The fertilizer? Sesame seed pulp. Weeding? By hand. The handsome dark green varietals of Ruby 18 or 21 flourish amongst a wild forest of birds, snakes, and beetlenut trees.
The Ghost Face spider and the Five Venoms: not everyone is so…
The Ghost Face spider and the Five Venoms: not everyone is so interested in the multitude of bugs at the Taiwan Beauty farm. He hangs, like the dismembered head of a circus ringmaster, his top hat still atop and grinning away at the prospect of incoming victims. Here at the Taiwan Beauty farm, the ugly duckling tea bushes are sparse little groves in a field of overgrown weeds, and the bugs rule. We arrived into a sky filled with circling dragonflies, with enormous webs from tea bush to tree, and sitting there waiting? The Ghost Face Spider! I explained to my tour group that this is nature at work. Taiwan Beauty is an oolong tea that results from the bites of the tiny Leaf Hopper cicadas. For that, a habitat of wildness must be maintained for their benefit, and that habitat is also welcoming to the rest of the bug kingdom. In comes the giant Ghost Face Spider to take care of the unwanted other bugs- giant crickets, preying mantis, even a sparrow or two.
He hangs in the sky, grinning madly and silently, waiting….
But, back to tea reporting. We scored a very limited, unique…
But, back to tea reporting. We scored a very limited, unique batch of Honey Jialong harvested on May 28. Mr. Chen deemed that it has been aged long enough just now and took it out to share with us. Brighter and even spicier than the more candied citrus peel character of the regular Jialong, with a more kumquat like fragrance and heightened euphoric energetics, this batch will only be available for tasting at the Harvest Party under the ‘Fall Release’ teas, or to the Connoisseur Tea subscribers.
As for Baochong, the typhoon destruction left a question mark as to whether we will have any. I have put my order in the queue, but facing some of the most dramatic climate changes in remembrance, we may not have Baochong for the first time in nearly 13 years.
Good people make good tea, I have often said, and on these trips,…
Good people make good tea, I have often said, and on these trips, I wanted to see if my tour group could get a sense of who the people were behind these great teas. I have known these farmers for so many years now, and their unassuming, warm, hospitable demeanors never fail to reinforce that viewpoint. It is always the caring, respectful artisans who coax the depths out of the leaves, and the teas will communicate to those who are worthy. The ones who break the tea leaf spines and cut, tear and curl them, do not deserve a drinkable cup. I don’t care who I offend. We are not in the business of contributing to more acrid, astringent, undrinkable dregs that you need to pour cream and sugar into. The spirits of the teas and their chosen artisan want their stories told.
Now, this blog entry is getting way out there! But I really am tired of that 99% of crap in the marketplace, after knowing such sublime levels of teas all my life. And so, I exercise my compassion by bringing you, my fellow consumers and aficionados of tea, that world of possibilities!
Understanding the magic of tea takes years of legwork, but the…
Understanding the magic of tea takes years of legwork, but the journey always begins with the first step!
One does not truly live unless one has curiosity for the world,…
One does not truly live unless one has curiosity for the world, it was said. And the tour group this year has a healthy dose. From killer bee liquor to collecting specimens and soil samples, to chasing after the various insects and animals that cohabitate at the tea farms, our tour group was proactively experiencing every detail. Why does simple food tastes so rich at the farms, which wild plants are edible….check out the size of those bamboo stalks, have a sip of this mountain stream water! I guess every experience is determined by who is experiencing it. It was highly gratifying for me to see the rich space that is tea, enjoyed with so much aplomb and enthusiasm. And with that kind of open hearted curiosity for other people’s way of life, connections were instantly made, and everyone buoyant by the collective energy.