I am drinking this in celebration.
First, it’s a celebration of getting through the final for a pretty intense summer class (and thus having a month of actual summer ahead of me between summer class and regular class). I ordered myself a little sampler set from Camellia Sinensis and made myself wait till after the exam (which ended at 10 pm!) to break into it.
Second, it’s a celebration of a discovery I think some here might be interested in unless it’s already widely known: cream of tartar is nothing short of a miracle for teaware. It has removed some truly disgusting, seemingly permanent stains from my Breville with little effort. I’ve had baking soda help somewhat, but nothing like this! My Breville hasn’t looked so good since I first bought it. It’s shiny and beautiful again.
Anyway, that’s worth celebrating not just because stains quite bother me, but because it had really been affecting my tea drinking. I use the Breville to heat water even if I’m brewing in something else, and I found that teas were really starting to pick up an off flavour from the tea buildup. I’ve been avoiding more delicate teas without really noticing it. I tried a Huang Shan Mao Feng from this same set and it was totally ruined by the Breville water. So, drinking a white tea is liberating and exciting!
As for the tea: I’m not too often in the mood for whites but this is hitting the spot now, even as my first tea of the day. It’s vegetal and green, and sweet. It has a nice and surprising fullness, too, which I’m really liking. I’ve had three infusions in the pretty little gaiwan I also let myself buy, and it’s going strong. Sweet and fluffy.
