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Tea Adventures

Well, I will enjoy HK for as long as it lasts. It is still home…

Tea Adventures

Well, I will enjoy HK for as long as it lasts. It is still home to me at heart. Here is my prized find today: Hello Kitty wet naps! The collection is complete.
Heading out to dim sum on the MTR, still the best subway system in the world. I freak out when one out of 10 things don’t go right in HK,where I rejoice if ever, by chance, when 1 out of 100 things do go right in China.
Feverish day and sick with a cold, head foggy. Not a good day to go into China as I will need all my wits with me. Today, i’ll just eat and shop all day. And drink lots of all kinds of tea. HK is after all, the only place you can get ancient Pu-Erh, all kinds of Wuyi, Shou Mei, along with British milk tea but made with condensed milk!

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Twilight Zone

Tea Adventures

Systemic breakdowns in Hong Kong are unheard of. There are never lack of preparedness, lines, or breakdown of the revered octopus card system. For the first time in 20 years, the Great China Chaos has descended into HK. I go buy a sim card and it was sold out. There wasn’t another one that works for both China and HK. There was a line at 7-11. Then, as a final straw, I couldn’t check my balance on…

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The tour officially ended today and everyone departs, having…

Tea Adventures

The tour officially ended today and everyone departs, having witnessed farmers, farms, and production first hand. Walking a thousand miles after all, might be better than reading a thousand books. Absorbing and digesting the thousand miles though，takes much intellectual curiosity, ability to synthesize information ingenuously extracted, and awareness. And lots of luck.
There has been a notable trend to produce black teas / hong cha in Taiwan with oolong leaves, and oxidized only 80%. To be sure, the same trend has been seen in China also, but as black teas originated in China, they are at a whole different level. Trends and fads come and go, but the strive for quality and artisan ship hopefully can remain. For those just getting into tea, it’s an exciting time. Tea is a living culture and constantly growing, expanding, renewing itself. It is never skin deep though no matter at what point you gain access, so as long as one is curious enough to keep learning, the rewards are infinite. As for me, the opportunity to learn is why I share, not to mention that after all, my palate ain’t so bad, the tea gods smile on me and I manage to end up with exquisite teas that I then share. And around it goes….

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The documentary makers, my brother and his sound guy Greg, took…

Tea Adventures

The documentary makers, my brother and his sound guy Greg, took turns with filming interviews with tea producers, farmers, with lots of stealthy camera work. Chinese and Taiwanese tea farmers are reticent, and at times, at a loss to articulate any thought processes. They don’t think, they feel…..it was up to us to elicit those heartfelt answers from them. At least the spectacular scenery didn’t fail us though!

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A cold winter will descend with rapidity, and the tea yield will…

Tea Adventures

A cold winter will descend with rapidity, and the tea yield will be low, said Mr. Wu, while he poured an excellent cup of High Mountain being made. We will end up with small taster amounts as most of it will be done in Nov. This year’s High Mountain strangely had that intense milk fragrance with honeysuckle and rose oil aromas. It will be a great year this winter but there will be very little bit of it. Merchants like me can expect half my order!

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