I have a whole bunch of different Chinese teas (plus regular old pekoe) on hand. They make a nice change...and tea's caffeine is more slow release than coffee's is. I have never used an infuser. My lower-middle class butt usually brews the tea in a large canning jar and then strains it into a thermal travel mug. But I may have to try that one when I just want a single cup in the evening. (Added to Wish List) As an aside, if you read about brewing Chinese teas, you'll find (if you've not already) a couple of things: -each type has a specific temperature and brew time that it likes (the greener leaves are more sensitive) -you can get multiple infusions out of the same leaves by extending each subsequent brew time by 30 seconds
My son told me about the brewing temp, but he said it doesn't really make a huge difference in his experience. He also said the first brew should be for about 2 minutes, the second use 4 minutes, and the third 6 minutes. I guess everyone has their own method when it comes to tea.
So your son enjoys Asian teas, huh? Good for him! I was really into them a while ago, and only break them out when I get carryout Chinese...hot tea (Dragonwell) and chopsticks are mandatory. This is the most unique on I have: Bird Nest Pu'erh My understanding of the temps is that tender green leaves will burn easily (fully dried black leaves are resilient), so the ones that suggest a 160°-180° temp range might get a harsh flavor if you pour boiling water on them...but I've never sat down and tested any of it. Fascinating stuff. So many rabbit holes when it comes to food.
No, he's not particularly a fan of Chinese teas, but he is a natural foods and remedies "expert." He was a raw foodist for several years but that's a different story. I looked up Jiaogulan and found that it is caffeine free... Jiaogulan is also known as sweet tea vine, fairy herb, and southern ginseng. It’s a climbing vine native to the mountainous regions of southern China and other parts of Asia. It’s a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, which includes cucumbers and melons. The vine’s leaves were first used as a food. They could be eaten by themselves or used in a salad. They’re also used as a sweetener. Tea made from the leaves is caffeine-free and has a slightly bittersweet taste. https://www.healthline.com/health/is-jiaogulan-the-new-ginseng#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1
I've not heard of Jiaogulan before. I've read a bit about "living foods" in my dehydrator manual and on the Sprout People website I've been buying seeds from. I imagine your son is familiar with the Hippocrates Health Institute. And I bet he's got a dehydrator.
Actually, he doesn't own a dehydrator. He's more of a forager. He can walk you through the woods and tell you what's edible. I doubt that he has any interest in the Hippocrates Health Institute, and I hope you don't either. The Hippocrates Health Institute (HHI) is a nonprofit organization in West Palm Beach, Florida, USA, originally co-founded in 1956 in Stoneham, Massachusetts, by Lithuanian-born Viktoras Kulvinskas and Ann Wigmore.[1] The Hippocrates Health Institute is regarded as controversial for supposedly treating cancer with unproven natural methods that are implausible despite claims otherwise.[2][3] In February and March 2015, cease-and-desist orders were issued against co-directors Brian and Anna-Maria Clement, both of whom represented themselves as doctors, requiring them to immediately cease the unlicensed practice of medicine.[4][5] The Florida Department of Health formally informed Hippocrates Health Institute that it has subsequently withdrawn and dismissed the cease-and-desist orders due to lack of sufficient evidence.[6][7][8] Brian Clement and his institute have been directly criticized for promoting a number of ineffective treatments, including ones claimed to "reverse" cancer and multiple sclerosis. He is not a medical doctor. His treatments have been widely criticized as ineffective and possibly dangerous.[9][10][11] Former staff members of the institute have filed suit against Brian Clement for being fired after raising concerns about ethical wrongdoing in treating patients at the center.[
THAT'S interesting! This is the intro to the Living Foods section of the Excalibur manual: There is no Rev Date on the guide. Perhaps Excalibur is stretching the truth, although they make no specific health claims. I was gonna aside-reference that African leader who recommended fruits to cure AIDS, and when I just searched to refresh my memory, I came up with an uncomfortably high number of hits across the continent.
I don't remember the details of the raw food phase, except he lived in Dallas at the time and there was a large "raw food" community. They were mostly vegans; no raw meats and almost cultish. A lot of juicing and weird stuff; I remember when he came home for a visit during that time he had a durian fruit that freaked me out. That was the weirdest, worst-smelling thing I have ever seen. Thankfully, he moved to Hawaii after that and back to somewhat more of a normal diet, but no processed foods ever.
My husband and I shop on line all the time, and I could probably add to this thread pretty regularly, more than I care to admit. My last purchase was a new purse and some make-up.
Ordered today a Bath and Body Works body spray, and some pasta that all the stores have been out of for months,
I used ditalini for the first time maybe a year ago when I tried a new minestrone recipe. Usually I'd just get any random form of pasta and breaks it into bits for my minestrone, but since the recipe called for it and since I never cooked with it before, I bought a box. It made my minestrone taste more "professional."