Honey Jialong, a unique GABA oolong invented by Mr. Chen. Beyond merely organic. No fertilizers or any-cide: pesticide? Herbicide? None whatsoever, since 17 years ago when he planted this field.
Those who have tasted this tea knows how fantastic it is. Papaya peel, ripe apple fragrance, deep honeyed notes. We got a slightly aged one this time. Fans of this tea, get ready!
It’s a beautiful day at Pingling, Wenshan, Baochong farm of Mr. Lee. The typhoon did not make its way here. Aside from some stunning clouds, most of the harvest had been done the day before and we got to taste a very deeply floral and satisfying batch of Baochong today. Still, one of my favorite teas of all time.
The many faces of HK. So strange to suddenly see foreigners/ western people. Though I had American tourists with me, everyone else were Chinese in China. There wasn’t much diversity. I have come to realize that I can’t live in a place without a lot of different kinds of people. Nor can I live in a place without arts or culture or antiquity of some kind. And breakfast need to be not just congee. Nor sugar dripping pastries either. If I can have a poached egg with a dash of spice and a cappuccino for breakfast, and bento with tea for lunch, and wild mushroom risotto with a glass of wine for dinner- wait, only in the Bay Area?
My flight is d-e-l-a-y-e-d, after such a long day of traveling where everything went wrong, it is truly horrific now!
The best airport in the world. The cleanest and most functional trains -MTR. The greatest invention this century: the Octopus card. The most efficient banks, best customer service, funniest dialect, and ubiquitous EGG TARTS. What is there not to love about Hong Kong?
The Camellia Sinensis is remarkably long lived. Some trees in Yunnan are 2700 years old plus. These ones on Wuyishan brought by the migrating minority She tribal people, could be more than 1000 years old. How many generations have these been around? Some regions keep better records than others, but most farmers can cite back 4 generational memories. Tea is about longevity, experience, and one’s respect for it. It should not be a mass produced plant harvested 40 times a year and stripped of its essence in 15 years. It is a piece of culture, history, and like grandparents, watching over the people who produce tea from them.
