Now that I have had some time to rest and have my head on somewhat straight again, let’s kick off this Sunday with a blast from the past. This was yet another tea I reviewed last month, yet like quite a few others, I never got around to posting a formal review on Steepster. So, without further ado, here goes.
I prepared this tea gongfu style. After a quick rinse, I steeped 6 grams of loose tea leaves in 4 ounces of 195 F water for 7 seconds. This infusion was chased by 13 subsequent infusions. Steep times for these infusions were as follows: 10 seconds, 15 seconds, 20 seconds, 25 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 1 minute, 1 minute 15 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, and 5 minutes.
Prior to the rinse, the dry tea leaves emitted aromas of char, wood, caramelized banana, and graham cracker. The rinsed leaves presented new aromas of coffee beans and toasted rice. The first infusion showed hints of grass and fruitiness on the nose. In the mouth, I found flavors of sweetgrass, watercress, cattail shoots, cream, butter, char, graham cracker, cinnamon, wood, and caramelized banana. Subsequent infusions saw the notes of coffee and toasted rice appear in the mouth. I also picked up on hints of vanilla, elderberry, and blackberry. Subtler impressions of squash, minerals, orchid, roasted walnut, and honey flitted in and out of focus in the background. The later infusions demonstrated a more pronounced minerality on the nose and in the mouth. A touch of buttered popcorn emerged toward the end of the session, while lingering traces of wood, char, and cream remained on the palate.
As charcoal roasted oolongs go, this one was very nice. It was a complex tea, yet it was also very subtle. Each aroma and flavor component was integrated very well. If you are the type of person who prefers toasty, mellow teas, I could see this being a perfect fit for you. Personally, I greatly enjoyed this tea, but I ended up wishing that it were not so even-tempered throughout the session. In places, it was almost too mellow and balanced for my taste.
Flavors: Blackberry, Butter, Char, Cinnamon, Coffee, Cream, Fruity, Graham, Grass, Honey, Mineral, Orchid, Popcorn, Toasted Rice, Vanilla, Vegetal, Walnut, Wood
Preparation
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I really need to get some of this!
Where do you find cattail shoots? What are cattail shoots? How do you even know what cattail shoots taste like?
And so on.
Evol, the term cattail refers to at least a couple of species of semi-aquatic perennial plants that are widely distributed in North America and Europe. They are sometimes referred to as bulrush, reedmace, or corn dog grass (the dry flower spikes look like corn dogs). They are generally found in ditches, along the banks of ponds, and generally, any marshy area. They’re prized by foragers, hikers, and survivalists because they are very useful. The dry stalks and flower spikes can be used as a fuel source, and top to bottom, many parts of the plant are edible. They can even be used to make flour. I know about them because I live on farmland that contains marshy drainage areas and two ponds and they grow everywhere. The plants are highly invasive and I have to cut them back every year. The shoots have a muddy, grassy aroma owing to the habitat in which they grow and kind of a starchy, but almost cucumber-like flavor. They don’t taste bad, but you should wash them very thoroughly in order to avoid sickening yourself.
Just for clarification, the area in which I live is basically split between gently sloping, heavily forested hills and marshy lowlands. Space for commercial agriculture is and always has been pretty much nonexistent, so foraging was once a commom means of obtaining food. With hunting, fishing, and hiking being popular activities here, many people also still forage in the field partly due to it being a part of traditionally culture, but also to keep from exhausting available resources.
Ah, bullrushes! (And yes, they do look like corn dogs. :)
I had no idea that parts of them were edible. Nor did I know that they had other uses.
And yes, yes, google could be my friend for much of this, but I do very much appreciate your taking the time to explain. It all makes so much more sense with the information and how it pertains to your context. So, thank you.
No problem.
Also, it is very helpful and interesting to understand more about the places that we all live as our environments are quite different.
Last week, I had the pleasure of being in the countryside here where there is a patch of bullrushes in a muddy, swampy place near the train tracks. Otherwise, I live in a densely populated multicultural city and have access to bullrushes only when I wander down to the ravines which thread through and under the city. This gives you an idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojd76550_n8
I am wondering why I often miss notices of your comments. Thinking to myself.
I really need to get some of this!
Where do you find cattail shoots? What are cattail shoots? How do you even know what cattail shoots taste like?
And so on.
Evol, the term cattail refers to at least a couple of species of semi-aquatic perennial plants that are widely distributed in North America and Europe. They are sometimes referred to as bulrush, reedmace, or corn dog grass (the dry flower spikes look like corn dogs). They are generally found in ditches, along the banks of ponds, and generally, any marshy area. They’re prized by foragers, hikers, and survivalists because they are very useful. The dry stalks and flower spikes can be used as a fuel source, and top to bottom, many parts of the plant are edible. They can even be used to make flour. I know about them because I live on farmland that contains marshy drainage areas and two ponds and they grow everywhere. The plants are highly invasive and I have to cut them back every year. The shoots have a muddy, grassy aroma owing to the habitat in which they grow and kind of a starchy, but almost cucumber-like flavor. They don’t taste bad, but you should wash them very thoroughly in order to avoid sickening yourself.
Just for clarification, the area in which I live is basically split between gently sloping, heavily forested hills and marshy lowlands. Space for commercial agriculture is and always has been pretty much nonexistent, so foraging was once a commom means of obtaining food. With hunting, fishing, and hiking being popular activities here, many people also still forage in the field partly due to it being a part of traditionally culture, but also to keep from exhausting available resources.
Ah, bullrushes! (And yes, they do look like corn dogs. :)
I had no idea that parts of them were edible. Nor did I know that they had other uses.
And yes, yes, google could be my friend for much of this, but I do very much appreciate your taking the time to explain. It all makes so much more sense with the information and how it pertains to your context. So, thank you.
No problem.
Also, it is very helpful and interesting to understand more about the places that we all live as our environments are quite different.
Last week, I had the pleasure of being in the countryside here where there is a patch of bullrushes in a muddy, swampy place near the train tracks. Otherwise, I live in a densely populated multicultural city and have access to bullrushes only when I wander down to the ravines which thread through and under the city. This gives you an idea. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojd76550_n8
I am wondering why I often miss notices of your comments. Thinking to myself.