Ever since teaplz had this as her work tea a day or two ago, I’ve been tempted to torture myself try this one again. I thought I’d try using a little cooler water so I put the water into the pot and let it sit for a moment before putting the leaves in and I left the lid off while brewing.
With the horror that is the second steep of this, I’ve forgotten how much I enjoyed the first steep. Actually, I think this is better than the other time I’ve had it because I can get a hint of buttery, grassy sweetness. There is a little brine-like tingle left on my tongue but it isn’t really salty – more like a salt lick which, if anyone has ever licked one (yes, I have*) have a mineral taste that doesn’t burn like straight salt and is a little… almost sweeter. Or at least the pink ones I used to give my hamster do.
As the tea cools, more of the salt-lick/mineral taste is coming out, almost overpowering the sweet grassy green taste I had at the beginning of the cup. Almost but not quite. But the dry taste it leaves in my mouth is stronger and not that fun. I’m bumping up the rating a little bit because even with that mineral taste, the tea is nice. I’m still going to try a second steep, but I full anticipate burning salty horror.
*For the record, I don’t lick a lot of salt licks. But you know, I was curious.
ETA: Second Steep @ 2:00. The not-brine taste at the end is more tingly but as long as the tea is still pretty hot, it is okay. But the second it starts to cool, I start making faces as I sip.
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Yay! Glad I could inspire you to um… make a very bizarre cup of tea! I’m not quite sure if my bizarre cup was even that bizarre, because of my water situation/problem/mess. Hrm.
Growing up on a farm (I did) … one learns what lots of interesting substances taste like, salt licks included.
@teaplz, Any tea-related inspiration is good! And actually, the second steep wasn’t bad! I just have to drink this hot and quickly and that keeps the mineral/salt taste down to a decently pleasant tingle. So yay! I’m not so scared of this one anymore!
@gmathis, Any idea if the salt licks for cows and other livestock taste the same as the ones for hamsters?
I kind of forgot if you liked the tea or not…I was too busy laughing at the licking of salt licks. My mom is a geologist, so I grew up watching her randomly lick rocks. Yes, I too have licked many a rock and a salt lick…but I think it was set up for deer to lick. I think I’ll pass on the salty mineral tea here.
My hamster lore is really rusty. I don’t recall providing salt licks for the various and sundry hamsters we had growing up, although a) family legend goes that Henry the Great (before my time) would ride in my older brother’s model train box car and b) we had a white one that liked to steep himself in his water bowl, then sit in his green-tinted litter (this was…uh…a while back…) so he was half green from the posterior up.
Okay, between picturing Steepsterites licking (then rating) rocks and multi-colored hamsters having little hot tub parties in water bowls, I’m cracking up.
Yay! Glad I could inspire you to um… make a very bizarre cup of tea! I’m not quite sure if my bizarre cup was even that bizarre, because of my water situation/problem/mess. Hrm.
Growing up on a farm (I did) … one learns what lots of interesting substances taste like, salt licks included.
@teaplz, Any tea-related inspiration is good! And actually, the second steep wasn’t bad! I just have to drink this hot and quickly and that keeps the mineral/salt taste down to a decently pleasant tingle. So yay! I’m not so scared of this one anymore!
@gmathis, Any idea if the salt licks for cows and other livestock taste the same as the ones for hamsters?
I kind of forgot if you liked the tea or not…I was too busy laughing at the licking of salt licks. My mom is a geologist, so I grew up watching her randomly lick rocks. Yes, I too have licked many a rock and a salt lick…but I think it was set up for deer to lick. I think I’ll pass on the salty mineral tea here.
My hamster lore is really rusty. I don’t recall providing salt licks for the various and sundry hamsters we had growing up, although a) family legend goes that Henry the Great (before my time) would ride in my older brother’s model train box car and b) we had a white one that liked to steep himself in his water bowl, then sit in his green-tinted litter (this was…uh…a while back…) so he was half green from the posterior up.
Okay, between picturing Steepsterites licking (then rating) rocks and multi-colored hamsters having little hot tub parties in water bowls, I’m cracking up.