#4 wins again in the White Peony contest. #5, which means fifth day, was less of that syrupy sweetness than #4, like a melon fruit at peak ripeness, each hour makes a difference!
The beauty contest of White Down begins: appearance, aroma, 1st…
The beauty contest of White Down begins: appearance, aroma, 1st infusion, 2nd infusion, palate fragrance, finish.
#4 contestant harvested 4/1: superb fragrance and sweetness, crisp, awakening. Causes all the morning slumber to dissipate. One wants to run a marathon immediately.
#2 contestant harvested 3/28: super sweet, about 10% lighter in body due to a couple days younger.
Winner : #4, 4/1 harvest
Spring white teas: what a dream!
Time for the Teabuyer tutorial of this blog. Procuring tea is…
Time for the Teabuyer tutorial of this blog. Procuring tea is different from curation but goes hand in hand. You see, many aspirants think it’s just showing up to the farm with cash. Other foreign teabuyers rely on some business middlemen to get the goods for them with the belief that 1. The prices are accurate 2. Really are from the mountain peak or wherever it is, that they say it is.
There is no such thing as honest dealings in Chinese culture, even in tea, UNLESS certain conditions apply: 1. Are you related to the farmer/producer? 2. Are you related to someone who is related to the farmer/producer? 3. Are you a good friend of someone related to the farmer/producer, and if so, do you then know how to do the following: 1. Show true appreciation for their craft? They’ll test you when you first show up, and the tests get more difficult each time you come, so you have to already have the following: 1. Do you have a discerning palate, particularly for their type of tea? If not then immediately they will save the good stuff for those who can tell. Makes sense? 2. Do you know what the right price is? If not, why should they give you the right price? Are you related to them? 3. Are you knowledgeable enough to provide some valuable insights and exchange for their quest for knowledge ? They respect other true professionals.
2. Do you know which is their favorite kid and show up with the right gifts?
3. Do you know who the mom is and take a flattering photo so she’s happy?
Aside from having palate, industry knowledge, understanding cultural nuance, speaking the language, having a local as a close friend, and knowing how it functions all around, you have to display an indepth knowledge of their region without the slightest arrogance or racism (if you are not Chinese). Then, you have to ask the indepth questions no one else cares enough to ask.
In short, being a good tea buyer just means being sensitive, knowledgeable, and humble, the age old Confucian values.
Otherwise you get crappy tea and overpaid for it, that’s all. Or you get mass produced tea and you don’t care.
But I digress with too much information….
One more treat not to be missed: Mr. Wei has successfully…
One more treat not to be missed: Mr. Wei has successfully produced an amazing Gongfu Red tea, oxidized for 48 hours naturally, made with the very top of the line Phoenix Almond leaves. I will have just about 10 lbs of this and will make it available for pre- order soon. I am highly motivated to do these Gongfu Red teas justice- from now on, Black teas are black teas made by machine. Gongfu Hongcha or Red tea made by hand, will have its own category. You wouldn’t call a diamond glass, champagne a beverage, nor poetry the alphabet, right?
The name of this tea will be Phoenix Almond Gongfu Red. There is really, nothing black tea about it. Once you have all tried it, (should be online under Pre-order soon) hopefully you’ll know why it must be a different category!
There, I made an attempt to include myself in a photo as some of…
There, I made an attempt to include myself in a photo as some of you don’t believe that I made these trips, wrote the blog, climbed the trees, picked the leaves, hauled them in, produced the tea… At least true up to the climbing the tea trees part.
No, istockphoto.com is not where these photos came from. I have logged millions of miles and have multi thousands of photos by now, celebrating over 15 years buying tea professionally from source farms.
It’s all in the hands. Mr. Wei says that rough, large hands with…
It’s all in the hands. Mr. Wei says that rough, large hands with crude hand motions will not make nuanced, elegant tea. The secret to his superior quality lies in his ability to sensitively drive all the astringency out of the leaves in its initial withering and tumbling- fluffing, as he calls it. Takes 5-6 hours repeatedly to fluff the leaves, bring the aromas up to the surface, remove the bitter juices, all by touch. One taste of his tea in comparison to other artisans at the same village and you’ll be convinced.
This year’s Ya Sai, or Duck Poop Phoenix Oolong made by Mr. Wei, is an aficionado’s dream. Any oolong fan must put this on the bucket list.