I don’t know what I was thinking when I ordered this, but I enjoy it. For some reason I’ve been buying up mini tuo chas but I’m not sure if I’ve actually used any yet other than this. I usually go for the loose stuff. But with my brand new little white gaiwan, I decided to take a go at gongfu brewing. My first time! I’m sure I messed up a little somewhere… but I’m sure I’ll have plenty of practice sessions down the road. Along with the little gaiwan I’m using a teacup that holds twice as much as my gaiwan… a thermos for the water, and a cookie tray for lack of a tea tray.
I’m sure it was not that much tea (only a bit over three tumblers worth) but it felt like a lot of tea! It also felt very LONG and alot of work. I’m not completely sure I enjoy the method, but it’s different and the change in the flavor as the steeps went by were interesting to document.
The first few steeps were lighter and kind of sweet and leathery. Around the fifth steep thing got darker and definitely a bit smokey. I’m not the biggest fan of smokey teas, but I’m sure that the flavor is still developing, as now around the 15th steep the taste is more earthy and like mushrooms- yet the little tuo cha hasn’t broken completely apart yet.
The leaves are small! Very small. I wish I had a small fine strainer to deal with it, but I ’m mind the sediment as much if I let it settle. That results in kind of a wait between cups though.
The flavor keeps developing, it’s definitely keeps me interested. Now if only I weren’t practically vibrating and the front of my tongue didn’t feel kind of numb…
