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#1 2007-11-05 11:14:48

jeff jones
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Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 113
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Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Hello all

  I was wondering if any of the tea drinkers on the forum could suggest a nice smoky bowled flavored tea, not to strong on the caffeine. I recently found that I really like the flavor of the Chinese tea Lapsong Souchong, but after a couple of cups, forget trying to play shakuhachi, I was out of my head. Vibrating, irritable, and going so far as trying to play Rokudan on a Taimu, it was hilarious, but not to productive (although it was fun).

Thanks


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#2 2007-11-05 11:29:04

Priapus Le Zen M☮nk
Historical Zen Mod
From: St-Jerome, Quebec, Canada
Registered: 2006-04-25
Posts: 612
Website

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

I totally understand your feeling. So in this case if you are into black tea's I would suggest some good Puerh tea or some tie Lohan tea (Iron Arhat).

But are very mild on the buzz but have a strong taste.


Sebastien 義真 Cyr
春風館道場 Shunpukan Dojo
St-Jerome, Quebec, Canada
http://www.myspace.com/shunpukandojo

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#3 2007-11-05 12:17:32

James J.
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From: Upstate NY
Registered: 2007-09-11
Posts: 24

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

That's funny. 

For real tea, give Temple of Heaven gunpowder a shot.  In spite of the name, the caffeine content is about half of most green teas.  The flavor is on the very subdued side of green teas (hardly astringent at all) and smoky. 

For a tisane (infusion or whatever you want to call it) try mugi-cha (roasted barley) or Rooibos.  They do not contain caffeine but have a pleasant flavor. 

Or you could have one cup of your favorite tea and use the same leaves for subsequent cups, thus lessening the caffeine content of each (if that variety of tea will stand up to it).

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#4 2007-11-05 12:59:43

Derek Van Choice
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From: Lake San Marcos, CA
Registered: 2005-10-21
Posts: 99
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Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Hi, Jeff...

"Houjicha" is an excellent tea, with a decidedly roasted/smokey flavor.  It is often mostly from the stems/twigs of green tea, with the hint of leaves in there, but with very low caffeine (not using much leaves in it's making), and never gets bitter.  I often leave the tea in the pot for hours, and just keep adding hot water, without any penalty. 

Once source is here:  http://www.holymtn.com/tea/greentea2.htm

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#5 2007-11-06 00:11:17

Zakarius
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From: Taichung, TAIWAN
Registered: 2006-04-12
Posts: 361

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Though I'm not much of a tea buff, I absolutely love espresso (which obviously has FAR more caffeine than black teas). If you really enjoy the flavor of the tea but don't like the side effects of the caffeine, you can build up a resistance to it. Of course, you should be aware that if your individual constitution is particularly susceptible to caffeine's effects, you may suffer even worse at the hands of withdrawal if you don't keep up with your tea intake.

Zak


塵も積もれば山となる -- "Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru." -- Piled-up specks of dust become a mountain.

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#6 2007-11-06 00:57:34

nomaD43
Member
From: Portland, OR, USA
Registered: 2006-07-22
Posts: 96

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Derek Van Choice wrote:

Hi, Jeff...

"Houjicha" is an excellent tea, with a decidedly roasted/smokey flavor.  It is often mostly from the stems/twigs of green tea, with the hint of leaves in there, but with very low caffeine (not using much leaves in it's making), and never gets bitter.  I often leave the tea in the pot for hours, and just keep adding hot water, without any penalty. 

Once source is here:  http://www.holymtn.com/tea/greentea2.htm

I believe this "houjicha" is also known as "hoji-cha" or "kokeicha". A very good tea, though I have never tried extended brewing. The roasted/nutty flavor is quite good (some may need to acquire the taste).
Another good Fall/Winter tea is Genmai-cha. This is a roasted green tea with toasted brown rice and has a hearty woody, roasted flavor that is perfect for those chilly mornings/afternoons. It is also low in caffein. I also enjoy a good grade Oolong tea for its gentle flavor.
And the list goes on and on. I enjoy experimenting with different teas and with retailers like Teavana and Dragonwater Tea it is easy to get lost in the choices. I am fortunate enough to have a Teavana store about 20 minutes away and enjoy going in and smelling the different teas and blends to find which one I am in the mood for. And I can just have them brew me a single cup, or buy a few grams or a few pounds if I desire.
If you haven't figured it out, I love tea.
Damon

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#7 2007-11-06 01:01:48

jeff jones
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Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 113
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Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Great thanks for the tips, got alot of experimenting to do


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#8 2007-11-06 01:20:43

baian
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Registered: 2006-03-28
Posts: 83

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

perhaps "silver needles", a white tea ,would fit the bill

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#9 2007-11-08 16:39:09

Harazda
Member
Registered: 2007-06-07
Posts: 126

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

I'm relieved to know somebody else out there is vibrating; I thought it was just me.

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#10 2007-11-09 01:09:01

Tairaku 太楽
Administrator/Performer
From: Tasmania
Registered: 2005-10-07
Posts: 3226
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Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Hey Jeff,

There is a wonderful green smoked tea which has become one of my favorites. It is called Wei Shan Mao Jian and it has the attributes of Lapsang Souchong but more subtle because it is a green. Both of those are among my favorites and naturally I like to drink them when smoking a nice Cuban cigar. Perhaps that is also the reason Sherlock Holmes' favorite tea was Lapsang Souchong.

Perhaps if you made the aquaintance of a shakuhachi instructor whose wife is a tea expert who has a tea shop in Sydney you might be able to get some. Maybe. smile


'Progress means simplifying, not complicating' : Bruno Munari

http://www.myspace.com/tairakubrianritchie

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#11 2007-11-09 02:23:49

kenneth
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Registered: 2006-09-23
Posts: 3

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Tairaku wrote:

Perhaps if you made the aquaintance of a shakuhachi instructor whose wife is a tea expert who has a tea shop in Sydney you might be able to get some. Maybe. smile

Please tell the instructor's wife to open a branch in Ã…rhus! I will be the biggest customer!

Kiku

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#12 2007-11-09 02:43:46

jeff jones
Member
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 113
Website

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Hi Brian

  A smoky flavored green tea sounds great. Man.... I'm at a loss, I don't know a Shakuhachi teacher who has a wife that's a tea expert who has a tea house in Sidney, any chance you could direct me? wink

Last edited by jeff jones (2007-11-09 13:22:07)


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#13 2007-11-09 10:39:31

Mujitsu
Administrator/Flutemaker
From: San Francisco
Registered: 2005-10-05
Posts: 885
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Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Hi Jeff,

I forwarded this thread to a tea friend of mine. This was her response.

_________________________________________________________


I would agree with the people who mentioned hoji-cha, which is roasted bancha (kokei-cha, which one of the people mentioned as being similar to hoji-cha, is different -- also nice, but not roasted -- perhaps the writer meant kuki-cha, which is sencha twigs... Kokei-cha is a byproduct of matcha manufacture, very light and lovely but like matcha in flavor)... Hoji-cha is very low in caffeine, just because it is, but it isn't so much "smoky" as "toasty". (Ditto mugi-cha, roasted barley, yum yum...) I would encourage the questioner to try hoji-cha from Den's Tea
http://www.denstea.com
and to choose the "gold" version ...

As for lapsang souchong and other smoky teas, they do tend to be lower in caffeine than unsmoked teas (all other things being equal), and on the mellower side -- then again, it all depends on how a person infuses them, doesn't it? The flute/tea person who commented on subsequent infusions being less caffeinated than the first was sort of right, sort of not-quite right... it's more complex than that, and depends a lot on which tea is being infused (many greens give off more caffeine in the third and fourth infusions than in the first, for example). And some folks confuse caffeine with tannins... the two tend to appear in tandem, but they differ in how we respond to them (tannins make the mouth pucker, caffeine makes the body shake, etc). And so on.

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#14 2007-11-09 11:35:36

jeff jones
Member
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 113
Website

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Hi Ken

  Thanks for that tidbit , there is a really nice tea place out by my teacher that has a large assortment, I think I'm going to see if I can get a small amount of each of the ones suggested. Like the Ditto mugi-cha that your freand said was yumi, and the one that Brian suggested sounded really nice, and then go from there. I'm going to make it a point to try them all, except for maybe raising my tolerance level for caffeine, that type of thinking got me into trouble in the past  wink. This should be fun

Last edited by jeff jones (2007-11-09 11:36:55)


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#15 2007-11-10 07:26:27

nomaD43
Member
From: Portland, OR, USA
Registered: 2006-07-22
Posts: 96

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Mujitsu wrote:

Hi Jeff,

perhaps the writer meant kuki-cha, which is sencha twigs...

Ahh... yes!
That is the one I meant. yummmmm.
I guess my memory was a bit off (or at least adding an extra letter). I thank your friend, Mujitsu, for saving me from ordering the wrong tea.

This morning feels like an English Breakfast morning.
Cheers,

Damon

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#16 2007-11-10 12:00:52

Zakarius
Member
From: Taichung, TAIWAN
Registered: 2006-04-12
Posts: 361

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

jeff jones wrote:

I'm going to make it a point to try them all, except for maybe raising my tolerance level for caffeine, that type of thinking got me into trouble in the past  wink.

Oops!

Zak


塵も積もれば山となる -- "Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru." -- Piled-up specks of dust become a mountain.

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#17 2007-11-11 03:40:59

jeff jones
Member
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 113
Website

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

My wife and I went out and started our hunting for teas today. We were able to find some Sen-cha and Hoji-cha at a local Japanese import store, both tasted great. I almost got some sea weed tea, but was told it was very salty, and I'm on a salt restricted diet, to bad. Also did some research on some of the other teas and was particularly intrigued by the tea that Tairaku suggested. Here is a write up on it, seems he's in good company.

     For those expecting the light, delicate and elusive nature that is commonly associated with white and yellow teas will be in for a big surprise with Wei Shan Mao Jian. For this tea is remarkably smoky in both taste and fragrance. However, this is not to say that it is a bad tea in any way. On the contrary, people who appreciate its unique characteristic raved highly about this tea. Among those who are known to adore this tea were Chairman Mao and Chairman Liu (Shaoqi), the latter of which was known to serve this tea to all his guests from all over the world. Hua Guo Feng (a famous Chinese poet) once stated that "Wei Shan Mao Feng has a very special style and is truly unique from all other teas". We couldn't agree more. The tea leaves are picked from very limited wild grown tea trees, making this a very rare and unique yellow tea.

Other names:
Mount Wei Fur Tip

Taste:
A unique and strong smoky aroma and taste that will last through many infusions, promising a very special tea tasting experience.

Appearance:
One-bud-one-leaf and one-bud-two-leaves varieties. The leaves are blackish yellow in color as a result of the smoking process in making the tea.

Origin:
Wei Shan, Hunan Province

Harvest Period:
Spring '06 (Ming Qian Cha)

  This one sounds really good!!

   This is turning out to be a fun and tasty outing, thanks everyone for your suggestions.


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#18 2007-11-11 10:37:07

Michael A. Firman
Member
From: Naperville, IL USA
Registered: 2006-08-28
Posts: 57
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Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Jeff,

For a fellow 3rd coaster (near Chicago in this case), what Tea shops around town did you discover?


Michael A. Firman
Naperville IL USA

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#19 2007-11-11 19:16:09

jeff jones
Member
Registered: 2005-10-08
Posts: 113
Website

Re: Lapsong Souchong and Shakuhachi don't mix

Hi Michael

  We have found Argo tea, Tea Gschwendner, and Toguri on Belmont. Can you think of any others?


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