The dry leaves smelled wonderful actually.
Little smokey.
Nutty.
A hint of apricot.
The brew itself....Awful.
Bitter. Very bitter. Spicy bitter. Made me a little sick.
I kept trying to give it a chance, but I could not do it.It was awful.
We found out later, after the internet investigation, that it was Kuding tea.
I recall hearing some horror stories about this vile drink.
I would not recommend this tea to anyone except for health reasons.It is not tea either, it is from a different plant.
So, hence, Kuding Infusion.
~billy
One less to taste. :P
ReplyDeleteHi Sir W, I've never seen it rolled into balls. Usually it is long sticks like nails (kuding means bitter nail). How many of those balls did you use? I think you are only supposed to use one ball (or one "nail") per cup and steep it lightly.
ReplyDeleteLike you said it is not tea... it is more like medicine... but if you brew it gently it will not be too bitter to drink. I wouldn't recommend drinking it when you are feeling good, only when you are sick... and in addition to lots of real tea, simple vibrant foods and loads of fresh clean water.
Ice,
ReplyDeleteDefinitely. I drink tea for enjoyment. This was not enjoyable!
Brett,
I made a bad mistake when brewing this tea. I cupped it.
2.5g for 4 minutes.
I did re brew it though, probably around a minute and it was better than the first time. But still unbearable. I might have to try it brewed short.
It was a bit deceptive at first. The liquor did not smell very strong so I figured that it wouldn't be too bad. I guess it took that mistake for me to figure out the true colors of this infusion.
And yes I have seen it before shaped into long needles/sticks. I guess this is just a variation.
I guess if the name has 'ku' in it you should be wary. O-o
ReplyDeleteHEEHEE little leaf balls. =D
Fox,
ReplyDeleteYeah I know!
It was only after we drank it that we came upon our conclusion. I see where it gets its name! I think I would rather be sick than drink that liquid.
This just reminds me that I have a "tea" that I don't know what it is. Based on how bitter it is, I suspect it's kuding. But I don't know what kuding taste like from the beginning. If I put 1 big tea leaf of that tea in 2 cups of water, it can turn the water into entirely bitter water.
ReplyDeleteGingko,
ReplyDeletekuding, to my palate, basically tastes like...bitter. It is an embodiment of all things bitter. So most likely it is kuding!
Health wise though, kuding is quite something!
Lowers blood pressure and cholesterol as well as promotes weight loss and several other benefits.
But it would be hard to get past the bitter shock!