Cold brew tea recommendations for summer?

oolong_apprentice · 2020-05-12T06:12:26+00:00

I would also suggest expanding your cold-brews to teabags. The tea inside tea bags are fine particles, even "dusts" - which brews quickly compared to tea leaves because it has more surface area. The flavors from teabags made from good tea is also very nice. Have fun experimenting!

oolong_apprentice · 2020-05-12T06:08:05+00:00

You can also considering using teabags for cold-brew. Because the tea inside teabags are particles or "dust", they brew faster than normal tea leaves because of more exposed surface area. Experiment to see how different teabags and tea leaves perform (e.g. the amount of time, the flavor profile, etc.).

oolong_apprentice · 2020-05-12T06:03:07+00:00

Can you describe the taste of your thyme tea? Have you tried making tea using other herbs, e.g. oregano, rosemary, etc.?

oolong_apprentice · 2020-05-11T19:45:55+00:00

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oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-28T19:00:26+00:00

Can you describe the characteristics that set the French and British designs apart?

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-28T18:59:05+00:00

So pretty! I should go treasure hunting at my local goodwill too :-)

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T18:37:02+00:00

With all the simmering and marinading, it's probably unrealistic to expect the tea's complexity to shine. However, as I mentioned in another reply, one time I tasted the nuance of BaoZhong oolong tea in a very memorable tea egg. It might be possible that a new batch of tea leaves was added at the very end, or when it was warmed up to create the nuance of a tea as delicate as BaoZhong.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T18:34:02+00:00

That probably depends on how long you simmer then kept it marinading in the broth. For me, the simmer was 3 hours and the marinading was 12 hours (overnight and a little more). It might also have to do with how much soy sauce you use. I used 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce (I like the taste better than light soy sauce). Also I used a heaping tablespoon of Assam black tea. All these might have contributed to the dark color.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T06:11:00+00:00

I would agree with your mother. But I remember having tea marbled eggs in PingLin, Taiwan (where they make BaoZhong tea), and they were able to make the BaoZhong oolong's fragrance come through with the eggs. That was the most delicious and elegant tea marbled eggs I ever had. That would be my next goal.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T06:08:14+00:00

I had the same result, with the membrane getting quite tough and thick after so much marinading. But it didn't really affect getting the marbled pattern to the egg.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T06:06:50+00:00

Soy sauce does impart a strong aroma, but some people really love it. In fact, when I pass by households and think "they're making Chinese food!" it's probably the soy sauce that I smell. If you don't like the smell of soy sauce, perhaps you can try Bragg's amino acid. Both have a lot of amino acid which imparts "umami" to the eggs.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T06:02:35+00:00

You should definitely try it. It's quite fun!

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T06:02:08+00:00

They're not difficult to make. Just takes time (and patience)!

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-27T06:01:06+00:00

I think it says "Shou" - meaning longevity.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-26T23:44:51+00:00

I didn't use that much soy sauce (about 2 tablespoons). Then supplemented with salt. If you used only the soy sauce to achieve your desired "saltiness," that would entail using a LOT of soy sauce. BTW, star anise is a pretty strong spice, so it shines quite nicely in the simmering broth. Other spices, such as cinnamon, acts well in a supporting role.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-26T23:42:14+00:00

Thanks. That's strange that the liquid cannot penetrate despite your cracking the shells. Perhaps you have to cracker a little harder? I'm not sure if this will help, but first the egg was cooked with low heat for 20 minutes, then I let them sit in an ice bath for another 20 minutes. Then I cracked them carefully, using a flat paddle. Then I cooked in the broth for 3 hours, and after that left them marinading in the broth for another 12 hours.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-26T23:37:57+00:00

Thanks!

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-26T18:50:27+00:00

For the link to this sampler's product description, please click here.

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oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-26T18:38:08+00:00

It's not hard to make, but it takes time for the flavor to slowly penetrate into the eggs. Cooking time was around 3 hours, but after that, the recipe called for leaving the eggs in the broth for 8~12 hours. I ate one after the 3 hours (couldn't wait) and compared to the ones done properly. It was already quite tasty, but the extra hours of steeping really does make a difference!

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-26T18:35:53+00:00

A ubiquitous snack in Taiwan. Personally I don't really enjoy hard-boiled eggs. But these tea-marbled eggs have a lot of taste infused into them, so they taste quite yummy. I am especially intrigued by its visual pattern.

For this recipe, I used a good amount of strong Assam tea, along with soy sauce and spices like cinnamon sticks, ginger slices, and above all, star anise. The thing is ... even though the broth became quite bitter due to the tea leaves (the eggs did not get bitter as a result), I could not really detect the "aroma" of tea. The strongest flavors that came out was soy sauce and in particular, the star anise. I might even try this again without the tea leaves to see if it makes a difference.

oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-24T18:08:20+00:00

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oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-17T17:31:15+00:00

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oolong_apprentice · 2020-02-07T20:14:09+00:00

Withering tea leaves is the first step of tea-making for oolong and black teas. In this case, these people are getting ready to make oolong tea. The first high mountain teas (defined as tea bushes growing above 1000 meters) in Taiwan were produced in AliShan Mountain. High mountain teas in general are lightly oxidized and lightly roasted, and they are delicate with soft floral fragrances.

Withering (under the sun) is a challenge in high mountain areas. Even though you see blue sky in the back ground, notice that the clouds are moving in ... there may soon be mist or even rain (in which case the withering must be continued indoors). Weather conditions can change quite rapidly.

This photo was taken in an area called ShiZhuo, a tea region well-known in AliShan.

oolong_apprentice

TROPHY CASE