Boutique Teas

Shaped like a bullet pellet, Gunpowder green tea brews a smoky sweet nutty flavor. The Chinese call it ‘pearl’ tea.  Produced in Zhejiang Province, the tea leaves were tightly rolled to stay fresh on the long journey to trading ports such as Canton or Beijiang. Gunpowder tea is processed similar to tumble fried green teas, but tea artisans use special tumblers to gently coax the refined flavors from the leaves.

Tumble fried in a perforated drum tumbler set at an angle, the green tea leaves move around in a figure eight pattern. A constant heat source blows hot air through the drum, evenly drying the tea leaves. The combined motions and heat causes the tea leaves to curl into small pellets. Gunpowder green tea is a popular base tea for green tea blends.

Gunpowder green tea is the base for Moroccan teas. Moroccans combine Gunpowder with fresh mint, drinking this refreshing beverage in the shade, escaping the desert heat. The added mint cools the body as the Gunpowder rejuvenates your mind and body. Brew 1 teaspoon of Moroccan Mint or Gunpowder tea per 8 oz. of filtered hot water for 3-4 minutes. Brew in 175-180F water. To brew a stronger cup, add more tea.  This tea can be re-infused multiple times. Enjoy hot or cold.

Gunpowder is the base for Kasmiri Chai in the Kashmir district in Northern India.  Called ‘noon tea’ this chai blend has green tea, almonds, and spices. Traditionally, Kashmiri's drink this tea at breakfast with bread. Brew 1 tablespoon in ½ cup of boiled water and ½ cup of boiled water. Sweeten with sugar.

Have you ever stopped to think about what the leaf is feeling? As you pour scolding hot water on delicate oolong leaves, the leaf is actually screaming in pain. Boiling hot water is too harsh for its delicate skin. Black teas can handle it. Have you ever thought about how long brew the leaves? Sitting in too hot water, screaming in pain, the tea turns angry and bitter. Fortunately, there are tea brewing fundamentals, which respects the leaf, brewing better tea. Gong Fu tea brewing style emphasizes the skills to properly brew tea.

Gong fu tea brewing style originated in the Guangdong Province. This style is used for large leaf oolongs brewed in small yixing pots. Brewing tea is a personal routine, however there are a few skills to master. At Tranquil Resonance in San Francisco, we learned about the three ‘How’s’: How hot? How much? and How long?

How hot should the water be? Water temperature depends on the teas’ oxidation percentage. A good rule of thumb is the higher oxidation, the hotter the temperature. Brewing oolong teas in cooler water will slowly extract flavors. Remember to always ‘warm up’ your cup and tea pot with warm water. This step prepares the vessel to receive the hot tea.

How much tea should you use? This depends on your preference, the leaf style and the teapot. If you are using a small yixing teapot, think about how big your leaf will be after infusion. You want to allow room for the leaves to move around comfortable, during infusion. For strong robust teas fans, opt to add a few more leaves. Finally, how long should you steep the leaves?

Steeping time depends on, again, the tea, vessel, and you. Because your teapot is filled with oolong tea just right, try short infusions of 30-45 seconds. The floral aromas will be released first. With each additional infusion, brew the leaves for 45-60 seconds. You should start to taste the fruity notes. For a stronger cup of tea, brew the leaves 60-90 seconds. This is just enough time to extract more flavor, but not the bitterness. Now that you know the fundamentals, let’s move on to the routine.

Here are the basic steps to a Gong Fu brewing style:

1.       Place all your tea utensils on the brewing table

2.       Fill teapot and cups with hot water

3.        Scoop out the dry leaf and allow guest to see and smell. Discuss the tea’s origin, color and aroma

4.       Rinse cups and drain teapot

5.       Place dry leaf in teapot. Pour hot water into the teapot until overflowing. Cover the teapot and pour hot water over it. Let tea steep for about 30 seconds.

6.       Pour first steeping into teacups

7.       Discard the first infusion. The first rinse allows the leaves to open up, preparing for a longer steeping.

8.       Pour more hot water into teapot and allow to steep.

9.       Pour second steeping into teacups and the guests enjoy

There are several variations to this style. At Tranquil Resonance, the tea master pointed out the importance of shaking the teapot, while the tea is brewing. Gently, shaking the leaves ensures that the leaves will brew evenly and will have enough room to fully expand. It also unclogs the spout. All these steps take into account the feeling of the leaf.

Next time you brew a cup of tea remember: How hot?, How much? How long? Respect the leaf and practice Gong Fu!

“Sitting at night in a mountain pavilion, drawing spring water to boil tea. As the water and fire battle it out, the scent of the pine billows through the trees as I pour a cup, bathed in light from the clouds. The profound pleasure of this moment is hard to convey in words to those of common tastes”—Ming Dynasty Literati

Lu Yu, Chinese tea expert, recommended brewing tea in fresh spring water or filtered water. Ideally, he suggested you brew the tea with the water from the region the tea grew. Hard water contains a high level of calcium, which deadens the flavor, and forms a surface film. The added chemicals, chlorine and fluoride, diminishes the flavor in tea. Adding a drop of lemon juice or sugar helps the scum disappear. Water temperature also affects tea’s flavor, aroma and color.

Chinese tea scholars developed a visual system to approximate water temperature:”Column of steam steadily rising”, “Fish eyes”, “String of pearls”’ and “Turbulent waters”. Column of steam steadily rising occurs when visible steam rises, approximately 170-180⁰F. Green teas taste best brewed at this temperature.  Fish eyes is when large lazy bubble start to break at the surface, about 180-200⁰F. Oolong teas brew best at this temperature. String of pearls is the moment when tiny bubbles appear around the perimeter of the pot, about 190-200⁰F.  Black tea tastes great brewed at this temperature. Turbulent waters is the full rolling boil, about 200-212⁰F. The perfect temperature to brew Pu-erh teas. White tea, Japanese green teas and other delicate spring green teas should be brewed in 160-170⁰F water. The delicate leaves burn in too hot water. Heating water to the perfect temperature is easy.

There are three practical methods to achieve the perfect water temperature for your tea: 1. heat fresh cold water to the perfect temperature; 2. boil the water then add cold water; 3. bring the water to a full rolling boil then let the water cool to the perfect temperature.

Ninety-nine percent of tea is water. Water quality and temperature are key elements to bring out all the flavors, antioxidants and aromas in a perfect cup of tea.

 
Iron Goddess of Mercy tea is considered the quintessential Chinese oolong tea. Named after the female deity, Kuan Yin, meaning ‘Goddess of Mercy’. ‘Ti’ means ‘iron’, referring to the iron jars the tea used to be stored. A lightly oxidized or ‘greener’ oolong, this famous tea originates from a special large leaf tea varietal, having strong fruity and floral aromas and flavors.  Southern Fuijian province and northern Taiwan grow the special Ti Kuan Yin tea varietal and produce over 200 varieties.

According to legend, Chinese Qing emperor Kangxi (r. 1661-1722) prayed to goddess Kuan Yin when he had smallpox. She answered his prayers and later appeared in a dream. In the dream, she showed him a place where poor farmers lived and a few tea bushes grew. She asked him to help the people cultivate these tea bushes and prosper from them in her name. Qing emperor Qianlong (r. 1736-1795) declared Ti Kuan Yin a tribute tea.  Tribute teas are famous Chinese teas used to pay taxes during imperial rule. The new Ti Kuan Yin tea industry exploded.

Ti Kuan Yin is produced in southern region of the Fujian province called Anxi. Ti Kuan Yin is made from tiequanyin tea bush cultivars in Anxi. There are three main Ti Kuan Yin styles: clear and fragrant Tiequanyin, Traditional Tiequanyin, and Wild Tieguanyin. Two factors affect the Ti Kuan Yin processing: tea bush variety and method of leaf processing. Ti Kuan Yin leaves are plucked from 27 villages in Anxi mountains. The three main varieties are: Red Hart Kuan Yin, White Heart Kuan Yin and Thin Leaf Kuan Yin. Red hart Kuan Yin cutlivars are considered the best leaves.

Ti Kuan Yin manufacture takes between 36 to 40 hours to complete. Combining traditional and modern processing techniques, the leaves go through a specific 18 step processing. First leaves are hand plucked in early afternoon, and set out to wither in the sun.. Leaves are then placed in a cloth and rolled into a big ball.
Tea workers roll the ball in a circular motion, bruising the leaves, causing the leaves to curl into little balls. Cloth balls are placed on a rotary machine for several minutes, then the cloth is unrolled. Tea workers repeat the cycle of rolling the tea, bruising the leaves and letting wither a few times. After the second bruising, the leaves are lightly tumbled, developing fragrance. Tea workers alternate tumbling and resting a few times before de-enzyming the leaves for moisture removal. Leaves are rolled up again and placed on the rotary machine. This time the internal cells are broken, releasing the juices.

Leaves go through the drying machine, then rolled again and dried again. Stems are separated out and leaves go through the drying machine one last time. The last drying can be in an oven or in a basket over a charcoal fire.

Ti Kuan Yin is a favorite, because of its unique flavor and aroma. The intricate processing allows to leaves to keep robust flavors. By slowly drying the tea, tea drinkers can re-infuse the leaves many times. Each steeping reveals new flavors and characteristics. Brew 2 teaspoon per 6 oz. of filtered water at about 200oF for 45 seconds to a minute.

Tea is a long delicious journey, which begins with a sip. Start your tea journey on Sunday, August 14, 2001 from 2 to 4pm at Viva la Vegan Grocery Store, 9456 Roberds St., Rancho Cucamonga. Boutique Teas, a premium tea retailer, is serving free black tea samples from China, India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya. These teas traveled halfway around to world to your cup. Your tea travels will start in China’s famous Yunnan province.

Harvested from heirloom tea trees planted over 1,000 years ago, Golden Yunnan black tea is malty, full-bodied, and bold with chocolate notes and a caramel finish. The ancient forest is rich in biodiversity, fertile soil and an ecological balanced environment. Historically, the Yunnan province is the oldest tea growing region in the world.  Chinese tea farmers exclusively produce this tea for export to western markets.  The next stop on our tea journey is not England, but India.

British colonists discovered wild tea bushes in Assam, Nilgeri, and Darjeeling regions of India in the late 1880s. All these regions produce fantastic black teas, but Darjeeling black tea is the Queen. This Darjeeling first flush black tea grew at 4000ft in a biodynamic tea garden. This tea brews a light amber liquid with apple and grape notes. Drinking this tea, you taste the clean spring water and fresh mountain air. Biodynamic farming philosophy believes a farm is a complete ecosystem.  Another country famous for high altitude black tea is Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan or Ceylon black teas are grown on mountains ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level.  Teas grown above 3,000 feet are considered better quality high grown teas. Americans refer to these teas by its leaf size—Orange Pekoe, Pekoe or Broken Orange Pekoe.  This Ceylon black tea is a special orange pekoe tea grown at 4,000 feet. This tea brews a bright cup with sweet floral notes. Usually, Ceylon black teas are dark and full-b

odied, similar to Kenyan small leaf black teas. Our last destination is Kenya.

Kenya is the largest black tea exporter in the world. This single origin Kenyan black tea has small leaves, yielding a bold full-bodied brew with a maple finish. Pure loose Kenyan black tea is rare, because most of the tea is put in tea bags or blended in Earl Gray blends. The sweet maple flavor is a nice counter balance to the citrus bergamot and malty Assam. This tea is Rainforest Alliance Certified, meaning the tea farmers use sustainable environmental and labor practices.

 Each black tea takes your palate on a new adventure, discovering new destinations, new flavors, and new traditions. Hope you will join us on this journey on Sunday, August 14 at Viva la Vegan Grocery Store.

Pi lo chun or Green Snail Spring is a unique green tea treat. Chinese tea artisans use a twist on basket frying of produce this special tea. Chinese emperors enjoyed drinking this tea and demanded the highest quality for tax payment. This tea tastes like a fresh spring day.

Using a bud and leaf, young women pick the tea in the early spring. Once tea is transported to the factory, it is laid out on bamboo mats to dry. When moisture content is 65-70 percent, the leaves are put through drying machines. The leaves are then transferred to a metal drum. Instead of tossing the leaves, tea artisans repeat 5 motions 3 times, twisting and rolling the leaves in the drum.  The twisting and rolling motions gives  the leaf a tiny tail. The heat source below the drum, slowly heats up and down. This style of is called baked tea, even though it is not heated in an enclosed space. A combination of air drying and the heat changing, makes the tea dry evenly. Ultimately, the tea firer is trying to coax the leaf into a naturally dry relaxed shape and seal in the flavor at the right time. When you rehydrate the leaf, you release the leaf’s natural energy.

Its flavor is a mild, with a slightly nutty flavor. Brews sweet light golden nectar. Brew 2 teaspoons per 8 oz. of filtered water for 2-3 minutes in 175-180 degree water. Green tea naturally contains fluoride, which protects teeth from cavities.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Organic Berry Hibiscus
2 cups filtered water
2 cups sparkling water

Directions:

Boil filtered water. Place Organic Berry Hibiscus tea in a pitcher. Pour boiled water over the tea and brew for 5-7 minutes. Add sparkling water. Serve over ice and enjoy.

Shizuoka prefecture is the number one tea producing region in Japan. Kagoshima prefecture is the second largest tea producing region in Japan. Located on Kyushu Island, Kagoshima City is a gateway to China and Korea. Kyushu is known for Nagasaki, an international port. Early influences of Chinese culture, poetry and tea producing techniques came through this port. Pan-fried tea has been produced in Japan longer than steamed green teas. Presently, Japan produces limited quantities of pan-fried or Chinese-style green teas. These pan-fried teas are called either Kamairi-cha or Tamaryokucha.

Kamairi-cha means ‘tea made in an iron pot’. The Kyushu mountains have the perfect tea growing weather: warm air mixed with cool breezes. After plucking, the leaves are left to wilt. The Chinese believe that wilting brings out the natural aroma in the leaves. Then the tea is roasted in an iron pot and hand-rolled. Kamairicha lacks the bitter taste found in steamed teas. Tamaryokucha means ‘balled tea’. This tea is either steamed or pan-fried. It is a flat leaf shaped like a comma. These teas have a distinct sweet mildly roasted flavor profile.

Limited quantities are produced now, because it is too expensive to manufacture. Pan-fried processing requires additional manual labor and time than steamed processing. Steamed green tea processing is completely mechanical.  

The leaves are plucked in the morning, then laid out to wilt. After wilting, the leaves are hand rolled and tossed in an iron pan. Farmers process the tea in small batches. Because there are no labeling guidelines about disclosing how tea is processed and where it came from in Japan, most tea is sold under a tea retailer’s brand or by region. The value of the special processing is ignored at tea auctions.  Most tea gardens sell their tea in aracha­ form or raw. Tea retailers purchase the raw tea then refine it to an end product. Tea retailers blend teas from different farms, creating a unique flavor profile for their consumers.

In the Kyushu mountains, villagers own small plots of tea bushes. Each spring, they pan fry their own tea for the year. Unfortunately, the younger generation is reluctant to continue the tradition.

My second day in Japan, I ordered water in perfect Japanese. The waitress looked confused. She brought me cold green tea. I figured out that she was confused that I would want water over tea. I soon discovered the Japanese drink tea like I drink water. Growing in sunny Southern California, I aim to drink 8 cups of water a day. Living in Japan for that year, I discovered that you need a tea brewing system. I purchased a small glass teapot with built in infuser. Surprisingly, brewing loose tea is easy with the correct system.

 Americans feel loose tea is complex, time consuming and expensive. Here are a few reasons to take the time brew loose tea: it is easy with the correct utensils, loose tea has robust flavor, and it is inexpensive.   A simple tea system of a cup, strainer, and hot water allows easier brewing. Loose tea lasts longer than tea bags, saving you money.  Consider that billions of people in Asia have enjoyed loose leaf tea several times a day for centuries. They have a simple brewing system.

People living in Asia easily brew loose leaf tea, because they have a system. In China, people drink around the leaves in a gaiwan cup or chew the leaves as they drink. The Japanese use accessories with built in filtering systems. Handmade clay teapots have built in metal strainers. Brewing tea is as easy as boiling water, pour water over the leaves, brew to taste, and pour into your cup.  Leaves stay in the teapot. You can also find teapots with infuser or metal filters in Britain.  

The next excuse I hear is that loose leaf tea is too expensive.  Tea is the second most inexpensive beverage after water. A pound of loose leave tea brews about 200 cups, averaging 15-20 cents a cup. The price per cup depends on the type of tea. Especially with green, white, and oolong teas, the cost diminishes each time you re-brew the same leaves. You can re-brew the leaves between three to seven times. The leaves keep the same robust flavors with each infusion.  Tea artisans spent hundreds of years perfecting the manufacturing process to extract all the flavors and essential oils in the leaf.  On the other hand tea bags use tea dust, which allows for fewer infusions.

Tea bags yield one high quality flavorful infusion and watery flavors in subsequent infusions. A box of 20 tea bags cost about $5 or 25 cents per cup.  For avid tea drinkers, you can buy two to three tea bag boxes in a month, spending $10-$12 a month. Purchasing 4 oz. of a loose tea you like can last up to 6 weeks for $12-14.  Take the time to spend the money on better quality tea. The last excuse is brewing loose tea is time consuming.

It can take 10-15 minutes to make a cup of tea. Most of the time is waiting for the kettle to whistle. During that time, you can complete other tasks. Using a compact brewing system, you can brew your tea at your desk or table. You take the time to make coffee, wait in line to order a drink at a coffee shop, or purchase a soft drink. Why not take that same time to brew a healthy, aromatic and flavorful cup of tea?

Once I bought my tea pot in Japan, I found it easier to incorporate tea into my day. When I returned to California a few years ago, I invested in a new tea pot and continued to buy high quality tea. 

It is believed the jasmine flower bush was brought to China from Persia, during the Period of Disunity (220-589). Numerous jasmine varieties exist, but the Arabian jasmine gives Chinese jasmines teas its rich aroma. Chinese emperors’ prized jasmine scented teas. During their reign, they offered it as a gift to foreign officials. Delicious jasmine teas are scented enough to pleasantly caress your senses with its sweet floral aroma. Tea masters in Fuijian province worked for several hundred years to develop this technique.

Manufacturing jasmine tea is a complicated and delicate process. Since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), tea masters in the Fujian province specialized in jasmine flower cultivation and jasmine tea manufacture. Traditional jasmine tea is scented with fresh jasmine blooms and a special base tea called zao bei or ‘tea readied’. Jasmine tea has two categories: premium, traditional jasmine tea and standard-grade jasmine tea. 

 Premium jasmine base tea is plucked in the early spring before the first spring rains. Standard grade jasmine uses summer harvest tea leaves. After plucking, leaves are de-enzymed, put in the rolling machine then passed through a drying machine. Heat is blown above the leaves, decreasing rolling and curling, which exposes more surface area to absorb the jasmine scent. These leaves are slightly oxidized, but look like green tea. This process creates a distinct flavor to counterpoint the sweetness of jasmine. Jasmine flowers bloom in late summer in the Fujian province, so spring picked zao bei is stored in a cool storage until summer.  

In July, flower pickers begin harvesting new jasmine buds at noon. Noon is an ideal time to pick new buds, because the dew has evaporated. Perfect flower buds have turned snow white and are a certain length. Picking ends around 4pm, and flower buds are brought to the factory. Flowers are kept in a room around 100F to encourage aroma. Ideally, the flower buds begin to open before the scenting begins. In the evening, room temperature zao bei  base tea is mixed into piles with jasmine flower buds. 

The zao bei and jasmine buds co-mingle in a pile for six hours with in internal temperature of about 113F. The increased heat encourages the flower buds to open, releasing perfume, promoting a moisture transfer between the flower and base tea. Workers adjust the tea piles to sync with the ambient temperature in the room.  If the base tea overheats, a bitter flavor develops. After about six hours, the tea is flattened, allowing the leaves to breathe. Each pile is then reformed for four to six hours of more scenting.  After ten to twelve hours, the flowers a sifted out. The tea rests for a day and then fresh flowers starts process again. High grade jasmine teas are scented over five times. Standard jasmine teas are scented two or three times.  At the end of scenting, the tea is fired one last time to seal in the flavor. Premium jasmine tea has a shelf life of about three years. Lower quality jasmine teas stay fresh for about a year and a half.

Traditionally, the jasmine flowers are sifted out of the tea in China. For western markets, the buds stay in the tea for visual appeal. Jasmine flowers are added to green and oolong teas. Beware of jasmine teas coated in jasmine oils or flavorings. 

In northern China, it is customary to serve a cup of fragrant jasmine tea as a welcoming gesture to guests. Jasmine tea is refreshing hot and cold. 

 A Nice Cup of Tea
by George Orwell
Saturday Essay, Evening Standard, 12 January 1946


If you look up 'tea' in the first cookery book that comes to hand you will probably find that it is unmentioned; or at most you will find a few lines of sketchy instructions which give no ruling on several of the most important points.

This is curious, not only because tea is one of the main stays of civilisation in this country, as well as in Eire, Australia and New Zealand, but because the best manner of making it is the subject of violent disputes.

When I look through my own recipe for the perfect cup of tea, I find no fewer than eleven outstanding points. On perhaps two of them there would be pretty general agreement, but at least four others are acutely controversial. Here are my own eleven rules, every one of which I regard as golden:

First of all, one should use Indian or Ceylonese tea. China tea has virtues which are not to be despised nowadays — it is economical, and one can drink it without milk — but there is not much stimulation in it. One does not feel wiser, braver or more optimistic after drinking it. Anyone who has used that comforting phrase 'a nice cup of tea' invariably means Indian tea.

Secondly, tea should be made in small quantities — that is, in a teapot. Tea out of an urn is always tasteless, while army tea, made in a cauldron, tastes of grease and whitewash. The teapot should be made of china or earthenware. Silver or Britannia-ware teapots produce inferior tea and enamel pots are worse; though curiously enough a pewter teapot (a rarity nowadays) is not so bad.

Thirdly, the pot should be warmed beforehand. This is better done by placing it on the hob than by the usual method of swilling it out with hot water.

Fourthly, the tea should be strong. For a pot holding a quart, if you are going to fill it nearly to the brim, six heaped teaspoons would be about right. In a time of rationing, this is not an idea that can be realised on every day of the week, but I maintain that one strong cup of tea is better than twenty weak ones. All true tea-lovers not only like their tea strong, but like it a little stronger with each year that passes — a fact which is recognized in the extra ration issued to old-age pensioners.

Fifthly, the tea should be put straight into the pot. No strainers, muslin bags or other devices to imprison the tea. In some countries teapots are fitted with little dangling baskets under the spout to catch the stray leaves, which are supposed to be harmful. Actually one can swallow tea-leaves in considerable quantities without ill effect, and if the tea is not loose in the pot it never infuses properly.

Sixthly, one should take the teapot to the kettle and not the other way about. The water should be actually boiling at the moment of impact, which means that one should keep it on the flame while one pours. Some people add that one should only use water that has been freshly brought to the boil, but I have never noticed that it makes any difference.

Seventhly, after making the tea, one should stir it, or better, give the pot a good shake, afterwards allowing the leaves to settle.

Eighthly, one should drink out of a good breakfast cup — that is, the cylindrical type of cup, not the flat, shallow type. The breakfast cup holds more, and with the other kind one's tea is always half cold — before one has well started on it.

Ninthly, one should pour the cream off the milk before using it for tea. Milk that is too creamy always gives tea a sickly taste.

Tenthly, one should pour tea into the cup first. This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject.

The milk-first school can bring forward some fairly strong arguments, but I maintain that my own argument is unanswerable. This is that, by putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk whereas one is liable to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.

Lastly, tea — unless one is drinking it in the Russian style — should be drunk without sugar. I know very well that I am in a minority here. But still, how can you call yourself a true tea-lover if you destroy the flavour of your tea by putting sugar in it? It would be equally reasonable to put in pepper or salt.

Tea is meant to be bitter, just as beer is meant to be bitter. If you sweeten it, you are no longer tasting the tea, you are merely tasting the sugar; you could make a very similar drink by dissolving sugar in plain hot water.

Some people would answer that they don't like tea in itself, that they only drink it in order to be warmed and stimulated, and they need sugar to take the taste away. To those misguided people I would say: Try drinking tea without sugar for, say, a fortnight and it is very unlikely that you will ever want to ruin your tea by sweetening it again.

These are not the only controversial points to arise in connection with tea drinking, but they are sufficient to show how subtilised the whole business has become.

There is also the mysterious social etiquette surrounding the teapot (why is it considered vulgar to drink out of your saucer, for instance?) and much might be written about the subsidiary uses of tealeaves, such as telling fortunes, predicting the arrival of visitors, feeding rabbits, healing burns and sweeping the carpet.

It is worth paying attention to such details as warming the pot and using water that is really boiling, so as to make quite sure of wringing out of one's ration the twenty good, strong cups of that two ounces, properly handled, ought to represent.

Source: CW18-2857

Pouring hot water into my cup, I watch the long sword shaped leaves open. As the leaves unfurl, it looks like a sparrow opening its beak to sing. The distinct flat Dragon Well has inspired legends and imaginations. Chinese folklore loves to use animal imagery and legends, when speaking about tea. Dragon Well or Long Jing green tea is linked to pleasant imagery and a powerful legend.

Legend says, during a severe drought, a monk summoned a dragon to bring rain to fill the village well. To this day the well near China’s West Lake nourishes the meadow where dew-drenched Dragon Well green tea is cultivated each spring. Dragon Well is a beautiful pan fried green tea grown only in Zhejiang province. The Chinese praise Dragon Well for its four unique qualities: jade color, vegetative aroma, mellow chestnutty flavor and flat needle shaped leaves. Cultivation and manufacturing processes make this tea distinctive.

Early spring is tea harvest time in China’s Zhejiang province. Tea pickers start their day at sunrise, when the tea bush first sprouts. Young leaves hold robust delicate delicious flavors. Considered high quality, first and second grade Dragon Well leaves fetch higher prices.  The top leaf and tea bud are picked for Dragon Well teas. After a morning of picking, the leaves are sent to the factory for sorting and drying.

Using a specialized pan-frying/baking technique, tea artisans dry the leaves in small batches. About one kilogram of tea is baked and fried in special woks. Artisans lubricate the woks with pure tea seed oil, preventing burning. Tea seed oil is extracted from seeds of small tea plants not for cultivation. Wok workers move the tea around pressing the leaves to the sides and making sure it is evenly dried.  Leaves are alternatively put through a roller and baked in the woks. The rolling machine extracted the natural essential oils, coating the leaves and adding flavor. The leaves are rolled and baked until there is five percent moisture content, then placed in the drying machine. The drying machine completely dries the leaves.

Many try to duplicate Dragon Well’s flavor and shape, but always fall short. Tea manufacturers from other regions have managed to copy the shape of the leaf, but not the flavor. When buying Dragon Well or Long Jing tea, make sure it was cultivated in Zhejiang province near the West Lake. Its distinctive flat, sword-like leaves, jade color, fresh aroma and mellow flavor make it one of China’s Famous Teas.

Next time you brew Dragon Well, look for the sparrow singing. You will see it. You will hear its beautiful song, as you sip.

 Today I woke up in paradise.  I watched the monkeys play on my private balcony.  Or perhaps they were looking for food or a new toy.  Our guide cautioned us to keep our doors locked.  Drinking my hot black tea, I felt this was the perfect ending to my tea tour in Sri Lanka.  Tully’s Coffee and Zhena’s Gypsy Tea organized the trip for the winners of their Expedition Sri Lanka contest and invited me along.

 

The trip ofthe ultimate insiders' look at Sri Lanka and its tea gardens.  Zhena, owner of Zhena's Gypsy Tea, hired a tea expert as our tour guide.  Our journey started in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where we toured a Buddhist temple and had tea at a hip cafe.  From the beginning, I knew I was in for a spectacular adventure.

From Columbo, we journeyed to the emerald hills of Nurwa Eliya - tea country.  Tea bushes blanketed the steep mountains.  Our driver expertly navigated the hairpin turns that led to the magnificent Tea Factory Hotel - an actual tea factory converted into a luxury hotel, located 6,000 feet above sea level.  A mini-tea factory produced organic teas - both green and black - for the hotel staff and guests.  The hotel welcomed us with cups of hot spice tea.  A mixture of fresh herbs and tea, it helped settle our stomachs after the long bumpy ride up the mountain.  The next day, we attended a private tour of the mini-tea factory.

The factory manager excitedly told us about the manufacturing of black teas.  I learned that black tea leaves were categorized by leaf size - Orange Pekoe (OP), Pekoe, Broken Orange Pekoe (BOP), Fannings, and Dust.  Throughout Sri Lanka, you drink BOP, usually with raw whole milk and raw sugar - a strong cup of tea to start your day.

Most Sri Lankan tea is exported, with Russia having been its Number 1 customer in 2010.  In 2010, Sri Lanka exported 1.37 billion dollars worth of tea.  Tea exports represent about 15% of country's GDP.  But does the money from tea exports trickle down to the workers?

Zhena showed us a biodynamic tea estate with several fair trade programs.  It had rained two weeks straight before our arrival.  We traveled on a lovely clear blue day, but several road detours caused delays.  Arriving at the garden, we were greeted by a beautiful welcome sign and party.  Zhena and the tea estate manager met us with a much-needed pot of tea.  They brewed their green and BOP black teas for us and we ate a home-cooked lunch at the tea estate manager's house.  I felt honored to be a guest in his home.  Up to this point, I had been eating very spicy hotel buffet food.  Thoughtfully, they watered down the spices in their traditional dishes.  I enjoyed the mild flavors.

Fuelled by the wonderful lunch, I was ready to tour the factory and taste teas.  The multi-level factory was top of the line.  Everyone donned lab coats, shoe covers, and hats, and beard covers were provided for the guys who needed them.  Entering the factory, the sweet perfume of fresh-picked tea hit us.  From pluck to final firing, it takes about 24 hours to manufacture common teas.  Designers teas may take longer.  The factory was in full effect during our visit.  Over the roar of the machines, our guides explained the manufacturing process.  We watched women hand craft a black designer tea called black bonnies, which I later tasted.  After our tour, I experienced a rare treat.

The factory arranged a cupping of over 30 of their regular and designer teas.  I was in tea heaven.  The best part was tasting with our tour guide - the tea master.  Our tea master had worked with Sri Lankan tea companies in Sri Lanka and Egypt for over 30 years.  He told us stories about blending Sri Lankan teas to please the flavor profiles of various international markets.  It was fascinating for me to compare my impressions of the cuppings with his.  For the most part, we agreed.  I asked him how I could develop my palate.  He replied, “Taste 300-400 teas a day for three months, then you will begin to develop your palate."  If anyone needs a tea taster, let me know.  As with wine, you are supposed to spit after each taste, but I didn’t.  The teas were amazing.  I learned that different countries demand specific flavors for their markets.  Westerners generally enjoy the mild taste of Orange Pekoe black tea.

The estate manager shared with us the agriculture and fair trade programs.  There are several schools, medical services, a new retirement facility, housing developments, and other amenities.  Each cup reflects the commitment to a quality product and a certain quality of life.  All profits go to benefit over 500 workers, for a total of 2,300 people in the community.  The tea estate manager commented that since his farm does not use pesticides, the water runoff was cleaner and healthier.  Learning about the fair trade program and health benefits, I fully understood the impact of drinking quality tea.  The community organized an excellent cultural show with the children performing traditional dances and songs.

The next day, we headed to an eco-hotel called Kandalama.  Built deep in the jungle, the hotel offered spacious rooms, an extensive buffet, awesome views, and a natural calm.  My room faced a lake, miles of trees, and a temple.  Watching the monkey antics added to the exotic setting.  Drinking my locally grown BOP tea, taking in the lovely landscape, I was happy I had decided to take this journey to Sri Lanka.  My experience deepened my appreciation for tea.