Only Pure & Authentic Quality Tea

Author: Mei Lan Hsiao Page 16 of 31

Even though her family has nothing to do with tea, but she learnt the importance of consuming tea correctly in daily healthy diet based on the Chinese traditional medicine principles in Yin-Yang and 5 elements from her family when she was very young.
She entered the tea learning in Taiwan since 1985, left her root because of marriage in 1991 helped her to expand her learning from original inward-out views to 360 degree. She started to promote the authentic knowledge about tea and wisdom in Chinese tea culture in Belgium since 1995.
Tea has always been and will continue be her best teacher. In front of Nature and Tea, she remains as an innocent child, a life-time learning student.

Unlock self before trying to unlock others

Many years ago when attended a Knowledge Management Conference in Vienna, I had a conversation with a Belgian HR executive who was not happy with the conference because to him, he did not get more precised suggestions on how to manage knowledge.  I suggested him to get people involve in the organization change process and learn to ask questions, because often people don’t realize the value of knowledge and experience they have unless he’s willing to listen and to discover. He looked at me and said “You live in Belgium for many years, you should know Belgian top managers don’t ask questions but give instructions”.   His unwillingness made me speechless.

More than a decade later, again I come across with the subject of how to reinnovate the organization through unlocking potential talents.  The initial thought that I have is another question: Truely want to unlock what are potentially“out there, somewhere”in the organization or in a relationship?

The first thing is to unlock your own mind, free yourself from perceptive“layers of frame”and learn to listen without preconceive conclusions.

Before trying to unlock others, try to unlock yourself

Before trying to change others, try to understand and change yourself.

Before questioning others, learn to question self first.

So questions will be:

  • How much do you really know about yourself, 
  • Have you really try to listen and understand
  • How flexible you are willing to be.

Problems probably are coming from outside, but the key of change should right in your heart.

Can or will you able to discover and hold it in time? This not the question of TO BE OR NOT TO BE, but simply a question to find the key.

Inspiration of Ch’an (Zen)

What is Ch’an (禪, also known as Zen in English)?

To make it easy, can try to understand the meaning behind that Chinese character
單 Single, so what does “Single” means in life?
衣 Cloth, so what does “Cloth” means in the learning of Chan?

The learning of Chan (Zen) goes beyond reading books, articles, listening to speeches from different Guru, it is about how well can you manage the learning about yourself and being yourself. Most importantly, how to live.

What is Love?

What is love?
Love is about devotion
Love is about commitment
Love is about giving your heart without calculating what to gain in return.
Love is about compassion
Love is about understanding
Love ia about tolerating
Love ia about accepting
Love is all about honesty from heart

Love brings endless positive thinking and energy, on the other hand can be very fragile to break. A mirror probably can be mended, nevertheless the existing cracks can not be denied. Repair need both parties who both are willing to be honest to each others, willing to give more than double efforts and patience. Again, it starts from honesty and communication

Indeed love means blind, is about feeling but again it does not mean forgetting rationality. Whenever facing temptations, simply remember one simple fact ~Money can buy sex but not love.

Appreciate what you have in time,don’t wait till it is too late to regret.

It’s more important to prepare mind than tea setting

For each tea ceremony, despite people might give it different names such as tea ceremony, cha xi (tea setting) or Cha ke (tea workshop), of course what to prepare and how to arrange the setting are important:

Before the event

  1. Environment setting, including hardware and software in environment and ambiance setting
  2. Choosing tea, choosing suitable tea types and quality, etc.
  3. Choosing suitable matching tea ware
  4. Tea setting
  5. Familar and practice each step in tea ceremony process carefully

Indeed making a cup of tea seems easy but there are plenty details involve, however the most critical preparation would be the “Mind Preparataion“, because it requires the basic disciplines in

  • The mind is calm and peaceful assertive in tranqulity
  • Maintain a clarity and respectful mind
  • It’s about professionalism
  • It’s about energy in body and mind
  • Avoid too much taboo and impetuous, avoid showing off and avoid being too excessive

No matter what, remember the focus of the event is about Tea but not You

The tea setting requires a lot of inspiration and creativity, so set your mind free and enjoy each nature element.  The environment setting and tea setting are easy, nevertheless how to prepare mind probably is harder than you think but on the other hand can be very easy once you are able to put the priority and focus correct.

The cultivation of heart and mind requires sincere learning attitude and commitment to learning in life.

The success of tea, is in people

The failure of tea, is also in people

Everything begins with Genuinity and Honesty

The flavor and taste in tea are driven by Authentic and Clarity 

Serve tea in heart and mind with Calm and Tranqulity 

Disciplinary based on Respect, Respect and again Respect

Honesty & Trust

Indeed we should worry about pesticide, but we should concern more damages today from

  • AIR /WATER POLLUTION
  • HUMAN POLLUTION
  • GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGES

I first posted the link of article site from David Avocado Wolfe, due to some inputs on the other international tea community, apparently there are lots of questions and distrust towards the article writer.  I don’t know the writer and have no intention to endorse his accusation on certain brands of tea bags for granted, however I think the pesticides problem he mentioned on his blog goes beyond then pesticides problem, but remind us how we are under challenge to our understanding and trust about HONESTY.

I truly believe truth can be best prevailed through debates and from different viewpoints.

What we can do is to question ourselves:
1. do you know what to choose?
2. do you know how to choose?
3. do you know how to distinguish TRUTH vs. FALSE?

If one could not even be honest to a simple thing like tes, do you think s/he would be honesty to others?

Hope it’s not yet too late

Ancient tea trees in Yunnan give flowers in the winter time

I love tea and for my own health I pay extra attention on best practice in quality assurance.

 
1. The first thing on my list is pesticides, since in EU we have very high pesticides tolerance standards. It is not whether tea farmers are using pesticides or not, it is about which type of pesticides they use and how do they use it. The worst situation would be excessive use of chemical pesticides.
 
2. The 2nd thing on my list will be what would the continue worsen pollution problems might affect the air and water quality.
 
We can control the use of pesticides, but what we are not able to block is what if we couldn’t stop the continuous worsen of air pollution might affect to the water quality and contemination to soil.
 
How to reduce the worsen of pollution, that is something let’s hope it is not yet too late to act together by changing our life style and preserve the Nature.
 
I truly believe when we are willing to show our respect to the Mother Nature and our love to tea tree growing environment and conditions, plus the human efforts to follow the wisdom in tea production, then we can enjoy the love from tea from every cup.

The Ancient Tea Horse Routes

Extremely dangerous and difficult natural environment and transportation conditions create a strong defence on the South-West China. For thousand of years countless horse transporters used their strength and wisdom created an epic legend of Ancient Tea Horse Route.

The legend of Ancient Tea Horse Route started from the most prosperous period in Tang and Song Dynasty, prosperousity extended in Ming and Qing Dynasty and reached its peak after the establishment of Republic.

The Ancient Tea Horse Routes are divided in three routes:

  •  Shaanxi <-> GanSu
  • Shaanxi <-> KangDing <-> Tibet
  • Yunnan <-> Tibet

These routes connect Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet, further extended to Nipol, India, Bhudan, Sikkim, Laos. Its purpose went beyond a simple trade route, but a bridge to connect cultures and to exchange religions and humane values. The water transportation was almost impossible due to extreme difficult terrain, transportation by horse became the best solution. It is not exaggerate to describe the Ancient Tea Horse Routes as a legend of flesh, blood and lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XztDLNVwjsQ

The construction of modern highways has significantly improved the unresearchable traffic problem, the traditional memory of ancient horse transporters travelled with tents, shabu-shabu and guns gradually faded away. The Ancient Tea Horse Routes today remains as the most mysterious and spectacular natural scenery in the world where contains endless astonishing and breath-taking cultural and natural heritage .

The Ancient Tea Horse Routes itself is culture that we can’t use describe with words for its magnificent beauty, the marvelous epic legend shound’t be forgotten.

Prepare Herbal Infusion

For herbal infusion, there are various ingredients we can use,  either roots, bark, branch, fruit, leaf or flowers.

We can prepare the herbal infusion in two methods:

Cooking Method: 

  • This method fits best with the herbal infusion based on roots, bark, branch and fruits
  • Teapot selection can be glass, ceramic or porcelain tea pot
  • Teacup selection can be glass or porcelain
  • Boil the water first then put ingredients for 10-15 minutes soaking

Brewing Method: 

  • This method fits best with flowers and/or leaves
  • Water temperature: nearly the boiling point
  • Suggest brewing time: 3 minutes. (max. may not exceed 10-15 minutes)

In case long soaking/brewing, the taste may become bitter.

 

 

Hibiscus

Health  Effects

  • Stimulate digestion
  • Reduce heat (Yang)
  • Diuretic
  • Stimulate blood circulation
  • Defreckle
  • Good for liver
  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Prevention against cancer

Potential Side effects

Not recommend to consume too much with those who suffer problems with cold stomach

Suggestion :

  • Cooking method:
    • Once the water is boiled, let it cool down for 3 minutes, then add the Hibiscus and soaking for 5 minutes; Can add on honey
  • Brewing method
    • 2-3 pcs with 180ml water
    • Cover the cup with lid for 5-8 minutes
  • Suitable to make iced tea with Hibiscus

Mulberry Tea

Mulberry tea is a natural organic herbal tea.  The natural characters of Mulberry Tea is bitter and cold, it works with Lungs, Liver and Kidneys meridians according to the Chinese Traditional Medicine practice,

In the Chinese ancient herbalology “Compendium of Material Media 本草綱目” written by Li ShiZhen during the Ming Dynasty, it highlights the benefits of

Mulberry tea “treating  heat and cough, cooling  blood that has effect to enhance the eyesight and growing hair”.  Modern  scientific researches confirmed dried mulberry leaves contain 25%-45% crude protein, 20%-25% carbohydrate, 5% crude fat with rich contains of potassium, calcium, Vitamin C, B1, B2 , A, etc. also copper, zinc, boron, manganese, 18 different kind of Amino acid and other substances that we need for our health.

Health  Effects

  • Inhibiting the rise of blood sugar
  • Antibacterial
  • Lowering blood pressure
  • Lowering blood lipid
  • Antioxidant
  • Anti-toxic sterilization
  • Anti-aging
  • Lighten pigment freckles
  • Prevention of dementia
  • Reducing depression syndrome
  • Reducing cancer risk
  • Alleviating menopausal syndrome
  • Improve laxative, reducing swelling

Potential Side effects

Even though Mulberry Tea is suitable for daily drink because of its  many healthy effects of lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, aid to lose weight and freckles,  but still there are some potential side effects to people who have sensitive stomach or special health conditions:

  • It can inhibit the digestive enzyme
  • It stimulates the digestive system
  • With excessive consumption can have cause discomfort to stomach

Suggestion :

  • Brewing method: 3gm vs. 200ml, water temperature: 90°C – 950°C, multiple infusions
  • 4 cups per day
  • Drink after eating
  • Drink water in between
  • Can add one some Goji, Hong Chiao Mei or Jasmine tea

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