#food/drink Living doc on my favorite teas and tea-ventures. # Tea My personal recommendations on my favorite teas. I usually drink eastern teas like jasmine, oolong, and chrysanthemum. My teapot was a limited edition Bodum Assam, but here is [a similar one](https://www.bodum.com/us/en/1830-338b-y20-assam). I prefer the plastic because it's easy to put in a dishwasher. I'd only recommend this if you drink tea quickly like I do though, because the glass design makes it hard to retain heat. Time and temperature guide: | **Tea** | Temperature | Minutes | |----------------|-------------------------|---------| | Black | 95°C / 205°F | 3 - 5 | | Green/Yellow | 80°C / 176°F | 2 - 3 | | Herbal/Tisanes | 100°C / 212°F (boiling) | 5 - 15 | | Oolong/White | 85°C / 185°F | 3 - 4 | ## Taiwanese vendors * https://www.mountaintea.com/ - I literally only buy my tea here. I highly recommend their oolongs and jasmines. # Matcha I only recently started getting into matcha within the past month or so. I'll be recording recommendations and recipe ideas here as well. ## Equipment * [Digital scale](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YP9KN8P?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1): I measure on a prayer but I still have this just in case. * [Ochcahser ceramic matcha set](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D1BBRGGN?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title): The bowl actually has a shitty spout but everything else in this set is pretty standard. * [Electric whisk](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CBK3N9G3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1): Solid, dishwasher safe (you can replace the whisk part), and USB-C rechargeable * [Dishwasher-safe chasen](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9LP1X4J?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1): The issue with bamboo chasens is that they *can* get moldy if you whisk your teas with sugars (e.g. honey, sugar, milk). So it's nice to have a dishwasher-safe chasen, but if you're iffy on plastics then maybe this isn't for you. * [Matcha sifter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092QMWCKK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1): If you don't sift your matcha it will be clumpy! * [Matcha measuring spoon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B092QPWBBX?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1): This measures out 1 gram of matcha. I just like having specialized tools, even though I know a 1/2 teaspoon can work just fine. * Water heater: Because duh. I use a temperature of 180\*F because you should not use boiling water since it will burn your matcha. ## Brands Leaving notes on brands that I've tried and recommend here. * [Yame Premium Matcha](https://www.sfchato.com/product-page/yame-premium-matcha) * $1.16 per gram * Good for lattes. Has a stronger flavor but I do like the pronounced bitter matcha flavor. Excellent color as well. You can only get this ordering online or at ChaTo's physical store in San Francisco, which is a downside. This is one of my preferred matcha. * [Ippodo Tea Ikuyo Matcha](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J2D7WK2?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title) * $0.75 per gram * Has a lighter, inoffensive, and very general flavor from matchas but is a great matcha for lattes. This is probably the perfect matcha if you are serving a large group since it doesn't lean into a certain taste. * I hate the packaging though. I honestly prefer the matcha tins for packaging. I'm not sure why this is in single-use packaging when it's clearly not single-serving. * [Rocky's Matcha Oishi Ceremonial Blend](https://www.rockysmatcha.com/products/rockys-matcha-oishi-ceremonial-blend-matcha-20g) * $1.80 per gram * Astringent grassy flavor! It's definitely yummy but not particularly my thing. This might be really good for koichas though and if you really enjoy the matcha flavor. The price is also pretty expensive for how I feel about it personally. * [Rocky's Matcha Osada Ceremonial Blend](https://www.rockysmatcha.com/products/rockys-matcha-osada-ceremonial-blend-matcha-20g) * $1.20 per gram * I particularly like this better than the Oishi. The flavor is less offensive and is great for matcha lattes. It is also a pretty good general matcha that is good for beginners since it also doesn't lean to a certain taste profile. * [Kettl Soukou Matcha](https://kettl.co/products/soukou-matcha) * $0.95 per gram * The container is WAY too small. I actually think this is my favorite matcha so far. The smell is nutty and toasty and the flavor is really inoffensive and easy to drink as a latte. I'm clearly starting to differentiate different flavors now if I called this one nutty and toasty. * [Kettl Hanaka Matcha](https://kettl.co/products/hanaka-matcha) * $1.35 per gram * The Hanaka is described as having a dark chocolate aroma and to me tastes as advertised. It's not my favorite so far, but it does taste quite good and also has notes of nuttiness and creaminess. But to me I prefer a more tea-like bitter taste in my matcha and this tastes quite whole and sweet. It is though a solid Kettl matcha. * [Kiwami Single Cultivar Matcha](https://www.matchaful.com/products/single-origin-kiwami-tin-30g) * $1.30 per gram * A floral umami honey flavor, this is a really nice and light matcha perfect for lattes. I'll also rank this as one of my favorite matchas for now since it's pretty lightly sweet, and the perfect matcha if you don't prefer bitter tea tastes. It's definitely on the smoother end as well and easy to foam up. ## Latte ideas * Pumpkin matcha latte: Instead of regular milk, use the Trader Joe's seasonal pumpkin oat milk * Fruity matcha latte: Create a syrup with your desired fruit and use it as a mix-in * Cream-top matcha latte: Use heavy whipping cream to create a whipped cream for your latte. * Add salt, vanilla, more matcha, etc.