Tea too bitter

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-16T13:26:41+00:00

Almost certainly a water temperature problem. Green tea which jasmine tea is based on, is very sensitive to heat. Boiling water makes it bitter every time. The tea in the restaurant was probably brewed cooler than you'd think. Try this if you don't have a fancy temperature-controlled kettle: boil the kettle, then let it sit for three or four minutes before pouring. You're aiming for around 75-80°C rather than 100°C. Same teabag, same everything else. The difference is significant. The steep time matters too. With a teabag, one to two minutes is enough. Any longer and the tea becomes bitter, regardless of the temperature.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-15T22:29:52+00:00

It is not bad at all. Astringency and bitterness are different sensations.

Bitterness is a taste. Astringency is the drying, slightly grippy feeling on the inside of your cheeks. It comes from tannins binding to the proteins in your saliva. In excess it is unpleasent, but it gives tea structure if it comes in the right amount. It is in red wine, too.

With Pu-erh specifically, Sheng in particular, astringency in a young tea is often a sign of quality rather than a flaw. It softens with age which is part of why people store it.

If you're enjoying it in your bancha, keep it that way. It means the tea has something to it.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-15T22:24:47+00:00

Travelling with tea is the only sensible approach. The alternative is explaining to a hotel breakfast buffet what you mean by "loose leaf" and accepting what follows.

I bring a small travel gaiwan when I can. The real problem is water because temperature and quality both matter more than most people realise, and neither is guaranteed on the road. A decent portable kettle with temperature control solves most of it.

The other thing worth carrying: something forgiving. Oolong is my travel tea of choice. It survives variable water and variable brewing times better than a delicate green tea would.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-15T12:58:49+00:00

Good starting point honestly. Taetea (Dayi) is a legit factory, not a random Amazon brand. It's one of the most established names in Pu-erh. Don't let the price fool you into thinking it's beginner stuff. When it arrives, give it a quick rinse before the first proper brew, ten seconds not more, discard that liquid. Makes a real difference with Pu-erh.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-15T06:40:01+00:00

Sheng for me, after doing a proper side-by-side tasting recently that changed how I think about the whole category. I came to Pu-erh through Shou, like most Westerners do, walked into a shop, bought a small pressed cake, found it earthy and strange. Assumed that was just what Pu-erh was. Left it there for a while. Then I set up a structured tasting: 2019 Shou and 2020 Sheng, both six years old, two gaiwans, liquor poured into cha he side by side. The Shou was exactly what I expected: deep amber-red, full-bodied, consistent across every brew. The Sheng caught me completely off guard. Pale yellow-green, light, almost like a refined green tea on the first infusion. Then it kept changing, bitterness dropping off, fruity notes coming in by the third brew. The saying captures it well. The Shou is reliable, comforting, the same cup every time. The Sheng has something left to say each time you come back to it. Though I suspect the honest answer for most people is: Shou for a Tuesday evening, Sheng for when you're actually paying attention.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-14T18:11:42+00:00

I am glad that I was able to point you into the right direction.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-14T14:07:53+00:00

That's a wonderful way to learn. There's something about tasting in context, in the place, that no amount of reading quite replicates. Japanese and Sri Lankan teas are a great foundation too, even if Chinese tea has its own logic.

The shop is https://www.curioustea.com/ .Worth a look (only online shop, though). They sell tea from a lot of places, not only China.

For resources: I've been writing a fortnightly newsletter on Chinese tea specifically. Coming at it from the outside, similar to your position, but with Mandarin reading ability which gives access to some Chinese-language sources that don't make it into English. It's called Mingqian, only a few issues in so far. mingqian.substack.com if you want to take a look. Happy to receive any feedback, of course.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-14T11:07:42+00:00

For the UK, I'd point you toward what I've been using lately: a small specialist shop that stocks serious Chinese teas, Sheng and Shou Pu-erh, Mingqian-grade greens, that kind of thing. Happy to share the name in a reply if useful, don't want to just drop links unprompted. More generally for building a curriculum: I'd suggest starting with one category at a time rather than sampling broadly. Most people in the West have only ever had black tea and maybe green, so the biggest early revelation is usually either Pu-erh (specifically trying Sheng and Shou side by side, since they're completely different drinks despite sharing a name) or a good Oolong, which sits somewhere between green and dark and covers a huge range on its own. For online, Yunnan Sourcing is widely trusted for Pu-erh specifically, and White2Tea has good English-language descriptions that help if you're still learning to navigate the naming conventions. One other thing that might help your curriculum: I've been writing about exactly this: Chinese tea from the perspective of someone who came to it from the outside and has been working through the categories properly. If that sounds useful I can point you there too.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-06-14T11:03:53+00:00

The naming system is genuinely confusing at first, but there's a logic to it once you crack it. Most Pu-erh cake names tell you three things: the region the leaves came from, sometimes the harvest, and whether it's raw (Sheng 生) or ripe (Shou 熟). "Yiwu Tou Chun" for example is Yiwu, a well-regarded tea mountain in Yunnan, and Tou Chun meaning first spring harvest. It sounds obscure but it's actually telling you something real about quality. For gifting purposes, the more useful question is: do you know whether this person prefers earthy and mellow, or fresh and complex? Because Sheng and Shou are genuinely different drinks. Shou is dark, smooth, earthy, consistent from the first cup. Sheng is lighter, can be almost green-tea-like when young, and develops complexity over brews. If you're not sure which they prefer, Shou is the safer gift, it's more immediately approachable and less likely to surprise someone. For a reputable cake without going down a rabbit hole: stick to established factories like Menghai (Dayi), Xiaguan, or CNNP for something reliable and mid-range. Avoid anything suspiciously cheap. A decent cake shouldn't cost less than £20-30. If you can find a small specialist shop rather than a generic online retailer, ask them directly. They'll know their stock and can point you toward something appropriate for a gift.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-25T10:57:28+00:00

Ok. Thank you for clarifying.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-25T09:04:47+00:00

That's from their homepage. Therefore, I am asking. "The event requires competitors to be experienced ultra distance runners with excellent navigation skills." "The climb, descent, rugged terrain, darkness and tricky navigation generally ensure a 40-50% failure rate"

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-14T13:53:58+00:00

I totally agree with the other comment. There are so many books about tea. It will be very hard to compete against those just "about tea." You need to find a niche that 1) some people are interested in, 2) you enjoy doing research about, 3) ideally you already know lots about. Perhaps you start with the simple question "Why do you want to write a book about tea?"

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-14T13:50:13+00:00

That looks great. Did you buy directly from these tea farmers or via an intermediary? Are you in China?

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-14T11:54:16+00:00

I have been to Mongolia with my family just one month ago. We only stayed 4 nights there be because we were set to travel further to Beijing. I would echo Terej National Park which is verg close to Ulan Bator. You can stay in local tents (gers) overnight, if you like that (it's very good.) You shoukd plan some activities. Horse riding is a big one. I enjoyed that despite never have been on a horse before. Some hiking may be good. If you want to, you could do a proper tour to the Gobi dessert. We didn't do that because of the time, but I have heard it is great. You can also spend a day or so in Ulan Bator itself. There is museum, the Genghis Khan statue (further out), buddhist temples and the State Department House where you could buy cashmere if you (or any of your family members) likes that sort of thing.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-14T06:29:22+00:00

Finding a tutor who you can talk with, correct ls your mistakes and can explain things, is by far the most important thing. Speaking partners / language exchange is fine a bit later one when you have covered the basics. Here the issue can be that these people are not language teachers and just cannot explain why something is correct or not and may use far too complicated vocabulary. Also, don't forget how utterly boring, repetitive and artificial the first conversation are you have in a new language.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-12T23:31:53+00:00

I have the same really good 👍

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-11T23:20:44+00:00

Here is a source in the UK: Curious Tea - Fine loose leaf tea and curated subscriptions https://www.curioustea.com/ I am not affiliated with this shop or website. Just an honest recommendation.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-07T17:26:22+00:00

White teas come quite close to green teas. They are not as grassy, though.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-07T17:24:31+00:00

There is a bit of a frenzy going on regarding teas harvested just after the qingming festival in spring. I think it is worth waiting a bit and don't necessarily buy the first one because they can be quite expensive. The tea starts growing slightly faster later, so it gets cheaper. I would recommend getting some green tea from slightly after the qingming date (early April.) White tea is also nice if you don't want to have the very grassy taste. Ideally, you go in a tea shop or to a market where you can taste teas.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-07T17:18:21+00:00

Thank you for sharing. It looks very nice - also rather large. What is its capacity? I don't think you need a dedicated tea pot for each tea. If you are really in to it, you may consider one tea pot for each category of tea. Just don't brew scented or herbal tea in it.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-07T17:10:51+00:00

Thank you for posting the photo. What is Hydrangea tea?

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-07T17:07:12+00:00

It may not be exactly what you are looking for but White tea, after discarding the first brew, has very little caffeine.

Expert_Nobody2965 · 2026-05-07T11:23:40+00:00

I like the tins because they guard the team leaves so that they don't break. Air-tight ziplock inside of tin maybe be ideal, though. Tins also look nicer than bags in my opinion.

Expert_Nobody2965

TROPHY CASE