tea

Today I took a trip with some friends to the Tea Embassy for the first time. It is a little shop in downtown Austin off of 9th and Rio Grande. They sell loose leaf teas from all around the world, and today they had a special on oolong tea and related products. We sampled four different oolongs, and witnessed a demonstration of the Gong Fu method.

I got to speak with Jonathan, one of the owners, for some time. He was very kind and told me about himself, the shop, and teas. I ended up buying some Frozen Peak Organic Oolong that came from Taiwan. I also bought a little teapot, which I believe is called a Gaibei. I will use it almost exclusively for oolong tea, and will be able to do the Gong Fu method with it.

The Gong Fu method basically consists of steeping the tea multiple times, with each successive infusion lasting longer than the previous one. The different complexities of the tea can be tasted with each infusion and it is quite a wonderful experience.

I will definitely be going back to the Tea Embassy soon. If you’re in the Austin area you should check them out. They also have an online store at TeaTreasures.com.

I may be going down to the Tea Embassy today. Apparently they have a deal on monkey picked oolong (which is really good stuff.) I’m excited because I haven’t been down there yet.