucer. This keeps my Gaiwan stay nice and warm for future brews.
I got loose leaf Pu'er tea for my birthday and I was wondering if I should try it out or give it to someone else (it's a pretty good quality one that was harvested in 2011). I honestly never liked Pu'er since I find that its taste is usually too overwhelming and sweet, but it feels like a waste to not try it out. Is it usually a bit of an acquired taste?
Hey Don, I loved this video, I got so many tips out of it. At 31:30-sh you talked about the pour, and an idea/question popped into my head... have you ever canted the lid to 45 deg. and then poured the water into the gaiwan directly over the lid? If so, how did that work out for you? It seems to me to be an easy way to apply water from different directions each brew and in a non-direct application of water. Also, with such a method would you need to brew at slightly higher temps, as the lid cools down between brews?
I boil water put some tea leaves in a cup and pour hot boiling water into it and my cup of tea is ready to be sipped,simple.with all those steps and procedures i might even forget to drink it when the steps are completed.
I'm a pretty new tea drinker (thanks to this channel) and just got myself some ripe pu erh. Had a quick and intense brewing session alongside this video, and having eaten not much today, I did not expect that much, uh... physicality. Whoa.
Great video! I recently ordered Pue Erh thinking it was just regular tea. I opened the bag and it was a like a mini hockey puck and hard as a brick. I was clueless what to do with it. 4 weeks later I got the genius idea to use a power drill to break it apart. I brewed a cup in a tea infuser for 5-10 minutes (not sure tbh, I got distracted). It was good I guess but I realized there's probably more to it. Your video was extremely insightful because it made me realize I'm missing a tea pet fish thing.
One thing I love about green tea(even twinings bags, which actually has it quite a bit) is the TANG that you feel on your tongue, after swallowing it is not bitterness, but a very pleasant tanginess, and I do not know what the word for it is, any ideas? I enjoyed this video, and look forward to brewing some 20 year iceland pureh when it and my gaiwan finally arrive.
The presentation was well organized and useful for anyone who needs an intro into the world of 生普洱茶。😍 However, I would argue that realistically speaking adding a stopwatch to the tea-drinking experience is a tad bit overdoing it. How many of the traditional cultivars in China's Yunan province drink their sheng puer with a stopwatch by their side?
I don't generally use a stopwatch, but then sometimes I get distracted by something else and remember about the brewing 10 minutes later. I tend to use a stopwatch when I try new teas and I want to have an accurate experience, or when drinking teas that can have many infusions to keep track of which infusion I am at (having the stopwatch storing the previous infusion's time). Why refuse technology when it can make your experience more accurate and even just simpler? The same would apply for scales and thermometres (or the internet where we are watching this video, instead of taking a few months off to retreat into some monastery in Yunnan to learn tea the proper traditional way there 😉)
@@mario7027 agreed! I have many a time realized "Oh no! I'm brewing tea!" far too late. I suppose it's a good reminder to be more present and mindful of the gong fu experience. :) While I agree with you about taking advantage of the technology we have at our disposal, a retreat to a Yunnan monastery sounds absolutely wonderful, where can I sign up for one of those?! :D
Got a Nuzzle Diver cake last christmas and let me tell you: THE HYPE IS REAL! :) It converted even my girlfriend who normaly HATES puerh tea with a passion...
I'm about to venture off into my first pu-erh purchase....is the raw similar to green tea? I don't care much for green tea, I like the oxidized varietals more..like oolong...should I opt for ripe?
Hello Mei leaf! can you write down what you said about water? filtered, softened and... ? grandilize? im not sure what word you said and im curius what was that.
hey i would be quite interested how to read the fermentation grade from the wet leafes and in general what does the wet leafes are telling me. thanks ;)
Great video but only one thing that got mentioned: Grander water is just a scam. It does neither anything physically nor chemically to your water at all.
@@MeiLeaf thanks for the quick answer! I'm entering this fantastic world in these days and I'm very curious. What do you mean with "clay changing the tea", because it does not sound great seems something negative (about the clay yixing)
@@marcoguizzetti7379 the clay interacts with the tea and usually makes it thicker and softer while rounding out the bitterness. The quality of the clay is very important of course and sometimes the clay can negatively affect the taste. To have a transparent taste you should use porcelain or glass and then you can explore different clays. We have done many videos about clay so you can check them out.
I’m confused. I typically use 2.8 gm per 236 ml of water yet he is using 5 gm per 100 ml. Am I missing something or is PuErh that much different from other teas? Thanks for any help you can offer!
He is brewing Gong Fu style (high tea to water ratio, many short infusions) and you're Western style brewing (low tea to water ratio, few long infusions).
Hey! I was wondering what is the most efficient way to keep or make sure your water is at the right temperature. Is there an easy way or do you just keep re heating it after every other steep? Thanks!
There are kettles like the Bonavita that will hold your water at a particular temperature. Alternatively you can buy a thermos flask (we sell one called the Brewrider meileaf.com/teaware/brewrider/). You can keep reheating manually as long as your kettle has a temperature showing.
😲 strange advice. You can always boil tea and this is different method used in certain areas but the standard way of brewing PuErh all over China including the PuErh producers is Gong Fu brewing.
My region has one of the highest calcium amounts of europe. My tap water comes out cloudy. It looks like an effervescent tablet was thrown in there. White cloudy, mineraly to the point that it looks sparklling. Terrible for tea, so I buy water from the store. Good tea deserves better than my regions tap water.
With as much detail from the quality of the water to all of the amazing brewing glassware, it seems to me to touch the tea with bare hands would ruin all of that work. What about any oils from fingers?
What brand is the kettle? It seems that you have to have one of these two be able to pour with the accuracy required. Mine would pour all over the tea. Kind regards, the tea barbarian.
Went from drinking store brand green tea in teabags w/ boiling water and long steep times to pureh tea in porcelain gaiwans. What a discovery lmao.
Same.
Now I won't touch teabags
me too
@Random guy on the internet what website. Is it in the US?
I use tea bags but only certain brands. I will always prefer loose leaf tea and tea cakes. Pearls I have only tried once
@@Jar0fMay0 I want to know as well
You know that feeling you have when you come across a youtube video and you realise that you are watching a genuinely passionate expert?
It's good isn't it...
It really is. I always wondered about what a tea ceremony was. I just don't like the slurping.
@@jbukenya80 Agree. Trying to get used to that. At least in this, it doesn't seem so slurpy. But what a great video!! So much information!
One of the few teatubers around, and the video quality is so so high! Don has truly blessed this world.
I work at tea shops... retail tea industries dont teach you anything lol. We are given a script. But this channel is so much better to learn from. Love this!
I am definitely so ignorant, I came here because someone gave me this tea and now I discovered this is almost a whole science. Thanks for the knowledge !
Don, I want to say thank you. I'd been falling in love with raw puerh over some months until one morning before breakfast when I'd indulged in a gifted, high quality cake. The bodily effects were overwhelming and disheartening since I unknowingly chalked it up to my long-standing intestinal issues. Due to those issues, I'm unable to drink coffee and must closely monitor my diet. Tea has thusly been a refuge for me, and raw puerh a true treat. You can imagine my dismay thinking I wouldn't be able to drink it anymore. However, when I found your video, I did a follow-along brew and learned of puerh's natural bodily effects and how to appreciate them, not to mention how to infuse properly and understand the notes I'm smelling and tasting. So thank you once again for dispelling an otherwise dispiriting situation.
Came to learn about Pu'ehr tea. Feel like I need a degree in tea to even buy some now.
Stop being afraid of passion. You might not know much about the electrical wiring in your house. Are you going to move out and live in the woods?
I quite drinking alcohol and started drinking and making Kombucha and so my fascination with tea has grown which led me down the rabbit hole to where I’ve now come across your channel. I love your enthusiasm, now I’m going to attempt Gong-Fu Cha and maybe I can kick my coffee habit as well. Thank you sir
Matcha really helped me kick coffee. Now I do a match session in the morning and then a green/black/or oolong in the evening. Really nice
Your passion is infectious! I discovered your channel today and am thoroughly hooked.
How long is 5 Mei Leaf seconds? Let's see:
7:37 - leaves go in
After about 5 Mei Leaf seconds, at 8:07, you can lift the lid.
Mei leaf instead of mississippi
he is quite long-winded
Lol. What a load of aardvark's sphincters!
Stand user: Don Mei
Stand name: Guy Wan
Guy Wan: ZA WARUDO!!!
Do you realise, Don, that despite the infinite depth of the tea world you are a prominent master of it? It might be easy to forget with the overwhelming complexity there is to it, but remember, you are a forerunner of this movement. Thank you for it, you are a true Inspiration!
Separation between master and student should be impossible because mastery is a process rather than a goal and that process makes us all eternal students. I love exploring the complexity and sharing experiments with everyone. It is a pleasure to contribute to a movement that we love and we are thankful for the community it has created around us.
@@MeiLeaf I agree that mastery is a journey rather than the goal. But the journey can be undertaken with a varying degree of dedication, devotion and the light spread along the way. And you, dear Don travel the path of tea in a masterful way!
Great channel , Don is a true master. I discovered the world of GongFu PuErh back in the 90s at the Chinese supermarket. The lady showed me how to brew I purchased a tea set, that was very cheap. The journey exploring tea is never ending and this is such a great channel with amazing content. Its a pleasure to watch.
I appreciated the little added detail, the qualification: that everyone has their own taste, and can adapt to that.
Alot of tutorials don't ring 100% true, primarily in descriptions of the fruitiness of teas. (That may be for experts, with greater subtlety.) Anyway, it is true that tea OFFERS many classes of flavour; which effects how we learn every time we brew, according to what we like. Ie. We may learn that some flavours are not a 'subject' we enjoy studying!
I like the subtlety that Don picks up, by listening to his customer. ...It sounds like he really truly has found a revelation in tea. (As should everyone.)
Today, I was watching videos here on Dancong, as just as I was leaving China I was introduced to it by a tea master friend and brought some high quality Dancong back (but I don't know which kind!). Anyway, I was drinking along with the video and was astounded and bewitched by the delightful, pleasing fruit tones in it. To be truthful, when I first tried it in the shop---and admittedly was was a bit rushed, tying up a life of 11 years in China, making my last stops to tea friends--it seemed a bit astringent and I didn't notice fruitiness at all. How could I have missed it? So happy my attention was called to it! I don't know why my friends hadn't introduced it to me sooner--I had been drinking teas with them for years. I have Wechatted this friend back in China to find out which Dancong it is, but anyway, a friend and I are going to watch the video of different kinds of Dancong together tomorrow and try to guess which fruit taste it is. These videos have really helped me appreciate the subtleties of several teas. All those years in China, shou pu'erh was always my favorite and never could appreciate the astringent contrast of sheng pu'erh (but also, it seemed to have a bad effect on me--felt like more caffeine and gave an unpleasant physical sensation to my tongue and throat--sensitivity?) But as I bought and was gifted a great deal of high quality and fairly old sheng pu'erh (as well as many lovely quantities of shou), I'm going to try to give it another chance. Anyway, my point here is that as dubious and affected as it may sound, many teas have these fruity tones to them, as well as the earthy.
Your harder/softer advice was really helpful. I think I've been going too hard on greener pu resulting in it being much too bitter for my palette. GREAT ADVICE! THANKS!
Okay, I know, I'm a little eccentric...
I'm only just beginning to explore Tea properly, but, as usual, with me, I'm going off in far too many directions at once.
I am quite fixed in my ways as regards preparation but I like what I call "Navy tea". A good strong brew of black tea. I like it sweet and I like it with milk. I've decided I REALLY like Suki tea.
HOWEVER...., I am very interested to explore other possiblities and, in particular, green tea and teas (and drinks) made from herbs other than Camellia sinensis.
Now, obviously green tea, coffee and cocoa spring to mind, but I'm experimenting with 'Ivan' tea from willowherb and nettle tea as well as Greek mountain tea.
I also like cold tea and iced coffee, so I like to make green tea with honey and chill it as a pocket drink
- and then, of course, you could lose yourself in the connoiseur range of different types of honey,
I once did a fast, subsisting on only honey and water and after four days it was astonishing how the taste buds began to discern a vastly more complex range of perfumes and aromas to the honey, it had dimensions I had never perceived before.
currently I have started carrying a tiny bottle of very strong-brewed Arabic coffee with a big spoonful of heather honey. I use that as a quick "wake-up" shot, but I'll drink Ivan tea before bed time, because it helps give a good night's sleep. I use chilled green tea with honey as a sipper when I am doing long presentations, it keeps me alert and my vocal chords lubricated.
I'm experimenting too with Salop and a Grecian wild flower tea I found.
I'd also like to get into what to eat with tea, and I'm nuts for Dim Sum, so I'd really love to have a sort of "Tea Garden" with Dim Sum or sushi snacks and also invent my own, with equally obsessive attention to baking cakes and breads, such as date & chestnut malted loaf or hemp-seed bread. In particular I want to explore the psychoactive principles of teas and the nutritional combinations of foods.
I think even considering kava kava.
I'd like to get into additives to tea and coffee as well, such as hibiscus, Earl Grey, vanilla, bergamot, lavender, mint, chrysanthemum, ginger, cardamom, etc. etc.
I am also intrigued by perfumery.
My key hobby is botany & that veers into herbal medicines and psycho-active principles, but not to trip anyone out - but, perhaps just help relax or be gently stimulated.
I think taking time out for a well made cup of tea should be a meditative respite from the day and a chance to nourish the body and mind as well as stimulate the taste buds and senses.
I've never related to wine connoiseurs, but I used to be fussy about my beers, again, because there is a specific flavour pattern I seek. My favourite, so far, was to mix Cannabea with Duvel and the body of the cannabis takes over the job of the hops (to which it is related) but the maltiness of the beer combined is exquisite. Then there is Pilsner..... and that does in a whole other direction that I better not broach here.
Nevertheless, can you imagine sitting in a speciality Tea Garden and enjoying different teas when different flora is in bloom, spreading their scents at different times of the day and year and trying to compliment the one with the other?
I really don't know where I am going with all of this.... perhaps a new form of aromatherapy... taste-o-therapy.... or herbalchemy.... I don't know. I am, however, keen to experiment and I've certainly found some things I really enjoyed - so who knows where it might go?
I am certainly interested to understand tea and tea ceremony far better and now, obviously, very keen to taste more variations.
Mei Leaf videos are my new Saturday cartoons.
Only saterday?
This was the most ocd experience of my longish life. Thank you Sir for all your knowledge. No critique but I found your voice really pounding and had to watch on silent.
I am new to all of this and I'm so thankful I came upon your channel. As a former teacher I always say just because someone knows a subject doesn't mean they can teach it,but you certainly have a gift of instruction thank you so much. I will be Watching all your videos.
Great video, I’m learning so much from you, I went from tea bagger ,to probably a new tea appreciator and probably a new customer, thanks so much .
Damn tea baggers....
Don, I have tried all brewing methods and the one that I found works is complete sweetness max flavor and max infusion from the tea and I feel gets maximum money’s worth out of it. I put 6 grams I a half gallon of filtered water for maximum 3 days on the counter. A hour or so before I strain it (coffee filter) I put it in the refrigerator. Puer is the best done this way.
That sounds fascinating! Just bought my first PuErh so want to experiment with it all. Thank you!
I've been using that "roll-up" tech to great effect when brewing Japanese teas, which tend to form a dam that traps liquid behind it. It's much more effective than holding your arm up in the air for 2 or 3 minutes waiting for it to slowly drip.
His tea usually tastes like all sort of stuff. Strawberry, Apple, Orange, Watermelon, Durian, Cinnamon, Chocolate, Banana, Apricots, Avocados, Starfruit, Tomato, Potato, Papaya, Vanilla, etc, etc ,etc and etc.
@Anonymous sarcasm ;)
@Anonymous Well, some teas have a lot of "umami" which really is found in tomatos too.
Hahaha
I would rather avoid such a type of tea with numerous fruits flavours.
Don’t forget, “cherry, dark fruit, nougat, old upholstery, old woman’s perfume,” etc...
Hello there, I am a first-timer with this tea, and am looking to purchase some. Having never brewed tea in this manner; you have opened my eyes to a whole new world of flavors and textures. Thank you very much.
I just love it the way you're using technical terminology. Indeed, we are extracting various substances here, so why not. In chemistry and chemical engineering when we are talking about extraction, it's usually liquid to liquid extraction, where one liquid could be an organic solvent like hexane and the other phase would be water. However, solid to liquid extractions exist too, and that would be the term applicable to tea steeping. Keep on using precise terminology. Great work.
Oh, and speaking of terminology. Many times I've thought about comparing the different notes found in tea to the real thing. So for instance, you said you found some jasmine in this tea, so why not calibrate your senses with actual jasmine flowers and see if your perception of this tea changes. I found some smoky notes in my one of my oolongs and immediately thought I should get some smoked fish to figure out if I'm reading this right.
Thank you for your presentation. This was a very demonstration. Very refreshing explanation for someone like me who is starting with puerh. Thank you again
Finally I found the right brewing parameters for my new puerh after long time🤤 When is the next meileaf live session?
I never weight tea. After some training you get used to eyeballing it.
Working on a lot of projects but we might try to do one in June.
Wow, great channel. I mainly brew very simply: the pot from my v60, 10-15g of tea to 700g water, give it 10 mins and transfer. Am I committing some horrible sin? Tastes fine to me, don't deprive yourself of good tea because you're intimidated by all the ritual and jargon!
OMG I LOVE THE ROLL UP!!!! 🤯
Loved this. Thank you for your generosity of teachings 🙏🏼
I really enjoy those detailed brewing videos!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Last year i am interested with gong fu cha and i have tried twice at local tea shop.
Since then i am interrsted although i don't understand why there are pressed pu erh tea and it is more than $200.
Finally i understandafter watch this video.
Fantastic channel for tea lovers. Also adjective lovers :) beside jokes, thank you for sharing your experiences
Holy Hell, so true! I've never known so many adjectives were available out there. Plus, I do not think I have tasted many of those flavors or fruits or veggies. Plus the different woods. Going to my local woodworking shop for wood to grate. A whole new World!!
I've been drinking green tea and oolongs for a while and finally journeying into the world of puerh. What are the differences between white tea in tea cake form and raw puerh? One difference appears to be the source plant (with puerh coming from the larger leaf varieties), but is the white tea in cake form fermented as well?
Awesome video! I have a casual interest in tea and watching your video was super informative, cant wait to try pu-erh teas myself!
Amazing and informational video!. It's small but for safety purposes, when picking out pu-erh tea with a knife, the knife should pick away or at least parallel but not toward the other hand to avoid injuries.
I just came to UA-cam to try and figure out what tea to buy where I am in Darjeeling, now I'm down the rabbit hole and plan to become a tea connoisseur.
Got my first sachet today. Can't wait to try it.
Great information is being shared in this video.
Regarding water:
I use spring water,rather then filtered tap,although in a pinch,I will do filtered tap.
To all my Puerh heads, enjoy! Thanks for posting! This is great!
So if you just do just 3 infusions after that how do you store the wet tea leaves and may I ask you to be my tea teacher I haven't brewed anything yet I would like to know a few things first and do you know any of the teas that might get me out of having diabetes
Don! How long were you planning on keeping ‘The Roll up’ a secret?! Think of the lost drops. Thanks for the tip, Tea-Wizard.
Funny thing is, when I bough my first gaiwan and watched a few videos, nobody taught me this method. However, I did figure it out on my own by just experimenting with different things. I noticed that the dipping seems to go on and on, so I tried draining the tea from the opposite direction and noticed that the liquid came out rather quickly. I'm glad I found that out, since it allowed me to drain the leaves better. Must be some type of filtration cake forming effect. If you're constantly draining in one direction, the leaves and dust tend to clog up the narrow passage way. By going the other way, you're essentially bypassing the cake, which simply means you're draining the liquid faster.
I believe i can add another term with which we may describe the taste (or scent). Actually, the set of words for "tension". The tea i just had, id descrive its taste as [overall] "tense".
Theres more to it im sure but eh, anywyas. 😊
1. Face cream? What kind? Lol I need something like that
2. I am new, what's with the fish???
3. I wish I could smell scents the way you do, my goodness! Is this like your super power? I'm so jelly
The face cream could be similar to green tea face cream, I’ve used to before and it works great.
The fish is his tea pet. It’s used during gongfu tea ceremonies and is meant to bring good luck.
When I was in Thailand I tried Dew Drop tea and loved it but can’t find it anywhere here in the states. Do you have any information on the tea itself? Any resources on where to purchase the tea are also greatly appreciated. 🙏
Omg this is so so yummy. EXACTLY the tea flavor I was looking for!!!!!!
Can you put your tea in a big tea pot, because I have one big it's a old fashioned one,
Very thoughtful and thorough! Thanks for this!!
Thank you! The breathing out smell thing is my favorite part of oolong and pu erh. I had started to aerate very often while drinking (alone). Good to know that's getting in the way.
What do you think about deliberately taking a scent, WHILST with a sip in your mouth. I do believe it may be a different overall experience as compared to them separate.
That is, after having done them separately.
"Nougat, salted caramels, forest honeys, hints of pomelo, some lilac". Are there any flavors not present? lol. Best description of the world's best (and oldest) tea!
I love these Gaiwan tricks and hacks. The knuckle you say? Interesting. Here's another thing I like to do with the Gaiwan. I like to keep hot water in the Gaiwan's saucer. This keeps my Gaiwan stay nice and warm for future brews.
Interesting technique!
Greatly enjoyed this video! Thank you for making it :)
I got loose leaf Pu'er tea for my birthday and I was wondering if I should try it out or give it to someone else (it's a pretty good quality one that was harvested in 2011). I honestly never liked Pu'er since I find that its taste is usually too overwhelming and sweet, but it feels like a waste to not try it out. Is it usually a bit of an acquired taste?
Hey Don, I loved this video, I got so many tips out of it. At 31:30-sh you talked about the pour, and an idea/question popped into my head... have you ever canted the lid to 45 deg. and then poured the water into the gaiwan directly over the lid? If so, how did that work out for you? It seems to me to be an easy way to apply water from different directions each brew and in a non-direct application of water. Also, with such a method would you need to brew at slightly higher temps, as the lid cools down between brews?
I boil water put some tea leaves in a cup and pour hot boiling water into it and my cup of tea is ready to be sipped,simple.with all those steps and procedures i might even forget to drink it when the steps are completed.
😂
Great masterclass! Thanks a lot Don! :D I'm brewing Yi Wu Luo shi dong Sheng Puerh along with the lesson! :D
I'm a pretty new tea drinker (thanks to this channel) and just got myself some ripe pu erh. Had a quick and intense brewing session alongside this video, and having eaten not much today, I did not expect that much, uh... physicality. Whoa.
😊
Great video! I recently ordered Pue Erh thinking it was just regular tea. I opened the bag and it was a like a mini hockey puck and hard as a brick. I was clueless what to do with it. 4 weeks later I got the genius idea to use a power drill to break it apart. I brewed a cup in a tea infuser for 5-10 minutes (not sure tbh, I got distracted). It was good I guess but I realized there's probably more to it. Your video was extremely insightful because it made me realize I'm missing a tea pet fish thing.
One thing I love about green tea(even twinings bags, which actually has it quite a bit) is the TANG that you feel on your tongue, after swallowing it is not bitterness, but a very pleasant tanginess, and I do not know what the word for it is, any ideas?
I enjoyed this video, and look forward to brewing some 20 year iceland pureh when it and my gaiwan finally arrive.
The presentation was well organized and useful for anyone who needs an intro into the world of 生普洱茶。😍 However, I would argue that realistically speaking adding a stopwatch to the tea-drinking experience is a tad bit overdoing it. How many of the traditional cultivars in China's Yunan province drink their sheng puer with a stopwatch by their side?
I just put my phone by my side and add the seconds to the phones clock. Just have to look at it.
Oh I agree and I never use a stopwatch but wanted to be accurate in this one since I am giving guidelines.
I count in my head
I don't generally use a stopwatch, but then sometimes I get distracted by something else and remember about the brewing 10 minutes later. I tend to use a stopwatch when I try new teas and I want to have an accurate experience, or when drinking teas that can have many infusions to keep track of which infusion I am at (having the stopwatch storing the previous infusion's time). Why refuse technology when it can make your experience more accurate and even just simpler? The same would apply for scales and thermometres (or the internet where we are watching this video, instead of taking a few months off to retreat into some monastery in Yunnan to learn tea the proper traditional way there 😉)
@@mario7027 agreed! I have many a time realized "Oh no! I'm brewing tea!" far too late. I suppose it's a good reminder to be more present and mindful of the gong fu experience. :) While I agree with you about taking advantage of the technology we have at our disposal, a retreat to a Yunnan monastery sounds absolutely wonderful, where can I sign up for one of those?! :D
I don’t know how you can smell each items in the tea I don’t smell nothing but earth
Thank you for making this excellent instructional video!
Out of curiosity, I bought some puerh tea online. What am I getting myself into? It seems so much more than I thought
Got a Nuzzle Diver cake last christmas and let me tell you: THE HYPE IS REAL! :) It converted even my girlfriend who normaly HATES puerh tea with a passion...
I am happy that Nuzzle managed to charm your lady to the ways of the Pu
Can you add milk to it?
Great Video...Thank you for amplifying my passion for Gong Fu brewing and for all the wonderful knowledge...You're Grand...
I'm about to venture off into my first pu-erh purchase....is the raw similar to green tea? I don't care much for green tea, I like the oxidized varietals more..like oolong...should I opt for ripe?
I wonder if the bamboo charcoal could improve specialty coffee brewing as well. Great video thank you
Hello Mei leaf! can you write down what you said about water? filtered, softened and... ? grandilize? im not sure what word you said and im curius what was that.
A Ciebie skąd tu przywiało? ;) 'Granderised' - metoda Grandera
Zaglądam tu od czasu do czasu :) ciebie też bym się tu nie spodziewał, dzięki za odpowiedź.
Sorry I have put links in the description about Grander Water.
Thanks!
hey i would be quite interested how to read the fermentation grade from the wet leafes and in general what does the wet leafes are telling me. thanks ;)
I like how keen his nose is. He's mastered the art of distinguishing the aromatics.
And taste. The forest honey observation cracked me up. Not honey. Forest honey! Would love to have that discerning of a palate.
@@americalost5100 😀
I enjoyed drinking my puerh with you. I learned a few new things!!!
I noticed that you have a different temperatures for Nuzzle Diver than you suggest in this video. There is 99°C/210F.
Great video but only one thing that got mentioned:
Grander water is just a scam. It does neither anything physically nor chemically to your water at all.
Hi, just a quick question. Is not a mistake using a Gaiwan for Pu Erh instead of a Yixing?
Gaiwan is a very standard way of brewing PuErh. Yixing is great if you want to have the clay changing the tea.
@@MeiLeaf thanks for the quick answer! I'm entering this fantastic world in these days and I'm very curious.
What do you mean with "clay changing the tea", because it does not sound great seems something negative (about the clay yixing)
@@marcoguizzetti7379 the clay interacts with the tea and usually makes it thicker and softer while rounding out the bitterness. The quality of the clay is very important of course and sometimes the clay can negatively affect the taste. To have a transparent taste you should use porcelain or glass and then you can explore different clays. We have done many videos about clay so you can check them out.
@@MeiLeaf thanks a lot!! I'll start right now catching up with your vids. Thanks again!! Amazing channel and amazing work!
Do harder brews give your more nutrition?
Awesome channel, I love your passion for what you do.
Sooo kinda think I know the answer but what is a tea pet for?
It's for fun, originally religious
Wow. Impeccable delivery. ✍️
I’m confused. I typically use 2.8 gm per 236 ml of water yet he is using 5 gm per 100 ml. Am I missing something or is PuErh that much different from other teas? Thanks for any help you can offer!
He is brewing Gong Fu style (high tea to water ratio, many short infusions) and you're Western style brewing (low tea to water ratio, few long infusions).
Have you done a video on heicha/dark tea/Liu Bao yet? I can't find a video about heicha on the channel.
Excellent!! Really enjoyed that. I love Puerh
Hey! I was wondering what is the most efficient way to keep or make sure your water is at the right temperature. Is there an easy way or do you just keep re heating it after every other steep? Thanks!
There are kettles like the Bonavita that will hold your water at a particular temperature. Alternatively you can buy a thermos flask (we sell one called the Brewrider meileaf.com/teaware/brewrider/). You can keep reheating manually as long as your kettle has a temperature showing.
does puerh tea have to be brewed gongfu style?
Hi, every one im a fammer from Pu'er Tea home town XiShuangBanna, nice to meet you
Hello!
Berika • hi
I will try Pu’er tea for the first time hopefully this week. Very exciting!We have very limited options here in Turkey
@@berika6 haha nice , yunnan province of chian will expot many pu-erh tea to there, i read a news of website that is know turkey people drink tea.
Beautiful city
I bought my Pu'er tea in China and was told that it has to be boiled and not just steep it in hot water unlike what everybody thinks.
😲 strange advice. You can always boil tea and this is different method used in certain areas but the standard way of brewing PuErh all over China including the PuErh producers is Gong Fu brewing.
I will soon be making 50 gallon batches. I have calculated 250 grams for this. Am I way off?! Many thanks for great content.
what if I combine it with banana, on the side?
What if I use a tiny 90ml teapot? How to treat pu erh in such as vassel.
Pay closer attention to water temperature as the clay will hold heat well and adjust to taste
Distill your water at home if in rly love your tea my friend
My region has one of the highest calcium amounts of europe. My tap water comes out cloudy. It looks like an effervescent tablet was thrown in there. White cloudy, mineraly to the point that it looks sparklling. Terrible for tea, so I buy water from the store. Good tea deserves better than my regions tap water.
does anyone else get the slightest hint of floral notes in shou? kind of like baby powder?
I think I’m obsessed with tea
Yay! Watching now! 😍😍😍 Grabbing the Muse to brew along! 🥳🥳🥳
Night Forest? Had it yesterday🤪
Was browsing and found this video - name was familiar and it turns out they're just round the corner from me, will be paying a visit :)
I wonder if this stuff is really good lol I kinda wanna try
With as much detail from the quality of the water to all of the amazing brewing glassware, it seems to me to touch the tea with bare hands would ruin all of that work. What about any oils from fingers?
Hi and thanks for your great videos! I enjoyed the great explanations and enthusiasm, can you do one on teas for fasting?
I've never had forest honey or bitter face cream.
What brand is the kettle? It seems that you have to have one of these two be able to pour with the accuracy required. Mine would pour all over the tea.
Kind regards, the tea barbarian.
Looks a variable temp, electric Bonavita gooseneck kettle.
I don’t spend a lot of money, even if I am quite comfortable, but I would splurge on good tea 💕