Comment by colordrops
3 years ago
As I get older I notice my senses get less refined and weaker, especially smell and taste, and especially after a couple covid infections. This on top off constant distraction and stress makes it nearly impossible for me to taste any subtlety in things like coffee and tea and wine. To be frank I'm jealous of these people that can dedicate all this time and passion to various techniques and flavors.
From experience, if it’s not a passion or priority, it helps externalize the decision process. Have a friend (or online service) who does the research for you. Then you buy the minimum equipment (a temperature controlled kettle and a strainer) and a few teas. When you get time, brew them to the instructions. If you have some free time, you can start it with a cup of tea.
There no need to get massively invested.
This is how I learned to paint minis. All I did was buy some unpainted ones and drop by a friend’s place. He has all of the supplies and equipment. All of my unpainted minis are in his closet. :)
Edit: By having a friend, I mean if you have a friend who is into tea/coffee/wine/etc. I enjoy hanging out with people who have hobbies I wouldn’t pick up on my own.
Yep. There's one guy at work who's kinda quiet, but one day he noticed me drinking tea. Turns out he knows a lot about Chinese tea and buys it online (helps that he's from China and familiar with the provinces), so he's given me a lot of recommendations and it's become a fun topic to discuss.
Just be cognisant that it is entirely optional to care. And it is a free choice to care in whichever way you want (you might simply have a preferred supermarket tea brand).
Definitely. I don’t bake and even through I have the skills to. Cooking is an occasional thing done for purely utilitarian purposes, even through I could and have done a lot more.