Tea processing is the most important quantifier when determining or producing a tea type. Green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea and post-fermented teas all begin as fresh camellia sinensis leaves and go through different processing steps. While there are an infinite number of variations that result in an infinite number of tea styles, the same underlying processing methodologies largely define the tea’s type. It is important to note that other factors influence the quality of a tea type for example, certain cultivars of the tea plant produce hairier buds, a…
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Tea Processing Chart
World of Tea25 Apr 2012 | 12:34 pm -
Growing up in a tea family
T Ching15 May 2012 | 7:00 amOn an old street in Yixing, China, where purple clay originated Last year, 26-year-old Zi Zhao Guai decided to join his family’s business, Nam Wan Tea Co. Pte Ltd, the oldest tea company in Singapore. In 1906, Zi Zhao’s great great grandfather, Jing Zhe Guai, a tea master from Anxi, Fujian province, came to Singapore for a better life and set up this tea export company in Singapore. Zi Zhao shares his experience on learning the ropes of the tea business. What was it like growing up in a tea family? As a child, I was very exposed to the trade and was expected to help out during school… -
Shan Lin Shi High Mountain Oolong, Spring 2012
Tea Masters14 May 2012 | 5:32 amCultivar: Qingxin/luanze Oolong Harvested by hand on April 21, 2012 Origin: Shan Lin Shi, Nantou county, Taiwan Elevation: 1500 meters Process: Lightly oxidized and rolled. (Similar to the 2010 spring harvest.) Last Friday, 2 Canadian guests and I tasted several Oolongs outdoors. I started with my summer 2011 Shan Lin Shi luanze Oolong and said nothing. It's a game often played among tea friends: guess what tea I'm brewing? They quickly identified a typical high mountain Oolong (either Shan Lin Shi or Ali Shan). They also detected the riper fruit flavors, but they didn't deduct that this… -
2012 Castleton Estate FTGFOP 1CH (SPL) First Flush Darjeeling
MattCha's Blog15 May 2012 | 9:56 pmOne took this nice warm spring afternoon to enjoy the first 2012 tea of the season. This sample was gifted by Pedro, of Dao Tea. He is very busy in anticipation of the opening of his new brick and mortar store this July in Vancouver. This tea came from Lochan Tea although it is not listed on his new look web page.The 2009 first flush from Castleton Estate was quite memorable lets, see if this tea has what its 2009 brother had...The dry leaves smell of fresh, subtle limey-lemon florals which come from leaves that are a real mix of light greens, hairy whites, medium and dark greens and… -
Live in the Southeastern US? Join us!
Bearsblog4 May 2012 | 5:47 pmHello Floridians, Georgians, Alabamians, Carolinians, and Tenneseeans who drink and love Asian teas:While a few of us have been meeting every over month for tea, I know there are others out there who aren't able to make our get togethers. I thought you might want to keep in touch with us, and perhaps find other friends in your area, to meet and talk tea.To that end, I've created a Facebook group. Please comment here with your email if you'd like to join us! (Comments will not be made public).
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MattCha's Blog
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2012 Castleton Estate FTGFOP 1CH (SPL) First Flush Darjeeling
15 May 2012 | 9:56 pmOne took this nice warm spring afternoon to enjoy the first 2012 tea of the season. This sample was gifted by Pedro, of Dao Tea. He is very busy in anticipation of the opening of his new brick and mortar store this July in Vancouver. This tea came from Lochan Tea although it is not listed on his new look web page.The 2009 first flush from Castleton Estate was quite memorable lets, see if this tea has what its 2009 brother had...The dry leaves smell of fresh, subtle limey-lemon florals which come from leaves that are a real mix of light greens, hairy whites, medium and dark greens and… -
Tea & Colloidal Gold: A Sampling of 2011 Bo Hyang Tea "Gold Green Tea" Certified Organic Boseong Green Tea
11 May 2012 | 4:37 pmWhen first hearing about this tea a single thought came to mind: Cheesy Gimmick. However after drinking the first pot one's feeling towards this tea quickly changed.In 2009 Choi Young Ki, the teamaster at Bo Hyang Tea, acquired organic certification from Korean, JAS, and USDA for his 7000 square foot tea garden in the Boseong tea producing area. He managed to go one step further in 2010 when Sungkyunkwan University confirmed that his tea leaves do in fact contain traces of gold. This is because Choi Young Ki sprays the roots of his tea plants with colloidal gold. So why on earth would someone… -
Appreciation & Wear of Kim Kyoung Soo's Grey and White Style: Three Cups
10 May 2012 | 10:45 pmHot water passes from the serving pot and into the cups to warm them. Its stream contact the bottom of the cup- the water poured from a short distance echos peace. The cups are each filled 1/3 with water and left until they become warm. They are purposefully picked up with the right hand and brought to the dan tian where they symbolically contact the purity of the white hemp cleaning cloth held in the left hand. The hot water is slowly tilted towards the distant edge of the cup and then slowly angled clockwise around the lip of the cup. This clockwise direction indicates a filling of the cup… -
2008 Fangmingyuan Bama
8 May 2012 | 2:36 pmOne has a great tea drinking bud that drinks exclusively puerh tea. We meet up for tea every month or so to drink a bunch of puerh. He is a fan of ol'Hobbes of the Half-Dipper (aren't we all) and was ordering some cakes from Taobao that Hobbes had recently reviewed (months ago now). This Bama was one of those cakes from that Taobao order that we ended up splitting.The dry leaves are of a muted, sour, and slightly pungent wood odour. These leaves are rinsed with boiling water and the first infusion commences...The first infusion is sour-pungent, deep-gritty-dirty tastes with a sweetness of… -
2011 Hankook Tea's Certified Organic "Doo Mool" Jungjak Korean Green Tea
27 Apr 2012 | 2:12 amBefore sitting down with this tea thought one would throw down a bunch of random facts about Hankook that have not been covered in previous posts (see here and here):1- It is common for Korean tea to carry poetic names, this organic jungjak is named "Doo Mool" which means something like "liquid water" and follows the trend set by the organic saejak which is called "Chut Mool", something like "first water". These names both speak to the natural quality of Korean teas and may also allude to the seasonal terms which follow after "grain rain" or "gogu", the solar marker of ujeon grade.2-…
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Bearsblog
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Live in the Southeastern US? Join us!
4 May 2012 | 5:47 pmHello Floridians, Georgians, Alabamians, Carolinians, and Tenneseeans who drink and love Asian teas:While a few of us have been meeting every over month for tea, I know there are others out there who aren't able to make our get togethers. I thought you might want to keep in touch with us, and perhaps find other friends in your area, to meet and talk tea.To that end, I've created a Facebook group. Please comment here with your email if you'd like to join us! (Comments will not be made public). -
March Southeast Tea Meetup
20 Apr 2012 | 11:24 amPhoto credits: Bryan C and Jess K (thanks, you two!) It was a great day to have tea in North Georgia on March 24, and our little group of tea heads strewn across the Southeast converged once again at Aristeacrats in historic Downtown Lawrenceville to drink ourselves drunk on tea.If you're ever in the area, stop by Aristeacrats! It has a great garden for spring and summer tea drinking!2006 XZH in the cup, Jess's notesJess K took cupious notes (har har har) on what we drank, which was mostly pu'ers and oolongs. After that photo was taken, we had a 1980s hei cha from Guizhou province.Shah8,… -
Next Southeast Tea Meetup: Saturday 3/24
14 Mar 2012 | 11:28 amWe got tea drunk and had a lot of fun last time, and we're going to meet up again on 3/24 to drink some good gongfu tea! We would love to have more local tea lovers come, so please comment here with your email (I won't post it!) if you are interested in joining us. For now, exact location and time is TBD, but for now we're anticipating it will be in North or Central Georgia. -
Puerh Aging in the South
13 Mar 2012 | 1:51 pmIn response to his recent post on aging, "Ideas of Proper Puerh Storage," I observed to Marshaln that my tea stash is aging much better here in the humid south than in drier California. My shengs are darkening visibly quicker than in Los Angeles.Mind you, a humidifier helped to overcome the low relative humidity of coastal Southern California, but the texture of the air here seems thicker, the wetness more naturally and constantly moistened, without the ups and downs of %RH caused by an emptying and refilled humidifier. The relative humidity here averages between 56% and 82%… -
Wang's Sheng
11 Feb 2012 | 8:55 amThis sheng sample came to me from BK a few years ago, maybe 2007 or 2008. The tea was sourced from a "Master" Wang Ming Yi who supposedly comes from the Himalayan part of Yunnan, which doesn't exist because the Himalayas stop well before they hit Yunnan. Maybe he's from the Gao Li Gong Mountains?Zenandtea.com sells his teas and book, and what teas do list prices seem expensive for "three no" cakes (no wrapper, no ticket, no neifei). Apparently, Jessica Simpson tried his "total vitality" program, and so did the owner of Teance; both gave good reviews. The program involves hydration (good) and…
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Tea Obsession
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Tea Habitat Shipping schedule change during tea hunting trip in China
14 May 2012 | 11:52 pmTea harvest season is in full swing, is tea hunting season now in China! We will be climbing the tea mountains from Guangdong to Fujian to Huangzhou to Hunan for 6 weeks, from May 21st to July 2nd. It's exciting!Stock up your tea supply now before Imen leaves for her long trip! During our absent period, shipping arrangements will be postponed until we return from China.Orders received on and before Sunday 5/20 will be shipped before departure, orders received on and after 5/21 will be shipped after July 2nd upon returning.Take advantage of our specialBonus Gift1/2 ounce of Jasmine… -
Bamboo Leaf 2011
30 Apr 2012 | 8:59 pmSouthern California is known for its sunny sky all year round. Spring no matter where on earth, is rainy season even though we get very few rain falls even in Spring. Out of a handful of rainy days, afternoon tea is greatly enhanced in mood during these days.A day began with cloudy sky, live fire made it cozy and warm at heart, a few teas later, the sun peaked out behind the grey sky so I wrapped it up with a 2011 Bamboo Leaf Dan Cong. A session of Wuyi rock tea when rain, to an aged tea flower bud tea, then a Bamboo Leaf Dan Cong oolong seems to move along with sun in the… -
Mo Li Xiang Jasmine Fragrance Dan Cong a gift for you
26 Apr 2012 | 3:12 pmBonus Gift1/2 ounce of Jasmine Fragrance Dan Cong Oolongwith purchase of any Single Tree Dan Cong Teas Only 32 sets available, one gift per order, valid while supplies lastIn 2009, Mo Li Xiang Jasmine Fragrance Dan Cong was a memorable tea for its unique and familiar fragrance, the rich honey like taste lingers on. After it was sold out, I thought of it often. When 2011 came, I bought out the entire crop yield. 2011 crop took a good 9 months to transform itself into what I remember it in 2009, rich and floral. When you smell a jasmine flower, you sense it in your… -
A day of tea drinking by the sea
26 Apr 2012 | 2:53 pmMr. H is a friend for many years! Last week, we finally had the chance to have tea together, at a selected spot, my favorite corner on earth, sea cliff of Palos Verdes. As the weather warms up, out door tea drinking is a must, with such a background view, what more to ask for. A day of tea drinking started around noon with only 2 cups and self serve sandwich lunch. Simple yet complete~ Hydration is not an issue, do you think? :D That's sight seeing too :P A solo singer brightens the day even more. Many many teas… -
Tea by the sea tomorrow
17 Apr 2012 | 8:28 pmTomorrow should be a lovely day by the sea, Mr. H is having a west coast tour and just happens to stop by LA tomorrow. Look forward to having tea by the light house~
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The Half-Dipper
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Little Boy's Grin
15 May 2012 | 11:30 pmlittle boy's grin when the squirrel sees him peeking -
2011 Yunzhiyuan "Fengyun"
13 May 2012 | 11:30 pmThis will probably be the last of the cakes from Yunnan Sourcing that I write about for some time - at least until the spring 2012 cakes appear. It feels as if I have been drinking tons of tea from Scott, of late, and that is surely testament to his activity during 2011. I can't help but wonder whether, as when Xizihao ramped up production, it might be wise to keep the focus on a smaller -
2011 Yunzhiyuan "Dehong Hongcha"
10 May 2012 | 10:23 pmThis is one of those cases in which the howlingly, shockingly bad quality of the photography is in inverse proportion to the quality of the tea. Scroll down and see if you agree with my assessment of the images. There is significant suction being displayed in the quality down there... Le sac magique That said, it is a great little tea. I say "little" because it's hongcha, and because -
Slow Drips
8 May 2012 | 11:30 pmslow drips slowly become the puddle washed trousers -
2011 Yunzhiyuan "Autumn Banpo Laozhai"
6 May 2012 | 11:30 pmThis might be the first time that I've come across a cake where I prefer its autumnal incarnation to its springtime version. Have I gone barking mad, or is there method in my madness? The popular wisdom is that springtime cakes are more potent, contain more contents within the leaf, and are generally better for storage as a result. This, more or less, fits with my experience: autumnal
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News from Upton Tea
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New Product: Pre-Chingming Silver Needles
14 May 2012 | 7:00 pmThis 2012 Fujian specialty is handcrafted from special varietals of Camellia sinensis sinensis. Harvested during a brief window of ideal plucking in the spring, the cup has a light and mellow character and lingering, sublime sweetness. Limited quantities. -
2012 Pre-Chingming Teas
14 May 2012 | 7:00 pmOur 2012 Pre-Chingming teas have arrived! Come check out the selection in our New Arrivals section by following the link here. Try some samples with your next order and enjoy! -
New Product: Pre-Chingming Dragon Beard
10 May 2012 | 7:00 pmThis 2012 spring classic is made from young, tender leaves and downy tips. The liquor has a sweet aroma and light nutty flavor. A light earthy note adds to the soothing character of the cup. Very limited quantity. -
New Product: Darjeeling First Flush 2012 Sampler
10 May 2012 | 7:00 pmA small sampler tin each of the following First Flush Darjeeling teas from the 2012 season: Tindharia Estate FTGFOP1 First Flush (EX-1) Organic (TD11), Glenburn Estate FTGFOP1 Cl. (DJ-4) (TD75), Singbulli Estate SFTGFOP1 Cl./Fl. (DJ-14) Organic (TD95), and Thurbo Estate FTGFOP1 Tippy/Cl. (DJ-16) (TD96) -
New Product: Pre-Chingming White Peony Supreme
10 May 2012 | 7:00 pmThis tea has an incredible aroma, and a fresh, lively character. The cup has flavor notes of honeydew melon and a clean, brothy mouth feel. A selection that is sure to please the most discerning white tea aficionados.
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Tea Masters
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Baozhong 'forêt subtropicale' 2012 et porcelaine 'orchidée'
16 May 2012 | 4:48 amLa rupture de stock des gaiwan de styles bambou or shan shui (eau et montagne) me conduit à vous proposer ce set 'orchidée' en porcelaine qinghua (bleu sur blanc) du même producteur. L'orchidée fait parti des 4 plantes typiquement chinoises consacrés par l'expression Méi lán zhú jú - prunus, orchidée, bambou, chrysanthème). Chacune représente aussi bien une saison qu'un caractère. L'orchidée printanière est le symbole de l'élégance et de la beauté féminine. Cette décoration convient donc tout particulièrement à la dégustation d'Oolongs printaniers frais. Cultivar:… -
Shan Lin Shi High Mountain Oolong, Spring 2012
14 May 2012 | 5:32 amCultivar: Qingxin/luanze Oolong Harvested by hand on April 21, 2012 Origin: Shan Lin Shi, Nantou county, Taiwan Elevation: 1500 meters Process: Lightly oxidized and rolled. (Similar to the 2010 spring harvest.) Last Friday, 2 Canadian guests and I tasted several Oolongs outdoors. I started with my summer 2011 Shan Lin Shi luanze Oolong and said nothing. It's a game often played among tea friends: guess what tea I'm brewing? They quickly identified a typical high mountain Oolong (either Shan Lin Shi or Ali Shan). They also detected the riper fruit flavors, but they didn't deduct that this… -
TeaWorld Rendez-vous
11 May 2012 | 10:17 amLe petit Manneken Pis est devenu le symbole d'un breuvage alcoolisé belge. Mais il est bien plus probable que ce petit garçon buvait du lait ou bien du thé, plutôt que de la bière! En tous cas, la conséquence physiologique d'une forte consommation de liquides est bien la même! Et puis, ce jet d'eau fin et précis ne nous rappelle-t-il pas celui d'une bouilloire?! Il est donc tout naturel (et un brin humoristique) de commencer cet article sur ces rencontres de thé, à Bruxelles, par cette statue! C'est ici que se déroule le premier TeaWorld Rendez-vous, foire européenne des… -
TeaWorld Rendez-vous de Bruxelles (Avant)
3 May 2012 | 10:38 amDans quelques heures je vais prendre l'avion avec mes 25 kg+ de bagages! (Du thé, 2 Cha Xi et mon appareil photo). Je me réjouis d'aller à ce salon. Cela sera la première fois que j'aurai même un petit stand pour mon blog. Il est situé au pavillon B. Et dimanche à 13h je ferai une petite conférence sur le thème de "la conservation et de la bonification du thé." Venez nombreux me rencontrer! -
Spring 2012 High Mountain Oolongs!
27 Apr 2012 | 7:10 amThe long wait is over! This year's most delicate and precious Oolongs have arrived! I'm busy preparing my trip to the Teaworld rendez-vous in Brussels next week. So, until I can describe them in greater detail, here is a quick take on these new leaves in my selection: - Top Ali Shan Luanze Oolong (the most expensive Ali Shan). From Chang Shu Hu, it is on the light oxidation side and so powerful that it could be mistaken for a Da Yu Ling! A lively feeling of spring Alpes. - Ali Shan Luanze Oolong, from Chang Shu Hu as well. Very direct and fruity. It is very close to last year's 1600 m Ali…
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TeaChat
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Board statistics
16 May 2012 | 4:46 amBoard started:Jun 10th, '05, 06:40Days since started:2531Board version:phpbb 3.0.5All times are :UTC - 4 hoursNumber of posts:208983Posts per day:82.54Number of topics:13677Topics per day:5.40Number of users:10927Users per day:4.32Our newest member :B-radicalMost users ever online was 151 on Dec 28th, '11, 12:40 -
Green Tea | Two LJs Side by Side
16 May 2012 | 4:09 amSo, a while ago I took some pictures of these two LJ's I had open. I thought it might be interesting to put the pics side by side and see what everyone thought and might agree upon (perhaps especially since no 'definitive' grading system exists). The best way and probably the final say on judging a tea is to taste it, but since we can't yet share a real cup over the net, the pics will have to do. (Pic on the same side is the same tea, which will remain unnamed)Dry leafs http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7007020314_dc84432c81_k.jpgSelected individual… -
Green Tea | Re: Official what GREEN are you currently drinking?
16 May 2012 | 2:32 amHappy birthday dude -
Teaware & Accessories | Re: what is a Kenyou Hishaku?
16 May 2012 | 2:01 amA 'kenyou' hishaku is just a multi-purpose hishaku, which can be used for both furo and ro seasons; as the name suggests, 'kenyou' 兼用, meaning multi-use or multi-purpose. The shape is pretty much the same as both of the other styles of hishaku. -
Pu-Erh | Re: Dayi Dragon Pole
16 May 2012 | 1:58 amshah82 wrote:http://www.ebay.com/itm/2007-Menghai-Dayi-Golden-Needle-White-Lotus-357g-/200419685282?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2ea9f1b3a2total of $57 bucks.Still waaaaaaaaaaaaay overpriced.Really, with Dayi, you are paying for the brand in most (if not all?) cases. Anything made in recent years is kind of unimpressive, for the price.
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T Ching
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Growing up in a tea family
15 May 2012 | 7:00 amOn an old street in Yixing, China, where purple clay originated Last year, 26-year-old Zi Zhao Guai decided to join his family’s business, Nam Wan Tea Co. Pte Ltd, the oldest tea company in Singapore. In 1906, Zi Zhao’s great great grandfather, Jing Zhe Guai, a tea master from Anxi, Fujian province, came to Singapore for a better life and set up this tea export company in Singapore. Zi Zhao shares his experience on learning the ropes of the tea business. What was it like growing up in a tea family? As a child, I was very exposed to the trade and was expected to help out during school… -
Life is a bowl of Darjeeling … and cherries
14 May 2012 | 7:00 amAlthough variety is usually the spice of life, drinking the same tea for weeks on end provides many pleasures, offering a spot of calm and predictability in an otherwise frenetic world. In my case, although I favor black teas from China (Keemun, Yunnan, et al.) for everyday drinking, the complexly flavored teas of Darjeeling seduce me with their many different, but largely satisfying, flavor profiles. In particular, though faced with an almost ever-evolving embarrassment of riches in the tea cabinet, the tea I am now returning to again and again is a single-estate Singbulli first flush from… -
Why tea presentation is important
11 May 2012 | 7:00 amIt’s the little things that can really make a truly memorable tea experience. This month I wanted to explore the presentation of tea in more detail. Loose-leaf tea with a tea timer When I first arrived in Brisbane, I did the inevitable thing that every tea lover does, which was to seek out tearooms. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of tearooms there were, some of which I’ve blogged about. I came across a place which really made me smile. After selecting a tea, it was presented to me as is shown in the photo below. The lady ticked all the right boxes: she told me how… -
The limits of tea’s health benefits
10 May 2012 | 8:00 amTea is healthy for you, an admirable quality in a beverage that so many tea lovers find enjoyable for its aroma, flavor, and visual appeal. The health benefits of tea allow us to drink tea as a pleasure, not a “guilty” pleasure. Even the general public seems to have caught on and for some, these healthy properties are the prime motivation to turn to tea, away from less healthy beverage choices. Yet, for all this tea drinking, there are times we look around our tea community and don’t always see shining examples of health and good cheer. Have we developed too strong of an… -
Shui, shui, shui …
9 May 2012 | 7:00 amLui da cha shan, or Six Famous Mountain Tea Co., of Yunnan, which manufactures premium pu’er teas in Menghai, Xishuangbanna prefecture, recently commemorated their tenth anniversary and I was honored to be invited. The company, whose name refers to the six mountains of Ban Zhang, Yi Bang, Nan Nuo, Bang Wei, Yi Wu, and You Le, is located near the far southwestern boundary of Yunnan province in China, not far from Shan province in Myanmar and the waters of the Mekong, locally called Jinhong, which regularly soak the soils of these lands. On April 10-11, 2012, we were included in…
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Tea Guy Speaks
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Gunpowder Gardens, the Ebook
15 May 2012 | 1:47 pmSome time ago I ran across a description of a tea book called The Gunpowder Gardens. I never got around to reading it but I'll rectify that oversight since author Jason Goodwin just contacted me to let me know that it's been issued as an ebook. Here's what he has to say about it: Edgar Award winner Jason Goodwin writes the Yashim thriller series set in 19th century Istanbul, translated into over 40 languages. But it’s not how he began.In The Gunpowder Gardens or, A Time for Tea: Travels in India and China in Search of Tea, Jason set out to explore the history of the tea trade on the South… -
Tea Helps Reduce Parkinson’s Risk?
14 May 2012 | 1:37 pmIn addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.Tea Helps Reduce Parkinson’s Risk?By William I. Lengeman IIIParkinson’s disease is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the condition is “a chronic, progressive movement disorder that affects the lives of at least one half million patients across the United States.” The NIH also notes that “currently… -
Tapal Ice Tea Commercial (Pakistan)
13 May 2012 | 1:24 pmCuisinart TEA-100 PerfecTemp Programmable Tea Steeper -
Guarding the Darjeeling Brand
12 May 2012 | 1:38 pmIn addition to publishing Tea Guy Speaks, I'm a regular contributor to The English Tea Store blog. Here's an article I recently wrote for them. Click the link to read the full article.Guarding the Darjeeling BrandBy William I. Lengeman IIIDarjeeling is a region in northern India that’s probably best known for the premium quality black tea it turns out. It’s beloved of tea connoisseurs, but oddly enough the total amount of Darjeeling tea sold in a given year is typically greater than the amount grown. Which sounds impossible at first until you realize that some less than scrupulous tea… -
Homemade Builders Tea Commercial
11 May 2012 | 5:22 pmBy way of the good people at teadog.com.Adagio Teas - Best Tea Online
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Heaven of Tea
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Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day
1 May 2012 | 2:05 pmThe perfect Mother’s Day gift is more than just a gift alone. The presentation, the setting – all of these combine to create memorable Mother’s Day. Why simply give your mother her favorite flavor of tea when you can do so much more! Throw a tea party for mom with our elegant Peacock Teapot set. Not only will the beauty of the tea set make her Mother’s Day memorable, but your mother will have a gift she can use for years to come. If you’re not the tea party type, there are still other things you can do. Breakfast in bed is a classic and caring way to show appreciation… -
Learning (and Loving) Matcha
26 Mar 2012 | 10:31 amThe process of making and drinking Matcha make it a truly unique green tea. And one of the most mysterious green teas, since you need someone to teach you how to properly make Matcha. So we’ve attempted to create a series of videos explaining how to make Matcha in multiple ways: traditional, iced or even as a latte. If you’ve ever hear someone complain about ‘bitter’ Matcha, these videos can help. And if you’ve never had Matcha latte, you’re missing out! When drinking Matcha, you consume the whole leaf of the tea, rather than just water flavored by the leaf. -
Celebrating Sakura Outside of Japan
4 Mar 2012 | 2:36 pmRecently we explained the Japanese tradition of Hanami and how it inspired our Spring teapots, tea cups and other tea accessories. Hanami celebrations honor not only Spring, but the blooming of the Sakura, or Japanese Cherry Tree. But Hanami is not limited to Japan. The Japanese Cherry Tree is such a beautiful tree that the Hanami tradition has become an international concept. Typically called a ‘Cherry Blossom Festival’ in the U.S., these festivals celebrate Spring and blooms we love. In 1905, Eliza Scidmore experienced the beauty of Sakura Trees firsthand on a trip to Japan. She was… -
Spring Hanami: A Japanese Tradition comes to Tea
27 Feb 2012 | 4:10 pmJapanese cherry blossoms are a beautiful, yearly introduction into the warm, Spring season. But they only last a short time; typically blossoms are gone within two weeks. So you bathe in the beauty for a short period, celebrate it, and breathe in the scent of Spring just as it arrives. Hanami is the Japanese celebration of Spring during the days when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. Carefully timed, hanami parties occur beneath the cherry blossoms just as the weather warms with decorative paper lanterns providing a warm glow as evening falls. And, of course, much tea is enjoyed while… -
Spicy Winter Tea
21 Feb 2012 | 9:52 amBefore winter is pushed from our lives by spring’s warm breezes, take a minute to enjoy a few more spicy winter cups of tea this season. A winter chai always seems to warm your heart and mind, no matter the weather outside. Teavana offers a full range of spicy winter tea, from the traditional Maharajah Chai Oolong tea to the unique French Spice Quartet Oolong tea. But the perennial favorite is our White Ayurvedic Chai white tea that has just the right combination of spicy and sweet to fill your favorite tea cup with pleasure. Or, if you would rather a chocolaty spice tea, try our Azteca…
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tea « WordPress.com Tag Feed
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Out in the traffic
15 May 2012 | 1:21 amI am still stuck on Mother’s Day, strangely enough. It rolled along at a moderate pace – like mothers – full of wisdom and full of care and quiet concern. Out in the traffic, even the pace of the cars seem to have a snoozy whoozy feel. It was a feminine day. The way people refer to ships as She and motorbikes as He – this Mother’s day had a distinct She feel to it. Languid,soft and just a little Lazy… I was dreading the soppy sentimental Mother of Mine songs I thought local stations like KFM would belt out but somehow that didn’t bother me at all. Was it the balmy weather? I… -
A Review - Tetley Blend of Both
15 May 2012 | 12:00 amI can’t tell you how happy I was when I received an email telling me all about Tetley’s new product, Blend of Both and asking if the family might want to try! The Blend of Both is described as a full flavoured everyday tea that tastes just like your standard cuppa, but that also includes all of the natural health benefits of green tea – too good to be true? Well, as the kettle is pretty much always on in our house, we couldn’t wait to find out! When the package arrived I was delighted to find three teas for me, ahem I mean us to try, I have enjoyed some of the Tetley… -
Need a New "Nightcap"? Try Vervain (Verbena hastata) - Nerve Tonic
14 May 2012 | 11:33 pmAs I recently started a full-time venture that has been mentally, physically, and emotionally challe -
Adventures In Blogging: West Coast Edition
14 May 2012 | 10:28 pmWho knew that blogging could be so…exciting! I mean, I love to blog about food, don’t ge -
What happened to the Tea Party?
14 May 2012 | 10:16 pmIt’s been a little over 3 years since the rise of the Tea Party in America, and what began as a powerful movement to return government to its Constitutional limits has turned into a campaign to elect “anybody but Obama.” What happened? What happened to the passionate people who were pissed off with almost every elected official in this country? What happened to the people DEMANDING that the government return to a Constitutional standard? What happened to the people who passionately rejected the RINO‘s within the Republican Party? What happened to not allowing the…
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Lainie Sips
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Live Your Love Tea Review
14 May 2012 | 12:22 pmName: Live Your Love Type: Ceylon black tea Form: Paper bagged tea, string and tag, no staples Price: $5.00 for a box of 25 teabags, quantity discounts are available Review: Live Your Love is... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Returning to Reviews
3 May 2012 | 12:35 pmI’ve missed doing tea reviews. While I love my part-time work at Adagio’s retail store on State Street (Chicago), it is no substitute for carefully sipping and drinking tea. Here’s... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Blue Diamond Unsweetened Almond Coconut Milk in Adagio’s Irish Breakfast Tea
24 Mar 2012 | 1:24 pmAlmond-coconut milk in tea? A few years ago a vegan friend, John Plummer, worked with me on a couple of taste tests in which we added nut milks to English breakfast tea to see how they worked. The... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Tea infused cocktails event at Adagio Teas State Street Store, March 10th, 2012
6 Mar 2012 | 7:22 pmJust a heads-up that Adagio Teas State Street Store (in Chicago) is hosting a free tea-infused cocktails event this Saturday, March 10th, from 6-8pm. For more details, check out my post on... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] -
Le Palais des Thes Tea and Teaware Deals from Lot 18
22 Feb 2012 | 9:24 pmHeads up, tea lovers! The fine folks at Le Palais des Thes have teamed up with Lot 18 to offer three short-term (4-days only) tea/teaware deals: Le Palais des Thes Duo: 1 x 4.4 oz. tin of Thé du... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Teatrekker's Blog
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2012 1st Flush Darjeeling teas have Arrived!
11 May 2012 | 10:17 pmThis post will be brief – just enough information to say that many new 2012 spring teas have arrived this week. As many of you know, we will be re-locating our shop here in Northampton at the end of the month, so we are madly juggling many balls in the air now (the painter, the sign maker, the cabinet maker, the electrician, the movers, etc) while we keep the shop running in our present location for the next few weeks. Because the start of the tea season in eastern China and Darjeeling, India was delayed due to weather issues this year, all of our tea that should have arrived a few… -
2012 Longjing Dafo & Longjing Shi Feng have Arrived!
27 Apr 2012 | 6:37 amTwo additional 2012 new harvest Longjings have arrived – just in time as our stock of Longjing Meijiawu has already sold out for the season. We have: Longjing Dafo (Pre-Qing Ming or Ming Qian, 1st plucking season) Longjing Shi Feng AA ( Early Spring or Yu Qian, 2nd plucking season) Both are authentic, tasty and in high demand. We have a shorter supply of the Longjing Dafo Village than we wished for, so to avoid disappointment please do not wait to order. Visit our website – www.teatrekker.com – for more information or to order. -
2012 New Harvest Tea versus ‘New’ Tea
22 Apr 2012 | 5:50 pmIt’s the time of year when fresh tea from the new harvest in China and India begins to show up in the US. It is also the time when some tea vendors add new teas that are not from the new harvest. So it is important for tea enthusiasts to pay attention to harvest dates and know what they are purchasing. Some of you may know this information, many of you will not, so it is worth repeating. It is helpful to know in what part of spring certain Chinese teas are made: some teas are made from the end of March into early April; many teas are made in mid-April; and others are made from the end… -
2012 Pre-Qing Ming Lu Shan & Zhu Ye Qing have arrived!
20 Apr 2012 | 5:50 amMore delicious new Pre-Qing Ming teas have arrived by air from China! Please visit our website for details: http://www.teatrekker.com -
2012 Pre-Qing Ming Meijiawu Longjing & Gan Lu have arrived!
16 Apr 2012 | 8:06 amThe first of our 2012 Pre-Qing Ming ( Ming Qian ) teas have arrived from eastern China. The beginning of the tea harvest was slowed in many regions by the vagaries of weather that makes established plucking-times and ‘market-date’ cycles in our modern times a bit unpredictable. However, these sheer deliciousness and goodness of these new teas have been worth the short delay. Longjing is one of China’s Ten Famous Teas, and it is the most sought after of the pre-Qing Ming teas (tea plucked from the end of March until April 5th). It is comprised of a classic two-leaves and…
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Bon Teavant
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high mountain taiwanese oolongs
27 Apr 2012 | 4:34 pmBon Teavant is truly inspired by the amazing qualities of Taiwanese high mountain oolongs. From the floral and fruity aromas of Alishan and Da Yu Ling to the mineral notes of Shan Lin Xi, there is something so special about these teas and we love to share them. We feature the high mountain oolongs of Naivetea, Floating Leaves, and our in-house offerings will grow with time as well. -
tea scroll inspiration
11 Apr 2012 | 10:00 amTea scrolls used in Japanese tea ceremony often refer to the season, event or time of the ceremony. This video pays homage to a special tea scroll used during a full moon tea ceremony at Urasenke Foundation in San Francisco. The video itself was shot at multiple venues, including Sowing The Moon Tea house at Green Gulch Farm and Zen Center and the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco.The tea scroll reads: "Pure wind sweeps the bright moon; The bright moon sweeps the pure wind." -
what can you learn from tea leaves?
4 Apr 2012 | 2:22 pmIn Part Two of our interview with Bret Hinsch, author of The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Tea, we learn more about tea by observing and smelling the leaves. Listen and enjoy: -
does your tea have good rhythm?
27 Mar 2012 | 10:48 pmDoes your tea have good rhythm? Below is a discussion on the topic with Bret Hinsch, author of The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Tea. A Harvard PhD in Asian Studies, Hinsch has spent fifteen-plus years in Taiwan as a professor and Chinese history scholar. His years in Taiwan have exposed him to a plethora of connoisseur teas, and his fluency in Mandarin enabled him to to research the subject by reading numerous texts in Chinese. Bon Teavant welcomed the opportunity to discuss tea appreciation with Mr. Hinsch. Does Your Tea Have Good Rhythm? is Part 1 of a series that will hopefully bridge some of… -
tea book reading list #1
1 Mar 2012 | 11:11 amThe response to the growing demand for information from eager English-speaking tea connoisseurs in the U.S. inspires this post. Bon Teavant Market carries some great books, and there are some here that we do not carry because they may be out of print or very freely available elsewhere. Regardless, here is a first-installment list of tea books that are well worth a read as well as a couple of books that will increase the depth of feeling and awareness of the tea connoisseur:-The Ultimate Guide to Chinese Tea (Bret Hinsch) We believe this is possibly the best introductory book out…
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Camellia Sinensis
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Lunch in LiJiang
4 May 2012 | 11:21 pmOnce again, I brought my aging body into LiJiang. My back is cramping up and I am aching for home. I am hoping LiJiang will perform its enlightening magic as always. I dragged my luggage out of the terminal by shear willpower since all the luggage carts were taken. My back cramped up again as I saw the smiling face of my driver waving a large cart with my name in it. I gladly handed over my bags -
Back in Beijing
30 Apr 2012 | 9:33 amAfter the tour group's departure back to the US, I visited my friend Mr. Yang, who has been fighting cancer for over 6 years. He continues to defy all medical predictions and is still fighting after the re-occurrence and spread of cancer. We chatted about stuff in general and he promised to continue to fight and, one day, he will make it to my California tea farm to help me drink some of the -
High Mountain Tea In Wuyi Shan
27 Apr 2012 | 8:27 pmSometimes, I wondered why I am so hopelessly in love with tea. (Some would say shamelessly.) And then it's springtime again and my body itches to travel. Then I find myself again on the road to Wuyi Shan. High mountain tea in Wuyi Shan. This time, I have nine other people with me all excited to visit one of the remote tea farms. Then, the day before our two-hour hike to my favorite place -
Visiting An Old Village in Wuyi Shan
26 Apr 2012 | 7:20 amOnce again, I led my group members into Wuyi Shan, one of the place most important tea destinations in my heart. It is also known as one of the thirty-six portals to immortality to ancient Taoist of China. When you navigate away from the mass of tourists pouring into Wuyi Shan for the usual destinations and visit the old neighborhoods of the city, you'll know why. I have been coming to Wuyi Shan -
Pan Firing Dragon Well
25 Apr 2012 | 6:45 pmI gave the tour a demonstration of my pan firing abilities with fresh Dragon Well. (click on the title to view the latest photos) Roy Fong demonstrating pan firing fresh Dragon Well. Roy's finished Dragon Well tea.
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World of Tea
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Tea Processing Chart
25 Apr 2012 | 12:34 pmTea processing is the most important quantifier when determining or producing a tea type. Green tea, yellow tea, white tea, oolong tea, black tea and post-fermented teas all begin as fresh camellia sinensis leaves and go through different processing steps. While there are an infinite number of variations that result in an infinite number of tea styles, the same underlying processing methodologies largely define the tea’s type. It is important to note that other factors influence the quality of a tea type for example, certain cultivars of the tea plant produce hairier buds, a… -
Killing the Green
23 Apr 2012 | 1:58 pmHave you ever wondered why Japanese green teas are so green? And why Chinese green teas are not as bright green, but are typically yellower? The reasoning lies in the processing steps for each tea and in particular the “kill-green” step of the processing some tea types. The term kill-green is derived from the Mandarin shaqing, which means “killing the green.” Kill-green is also referred to as “de-enzyming” or “fixing” and is a process of tea manufacture used to halt the oxidative browning of tea leaves by denaturing the enzymes responsible for… -
Thoughts on American Tea Culture
21 Feb 2012 | 9:45 amOr any culture for that matter. I was reading a translation by MarshalN of a Chinese blog post about snobbery in the tea world and it kind of went along with my thinking of late about tea culture here in America, where it seems like there are so many different groups with differing opinions and ideas that made up our “culture” here. I guess its a social “thing” that happens in a lot of niche industries. Let’s remove tea from the equation and talk about products in general — the masses (the majority) tend to cling to a product of lesser quality, and… -
What is Green Tea?
19 Feb 2012 | 8:07 pmThe definition of green tea in it’s simplest and most generalized form is a tea that is made up of leaves that were prevented from oxidizing, shaped and then dried. However, green teas are not unoxidized. No tea is truly unoxidized because tea leaves begin to slowly wither and oxidize the moment they are plucked, something that is unavoidable since hours may elapse from the time of picking to the time of processing. So let’s draw a line here and speak only of controlled processes. The most prevalent form of green tea production involves heating the leaves shortly after plucking… -
What is Oxidation?
15 Feb 2012 | 9:04 amOxidation is a chemical process that results in the browning of tea leaves and the production of flavor and aroma compounds in finished teas, oxidation is also responsible for the browning of some fruits and vegetables when they are cut open including potatoes, apples, and avocados. Controlled oxidation usually begins after tea leaves are rolled or macerated, two processes that break down the cell walls in tea leaves. Chemically speaking, oxidation occurs when the polyphenols in the cell’s vacuoles and the peroxidase in the cell’s peroxisomes come in contact with the polyphenol oxidase in…
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Mighty Leaf
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Fresh Brew Iced Tea Video – The Lure of Summer
1 May 2012 | 12:30 pmSummer is around the corner. Check out our new video highlighting our whole leaf iced tea pouches. You can enjoy a variety of flavors that include Sunburst Green, Organic Black, Ginger Peach and Calypso Mango. Each pouch brews up a 1/2 gallon or 64 oz. of fresh iced tea. The tea is easy and convenient to brew. Simply add the pouch to a 1/2 gallon pitcher. Pour 32 oz. of boiling water over the pouch and steep for 4-5 minutes. Finally, remove the pouch and add ice to the remainder of the pitcher. You are ready to enjoy! -
Cups of Companionship
20 Feb 2012 | 11:28 amThis week we introduce a new feature to the Blog that we’re calling Steeped in Memories. In it, we will periodically feature tea-related remembrances and stories written by Mighty Leaf fans. If you have a piece that you’d like to share, contact steepedinmemories@gmail.com.To begin the series, we’re proud to feature the work of longtime tea lover Christy Birmingham. She has written a lovely tribute to her grandmother and the soothing power of a shared pot of tea.With a wide smile I thankfully accepted grandma’s first phone invitation to dinner. I had been in Vancouver, BC, Canada… -
Eye Pillows that Pamper with Tea
8 Feb 2012 | 6:01 pmWe love tea for many reasons. It tastes great and can energize or calm. Tea is one of nature’s most versatile products – not only can you drink it but you can use it to help heal, refresh and pamper the body. One unique way to take advantage of tea’s natural soothing qualities is to use tea bags as eye pillows – this can help reduce tired and puffy eyes. You can either use a tea bag or make your own eye pillow from loose tea and a paper tea filter. This may sound a bit alternative, but once you try it you might be hooked. It’s like a mini spa in a bag.How to Make… -
Mighty Leaf Tea Holiday Gift Giveaway
8 Dec 2011 | 3:47 pmWe’re excited to announce the Mighty Leaf Tea Holiday Gift Giveaway on our Facebook fan page. Starting December 8, 2011-December 19, 2011 every day for 12 days we’re giving away a holiday tea gift that you pick. You can enter daily to win your holiday pick and a chance to win a Grand Prize drawing for a Timbuk2 bag. We will choose two Grand Prize winners. Timbuk2 is a San Francisco based company known for legendary durability and custom manufacturing.To enter the giveaway visit our Facebook fan page.To get a preview of the gifts that you choose for entry into the sweepstakes you… -
Mighty Leaf in Virgin Territory
6 Sep 2011 | 7:00 amNext time you’re relaxing in the mood-lit cabin of a Virgin America flight, treat yourself to a cup of Mighty Leaf. As announced recently, our teas are available on every Virgin America flight with beverage service. The three high-flying flavors–now regularly enjoyed above the clouds–are Organic Earl Grey, Organic Spring Jasmine, and Chamomile Citrus.“Mighty Leaf is thrilled to be flying together with Virgin America as like-minded brands, living and breathing quality and innovation,” said Mighty Leaf CEO Gary Shinner. “Mighty Leaf was born with the passion of infusing…
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Fang Gourmet Tea
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Join us in Manhattan for the breeze and a cup of tea!
2 May 2012 | 2:28 pmA Special Mother's Day ... IN THIS ISSUE See you in Manhattan on Mother's DayJust what you need Join Fang Gourmet Tea at the annual Passport to Taiwan festival on Mother's Day and don't miss our featured herbal tea for dear mom! Join us in Manhattan for the breeze and a cup of tea! 沐浴春風，品嚐好茶Time: 5/13/12 (Sunday; Mothers' Day), 12pm-5pm Location: Union Square North (Train 4, 5, 6, L, R, N, Q, W) Website http://p2tw.org/This… -
Visit us at the NYC Coffee and Tea Festival!
30 Jan 2012 | 4:41 pmWishing you and your family a wonderful Year of the Dragon! Fang Gourmet Tea would like to take this chance to thank you for your friendship and support as we bring the inspiring experience of tea drinking and the spirit of tea to more in the world. Wish you and your family a wonderful year of the dragon!親愛的朋友們,值此新年佳節, 謝謝您的支持, 也歡迎您和芳茗軒一起, 繼續將品茶的樂趣和茶道的精神, 帶給更多人. 敬祝您和家人龍年平安健康, 順心如意.___________________________________Visit us… -
Seminar on the Tao of Tea, 12/24
23 Dec 2011 | 11:24 amJoin us this Saturday, December 24th, 2:30pm for the Seminar on the Tao of Tea to create an inspiring holiday season! Tea is more than just a drink; it holds the vitality of nature and is also a path to communication with nature. Tea is often integrated with literature, music, and art, elevating the spiritual state of mind of the person enjoying it. (Click here to visit our blog to learn more about the Tao of Tea) 與我們一起走入茶的世界: 茶道講座, 12月24日（六） 下午二點半 … -
Tea Making Competition - Dec. 17th NYC
11 Dec 2011 | 1:27 pm -
Infinite Delight of Tea - Tea Expo in NYC Dec 2011 to Jan 2012
6 Dec 2011 | 2:33 pmJoin Fang Gourmet Tea at our annual Tea Expo to celebrate an unforgettable holiday season! Visit our website to explore the world of tea!芳茗軒網站 體驗茶趣無限. The Art and Culture of Tea and Tea Ware ExpoPresented by Fang Gourmet Tea"Infinite Delight of Tea" Let tea guide you into the wondrous realm of the Tao.From the world of Zen, bring forth the essence of tea and let it guide the experience of the Truth within your mind. --Time Dec. 9, 2011 - Jan. 17, 2012 (11:00 AM - 7:00 PM)Location 地點 Sheraton…
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Tea&co.
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buenas noches, buen té
13 May 2012 | 11:09 pmMiles Davis – Nature boy en mi [__]3 Rooibos + Valeriana + Lavanda enjoy! -
Vamos a preparar la mejor mesa del té
13 May 2012 | 10:54 pmTortas, Cupcakes, Macarons y mucho más ¿Querés conocer un poco más el mundo de la pastelería? ¡Mayo es tu mes! Gato Dumas Colegio de Cocineros ofrece cursos ideales para las que queremos armar la mejor mesa de té. Tres originales cursos cortos para aprender a hacer deliciosas creaciones . Tortas Tradicionales En cuatro clases aprendés a realizar las tortas más tradicionales, clásicas y simples de la pastelería. Entre estas se encuentran la Torta Concorde, Charlotte de Frambuesa, Torta Balcarse, Cheesecake cocido de Limón, Crumble de Manzana, Torta Mousse de Chocolate con… -
Yo tomé el té con el Sr. Wilde
13 May 2012 | 10:34 pmTé + Teatro Un domingo distinto y la propuesta nos llega de la mano de Eclaire El Arte del té. Se estrenó el domingo 6 de mayo el primer ciclo de té y teatro sobre textos de Oscar Wilde. La obra está basada en “La importancia de llamarse Ernesto”, “De profundis” y otros textos de Oscar Wilde. En una casa de estilo Victoriano (que simulará ser la del señor Wilde) con una ambientación de época, nos recibió el Sr. Wilde y su mayordomo Parker. Nos invitaron a compartir el mundo del genial escritor irlandés. Pasamos al salón principal en dónde seríamos… -
Vesak – El baño del Buda
13 May 2012 | 10:07 pmVesak La celebración más destacada del budismo en todo el mundo . el día de la luna llena del mes de mayo . en el día de Vesak . en el año 623 A:C: Buda nace Buda Hijo de la reina Mahamaya, el príncipe Sidharta Gautama fue alumbrado en el parque Lumbini de la ciudad de Kapilavastu. De acuerdo con la leyenda, cuando nació, el príncipe apuntó al cielo con su mano derecha y a la tierra con su mano izquierda y anunció con voz de león: ¡Soy el primero y el mejor en el cielo y en la tierra! . en el día de Vesak Buda alcanza la iluminación . en el día de Vesak Buda fallece a los 80… -
taza #758
7 Feb 2012 | 5:00 amCharles Dickens Teacup
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A Tea Addict's Journal
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A Quintessential Invention
11 May 2012 | 1:29 amMadameN and I have co-written a paper and presented it at a local conference on the recent history of tea and tea practices in East Asia, using mostly the Taiwanese/Chinese re-invention of chayi/chadao as an example to illustrate a case where one regional, localized tradition was adopted and re-invented as a national tradition. The full paper, a pretty short affair, is available here, in the tea issue of this quarter’s China Heritage Quarterly. Other things in there might be worth a look too, so please go ahead and take a read. -
The retaste project 11: 2005(?) Chenguanghe Tang Yiwu brick
7 May 2012 | 11:56 pmThis is a brick that, I think, I bought in Taiwan while I was there doing work. I seem to remember picking it up along with a few other things, more as a curiosity piece than anything else. Back then Chen Zhitong, the proprietor of Chenguanghe Tang, was just starting to press his own stuff, so I’m not sure if this brick was his own, or if it were one of the “someone pressed it and I named it” sort of deal. I do remember it being relatively cheap, which is why I bought one. Unfortunately, there’s a reason the tea is cheap – it’s really, really broken up, as… -
Broken to the core
29 Apr 2012 | 11:20 pmThis is a nice pot. Alas, it’s not one I can use. Wudesheng was a yixing workshop that produced pots during the Republican period, and it was shut down after WW2 began. The seal used here probably dates it to the 20s, before they switched to the more famous “Jinding shangbiao” (Golden Tripod Brand) seals. I bought it as a reference piece – to learn about different clays, and to see its construction. The clay is “muddy”, almost. You can see how the clay used to be a paste-like substance. Somebody, at some point, broke it – maybe because it had a few… -
The learning curve
26 Apr 2012 | 2:34 amIf you are serious about tea, meaning that you are spending time thinking about the teas you’re drinking, learning about their nuances, and doing things like reading this blog, then chances are you have discovered that there’s a pretty steep learning curve to tea drinking in general, and puerh teas in particular. With any kind of tea this is hard enough – the different types of teas that exist, with different locations of origins, processing, and grades. The different ways to brew them, and what water to use with what, and the brewing parameters. There are so many moving… -
2011 Fall Tea Urchin Gaoshanzhai
19 Apr 2012 | 4:57 amI recently had a sample exchange with Eugene, writer of the Tea Urchin blog and owner of the webstore of the same name that sells young puerh, many of which with maocha he sourced himself. At the time, I wasn’t aware that the store was already open for business, so I asked if I could buy some samples. We ended up trading tea instead, with me supplying some teas from my own stash, and him giving me a pretty generous haul of tea from his various offerings. I think I made it out of this exchange in the positive. The range of teas that are new and available is vast. They can go from the…
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Crazy Tea Chick
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Inspiring Green Tea: Smooth, Delicious, and Very Aptly Named
14 May 2012 | 9:21 amBuy Delicious Inspiring Green Tea Online A few days ago I was scouring a few Dollar-Friendly stores in Owensboro, Kentucky: Big Lots, Dollar General Store, Deal$… You never know what goodies you’ll find at these incredibly underrated stores. I can’t tell you how many times someone will ask me where I came up with something in particular – only to find out that it was all of $2.50. Really, when it comes to fun little party favors, off beat decorations, and even gift bags – these stores are hard to beat. I also love to see what they have in the way of tea bags. -
Tea With Mother Stretched Canvas Print: I Dare You to Look Away!
4 May 2012 | 10:22 amTea with Mother Buy This at Allposters.com I’m not sure what my great love for the stretched canvas shown here says about me (and less sure that I want to know) but I love it with every ounce of my being!. Look at their eyes as they nurse their little cups of tea. Absolutely priceless. Click through for a closer look. Seriously, this is an absolute treasure. -
Green Tea Lovers: Prepare to Drool
1 May 2012 | 10:09 amPhoto Credit: The Robot Chef! I’m showing you the picture above and linking you to a Green Tea Heaven post for a couple of reasons: The pictures and accompanying words are fascinatingly beautiful and beautifully fascinating. This is a tea blog, and since you’re here, you’ll be interested in the subject. I want everyone to drink more green tea – it’s SO good for you! No one wants to suffer alone. If I can’t get my green tea loving hands on all these goodies, at least now I”m not suffering alone!!! To read Kyoto and the Green Tea Overload, click the… -
Retro Tea Poster: Bright, Colorful Homage to Great Tea Love
24 Apr 2012 | 10:03 amRetro Tea Buy This at Allposters.com LOVE this bright and colorful retro tea psoter. The beauty is also available as a wall decal (pictured below). Click through either for a closer look. Retro Tea Buy This at Allposters.com -
Iced Tea Maker with Silicone Handle: Perfect for Summer Iced Tea or Sun Tea
18 Apr 2012 | 9:36 amI love this time of year! As the weather heats up, I have iced tea with me every step I take. When I’m walking in the yard surveying flowers, bird feeders, and herb beds, iced tea is in my constant companion. It’s also right there with me if I’m grilling out and it wouldn’t think of missing any baseball games. Iced tea and summer go together as beautifully as peanut butter and chocolate. The Takeya 64-Ounce Iced Tea Maker with Silicone Handle, Avocado/Olive knows exactly what I’m talking about. This great looking iced tea maker is ideal for iced tea and even…
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Darjeeling Tea Blog
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Now get some Darjeeling First Flush 2012 discounts!
3 May 2012 | 3:27 amOriginal Post: Now get some Darjeeling First Flush 2012 discounts!Darjeeling First Flush 2012 offer: We are now extending you a 10% discount on our Darjeeling First Flush 2012 teas. It is a limited time offer valid till May 20, 2012. Do take advantage of this offer while stocks last – once gone, gone forever. For such similar teas to be available again, one has [...]Source Blog: Darjeeling Tea Blog -
Life ultimately goes green!
16 Apr 2012 | 11:08 pmOriginal Post: Life ultimately goes green!I had taken this photo of an old lady in a nearby Darjeeling Tea garden with my previous SLP800 manual cam. Hope you like it. This lady had been working as a tea plucker for decades and lived life quite the hard way, but not a single sign of regret could be traced – I [...]Source Blog: Darjeeling Tea Blog -
‘Nectar of the Gods’ finally gets to mingle in my cup
12 Apr 2012 | 8:04 amOriginal Post: ‘Nectar of the Gods’ finally gets to mingle in my cupYes, this post refers to the “Nectar of the Gods” which we referred to ‘Arya Pearl’ (First Flush) last year in it’s description part. Last year we had purchased a fairly good amount of First Flush Arya Pearl, but somehow in no time, all vanished from our racks. I am a great fan of this [...]Source Blog: Darjeeling Tea Blog -
Long and winding road
11 Apr 2012 | 11:09 amOriginal Post: Long and winding roadAn unimportant Darjeeling Tea photo update you may say :) But I am sure, Darjeeling Tea lovers will love the photo as they sip on to their favorite cuppa. I had taken this photo with the help of my manual slr camera sometime back when I had gone hunting for some Darjeeling Teas in the [...]Source Blog: Darjeeling Tea Blog -
Darjeeling First Flush 2012
5 Apr 2012 | 2:01 amOriginal Post: Darjeeling First Flush 2012Hello friends! I was kinda busy with the ongoing Darjeeling First Flush 2012 tea season and have been enjoying the tea tasting sessions from various Darjeeling Tea gardens. Lovely teas I must say, wish I could buy all of them, but my budget is limited and only the best gets the nod :) Firstly First [...]Source Blog: Darjeeling Tea Blog
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travelling teapot
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2008 Fuhai 'Ji Pin' Ripe Cake
13 May 2012 | 1:21 amI recently opened a 2008 Fuhai 'Ji Pin' ripe cake. I was very impressed with an earlier 2007 Fuhai Yiwu ripe cake (see 2 May 2010 blog) and was curious about Fuhai's other ripe cakes that I had included this cake in my order with Yunnan Sourcing that same year. 'Ji Pin' directly translated as best quality, also piqued my interest in this cake.This 250g cake, unlike the 2007 Fuhai cake, is made up of small leaves. This cake brews very quickly and makes a strong infusion as well. I would recommend that you use slightly less leaves and shorten the infusion times for this tea… -
Sea Dyke - Ti Lo Han & Shui Shien-Chung
7 May 2012 | 2:27 am"Sea Dyke" brand of chinese teas are very well known worldwide for their oolong tea. The above pix shows two of the tinned oolongs produced by Sea Dyke Co. These are the Shui Shien and Ti Lo Han. The tea is delicately packed in a paper wrapper, each wrapper consisting of 5g of tea and 12 of these packs are then placed in a nifty metal container. These 2 tins of tea had been in the market for many years and there is a loyal following of tea drinkers that buy these tea. The tea is very inexpensive going for about US$5 per tin. An old tea drinking friend told me… -
2005 Pin Xi Wang Fu Raw Tuo
30 Apr 2012 | 3:47 amThis is one of the hardest tuo I have ever opened so far. I broke one of my pu erh pick while trying to break up this tuo into smaller pieces for storage and brewing of this tea in a teapot. I was thinking whether there was a proper technique in breaking up a tightly compressed tuo. I had even considered steaming this tuo......really.....I remembered reading something to this extent, in the information sheet of pu erh cakes, to steam the cake so as to break up the cake easily. There seem to be some logic in this; I may end up with less tea dust and more whole leaves. I… -
2007 Dayi 7452 Ripe Pu erh Cake
21 Apr 2012 | 2:13 amThis is a 2007 Dayi 7452 ripe cake. Officially known as Taetea nowadays, this cake is a second production (2007) of this recipe - as seen on the reverse of the wrapper 7452 -702. Dayi had produced this 7452 cake over many years and the recent 2011 production had a thick red string in the cake (yes its a marketing gimmick as the string does not affect the tea in any way). This ripe pu erh recipe 7452 as well as Dayi 7572 are very popular among ripe pu erh tea drinkers and its common to see Dayi producing several batches of these tea within a production year.I had purchased… -
Qiu Xiang Tea - A Revisit
13 Apr 2012 | 7:35 amI spent my Easter weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As usual, I stayed in Chinatown, reasons being; night market is there, lots of good food especially the street side food in the evenings, central location to shopping and yes, tea shops as well.Qiu Xiang Tea has a branch in Chinatown. I like the ambience and the friendliness of the sales staff since my last visit (see 8 July 2011 blog). This tea shop opens at 10am every morning and I was their 1st customer on Friday morning. As you can see from the pix, this shop is well stocked. I like the tea set in the 3rd…
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Life in Teacup
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circa 1990 Menghai 8972 brick purely dry storage
12 May 2012 | 2:21 pmIn China, many aged puerh products are emphasized to be "purely" dry storage. The "purely" doesn't just stress how dry the storage is. Most purely dry storage puerh has been stored in drier regions in Yunnan, which are not very dry regions to begin with. Some humidity data are mentioned in this post about another of my beloved dry stored tea. In Chinese puerh industry, the "purely" in "purely dry storage" mainly emphasizes that the tea has been dry stored in its entire life, without intentional or accidental dampness. By this definition, not all Yunnan stored tea can be called "purely dry… -
brewing green teas with Petr Novák shibo set
8 May 2012 | 5:54 pmWell, I guess shiboridashi was meant to be for green tea to begin with! But for a long time I forgot about this fact, as I enjoy using Petr's shibos for oolong and puerh - they have the perfect size and hand-grab feeling. The little "teeth" at the spout does a great job filtrating liquor out of brewed tea leaves. And, they don't get your fingers burnt! I never feel 100% comfortable using gaiwan for gongfu tea, and used to take teapots as much as possible. But suddenly, Petr's shibo became my new "gaiwan" :-DLast time when we got a bunch of Petr's hand made tea ware (tea bowls, shibos,… -
Discussion on Long Jing (7) - What's in the debris of Long Jing?
4 May 2012 | 2:52 pm(Other discussions on Long Jing are here.) When I bought Long Jing this year, my friend in Long Jing Village send me a small pack of "Long Jing debris" (sifted broken pieces and older leaves) as gift. I appreciate this gift very much, for a few reasons.First, the gifting culture in China has a lot of subtleties. Usually, expensive, delicate gifts symbolize great respect. But sometimes, casual, inexpensive gifts indicate very close friendship. Every time I get a gift like this Long Jing debris, the Da Hong Pao teabag, and the "granny tea", I feel glad that I'm not just seen as a client, but a… -
ecastasy of green tea season
1 May 2012 | 11:39 am"This is crazy!"When I lived in Beijing, every four years, there would be a "crazy summer" - the summer when FIFA (of the soccer) World Cup happened. During the time, everybody was in sleep deprivation (because usually the World Cup schedule follows that of European audience). Every night was a carnival. The air was sweet. The sidewalks of the city were full of beer parties and large screen TV with live soccer games going on. In weeks, everybody would feel this light dizziness day in and day out (due to sleep deprivation). But everybody was dreamy and happy.It was quite a phenomenon,… -
guess guess guess... how much is this tea? (2)
27 Apr 2012 | 12:17 pmPart (1) is here. Take the guess before you read on, and make sure to answer the "bonus question" at the end of this :-) And here is the answer :-)Zheng Xi Cha.Zheng Xi means "authentic Anxi". That's the traditional advertising title traditionally used in Fujian and Guangdong for some southern Fujian tea, which may or may not be tea from Anxi. Have you seen this tea in your local Chinatown stores? I've never seen it in North America. But it's an export product. I wonder if it's in large amount in America, or mainly exported to southeastern Asia.This label says, Se Zhong (without…
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The Sip Tip
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Thoughts on my Puerh Storage
13 May 2012 | 6:13 pmIn terms of fancy storage, I basically have none, I use rigid boxes ( I think a type of plastic covered in cloth), stored underneath my tea set up to store all of my tea, and one of the three boxes is used to store only Puerh tea. My thoughts are that the box will help keep out any smells from cooking ( basically no where in my place is incredibly safe with it being a studio and all), but the proximity to the tea set up will provide as slight boost in humidity ( possibly not even measurable). But at the same time the box I feel helps prevent excessive air flow which can dry out… -
Tea How I Missed Thee
7 May 2012 | 8:17 pmSurprising as it may be, today was the first time I have had tea in about a week and a half. This tragedy occurred due to pure exhaustion, and in slight part laziness. Let me just say that as a grad student the end of the semester is looked upon almost with disdain especially when you have a thousand finals or so to help grade in only a couple of days. Once the finals were graded, I had decided I would take a break by going to visit my family for a week, and while packing, I was so tired I dreaded the decision practice which is actually quite laborious for us tea addicts. … -
Practice makes Perfect
21 Apr 2012 | 7:44 pmEarlier this month I wrote a post comparing the two chasen I currently have, an 80 prong vs a 100 prong chasen. I would like to announce that after practicing at least once a week with the 80 prong chasen I can now produce matcha nearly as well as I could with the 100 prong. Sadly the photo above is focused mostly on the bowl, but you can see that the mint green sheen in the depths of the bowl has next to no color variation, a sing of a nice thick froth on top of the matcha. While it is much more improved, it is still not perfect, it still has some bubbles that are larger than I… -
Fun with Cast Iron
14 Apr 2012 | 11:46 amI got this kettle nearly a year ago, and have used it on and off, in part because I was not completely convinced as to whether or not it had some sort of protective lining on the inside. There definitely was no sort of ceramic lining like a lot of iron teapots had. What really scared me though is that this did come with an infuser basket and a little trivit/ base to use with a tea candle to keep it warm. Why this scares me is after some use the inside has started to rust ever so slightly, making me firmly believe that this is indeed unlined. So deciding to pull it out for a day of… -
Thoughts on Chasen 80 vs 100 prongs
2 Apr 2012 | 9:23 pmI must admit to a bit of a bloated ego when I placed my last order for Japanese tea. I was ordering matcha, and having just gotten some new teabowls, I decided it was time to replace my more worn, and cracking chasen. I had a decision to make, 100 prong or 80 prong. My previous chasen was 100 prong, and while quite big it was very easy to use. The 80 prong chasen was labeled for those who have more expeience making matcha. Thinking to myself, I have had no problems whisking thoroughly, effectively, and producing a nice thick layer of froth with my 100 prong chasen, I should…
