Sometimes there is only one solution to an unbreakable brick.
My dear sweet husband saw I was trying to cram a DeHong brick into a basswood box. In two shakes of a lamb's tail, he solved my problem on his table saw. Even though I am an endless source of humor for him with my tea antics, he's all business when it's to do with organizing the teas.
Actually a very important guest is visiting this Saturday. I started accumulating cardboard boxes on my desk again, and I don't want them to secretly shake their head.
These basswood boxes were from Michael's Arts and Craft Store and quite affordable- a much better deal than the cremains box. Also you can get a 40% web coupon for a single item if you join their e-mailing list so I paid only $6 for the large box. (You know who stood in line separately to take advantage of a second coupon...) You can see they carry a perfect shoe box for 250g shu bricks. I'm not sure if the Chinese factory worker laboring for slave wages gluing these boxes envisioned that's how these boxes would be filled in America.
Actually the bottom box does not contain leaf. Yup you guessed it.
This is a six week supply. I keep a dozen open tasting bars out on the kitchen counter and these are party-favors for guests. No food loving guests dare leave my house without a few chocolate bars in their pocket. I also give away bars to work friends who need to be cheered up and sometimes I have to spread the cheer all the way across both oceans to international offices as well. I shudder to think how gloomy things will get if I stop supplies even for a month.
Actually a very important guest is visiting this Saturday. I started accumulating cardboard boxes on my desk again, and I don't want them to secretly shake their head.
Actually the bottom box does not contain leaf. Yup you guessed it.
This is a six week supply. I keep a dozen open tasting bars out on the kitchen counter and these are party-favors for guests. No food loving guests dare leave my house without a few chocolate bars in their pocket. I also give away bars to work friends who need to be cheered up and sometimes I have to spread the cheer all the way across both oceans to international offices as well. I shudder to think how gloomy things will get if I stop supplies even for a month.
Ha! Your husband is quite handy with the table saw. It immediately made me think of mine as that is something he would also do being a mister fixit about house.
ReplyDeleteNice chocolate stash. :)
Ah- is this a coincidence? Your hub, my hub, and hub of pullingradishes being total handymen?
Deleteh
p.s I tried two new raw chocolate bar vendors, not the Rakaa that you recommended but Pacari and Fearless. Fearless wins in the taste category- it has rapadura(unrefined whole cane sugar) which I think also boosts the unique flavor.
Oooh, Fearless, I am unaware of them. Guess what I just searched on my tablet as I sit here on my lunch break?
DeleteMakes me wonder if anyone in Yunnan is making large bricks and just cutting them to size for packaging.
ReplyDeleteIt would probably cut down costs of compressing each small brick separately.
I like those little animals you have there around the burl.
Whats that bamboo packed pu you got hiding back there?
I wonder if doing a double double brick would really cut the cost down significantly. I would think the labor probably is the cheapest part of the enterprise and the biggest expense being the maocha as well as capital expenses.
Delete(The cheapest Dehong coin shu is on the top. And then another cheap Dianpu bamboo shu on the bottom. I also have a diverse collection of bamboo shu hanging around if you're interested. They are 7-10yo now. )
I cannot help but keep staring (a few times already) your sawn off tea brick picture. I actually felt for the tea brick. I also enjoyed your description of your sensations when you tasted the aged oolong. Thank you for a wonderful blog. I look forward to exchanging some tea samples with you. Please let me know. Happy blogging. Wilson
ReplyDelete
Deletewilson... why consider the sawn brick's feelings? What's worse? One surgical cut, or having chunks ripped from you hundreds of times and then the dismembered parts boiled alive for the sake of a cup of tea? ;)
Dear Wilson,
DeleteYour comment on the poor tea makes me know you are a nice guy all the way through- not just nice guy on the blog.
I myself am much worse on my poor bricks as the the struggle before a brew with a crab pick can be fierce and traumatizing on both me and an over compressed brick. I may have to agree with Marshall 33 Fields.
I will e-mail you later tonight.
h