Free Tea Course! THE FOUNDATIONS OF TEA - Pt.1: The Plant

[@pyrosardukar]

Don you should write a book. There's too much delicious information scattered on different videos that would be nice to have on a book shelf as a reference.

[@richardlong5928]

I completely agree! I would buy that in a heartbeat

[@cookeecutkk]

I second this. Insta buy.

[@tommygun9546]

also please reas food of the gods - it has very good information on coffee/sugar and other plant based ‘drugs’’s effects on society. the plants are farming us. and so are the animals and fungi. thx don 🙏🏽

[@solaris100]

Book! Book! Boooook!

[@chrisladouceur4093]

I bet he’s already been jotting ideas down for one someday 😂

[@mst2203]

I'm not a beginner, but I really enjoyed this video. Hearing the same concepts conveyed in new ways is always valuable to me.

[@MeiLeaf]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Mech3ngineer]

I'm more of a beginner. Where have you heard some of these topics / learned about tea before this?

[@mst2203]

@@Mech3ngineer mostly from Don on this channel honestly. He just touches on these things in so many ways throughout his other videos that it's good to hear them kind of packaged up and conveyed in new ways and in one consolidated location.

[@rickrenhart6828]

Well, I can't believe this course is free ! That was amazing, Don. Highly informative, as always. It's not often that I take the time to type a comment, but i watch religiously every one of your videos. Through your passion, your hard work and your kindness, you've made me a true tea lover. I've never really had a passion before, so i'm sincerely grateful for that. Thank you, I'm looking forward the next courses with great enthusiasm !

[@mrsteinbergenson7348]

Yeah his passion is really infectious. I wasn’t a tea head either until I stumbled on his channel

[@ariontheobaldo5794]

I was also very surprised by the generosity of this people, not charging for this interesting course on tea consumption, and its Proustian effects. Kind regards. 🇲🇽

[@maksspiga1106]

It's so cool to make someone who doesn't know much about tea ask the questions because it makes you explain things from a different angle sometimes or explain things you wouldn't think are worth explaining.

[@kiraPh1234k]

23:30 Also diversity such as trees helps give birds a better hold in the area and reduces the need for pesticides as the birds naturally control the pests.

[@MeiLeaf]

Never considered this, thanks for the information!

[@arbiter6559]

But the branches shouldn’t be too close (the height) as it’ll reduce the airflow and sunlight giving chances to diseases on the tea leaves.

[@kilgoretrout413]

Very much looking forward to this series! I love your knowledge, enthusiasm, expertise and humility in passing on the message 😻😍

[@MeiLeaf]

Thank you - I hope that you enjoy the next episodes!

[@cookeecutkk]

I always come away from Mei Leaf videos feeling relaxed, uplifted, calm and having learned new things.

[@doriandangerous]

Wizard council bureaucrat sent me here! Your videos seem cool, can't wait to learn more about my favourite beverage 😮

[@Tinyvalkyrie410]

I want to give a shout out to Holta. It takes a lot of humility and courage to be willing to ask the “dumb questions” and play an audience stand in. Her willingness to engage with the subject matter with focus and interest despite being a novice? That’s really awesome. Thank you so much for doing this for us.

[@xlben10]

I am truly grated to be part of this tea journey and community through Don

[@feyasatos]

Ooooh im very new to this and its really interesting, was sent by with Wizard council bureaucrat

[@dakotastevens8]

The Wizard Council Beurocrat sent me, great video!

[@iputuoka2707]

1st principle for having tea is a warm and cheerful companion, makes tea taste to the next level.

[@rayeaglenz]

Holta is adorable, beautiful, and clever, a lovely guest choice, an interesting video, thank you, Don 👍😊

[@aidanm.5461]

I love the fact that environmental stressors and hardships can ultimately produce a higher quality, more flavorful tea. I've been drinking loose leaf tea for 10+ years, and this is a fact that I had forgotten or overlooked. Thanks for the great crash course reminder!

[@TheAyeAye1]

I'll share this video in the hopes of get a tea group started in town.

[@sunya3072]

Nothing is better than going back into the basics ! Love your work guys

[@MeiLeaf]

Thanks! You too!

[@juubile1941]

Found my new hyperfocus. I only ever drank cheap “tea” bags, herb infusions and stuff and i am already obsessed but apparently there is soo much more to it and i am very excited to try actual high quality tea.

[@icebear6678]

Oh my gosh! Simply amazing. Don, you are a genius, so well caused, so fresh so passionate about the explanation. It'sa bless to learn from you. Definitely, you must write a book with all this information. Thank you so much for this.

[@HomeOfAlex]

The amount of deep, important, clearly communicated information of this video is immense! This video puts you into close intermediate level in 52 mins. I learned so much. Thank you!

[@YouBrewKombucha]

I thought I knew a lot about tea, after having tasted hundreds of teas over the last several years but I still learned so much! I didn’t realize the depth to which stress and controlled, harnessed stress affects the plant and the final outcomes of the tea! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I love that there’s always more to learn about tea. Constantly opening me up to new dimensions and perspectives. Incredible!

[@ariontheobaldo5794]

Lovely message 💖 Thank you very much for sharing your wisdom regarding tea and your vocation to expand our senses in a Proustian way.

[@XiaoZhen1234]

This is so engaging. I really enjoy how Don breaks down why each things are done and how that affects the tea plant.

[@Stjerneklang528]

Tea and lovely people? Yes, please. Cheers.

[@beth.7]

I already love this new series and its lively format! So informative and entertaining. Can't wait to see the next installment. - Also: Hi Holta and thank you for joining to ask questions! Most of them would have been mine, too! 😁 Hope to see you again next time! 👋

[@smilebot484]

Health benefits part of the series would be great. I love the plain questions. Don is a patient teacher. Good series. Can't wait for the rest.

[@geschepper]

I'm very thankful for ALL of your videos😊 I first got into tea by trying to get away from drinking too much coffee and I startet reading and reseaching. Since then it was the beginning of a long jourey I didn't expect because tea for me is just so much more than a drink. It became more of a way of life and your videos definitely helped me leand so much about it in a very happy, entertaining and at the same time educational way. I'm going through very ruff times right now and tea just helps me see that there can be so much beautyful things in life... Thank you so much❤

[@247videos247]

As a tea lover and someone who started my tea journey with you, but strayed away for a couple years...lovely video. This brought me back to my roots. Also having this guest really made it super enjoyable. Love the energy!!

[@wendyrual7179]

Great video! I learnt so much there! Thank you Don & welcome Holta, I think you rather liked that last Japanese tea!😃

[@saraspriggatoni1754]

I LOVED this video! So fun to learn along with Holta. Thank you for your fun, approachable, but not-dumbed-down way of explaining the big world of tea. Appreciate your work so much!

[@warpaintish1]

absolutely love this video. I didn’t even realize it was over 50min long. it covered so many topics and was very educational for me.

[@teresad9661]

So much great information in this video for both seasoned tea heads and those new to tea! Thank you for fostering this tea community Don!

[@firstMillo]

What an interesting, entertaining and instructive Series this is, Don! Thanks a lot for all your efforts, passion and love for tea and teaching us in the best way I have ever been teached about tea! All you guys in front and behind the camera are awsome! Warm and best wishes from Germany :-)

[@MeiLeaf]

My pleasure!

[@MariyaShalashova-y2o]

Thank you so much!! This lecture was so well organized and helpful. Can't wait to watch the other ones!

[@chrisladouceur4093]

33:20 I love a good smack in the morning 😂 keeps me alive!

[@chuckwavra8832]

Excellent - looking forward to watching this series. Thank you Don.

[@Michael-xr5yx]

Amazing. Thanks so much for making this series. I've been enjoying tea for many years and thought I knew a fair amount but I've never heard or read anything near this level of detail. Looking forward to watching all the episodes.

[@clairepaley6735]

This is such a generous offering Don. Your expertise and your passion show through every video. Thank you.

[@fdadrtrttewrt]

That was so enjoyable and i thank you both for putting this out. I find that learning more about tea really enhances my appreciation and enjoyment. Looking forward to your future videos.

[@adipoli1498]

Very interesting course on the subject with all sorts of details. Thank you!

[@jasonblack4208]

"it's why we turn the kettle on during times of stress" true dat. tea is like crack when I'm depressed or overwhelmed.

[@mariasokolova6737]

it's very interesting. Thanks for you job🥰🥰🥰

[@ongoingmartin]

33:23 A Cream Bun Scallywag smack around the face in the morning is fine with me. 😋

[@ongoingmartin]

@Luke Monsensey 😂 Cream Bun Scallywag is the name of the tea they were drinking. Tasty puerh!

[@MsJavaWolf]

This video is very well thought out, it was interesting to plan it around the core concept of "stress", the point came across really well.

[@littlestkitten]

The wizard council bureaucrat also sent me here. Very interesting video keep up the good work!

[@TJBF]

Amazing videos and this new Course is so informative! Thank you for sharing the infos. I will start implying tea in my life!

[@user-iw2md2gl4q]

Great video! Looking forward to this series!

[@evrYwhr]

I haven’t even gotten the opportunity it’s to watch this video yet, but I’m GHA king you in advance for when I do have time to digest! Looking forward to tea with you in the near future👑

[@vancer11]

Really interesting video, funny and educational as always 👏👏😍😊

[@GilbertBarrierLaDanseduSilence]

Great video, good idea to do the teaching with someone else. The chemistry is nice with a lot of passion in it

[@walterfransen]

I have learned a lot about wine and now tea is my next field of study. This is very helpful! Thank you for sharing. On a side note: Holta reminds me a bit of Neve Campbell

[@haythamelreweny9626]

Love this concept, Don 👌🏼

[@davidw.pursley6474]

Well done Don. I really would like a segment on health benefits of tea, and more about caffeine and l’theanine. Have you suggested a book list before?

[@mickaelliparimayer]

This is such amazing content!! Thank you so much!!!

[@lightenning9833]

Simply Perfect, thank you again !

[@20thcenturyboy85]

Superb video! Thank You!

[@MapleBam]

This is just what I needed! Thank you for posting it

[@susannekaiser8247]

i find hr so similar to celine. the way she expresses herself.very delightful. :)

[@glassroom135]

Yes!! This is exciting!

[@hannahcrossett3415]

I wish there was a love option for the thumbs up. I learned a new word: terroir. Thank you!

[@leeennise.a3338]

I usually hot brew my gyukuro. I'm going to do a cold brew again. thanks for posting!

[@arexarex2263]

I've decided to get involved in tea business, will start importing it to Europe, definitely give it a try. finger cross

[@ratlord_ali]

I was sent here by the Wizard Council Bureaucrat. Well worth it.

[@Sushi2202]

Wow, the part about organic tea (From around 30 mins) is so interesting to know! The rest also, but many costumers ask for organic in the tea shop and now I can tell them some more about it :)

[@ElysianLys]

The biggest barrier for me when it comes to getting deep into tea is the cost; it seems to get even decent quality tea leaves, you need to shell out quite a lot upfront. I know the old adage is that you get what you pay for and quality is worth the price, but I wish it were more accessible to folks that don't have a ton of disposable income to go around!

[@Tinyvalkyrie410]

I agree, but one thing you might consider is choosing varieties (many oolongs) where the tea should be used multiple times, so a small amount of tea can be used for multiple pots.

[@w.o.jackson8432]

I'm liking Celine's new look, very nice.

[@gediminaskontrimas7992]

🤣

[@Mech3ngineer]

Love this video. At one point you were talking about when the best time to smell the tea is. One was "smell the dry leaf when it's warm". Could you elaborate? When is the leaf dry and warm? Is that only during processing before it gets to us consumers?

[@MeiLeaf]

If you heat up the teaware with hot water and then pour the water away completely and add your leaves you can smell the warm dry leaf. Obviously you need to then brew the tea as it will be very slightly wet and cannot be stored afterwards.

[@kathywestcott9742]

Really enjoyed 1st tea lesson☺️👍

[@kiraPh1234k]

Great format

[@hhhgggfffds]

Hi. I thorughly enjoyed this! When you first poured boiling water in the tube, why did you get rid of that before filling it up again for a brewing?

[@antoniopalmarini2051]

Phenomenal!!!

[@melissakinseyaesthetician1457]

#teawithdon!!!! Loved this!!

[@Ariceater]

Nice one. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. Next time you come to Taiwan to look at some 高山茶 I’d love to share a brew or two with you.

[@MeiLeaf]

Sounds great!

[@Ariceater]

@@MeiLeaf look me up on FB or LINE. Im not hard to find.

[@kelseyvanpatten8333]

Thank you for this!! Such an epic course. Can only certain tea plants make certain types of tea because of their terroir? Or can any tea producer make an unlimited number of teas from each plant?

[@DD-ok2pt]

I wonder if planting the trees on slopes have something to do with not having their roots sitting in water?

[@MeiLeaf]

Absolutely this is one of the factors.

[@kailai366]

Thank you so much for the info!

[@emilieoberson3410]

Hi.. Thanks for all info wery useful 🍵🙏

[@SalvationTenshi]

Teaines, caffeines: Gyokuro and some Sencha green teas have more, though Gyokuro Kukicha (stem tea) and Sencha Genmaicha (rice flavored teas) have less caffeines. Note also that green teas capture the caffeines better than coffee, so it might be or feel lighter thou even more caffeine contained. Therefore green tea has a good balance. Green tea rich in caffeines like Korean Sencha or Japanese Gyokuro or even Matcha are considered morning teas. Whereas stem teas and rice flavored teas considered to be for late afternoon or evening or night teas. The richness of caffeine in green tea depends on water temperature as well. Less or no caffeine is iced brewd, cold brewd or brewd below 80°C and the higher the water temperature from 80°C on to medicine (100°C boiling water brewd) the more caffeine your tea containes together with the bitterness. In my opinion coffee contains caffeine because it's loose and green tea containes teaine because it's not loose, it's captured and therefore well balanced. Note that caffeine and teaine is the same though. Have your peace. 🙏🏼🍵

[@valehereiam2875]

I'm here so early that you can not increase the quality of the video 😆

[@MeiLeaf]

KZbin is being extra slow today!

[@surlas]

Wow

[@gitmoholliday5764]

Thanks... now I'm curious about the tea NOT made of Camelia Sinensis 🤔

[@valevais27]

This is what I was looking for! Thanks I have a question: is it true that it is wrong to pour hot water directly on the tea bag? I read somewhere that the water should be poured on the side

[@Philip54320]

As a beginner who wants to learn about tea and appreciate it more this is just what I've been looking for, thank you! I've got a question: You said that 99,99% of tea is from the teaplant, does that mean that herbal and fruit tea are not considered "tea" in that sense? What else would you consider them?

[@MsJavaWolf]

They are usually called tisanes.

[@PivotalPetals]

Love this video! You’re absolutely killin it and I appreciate your videos so much! 💖

[@kjell159]

26:45 The correct term would be hypothesis. :) Evolution, gravity, etc. are also 'theories', but it's not like there isn't abundant empirical evidence for said theories. (Although gravity is kind of an odd one out when it comes to fundamental forces, as it can be explained equally well through spactime/relativity as through looking at it as just another kind of force.) A 'theory' in scientific nomenclature isn't equal in meaning and/or connotation as the term 'theory' in everyday laymans' vocabulary. That's why you get these creationists coming with their "Oh, well... evolution is 'just' a theory anyway..." Yeah, what else would it be called? The law of evolution? (Which some literature actually sporadically uses.) Or flat earthers equally go: "Gravity is just a theory." Making a calculated, or logically deduced guess, assumption or plausible explanation like in a context as this. Would better be described as a hypothesis. I keep a sceptical outlook on l-theanine though. I've been experimenting with it for a few years now. Taking dosages of up to 3 grams at once. And it's mostly a mild effect, although individual differences might certainly play a role, my anecdotal personal experience is just that. 'My' experience, not necessarily that shared by many others. Maybe I'm one of the unlucky few that aren't as much affected by l-theanine's supposedly interesting effects? Never felt 'happier', just a bit spacier, maybe a little more mindful/'in the moment', but nothing out of the extraordinary. It's something you could put 10 grams of in someones food (say someone living a busy day, being kind of on auto pilot), and they probably wouldn't notice anything 'different' about their day. (Now imagine putting 100 micrograms of a certain lysergamide in someones food. XD) *To believe the extreme small amounts (we're talking like 1% in dry leaf) in tea alone, has much of an effect though, seems quite unlikely.* Many teas with the most potent psychoactive effects (like pu'ers) are the lowest in l-theanine. *Cooked pu'ers (shou pu'ers) tend to show almost no l-theanine concentration at all* , as most of it has been processed 'away' through fermentation. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4787341/ " ° Thirty-seven commercial white, green, oolong, black, and pu-erh tea samples were analyzed for caffeine and theanine content ° *While the caffeine content was similar, the theanine contents of black teas were slightly lower and practically zero in pu-erh* " L-theanine, as far as the pharmacology is known, acts as an antagonist for the glutamate receptors AMPA & kainate, and an agonist for the NMDA glutamate receptor (not to be confused with MDMA :) ) It also inhibits glutamate transporters, basically acting as a glutamate & glutamine reuptake inhibitor. It has been shown to increase dopamine, and affect dopamine receptors (D1 & D5, a.k.a. the 'D1-family') in some ways. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29944861/ Of course tea contains other amino acids besides l-theanine alone, so that could explain some of the umami/savoury notes in certain teas as well. But I have to admit, the taste of pure l-theanine (or rather, l-theanine dissolved in plain water), is extremely similar to the savoury note of a steamed, shade grown, Japanese green tea. 46:10 Doesn't make much sense, as l-theanine is a secundary metabolite for the plant in this case, right? Assuming only an extremely small amount of plant species on earth produce this amino acid, it seems highly unlikely from an evolutionary standpoint - or just in general - that it's an essential compound for the tea plant's growth. 49:30 There have been some studies done on this, and l-theanine takes about 12 to 30 minutes to build up to a measurable amount in the blood. Crossing the blood brain barrier would take a similar, although slightly higher, amount of time. academic.oup.com/view-large/figure/151494472/2091fig1.jpeg academic.oup.com/jn/article/142/12/2091/4630725 My hypothesis, besides placebo, or (up until now) unmeasurable concepts like 'cha qi'; is that the many other compounds (at least over 30 000?!) in tea play a role as well, *'maybe'* ...? teaepicure.com/tea-chemistry/ Keep in mind, that aging (including fermentation, literally micro organisms fiddling with the leaves) could also play a major role in teas' effects. It would certainly be a viable explanation for the pronounced psychoactive (including hallucinogenic, both psychedelic as dissociative) effects of certain pu'ers. On the subject of other Camellias though. Not only have other species been used for 'tea' production, but also do some of them contain xanthines like caffeine & l-theanine as well. (Or on the other hand, some are grown for their lack of caffeine, yet very tea-like aromatics and way of brewing.) Some have used Camellia japonica on small scale (I've personally made a 'white' like 'tea' from Japonica which was very light, yet pretty nice in my opinion. Light, aromatic, with floral-like notes similar to regular white & green teas.) & Camellia ptilophylla has been consumed in Guangdong province. Camellia sasanqua has been used in Japan for 'tea'. Camellia taliensis is used in Yunnan province: "Camellia taliensis is locally used to make white tea, black tea, and pu'er tea. Yue Guang Bai (月光白 "Moonlight White") is a white tea made from the plant. Yunnan pu-erh tea made from C. taliensis can command a much higher price than pu'er made from the more common C. sinensis." Wild Camellia crassicolumna are picked to make a kind of pu'er. This Camellia species is actually caffeine free, interestingly enough. (don't know about other xanthines like theobromine, I guess not, but don't take my word for it) My own Camellia sinensis' aren't doing so well though. XD 2 of my 5 plants are basically dead at this point. It also takes a huge load of plants (about 3, of course it depends on how big the individual plants are obviously) to produce the amount of tea needed for just one cup. At least if you go for only bud & 2 leaves picking. If you brew the whole plant, all leaves and stems, yeah, you could get more cups out of it.

[@moji8225]

Thanks for taking the time to write this response. You raised really good points in there.

[@kjell159]

@@moji8225 And thank you for showing interest & reading through it! :D

[@bazmalaza85]

interesting stuff. like the spectrum of the Youniverse.

[@ahmedelkhalifa9514]

Thanks

[@agskater1914]

"...so that the youtubers out there get to see your face" i was thinking something similar :P Great video

[@mariusm5660]

How about Camellia taliensis which I love so much? It falls into 0.01% category?

[@MeiLeaf]

Yes

[@kjell159]

Nice, where do you get tea made from these plants? Do you order it online, do you have connections or a specialty store where you live? I've seen one site selling them, but I have reasons not to buy from them though. I'm mostly just interested in where you get yours.

[@gravityX100]

27:15 That's why I put my green tea on IV drip

[@russellgallman7566]

Are all PuErh type teas cultivated from the asamica variety? And why does PuErh often have a barn yard aroma/feel to it? Do you have a PuErh sampler pack to experience?

[@kjell159]

You mean like that 'old house', kind of slight funky-smoky like smell? I think I know what you're trying to say, but I'm not entirely sure. Of course smell is also subjective for a big part. I have that kind of aroma/smell with shou (cooked) pu'ers. Not with the sheng (raw) pu'ers I've had. Although my experience with pu'ers has been quite limited so far. I'd love to try many more of them. Especially sheng. Shou or cooked pu'ers are usually very dark. And give off this coffee-dark liquor when infused.

[@homecontrol9034]

thats the way ! ;-)

[@xavier3195]

Hi Don, thanks for sharing! It's always a joy watching your videos. I've two questions if you've the time to answer them haha 1. I'm wondering how come the producers didn't introduce the assamica variety into the eastern / northern part of China or even to Taiwan and Japan? Does the variety adapt less well to those environments or did the domestic market in those areas simply prefer the sinesis variety? 2. Is the shading practice done in China / Taiwan? I'm quite curious about the latter because I would think that there's quite a bit of Japanese influence there! So if there isn't, it'll be interesting to speculate / understand why

[@mcpublicurinator]

Japanese occupiers did bring assamica varieties to Taiwan. Look into black tea produced in Sun Moon Lake/Yuchi Township/Nantou county in Taiwan. They grow a few hybrids between assamicas and sinensis and formosensis (#8, #18, #21 are a few famous hybrids) and produce pretty unique black teas.

[@Martin_e.g.]

You mentioned 99.9% of tea is made from camellia sinensis. What is included in that 0.1%? :)

[@MeiLeaf]

Outliers like Camellia Taliensis hybrids

[@TheTopazChannel]

I'm an herbalist trying to start a business. I went through all the info about plants on a detailed level just to graduate and realize that I didn't know much of anything about how to make a good tea.

[@cyrilmadrid1]

I tried dozens of tea, can feel the difference, but am incapable of describing the notes that you describe: cherry, plums, almond, etc... how do you train to detect that ?

[@chall9579]

DON i demand to watch this in HD. Why only 360p?

[@MeiLeaf]

KZbin is slow at creating the HD versions. They are coming!

[@Flashyff369]

Sir can you teach tea processing method

[@MsJavaWolf]

I had the same reaction when I first had gyokuro xD

[@SmoothPeace]

Why didn't we put hot water to the shaded tea at the end of the video as opposed to cold brewing it?