My list:
Two botanicals
One pu-erh
Three pu-erh blends
Silver Needle
Osthmanthus Huang Guan Yin
I never really count the different teas I consume in one day. I think about specific experiences such as my favorite fifth infusion of Ba Xian. It is my reoccurring favorite infusion. There is something magical that happens once those leaves open and release the intoxicating floral notes that dance their way to fruity notes. For me, it is at that fifth infusion that the ballerina is thrown into the air and the crowd collectively gasps. Together they dance from the first infusion to the thirteenth infusion. Twirling together like well rehearsed ballroom veterans.
Back to reality and my original list....
Yesterday I drank eight different teas. Since my beginnings here at Rishi Tea I have tried to immerse myself in as much tea as possible. It is my job to be able to have tried all teas in different ways. I dabble with the website but my passion is the end consumer and the knowledge I can share with them.
I find myself rambling about processing styles, origin and mouthfeel all the time. At the dinner table I can talk through a whole meal about the tea we paired with dinner or about the tea that I happened to have infused in that night's dinner.
More and more tea is becoming a passion for me, it is no longer just my job. I find myself infusing food, making kombucha and now there is talk of some candle making! I compost it, I make iced tea, I send it across the country to my family and most importantly, I enjoy it.
I enjoy every aspect of it. I have a passion for people, plants and food. Tea ties in all three. I consider it a food because of the nourishment it brings my body and soul. I feel the ancient connection in the care our partners have taken in preserving ancient varietals and ancient techniques. I can taste the care and the love they have and I love sharing it with others.
