The Oolong Tea Times

Beyond the Binary: Getting Closer to Tea by Mical Lewis

2012-01-25T22:43:00.000-08:00

Before coming to J-Tea, I was a black-tea-served-English-style kind of girl. I was a votress at the temple of Earl Grey and a devotee of English Breakfast (both served with milk and probably made from a bag: gasp!). I inherited this preference from my father who, being an avid Anglophile, would bring a hot cup of Bigelow's Constant Comment tea with milk to me in my bed if I was having trouble waking up. I have probably had black tea with my breakfast for as long as I can remember.

As I grew older, tea became my main coping mechanism for dealing with life. If I was feeling ungrounded, I'd make a cup of tea. If I was feeling particularly content, I'd curl up with a cup of tea and a good book. If one of my friends had something they wanted to discuss, I'd make us cups of tea before sitting down to talk. However, as much as I found solace in tea, I always felt that there was a missing piece in my understanding of tea. I wanted a deeper and more spiritual connection to my beverage of choice. Of course I knew that tea was a big deal in Asian countries, but I just assumed that their rituals and theories were out of my league.

With this background, you can probably imagine what kinds of assumptions I brought with me when I got hired at J-Tea and what kinds of surprises were in store for me. The first surprise awaiting me was the lack of any sort of organized, cohesive system for learning about the teas. Part of this is that my boss and teacher isn't a terribly linear person, but I am also convinced that tea isn't terribly linear either. Tea and its world is more of an interconnected web than a progression. Sure, there are linear elements to it, but for the most part there is nothing hard and fast about tea. Tea is the constantly changing interplay between many variables. The farther into tea you get, the more you realize that you don't really know anything about tea.

Another surprise was how important it is to occupy the present moment when you're dealing with tea. Whether you're making it, selling it, tasting it or even just talking about it, things will always go more smoothly if you're grounded in the present. Granted, life is generally better if you're able to stay in the present moment, but tea is an excellent context in which to learn how to do that.

When I came to J-Tea, my eyes were opened to a brand-new universe of tea methods, tools, tastes and varieties. I am still partial to my old way of doing things (much to Josh's dismay) but I feel that what I have learned has given me a new appreciation for tea itself, but also everything that goes into making tea.

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

Chinese Lunar New Year is the most important holiday of the year in China, Taiwan, and several other Asian countries. What does this holiday represent? According to the 12 animal zodiac chart, 2012 is the Year of the Dragon. Dragon years are known for bringing most fortune. This is a big deal! So much so that soon-to-be parents plan their birth schedules around it. In 2000, the last Dragon Year, 202,000 more babies were born in Taiwan than during the previous year according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. It is a very popular year to have babies, get married, or start a business.

Dragons are considered to have characteristics of being the strongest, the smartest, and the luckiest. The "long" of oolong tea literally means dragon. Oolong is one of the great teas that is finally receiving long-deserved attention. Oolong consumption is on the rise and we are predicting that 2012 will be the year of oolong. But moving beyond the oolong, ultimately to have even greater oolong, I am proposing instead for the year of the Yi Xing teapot.

Chinese New Year is a time to give gifts. One of the gifts that is most commonly given in Taiwan is tea. Tea is a great gift for many reasons. One is that it is an experiential gift, meaning that it is something that one gets to enjoy with the senses. Chinese New Year is a time when families get together. It's a time when people migrate to their hometowns. Huge cities such as Taipei empty as hordes of people make their way to their hometown. While living in Taiwan, I found that this time of year often made me more homesick than Western holidays. Some years were great and I was incorporated into the fold and made to feel like family. One of the places this happened was at the Kung Fu school. The Master made sure to invite all of his foreign students to the evening's feast. Typically, there's a large feast on the evening before the Chinese New Year on the last day of the year. In Shandong, it's traditional to eat dumplings at midnight--this is believed to bring great fortune in the coming year.

The first day of the new year is called Day One. On this day, you will hear everyone walking around saying, "Congratulations, congratulations." To understand this, we have to look at the origin of the holiday. In ancient times, it was believed that a beast comes out on New Year's Eve to eat people. When people emerged from their homes uneaten, on the first day, congratulations are given for victory and rebirth. Legend has it that the beast is afraid of red and today red is still an important color during this holiday. Red banners are plastered on doorways in triplets on either side and atop the doorway. Black Chinese characters in bold brush strokes contrast the bright red paper. My friends told me about how they experienced the New Year holiday when they were younger: "As a child, the new red clothes made us feel so good. We would eat a well prepared meal meaning an array of quality, an abundance, and prepared with care and insight And it was one of the few days of the year when you would wear new clothes. It was so great for us because it was one of the few times in a year when we felt like we had everything we could need." Today, however, many people exist in a perpetual state of abundance. My friends observe a difference in their children during the holiday, "This is day when you have everything, are given more, and somehow it's not enough."

Hold the Sugar by Katie L. Chamberlain

2012-01-20T00:19:00.000-08:00

I grew up in the South, where sweet tea reigns supreme. Here, pitchers of sun tea bask on back decks in the steamy summer months. Iced tea accompanies most meals and when dining out, one should assume that the tea will be sweet unless otherwise specified. In the South, tea, by definition, means iced black tea (probably bags of Lipton or Luzianne) heavily embellished with sugar. This saccharine liquid masquerading as tea never appealed me. Early in life, I steered clear of tea despite its presence at every family meal. Of course, this is not unlike claiming a sweeping distaste for salad after consuming only pale, wilted iceberg. Often, it's simply a matter of exposure and a willingness to move beyond the familiar and open up to new sensory experiences.

Tea opened up to me in a manner similar to wine and microbrews after I relocated to the Pacific Northwest. Previously unknown categories were slowly revealed: oolong, Iron Goddess, and more recently, puer and aged tea. Along the way, I dabbled briefly in herbals and yerba maté (often mistakenly referred to as ‘tea’). My food interests—or sometimes obsessions—often follow closely on the heels of a related writing assignment. Some stick, others prove to be merely passing phases. In the case of tea, other factors intervened. When my relationship with Josh became more serious, so did my relationship with tea.

As it turns out, tea offers the subtle nuances in taste that make craft beer and wine so engaging. Yet tea intoxicates in an entirely different manner—and is more suited to regular and sustained consumption. Tea brewing also holds a high aesthetic appeal. It’s a slow and grounding process that suggests—and rewards—attention to the present moment. Beyond the deep categorical explorations that tea invites, the individual infusions are dynamic. Each infusion is a variation on a theme. I still find this remarkable given the utter simplicity of its elements: leaves, water, fire, and pot. Hold the sugar—tea offers a world of complexity and sweetness in its simplicity.

Photo Coming Soon: Green Teapot

My grandmother’s ceramic teapot, brimming with sweet black tea, accompanied our family meals for decades, the cracked-then-repaired lid a testament to its endurance.

Meet Our New Contributors

2012-01-18T00:19:00.000-08:00

In this new year, we are excited to add new voices to The Oolong Tea Times. Ultimately, we hope to bring our readers closer to the experience of tea. To this end, I have enlisted my talented staff to create blog posts that will be of high entertainment value, high quality, and regular in release and frequency.

We've only just begun on our journey of tea. It is our hope that through the process of writing, our collective voices will allow us to document the learning process. We hope to solidify the fragmented moments that comprise this process and distill it into words to create a story of tea.

The following is a brief introduction of our contributors (visit the “About” page to learn more).

Katie Chamberlain is my wife. She signed onto the newsletter project when I put a ring on it, which was in August of 2011. Katie is a professional writer, meaning she writes for money. She is also an editor. Everything she touches in the form of wordage turns to gold. Katie has helped me with many a newsletter. Her writing is clean and informative. Katie will play the role of contributing editor.

Jonathan Manley is a coffee expert reformed. An appreciator of the aesthetic experience, the process of making tea does not elude him. Jonathan is a strong proponent for tea rather than coffee as a daily beverage. Jonathan brings an alternative perspective that will add to the force of tea's resurgence in American culture.

Mical Lewis is a master of the word. Mical's prose drips like droplets of Eastern Beauty from her fingertips as she spins magical webs of tarot and tea. She is in charge of all things magical.

And me, well, I should be good for a post or two. All in all, with this tea team, I am lathered with anticipation for a variety of perky posts. In the words of some tea guy... “There is no I in team, but there is a tea in team.”

Tea Beer Featured in China Daily News

2012-01-12T22:12:00.000-08:00

The headline reads: Josh fell in love with Taiwan's tea and went back to America to open a tea house. (China Daily News)

The interview was conducted at the Asia Pacific Oolong Tea Symposium in Tainan, Taiwan.

愛上台灣茶 Josh回美開茶藝館

　因為愛喝台灣烏龍茶，Josh Chamberlain回美後不但開了間茶藝館，還把茶葉批發賣給當地啤酒廠釀製成「四季春啤酒」。（記者施春瑛攝）

　記者施春瑛報導
曾經在台灣待六年、並在成大唸研究所的美國人 Josh Chamberlain，在台期間因為愛上台灣烏龍茶，回美後不但在家鄉奧勒岡開了間茶藝館；甚至還批發台灣四季春烏龍茶給美國當地啤酒廠，釀製獨特的「四季春啤酒」，這次他到台灣來參加亞太烏龍茶文化論壇，還特地帶了兩瓶四季春啤酒來與愛茶同好分享。
說得一口流利中文的 Josh Chamberlain，他有個中文名字叫「陳博倫」。 Josh說，十二年前他大學畢業後，因為對中國功夫有興趣，特地到台灣來學習，待一年後他又回到美國。
回到美國後，認識一個媽媽是台灣人的友人，那朋友告訴他台南是個好地方，生活步調也很適合他。 Josh聽了很心動，就又來到台灣，選擇居住在台南，這次為了證明自己不是來台「鬼混」，還去成大唸了國際企業管理研究所，花了四年的時間完成學業。
Josh說，在台南居住的那段時間，他也一邊學拳，因為教拳老師有在泡茶，他就跟著學喝起烏龍茶，當時他跟其他三個老外住在一起，回到家四人還會討論如何泡茶。
因已經習慣喝台灣茶， Josh回美國時就帶了台灣烏龍茶回去，當地的茶藝館覺得烏龍茶很有特色就向他購買，於是他開始了茶葉批發的工作，把所有的積蓄都投入去購買茶葉。
近幾年來，因茶葉批發生意做得不錯，四年前 Josh在奧勒岡州的猶吉尼市開了間茶藝館，他說，客人以美國人最多，偶爾也會有台灣人去光顧。

2011/09/27 19:09

Aroma: Drinking is Just to Make Sure

2012-01-10T22:30:00.000-08:00

Many criteria are involved when evaluating a tea’s quality and deeper nature. Even before the tea is consumed, aroma and color offer a preview, or an initial impression of its character. If one does not see the tea as it’s prepared, aroma will introduce the tea. Aroma permeates the atmosphere and has the ability to waft outward from the brewing station and entice from afar.

First impressions are important, and in terms of sensory evaluation, aroma is big. According to Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg’s The Flavor Bible, “Aroma is thought to be responsible for as much as 80% or more of flavor.” This may explain the popularity of scented teas such as jasmine pearls and Earl Grey. Such teas employ the floral sweetness of jasmine and bergamot to induce distinctive aromas. However, this sometimes involves artificial agents. Spend more time with tea and its complex aromatic nature will slowly reveal itself.

Oolong teas are incredibly aromatic and driven by real flavors. By “real,” I mean that upon experiencing these aromas, there is no sensation of the artificial. The aroma may be strong but it will not overpower. In fact, the aroma of an oolong is often an amalgam of several elements, tightly layered. A scented tea, in contrast, is often singular. Often, the aroma of oolong is similar to that of flowers, fruits, or other vegetal elements from the Earth. In effect, a tea’s aromatic portrait references it’s agricultural origins. In this way, experiencing oolong’s aroma, simply and deeply, offers an opportunity to connect with nature.

Use your nose!

Learn More: Traditional Gong Fu aroma cups are designed to help unlock a tea’s scent. Tall and cylindrical, the aroma cup holds the scent in denser concentration. The cup’s high walls protect the scent, and the sharper interior edges at the base further heighten the aroma. Read more about aroma cups here: Aroma cups post

Eastern Beauty

2012-01-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Eastern beauty, specialty of Taiwan, is a favorite of more than just a few.

Below the baby leaves

Tender buds

Raw material for ikebana

That aroma

Each one of these, the stem with the tender bud, in some cases a white needle, the leaves, it looks like a little tree

You look so cute, little leaves

You have fur on your back, just like me

Even if you won't let me sleep

Thanks again, one last steep

Trident

2012-01-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

I recently had the pleasure of paying my second visit ever to Trident Booksellers and Cafe in Boulder, Colorado. This is an excellent shop featuring great coffee, high quality tea, and books. In many coffee shops, tea is an afterthought. At Trident, this is not the case as revealed through a conversation with the owner, Mike Smith. He noted that for a little bit more per cup, you can go from having tea that's considered acceptable to tea that many would consider fantastic. Mike mentioned that he learned this from Gaetano Kazuo Maida. Tano is a tea educator and the executive director of Tea Arts Institute (TAI), an organization dedicated to making the traditions of tea accessible. Thank you Tano for turning people onto great tea! And thank you Mike for receiving the message. So many people pass up good tea because of the bottom line.

This photo was taken on a sunny day in May. Outdoor seating is also available in the back, where there are sandboxes for children and adults interested in sand play.

This is the super cool barrista station. Notice the white thermos in the middle of the photo? People drinking from a teapot can refill the pot for additional infusions here.

The brick walls creates a feeling of comfort at Trident. Front door seen through the reflection.

The Trident wall of tea. Good stuff! Oops, my flash was caught in this one.

Mike took the time to sit down with me and cup several Indian and Himalayan teas. Here is the Darjeeling first flush that we very much enjoyed. It is very green and has peachy undertones. It reminds me of the white peony tea, known as Hairy Monkey, that J-TEA previously carried. Overall, I learned a great deal about tea on this visit. Next time you are in Boulder, or if you live in the area be sure to stop in for some tea or coffee.

Number 28: Four Seasons Time Capsule Rediscovered

2012-01-01T14:05:00.000-08:00

This story is a simple one. I had been living in Taiwan for several years and it was time to return to the U.S. I began my transition from Taiwanese resident to American tea importer. In hopes of preserving the vestiges of my Taiwan experience, I employed clever tactics to ease the cultural transition. My creative juices must have really been flowing. As a means of saving space, I loaded the bulk order of my tea collection into 100-gram vacuum-sealed packages and placed them into previously empty tea tins that I was sending to myself. There were perhaps 3,000 tins altogether. Because I was sending myself the tins as sea freight, weight was not an issue. This was my rationale for the endeavor.

Loading the tins was easy. It just took a bit of time. I filled the green tins with 100 grams of vacuum-sealed bags of tea as fast as they were handed to me. This task took a few hours. I remember traveling on my scooter with many unwieldy items during that time, among them large boxes of tea tins. It was dangerous, at best, when the tins were empty, but clearly perilous on the way back with a heavier load. I had packaged 24 pounds of tea into the tins. It wasn’t until I was on the way back that I realized I would need sturdier box to protect the tins from damage during shipping.

My elder Kung Fu brother pointed the way down the avenue that led to a wooden box maker. Was I wrong in noticing a slight tremble in my Kung Fu brother’s voice as he said, “Do your best.” I explained to the box maker that I would need eight wooden boxes made to protect my tea tins. He agreed to do it and I thanked him, leaving only the dimensions of the boxes.

Flash forward to September 2011 in Eugene, Oregon. Earlier this week I discovered one of the green tins at the teahouse, a relic from my farewell shipment in 2004. To my surprise, it contained a bag of vacuum-sealed tea. This is the last tea remaining from the tin shipment, making it an accidental tea capsule of sorts.

In 2004, I packaged three types of tea into the green tins as I prepared to relocate from Taiwan. First, a green Iron Goddess of Mercy from the Mainland; this is the best of that particular genre that I have ever experienced. Second, the An Xi Iron Goddess of Mercy, purchased at rock-bottom pricing from a tea merchant’s basement. As we prepared the tins for shipping, an experienced packager looked over his shoulder at me and said, “Old tea…This is good tea! Wow, it has a sweet fragrance.” Finally, a green oolong designated as Number 28. This oolong would later be added to J-Tea’s Eight Treasures collection (“Green Oolong”) AKA “The Emerald” in our iced tea series.

On a recent evening, I opened the green tin and the burst of Four Seasons oolong aroma filled my nose. It was the #28 Four Seasons Green Oolong. It has aged, but slowly and I would not yet designate it as aged tea. It remains remarkably floral with soft buttery notes. Though I admit I had hoped to discover a cache of Iron Goddess, learning about how a tea changes over time is a pretty cool experience.

Yelp reviews

2011-11-13T00:25:00.000-08:00

Here are the 5 star yelp reviews that Yelp has filtered. I am forever grateful for these wonderful reviews. I am of the opinion that you can tell what kind of parents a person had from reading their Yelp reviews. One of the most important things a parent can teach... "If you don't have anything nice to say..."
Once again, thank you!

Eugene Weekly Revisits J-TEA

2011-09-11T22:03:00.000-07:00

Our iced teas have been catching on. The article outlines our new plan for pedalin' tea. Check it out and let us know what you think.

Local potters inspire

2011-08-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

Jayme Allen of Firebug Pottery writes: "As a potter, I’ve spent many hours looking at tea wares, mainly from China and Japan, researching their history, function, philosophy, use, and the processes that brought them into being. During all this, I tried to uncover what made these wares so much different than the ones being currently produced by most potters in the world, and I truly believe that it starts with materials. Modern pottery is often made from clays bought from a store, in a plastic bag, and are overly processed, and the glazes are not much better, also made of overly refined and processed materials that are produced by industry for industrial use. In contrast, these Chinese and Japanese wares that I was admiring were created from clay that was local to the area, glazed with other local materials, usually including wood ash, feldspars, quartz, and limestone, all of which were mined, processed, used, and fired in the same area. It was this rich sourcing, coupled with the overall spirit of Eugene, which is strongly inclined to using local and re-sourced materials, which influenced me to start my pots by collecting my materials locally, and then processing those by hand myself, and developing both clay and glaze in the way of the old craftsman. It was shortly after arriving at this decision, and having started using local materials with some success, that they started the excavation of the new basketball arena at the university. Being a student there, I kept an eye on the progress of the excavation, which slowly cut its way through a thick layer of brown sandy clay, then a smaller layer of smooth red clay deep in the ground. I was eventually able to secure myself several hundred pounds of each layer, and after working with each, discovered that the red clay from the deepest layer made a fine clay with the addition of silica (quartz), and the brown clay a fine black glaze with the addition of silica and wood ash that I collected from forest thinning burns, ultimately rejoining the two geologic layers as I had found them, but now in the form of a tea bowl. The clay, being similar in appearance to both Yixing, China, and Tokoname, Japan clay bodies, influenced me to make naked clay teapots, which not only demonstrate the beauty of the local clay, but also carries the same physical properties that make the Yixing and Tokoname teapots so special- High iron content, and slight permeability. I really enjoy the concept of working with both ancient tradition, and the current ideology of environmental awareness, to create tea wares that truly reflect our local area."

Find Jayme's work at J-TEA or contact him directly at his online studio.

Upcoming Class: Aged Oolongs

2011-05-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 21 and Sunday May 22, 10 am-12 pm, Cost: $36

Aged tea settles both the mind and soul in a gentle and soothing manner. It offers a window into the past and these teas bridge the gap between traditional and modern life. Through each infusion, the tea leaf captures the changing conditions of the soil and climate over time. By examining tea leaves that were processed decades ago, we can see how dramatically the tea industry has changed. Tea equipment has evolved over the years and aged oolongs provide a historical journey tracing the evolution of the processing methods through the leaf.

In this class, we will sample five teas and open a door to the old world through a discussion of the aging process and methods used.

Seating is limited. Call Josh at (541) 285-8997 to reserve a seat.

Aroma Cups

2011-04-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

Drinking tea engages all of the senses -- each sensory dimension adds a shade of meaning to the tea’s individual character. The color, aroma, and mouth feel help create an in depth portrait of the tea. To this end, Gong Fu teacups are designed to fulfill specific sensory functions; the cups’ size and shape enhance various sensory characteristics. In general, the taller of the two is the aroma cup and the shorter, wider rimmed cup is intended for drinking. Tall and cylindrical, the aroma cup holds the scent in denser concentration. The cup’s high walls protect the scent, and the sharper interior edges at the base further heighten the aroma. It seems puzzling that the aroma sticks to porcelain, but a deep inhale will invariably penetrate the soul, leaving an imprint of the particular tea and of the moment itself. Another key consideration when drinking tea in urban areas, and thus for many residents of Taiwan, is that the scent of tea connects people with nature.

The drinking cup has a wider brim. This makes it more conducive to viewing the tea’s color and viscosity. It is also easier and more functional to drink from. The wide brim, shape of the rim, and depth of its pitch all have different effects on the experience of tea. This duo has gone in and out of style in Taiwan over the years, and there are many ways to use the two cups together to present the tea in a harmonious manner. One method involves filling the aroma cup with hot tea, placing the drinking cup atop the aroma cup to act as a lid, and forming a seal. Then, holding both cups together with both hands, the cups are lifted high in the air, rotated, and placed in front of the guest with the drinking cup on the bottom. The tea can be served to the guests in this manner and the host need never touch the rim of the guest’s cup. The guest can then follow the host’s lead and pull the aroma cup from the drinking cup. This movement breaks the seal and releases the brilliantly colored tea into the drinking cup. The aroma cup’s contents are gone, but it is full of brilliant aroma. Sniff the aroma cup, by inhaling deeply through the nose. The aroma can be very impressive and alluring, but it can also tell us a great deal about the tea.

Another, more minimalist way to serve tea in this fashion, is simply to heat the drinking and aroma cups and then to provide the guest with the preheated drinking cup and serve the aroma cup with tea. The guest can then, following the host’s lead, pour the oolong tea into the drinking cup. I like this toned down version because it is easy to do, thus making the tea service accessible. By emphasizing function rather than form, this method creates elegance through minimization.

A third, more flashy, and skill intensive method involves setting up like the first method, with the drinking cup atop the aroma cup, which is full of tea. Then, a fluid rolling motion is created by cupping the drinking cup in between the fingers of one hand. This gives creates the impression that the pair of cups is being rolled over the table. When done right, it looks easy, but this serving method is difficult and may take a great deal of practice. It is best to practice when guests are not present until the movements can be accomplished fluidly and without spilling tea so as not to detract from the overall quality of the tea service.

Whichever method you choose, aroma cups prove to be a fun tea tool and invite experimentation. They unveil the tea’s scent and its deeper essence in an enlightening manner, filling the mind with vivid imagery and sensory memories evoked by the aroma.

Puer Tea Tasting Class - the video

2011-03-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a video made by Sam Roderick Roxas-Chua. Find more of Sam's work here: http://samroderick.com/

Here is what Sam said about the class:
J-Tea International Tea House | 2778 Friendly Street. Eugene | Puer Class 10AM-12PM | Menu: Man Nuo '09, Chang Shou '07, Chen Yi Hao '08, Meng Hai 8582 '87, Xia Guan 8653 '87, Meng Hai Xi Shuang Ba Na 7572 '76 | If you haven't taken a tea tasting class. It's a must!

Thanks Sam!

Meet the eight treasures…

2011-03-23T00:15:00.000-07:00

In an attempt to shape and create tea culture in the U.S., I often borrow tea terms from one culture and apply them to another culture. One example of this is a series of teas that we refer to as “the eight treasures.” This is a line of eight teas that I put together that would be available on a consistent basis: Green Oolong, Charcoal Roasted Oolong, Second Flush Oolong, Yunnan Gold Tips, Aged Puer Tea, Jasmine Pearls, Wu Yi Oolong, and Iron Goddess.
Eight treasures is a subset of any eight derived from a longer list of one hundred treasures. The term “eight treasures” is used to describe an abundance of variety when used with food items, such as eight treasure rice or eight treasure tea. Eight treasure tea is consumed throughout China. I’ve always seen it as a small plastic bag containing eight different bits that are steeped together to make an interesting and enjoyable infusion. Items that might be found in eight treasure tea include chrysanthemum flower, rock sugar, oolong tea, green tea, Wolfberry, red date, jobes tears, stellaria, tremella mushroom, dried citrus peel, ginseng, and so on.
Five of the eight are shown above. More to come soon...

Puer Event Revisited

2011-03-04T16:35:00.000-08:00

The Puer Class is Back!

Once again we will travel back in time to discover the taste of history.

Saturday, March 12th from 10 AM to 12 PM at the teahouse, J-TEA will be serving aged puer tea. This event will be enjoyable and educational. Seating is limited to 8 people so please call to reserve a space if you are interested. The fee is $49 per person.

Six rare puer teas will be featured: three young and three aged. These teas are all high quality, raw and very rare. Puer starts as a green tea and at that stage can sometimes be very harsh. However, as it ages, puer transforms into an earthy soothing gentle tea. These older teas are considered by some to be priceless due to their unique qualities and limited quantity.

We will begin by tasting three of the younger, or new puer teas, to get an understanding of the origin of this type and how it starts its journey through time. Next we will delve into the older teas, some of which are over 30 years old.

Everyone's experience is undoubtedly different, but when I drink these teas, I am amazed that it is much more than a pleasant taste. I experience both a physiological as well as a psychological shift. I hope you will join this journey through time as we examine the history and transformation of puer teas.

To attend, RSVP by calling Josh at 541-285-8997. Space is limited so don't delay.

The last time we held this event it was very well received. Guests were greatly influenced by the tea and impressed with the overall effect it created. I remember one guest commenting, "Are you going to call us a cab? I am not sure how I will get home."

I only took small sips of the tea and after the event could do nothing but walk the neighborhood taking pictures of flowers in bloom. This time promises to be even better as we have since received another very rare aged puer tea. Also, the green puer that we will be enjoying is of even higher quality than those of the previous event. If this class fills up, and there is still a demand, we might hold the same event the following weekend.

Pre-event photos from the old teahouse.

The old tea bar.

Post event: the greens. The aged stuff is taking a long steep.

Post puer bliss inspired photos.

Local poets inspired by tea

2011-03-03T12:32:00.000-08:00

The Invention of Tea

Here

chew on this,

I can’t stop

talking.

***

I found these leaves

in my coat pocket

all dried & forgotten

probably from last autumn

maybe if

I soak them

in hot water

they’ll be easier

to swallow.

***

Ah,

that warms

me to the core,

I think I’ll have

some more.

Contributed by:

Rick McMonagle

zrickmcmonagle@gmail.com

Down Nose

2011-02-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

Tea roasting is an art form learned slowly over time. Master tea roasters have the ability to bring particular flavor ranges to our attention. In general, the level of roasting should correlate with the oxidation level of a tea. The more oxidized the tea, the heavier the roast it can handle. Roasting also helps the tea maintain its flavor over time. Part of the challenge of learning to roast tea is learning to set up the area and choosing the proper time—when the wind currents and humidity levels reach an ideal state. It's also important to simply take the leap. 下手Xia Shou literally means “down hand” or put the hands to task. We say “take the plunge” or “dive in.” The word “hand” implies that roasting tea is an art that depends somewhat on the hands. Because roasting is an art, feel often supersedes strictly following a scientific procedure. Feel is of course based on experience. When roasting tea, “feel” mostly refers to smell. The nose knows. Instead, maybe we should say 下鼻Xia Bi or “down nose.”

I first smelled the aroma of roasting oolong in Taiwan. I noticed that tea vendors would place a small roaster in their place of business so that the alluring tea fragrance would attract tea customers to come inside. The smell that fills the air is sweeter than anything I have ever smelled before. It was as if the rich cookie layered textures could lift us right out of our skin and take us far into the wonderful place where everything melts in your mouth and your skin is a mere sponge for cookie-infused air. In the roasting process, the initial pleasant aroma is often followed by a slightly less pleasant odor. After the less pleasant odor is roasted off, then once again, a pleasant odor will return. Roasting tea will bring some of the tea's hidden flavors to the surface. Often citric notes are revealed. The mouth feel will also change. One of my favorite aspects of master roasted oolongs is that it is as if the mouth has been coated with a powdery sweetness, as if a little fairy angel sprinkled it with magic dust. Whenever I come across this type of tea, I am compelled to buy it.

Traditionally, tea was roasting over a charcoal heat source. Now, most people use electric roasters due to the consistency in temperature and convenience. The one experience of roasting over charcoal was incredible. We used so much charcoal that it burned for five days consecutively. Over these five days, several batches of oolong were roasted, including J-TEA's Mt. Ah Li Mi Xiang Charcoal Baked.

I have learned to roast tea just like I have learned to brew tea. First, you learn the step-by- step procedure. Then you learn the parameters, like temperature and time. Finally, the teacher says, “You must pay attention.” When roasting tea, you pay attention to your nose. In the fall of 2009, I brought a tea roaster back to Eugene, Oregon. Since then I have roasted a few batches of tea. The most serious roast I did on my own was the transformation of a green oolong to a roasted oolong. This is a heavier roast process that takes more time. Fortunately, I was able to take the finished product to Taiwan, where I gave it to several roast masters for evaluation. Upon the next stretch of low humidity levels, I plan to fire up the roaster again.

How to Fall Asleep after Drinking Oh-So-Much Tea

2011-02-16T18:15:00.001-08:00

I love tea. And I love to drink tea just before going to bed. Tea relaxes me. It makes me feel good and there is something special about the solitude of having a late night tea. It seems to reset my clock and clear my mind of the day’s happenings. Inevitably, the tea makes me relax and feel ready for sleep. Nowadays, this will not influence my ability to fall asleep except on rare occasions. It didn’t always used to be this way. When I first started getting into tea, I remember lying down to sleep only to find my mind racing as I recounted every caffeinated beverage consumed throughout the day: “One cup of coffee, two full gung fu pots of cooked puer, and one full gung fu pot of high mountain green oolong.” A full gung fu pot would usually consist of six to ten infusions. I remember many restless nights when I would lie awake until three in the morning before reaching sleep.

Really, this would have been okay with me. However, at the time, I was very focused on Chinese medicine and adhering to the body’s natural rhythms. I learned from an old recluse known as Teacher Lee, or “Li Lao Shi,” that in order for the liver to rest, we have to be in bed lying down and preferably asleep between the hours of 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. Not sleeping during this time is one of the big no-no’s in liver maintenance. It is also important for the kidneys as well. Spending a great deal of time with Teacher Lee, an acupuncturist/fortune teller, I was completely obsessed with learning the Chinese secrets of health preservation (保護養生). Though this was important to me, I wasn’t going to let not sleeping stop my tea drinking. Virgos like myself have been noted to be very concerned with physical state of health while having an affinity for mild mind altering substances such as tea. The caffeine combined with the l-theanine found in tea, is a healthy choice that satisfies the desired outcome of imbibing a substance that both expands and massages the mind.

Also, Teacher Lee was no help when it came to this subject. I visited him regularly in the evenings. We would sit in his living room talking late into the night. I often didn’t head home until after midnight. More often than not, about halfway through the visit, he would stand up and clap his hands together and ask, “Want to drink some tea?” Teacher Lee always had good tea on hand, and he was a brew expert. So this was not the time to exercise what little self control I have. I would accept the offer for some expertly made tea. He would get excited and take the opportunity to share many brew tips with me. He would talk about various positive attributes of the tea, indicating what was special about the pot he was using and why he was holding the pot a specific distance from the kettle. “At this distance, the water cools a degree or two as it passes through the air into the pot.” Eventually, after a very sleepless night, I had to refuse Teacher Lee’s offer. “I want to drink the tea, but I am afraid I will have to turn you down, as it prevents me from falling asleep.” To which he replied, “Not being able to fall asleep is the best part!” What? What is this old man talking about and why the mixed messages?

Ah, life in Taiwan is so full of seeming contradictions and mystery. This is not just because I was an outsider. One can hardly speak of Taiwan culture if they are not willing to speak of ghosts. Nonetheless, I would have to go elsewhere, if I were to remedy my sleep disorder. I don’t remember who first told me, though I am pretty sure it was tea people, or closely related to those living in the tea industry, either as farmers, producers, vendors, roasters or artisans.

Eat Sugar and Talk to Yourself:

First, I was advised to “eat sugar.” I don’t think I really believed it the first time I heard it. But then I heard it again, from another source. “How do I eat sugar?” I asked, feeling stupid. “Put a little spoonful of sugar under your tongue and let it dissolve.” Even though this seemed counterintuitive, in the land of seeming contradiction, why not give it a try? I ran some tests. The first time, it worked pretty well, then not so well and then really well. The effectiveness depended on two things. If I placed the small spoonful under my tongue and then went right to bed without delay, it worked well. I could effectively drown out the noise in my head. If I delayed and let my mind fill with detailed and colorful information, the effect was significantly lessened. Anyway, there has to be a better way. I am rotting my teeth out.

The second answer I heard was from a fellow tea enthusiast who described another process: “I give myself a talk.” That was many years ago and I forget how the talk went, but here is what might have been said. “I tell myself that I have consumed a natural substance and that it is natural and good for me. I tell myself about the natural effects that this substance has on my body and its rhythms. I explain how it might seem overly exciting, but given its organic nature, I can just float in its pools and tides and eddies as it squirts me out to sea once again. Nothing bad will happen. Enjoy the sensation and feel the ride.” This talk, or some variation of this talk, was what I remember giving myself. Perhaps I reprogrammed my brain, or maybe it’s just a temporal state, but now I seem to be able to enjoy a nice gung fu tea session just before lying down to sleep—which is a most enjoyable experience.

Tea Ware and Brewing Styles: Cultural Considerations

2011-02-08T17:44:00.001-08:00

Cup size tremendously influences temperature of the tea. In the US, loose-leaf tea is often brewed in a basket or strainer and served in mugs. From a functional standpoint, mugs are less effective. As soon as the tea is ready, it is too hot to drink. Then, near the end of the mug, the tea is cool. This wide range in temperature combined with the volume of tea results in a very narrow window in which tea stays at the ideal temperature for consumption. This problem is particularly exaggerated with using large mugs. There’s simply too much tea to drink when it reaches its ideal temperature. At my teashop, I typically serve tea in small (7 oz.) mugs. I view this as a necessary—and temporary—compromise.

What is the mug alternative? Kung fu brew (also called gung fu cha). Small teapots (100 to 200 ml) or guy wans are used to brew several infusions. The tea is poured into small cups after each infusion. As a result, tea is consistently consumed at its ideal temperature and the drinker gains a better sense of the individual tea by tasting it over the course of multiple infusions. The amount of tea that is produced from each infusion varies, depending on the size of the teapot. In general, it is enough to fill two to four of the small cups. The tea is very hot when poured, but due to the small cup size, it quickly reaches a drinkable temperature. After about three to five sips, the tea is gone. With this smaller amount of tea, it more likely that the tea is consumed at the ideal temperature. When in need of another round, simply re-infuse the leaves and you have hot tea all over again.

I love to brew kung fu style for my customers, and ultimately, I hope to educate my customers on how brew kung fu style. Many Westerners have not been exposed to this style of brewing and, at times, find it intimidating. I plan to add more specialty tea service as it is feasible for the business.

Tea Temperature:

2011-02-06T14:05:00.000-08:00

I remember my first trip up into the Ah Li Shan mountain range located in central Taiwan. I passed through a place called Xi Ding where I met Lai Wen Zheng 賴文政at an elevation of 1,100 meters. I remember distinctly on either the first or second time visiting him, he explained to me the importance of the temperature at which tea is consumed. He then proceeded to torture me by brewing up some of his choice High Mountain Mt Ah Li Oolong and then making me wait a full five minutes before drinking it. Before brewing the tea, he made sure that all of the tea ware was extremely hot. Once the tea had finished steeping he said, “Now we must wait. It is important to taste tea at the right temperature so that we can experience all of the flavors that are in the tea.” He picked up a digital timer and set the minutes for five. Silence filled the air as we waited and he explained once again why it was important to wait. It was cold at this elevation and the hot tea seamed to be playing tricks on my mind. I had traveled so far for this cup of tea and now it was sitting there in front of me, steaming, fresh, and bright. I tried to wait patiently. Mr. Lai could tell it was difficult for me, so he explained again that waiting was important if we were going to truly taste all that the tea has to offer. Sipping the tea, it was interesting to notice the greater mouthfeel present at this temperature, which was neither hot or cool.

What is the ideal temperature for the body to absorb the tea and create the most positive impact? The reason that tea is so terrific is that it adjusts to what you need and you are the alchemist charged with concocting your own brew. This is an idea that relates to the way tea enters the stomach. I have noticed, more with some teas than others that it really seems to matter at which temperature the tea enters the stomach. What does this mean? I am trying to describe the way that the stomach takes the tea. Does it open receptively? Does it close up and resist so that the tea seems only to bounce off and roll down the sides of the stomach or does it open too fully and not absorb?

The Practice of Brewing: Gung Fu Cha

2011-02-05T17:47:00.000-08:00

Tea is simple. This is partly because learning about tea is fun and rewarding. One of the great things about brewing loose leaf tea for yourself is that you get to know each tea so well. As the water comes to a boil, we pull some leaves from the tin. Holding them up to the light, we see the brightness, the consistency in shape and color of the leaf. Hot water is poured, filling the teapot to warm the teaware. Feel the weight of the tea in your hand. We are assured of the quality upon noticing its relative weight. It seems heavy for its mass.

Gong Fu Cha requires an yi xing pot or a lidded cup known as a guy wan. There is no reason why we could not make an American version of the gung fu cha method. In fact, this is encouraged in Taiwan tea culture, as part of the practice of gung fu cha is thoughtful self expression. Keep in mind that function outweighs form 6 billion to 1 when adding high-end oolongs to the mix. Also, the fact that yi xing tea ware evolved as tea culture evolved, I would be surprised if there is anything better to use for steeping oolong and puer tea than an yi xing teapot.

Both the guy wan and the yi xing teapot can be used to brew gung fu cha. This means tea prepared through great practice (cha is the Chinese word for tea). Does making tea require such practice? No, that is why teabags are so popular. For some, it is merely a warm and stimulating beverage. Outsiders to the tea world do not always understand how the act of preparing tea can be done with such practice. Even for practitioners, the subtleties of the practice are only revealed over time. At times, tea trickles down into an individual, elevating their awareness and surrounding the mundane with an electric glow—this often indicates a meaningful experience. However, this type of experience, though pleasant, might be tossed aside for those who are results oriented.

When using whole leaf oolong tea in a small clay teapot, the volume of leaf used expands to lightly fill the teapot by the end of the third infusion. Keep in mind that tightly rolled oolong has a tendency to expand to four times its size. With light and fluffy twisted leaf oolong, it will look like you are using more initially, but this tea will not expand as much in the brew process. With twisted leaf oolong, it might be your preference that the pot is only two thirds to three quarters full after several infusions.

Historic Packaging

2011-01-18T00:53:00.000-08:00

I borrowed this packaging from a friend in order to take these photos. This statement makes me want to drink tea:

"Tea is used for entertaining friends and guests. It is aromatic and tasteful. Besides, quenching our thirst tea gives us appetite and cleanses the internal systems of our body. Nowadays, people indulge in drinking tea because it is considered the best of all drinks."

Eugene Weekly's Chow article on J-TEA

2011-01-15T17:41:00.000-08:00

I love the first photo in this article.
Have a look.

Steeped in Tradition

2011-01-14T14:52:00.000-08:00

Steeped in Tradition
Here is the story that Flux, an online magazine for the school of journalism at the University of Oregon, did on J-TEA.

2011-01-14T14:34:00.001-08:00

Iron Goddess, Ti Kuan Yin, Tie Guan Yin, and TKY: What's the Difference?

2011-01-13T18:10:00.001-08:00

Here is a question sent to the tea inbox. You can direct your tea related questions to help@jteainternational.com

Aaron writes:
“I am a long-time oolong devotee, however, in the study of tea there is so much that still puzzles me frankly. For instance, Tie Kwan Yin is a specific kind of tea, but really it occupies such a range. There are green Tie Kwan Yin, more fully oxidized TWY, roasted TKY, aged TKY, etc. What really are the differences between a green TKY and a Pouching for example? Sometimes I find that I am confused by how a tea is labeled, or sometimes it seems arbitrary. Any thoughts on this?”

This is true: there are no strict standards and TKY is hugely varied. The best way for to understand the distinctions to break it down into several categories.

First, is the tea from Mainland China or Taiwan? Mainland varieties are primarily traditional--highly oxidized and heavily roasted. In the last ten years, the Mainland has begun to produce green varieties as well. Though many of the green varietals have been unimpressive, I have discovered some amazing teas with a creamy almond texture, citrus notes, and great body. Typically, these teas are lightly roasted and, historically, have been reasonably priced. In more recent years, the price on this "good" green goddess increased a great deal. The lower grade green, which is a TKY varietal that’s processed like a green oolong, is also overpriced in my opinion. I would rather drink the Four Seasons varietal from Taiwan. They are similar, and in fact, Four Seasons was derived from Iron Goddess. Even more recently, in the last two years, there has been a resurgence of less expensive highly oxidized, heavily roasted Iron Goddess from An Xi in Mainland China.

Taiwan TKYs, as far as I can tell, are all traditional. TKY is more labor intensive to produce and the plant varietal yields less leaf. As a result, the prevailing attitude in Taiwan is: "Do it right, or don't bother." The Taiwan goddess fetches a pretty penny, but is well worth the price. Taiwan's major goddess producing regions are Mu Zha 木柵 and Mao Kong 貓空 in Taipei County as well as Shi Men 石門 in Northern Taiwan. Pouchong, or Bao Zhong 包種, as it is spelled in Pin Yin, is the greenest of the oolongs and processed in a twisted leaf fashion, rather than a tightly rolled leaf. This variety is grown in the Wen Shan region in Northern Taiwan.

Food, Wine and Tea: A Sensory Exploration

2011-01-08T16:16:00.000-08:00

After making the connection between wine and tea several years ago, I began to notice the numerous similarities between the grape and the tea leaf. The films Bottle Shock and Mondovino artfully elucidated these similarities. Here in the Pacific Northwest, home of some of the world’s best vineyards, I have befriended with a few wine experts. After hearing similarity after similarity between the grapes/bottled wine and tea/the tea leaf, I have finally stopped being surprised upon hearing yet another commonality between these two wonderful beverages.
What are the differences? First and foremost, regions such as the Willamette Valley and the Dundee Hills, support a vibrant wine culture. Sadly, tea culture is very limited in these regions. I am doing my best to build a tea culture, along with a few other local connoisseurs. At present, there are a few leaders and a number of fanatics. All are welcome.
I recently made a discovery regarding the complex relationship between beverages and food. Some wines pair beautifully with food—this results in a wonderful sensory experience. Other wines stand up well on their own or overpower food, and are best enjoyed without food. Tea, though sometimes marketed as complementary to certain foods, on the whole should not be consumed with food. In my most idealistic vision of tea, it is like a wine that stands on its own. Food scents or flavors only detract from the overall tea experience.
Yet, exceptions exist—particularly in the case of morning black teas. In Taiwan, I was served a 20-year-old Lapsong Su Chong with a handmade sweet rice porridge, and I still long for this wonderful combination. In this case, food and tea are consumed intermittently. However, for digestive reasons, it is not advisable to alternately eat a bite of food and take a swig of tea. Generally, food and beverages should be taken separately to prevent dilution of the digestive juices. It’s likely that the quantity of the beverage imbibed whilst eating the food also plays a role. Perhaps tiny sips are agreeable, as in the case of wine. In addition, many teas should not be consumed on an empty stomach. The best practice is to wait about thirty minutes after eating to start brewing tea. If tea is consumed too soon after eating, it prevents the body from absorbing all of the nutrients via the digestive organs.
What about the concept of brewing bits of food with tea? In Lei Cha, seeds, nuts and or spices are ground up with tea before hot water is added. Tibetan yak butter tea combines puer tea with yak milk or butter. Though I have not yet tried these tea drinks, they seem to function as a meal and tea all in one. Incidentally, I do love tea and cookies. However, in general, tea is for the sake of tea and tea alone. Nothing needs to be added, but sometimes a bit of cookie makes a tea twice as nice. In conclusion, I have once again proven to myself that it is difficult to make blanket statements about tea.

Spring Tea

2010-03-09T22:25:00.000-08:00

Low elevation spring tea is already in. It looks like I will be arriving just as the higher elevation tea harvest begins. I will arrive in Taoyuan on the 15th and then I have about three weeks time to travel the island looking for tea. The weather has been relatively warm this season, so the tea is a bit earlier than expected. Currently, some cold weather has come in. Hopefully this will have a positive impact on the high mountain tea. With the excessively warm temps, it is hard to say how much great tea there will be. There is one good bit of news and that is that the rain has not yet begun. I remember now that rain is more likely in the spring and this is one factor that can really have a negative influence on the tea. Well, I am glad to hear that the rains have not yet begun. This promises to be an interesting trip and I look forward to sharing my adventures with all everyone that has interest.

Newsletter Excerpt

2010-03-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

Kanye West is back in the news and is singing about herbal chai. He likes it. We have it. 2009 was a great year for J-TEA and it is all due to your support. Our new packaging has been well received. More and more people are getting into oolong and puer. It seems like the interest in tea culture continues to grow.
Tea tip: Did you know that one way to judge for tea quality is to compare the weight of a tea by volume. For example, if you have two separate one pound packages of oolong tea, the smaller package will typically be of higher quality. Right now, our heavy tea is Tender Leaf aka Shan Lin Xi Early Winter.

Phone cards from Taiwan

2010-02-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

This is one of the coolest phone cards that I've ever seen. Taiwan is a wonderful place, not only for tea, but also for telecommunications. These phone cards can be purchased at any easy to find Seven Eleven. Although the card has 210 NT dollars worth of credit, for some reason it only costs 200 NT dollars. This is about six dollars US. This is the IC card which can be used for calling internationally as well as island wide. I'm pretty sure that this type of card will allow a person to speak to someone in the US for about 20 minutes, but I could be wrong. If you are calling a landline in Taiwan this card will last for several hours. There is another type of phone card that costs 100 NT dollars, but that card seems less popular and I don't remember that card can be used to call internationally. Calling cell phones in Taiwan will use up your minutes much faster. Regardless, using the public phone that requires these types of calling cards is a much more economical way to go than calling from your own cell phone, if you have one. Typically the calling cards will have various photos of famous sites, locations or things that Taiwan is famous for. I have collected many of these types of cards over the course of my time spent in Taiwan. This is the first time I found one of these cards with a picture of a tea pot. Was I thrilled! From the looks of this pot, it must be made by some famous potter, but I do not know who made it.

J-TEA’s adventures in social media

2010-02-23T13:49:00.000-08:00

I have been researching social media and making some additions to the ways that I reach out and share the latest J-TEA news. This has been a learning process and I would like to share some of the things learned.
Currently, there are four ways to follow our latest tea information.
1) This blog dubbed J-TEA’s Oolong Tea Times
2) Twitter @JTEA
3) J-TEA’s Facebook business page www.facebook.com/JTEAINTERNATIONAL
4) J-TEA’s informative tea newsletter. You can sign up here: www.jteainternational.com on the lower right hand side of the page.

The first option is the tea blog. This is where I will pour my heart and soul into trying to share some of the amazing experiences that I have had via tea.

Next, Twitter. This is a place where I will say somewhat witty and somewhat meaningless comments I find amusing or interesting that can be expressed in 140 characters or less. Examples of recent tweets include: “What does Spider-man call himself? Well, I am the Friendly Neighborhood #tea man” and “Horizon Herbs Catalog arrived. 20 pack of #Tea plant seeds for $9.95 / seedlings $10 each, grow tea”

Facebook is where I can post many pictures and develop a J-TEA following whom I can inform of cool J-TEA happenings at the drop of a hat. I’ve been researching how to best use the Facebook business page here: http://bit.ly/zURSL. Become a fan now by going here or by clicking on the Facebook link on the right of this page.

Finally, there is the informative tea newsletter. As the name implies, this newsletter is informative. I share tea tidbits and tea stories and general information about tea as well as happenings at J-TEA. The goal is to send one newsletter per month so as not to inundate your inbox with excessive email. The service is meant to be value adding and we hope that you will enjoy it. If you have not already signed up, be sure and do so. If you have signed up and are not receiving the newsletter, you might want another email address. Some addresses are bounced for what reason I do not know.
I look forward to learning more and more about social media and the most fun and interesting ways to use it in the near future. Please feel free to share the ways that you have used social media to help your business. If you have any suggestions for J-TEA’s adventures in social media we would love to hear from you.

$5 for flights of tea

2010-02-20T16:43:00.001-08:00

Now when visiting the tea house, you have the option of doing a flight of teas. There are a wide variety of teas to choose from. There is enough tea for as many people as can fit around the small tea bar. Sitting, there is room for four tasters, but if people stand, I am sure that more could fit. People are really enjoying this service and it seems to have caught on with little or no promotion on my part. This is a great way to learn about different teas as well as discovering which tea or teas you like best. It is also great because you can try before you buy.
Some people will select three teas in the same genre. I have seen this referred to as a vertical tasting. It would be similar to tasting three of the same types of wines. For example, if a person tasted three Syrah wines. Alternatively, some people will try a broad variety of tea such as a green oolong, a puer and a black tea. This was referred to as a horizontal tasting. This is like tasting a cab, a merlot and a pinot noir.
I make the teas in clear glass tea ware so that people can see the tea as it unfurls. I then hand them the glass tea ware with the brewed leaves and invite them to examine the leaves and smell the aroma. Of course, they can then drink the tea. This is usually their favorite part. Some people have commented that this is a wonderful experience and some have even gone so far as to say that it is much more enjoyable than wine tasting.
Of course it is also possible to try some of the highest end tea. In this case the tasting will cost more. The $5 fee covers teas that are $5 to $10 per ounce. For tea that ranges from $11 to $20 per ounce, the fee is $11 and for tea that ranges from $21 to $30 per ounce, the fee is $16 and so on.

Excerpt From "Conversations Over Tea: The Psychology of Tea"

2010-01-06T13:51:00.000-08:00

Conversations Over Tea: The Psychology of Tea
By Josh Chamberlain
We were sitting in my teashop, a small shop in which people had shared so many details of their lives. It is this shop that is ever evolving and that seems to have a soul that we chose to have that my mother and I sat down to have tea and talk about some of teas amazing characteristics. As we waited for the water to boil, I proposed this question to my mother: “Do you believe that tea has the power to positively influence family relationships?”
I’ve often wondered if drinking tea could influence behavior. A few years ago I was living overseas in Taiwan when I was introduced to the world of tea. It was my experience with the timeless tea tradition, the focal point for social interaction in many households in Taiwan , which inspired me to start my own tea importing business. Since my introduction, tea has become so many different things to me: It is a plant, a friend, a social lubricant, a commodity, a means from which I earn my living, a beverage, a tonic, an elixir of life, a pick-me-up, a digestive aid, a health enhancer and a conduit to meditation. But is it also a great cultivator of relationships?
In Taiwan, families are typically multi-generational, often with three generations living together in the same household. Yet in America, it is not uncommon for family members to reside hundreds of miles apart. Take my family, for example. I have grandparents in Chicago and grandparents in Florida while my mother and father live in Oregon, near my home.
America, in direct contrast to Taiwan, is characterized by migration. Rather than remain in one central location with our family members near by, we seem to prefer to be “free” and we emphasize this sense of freedom by traveling the country in search of a place where we feel most at home- a place where we fit.
I’ve often wondered what role tea played in the Taiwanese family dynamic and if the same benefits could be enjoyed by our own movement-obsessed culture, which is how I found myself sitting with my mother, discussing the psychology of tea.

The Top Five Reasons to Go Loose Leaf

2010-01-06T13:35:00.000-08:00

The Top Five Reasons to Go Loose Leaf
1. The value vs. quality ratio: you will get a higher grade of leaf for about the same price per serving. It is no secret that tea bags contain mostly dust. When the norm is dust, the leaf, in its full glory, is a refreshing surprise. Also the taste and the mouth feel are far superior. Loose leaf tea is good for multiple infusions (sometimes 6 to 10 infusions), whereas a tea bag is good for two or maybe three cups.

2. The purity: loose Leaf is pure. There is no tea bag flavor, no glue holding the string to the tea bag, no string. Nothing but tea.

3. The variety: as you walk down the tea isle of your local natural product supermarket, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of choices available from a wide range of countries. But how distinct are they really? The tea in the tea bags has been selected for you and they are labeled in many market driven (and sometimes random) ways. When you go to loose leaf you are selecting the tea for yourself. The selection is wider and you can see and understand more precisely what you are getting.

4. The process: the act of brewing loose leaf tea and observing the leaves as they unfurl to reveal the aroma is very rewarding. The act of brewing tea is an interaction with the tea plant. For me and several of my tea friends, brewing tea has a calming effect. By taking the time to go through several steps of the brew process the mind is cleansed and I am ready to face the challenges that life has to offer.

5. The tea ware: cool and beautiful tea ware is not a must when brewing loose leaf tea but it is fun and further contributes to a relaxing and satisfying experience. I sometimes brew loose leaf by simply adding leaf to the bottom of a mug, adding hot water, waiting for the leaf to settle to the bottom and then drinking tea off the top. I have even brewed loose leaf tea at a gas station out of a Styrofoam cup with the scalding hot water that was in the coffee machine (not recommended). For a while, one of my favorite ways to make eastern beauty is to put 3 to 5g (one spoonful) of loose leaf tea in the bottom of a pint glass, add water that is about 180 degrees Fahrenheit (bring water to a boil and then wait 5 minutes), wait three to five minutes and then strain with a fork into another pint glass. Although this minimalist approach to tea brewing is convenient, brewing tea with tea ware that compliments the teas specific characteristics, not only makes the experience more sublime, but the tea actually tastes better. Visually, tea ware has an impact. It can be arranged to be esthetically pleasing, and create a feeling of serenity and harmony.

Top Ten Reasons to Brew Your Own

2009-11-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

1. It is fun!
2. It is way economical, roughly the same price per serving as tea bags.
3. You will get a much higher quality drink. You get the whole leaf vs. crumbs.
4. Taste the soil (terroir) of different lands.
5. Taste the magic of master craftspeople.
6. Experience the joy of learning a skill.
7. Take time for yourself.
8. You get to collect a variety of pretty tea ware.
9. Brewing tea makes you feel cool.
10. You know what goes into it.

Floating Leaves

2009-08-13T16:04:00.000-07:00

I love going to Seattle for drinking tea. I think of it as a city with an extensive tea culture, and on this trip I have taken some time to ask questions from Seattle tea industry insiders. Seattle has such an amazing story as an economic trading port on the Pacific Rim. Though, not as popular as San Francisco or its neighbor to the North, Vancouver BC, Seattle is a leader in imports of coffee and tea. I bet Seattle has a pretty high per capita tea drinking population when compared to other cities.
First, I went to Floating Leaves and had an amazing brew session with the owner, Shiuwen, and some of her friends. Shiuwen’s window faces west, so we were able to bask in some of the days last rays of light. The windows are big, so there is a nice amount of natural light. She has her strong Jade plant that enjoys its spot in the window. “It brings in the money.” she chimes in as I take pictures of her plants. This is just after she told me that I was not allowed to take pictures in her shop. So, if you want to exhibit some basic courtesy, don’t just blast into Shiuwen’s shop taking pictures, as I did. It might be nice to ask her permission, before taking all the pictures you want.
Before I met Shiuwen, in 2002, she was working for Seattle’s Best Tea. She wanted to do more to promote tea. She began visiting tea houses on the west coast at which time she met Roy Fong (owner of Imperial Tea Court) and Frank Miller former owner of Blue Willow Tea House (which no longer exists). Shiuwen was inspired by these tea teachers and her thirst for knowledge grew. She and her former husband did some tastings in Seattle and people were skeptical that the small pot would make enough tea. “Let’s make some tea, and you can tell me if it is enough.” Shiuwen suggested. And sure enough by the third infusion everyone was very impressed. People were ready to place their orders. Shiuwen made a call to Taiwan and asked a relative to send her some tea. She opened a 10 by 10 space in a covered outdoor market. In the mornings she would work as a barista at Starbucks and then she would walk to the tea stand where she would take naps in the lull between customers. “Business was slow, because the open market was never filled.” Shiuwen recalls.

Shiuwen, David Weinman, Michael J. Coffey, Rich Tao and I drink tea at Floating Leaves.

Her next venue was The Freemont Sunday Market, which was a flea market. Each place she went she would meet customer and develop a bit of a following. It was in these early building days that she met groups of loyal customers that, to this day, still buy from Floating Leaves tea.
I met Shiuwen and Rob, her former husband, in the Spring of 2005 when they came to Taiwan for a buying trip. I was living in Taiwan at the time and we spent a couple of days drinking a great deal of tea. We shared several tea buying stories and drank tea until we were tea drunk. In July of 2005, Floating Leaves opened its first full service tea room in Ballard, but after struggling to keep it open and after making some life changes, Shiuwen moved Floating Leaves to its current location which is smaller and more tailored to Shiuwen’s ideal shop.
The top selling teas of Floating Leaves are: first, Dong Ding oolong tea, because it has the taste of a high mountain tea, but it costs less money; second, Wen Shan Bao Zhong oolong tea, because it is delicate and beautiful, so it is easy to grasp its greatness. It is a great starting point when one wants to get into oolongs. And third, High Mountain Tea, everyone likes high mountain tea right? I am thinking that the price is the determining factor that makes High Mountain Oolong Tea the number three seller.

This is the tasting table at Floating Leaves, after spending an afternoon with Shiuwen and tea friends.

After hearing the Floating Leaves saga, all I could say was, “Wow, you truly are Floating Leaves.” Shiuwen admits that the name is bad fong shui and might have had an influence on the business. She thought about changing the name to Floating Fragrance, but says that too many people know her by the original name.

Quatro de Mayo Tea Tasting

2009-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

From right to left we will be tasting:

1. Competition Winner Wen Shan Bao Zhong (First Tier) - winter harvest 2008

2. Li Shan Da Yu Ling - winter harvest 2007

3. Shan Lin Xi - Spring 2008

4. Mount Ah Li Baked 1000 Mile - Spring 2006

5. Competition Winner Mu Za Iron Goddess (Honorable Mention) - Winter 2007

The book shown in the picture is Wine Lover's Companion - Comprehensive Definitions for More Than 3500 Wine-Related Terms by Herbst & Herbst. In the lower right-hand corner is a list of wine terms shown below. The list and the book were loaned to me by a local wine expert / tea enthusiast.

Parameters: we will use 5 g of each tea, three minute infusions. We are using charcoal filtered water 210 to 212°F.

A note on the tasters: I am Taster 1. Taster 2 is a chef trained in Aryuvedic food pairing and Gong fu tea service.

The teas will be tasted in the order listed above. I arranged the teas in this order, not as an arrangement from least desirable to most desirable, rather so that the previous tea would not interfere with the following tea. As we can see in the photo below, this arrangement is consistent with the color progression as the teas change from greener the darker.

The results are in.

1. Competition Winner Wen Shan Bao Zhong (First Tier) - winter harvest 2008

Taster 1
Honey syrup hummingbird nectar followed by aftertaste of Hummingbird sage. Salvia. Green floral honeysuckle lingering sweet, sunflower in the sun, peanut. Mist covered sloping hillsides. Rolling green contrast stone that the steps are carved out of climbing higher eventually disappearing into the mist. A slight astringency gives it a weight and substance. Rocks and soil aftertaste, a sweet mouth feel that is long lasting.

Taster 2
Fresh, citrus, melon, honey. Invokes images of sitting on a beach at sunrise. Scent: baby breath.

2. Li Shan Da Yu Ling - winter harvest 2007

Taster 1
Brilliant fruit composition like a virtual fruit platter mango pineapple soft pillow clouds of fruit sugars. Pure sweetness the whole way through. I'm getting one of those, I can't believe tea moments. The sugars are so intense, almost as if sugar was extracted from fruit and in the process of attaining a bit of fruit scent. This is one of the teas my teacher said could be stored, meaning that the quality is high enough that it will change, as all teas do, the only change for the good. This is because it has enough sweetness along with of the soil and the earth. The oceanic crust that was pushed from the ocean floor to become one of Taiwan's highest mountains towering at 11,000 feet. This tea has staying power.

Taster 2
Scent: So sweet! Baklava.
A little leathery, some musk and sawdust. And almond without skin.

3. Shan Lin Xi - Spring 2008

Taster 1
Tannins are almost too bright initial aroma, this tea does not hide. It is the blackberry pie on the window still cooling for all to see, followed by a sweetness that carries an umph. Brings a lot with the change of sweet on the end there is almost too much going on to wrap one's mind around. The flavor continues to change and ends up as a under ripe watermelon.

Taster 2
Bohemian; sweet, bitter, soul, dry on the tongue, warm on the throat. Interacts with the stomach well. Almost unripe.

4. Mount Ah Li Baked 1000 Mile - Spring 2006

Taster 1
Walk up mist covered mountains steps in the fog enveloped you beckoning you for calling your direct line and letting you know it will nurture and envelop your soul. Creamy smooth amaretto, crushed hemp seed texture, swirling flavor complexity, cocoa.
Slightly citric bright finish. And applesauce presence and some doughyness.
Food complement: lamb chops. This tea would go amazing with barbecued lamb chops.

Taster 2
Comforting, ginger bread/cinnamon. Stir fry, amaranth, rich.

5. Competition Winner Mu Za Iron Goddess (Honorable Mention) - Winter 2007

Taster 1
Kimchi! Inhaling the aroma in one long breath, the scent slowly builds. It seems to start from the earth, travel into the roots heading up into the wood transitioning into almond creamy textures. Continuing the nose seems to travel up and out the branches of the plant out to the tips for the brilliant fruit bouquet. Eventually reaching a high pitched citric crescendo that pours over and over asking the question, will this scent ever stop peeking? A little bit of leather some tobacco and sweet floral to fruit how very so many flavors could come to mind his point to describe this teas taste. Because on and on it just keeps changing, almost intense hummingbird sage. Caramelized fruit bread crusts, just the caramelized part. The rest of this teas flavor is almost as broad as your imagination, there are a lot of flavors present and all of them are good.

Taster 2
Caramelized pecan and onion. Not so much water, yet cooling in the stomach, stew, bread, carrots, SMORES, sauna, mineral very mild clove or nutmeg. Raisin.

Tai He Oolong Packaging

2009-03-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots of the competition winning Tai He oolong packaging. Tai he is located on Plum Mountain in the Mt. Ah Li tea growing region. It is known as Tai He Yi Zhan or 太和驛站 or Tai He Courier Station (where couriers changed horses or rested). I have bought Tai He Competition winning tea in the past and was very pleased with the quality. It was the kind of tea that I would pull out when business is not so good. After making the tea for myself, I would always remember why I am in the tea business. Having tea like this to drink makes it all worth it. 梅山鄉公所 "Mei Shan Xiang Gong Suo" and 梅山鄉農會 "Mei Shan Xiang Nong Hui" oversee the competition.
Recently one of my customers brought to my attention the wonderfull juxtaposition of "this mortal world of chaos" with "simply having a good cup of tea". The great part of the text reads, "When one comes in need of getting away from this mortal world of chaos, seeking calmness in onesself, or simply having a good cup of tea, Taihe Mind-Soothing Vintage Tea

Winter Baking

2009-03-18T15:35:00.000-07:00

Winter is the time for baking tea. As the temperature drops, there is nothing nicer than roasting oolong. The entire teahouse is filled with a spectacularly sweet aroma. One thing I learned about on this most recent trip to Taiwan is how to create a space for baking oolong tea. I've done my best to create the ideal space here in the teahouse. The size of the room that the tea will be baked is important and is related to the size of the tea roaster. The most preferable ratio for the baking room to the tea roaster is 10 to 1 meaning that one could fit 10 tea bakers on the floor of the tea baking room. In preparing the space, it was thoroughly cleaned, taking special care to remove any substances that might contaminate the tea. Because tea is very sensitive, the area of tea baking should be enclosed. Though the enclosed space is necessary, air circulation is also important, so at both ends of the teahouse the windows are open just a crack to allow a slight stream of air to pass through the baking room. After all conditions are met in the house, it is important to wait for the right weather. Tea cannot be baked if it is raining because of the overall increased humidity. Baking tea is the process of removing moisture from the leaves and therefore dry weather is ideal for baking tea.
Last week, I baked a batch of Gui Fei Mei Ren here in the teahouse. Gui Fei Mei Ren is a tightly rolled summer harvest aphid bitten oolong from Dong Ding Mountain in Taiwan. Baking the tea accentuated its honey flavor as well as added a nice toasted aroma. Yummy!
This week, I am baking a batch of Li Shan high mountain oolong. The aroma is sweet and rich while the flavor is deep and full bodied. Winter time is the best time to drink baked oolong tea. With such a rich flavor is not necessary to drink a lot of tea. The rich roasted flavor brings about a warm toasty feeling.

All the Tea in China

2009-03-04T12:09:00.000-08:00

– a non credit class offered through Lane Community College
J-TEA is starting a new class this spring term through the continuing education department at Lane Community College.
Class title: All the Tea in China
Class number: 42487
Cost: $49
Dates: Wed April 1st, Wed April 8th, Wed April 15th
Duration: 2 hours each (total of 6 hours)
Here is the write up as it appears in the LCC catalogue:
The tea leaf has influenced history, cultures and the world. Learn about the exciting journey of the tea leaf. This course of study will expose you to how tea is appreciated all over the world and how it has influenced and been used by different cultures. The course will offer insight into “The Art of Tea” and “The Way of Tea” as well as tea’s health benefits and medicinal properties. Experience methods for making and taking tea. Cost includes a tea pot, 2 cups, and samples of tea to take home.

To sign up, call 541-463-5252. If you have previously attended Lane, you may use ExpressLane at lanecc.edu to register and pay for classes. Space is limited and the class is filling up fast, so be sure and sign up soon if you are interested.
This class is very hands-on. Each person in the class will get to experience brewing tea. We will also drink a lot of tea in the class. I hope to see you there.

2009-02-25T16:35:00.000-08:00

My teacher evaluation is in from the tea course I taught through Lane Community College.

It looks like I passed and I am looking forward to teaching the course again this spring. If you want to sign up, be sure to keep your eye out for the Lane's course catalogue, comming soon...

A Great New Years Party-- Winter 2008

2009-01-22T23:38:00.000-08:00

First, daffodil carving lessons from St. Daffodil. Every year just at the heart of winter the daffodil bulbs arrive in Taiwan. St. Daffodil is the keeper of a Buddhist temple. He is left alone for the most part so he has devoted a large area of the temple space to his daffodil bulb collection. After storing the bulbs in the dark for about 5 days, the bulbs are ready to carve. Why carve out the flowers of a daffodil? Ordinarily each globe grows only one flower. By carving the flowers out of the daffodil bulb it is possible to make several flowers bloom from one daffodil.

After carving, soak in water for about 5 days or until roots start growing out. When the growth is visible, place the bulb in a small bowl half filled with water and cover the roots with some damp cotton is shown below. Take the bulbs out into the sun everyday and bring them in at night if it is freezing.
Later, Mr. Zeng taught me how to carve the daffodils in a was an article about him in the newspaper. Mr. Zeng is one of the most talented storytellers I've heard in a while. He used to keep close to a dozen people listening attentively to his stories as he chuckled them off as if talking to an old close friend. "I count on my mouth to make a living," He he would admit halfway through the story, "so you shouldn't listen to a word I say." And it just made everyone want to listen carefully to what he was saying.

As we learn to carve the daffodil bulb's we had some first prize winning Sun Moon Lake number 18 Taiwan black tea from Taiwan. Not just competition winning first-tier number 18 black tea. This was 1st place. El numero uno.

Tea with a reported tea value of $156 for the amount shown below.

Some of the older folks in the room were pressing younger folks to name the flavor of this tea. A young girl in the room said, "It has such a cool feeling."

"Yes, it is cool." Said an older man. The flavor is there. I know it and I can name it. I wonder should I say it out of fear of sounding foolish, I cannot help to blurt it out, "it tastes like mint."

"Ahh, he said it." Older men shout out with glee. Again, I am unable to suppress my gut instinct, "Why pay this much for a black tea that tastes like mint tea when I can drink mint tea for $1 a glass?"

The answer: "Because that is the amazing thing about this tea. No mint was added."

Osmanthus in Bloom

2009-01-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

臺南桂花 Osmanthus flowers show in the winter in Tainan. These shots were taken in early January 2009. An auspicious sign that the new year would bring these fresh flowers. Osmanthus is one of the more common flowers added to oolongs. When I first started drinking oolong, I was introduced to osmanthus oolong. The scent is so distinct and pleasant. One time I was sitting outside and the scent of osmanthus was on the wind that evening. I was reminded of tea. The scent outside had me crazed for another brew session. Such is the case when tea is on the mind.

On the Way to Li Shan

2008-05-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

Of the roads to tea there are many. Though, I am not a fan of suspension bridges. Especially one that spans a river so far below.

Some of the roads are more easily traveled than others.

Gong Fu Tea by Master Luo

2008-05-22T18:33:00.000-07:00

My Question: "How should I prepare Mu Za Iron Goddess?"
Master Luo's response: "Mu Za Iron Goddess should be prepared similarly to a high mountain oolong. First heat you tea pot, then fill the pot 1/4 full with loose leaf tea. There is no need to rinse the leaves. For the first infusion, use boiling water and infuse for 10 seconds. This first infusion will be very light, but it will prepare the pallet and the senses for what is to come. Also, if there is any residual scent or flavor left on your pallet, this first infusion will wash that away. For each consecutive infusion, do the same... boil the water and infuse for 10 seconds. This way of brewing the tea will yield about ten infusions and each will be extremely aromatic and full of flavor."

This is one way to make tea that I have been playing with. I have been enjoying the results, but find that one of the most important considerations is to make sure that the water is hot hot hot, right off the boil.

Back from Taiwan

2008-05-22T18:06:00.000-07:00

It is great to be back in the Tea shop. I am here, but I left my cell phone in Taiwan. If you need to call, please call 503-922-1555. The tea is on the way and should be here within two weeks. What do you have to look forward to? Here is the list of new tea that is on the way:
These are the green oolongs
Spring Harvest 2008 Four Seasons oolong
Spring Harvest 2008 Jin Xuan
Spring Harvest 2008 Bamboo Mountain Oolong
Spring Harvest 2008 Zhang Shu Hu Oolong
Spring Harvest 2008 Shan Lin Xi Superior High Mountain Oolong
For eastern beauty I found
Summer Harvest 2007 Formosa Oolong
I have some great Iron Goddess on the way
Winter Harvest 2007 Mu Za Iron Goddess Honorable Mention
Winter Harvest 2008 Mu Za Iron Goddess First Tier
Puer
Some cooked puer is coming this way and I also have about six different big tree puer cakes to share. The leaves are green and the tea is strong, but the prices are more reasonable than ever.
There are many other teas as well. The new web site is almost here. Prices will be reduced when buying in 1/4 pound and greater quantities. I hope that people will take advantage of the savings and buy in 1/4 pound sizes and greater, so that the wonderful world of tea can be enjoyed every day by more and more tea fans.

I learned so much on this trip and met so many fascinating people. Now it is time to get to work so that I can share all of the information that I absorbed.

Harvest Time April 28th 2008

2008-05-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

This group of women laugh and joke the time away as the pick the freshly grown leaves on Dong Ding mountain's western slope.

Tai Chi Tea

2008-05-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting poster series, and in the middle of Dong Ding mountain.

A new tea set

2008-05-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

I bought this tea set in Lugu because when using this teapot heavily baked oolongs such as Dong Ding oolong and Iron Goddess oolong will taste even better than they usually do. The pot's clay is very pourous and it will aid in creating an overall softer sensation to the highly baked oolongs. I look forward to using this set to make tea for guests in the shop for years to come.

Lugu "Deer Valley"

2008-05-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

Tea! Love at first sight.

2008-05-02T05:46:00.000-07:00

April 28th

Today I as I enter the village of Ming Jian I immediately see tea fields of tea on both sides of the road. This is very exciting! The scent of tea fills the air and I practically launch out of the car window as we encounter some of the first tea fields on this trip. As we steadily gain elevation, I begin to salivate anticipation of the wonderful teas to come.

Giant Teapot

2008-05-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't it be great to have this outside the teahouse on Friendly Street. That sure would get peoples attention. This was taken in Lugu. Shan Lin Xi mountains are in the background. Welcome to the land of "High Mountain Tea"!

Spring Tea Shopping

2008-05-01T23:30:00.000-07:00

April 26th 2008

I arrived at Tao Yuan International airport and got my luggage. One of my bags was called out for inspection, and as you would have guessed if you knew me well, it was the bag full of tea. Why bring a suitcase full of tea to Taiwan you might ask and rightly so. I am bringing the tea back to Taiwan so that I can bake it. This will revitalize the tea. It will bring back a fresh flavor and give it a liveliness that is so wonderful in oolongs. The customs officer let me know that there is a limit to the amount of oolong tea that one can bring into Taiwan. The limit is one kilo and I had about twenty kilos of tea. I explained that this was all tea that I brought from Taiwan and luckily he let me bring the tea in, but explained that I would have to bring proof that this tea was exported from Taiwan if I was planning to do this again. I thanked him and headed for the bus that would take me to the high speed rail.
My train left at 8:20 pm and I arrived in Jia Yi (Chiayi) one hour later. Wow that was fast. My teacher met me at the Jia Yi train station and after stopping for a snack we immediately went to a tea farmer’s house. I asked him to show me the teas that are recent harvests. He gladly obliged by picking out three teas, but he wanted to give me a test. He weighed five grams of each and steeped them for three minutes each in separate professional tasting sets. Our mission was to tell him how the teas should be ranked according to taste from most expensive to least. Price is used as a measure because where taste is subjective, price is not. The higher the price usually means the higher the elevation at which the tea was grown.
I didn’t want to be influenced by the others tasting, so I knew I had to be fast. After smelling the leaves I cast my vote. Without even tasting the tea I had made my decision, and then I went onto to taste just to make sure. My teacher agreed with me, so I felt confident, but the other taster disagreed. As luck would have it, I was right.
I placed my order and within two hours of being in Taiwan I was in possession of 115 pounds of tea. You’ve got to love Taiwan!

Gong fu cha; easy as 1, 2, 3....... 6, 7, 8, 9

2008-04-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

This is a question that often comes up. Most often, people think that this size pot will only make enough tea for one. This is a guide to the basic outlines of Gong Fu tea brewing, as well as a demonstration to show the amount of tea that a small pot will produce. Just remember, it is not the size of your teapot, but how you use it, that is most important.

The setup

Heating the pot. Fill your pot with boiling hot water and let set for a few moments. One tea master told me that the pot is properly heated only when the lid handle is hot. If you fill your pot with boiling hot water and wait about a minute, then touch the lid handle of the pot, it should be hot. This is a good start.

This is a 6 ounce pot.

The leaf, compliments of J-Tea. Competition Winner Mu Za Iron Goddess (Second Tier) Spring 2007

15g of tea

The leaves should fill the pot about 1/3rd of the way.

First infusion-30 seconds-no rinse. I typically will not rinse the tea, especially when it is of such a high grade.

The first infusion yields about 5 ounces of mouth watering tea.

Moving right along to the second infusion-35 seconds

I love teapots!

The first two infusions combined makes just shy of 10 ounces of tea.

Now the leaves have unfurled and they are expanded enough to just fill up the pot. I think I might have used a tad too much. In general, when the leaves have expanded, they should fill the pot, but they should be fluffy and giving instead of resistant to the touch.

Third infusion.

Pouring water over the top. This action has a number of applications. First, it is fun! Next, it cools the temperature of the pot. It treats the pot adding to the brilliant patina, and it can act as a natural timer. When the pot is again dry, a certain amount of time has gone by. This time will change with pots and with the temperature of the water.

The third and fourth infusion combine to yield just over 8 ounces of tea.

The fifth and sixth, the same, and...

the same for the seventh and eighth

Empty the leaves.

Rinse the pot.

Admire the handiwork.

Summary:
All in all 15g of dry leaf yielded 34 fluid ounces of tea. Brewing tea in the traditional method according to heavy tea drinkers taste, 1 ounce of tea yields 8 cups of tea. If I were to do this demo again, I would do it with a lesser quantity and quality tea. Quantity, because I actually think I used too much tea as it was poping out of the pot after the first two infusions. Quality, because putting the tea into that measuring cup made it less tasty.

Tough Questions

2008-04-02T18:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I did a tea tasting in Bend, OR. After the tasting, my partner stated that I was only providing about 40% of the information when answering questions. I thought that this was an interesting observation. It also reminded me of my friend in Taiwan that used to ask me, "Have you learned all there is to know about tea yet?" to which I would always answer, "no". Most people think that tea is not complicated, and it is true. Tea is not complicated, but it is not easily understood. Often times, people in my shop will say, "Puer, what is that?" My answer to this question takes about 5 to 15 minutes. There are so many ways to answer this question. My answer usually starts like, "Puer is its own category of tea..."

Tea Tasting at the Lane Community College Culinary Arts program (03/05/08)

2008-04-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

The setup

This girl can rap. Check it out! http://www.myspace.com/brastrapz

This was one of the tastings that I learned the most from so far. This group had some really tough questions.

Tea is Healthy!

2008-04-02T14:13:00.001-07:00

Research conducted at Oregon State University found that freshly brewed tea contains 10 to 100 times more antioxidants than bottled teas. If you want antioxidants, drink freshly brewed tea.

Tea is just as effective as water in helping keep people hydrated. It is a common myth that tea or any other caffeine-containing beverage will cause a loss of body fluid and negatively impact the body's hydration level. Scientific evidence simply does not support this belief. UK experts found that drinking three or more cups of tea a day is as good for you as drinking plenty of water and it even helps to protect against heart disease and some forms of cancer. Drinking tea can give your mind a gentle lift that can help you focus. Moreover, unsweetened brewed tea is a perfect beverage to use as part of a weight management diet or lifestyle.

Tea demo at the University of Oregon

2008-04-02T14:08:00.000-07:00

The class was about Chinese food and culture. Ah, it made me miss the days in Taiwan, when I was just spending a great deal of time adjusting to the culture. In order to acclimate myself, I would spend the first three to five hours of each day eating and drinking at a very leisurely pace.
The professor, Ina Asim, graciously invited me to give a tea demonstration and allow the students to taste several high end oolong teas.
I am not sure why I used this set up, but if I had to do it again I would use several small brew cups as is done in the tea competitions of Taiwan.

Professor Ina Asim and I.

Dong Ding Gui Fei Mei Ren

2008-03-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

Formosa Oolong
Formosa Oolong is a specific category of oolong also commonly known as “Oriental Beauty”, “Bai Hao Oolong”, “Silver Tipped Oolong”, “Dong Fang Mei Ren”, “Pong Hong Te” and now “Gui Fei Mei Ren”.

How does the Formosa Oolong group get their wonderful flavor? An interesting article in the Taiwanese magazine gives an account:

In the months of May through July tiny insects called leaf hoppers are at their highest concentration. During this time, tea farmers throughout Taiwan make preparations for their summer harvest of Formosa Oolongs. In the past, pesticides were used to discourage these little buggers, but in recent years the farmers have hoped that their crops are well attacked. It was discovered that the more highly concentrated the leaf hoppers, the more flavorful the tea.

The leaf hoppers became a welcome pest, adding flavor to the tea throughout the island. Through several hundred if not thousands of years of evolution, the fresh tea leaf has developed a self defense mechanism. The threat caused by the leaf hopper resulted in abnormal metabolic rhythms being produced by the plant which in turn caused some sort of chemical reaction that results in “multiple tea polyphenols” (the powerful antioxidant found in oolong tea) and tea tannins. These polyphenols and tannins in turn attracted the leukoplakia wax spider, a natural predator of the leaf hopper. A full grown leaf hopper is no bigger than a fruit fly. It is as small as a spec of dust. They have a sharp beak poker mouth that resembles a shortened mosquito snout. The leaf hopper uses this poker to suck out the nutrient juices of the fresh and tender leaves of the camellia sinensis, or tea plant. The leaf hopper threatens the sprout of the fresh leaf which looks like a toothpick. In a controlled experiment, researchers found that when artificially replicating the attack of the leaf hopper in a lab, the tea plant responded similarly, producing the same abnormal metabolic rhythms. But the degree to which the chemical reaction occurred was far less. When researchers tasted both teas the results showed clearly that the tea bitten by the leaf hopper was significantly sweeter than the tea that was artificially attacked. The conclusion of the research was that the classic honey taste associated with Formosa Oolong comes from the leaf hopper actually sucking from the tea sprout.

How did Dong Ding Gui Fei “Leaf Hopper Oolong Tea” come to be? The story begins with an earthquake that occurred in September, 1999, in Nantou, Taiwan, ---7.6 on the Richter scale This earthquake is often referred to as 9-2-1. Nantou County is considered one of the safest natural environments. The island of Taiwan is riddled with earth quakes, but natural Utopias exist. Many moved to Nantou with the idea of being safe. It is an area much like Eugene, a great environment and very close to the mountains. Yet, the epicenter of the devastating earthquake of 9-2-1 was in Nantou. Needless to say, the land was greatly transformed. Many roads were destroyed. There was a period in which the tea fields were unattended to. During this lack of attention, leaf hoppers were abundant. When the reconstruction took place, special care was given to the development and nurturing of the tea farms. As a result of this lack of care followed by some special care, the Dong Ding Gui Fei of 1999 had an exceptional honey taste. Since then Gui Fei has became an immensely flavorful and highly sought after Formosa Oolong.

Small Puer Cake

2008-03-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

J-Tea Leaf House Grand Opening!

2007-10-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

J-Tea Leaf House Grand Opening
J-Tea’s Tea Leaf House will open on Wednesday afternoon, July 25th at 2778 Friendly Street in Eugene.

J-Tea is the source for some of the highest quality hand crafted tea available in the world. Tasting this tea is a new experience. The J-Tea Leaf House will feature award winning loose tea leaf hand crafted Oolong tea, Puer tea bricks, teapots, tea cups, tea sets, other tea related tools. Since 2004, the J-Tea brand has been sold in over 30 specialty tea shops throughout the U.S. (including at the Asian Market and Provisions in Eugene).

Tea tasters are welcome although tea will not be served by the pot or by the cup.

The J-Tea Tea Leaf House is modeled after Taiwan style tea leaf vendors. Patrons are welcome to participate in tea tastings as well as purchase loose leaf tea that can be taken home for personal brewing. Tea tastings for groups are available by request.

2007-10-31T03:25:00.000-07:00

My thanks to everyone who came by to visit the J-Tea Leaf House on Friendly Street. I very much enjoyed meeting you and look forward to seeing you in the future.

Notes on the J-Tea Leaf House schedule
Currently I am out of town on a tea selling excursion. I will return to Eugene on September 16th and I will be open through the 19th. On the 20th I am traveling to Taiwan to get more tea. I will return on the 10th of October. The tea house will be open from October 10th until December 24th. On the 27th of December I am going back to Taiwan to but tea from the winter tea harvest.

Regular hours
J-Tea Leaf House hours on most Mondays through Fridays are from 11am to 6pm. We are also open on some Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 6pm (call 285-8997 for more information).

Notes on caffeine
J-Tea does not sell any herbal teas. All of the tea sold by J-Tea is a camellia sinensis. As a result, many people have been asking about caffeine. Below is a list of caffeine content in particular beverages: Espresso, 1-oz shot 40 mg
Coca-Cola, 20-oz bottle 57 mg
Red Bull energy drink, 8.3-oz can 80 mg
Brewed coffee, 12-oz cup 200 mg
Mountain Dew, 64-oz Double Big Gulp 294 mg
J-Tea type Brewed tea, 8-oz cup 50 mg

Of course, the amount of caffeine in a brewed cup of tea depends on the kind of tea, the condition of the leaves and the amount of leaves used.

Notes on brewing
Ideal water temperature –
Wen Shan Bao Zhong, Oriental Beauty and Formosa Oolong – 180-200ºF
Other oolongs – 190-200ºF
Puer and Iron Goddess – 200-212ºF

Brewing in a Mug
Tools: your favorite mug
Method: Start with one teaspoon of tea and alter. The key is to experiment and discover your individual taste.
step 1 – put one teaspoon of tea in mug
step 2 – add boiled water, allow tea leaves to unfurl
step 3 – drink tea off top, leaves will settle on bottom
step 4 – rebrew up to 3 times (brew time 3-5 minutes) or until tea is no longer at desired strength
Yield – up to 4 cups

Simplified Gong Fu Tea Brewing
Tools: small clay pot/ guy wan, small tea cups, pouring pot
Method:
step 1 – boil water, warm tea pot and cups
step 2 – use up to ¼ pot tea leaves, add boiled water and pour away first brew to rinse leaves
step 3 – add boiled water and steep 30 seconds
step 4 – repeat steep adding 5 seconds each time
**steep shouldn't exceed 1 minute

Yield – 5-10 infusions

Not so distant future
This fall I will be offering a variety of high quality and exceptionally prize winning teas. Please stop by the J-Tea Leaf House to check them out.

Best Regards,

Josh Chamberlain
J-Tea Leaf House
2778 Friendly Street
Eugene, OR
97405

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©2007 J-TEA International. All rights reserved. Last updated 9/15/07 . Questions or comments, e-mail help@jteainternational.com

J-Tea October Newsletter

2007-10-25T17:12:00.000-07:00

J-TEA International. October 2007

J-Tea News
The J-Tea Leaf House offers tea that I have personally selected from small independent family farms. These are farms that I have direct relationships with.

Now it’s Oolong time all the time.

I am back from Taiwan. It was a great trip! The J-Tea Leaf House offers tea tasting, over 43 varieties of Oolong tea, 7 varieties of Puer tea, and other Chinese tea including Yunnan Golden Tips, as well as a wide variety of tea ware. The tea list is always growing. Fifteen new Oolongs are on the way here from Taiwan. Also I will soon receive some great new tea brew ware and some fantastic ceramics.

Trip Highlight
I charcoal baked my first batch of Oolong! Charcoal baking is the way that Oolong tea was traditionally roasted. This tea baking process is one that is kept secret and is often mystified to confuse tea vendors and producers. If everyone knew how to improve tea with this method, those that are considered baking masters would be out of work!

The function of baking tea is to preserve its shelf life, and to bring out some of the fruity or citric flavors of a tea. Actually, the process is not all that complicated, but it does take a bit of work and some very specific equipment. Here’s how it works:

First we filled a cement drum with 80 lbs of charcoal made from the Long Yen (longan) tree. This is a fruit tree that produces fruit a little bit similar to apricots. The great thing about charcoal baking is that the flavor of wood is absorbed into the tea, thus it is very important as to which wood is used to make the charcoal. The Long Yen wood is considered some of the best to make charcoal for baking tea.

The charcoal came in large chunks so we used a hammer to break it up into small pieces. Next, we compressed the charcoal by tamping it down into the cement drum. After igniting the charcoal at the center with a blow torch (a somewhat modern intervention) we covered all of the charcoal with about 2 inches of Long Yen charcoal ash. This acts as insulation and prevents the tea from being directly exposed to an extreme heat. The thickness of this ash can be adjusted depending on the charcoal heat.
This fire burned for 5 days straight. Each batch of roasting takes anywhere from 2 to a few hours, so several batches of tea can be roasted from this one fire. Roasting time depends on the heat of the fire and the degree to which one desires the roast.

A bamboo woven rung sat above the cement drum. In the rung is a metal screen and the tea sat on this metal screen. The screen was big enough to hold about 7 pounds of tea, and the rung held the tea about 15 inches above the fire. After the tea was spread evenly on the screen a small portion of tea was scooped out from the center, so that there was no tea in the center of the screen. This was the hottest area of the fire. It is important to keep tea off the hottest part of the fire.

I was helping with the roasting process for 2 days when my teacher posed the question, "Would you like to roast a batch of tea yourself that you can take back to America?" Of course I said “Yes”. What an experience!

I selected a Mt Ah Li Mi Xiang Oolong. This is a tea that has a substantial body and a sweet aftertaste. After placing my tea on the fire, an unpleasant smell was released from the tea. This is common when the tea is first placed on the fire. The timer was set for 15 minutes. Every 15 minutes I removed the tea from the fire and stirred it through a flipping motion so that all of the surface area of the tea was evenly exposed to the fire. Again after each stirring, I scooped out the center portion of tea. After about 45 minutes the tea released an incredibly fragrant smell. Toward to end of the baking process, time between stirring was reduced. After 2 hours and 30 minutes, the tea smelled excellent. I took some of the tea and brewed it and decided to let it bake a bit longer. Then after a little while I tasted the tea again, I decided it was ready, and I removed it from the fire and placed it in a bag.

Days later I tasted the tea again and it had a different even smoother woody flavor that had slowly developed in the tea. When my tea teachers tasted the tea, they both nodded their approval. It was a success!

J-Tea Leaf House Hours
The Teashop is open everyday except Friday and Saturday. Hours are from 11AM to 6PM

J-Tea Leaf House Location
We are located at 2778 Friendly St., across the street from the Friendly Street Market.

Come by to see our new selection of tea and tea ware.

©2007 J-TEA International. All rights reserved. Last updated 10/14/07 . Questions or comments, e-mail help@jteainternational.com

Gui Fei Mei Ren Oolong 貴妃烏龍茶

2006-10-04T16:11:00.000-07:00

This tea is from Nantou County, Lugu Township. In 1999, following the devestating earthquake in this area, many of the tea farmers in the area used an excessive amount of nitrogenous fertilizer which in turn attracted many of the aphid type leaf hoppers. The Flavor of this tea depends on the transfer of pollen from nearby flowers to the tea leaves, giving the tea its unusually sweet flavor. My favorite varietal of Gui Fei Mei Ren is made Qing Xing Oolong, but it can also be made with Jin Xuan Oolong and possibly other variatals as well.
Gui Fei Mei Ren is named after one of China's four famous beauties, Yang Gui Fei. She represents a sexy juicy version of beauty due to her plump nature. Gui Fei is a title given to a kings wife that is his favorite wife just after the queen, indicating a second tier wife position. Yang Gui Fei lived in the Tang dynasty and was the wife of Tang Ming Huang. There are many stories about Gui Fei. I will convey the ones that I know. It is said that she bathed in milk. She was one of the king's favorite wives. Her favorite fruit was Li Zhi (I am not sure of the English name), a fruit that grows in the south of China. Gui Fei lived in central China. The king assigned the fastest horse to transport his beloved wives favorite fruit so that it would not spoil before it arrived. Eventually she brought great turmoil to the kingdom as her jealous boyfriend, An Lu Shan, took it upon himself to kill the king, although he never did. Another name for this tea is "Noble Concubine".

Shan Lin Xi Oolong Tea 杉林溪茶

2006-10-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

Shan Lin Xi Oolong Tea 杉林溪茶
Both of these Shan Lin Xi Oolongs were hand picked and hand crafted, in the Shan Lin Xi mountain range. Shan Lin Xi is in Zhushan township of Nantou county. Oolong tea has been grown in Shan Lin Xi for the past 50 years, but it was only since 1981 that the area's oolong tea production increased to meet an ever growing national demand. All of the tea grown in this area is "Qing Xing" Oolong, the most sought after varietal for high mountain oolong. These High Mountain Oolong Teas were grown at about 5,900 feet (1800 meters). The quality of the tea cannot be graded on the altitude alone. Other factors such as tea type, area of growth, production and crafts person's skill all contribute to these tea's amazing substance and aroma.
These Shan Lin Xi Oolongs were produced by a small family farm. This farm is the home of a master tea craftsman who has produced "special winning" Oolong in the past. The area is a beautiful array of cedar forests and running brooks in the area that enhance the environment for tea production. The temperate climate is cool. The sun shows for only a very brief time throughout the day. Fog coats the hills and fields of tea the rest of the time. These conditions ensure that the tea will grow slowly, struggling for life, and eventually produce a heartier plant with leaves that are robust, thick, and soft, which inevitably results in a more elevated tea experience.
In Taiwan, Taiwanese oolong is almost always made in a small gong fu tea pot or a guy wan. This is especially true when brewing a tea of considerable value such as these Shan Lin Xi Oolongs. Suggested water temp is around 194 degrees Fahrenheit. Tea should fill the kung fu tea device to 1/3 full of tea for a strong brew of tea and 1/4th full for a moderate strength. Brew the tea for 45 seconds and pour out for drinking. Repeat for eight to ten infusions.
Recommended brew device: White Guy wan or an unglazed clay teapot fired at extremely high temperature so that the clay can sustain a very thin wall.

Mu Za Tie Guan Yin 木柵鐵觀音茶

2006-10-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

Mu Za Tie Guan Yin 木柵鐵觀音茶
Provence: Taipei
Taipei City, Mu Za Area

AKA Iron Goddess
The Mu Za tea plantations are from the time of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. The beginning of Tie Guan Yin in Taiwan was when two brothers were sent by the Mu Za Tea Company to China to bring back a Tie Guan Yin (TGY) plant. The brothers made the journey to An Xi County in Fu Jian Provence where they were able to aquire to correct strain of Iron Goddess. The conditions in Mu Za area were ideal for this kind of tea so the transfer was very successful. The Mu Za area grows Tie Guan Yin tea exclusively and it is known as "Zheng Chong Tie Guan Yin" 正欉鐵觀音" The difference between this kind of Tie Guan Yin and other TGY's is the tea plant's ecology. This kind of TGY also grows out a bit more to the sides, the leaf surface is wrinkled, and the pith of the leaf does not run directly down the middle of the leaf. Thus, the tea leaf that comes from Mu Za Area has a naturally curved shape as it grows on the tea plant. It is often compared with a piece of fruit. The leaf teeth are of all different sizes. In these ways, this Zhen Chong TGY is completely different from any other kind of TGY. Zhen Chong TGY is much dryer than other TGY and the width of the plant is wider and fatter. Zhen Chong TGY has a stronger flavor with a darker color as well as a stronger scent when compared with other TGY.
The altitude of the Mu Za growing area is 300-350 meters (984-1148 feet). The tea there can be harvested between 4 and 5 times a year, although the spring and winter harvests are the best. It has east and west exposure, resulting in long days in the sun. Therefor, the tea when harvested has a tendancy to be very bitter, but after a period of oxidation, and a baking process, the bitter flavor dissipates, the tea's alkali changes during the baking process, so that the end result is a tea that is good for older people, or those with delicate stomachs.
The amount of tea when brewing should be one third of a gung fu tea pot or less. The temp should be around 203 degrees and the infusion time should be quick from 20 to 30 seconds. If the tea amount is less, one should extend the brew time. From the second to the fifth brew the temp should be from 176 to 194, and the brew time should be from 10-20 seconds.

2006-10-04T15:41:00.000-07:00

Oriental Beauty also known as Bai Hao Oolong 白毫烏龍茶 also known as Dong Fang Mei Ren 東方美人茶
The name Oriental Beauty is said to come from Queen Elizabeth I of England who reportedly remarked, "What an oriental beauty?" upon first tasting the tea. This is a summer harvest tea that relays on a tea leaf eating aphid that transfers pollen from nearby flowers to the tea leaves, resulting in the classic Oriental Beauty honey taste. This is a heavily oxidized tea leaf that results in a reddish liquor that is especially sweet and intoxicating. In Southern Taiwan, where I lived in Taiwan, most if not all of the rain would happen in the summer. The summer rains were part of the course when a typhoon that was passing through the area. I always welcomed the typhoon's ability to cool the area considerably, but later I learned that typhoons can wreak havoc on the tea growing mountains as landslides cover plantations and viliages under their massive rubble. The tea fields are in part to blame but often more heavily criticized are the bing lang plantations that cover vast hillsides, providing only the most shallow of roots. It was on these rainy days that I loved drinking Dong Fang Mei Ren. Production of this tea is in Xin Zhu County's Bei Pu.

2006-10-04T15:40:00.000-07:00

Dong Ding Oolong Tea 凍頂烏龍茶
It was in 1855 that tea from Mainland China was planted on Dong Ding Mountain. This is a very famous Oolong tea from Taiwan. The name "Dong Ding" or Frozen Tip/Frozen Summit is a play on words because the old stories of picking tea on this mountain tell of numb fingertips and tips of toes that went along with harvesting the tea in this area. The mountain is located in Lugu "Deer Valley" Township which is in Nantou County. Traditionally, this tea will be oxidized about 30%, it is then baked over a high temperature for a long period of time. This baking adds to the rich texture and aroma of this tea.

Competition Tea in Taiwan

2006-09-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

How the grade of Competition Tea is determined
There is a saying in Taiwan that The expert looks at the door and the dabbler watches the commotion. In this case the door is the expertise and skill necessary to create a tea of such high standards. The commotion is represented by the noise created over some of the very high prices given to these teas. Many people heard about a spring tea competition for Taiwan's Oolong Tea resulting in one unit (approximately 1.3 lbs) winning tea priced at 80,000 USD. At the same time a TV shopping network in Taiwan sold a tea with the same name for roughly 16 USD for the same amount of tea with a gift item of a full kung fu brewing tea set.
How is the quality decided? How is the price decided?
Competition tea can be divided into two camps. There are those that judge the process of making tea and then there are those that will judge the tea based solely on flavor. Usually the later is used to judge a tea. The focus is on the flavor to determin the tea's quality.
Are the most important factors in determining a tea's value 1) the people who sponsor the tea's competition? 2) the ability of the judges and 3) how many tea's are entered into the competition? All of these factors have an influence on the tea's value.
The most reputable sponsor in Taiwan today is the Agricultural Dept of Taiwan. The most reputable judges come from the tea improvement investigation department, which was developed in part during Japan's occupation of Taiwan under Japanese supervision.
Local specialty tea competitions are held locally and sponsored by the agricultural division in each tea growing region of Taiwan, such as the Ping Lin Aggricultural division and the Mu Za Aggricultural Division. An example of how the grade is divided as so (2005 data), 4822 farmers entered, the special winner is awarded to one farmer and first place (Tou Deng Jiang) is awarded to 97 farmers which makes up 2% of the contestants. Seconed is awarded to 240 farmers consisting of 5% of the entrants. Third place (San Deng Jiang) is given to 8.5% of the entrants. No award was given to 32% of the contestants.
There are competitions every season. This is done in part to do an analysis of the year's tea situation. For Wen Shan Bao Zhong and Mu Za Tie Guan Yin, there are only Winter and Spring competitions. Another way to distinguish tea grade; the impact of packaging is mentioned. As an end user, it is very important that the tea comes well packaged. As a buyer, one is not allowed to taste the tea before it is bought. One must base their decision to buy on the reputation and the quality of the competition event sponsor and the quality of the judges. Overall, the system is set up so that consumers will not be disappointed in the tea quality.
One should be wary of tea competitions that are held by organizations or people that hold their own competition. It is best to go with competitions such as these two teas. The Mu Za and the Ping Lin Oolongs are both certified under the department of agriculture, which is known to be the best.

2006-09-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

2006-09-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

Health Benefits of Tea

2006-07-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Cancer
· polyphenols, or flavonoids, are antioxidants in tea that are 30 times more potent than Vitamin C and E
· they are said to inhibit cancer by blocking the formation of cancer-causing compounds and suppressing the activation of carinogens
· oolong teas protect from a wider range of assaults to the health due to their extreme variety, in which the entire range of polyphenols occur
· tea drinking reduces risk of cancers such as colon, oral bladder, colorectal, prostate, lung, stomach, esophageal, breast, skin and kidney

Alzheimer’s Disease
· tea helps to improve memory and possibly protect against Alzheimer’s disease
· tea inhibits the activity of enzymes in the brain associated with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease

Bone Density
· tea contains both fluoride and phytoestrogens, which are known to increase bone density and strength
Heart Disease
· tea drinking helps prevent heart disease by interfering
with plaque forming in the heart’s arteries and increasing the function of blood vessels
post heart attack heavy tea drinkers (14 or more cups per week) had a 44% reduced risk of dying of heart attacks compared with non-tea drinkers

Cholesterol
· consumption of pu er tea (a special bacteria fermented Chinese tea) results in a significant drop in cholesterol levels

Caffeine
· a serving of tea contains about 40 milligrams of caffeine, less than half as much as is found in a serving of coffee

Skin
· tea delays the appearance of ageing, enhancing the skin so that new wrinkles take a longer time to appear
Gas
· drinking tea reduces the risk of chronic gastritis

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Tea Culture?

2006-05-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Simon made his way to Taipei for an exclusive tea exhibition. It was so exclusive; it turns out, that he could not get in. Having made the trip, he decided to spend his time sipping the day away in one of Taiwan’s most ornate tea houses. Dang Fong “Block the wind”, the winner of the 1990 Taiwan’s National Tea Brewing Competition, opened a tea shop just off of Taipei city’s Da An Street in one of Taipei’s more upscale areas. He runs the tea house out of the first floor of his four story house. This tea shop differs from most because it does not sell tea by the glass nor does it sell food. As far as selling tea leaves, it also does this in a different way than most tea shops. Upon entering the large wooden doors that lead into the garden courtyard one is overcome with a feeling of calm, a great contrast to the thriving hustle bustle of Taipei’s nonstop hectic pulse.
Upon glancing at a book in the tea house of his younger brother, San Fong “Dodge the wind” could not help but laugh. "Tea Culture," he smirked referring to the books title, "Who would dare be so bold?" He said while picking up the book for further inspection. "Oh, Puer Tea Culture, that is more like it." He continued on, rattling off a monologue for the better part of an hour. San Fong was not a lonely man in the physical sense. There were always people around him that loved to listen to what he had to say.
With relatively little encouragement San Fong has been known to head into a monologue for the better part of an afternoon. So on this day, as he began, nobody dared to interrupt him, “What it is that I am interested in is promoting the sale of Taiwan’s tea culture. This is much more profitable than the sale of some arbitrary amount of tea leaves. By just selling the leaves we are left with profit of course, but it is such a small amount of money that it is hardly worth mentioning. When we sell tea culture, the profit is greater and the economy of Taiwan will benefit on a larger scale. People that come to Taiwan with the intention of experiencing tea culture will purchase an airplane ticket, a hotel room, transportation around the island, tea leaves, tea ware, books, tea shop fees and more. In this way all of the people involved with tea culture will benefit.”
What Simon learned from San Fong’s monologue is that the culture of tea is simply too big to put in just one category. There are so many different schools of tea drinking even within Taiwan alone, that by making such a broad and overriding statement such as defining “tea culture” one is really saying nothing. Simon observed tea culture in Taiwan to be very broad. In fact, it permeates all levels of society and all aspects of life from what Simon called “everyday tea” to those individuals who see themselves as the representatives of tea culture itself; i.e. the tea teachers, the tea artists (including the potters) and the tea culture promoters to name a few. Everyday tea is an expression that Simon used to describe the way tea is used by most people in Taiwan. It is the old men brewing and drinking tea in the park, it is the dirty tea sets that have been stained through day after day use. These sets seem to be free from owner, and at the end of an afternoon of tea making, they are replaced into a cart, made for this purpose and pushed over to the side, against a wall, beside a bench, out of the way. No particular value is given to these sets, other than their function. Those that belong to the everyday tea cultural segment don’t necessarily live their life for tea, but they sure would find it difficult to keep on living without it.
San Fong, Dang Fong and Lunar to name a few, are examples of people who live there life for tea. It has surpassed the importance of an everyday activity and passed into the realm of a lifetime obsession. They dedicate their lives to researching, understanding and appreciating tea. The individuals mentioned above have a combined knowledge of 118 years of tea experience.

2006-05-12T23:04:00.000-07:00

Black and white kung fu

2006-05-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken by Simon at Dang Fong's Tea House. I love the simplicity and the contrast of this set.

The shelf life of Oolong

2006-05-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Green or Black? Now there is white. What about Oolong? What’s the point? Well black tea is called black tea in Mandarin, so I often find myself explaining just what it is westerners are doing by calling red tea black. “Black tea” sounds so bad when stated in Mandarin. It gives one an impression of immanent badness. So they call it “red” instead. There is some very remarkable red tea in Taiwan called Number 18, and it is grown near Sun Moon Lake
Green Tea is referring to tea that has not been allowed to oxidize. Oolong is semi-oxidized and black tea is fully oxidized. Typically, the greener the tea, the shorter the shelf life. In tea processing, the point at which oxidation is called to a halt, is the point that determines just how red your black tea will be. In Taiwan, they have taken the process of tea processing past the normal standard of transforming a tea leaf into a consumable product to an art form.
Green Tea is best is consumed within 3 months of production. This time can be extended if refrigeration is used. Green tea should be consumed within the year of its production regardless.
Oolong, the partially oxidized tea comes in a wide range of flavors and shades of green and red. The range and quality of oolongs produced in Taiwan is startling. From Wen Shan Bao Zhong, to Formosa oolong, from Dong ding roasted oolong to the Shan lin xi greens. And never should we leave of the favorite green of all, the li shan green.
Li Shan is an area that is very well known for its agriculture. In Fact, Li Shan means Pear Mountain. In order to give the newly retired soldiers something to do, the KMT allocated land in the Li Shan area. The result was great produce. Not only did the area produce tremendous fruits and vegetables, it also grew some pretty outstanding tea.
Oolongs production resembles an art more than a science. There is no “best way” that will work in all situations. Many adjustments must be made depending on the tea at the moment of picking. Just as a great chef starts with raw ingredients, tea artisans in Taiwan start with a waxy, shiny, thick stem robust camellia sinensis leaf. Through the oolong making process, step by step, moisture is removed from the tea leaf. The steps of production include; 1) picking, 2) sun drying, 3) indoor drying / withering / tossing and bruising, 4) oven drying (sha qing / killing the green), 5) rolling, 6) baking and 7) packaging.
Oxidation happens in step three. Nowadays letting the tea oxidize is less common than in the old days. There are a few reasons for this. One is the improvement of packaging equipment such as aluminum coated bags and vacuum seal machines. These devices add to the shelf life of a greener oolong, making oxidation less essential than before. In the absence of these devices, oolong, the finished product, was often wrapped in paper. There was no air tight seal added to preserve the tea, so tea artisans had to depend on oxidation if they hoped to create an oolong that would be able to hold its flavor long enough to reach the end user and be consumed. Another reason that nicely oxidized teas are harder to find is that consumers are buying lightly oxidized oolongs at top dollar. This is a trend that started in Taiwan. Letting a tea oxidize is a risky and time consuming process that requires a good amount of experience and very keen senses. It is risky because if all conditions are not right, the entire batch of tea will be less than desirable and thus difficult to sell. Since consumers are happy to pay top dollar for tea that has only been lightly oxidized, many tea producers are choosing to minimize this step in the process.
Baking is a very important step in an oolongs production and is also one that increases an oolongs shelf life. Oolong can be lightly baked or heavily baked. Usually very high elevation green teas that are produced in optimal conditions will be baked very lightly. This tea is often best when oxidized and baked just enough to seal the flavors in. Often, teas that are harvested at non optimal times, such as fall harvest are given a heavier bake. When done well, baking can immensely improve an oolongs flavor. Baking covers up some of a tea’s less desirable characteristics by bring out some flavors that are buried deeper inside the tea. These flavors are citric in nature. Often I notice that my favorite oolongs leave a nice dusty coat of flavor particles in my mouth that lead my sense of taste on a wild adventure, trying to keep up with its constant evolution.
A heavy bake extracts more moisture from the tea. With less moisture in the tea, the tea is less likely to change. Therefore, a heavy bake will ensure the stability of a teas flavor for a greater time span.
In review, there are three steps in the oolong production process that ensure stability of flavor over time. These include oxidation, baking, and packaging. In addition to these three steps, there is also the issue of storage. Tea, properly stored will last much longer than tea that is not. Proper storage means, no exposure to sunlight, minimal changes in humidity and temperature, and relatively low temperatures.
When referring to an oolongs shelf life, there are many factors to consider. There is a certain amount of moisture still in the tea leaf, more with lightly oxidized lightly baked oolongs and less for the opposite. This moisture content will cause the tea to change over time. Teas that have been given a finish that will extend the natural shelf life should develop more slowly into an old tea. Regardless, a tea changes over time. The only way to know is take it out and drink it, now it might not be the right time, but it will continue to change. Constantly changing ever so slowly, we may take a tea out every five years and give it a try. It will certainly be different, but will it be ready? There is always the chance that the tea will change in a bad way. If this happens, there is no choice but to wait another 3 to 5 years to try the tea again, with the hope that it has taken a change for the better. Thus, when we find a appropriate flavor, it is best to drink it up rather than waiting for it to become even older.