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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