With so many commodities like tea, coffee, and chocolate, it is tempting to indulge, without being conscious of the origins and histories of the items you are consuming. Though it can be difficult and overwhelming to attach a story to everything you consume, it can bring a sense of appreciation to the food otherwise lacking.
Last year, on a trip to San Francisco I visited a Chinatown tea shop and left with a tin of Pu-Erh, the tin sat forgotten about for months, but since the beginning of Kotomi’s tea tasting labs I have made it a ritual to sit in silence with the tea and myself, and make note of my own feelings, the impact of the tea on my state of mind, and the transformation of the tea through various steepings.
| Type Of Tea
Pu-Erh Fully Oxidized |
Appearance
Dried or Steeped |
Flavor Notes | Aroma
Dried or Steeped |
Mood |
| “Raw”
|
Steeped: Buttery yellow, hints of amber, leaves very green | Weedy, woody, deep, barnyard, mildly astringent, burnt | Roasted rice, woody, mossy, tobacco, animal, clean horse | Warm, relaxed energy, joy |
| “Cooked”
Fermented |
Deep mahogany, opaque, balanced flavor and tongue coating | Earthy sweetness | Barnyard, soy sauce, rubber, boat | Energizing but grounding |