Published 2025-12-08
tag(s): #yell-at-cloud #random-thoughts #infusions
I think I hinted in past posts that I want to enjoy tea, but I don't want to "get too much" into it. Here are my reasons.
I remember the first time I saw "organic yerba mate" at a store here in the US. I found it
almost ridiculous.
It's a shrub. It just grows. What would it mean that it is "organic"?
And that's the thing. In Argentina, you can have a preference for one yerba brand or the
other, but you just drink mate.
Heat water to your preferred temperature (between 65 and 85 C), put yerba in the cup, drink.
It's a ritual, and for some of us[1] an important one of every day life.
But that's the point: "every day life".
Daily things, in all cultures, are relatively simple. Or else they get in the way.
Coffee can also be simple. But the way I was approaching it, was becoming too complex for
something that I was doing several times a day.
And honestly, I was enjoying the process of preparing it, for while. When a cup
tasted just right, it was awesome.
But when, after moving, I "lost the
touch" and tried to get back into it again, it became overwhelming.
Maybe I really need to buy a proper scale? Maybe I need to control the water temperature with
more care? Speaking of water, what if the tap water in Jersey City is part of the problem? I
have seen enough videos and reddit posts suggesting using only filtered water.
Oh no, it really is the size of the grind. Wait, what about the reusable filter? The time of
"blooming", is it too short for these beans?
There were just too many things that could go wrong. And I figured I did it to myself, by "getting too much into it". Now, if you look at coffee like a hobby, I guess it is fine. But that wasn't my case, obviously. That's why I got tired of the intricacies (that I brought upon myself).
A few days after I started using that forgotten kettle, I got curious and looked online for
some tips.
I particularly remember a suggestion that for some teas it is better to use a glass teapot
instead of ceramic one, because it retains less heat. I don't care if this is true or not, but
I knew right away...
Instead of focusing on the higher ends of the most expensive and delicate teas ever, I'd
rather go for the "slightly above average" of what people usually drink around the world.
I don't doubt there people doing elaborate tea rituals in say, Japan. Or China, or some small
European country. But there's also tons of people in those places having a cup of tea before
going to work, and they aren't changing teapots daily or making it a complicated process or
measure water temperature with a thermometer.
And those are the experiences I am aiming for: The tea equivalent of what the mate ritual is
for me.
In a similar line of thought, there's a post that maybe I will write some
day[2] about why I am reading less reviews. Whether it is for TV shows,
movies, appliances. Whatever.
The wisdom of the internet can be a helpful guide, but if you don't put a limit on it, it is
impossible to enjoy anything.
And also, I find more and more value in approaching things with fresh eyes. There's a point
where vetoing everything in your life, trying to find the perfect way to brew coffee, the
perfect movie to watch, the best book series to read, becomes a chore that takes away from
your own enjoyment.
Keep things simple. Want a cup of tea? heat water, brew for X minutes. Feel like watching a
show? Pick something that looks interesting, no need to read 5 professional reviews and 10
reddit threads about it.
Maybe I hate the show, maybe I am pleasantly surprised by something that later I found out no
one else watched. Maybe it is good, but not quite for me. Whatever it is, that experience has
more value than reading a gazillion of opinions.
I think that last paragraph is a good enough summary of the post I was meaning to write about
reviews.
And I'll have some Quiktea
now.