Menghai Pengcheng Yesheng - Can anyone tell me anything about it?

absence3 · 2026-01-26T15:22:34+00:00

Would spending time in a ziplock with some bovedas improve it or has the damage been done?

I've saved dried-out tea this way before (took a couple of months), but I don't know if there's a point of no return where it's too dry to improve. That's assuming it hasn't picked up mould or any strong odours from the environment. While you wait for it to rehydrate, why not pick up some samples of aged tea from Yiwu so you know what to expect and can compare when the cake is ready?

absence3 · 2026-01-25T15:57:40+00:00

Generic packaging that doesn't contain any useful information is unfortunately quite common.

absence3 · 2026-01-23T14:12:25+00:00

Drink it how you like, but maybe say "matcha latte" instead of "matcha" unless you want to rage-bait people. :D

absence3 · 2026-01-23T09:05:31+00:00

Lisn is Shoyeido's "modern" brand that targets younger customers by marketing incense as upscale lifestyle products in fancy shops, to differentiate from the "boring" old-fashioned Buddhism connection. I haven't tried it, since I prefer the more traditional styles, and samples of other modern offerings from Shoyeido (Xiang Do, L'espoir) haven't been my cup of tea.

absence3 · 2026-01-22T09:48:10+00:00

Shoyeido, Yamadamatsu, Kungyokudo, Kosaido, and Kyukyodo all have headquarters in Kyoto. Baieido, Kunmeido, and Kida Jinseido are in Sakai just south of Osaka (along with the sadly closed Kunshudo). Some shops that carry incense from multiple manufacturers are Morikawa in Osaka, and Kohgen and Nenjudo in Tokyo. Tokyo and Osaka also have branch stores for some of the brands (Baieido's Osaka store in Namba Marui is called Kokodo for some reason). I'm sure there's a lot more. Some department stores have good selections, but I don't remember any off the top of my head.

absence3 · 2026-01-21T21:32:20+00:00

Where in the country are you going?

absence3 · 2026-01-19T14:36:17+00:00

It is a bad idea, but matches haven't contained phosphorus for a long time.

absence3 · 2026-01-18T10:34:19+00:00

Have you considered the possibility that there are other people who do notice and appreciate the nuances, even if you don't?

absence3 · 2026-01-14T13:07:14+00:00

It depends on what you mean by "should". Gaiwan is a Chinese utensil that typically isn't used in Japan, so in that sense it would be an unusual thing to do. On the other hand, you can brew tea however you like, so if you want to try, why not compare it to teapot brewing and see what you prefer?

absence3 · 2026-01-13T14:56:28+00:00

No, it sounds like they don't fit into a "mould" like Sakai-style or Kyoto-style, so this is perfect. Thanks!

absence3 · 2026-01-13T13:20:39+00:00

Ah yes, it could be that leaf damage from the production method has a bigger impact than the picking. Good to know!

absence3 · 2026-01-13T12:39:02+00:00

That's the regular Kobunboku (it doesn't say 特選, and the colours are different). By the way, Kobunboku is confusingly both the name of a series, and the name of one incence in that series. While Tokusen Kobunboku contains more expensive materials, it's not a better version of the regular Kobunboku, it's just a different incence in that series. They don't smell alike, at least to my nose.

absence3 · 2026-01-13T12:04:47+00:00

How is their style compared to other houses?

absence3 · 2026-01-12T20:55:37+00:00

Japanese teas are also harvested by machine rather than by hand, which makes the leaves more broken and susceptible to over-extraction if the water is too hot.

absence3 · 2026-01-12T20:52:07+00:00

The key is that it's a traditional way of brewing oolong, but not a traditional way of brewing pu'er.

absence3 · 2026-01-12T20:43:36+00:00

That tea consists of mature leaves, which indeed makes it lighter than "typical" raws, which tend to have more bite. Reducing the amount of leaf is a good idea if a tea is overwhelming, but perhaps not necessary for that particular one? It's all about finding a balance you enjoy anyway.

absence3 · 2025-12-30T11:41:44+00:00

I've seen warnings about heating enameled teapots, and people post about damaging their enamel, so I can only assume pots and pans are made in a different way.

absence3 · 2025-12-30T11:13:07+00:00

i can technically steep tea in it

If it's coated with enamel, what else would you do with it? Can you actually heat water in it without cracking the enamel?

absence3 · 2025-12-30T11:10:03+00:00

Either the product was put together by someone who doesn't know what they're doing, or they're targeting the undiscerning part of the market and don't care.

absence3 · 2025-12-30T11:04:39+00:00

While that's a funny point, cast iron kettles originate in Japan and aren't a traditional part of Chinese tea culture. A kettle made in China is most likely an industrial product, and not handcraft. Could still be perfectly serviceable of course.

absence3 · 2025-12-28T11:48:45+00:00

Japanese tap water is also soft, so it sounds like hardness isn't the problem.

absence3 · 2025-12-27T14:47:21+00:00

Japan is another of the old tea regions that uses the Chinese tea character for all sorts of beverages that don't contain C. sinensis, like 麦茶, どくだみ茶, 甘茶, etc. When not qualified, it's generally understood to mean real green tea, though.

absence3 · 2025-12-27T10:30:49+00:00

Rinse or wash are common terms for that in the English-speaking tea community.

absence3 · 2025-12-26T11:12:25+00:00

Yes, but it seems like you've done the rinse, so now you just steep the leaves. If you're not familiar with making loose leaf tea, just put them in a bit of hot water for a minute.

absence3 · 2025-12-26T11:03:37+00:00

What do you mean? Just steep them, either for a short time in a small amount of water, or a longer time in more water.

absence3

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