/jp/ - Otaku Culture

ah, and forgot this
http://pastebin.com/hw8XXZV5
the old FAQ pastebin, last version I know of anyways.

>>9931100
Why do we need a tea thread if everything that there is to know is in that pastebin?

Do you just want people updating you whenever they're drinking tea? Or rather, for you to update us?

Fool, only the man with the Patchouli figure is allowed to start tea threads!

>>9931103
I'm drinking cold coffee. How about you?

I only drink hochija and normal green tea because that's all they sell here

I only drink chai.

How big a difference is there when buying tea at different times of the year? Will tea purchased at this time of year be less desirable than if I were to wait for the spring?

What's your favourite white tea ?

>>9931103
You can't discuss tea with a pastebin.

>>9931185
I think loose leaf tea is supposed to keep its quality for a couple years when stored properly, so generally whatever you buy should be fine.

>>9931197
lose*

>>9931185
It might be, but it'll only ruin your experience if you let it.

>>9931207
I have no real reason to worry about small differences in quality, as I have yet to buy any loose tea straight from Japan. Just curious I guess. The site Yuuki-cha looks promising though, I'd like to see what I'm issing out on.

>/jp/ - Anglo Culture

>>9931247
I figured Canada would be higher on that list.

>>9931247
>average /jp/ user

>>9931237
The stuff I got was really nice, I think. Especially compared to the stuff id get at a store here, even if id only get bagged tea anyways before. It was a little hard to get used to at the first cup because the smell was odd, to anything id had before, or really smelled much for that matter, but that was not only easy to get used to, and like, it mighta just been because of the type I got too.
the teapots are also really pretty

>>9931193
What is there to discuss?

The only tea I'll ever need

>>9931247
italy confirmed for best country

>>9931290
I drank this stuff constantly in my first year of university and ended up with cavities for the first time in my life. Its pretty tasty though and I guess it was my fault for drinking so much of it.

>>9931285
Types. Preferences. Places or things not mentioned in the pastebin.

>>9931308
>Types
There is only one type of Japanese tea.

>Preferences
/jp/ is not your blog. Stop shitposting.

>>9931307
It's hard not to when you get them in big fucking cans for 99c

>>9931193
Mao Feng, I suppose. I haven't tried that many.

I need to get some hojicha soon

>>9931400
Actually, there are many types of Japanese tea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tea#Japanese_green_tea

Tea threads can help to eliminate ignorance towards tea as well as spawn helpful and entertaining discussion about all aspects of tea.

>>9931464
I think that was pretty much it, and when they're selling bottles of water for 1.50$, you tend towards the cheaper option.

Is there a noticable difference between loose leaf high grade shit and normal tea bags?

>>9931538
Yes

>>9931542
Is it worth the money? I don't want to waste money.

>>9931548
How expensive is the loose leaf shit compared to normal teabags?

>>9931556
Per cup, loose will usually be cheaper.

>>9931556
Anywhere from $15 to $50 for 40g. Also, how many cups does 40g make?

How do you guys feel about Republic of Tea? They actually carry them at the upscale grocery near my house, but I ordered a bunch of small tins from them direct. So far so good.

Is there a diminishing rate of returns as price increases? For example, the mid-grade Yunnan black teas (like FOP) are pretty damn good, it's hard to imagine that paying twice as much gets me something twice as tasty.

>>9931566
Depends on the quality of the tea and the concentration you like.

You can use 2g for a single brew, or you can use 1.5 g for several brews if you re brew then.

I mostly drink low oxidation Tie Guan Yin, and it's good quality, can brew it 6-7 times. Just double the brewing time everytime you rebrew it.

>>9931586
You wasted your money dude.

Do any of you use Teavana? Only place I've really been able to find loose leaf IRL so I can actually smell some before I buy. Every time I've gone I've found something new that I enjoyed, price kinda sucks and the baristas push deals on you hardcore though. I really like their matevana, earl grey creme, and black dragon pearl.

>>9931538
Yeah it's pretty noticeable, especially if you ever go back to normal bagged shit after drinking loose leaf for a while. It feels like drinking decent small brews/ microbrews and then going to Bud Light or some shit. Blech.

>>9931646
>MateVana
>Sweetened with cocoa, chocolate chips, almond bits and enhanced with hazelnut

Uhh...

>>9931719
>It's not coffee, is it tea? Taste this coffee-like, caffeine-infused mate and red rooibos blend. Sweetened with cocoa, chocolate chips, almond bits and enhanced with hazelnut, this mochachino wonder lends a Teavana favorite smooth, dark rich sips of that are soft and robust. CONTAINS NUTS

>Roasted infusion with rich chocolaty overtones

'merrika's healthy drink of freedum!

Is there anything good about non-asian tea? Like english tea or something? I don't wanna look like a fucking weeaboo when I order my 80 dollar tea pots and tea cups and jappochinese tea from "yuuki-cha" in front of my mom, dad and little sister.

Not to mention my sister is a huge shittyfat weeaboo herself and I constantly make fun of her about it so I'd definitely look like a shitty hypocrite.

Warm mugicha!

>>9933169
terrifying background dude

>>9933134
The folks here are bound to be weeaboo about it but I like the occasional Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, etc.

>>9933134
English tea is imported chinese tea. Do your homework and google it, assnerd.

Worrying about what other think of you is what normal fag do. Get out of /jp/.

>>9933986
What a charming personality.

>>9933986
this attitude doesn't apply to these threads

people here buy tea for their girlfriends and shit as novelty presents and crosspost on /soc/

>>9933134
Unless said parents and sister are really, really stupid, actual green tea and a teapot wont look weaboo. Weaboo is crap that involves twisted and inaccurate views of japan or only liking crappy anime and stuff.
>>9934053
..Huh?

>>9933980
Earl Grey Creme is the bomb.

I have a camera again so I can take new pictures again starting tomorrow. Nothing fancy like mugi-cha anon but it'll make do.

I haven't had tea in a while and I'm looking forward to it. It'll be Kabuse-cha (Shincha) again; I really ordered too much tea this year's harvest.

>>9933134
Why would she/they be looking at your stuff?


>>9931597
Speaking out of personal experience and having tried a 20€/50g and a 30€/50g Shincha, I can safely say that the less expensive was was basically just as good as the more expensive one. Having tried another tea which was around 9€/50g I can also safely say that it was a whole different league from the 20€ one. After I tasted that one I gave the less expensive one to my parents.

This of course doesn't apply to all teas. The more expensive ones were Shinchas, the other one was probably around a year old.
Teas can vary a lot depending on what kind they are and where they are from (Japan and the various prefectures, China, Taiwan, Korea, India, Tibet, Nepal, Vietnam and whatever else there is). You just have to experiment a bit with it.

>>9931646
I've never ordered from them but it's supposedly garbage. According to an old tea brewing expert™ friend of mine, no America based tea shops offer good tea so you'll have to import it. Tea is very light though so shipping should be cheap. Some places (like Zencha) even offer free shipping.

>>9931538
Bagged tea is usually the tea that fell down 5+ years ago when someone was working on a batch of loose leaf tea. That stuff is then ground to fuck and filled in bags to resemble a faint aftertaste of what tea is supposed to taste like.

According to aforementioned tea expert, even "high quality tea bags" (from places where you would order loose leaf tea) is also not really worth drinking. Maybe if you don't have much time and just want a quick cup or something.

Am I doing this right?

Which touhou am I?

>>9934391
Tencha is something I also want to try. I'll probably get some the next time I'm out of tea which will probably not be until next Shincha harvest.

I have some Lapsang Souchong but I'm a bit intimidated by it (and this is coming from a guy who drinks Laphroaig). How do I best enjoy?

Bought this stuff last week, Houjicha made from Kikucha, Genmaicha made with sencha, 2012 shincha from Uji and Tamaryokucha (and some weird tea-snacks for shits and giggles which were actually quite tasty)
The shincha came with 60g for 20€ ($25) which makes it the most expensive tea I've had so far. I don't think it's worth it, though, tastes pretty much the same as shincha for 15€/100g I've had before (which probably wasn't even from this year). I wanted to try it out, though.
I never had houjicha before so this kind of blew me away, weird but nice taste. Want to try one made from bancha some time soon, though, since I'm not much of a kikucha fan in the first place.

>>9934423
Shincha loses its 'magic' very quickly. One or two months at best and some of the really subtle flavors are already gone (mine had a distinct aftertaste of avocado but not anymore). If shincha harvest is around April and now it's almost November, you can imagine the difference between fresh shincha and one that laid around for half a year.

Next year I'm not going to order more than 100g of shincha. This year I've had 5 different ones and 300g altogether. I'll be drinking it until the next harvest for sure.

this thread doesn't need to be on the front page at all times you fucking faggots

What tea leaves will provide the same flavor as this?

They recently stopped making them in Japan and all of them are now made in thailand and it tastes dramatically different.

>>9934456
This is what happens when I rely on my remember sage function too much, sorry.

>>9934473
FUCK
OFF

>>9934477
I'm in a good mood today so I don't feel like owning noobs.

Lucky u

>>9931247
I'm willing to bet china is right at the top, but it's not tracked.

>>9934492
Obviously. Chinese people drink more tea than water and there literally as much tea shops in china as McDonalds in the states.

bampu >:D

U MAD?

>>9934498
yes

I'm in the process of ordering a tea set as seen >>9934391 here but it totals out to 80 autism bucks. Is there any way I can get it for cheaper or something? Seems a bit crazy for just a tea pot, cup and a 100g bag of tea. I know I can probably aim for a cheaper 20 dollar tea pot but they're fugly and 60 dollars is still expensive for a fugly tea pot I don't like and a cup and 100g bag of tea.

I'm new to this so I have no idea how prices work.

>>9934505
If this is your first time and it seems that it is, just order some tea without the cup and the pot. Try Sencha Moe from Zencha, I've heard good things about it and it's cheap and has free shipping. You probably have some kind of tea pot-ish thing at home where you can brew the tea. It won't be as nice but just so you can see if you like it enough or not. The pot and cup you can get if you're confident that you enjoy it enough to spend that kind of money on it.

100g lasts surprisingly long, up to a couple months depending on how often you want to drink it. Some tea - depending on its quality - you can brew up to 4 times so one teaspoon worth of tea gets you quite a lot of tea.

Remember the proper temperature of your water as that is one of the most important aspects of making tea. Any kind of tea can taste abysmal if you brew it incorrectly. The tea package or website where you order it from should supply that information, though.

Tell me why your stuff is better than this without sounding like a weeaboo.
I'm genuinely interested in your answers

>>9934534
Why does lobster taste better than shrimps? Why does wagyu taste better than McConalds beef patties? Give it a try and see for yourself.

Also different people, different tastes. Some people enjoy your breakfast tea and some people enjoy darjeeling or earl grey instead.

>>9934534
Taste

>>9934523
I have no such tea-potish thing. At most I have a mug, some coffee filters and a metal pot. I've had some market exported genmaicha from the super market before and "brewed" it with the most barbaric and messy way I could imagine.

I did enjoy it though, as much as I possibly could I guess. I do like tea and am interested in getting an actual jap tea set to brew properly, the only object is pricing. Every time I jump the gun and buy something I usually find better deals a few weeks later. If you can confirm that I won't find them then I'll take the hit to my wallet.

>>9934548
Can't really help you on the deal thing since I wouldn't import one because of shipping and customs fees. I somehow doubt that stores like that often have sell outs or something so I don't think that you would find that pot cheaper somewhere any time soon. $45 seems like a good price but then there's shipping and all ┐(´ ～`；)┌

>>9934534
It's the difference between single-malt scotch and blended whiskey.

>>9934562
Well I made the order, so thanks either way. Probably won't get tea from Yuuki-cha any more since their shipping prices are ridiculous but I prefer their pottery selection over Zencha. So I guess this is a one time investment.

Can't wait for it to get here and I hope it arrives in a single piece, still payed the extra 6 dollars for coverage though.

>>9934623
Great, happy waiting to you.

>>9934753
Thanks, y-you too.

>>9931104

w

>>9931197

Some types of tea last a long time. Japanese sencha is the most perishable of all. The biggest question is whether or not tea is open or not, meaning sealed. Putting tea in an airtight container is not the equivalent of being sealed... airtight containers only work for short-term storage. Tea is best stored professionally, in temperature-controlled, oxygen-controlled storage facilites, meaning it is best to buy tea in small quantities as frequently as desired.

>>9934391

>Tencha

I cannot read kanji, so I can only speculate; I know that 'ten' can mean heaven, but it may be a different character. Tenshi, perhaps?

>>9934473

I was going to say, I bought a bottle of this back in the summer because I was curious what it tasted like, but when I happened to notice it was made in Thailand, I didn't even bother trying it.

>>9934492

Interesting thing about Chinese tea drinking: there are a lot of people who grow it and process it themselves, particularly because so much of China's population is still agrarian.

>>9934534

Because that Twinings tea may have spent years sitting on a shelf, and before it spent years sitting on a shelf, it spent years sitting in a warehouse after being swept off the production floor from the sorting process of loose leaf tea, which is what we buy.

>>9934562

Try Chinatown. It won't be an authentic kyusu, but you will be able to brew tea in it, and some of it is surprisingly good quality.

>>9934623

I've switched to Zencha myself these days. Yuuki-cha is good, but if this year's harvest has been any indication, Zencha is even better.

>>9934795
Thanks Heian but I won't be needing another Kyusu for a while. Unless something unforeseeable happens to this one which I don't hope.

Regarding the Tencha:
>Tencha, the tea we would consider to be the pinnacle of Japanese green tea, is something you don't often come across even inside of Japan because most of it is turned into matcha. However, we are now happy to start presenting our customers around the globe with 100% authentic organic tencha! All nurtured using only true and traditional tencha cultivation and production practices, and coming from currently the only specialist organic tencha plantation in Kyoto!

From Yuuki-cha.

I just brewed a cup of the stuff in the OP with leaves that had been used once before. I stored them in a paper bag next to the pot, and I cant tell if its just me but it certainly doesnt seem to taste as good. The flavor isnt as strong and its a bit more bitter. The color is darker too. May my water have been too hot? I dont think id be able to tell the waters temperature so what I do is just let it sit in the kettle for a few minutes. 4-5 usually.

>>9935089
well uh. What I mean, is did I do something wrong for a second use, or is that just normal for secondary infusions.

>>9935089
Please follow instructions for maximum tea taste.

http://www.yuuki-cha.com/how-to-make-green-tea

>>9935105
That is what I did
I just had no way of accurately gauging the water temperature other than "I left it to sit for five minutes." Other than that, I put it in for around thirty seconds, with the same amount of leaves I used the first infusion.

>>9935089
Yo dude wait. Did you brew up leaves from a day before?

>>9935147
>stored them in a paper bag next to the pot

It's likely he used them a week ago or something really fucking american and stupid.

>>9935162
>>9935147
They were leaves I had used the day before.

>>9935171
Well yeah you can't do that. You can use your current leaves 3 to 4 times (depending on the tea) as long as they're warm or semi warm. Probably half an hour after the last infusion or something. Definitely not the next day.

>>9935171
I sentence you to 1 hour in the rape dungeon.

>>9935187
ahh. Gotcha. I interpreted the scale of the "use leaves more than once" thing wrong. Ill not make that mistake in the future.

i muv green tea <3 i often drink it while cuddling under my kotatsu and watching dorama shows in my tatami room XD its soo sogoi!

>>9935349
>>9935180

>>9935089
I let teas sit before a second infusion all the time, over 8 hours after the first infusion. It's not as good as the first infusion of course, but it's not bad. At least, depending on the tea.

Keep in mind I'm quite cheap and I'm not as discerning/fussy as many others.

I brew the tea in a cheap plastic carafe from the grocery store, draining it through a regular metal strainer. I let it drain pretty thoroughly, then I dump it back in the carafe and cover it with plastic wrap, then the fitted lid. Then I tuck it away in a cabinet away from light.

If this doesn't sound too low-brow for you I suggest giving it a try once to see if the taste is acceptable.

When are the different kind of tea harvests ? How long after that is it optimal to buy them ? and When is the best time to buy tea ?

>>9935373
Sometimes I let leaves sit in the strainer overnight and use them the next morning.

>>9935376
http://www.myjapanesegreentea.com/green-tea-harvests-in-japan
http://www.hibiki-an.com/contents.php/cnID/9

To cut it short, shincha which is the first harvest of the year and in late April/early May is the best time to buy tea.
It degrades pretty quickly though and loses some of its subtle flavors over the weeks. It's still good tea then, just not like when it's the freshest.

>>9935391
>To cut it short, shincha which is the first harvest of the year and in late April/early May is the best time to buy tea.
>It degrades pretty quickly though and loses some of its subtle flavors over the weeks. It's still good tea then, just not like when it's the freshest.

I already knew that much.

>>9935470
I'm not sure what you question is since I seemed to have answered it.

>>9935479
You did, but I was looking for more specific/detailed.
Thanks for the link, though, interesting read.


Anyway, what was the name of the gyokuro specific pot ?
Not on pastebin, but formerly answered; not going to hunt the archives.

>>9935496
Nevermind, I remembered: hohin.

Don't die

Can anyone recommend me some Chinese oolong? I've only had oolong once and it was a rather poor (and cheap) one so I'd like to try something better this time. Preferably less oxidized so closer to green tea instead of black. The one I had tasted too much like bread or something, too earthy and black.

Also what's everyone's opinion on white tea?

>>9938679
Try High Mountain Tea from Taiwan. It's among my favorites.

>>9938679
I really like Tie Guan Yin, it has an afterflavour that's close to honey.

You can brew it at least 5 time, thourough the (same) day.

I remember reading somewhere that it's the wu long chinese people prefer.

Be careful if you order it online, it exists both in low oxidized and high oxidized form.

I would recomend using a gaiwan if you don't have a dedicated yixing pot.

>>9938679

Do you like woody? Fruity? Toasty? Chocolatey?

>>9939134
Thanks for those.

>>9939927
I could try fruity and chocolaty. Not to keen on the other two, though.

Where is iluvOP? Isn't this his kind of thread?

>>9931247
why isn't china on there?

Is it honestly necessary to purchase a kyusu to get the most out of the tea? I have a small glazed teapot with a normal handle, and other than the handle it looks exactly the same. I put tea leaves in a small separate mesh infuser.

Is it just aesthetics? "for the traditional experience"

There's a local Chinaman Shit-Store that sells some nice teacups. What do traditional japanese tea-cups look like? I don't wat to buy some chink stuff on accident.

"Important Information

Shizuoka prefecture government conducted the sampling test and found a detectible amount of radioactivity in Shizuoka tea. The test was conducted by region and the radiation levels of most regions in Shizuoka were below the legal limit (500 Bq/kg), including "Makinohara" region where all our Shizuoka teas come from. According to the test results announced from Jun 7 to Jun 9, the level of radioactivity found in tea (finished tea) in "Makinohara" district was as follows:

Cesium-(134+137) = 272 (legal limit is 500 Bq/kg.)
Iodine-131 - not detectedImportant Information

Shizuoka prefecture government conducted the sampling test and found a detectible amount of radioactivity in Shizuoka tea. The test was conducted by region and the radiation levels of most regions in Shizuoka were below the legal limit (500 Bq/kg), including "Makinohara" region where all our Shizuoka teas come from. According to the test results announced from Jun 7 to Jun 9, the level of radioactivity found in tea (finished tea) in "Makinohara" district was as follows:

Cesium-(134+137) = 272 (legal limit is 500 Bq/kg.)
Iodine-131 - not detected"

/jp/ radioactive tea drinkers

>>9940674
Of course it doesn't really matter for the taste of the tea. I prefer a kyusu because it's easier to pour and a lot of the british-style teapots I see are made really way too big.

If you're making a good green or oolong tea, though, I don't think it's a good idea to put the leaves in a small mesh thing. It's probably better to just put the tea directly in the pot so that the leaves can open all the way up - you want maximum surface area of leaf touching as much water as possible. You can strain out the leaves when you pour it.

>>9940674
Leaves should be free to float around. Other than that, the clay or whatever material your teapot is made from could (negatively) affect the taste of the tea.

>>9940722
It says right there that the legal limit is 500, and that the tea only has a level of 272.

Try harder next time, okay?

>>9940722
The margin between "legal limit" and actually "unhealthy" is gigantic.

>>9940674
You should try taking out the filter and pouring through it when you pour the tea.

>>9940737
>>9940731
Alright, I'll keep in mind the point about not using an infuser. It's just more convenient rather than having to clean out all that crap left at the bottom of the pot.

>>9940722
My favorite tea stopped being produced/shipped after the tsunami. I wonder what exactly happened.

>>9940710
These are awesome in my opinion. I would like some like that.

>>9940763
the owner probably drowned

Finally new photos.

Those threads always make me feel good about myself.

>>9943481
Why's that?

>>9943481
About how you have no hobbies other than your computer? I bet.

>>9943487
Why are you so defensive? Are you suddenly asshurt from having such a weeaboo tea hobby with your "authentic" ``kyusu'' and tea leaves shipped directly from japan? What a loser.

>>9943531
Why are you so offensive? Nothing better to do than assault random people for enjoying things you don't? Or is that jealousy speaking that you can't afford said things?

Certainly you must be having a weeaboo hobby, too, or why else would you be here? Or were you bullied so much in highschool for being different or having "``other''" hobbies that you now think you need to take it out on people who have different hobbies than you?

>>9943542
dont bully please

>>9943636

That faggot was bullying everyone here for their hobby.

Do you even realize how ridiculous that is on /jp/?

>>9943639
be the bigger girl and walk away don't bully back please

>>9943642

I've had just about enough of your shit fukune.

>>9943650
p-please no bully

>>9943650
don't bully pls

>>9943653
>>9943665
no need to repeat yourself, nerd

>>9943670
Is this how you decided to shit up the thread? Endless replying to yourself pretending to speak to someone else? How original.

>>9943671

How do you check for samefagging beyond just a hunch?

>>9943674
I don't care enough to verify; I've seen it happen way too often and frankly, I don't care.

>>9943671
Just report and hide the posts and wait.

Why the fuck do you ship tea from Japan? Does tea even grow there?

Enjoy drinking tea shipped from India/China to Japan to your country.

Christ (may peace be upon him) you are faggots.

>>9943736
lel

>>9943736
its not grown in japan??!

>>9943736

Everything is made in China, it's about the ritual.

Tea tastes gross.

Hey Drinking tea is my new hobby and I am now huge fan of green tea. I've tried and liked following:
Genmaicha
Kukicha
Bancha
Honyama Finest
Gunpowder

Care to recommend anything similar or other good green teas?

>>9943767
Try sencha. It's like "standard" green tea if you want to call it that.

>>9943782
Oh I forgot sencha, I've already tried it and I liked it too. It's similar to bancha.

>>9943767
Time to move to glorious white tea.

>>9943791
Try kabuse-cha then. If you have money you could also try gyokuro but that one is seriously expensive.

>>9943796
How is it? I've always wondered how proper white tea is like.

>>9943736
There's also good tea in China and India. You just have to be careful which shop you order from and how seriously they take their work. The one I order from, they fly over to Japan, China, Nepal and India twice a year to check on the fields and the farmers/land owners.

>>9943796
Got any specific recommendations?

What is the correct number of steepings for a cup of tea? I usually get about three before it starts getting watery, but I think I remembered Wikipedia saying customarily you're supposed to have about six or so and in ancient times they threw the first one out.

>>9943799

Gyokuro is just overly sweet Sencha to me, not really worth the price.

>>9931221
hey, you're a drug addict, bitch.

>>9947699
Three seems to be about the most I've gotten as well.

I drink Chinese tea, it makes me gay

>>9947699
I usually drink 4 à 200ish ml. It depends on how much tea you use.

are there a lot of people on this board that have actually been to japan?

>>9948603
Yes

>neojanitor shows up
>tea thread mysteriously bumped after not being posted in for hours

lol

>>9948611
ok just curious, thanks
this was the first big thread i came to

>>9948618
How deep does this go?

>>9948618
This your first day on /jp/?

I bought some matcha-iri genmaicha grown in shizuoka. Looking forward to it!

>>9948618
Who are you quoting?

Drinking mugicha, waiting for my hojicha.

>>9947746
Is that long jing?

>>9947746
Which tea is that then?

>>9947699
Three is about average, some blacks you'll be lucky to get two, good greens are usually good for six or so, and I've had pu erh that could go over a dozen.

Oolong leans towards black or green depending on how dark it is.

puer is just awesome.

i stopped drinking coffee and exclusively drink puer.

>>9949688
Is it similar to black tea or heavily oxidized oolong?

>>9949688
>>9949710
Any clue?

>>9949283
Longjing

>>9951678

Those kinds of pictures just depress me to no limit.

>>9951690
Why? They seem peaceful to me.

Today I had a pretty glass of "rose garden" earl grey and a bowl of candy. It was nice. The rose garden tea is really, really nice. It smells beautiful.

>>9952659
That seems nice

>>9951690
>>9951990

I would also like to know why you find it depressing. I find it depressing too, but I don't know why.

>>9952659

holy shit, do you attack your desk with sharp objects while you wait for things to download/load?

>>9954007
That seems to be veined marble or a plastic imitation of such.

>>9954001
Becuase you're dark n edgy and the picture is bright and cheerful. It's a mood mismatch.

>>9954203
>>9954007
Oh, no, I uh. I took a knife to the top of it out of boredom once. I cant write on paper on it, but I never did that anyways.

>>9954668
Looks pretty scary.

>>9955142
I like to imagine its a network of roads and cities

>>9954238
>you're dark n edgy

Oh you, that's your answer for everything.

>>9957305
Probably something along the lines of it's all happy and you know that you can never be there.

>>9957312

Pretty much. I'm surprised that comment came off so ambiguous.

Oh man... Oh man.

>>9957973
Having a couple dolls making tea for me would be neat.

Starting the day off with some nice, hot bancha.

What does everybody think about iced matcha? I still have quite a lot of powder left and I'm not really liking it that much so I was thinking about what I could do with it.

>>9959414

What do you think of it?

>>9960228

Unless it's hot wherever you live, try baking with it. There are some good recipes online that I've tried myself. Matcha cookies are good, but matcha financiers are better.

im so classy and refined i drink leaf water from japan - weeaboo from /jp/

>>9960251
Looks amazing.

>>9960251
I don't really have the utensils for baking here but I might ask my mother to make something out of it the next time I'm home.

>>9960228
you can put it in simple cake or icecream. Heck, try making it into a frappe with milk and sugar in the blender.

>>9931247
>#7 germany etc on that list
>countries that produce or consume tea in high dosis aren't even listed. for example Sri Lanka, Turkey, India. China and many other asian countries

that chart doesn't seem so accurate

>>9960359
That could have been said just as well without the greentext. You aren't stupid, why act like you are?

>>9960367
because I'm not used to this boards etiquette since I am no regular here and I made that stupid habit while using other boards on 4chan since years

>>9960251
Why is green tea so pretty

>>9960453
I wonder!

>>9960251
>What do you think of it?
It was alright. I got it from the clerk at the Asia shop I bought some stuff from. He had a little bit left and just gave it to me. I usually don't buy my tea in person since we don't have any trustworthy shops here but since I got it for free.

I don't really have a taste for tea to begin with, so I'd at least like something that's good for my health. But all the varieties I've encountered so far are ridden with caffeine. What a pity.

>>9962444
I think the benefits far outweigh the caffeine unless you react strongly or something to it.

>>9962450
Really? Nah, caffeine doesn't do a thing to me, but I've been told all my life it's the devil's product and that I should stay far away from it. I guess I'll do some more research on the matter.

>>9962480
>Nah, caffeine doesn't do a thing to me, but I've been told all my life it's the devil's product and that I should stay far away from it.
Is this real? I can understand booze and cigarettes, but caffeine? What the HELL? Browsing /jp/ is certainly more unhealthy than any amount of caffeine could ever be.

>>9962634
Maybe he's mormon. Mormons can't have caffeine.

>>9962759
Wow, how did they ever come up with that one, what could the spiritual implications possibly be of drinking caffeine.

Is there any difference/effect in the shapes of the Kyusu pots? I've been looking at some, and I've noticed two types of "spouts" - the inset ones (http://www.hibiki-an.com/images/upload/Hohryu_A01.jpg)) and the outward ones (http://www.zencha.net/photo/04501-01.jpg).). I like the look of both, but I was wondering if there was any difference in usage, brewing, tradition, or flavor outcome. I wouldn't think there would be a flavor difference, but I just want to check.

I'm also looking into Japanese Green tea. I recently bought a bunch of the Monkey Picked Oolong from Teavanna (I know, bad place to buy, etc) and I really like it, but I know I overpaid. I have a lot of the MP Oolong and I usually blend that 2:1 with some Formosa Silvertip Top Fancy Oolong I picked up in Austria on vacation, but that option's running out quickly now that I'm back stateside. I'd like to try everything, can someone just list off types of teas to try out? I have an infuser-cup, but I'll be getting one of the pots I posted above sometime soon. Is it okay to buy tea now or should I wait until the new harvest next year? How long will that be?

>>9963067

I own both of those pots (with the latter, the purple version). There are differences, yes. The Hohryu pours with less dripping, but because the Hagi ones are internally glazed, they are easier to clean. Unglazed kyusu have a tendency to take on an unpleasant, swampy smell with time, especially if you're brewing with hard water.

New harvest begins as early as February for a very small number of Chinese teas, and there are some remote southern Japanese islands (such as Tanegashima) that also have early harvests. Most new tea is available at the beginning of April, and if you're interested in Japanese tea, the tradition seems to be that just before the harvest, people enjoy last year's tea flavoured with dried sakura blossoms.

tl;dr Buy what you like now, because your tastebuds' hips will be moving on their own when you taste tea that a week ago was growing in the ground.

Don't know what your preferences are for tea, so it's hard to suggest things. Especially because I cannot find a single Chinese tea vendor I am satisfied with.

>>9963326
I'm really all over the place with my tea preferences.
I've been getting really into light but rounded teas lately. (The blend I was describing in my last post), but previously I had been into mostly black teas and more bitter tea. Now I like the light feeling of the greener oolong I've been having. A good leafy taste is always good, and I like a hint of bitter along with sweet. I've been experimenting a lot lately. and I've found I like a balance between sweet and bitter. The Oolong blend I use now is pretty good for that, since the round bitterness of the more black Formosa and the crisp sweetness of the MP work well together. I tried some of my sister's Oolong Chai today, as well, but prepared "traditionally" (with milk and honey added) it was too cloyingly sweet for me.

So the inside of the Hohryu (http://www.hibiki-an.com/product_info.php/cPath/23/products_id/447)) isn't glazed? That was the main one I was looking at, but I think I'll probably look for one with a glazed inside. Any suggestions for a pot that's glazed on the inside but still has the spout like that? I'll look around as well. Do you know anything about http://www.hibiki-an.com/product_info.php/cPath/23/products_id/435 or http://www.hibiki-an.com/product_info.php/cPath/23/products_id/473 ?

>>9963421
Also, as a followup, are containers worth getting? I'm considering http://www.hibiki-an.com/product_info.php/cPath/23/products_id/771 even thought it seems pretty expensive.

>>9963421

You might want to try Chinese black tea, like a Yunnan Gold.

Large one is way too large unless you're planning to serve a lot of guests, and the smaller one is Shinku mode. Japanese tea is traditionally enjoyed in much smaller quantities than the English or Russian styles of tea preparation. With a 380ml pot, you will probably want to fill it no more than halfway for each infusion, of which you will want to drink several per serving of leaves.

That is a very charming container, but I'm not sure what to make of it.

>From ancient times, it has been said that KABA ZAIKU containers maintain humidity inside, and they are ideal for preserving dried stuff such as tea leaves [...]

That's misleading, considering the inside of that container is steel, not KABA ZAIKU. Whatever a steel container is gilded with, it's not going to affect the tea sealed inside.

>>9963588
Yeah, I had gathered that the container was pretty overhyped by the sales page, but I really like the way it looks. I don't think I'll buy it though, since I could get these (http://www.yuuki-cha.com/tea-canisters/set-of-3-kyoto-landmark-canisters)) or another set of three for a third of the cost.

What do you mean by shinku mode? I've never heard that term before. The Rose one is the one I'm considering most highly right now.

And thanks for the recommendation, I'll definitely check out Yunnan Gold. Any suggestions on getting into Japanese Green teas, though? (If I haven't already exceeded my question limit, 先生)

>>9963588
Have you ever tried shinobi cha ? How does the taste changes from regular gyokuro brewings ?

Also, any tips on cold/iced tea ? Preferably more formal advices than backyard DYI stuff.

I bought a few ounces of loose leaf ginger puer tea per my sister's recommendation (she said she loved the stuff when she lived in China).

It tastes like shit. That is all.

Hojicha for evenings

>>9964206
Do you have a clue on how hojicha tastes compared to heavily oxidized oolong?

>>9963921
Does it taste peppery? I hate ginger.

>>9963682

>What do you mean by shinku

What people watched when they wanted to see cute girls drinking tea and playing danmaku before Touhou was known outside of doujin circles.

>>9963748

I have not tried it. I think it might be way too concentrated in terms of caffeine, at least for me personally. It seems like a great way to enjoy tea on summer days when it's above 40 C.

>>9964783

It might taste similar if the oolong is also roasted, which many are.

Drinking Momiji koucha from a Momiji kyusu while Momiji-viewing. Feels bow wow nya, man.

Aya-sama please don't bully

>>9966327
What's momiji koucha?

>>9964783
To me, more mellow and toasty.

bamp

>>9967252

Japanese black tea.

Any of you guys ever order from den's tea?

They're MUCH cheaper than yuuki cha, and I just ordered from them for the first time. Didn't really read any reviews though.

>>9968236

I have several times and it was decent enough to come back to, but it's mostly out of laziness due to being tired of shopping around.

I had bad experiences with a lot of tea I bought from amazon vendors beforehand but that was before I got an electric kettle and I'm pretty sure I brewed it all wrong, so I don't really have a point of reference and I can't really vouch for or criticize any sellers.

>>9968236
I order from them regularly. Their sizes are a bit small (56g vs the 100g I'm used to) but I still go back to them because it's cheap for what you get, which is some damn good tea. Plus they pack a sample with every purchase.

I just wish they'd stop including that Japan Up magazine with every order...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rfvshka8POE

>>9968236
>>9968257
>>9968267

Den's isn't bad. It's far superior to anything you can get at a grocery store, any retail chain I've ever seen and anything being sold on Amazon I've ever seen.

My biggest issue with Den's is not that, while it has every indication of being professionally packaged, the product itself is bone dry. Fresh, properly-stored tea is somewhat moist. It's not wet, because if it were wet it would rot quickly, but... when you smell it, you should 'smell' the moisture, and I never did with Den's tea.

Den's seems to be a good 'starter' place for people just starting out with tea. Particularly Amerigaijin who get the benefit of having something shipped domestically without having to pay a king's ransom for shipping.

>>9968654

The packaging contains silica gel packets, not much of a surprise it's dry. I don't have a strong opinion about dry tea, but including those things in items for human consumption makes me a little uncomfortable.

Another anon here. I've been ordering from Upton Teas for awhile, has anyone tried both? Is Den's better?

>>9968719
For green tea, Dens definitely seems better.

>>9968654
>Amerigaijin

You got a problem with Americans, son?

>>9968227
How does it differ from say loose leaf low quality random black tea?

Another morning, another kabuse-cha.

>>9971393
I don't like the look on her face.

>>9968267
I actually prefer 50g packages to 100g ones. 50g tends to last more than you'd expect it to.

>>9969558

Nah, I just wish I could buy tea from American shops and not have to pay outrageous 'international' shipping charges when I live an hour and a half away from the border of the continental United States.

>>9971424

Why?

>japanese tea

>>9972988
Probably because drawing a non-glasses character with glasses is a pervertion so unnatural that people tend not to like it ?

To me, puting glasses on a non-glasses character is the same as drawing it as a ganguro slut.

>>9972988
I don't know. She looks kind of aggressive, as if in outrage that I disturbed her tea/book.

I've been drinking genmaicha regularly for a few days since it arrived and it's been nice. Not getting consistent results with my imperfect brewing method (no way of judging water temperature) but I do like it.

>>9972988
Even though I still hate the Tonberry today, that is a cute pic, dude.

Funny little cups.

>>9977270
Wow, that's a really cute Pache. That bob really suits her.

(っˇ◡◡ˇ)っ

russian dope style.

also how do i make genmaicha?

>>9981066
It's a mixture of puffed brown rice, bancha or sencha and sometimes matcha. I guess it wouldn't be too difficult to combine those to make your own.

But why not just buy some?

getting cold so i went to pick up some tea
dont know what to get so i picked the cheapest one that looked ok. it was some 京番茶. kind of tasteless if you ask me

what are some cheap good teas I can find in japan?

>>9981168
apologies for my english. how to brew it?

>>9981224
The stuff I got instructs the user to use water heated to 80-90c and let it brew for 1 minute.

But I've read other sources which claim to use 70-80c water and brew it for 3 minutes.

bump limit +1

>>9981375
okay, i think i just need to try both methods.

>>9981209
bancha is pretty cheap.

>>9981377
lol

>>9981375
3 minutes sounds too long for any kind of tea. I'd go with 80°C and 1minute.

>>9981389
>sage
Why?

>>9981655
I felt like I made too many posts in this thread, so it was unfair if I bumped it yet again.

>>9981655
I still laugh at how 4chan doesn't understand what sage means.

If only I knew moon so I wouldn't have to spend time on a board that imports foreign concepts and then DOES IT WRONG all the time.

Using sage as a way to "insult" someone's post or thread is just completely wrong and a retarded misuse of a good feature that is so popular in sites like 2ch and Futaba. Fuck, iichan and 4-ch do it right. It's just 4chan and 4chan's lame knockoffs that fail at using sage.

The true meaning of sage means that YOUR POST isn't worthy enough to bump the thread. It's ironic, because you think that you're insulting others while you're just, in fact, insulting yourself. Yes, sage can be used when posting a derogatory comment in a thread that you don't want to bump, but posting with just the word "sage" accomplishes nothing but contribute to spamming the board. The trend of replying with the name of a tripfag and sage is even worse, as it accomplishes nothing and only serves to increase the e-penis of whoever you're "attacking".

The sage feature was never meant to serve as an implied insult or general disagreement! Why people started using it that way is beyond me. There are plenty of reasons why one would choose not to bump a thread with his reply. For example, bumping threads with stupid one liner replies should be discouraged and those people should be coerced into using sage instead.

I want to use sage, yet I almost never do it on 4chan because people will jump on me thinking I'm insulting their post or something.

>>9981675
This.

>>9981675
You guys just don't understand that no-one cares about your japanophile CORRECTU SAGERU, do you?
ps. I'm using sage to insult you

>>9981784
And no one cares what people outside this board think.

I'm wondering which one I should open after I'm done with this kabuse-cha package. The left one is 50g, the right one 100g.

Can someone recommend me a place where I can order Chinese Oolong? I don't live in the US so I don't really mind if I have to import it.

>>9984342
Talking about Oolong, has anyone had experience with Japanese Oolong bfore?

>>9981784
Translate es weebaoos.

>>9981377

Someone should make a new thread. Be sure to use a picture of Patchouli.

>>9984342

I wish I knew of a place worth recommending. I do not right now.

>>9984641

Yes. What would you like to know about it?

>>9984661
>What would you like to know about it?
I want to taste a nice oolong that isn't cheap, heavily oxidized/roasted, bready crap.

>>9984680

Plane tickets to Japan are expensive.

>>9984713
But shipping from Japan isn't that bad for 20g of tea.

>>9984713
I'm not sure what you're implying. Yuuki-cha has some Japanese Oolong.

>>9984713
>>9984737
please respond

>>9985168
Maybe he meant the best Japanese oolongs aren't sold (online).

VERY OTAKU XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

*sips tea*

mm yess....delightful....magnificent thread :3333333333

> >sage
>Why?

>Can someone recommend me a place where I can order CHINESE Oolong?

>You guys just don't understand that no-one cares about your japanophile CORRECTU SAGERU, do you?

>bamp

>(っˇ◡◡ˇ)っ

>Someone should make a new thread. Be sure to use a picture of Patchouli.

staff-approved spam

>>9986071
you can get away with spam and anything else if you aren't obvious about it (unlike what you are currently doing) because nobody gives a shit about it

>>9986079
>you can get away with spam and anything else if you aren't obvious about it (unlike what you are currently doing)

those were all actual posts from this thread you retard.

>>9985168

What >>9986035 said. I haven't been impressed by what I've tried so far. I think there's probably much better stuff out there, but the problem is availability to English language consumers.

When I go to Uji, I'm going to see if I can scout out some locally-grown oolong/black tea.

i drink peppermint tea with milk.

and have been told that it's supposed to be disgusting.

but it tastes like milk water and peppermint so i don't see what the problem is.

>>9984713
Why don't you go there and make a living out of reselling tea you selected yourself ?

>>9986326

You're not the first person to ask me about this. When I was on the west coast back in the summer, I was at some tea events, and people there just assumed that I was in the business from conversation with me. It's happened enough that it made me wonder... why am I not in the business?

I don't think I'd want to live in Japan. My Japanese is only barely good enough to watch anime without subtitles, and I can't read any kanji.

Haven't been sure about mentioning this on /jp/, but I am planning to get into the business. Probably going to go to Uji and Kagoshima in the spring to try to source some tea for an online business. There are so many lousy vendors out there... I want to start the kind of business that I have been looking for but haven't been able to find.

>>9987100
necrobumper pls go

>>9987100
Would you ship worldwide?

>>9987100
Something like o5tea.com perhaps? (I think I got it from your pastebin info)

>>9987100
If I ever learn japanese before you go in business, I could help you with that.
Give it some years. w

>>9987130
90 minutes is not a necrobump on /jp/. Do you even take it easy?

>>9987181

I need to look into it. That would be ideal.

>>9987336

No... very different. I have some ideas that I think would be neat for customer interaction integrated into the website experience, but it will all depend on whoever I can hire to design the site for me. Not knowing where I am going to get start-up capital is suffering.

>>9987506
>it will all depend on whoever I can hire to design the site for me
I'm sure you could find a /jp/er to do that.

>>9987540
I think he wants someone reliable.

>>9986281
Do you know the general differences between Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese oolongs? I'm wondering because the shop I usually order from only carries Chinese and Taiwanese one and the choices are rather limited so I wouldn't mind importing. I know that Yuuki-cha carries some Japanese Oolong but outside of that I have no clue where I could get some. I don't mind experimenting.

Another question regarding the same matter. What difference would a 2011 harvest to a 2012 harvest make regarding Oolong teas?

kill this fucking thread already

>>9988484
>All images and discussion should pertain to light and visual novels, figures and other otaku paraphernalia, Touhou Project, Vocaloid, doujin works and music, NEET lifestyle, and diverse niche Japanese interests (kigurumi, idols, mahjong, tea).

Your ass is on fucking fire, nerd.

>>9988496
teaspam is not otaku culture.

>>9988504
go visit a buttdoctor dude, your ass is ablaze

I have this Beehouse teapot, but I am not really a fan of Asian teas. I would love to find some nice quality Earl Grey loose tea leaves for it. Or any other recommended teas. Probably not a good place to ask for non-Asian teas, but it's a Japanese teapot!

>>9988758
I'm not even sure what "Earl Grey" even is. Is that just some sort of black tea?

>>9988760
It's black tea flavored with bergamot oil.

>>9988763
I see. I've only had bagged black tea before. Not a big fan of it, it seems too bitter and devoid of flavor. Maybe I should try a proper one some day.

>>9988758
Do you usually use teabags then? I'd recommend you check to see if your favoured brand also carries loose tea. They tend to.

>>9960251

I made matcha cupcakes for my waifu's birthday (you can't really tell what they are here sadly) with some yogurt instead of milk/cream. They came out really moist and light, even after frosting them, not heavy at all.

I used this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/green-tea-layer-cake/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=g
reen%20tea&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

>>9988766
I usually use this English Breakfast loose tea we have on hand, but I'd like to buy a nice Earl Grey. Any recommendations? Loose or bagged is fine.

Just had some kawaii Arizona iced tea ^_^

>>9988799
how is arizona ice tea kawaii?

>>9988791
twinings, I guess?

>>9988791
oh it's you, the awesome cook girl

>>9988791
gumi a slut

Where do you guys download your Japanese music from?

>>9988951
I don't, but I'd recommend usenet.

Besides, this is the tea thread.

>>9988955
no this is clearly a music thread

>>9988959
Are you frustrated?

>>9988988
Yes.

>>9988989
What I want to know is why you are so frustrated.

(´・ω・｀)

>>9988988
oh shit, le crhistian bale face

>>9989007
How are those thermo cups? I want something that is pretty but also comfortable to hold without burning yourself.

>>9989011

Seconding this. Where did you buy them?

>>9989011
They hold heat well enough that you can drink tea a bit slower normal and not have it get cold. The cup itself never really gets very hot though so it can be a bit weird drinking something hot from a lukewarm cup.

>>9989055
Got them from Amazon

>>9989088
They kinda look like them BODUM ones; e.g. http://www.bodum.com/us/en-us/shop/detail/K11153-01/?navid=266

>>9989111
They're the 8oz ones, from Bodum.

>>9989088
>>9989007

I could never own these. I wouldn't care if those cups added 2 inches to my dick if I drank from them, they're just really ugly.

I had some of that English Breakfast tea and pancakes for breakfast.

What kind of water boiler do you use /jp/?

>>9989217
Some Zoji, but I'm going to switch to a kettle and hotplate soon.

>>9989217
Random, stainless steel electric kettle.

>>9989225
Why would you do that?

>>9989242
There's a bit of a taste difference. The Zoji is coated while the kettle is uncoated, and I think the slight metalic taste from the kettle helps some teas.

Is it normal for green tea to make one urinate a lot? A few months back I bought some sencha from the local supermarket, my first time getting my own leaf tea, and whenever i drink it I always urinate 5 or 6 times within the next two hours or so. It's a bit alarming.

>>9989298
5 to 6 times sounds like quite a lot but it's generally a good thing to (drink and) urinate a lot. Good for the kidneys I think.

>>9989298

Caffeine is a diuretic, so yes.

Seems this thread hit the bump limit so please feel free to make a new one if you feel it's necessary, just please link it here so we don't get multiple tea threads.

How many of you are really anal about the carefulness, times and temperatures when preparing your tea?

>>9989331
>>9989342
Thank you for replying! One of the reasons I was concerned is because I usually don't even pee that much after drinking a cup of coffee. Well, I don't feel worse otherwise, so I guess it must be okay.

>>9989387
The water temperature is the most important thing about making tea in my opinion. Even the best leaf can turn out ruined (and I mean actually taste disgusting) if you brew it at a wrong temperature.

Same thing goes for "times" if you mean brewing time. If you brew for twice as long as you should, it'll turn out bitter and again, ruined.

I don't really know what you mean with carefulness.

I found a scratch on my kyusu.

>>9989470
I have one too; you're not alone. Think of them as war wounds or something.

>>9989548
But my kyusu has never gone to war. She's my perfect pampered princess. How could this happen?

>>9989584
How big is yours? Mine is rather small. (no homo)

>>9989595
240ml, cute and small too.

>>9989598
No, I meant the scratch.

>>9989601
It's small in reality but huge and ugly to me and I hate it. I wish it didn't exist.

>>9988451

Taiwanese oolong is mostly lightly-oxidized and unroasted. It's hard to find very good Taiwanese tea outside of Taiwan because the domestic demand is very high. Surely ASUS must have first-dibs on many choice plantations. Chinese oolong defies any broad sweeping generalizations because there are so many of them and they can differ immensely. As far as I know, Japanese oolong is more experimental than anything.

I stick to Chinese/Taiwanese oolong, personally. I'm not sure the Japanese have discovered the secret of oolong yet.

Opinions vary on the age of oolong. I'm not sure there even is one answer; it depends on the type of tea, how it was processed, what it's been stored in, how it's being stored, etc. In my experience, I've found it's been better to wait. There often seems to be a little bit of sharpness in 'same-year' oolong and black tea that you don't get in drinking a previous year's harvest. But the key is storage. If it's not stored well, it has to be roasted to hide its staleness. That might be the biggest dirty secret in this business.

>>9988758

Assam teas are nice.

>>9988791

Feels good, man.

>>9989932
You said you liked Phoenix and Dong Ding oolong. Where did you order yours from?

>>9988758
>>9988791
Some second flush asam might be what you are looking for.
Get something pure (not mixed with other stuff) from a known/renown garden.
Maybe aim for FTGFOP.

Hattialli Golden Paw Assam seems a popular choice.

Keep in mind that ``english'' tea is imported indian tea. The only english thing about them is the horrible processing and mixing with each other they suffer.

>>9989387
I'm not anal about times and temperature, my tea is, and I'm anal about my tea tasting good.

>>9991820
here.
Bought some from http://www.lochantea.com, they seem semi-serious, will tell how it turns out.
I needed a cheap chistmass gift idea for my mother anyway.

>>9992449
Looks like a poor site. "Japan" or "China" are hardly origins. They should at LEAST provide the prefecture and preferably the farmer. Also it oftentimes doesn't even mention the year or month of harvest.

>>9994242
Yeah, as far as anything non india based is concerned, the site is shit. They're Inidans and India based.