(Untitled)

[xanthamarioff]

Driving to work, two license plates: "JENSPONY" AND "MOIPONY", both on Mustangs. It is too early in the morning for that kind of thing, people.

In other news, the girl at the Fair Oaks Teavana recommended going to Teasim (which I've been disappointed by), Ten Ren (in MD), and Ching Ching Cha. The website for that last one? OMG. So promising! This

Comments

[elf]

Ching ching cha will actually show you how to do oolong with the three or four pieces (it's been a while - I can't remember how many there were). It made me happy.

[xanthamarioff]

Yeeees. That's actually want I went into Teavana for -- the new quest for a nonporous gongfu set. And Ching Chang Cha appears to be serious about selling the tea and all the necessary tools (and probably some that aren't strictly necessary), and I thought the site promised the gongfu preparation, at least for the teas that are appropriate to be brewed that way. Don't know if I'd go for an oolong, given that there's aged pu-erh on the menu, but... so many possibilities!

[arielstarshadow]

But yeah, Ching Ching Cha looks promising mainly because it looks like it's focused on the tea as a beverage rather than an event involving cookies, scones, and lace. Girly tea does have its place, and is often quite fun -- I'm all for excuses to eat cookies and gossip for several hours on a Saturday afternoon -- but the hot beverage is often not that good. It's related to the phenomenon where people begin with "Oh, you like tea? What kind? I just love the ___ flavor from Bigelow..." and I cringe and explain that I almost always avoid things with added flavorings. Jasmine flowers are one thing, but synthetic peach added to some rather pathetic-tasting leaves is always disappointing. (That said, I still drink Constant Comment, because it's crazy good.)

A British tea shouldn't be served with herbal teas and such - it should be a black Indian tea of some sort. Typically, that's all it is, though Earl Grey is acceptable. Peach or fruit flavored, etc. is right out!