As usual I always give myself and my husband a treat with a pot of fine tea we love before we go to bed.
The choice tonight is Purple Buds Sheng Pu’erh of 2005 from JingMai shan, in the Laku self governing region in Lincang, there are more than 28,000 Mou of ancient tea growing region near the border of Myanmar.
The flavours and tastes are smooth, gentle, sweet and fine. No trace of astringency and bitterness. The flavours and tastes are intensified in the 2nd brewing and the taste is getting finer. I am surprised by its astonishing strength in the after taste.
What a beautiful and pleasant night tonight with the #purpletippy #shengpuerh of 2005 from #jinmaishan.
Being a half Hunanist by birth, I felt so guilty of not knowing enough about Hunan and the black gold, Anhua Dark Tea. Autumn last year, finally I got my chance. In a very intensive root searching visit to ChangSha, Ivo and I managed to have a very short visit to Anhua for three days.
Due to the limit of time so we could only visited Liu Bu Xi village and observed the production of mysterious dark tea production, and of course we have opportunities to taste plenty authentic fine tastes of Anhua Dark Tea during our visit. Unfortunately the visit was too short, but plenty fine memories still in my heart every time I make myself a cup of Anhua dark tea.
What attracted us the most are not how fine in flavors and tastes from Anhua Dark Tea in that short visit, but more over on how the local people coherently forge a harmony bonding relationships through mutual respect with the Nature, and how the local people persistently preserve the old traditions in tea production know-how.
Anhua Dark Tea actually has over 2000 years stories in China history and was a well known border trading tea with Tibet since Ming Dynasty. There is a widely spread and well known legend about Anhua Dark Tea:
On the ancient Silk Road, one day a caravans that transported tea encountered rain and tea got drenched and moist. The tea merchants, of course, were very upset, but it was pity to throw it away so they went to a village, hopefully to rest and to dry the drenched tea. But at that time, many villagers died from dysentery and they have nothing to eat or drink. The tea merchants gave the tea to sicked and poor villagers. The result was splendid, villagers were all healed by drinking tea. Since then Anhua Dark Tea is known for its medicinal effects.
Today there are many international scientist research institutes are conducting research on dark tea to health. There are few unique characters we do can mention here:
Even though it does not have very sexy and delightful flavors but it tastes sweet and smooth
It comforts the stomach with its gentle sweetness and smoothness tastes
It keeps the stomach and body warm
Those who love black tea would easily fall in love with Anhua dark tea
It tastes good with or without milk. To those who concern the cholesterol, of course, should consider to drink it straight and pure without milk.
The flavors and tastes get better with the post-fermentation storaging, under appropriate conditions. Holds a great potential for value appreciation.
The production process of Anhua Dark Tea can be grouped in four major steps: Tossing, Rolling, Staking and heaping for microbial fermentation through moist heat. In the microbial fermentation process, secret of golden flowers are developed.
Dark tea is not only not yet very known in Europe or North America, even in China there are lots of misunderstanding. Honestly speaking, Dark tea has always been, which is still today, remains as an uncovered black gold that you should give yourself a chance to experience its tastes.
Each tea has it unique territorial characters that we need to learn to respect and appreciate. A physical tasting experience is extremely important to promote Dark Tea. There are plenty stories to discover behind the tea leaf, starting from the Nature, tea trees, hard working people, wisdom in tea production and urban culture and living rituals that people in Anhua are still holding on today.
Join me to discover the secret of golden flowers from Anhua dark tea. I can’t help to expect my next exploration to AnHua soon again.
Tea is more than just a cup of beverage that can satisfies you with fine flavors and taste, it is about how to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
It is my pleasure to take part in the first ourdoor “Brew your own tea” event on 7/7/2019 in Antwerp. For this event, I particular choose the natural organic quality SongYang Black Tea.
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Why SongYang, because it’s not so well known outside of China? First of all, in this period when we are moving towards to mid. summer, it is time not only to think about how to stimulate the Ying energy, but also should consider what and how to neurite the Yang energy and not too aggressive to stomach. A black tea made from early Spring picking does can meet this requirement.
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Secondly, the best assurance for organic tea is not just to rely on the organic stamp or certificate, but it goes back to how the tea growing regions implement the organic agricultural police. SongYang is known as the most beautiful recreation county, a small tea growing region where the local government and people are committed to the sustainable organic agricultural development in Zhejiang province, China. The sustainable organic agricultural development in SongYang should be known and recognized.
The altitude of the birthplace for SongYang Black Tea is about 600-800meters above sea level. The tea garden must follow the most restrict organic principles because the tea garden is situated above from the water reservoir.
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The early Spring hand picked SongYang Black Tea would attract you with its unique mixture sweet flavors of orchid, caramel, star anise, clove and common sage (salie).
Come to join us and listen to how this unique black tea would whisper to you, heart-to-heart.
Here it is my pleasure to share a good news with all tea lovers that our natural organic premium quality golden tippy black tea, Jin Jian Mei, has received ITQI 2-star Remarkable Taste Award this year.
“The Best” is only a point on the journey that we need to move forwards. An objective evaluation on Shape, Color, Flavor, Taste and After Taste help us to have a better view on what and where else to improve in the future and we are motivated for continue quality improvements.
Tea and life are alike, can’t see the end of the life-time learning journey, the only thing we can and should do is to keep moving forwards on the right path; not losing our heart and forgetting what drove us into tea path at the first place.
Here I would like to thank to all sommeliers and ITQI for their excellent efforts and objectiveness to the professional taste evaluation.
For years friends or people questioned why Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre, a small tea centre in Antwerp, dedicated to pure authentic quality teas, primary from China and Taiwan, since 1995. All those years, our devotion remains the same:
We truly believe tea lovers deserve the best and safe quality tea that they can enjoy not only with fine quality in flavours and tastes, most importantly is good for health.
Don’t remember when was the first time I drank Pu’erh in Taiwan, can’t even remember whether it was Sheng (Raw) or Shou (Ripped) Pu’erh, all I can remember is I disliked the ‘musty’, even somewhat urine-like flavor.
In the year of 1985 when I started to learn tea, we could only buy or taste Pu’erh imported from Hong Kong and I did not know the difference between Sheng vs. Shou Pu’erh, because at that time it was not possible directly from China so it was not possible to get the first hand knowledge about Pu’erh at that time. I only knew many years later that Hong Kong Chinese loved the “aging” flavors in Pu’erh. But the question about “Why experienced Pu’erh tea lovers in Hong Kong like to emphasis the ‘aging’ flaov and taste” hunted me for many years until I have the first opportunity to visit the MengHai Tea Manufacturing Factory in XiShuanBanNa in 2002 when I was amazed by the pleasant flaovrs and tastes from authhentic aged Pu’erh.
Post fermentation is very important to the aging quality of Pu’erh. There are big difference between appropriately aged ‘aging’ flavor vs. badly stored ‘musty’ flavor.
People who first taste the Pu’erh would probably experience as what I have by its unique flavors and tastes without able to tell the difference between ‘aging’ vs. ‘Heap’ vs. “Musty” in flavors and tastes.
“Aging” reflects the the quality of post-fermented flavors of time (min. 10 years and above) that appears in different flavors, such as Chinese herbal woody sweetness, ripped plums, musk, or agarwood, as if old wooden furnitures in 3-D exuding. The flavors and tastes are pure and pleasant.
Tea particular from Fushu Puerh has very rich chemical substances, can easily absorb the moisture and ordor in the air, with unappropriate storage it eventually causes musty. “Musty” actually is a bad smell due to the corruption of quality that represents in unpleasant or even loathe flavors, some even in tastes.
“Heap” often appears in newly pile of Pu’erh that are yet to get aged further.With appropriate storing conditions, the heap flavors would gradually weaken in 2-3 years.
Tea, regardless tea type, should be stored in clean, ventilated, dark, dry, odor-free, non-polluting environment.
The aging process in the post-fermentation is very important for Pu’erh. However, the first thing must know is the aging process won’t make a bad quality tea to become good, but carefully selection and investment plus appropriate storing conditions and care would indeed improve the appreciation of pu’erh tea to become a better investment.
Having the right quality and store it appropriately for the aging process for dark tea, including Pu’erh (particular Raw Pu’erh), would influence how well the appreciation of your investment in the coming years.
The post-fermentation process won’t make bad quality tea become good, therefore, it is better to invest on better quality instead of shopping because the price is cheap.
If you could invest well, then can expect the annual growth of investment appreciation by 10% or even more. Of course, the storage conditions play a vital role to influence the quality to flavors and taste in the agingpost fermentation process.
#darktea #agingprocess #agedpuerh #ageddarkteaBelgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre Cha Dao – The Way of Tea.Pure Quality Tea Belgium Tea Shop Tea Culture Rendez-vous
A post in the Gongfu Cha group on Facebook about having hair on tea cake caught a lot of interesting discussion since last night. Some people suggested that growing hair on tea cake means better quality. This reminded me why I disliked Pu’erh since I started to learn tea in 1985, because Pu’erh tea cake that I could find at that time in Taiwan were smuggling from Hong Kong, and I was totally not attracted by very strong dammed housing even urine-like flavors. However, the first visit to the Menghai Tea Factory in 2002, the natural and pleasant flavors and taste from Pu’erh, especially aged Pu’erh, were so attracted that turned my mind around completely.
Therefore, my first learning about Pu’erh started from distinguish the flavors changes in Sheng Pu’erh and Shou Pu’erh with different storaging conditions and the change in post fermentation.
Even many Chinese people can’t distinguish the difference between Chen Wei 陳味 (aging flavors) and Mei Wei 霉味 vs. . “stacking” flavors (Dui Wei 堆味)
For pu’erh or dark tea lover, especially to tea sommeliers, I do think we should not mess up with the “stacking” flavors (Dui Wei 堆味) vs. musty flavors (Mei Wei 霉味) vs. aging flavors (Chen Wei 陳味), because these three post fermented flavors have totally different presentations in terms of appearance – under appropriate storaging,
Left: Coronaria appears in greyish white (from natural aging fermentation Right: Scutellaria appears in white hair on tea cake (inappropriate dammed warehousing or bad storaging)
Color – With appropriate storage, actually the color of Pu’erh appears healthy and shinny. However, it is possible for some Sheng Pu’erh started to develop greyish white, it is the appearance of Coronaria which is not same as the structure of Scutellaria due to inappropriate storaging. The later would potentiallly have negative effects to health
flavors – the moldy in tea cake would develop very strong unpleasant flavors which are not same as appropriately aged flavors and tastes.
tastes – The black color mildew has an adverse effect on tea, often make the taste unpleasant because of “hemp, hanging throat, throat”.
Suggestions:
Avoid to purchase tea cake/brick/toucha that have 2 or more musty characters , because your health matters
Pay attention to the entire storaging environment but not just single storaging condition – air flow, bad odor-free, avoid light
Avoid to put Sheng Pu’erh with Shou Pu’erh together for aging process
Avoid to follow the sales marketing slogan blindly, learn to listen own body
#flavours and #tastes subject to #individual #preferences #individualpreferences
but there are fundamental #differences between #naturalflavors vs. #aromaticflavors
How crazy rich Chinese Pu’erh collectors can be? Well, this latest news perhaps can give you an idea.
Auction in Hong Kong just finished, after five hours, Lot No. 387 Pu’erh tea cake (Sheng Pu’erh #8582) from the late 80’s has received the highest bid, five million seven hundred fifty thousand HKG dollars, the price is higher than the price in the Spring auction.
There are 42 pcs in this lot according to this photo, the unit price per tea cake is 3,750,000HKG Dollars (+/- abt. EUR500K per cake).
Another Lot No. 229 Pu’erh from Yang Pin Hao (楊聘號) ended with 2 million eighty eight thousand HKG dollars.
As you could imagine such rocky sky high priced Pu’erh are only for few rich Chinese; even though these look very attractive, but such luxury is not affordable by most people.
We support pure and authentic quality of tea, but not willing or able to support such high price bidding, because we aim to serve vase tea lovers but not just few tea collectors. Money can buy such priceless aged Pu’erh, but money can not buy time. No matter what, one thing is clear that such aged Pu’erh are limited in the world, every cup they drink, then a piece of it is gone.
