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It’s been awhile since I made myself a cup of Tibetan Yak Butter tea, and this Heicha is perfect for that! Of course, any black or shu will work as well, but heicha tends to have a bit of a sour rye taste (in my opinion) and that goes really well with the salt and ‘butter’.

Since I follow an Auto Immune Protocol (AIP), and am also allergic to animal milks of all kinds, my recipe used the milk of the coconut. Here it is:

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 T of tea. Most recipes say to add the tea to the boiling water and let it simmer for a few minutes, but to be honest most of the time I just brew it in a teapot and let it sit for 4 or 5 minutes.

In your blender combine 1/4 cup coconut milk or cream, 1 T coconut oil (you can use MCT oil if you have it, but I just use the regular stuff), 1/8 tsp salt, and the strained tea. Blend on high for 2 – 3 minutes and enjoy. This makes 2 servings, but I usually drink it all myself.

If you don’t like the salty savory version, add some sweetener instead, or us both!

If you can have real milk, go for it! I’ve heard that canned condensed milk is especially awesome. Or use any of the alternative milks you like.

Warning: This might be habit forming, and it’s a really nice and easy snack if you’re following a ketogenic type way of life. There is something really satisfying about it, and it always provides me with a real energy boost!

I’ve had this sample of Fu Brick from Life in Teacup for quite awhile, and today was finally the day. I posted some picks to my Instagram, if anybody wants to see it. Anyway, it’s dark tea with the Golden Flowers clearly on display. The texture over all the steepings is very smooth, with a vanilla like feel. The flavor is wood and tobacco, and after the first few cups my mouth has a sensation of camphor too. I till have quite a ways to go with this, but so far I’d say the taste is pretty consistent throughout. This tea is really more about sensations and a good tea buzz too. I enjoyed it. BTW, the reason I posted it over here at the Random Steeping page is because it was a free sample and I didn’t see a point in creating a page for it, since I don’t think Gingko is offering it on her page.
And that’s a sipdown, folks!

This was a very mellow and mild cuppa.
The initial aroma was of tangy green apricots and burning green wood. It wasn’t necessarily smokey however.

The initial steeps were of a lightly salty mineral broth, gradually building a little apricot tanginess, then morphing into a tasty roasty cup, and then gradually getting sweeter. At that point, I had drank plenty of tea and it was getting later in the day, but I plan to revisit this more today, after a quick rinse, because I’m certain that it has much more to offer, and I’d like to be there to find out. Overall, I found this to be a very smooth and soothing session.

For the last week or so, I’ve been focusing on the Wuyi oolongs in my tea collection, particularly the ones that were close to sipdown, and most of these come from Li Xianxi and her family. I haven’t done any really comprehensive tea reviews in awhile, like talking about each steep as you’re drinking it, but maybe today will be that day.
So, I followed the typical gongfu steeping parameters: 7G + yixing X 5sec/8/11/14/ etc…
1. Light & clean, and a lovely incense aroma and sensation, both floral and vanilla, with a hint of green apple.
2. This tea features that much sought after (at least by me) ‘after aroma’, where the incense sensation rises into the sinuses and lingers long after the sip is complete. I’m sure there is a Chinese word for it, and I think maybe I knew that word a few years ago when I was posting here more often, but anyway, I enjoy it greatly.
3. This steep reminds me of a vanilla marshmallow, except there is an underlying woodiness and the sensation of metal, neither of which are really appealing to me at this time.
4. Creamy vanilla marshmallow, this is creamier than the last one, and more enjoyable, as it cooled it gave off more of a floral taste as well.
5. pretty much more of the same…
6. Pretty much the same creamy feel, but with a more mineral undertone and a little bitter
7. This is a little sweeter, still creamy vanilla, but with a touch of an floral aftertaste, kind of like you were rinsing your hair in the bubble bath and got a little bubble bath water in your mouth…
I think I’m ready to move on to something else. This is a pleasant tea, but of the 3 Li Xianxi teas I’ve drank in the last few days, my favorite was probably the Mei Zhan.

Yesterday I polished of the last of the Mei Zhan that has been gracing my tea cupboard for awhile. Today I’m working on the Huang Mei Gui. I am a big fan of Li Xianxi’s Oolongs, and Fujian teas in general, so it is no surprise that I’m enjoying cup after cup. I tend to prefer the roastier oolongs over the greener ones, just as I prefer Black tea over green, however there are exceptions all around, and of course, when it comes down to it, I love drinking tea, any variety, as long as it’s of good quality and free of BS flavorings.

I’m currently on the 3rd round, and my overall impressions are Rose & Jasmine (more rose than jasmine), orange peel, charcoal, caramelized stone fruit, and a heady floral incense overall. The corn and taro references were present in the first round, which have gratefully faded, as those were the least desirable features for me personally. This tea leaves a lingering bright sensation in the soft palate, a earthier thick chocolate sensation (not taste) on the tongue, and a decent head buzz. It’s also kind of tangy, which brings to mind an ensemble of double reeds: Bassoons, Oboes, English horn, various woodblocks, some tinkly percussion, a gong, and Guzheng, a chinese Zither, a harp related instrument that I’d like to have someday :) Although I guess I can probably do anything on the harp that can be done on a Guzheng, still…
Here’s a link, if you’d like to hear one. :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujzMHLac404

Golden flat needles, of a lighter shade.
Aroma of hay, earth, and wood.
Taste of Malt, earth, wood, Bamboo…
This tea has a smooth mouth, a fulfilling feeling about it, and a satisfying earthy depth, almost like chocolate or coffee, almost like a shu puerh, although that may because I went a little heavy on the leaf, since this is a sipdown.
For me, this is a more savory Dian Hong, not as sweet as some, a little more earthy and Manly, but perfect for this morning, when I’m prepping to go out to play in my garden.
Ensemble: Bass, cello, viola, bass clarinet, clarinet, Bassoon, English Horn, Bamboo flute, wind chime, wood block.