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The strongest tea in the universe, the 12,000 RMB (about $1950…

Tea Adventures

The strongest tea in the universe, the 12,000 RMB (about $1950 USD per lb), Rougui oolong from the Cow Fence Enclave. Yes, that’s the name of the most sought after micro-terroir of the Main Cliff 正岩 of Wuyi region. There was a little enclave in one of the vertical cliff areas, a farmer discovered that he could force his cows up there but they can’t come down and run off easily, a natural cow fence. So per serving is what, about $30? What a steal! Lasts about 20 infusions, so my per sip cost just went down to 45 cents! Well, math geniusness aside, I have the Communist government crackdown on corruption to thank. This leader grade stuff was never before accessible to commoners. Strong, aggressive, thick viscosity like broth, and stamina through all 20 infusions- this is the boxing champ of teas.

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An alternative view

Tea Adventures

Today I suddenly had an epiphany about the state of affairs in China. The U.S. was not devastated by any war in its land since the mid1800s. Europe and Japan began reconstruction after WWII, some 70 years ago. But China? China started waking up to an alternative economic model in the late 80s, and by the beginning of the new millennium, soared ahead ruthlessly without regard to repercussion, in an…

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80% of the population depends on tea for a livelihood in one way…

Tea Adventures

80% of the population depends on tea for a livelihood in one way or another here in Anxi, the birthplace of Tieguanyin, world renown oolong. To be sure fads come and go every year and a Tieguanyin is not always the most fashionable tea every year. Since the mountain range is so huge, all this raw material has to go someplace. They can get sold to Wuyi to be made into Dahongpao, or Phoenix Mountain to make ‘Phoenix tea’, or even green teas. For most people, they are not going to taste the terroir difference. For Americans, forget terroir- there’s just green tea or black tea in a teabag. Actually, the best example ever- once I was in a restaurant in SOHO, NYC, billing itself as a tea house restaurant. On the menu was: Hot Tea. That’s it. The wine list was a book and coffees were a dozen choices, but this ‘tea house’ had only one option for tea. Phew, glad it was hot. Now, why did I just spend my whole life getting terroir specific tea from the indigenous varietals picked on the perfect day made by the best artisans in the villages, again?

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I won’t post all the secrets of Zhengshan Xiao Zhong processing…

Tea Adventures

I won’t post all the secrets of Zhengshan Xiao Zhong processing here, but suffice to say, the original style was to use pine wood for wilting as well as bake drying, and the smoke was to be a characteristic that enhanced the plumy sour note, rather than completely smother it like it is currently made for export. Somehow, like bad Chinese food, there is a toxic and undrinkable version that foreigners thought were Lapsang Souchong- made with latter processing, added pine smoke in the charcoal firing process. It is not a version that the locals drink, at all. In fact they are highly offended by it, since that version of Lapsang is not made with their own tea leaves but inferior outside black tea. They would never ruin their precious wild harvested tea with this process!

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Deep inside the Wuyi Nature Preserve is the Tong Mu Village…

Tea Adventures

Deep inside the Wuyi Nature Preserve is the Tong Mu Village (桐木村), where Lapsang Souchong originated. The proper Chinese name is Zhengshan Xiao Zhong （正山小種). The tea bushes appear to be wild with little to no attending to. As they are all grown naturally by seed, there is no knowing what varietals they are. A tea that is historically well known but bastardized in its current version, ZSXC or Lapsang Souchong is not supposed to smell and taste like BBQ!

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