1999 CNNP Zong Cha

17/06/2011, posted by Cha in journal

This is one of the teas that has been part of my puerh learning process. I don’t remember it clearly,  because such a long time has passed since then, but I had the photos in a draft for a while now.

The tea itself it is not as important as the process. For every tea that I wrote there are probably 10 for which I didn’t.  All the teas have shaped me into what I am today . All the teas that I have tried formed  some kind of knowledge which is only a basis for further learning. That knowledge is not a scholastic knowledge. It is a practical one.  I know what to expect and how to handle a tea when I see it, or at least, I have a general idea. Learning never stops.

Thinking over shou, I do believe that shou puerh is the most easy category to learn from.  Much more forgiving than any other tea ,  with the biggest key factor being high temperature.

Now I am more focused on oolongs, and I have  pouring , proportion as  key factors.  What I find it most important for all the teas is to drink them at the right moment. Drink it at a wrong time a day, and it doesn’t show all it’s potential. For example, great teas at home become poor teas at the office , and leftovers from home , become great tea at the office.

1999 Vietnamese shu puerh

10/04/2011, posted by Cha in tea

This shu puerh has a feeling of clarity, but not as intense as for  some others I wrote about. Perhaps the feeling was amplified by the tea setup I have chosen.

This was one of the tea sessions when everything fitted together just nice. The light was nice, the flowers were appropriate. You would never say it was during a harsh winter.

As I drink more and more tea, I find it easier to create setups that create a targeted sensation.    Heat, cold, distant places, everything can be recreated with a tea setup and an appropriate tea.

Long Jing, from Jing

06/02/2011, posted by Cha in tea

This should be a rare tea, but I think now it’s the most common type of green tea in stores (and that raises some questions).  If you can get enough information about the grades, it is very difficult  to distinguish them, at least in Europe, where the offer is pretty limited.

Categories like lion‘s peak, dragon, cloud, tiger or plum, or like Shi Feng, Mei Jia Wu and Xi Hu are very nice as a information, but difficult to actually understand it, because it’s very difficult to actually drink from all categories.

I think for us,  the European (and not only) consumers, this information is difficult to grasp.  I think even the tea makers themselves don’t differentiate all  grades (does any one have any information about this?). As I see things, Long Jing tea is sold by different providers,  some include location data, some not.  I tried Xi Hu and Shi Feng, but also varieties who were simply listed as being from Zhejiang, or some with no provenience information of all.  While their leaf was somehow larger than ‘usually’, the liquor did resemble  a Long Ling. However, with so many grades and subgrades, what is a fake Long Jing? Still, I did tried some that were definitely fake .  There were crafted in such a way that the dry leaf resembled (somehow) a Long Jing, but the wet leves not at all. It was stated many times on twitter than 90% of the Long Jing from the market is actually from Sichuan. How can one actually distinguish? I have as reference the teas from some trusted providers,  and some tea I had in Hong Kong. But is that enough?

Leaving the origin besides, in my Long Jing quest I have learned many ways of brewing it.  I have found that high quality Long Jing can be brewed with near boiling water, while lower grades require a cooler water.   I learned that the you can either wait for the water to cool, or you can choose different brewing methods that produce a slightly variation in the water temperature.

The pictures were made 2 years ago. I did not post anything about it because I was overwhelmed with so much information out there. I have forgotten the details about the provenience, but it’s one of the best I had. And I think that is the only thing that matters.

Snow Dragon

17/09/2010, posted by Cha in tea

Besides the well-known puerh teas, or red teas, Yunnan also produces some excellent green teas . They are usually made from the da ye (large leaf) variety and have a distinctive flavor.   Usually, they support a larger number of infusions than other green teas and in terms of price, they are cheaper.  I usually acquire 250g or more tea from this category and use them on a almost daily basis.

However, Yunnan also produces white teas. The tea called Snow Dragon is one of them. Its looks is as impressive as it’s name.  The are meticulously hand-processed, each leaf being twisted by hand. Based on my readings, “Snow Dragon” is made entirely from small bud shoots picked in a 3 day window of time . I can confirm the small bud part based on the look of the wet leaves.

When brewed, the leaves unfold and produces a transparent liquor , with hints of yellow. Even if it’s so meticulously  crafted, this tea is very forgiving. However, if you pour water directly on the leaves , the tea will bite back and your infusion will be slightly bitter. Be sure to pour on the wall of your gaiwan or, if you don’t want to do quick infusions, wait for the water to cool first, and eventually , use a smaller quantity of leaf.  Another thing that I like about it is that you can obtain a great number of infusions (for this category). Six or seven infusions is not uncommon.

Initially, I imagined this tea was a green tea, even if  I acknowledged the white tea characteristics.  Upon further reading I found out it’s white and suddenly, it  became  obvious.    This serves as a proof that I have yet much to learn.

Tea Outdoor

01/09/2010, posted by Cha in journal

Another month, another tea carnival from the Association of Tea Bloggers.  This month, the carnival is hosted by  Brett at Black Dragon Tea Bar and the topic is Tea Outdoor .

Last week was a week without tea, but spent outdoor. Initially I planned to have a lot of tea outdoor, but I decided to make a (big) pause.  However, sometime the missing element, tea in this case, is obvious when absent.  I have found so many beautiful places for tea and I felt so many times ” Ah, a **** Tea would be so good now” .

I usually have tea outdoor while I am at my parents.  Some teas are better under certain circumstances. For example, I feel that the best time to have a Tie Guan Yin is during summer evenings, near a lot of flowers. Most of the Tie Guan Yin  I tried have a floral taste, so it seems natural for me to surround me with flowers while drinking it.   And,  I can feel that this tea is best during evenings.

The first time I tried Tie Guan Yin outdoor I also learned that Gongfu cha doesn’t need a lot of fancy and rare items. You can brew tea with the tools you have at hand.  I understood that being okay with yourself  is the most important thing. The human element and the environment are key aspects to tea. We can’t always choose the environment, but , it has a deep impact on how the tea is perceived.

The whole Tie Guan Yin experience is better described here .  I just want to say that if you choose your tea well, all the outdoor experiences are memorable.  I feel that the environment has the capacity to enhance the tea. Choose the tea well, and you will stop to admire the surroundings and start to become part of it.

White Dragon Pearls

18/08/2010, posted by Cha in tea

This  tea is one of my favorites at certain times of year. It’s nature is very energetic. The tea is sold as white dragon pearls and it’s listed in the white teas category.

To be honest, I don’t recall of any other white tea like this one and I am not aware on how it is produced and where.  So if you have more information about this tea, please help. I can tell by the taste and color that  it definitely shares some characteristics to some other  white teas I had . In addition, it has a distinct flavor.

This tea needs a lot of energy to be released so  very hot water  helps, and  a pouring style  suited for oolongs. This tea goes up to 6 infusions with no significant drop in taste.

Stéphane Erler

02/08/2010, posted by Cha in articles,tea

The Association of Tea Bloggers holds a tea blog carnival, hosted this month by Walker Tea Review .  The  subject is  “A Tea Person” and   my ‘subject’  is  Stéphane Erler, who is one of the advanced tea students that blog in English. He is  what I call a tea person. When it comes  to the Chinese gongfu tea ceremony (Cha Xi), he influenced me the most.

From my point of view,  Stéphane is different from the vast majority of tea bloggers out there.  First of all, he studies under a master,  Teaparker , which has studied tea for a long time . Teaparker has authored a lot of tea related books, and judging by Stéphane’s progress (via blog posts) , he must be a great teacher and a great tea master.

Second,  Stéphane shares what he learns. Many bloggers just talk about the different flavors that they encounter on tea, or how they like or dislike, and occasionally , they share some brewing tips.  What I find different on Stéphane’s blog is that he gives enough information to gradually  increase one’s knowledge in tea. There are some key aspects that can not be learned  just by reading about the ‘final stage’. For example, a lot of people agree that yixing teapots are best for some teas , but not everyone tells that it’s not so easy to brew from start. In fact, starting with a gaiwan (gaibei on his blog) is a very good choice for beginners.   I personally learn a lot from his blog. From all the internet sources out there, his blog influenced  me the most.  I started to read all his posts , starting from 2004,  and I pay attention to the details and experiences he encountered. I redo some of them.  I haven’t finished yet. If you don’t have enough time, Stéphane has grouped some great posts regarding tea here .

Third, his tea setups are impressive. Not impressive in the fancy way, but impressive in the natural way. Every color, teaware and plant feels like it belongs in the tea setup. In fact, just watching one tea setup makes you feel comfortable. I imagine being there would be a rewarding experience.  He determined me to try tea setups that are not based on the classic tea tray. I did not post about it yet (on my English blog) , but I will .  As I told you, I started to read all his posts. His tea setups were not like this in the past, he evolved. He made me understand that you can’t just buy tea ware and display it, there is more to it. The following images are a small reflection of his influence on myself. Of course, I am learning , experimenting, but I think I am on a ‘path’ now, even if my tea setups are clumsy.

These don’t even compare to the tea setups that Stéphane  makes. Here are three random examples from his blog:

An Interview with Stéphane Erler

I wrote Stéphane and asked him if I could interview him. He agreed. Bellow you can find my questions (in bold) , and his answers.

When did your tea interest started?

Shortly after I arrived in Taiwan, 14 years ago, I had several opportunities to drink Oolong with Taiwanese friends. I loved the tea and found the process, small teapot and cups, fascinating.

Can you tell us 2-3 things about TeaParker?

He is a professional journalist with a passion for anything related to tea. In his early fifties, he has already written over 20 books on this subject. He teaches tea students at the Xue Xue Institute in Taipei and in several other venues where he’s a lecturer or guest speaker. What makes him special? He combines a strong academic study of tea with a practical experience of top quality tea. When presented with mystery teas, he can always recognize them and sometimes give a very detailed description of the plantation where the tea grew just by smelling and looking at the leaves.

How important is personal study and how important is to have a tea master?

During my first seven years in Taiwan I was without a master, without Internet and without tea books. My attempts at making Oolong were frustrating. I invested in an expensive teapot, high mountain leaves, mineral water, a wooden tea table… but my tea wasn’t as good as my Taiwanese friends. Then, my wife signed my up in a class with Teaparker. He had written a book for tea beginners. My quick progress motivated me to learn more and to test things by myself. Personal study combined with the direction from a tea master is what works best.

There are many people who can not study under a tea master, do you have any advices for them?

Thanks to the Internet, there is a lot of information about tea now in English on the Internet. There’s a lot that can be learned with a healthy critical attitude. What may be missing is a direction and a systematic approach when you study by yourself. Also, I would advise to start with a gaiwan to study tea in a neutral way.

How is your tea passion seen in Taiwan by the Taiwanese people ?

They are very happy to see that a foreigner likes their tea culture.

How does your western origin influence your tea experience?

Before coming to Taiwan, I took a few wine classes. I think this wine culture has helped and influenced me in my tea learning.

Does your origin reflect in your Cha Xi ?

The Cha Xi is the way I select and set up my tea accessories. Some constraints are technical and shouldn’t differ, but the aesthetics is most probably influenced by my origins.

Is there something that you dislike regarding the current tea bloom?

There are many things that I don’t agree with, but I prefer talking about things I like.

Is there some kind of experiment that you can recommend to beginners, so that they can  improve their awareness on tea?

In our very first class, Teaparker made us taste different waters. Such water blind tastes can be very good exercises to improve the perception of your taste buds.

Finally, do you want to transmit anything to other people that study tea?

There are lots of experiences and teas I would like to share with other tea enthusiasts. You can read about it on my blog: http://teamasters.blogspot.com

I would like to end this post by saying:  Thank You Stéphane.

brewing tea in a bowl

13/07/2010, posted by Cha in tea

I think this is the most basic form of brewing tea. Even if you don’t have   gongfu teaware, you can obtain very nice results using this method.

I knew tea was brewed like this in the old days, but I haven’t tried it until I stumbled upon an article on The Leaf . Brewing tea this way is truly rewarding and the taste you get is different from the one you would obtain using a yixing teapot. For a young sheng puerh , this has become my preferred method.  No bitterness, and a taste that gradually changes.   Brewing this way is also visually rewarding, because the leaves unfold directly in front of you.

I have brewed in this way using different bowls, and no result was the same. The tea bowl in the pictures bellow has the best results. This bowl is made in Japan, and supposedly, it’s much older than me.

P.S. :  I  don’t like to pour the water directly on the leaves. Instead, I slowly pour it on the bowl , using a circular motion.

2009 Long Jing from Canton Tea Co

26/06/2010, posted by Cha in tea

I think everybody knows a thing of two about Long Jing.  I won’t insist about such and such, especially that most of the really great tea bloggers  have a post about Long Jing.  I will say some things about it’s provenience though.

This tea was one of the generous samples that Canton Tea Co sent to me.  I have posted about other teas from Canton Tea,  but this one resisted until this year mostly because … it wasn’t the proper time for it.

Here is the description Canton Tea offers on their site :

One of the most famous Chinese teas, this premium quality Long Jing produces a vibrant light green liquor with a fresh, nutty, lively flavor, with none of the bitterness associated with lower quality teas.

The leaves are unevenly shaped due to the age of the tea trees and the method of hand processing. The yellowish-green colour of the leaves is characteristic of the Shi Feng Long Jing producing areas and the ‘yu ye’ (fish leaves) show the authentic shape of the first picked leaves of the year.

I am not ‘tea wise enough’  to talk about Long Jing grades, but  I enjoyed this tea a lot.  It appears some other people also did because of it was awarded with two golden stars  at the Great Taste Awards.

Besides the tea itself, this tea session was very important for me because I finalized my resolve on  using tea setups that are not based on the tea tray.  I hope that I will progress in the future so that I will be able to create better tea experiences, by setting up the environment according to the moment.

Another important thing that I learned is related to water. I used near boiling water in order to brew this tea. I first filled the gaiwan 1/3 with water, then placed the leaves and then filled it with the rest of the water ( I learned this on a blog post from Teamasters ) . The rest of the infusions were brewed as shown in the video .

The infusions were consistent, and the taste didn’t drop off soon. After infusion 6, I added another amount of dry leaves, and I got 11 infusions per total. Pretty lengthy for a green tea session.

Now I can proceed to the 2010 Long Jing that I have received this year.  If you like their teas,  the readers of this blog can use the code LEAF and get a 15% discount.  I don’t know how much time this offer will be available though.

Home, episode 2 – Green Tea With Mint

20/06/2010, posted by Cha in journal,tea

This was the second time I brewed tea in that weekend. It was extremely hot so I had to cool down some how. That’s why I decided to use some mint. There are very few situations when I mix tea with something else and it doesn’t happen often, but this time, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to use fresh mint.

I had some green tea left from 2009 ( Monkey King)  and I used it all to fill the teapot. Perhaps I put to much tea, because the best results were after the forth infusion or so. But anyhow,  it did cool me down.  Both of the plants are yin, so I imagined the cooling effect has to amplify if I mix them both ( and there has to be a reason why in Morocco they love green tea with mint ) .

I think I made a much better use of the plate now,  and my understanding (combined with a lot of reading and pictures on the subject) of gongfu cha took a step further. With this understanding, the week that followed was a very good week for tea.