29. a clueless idiot's loose leaf tea checklist
been interested in loose leaf tea for a good few days now :) !! here is a list of things!!
tea time essentials
- mug. or a cup. thing to hold liquid, of the scalding kind, inside.
- the liquid inside. water. base of your funny potion. temperature depends on brew, i think. from what i've heard.
only yesterday i found out you aren't supposed to leave tea bags in your mug forever. no wonder they had this bitter aftertaste... well, no shit they did, you idiot!! you burnt the leaves!! (they can be BURNT??? <- me, only yesterday)
- tea leaves, unless you plan on just drinking hot water.
oh hey. did you know that REAL tea is just a singular plant?? anything from the CAMELLIA SINENSIS plant is the real deal. so those pure blends of black, green, white, yellow, oolong are TEA. while anything that uses another plant is a tisane!
in other words... fake, i mean, HERBAL tea!! please don't be mad at me for calling them fake, chamomile is actually my favorite tea, at the time of writing this. i've only ever had the boxed supermarket teas my entire life, though, so this can change. onto the next item!
- tea infuser! i'm surprised the little ball ones weren't all that great, cuz they looked so cute... but apparently tea leaves expand with the heat, so you'd want the basket kind. better yet, just toss them into a kettle or pot and strain. i don't think i'd enjoy more than a cup of tea, though... two cups at hours long intervals, at max. i have a sensitive stomach...
oh, silicone ones are bad too. i saw lots of weird gimmicky ones while window shopping. like one shaped like a butt. they looked fun, but i'd like tea time to be a bit sophisticated... hohoho... (i say this when i drink from a big mug shaped like kirby. like, nintendo kirby. poyo!!)
nice to have.
- thermometer for liquids, just so you don't accidentally burn your leaves.
- either a scale or a nice teaspoon!! i found this cute little cat one that i'm eyeing!! yes, it is very sophisticated.
- a fun activity!!
... now this last one i've been overthinking lately. people treat tea time like a routine or a ritual, and it has been fascinating me!! made me wonder why people are so drawn to their personal rituals... i already am on the search for articles and reading material that would make me understand this more, so most likely i'll have some sort of write up on this question. i'm curious, as i've always been a "make things up as i go" kind of person. a "i'll let this randomizer app choose what i'll do for today" kind of person. it'd be nice to have a tea time activity, i suppose. maybe incorporate it into my life as a routine... still, i guess i've been wracking my head over this simple concept of routines. of personal rituals. why are they so important to people.
i asked my older brother earlier why he brews his own coffee every morning, and why that routine is so important to him. "it gives me something to look forward to when i wake up," he says.
maybe the question all boils down to an "it depends."
rituals have existed for so long. they've evolved, and so small things like tea time can be considered rituals for people nowadays.
and i don't mean things you HAVE to do like "eat breakfast" or "me wake up me go pee". i guess, maybe more of those non-essential, but sentimentally important activities for people...?
in fact, calling it "routine" feels like the less appropriate word. routine feels mechanical. ritual is sentimental. imagine journaling at specific times, and dedicating a certain headspace and mood for it. if... that makes sense?? you don't have to, but it's a neat ritual. now that i think about it, is ritual ... even the right word?? aghhh i can't stop thinking about it, but i can't put my thoughts into words!! it's 12am, and i'm itching to sleep!! but my curiosity feels like it's bouncing all over the place!!
but i must rest, and i must complete the checklist. we only have one more thing left :)
the most important thing when brewing loose leaf tea
- ... is yourself!!
anyhoo! my thoughts are everywhere right now. but i suppose i'll return to this topic, once i find the time to organize myself. i feel like asking everyone i know one by one if they have any rituals, and why... but my body says it is past my bedtime ritual. my bedtime routine. maybe i will have tea time in my dreams.
links of interest:
🍀 email me? angelais@protonmail.com