Tea Adventure: China Sencha from Element Tea

Here is the latest “Tea Gang” adventure with:


China Sencha from Element Tea. [More info]This is a Straight Tea [About straight teas vs flavored teas]

This is a green tea processed in the style of senchas but from China instead of Japan. The tea adventure we just had before this was a Japanese Sencha. So, how did this one do compared with that one?

First, I have to introduce the member of our Tea Gang who did the steeping honors: Little Japanese Teapot. He’s a cast-iron tough guy that holds in the heat, so you can actually steep your teas for a shorter time than usual (the vendor recommends 3 minutes, but we did 2-1/2 minutes). Be sure, also, to keep the water temperature no higher than the recommended 160˚ F.

The fortune in the fortune cookie said, “You will drink some tasty tea.” How true!

That being said, on to the tea adventure results. The dry leaves had a wonderful green hay aroma and typical long, flat, dark green appearance. Little Japanese Teapot steeped those leaves up to a perfect light yellow-green liquid with a vegetal aroma and a light flavor and smooth feel. A second infusion was about the same but a little lighter in flavor. As for how this compared with the Japanese Sencha, my humans think they are very similar but that the Japanese version was a bit more what they were expecting from this type of tea. A bit of bias showing? Hm…

This tea could be infused more, but we all decided it was party time and got out the fortune cookies and some Lindt dark chocolate with sea salt. Both were yummy accompaniments with this tea.

Once we all recover, we’ll get on with the next tea adventure. Toot!

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, any opinions concerning this tea and the company are always strictly objective.


© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

Thunderbolt Tea Samples Arrived!

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

Hi, I’m Little Yellow Teapot. I’ve been helping my humans steep tea for their reviews for awhile now but the time has come to step out in front and start writing about my tea adventures along with my newly formed “Tea Gang” (don’t worry, we’re friendly).



Thunderbolt Tea [More company info]

The 2011 harvest of flushes (periods of growth) for Spring and Summer has taken place and the samples have arrived. A great tea adventure awaits this little teapot and his Tea Gang (not to mention our human owners).

The package came a long way, and the folks at the Post Office had it out and waiting for my ‘she’ human when they saw her walk in. They know the routine by now! The teas were so well pack that this little teapot expects no loss of freshness.

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, any opinions concerning this tea and the company are always strictly objective.

Tea Adventure: Sencha of the Earth from Obubu Tea

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

Hi, I’m Little Yellow Teapot. I’ve been helping my humans steep tea for their reviews for awhile now but the time has come to step out in front and start writing about my tea adventures along with my newly formed “Tea Gang” (don’t worry, we’re friendly).

Here is our adventure with:


Sencha of the Earth from Obubu [More company info]
This is a Straight Tea

This tea was steeped by my buddy, the LibreTea steeping glass (large size). He holds almost a full 2 cups of liquid, just like me. The idea here was to see if this Japanese green tea could be steeped by this method and still have a great flavor character typical of these teas. The company sent steeping instructions along for the more traditional method, so you might prefer to follow them. But those of you who have more of a sense of tea adventure, read on.

Here we are, ready to begin. I am overseeing the operation (wearing my official steeping overseer sash from CrafTEA Designs). LibreTea steeping glass is impatient to begin.

The tea came is a clear package, so my humans stored it away from light to preserve the delicate tea leaf pieces inside. The instructions were in Japanese but the company sent separate instructions in English so we didn’t need an interpreter!

The steeping begins. We heated the water to 160˚ F and steeped for one minute. Some of the tea leaves floated up to the top as they soaked up water.

At the end of the steep, the leaves were plumped up and the liquid was a pale green.

Here are the leaves before and after:

We served the tea to our humans in sipping cups:

The aroma and flavor were light and slightly spinachy. We did a 2nd steeping using water heated to 190˚ F, and our humans reported that the flavor and aroma were a bit stronger but still very nice. They had some with their breakfast (oats with blueberries, vanilla yogurt, and fresh nectarines) and said it was totally yummy.

That’s it for now. Thanks for reading. Another tea adventure will be coming up soon!

Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.

The “Tea Gang” Rides Again

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.


Hi, I’m Little Yellow Teapot. I’ve been helping my humans steep tea for their reviews for awhile now, but the time has come for me to step out in front and start writing about my tea adventures along with my newly formed “Tea Gang” (don’t worry, we’re friendly).

We steep tea. Some of us are teapots. Some of us are those special steeping mugs. And others of us are steeping cups with their own custom fit infuser baskets. New members will be joining us in the months and years ahead, from yixing teapots to kyusu and gaiwan steeping cups and other items that strike us as fun teawares to join our party. Some of our non-teaware buddies might be joining us here and there, too.

We’ll be trying new teas, steeping familiar teas in new ways, and generally having a fun time. Hope you’ll join us!

NOTE: We will no longer be issuing ratings for the teas, since we think that personal taste varies so much that ratings are useless to you. Read about our adventure trying the tea and then decide if the tea is worth you trying it.

The gang members as of now:

Yours truly, of course, with my trusty tea cozy at my side, ready to keep me covered!

My best buddy, that wonderful glass and poly steeping glass from Libre Tea (he can travel places where this little teapot dares not go).

My humans owned this little “tough guy” cast iron teapot long before I came along. We’ve shared steeping duties on occasion, but he lets me be the star of the show.

Sheiks have their harems, this little teapot has his bevy – heh heh, just kidding. These “she” pots can steep tea with the best of ’em! From left to right: 4-cupper, 1-cupper, and “Blue Betty” the best 6-cupper around.

This cutey teapot is a 2-cupper like me and has a matching teacup (which is too shy to be part of our “gang”).

With her steeping basket and lid, this cup is a true steeping trooper and perfect for oolongs and other multi-steeping teas.

My humans are happily married, and this beauty of a teapot came into their home as a birthday present from him to her. The teapot is bone china from England and is as lovely to be around as she is to look at. Sadly, she is engaged to Cast Iron Teapot above, so I don’t stand a chance with her and have to be content with flirting online with various “she” pots.

There you have it, folks, seven dedicated steepers that will be bringing you the stories of their tea adventures. Enjoy!

Little Yellow Teapot Plays “Angry Birds”

© 2011 A.C. Cargill photos and text – All rights reserved.
No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.

Toot toot! “Angry Birds” is not only a popular game app on The Nook and other devices, but now “Angry Birds” is available as a physical game, complete with snorty little pigs (you have to make your own sound effects here), building pieces, rubbery birds, and a great launcher! So, when I, Little Yellow Teapot, heard that my humans would be a way for a few days, I insisted they buy me the game to play in their absence with my friends Bob the White Bunny and Clive the Yellow Bunny. We are having a practice game here to get the hang of this “Angry Birds®” business. I’m winning, of course!