Category: Tea Types Page 6 of 8

Today, YM asked for my thinking  that someone she came across from Chinese social media claims her family owns 60,000km2 tea plantation as ‘family farm’ in Wuyi, Fujian and yearly tea production is about 5 ton.  Is it true or false? Is this claim a little bit too exaggerate?

Let’s see what the actual information from the Wuyi government:

1. WuYi Mountains have  been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for cultural, scenic, and biodiversity values since 1999; the whole of world heritage site has a total area of 99,975 hectares, the altitude is from 200 meters to 2158 meters.  The bedrock lithology at Wuyi Shan is dominated by tuff, rhyolite and granite in the western part and red sandstone is common farther in the East.
2. The tea plantation areas are basically divided by two parts – ZhenShan正山 (inside the protected area in the Natural Park, surrounded by a river)  about 50Km² and Tong Mou Guan is the center; outside of the river is called Wai Shan 外山. There are some differences in flavor and taste, but the most difference factor will be the price.  
3. The size of tea plantation in Wuyi is counted for about 82,67km² in 2009 and the yearly Mao Cha output increased from 6,600tons in 2009 to 9,770tons in 2010.
4. There are 22,000 tea farmers spreaded in Wuyi, Xing Cun, and Xing Tien in the region; there are 635 related with tea manufacture processing, number of tea shops is over 4000 in Wuyi and more than 50,000 people involve with the tea production.

Wuyi Cai Cha (the literately translation is Vegetable tea) is a very unique and good small- to medium sized leaf bush type tea tree cultivar from China, the natural hybridization through pollen with other sort of tea tree cultivars, in Wuyi has created very diverse tea trees, i.e. Da Hong Pao, Bai Ji Guan, Tie Lou Han, Shui Jin Qui, Ban Tian Yao, etc. and on top of it, there are still many traditional tea tree cultivars, such as Shui Xien, Mei Zhan and Huang Yan, etc.  these tea tree diversities allow us to enjoy very diverse flavour and taste.  So Rock Tea is like Oolong not the name of tea, but only family of teas, but it is unique from Wuyi mountain region because of the growing environment.

The black tea (known as Lapsang Souchong but in Chinese is ZhenShan XiaoZhong 正山小種) from Wuyi has once championed in the tea export from China to the Europe in Qing Dynasty suffered from the competition from India, but the traditional Rock Tea survived.  Thanks to early Chinese migrants  to the South East Asia who love the traditional flavour and taste.  Even though in the past 20 years there are many traditional oolong adapted the light fermentation process in order to satisfy the green tea lovers or it is because the plantations are moving more higher on mountains, but when increasing the flavor to charm the nose, some actually have weakened the rhythm in the taste.  Luckily the South East Asian market steadily acceptance the support the sustainability of traditional processed Oolong, including Wuyi Rock Tea are growing gradually  in Europe and America in recent years and there are more and more professional tea sommeliers (Chinese or non-Chinese)  appreciate the traditional flavor and taste more these days.

With the continues growing from the domestic consumer market and the new development of Jin Jun Mei in 2005, actually both tea farmers and tea process manufacturers realize the benefits of creating tea that has better value in the market. During my visit to Tong Mou Guan in Wuyi last year (2015), the tea farmer also told me that they realized the mistake they made in the past to sell the left over quality from the tea production to foreign traders that eventually hurt the market value for better quality black tea from WuYi.  While I am happy that the local people start to realize how to protect the traditional inherit age and the importance of quality, on the other hand, I also realize the price of Wuyi Rock Tea is going to soar and worth for collection.

So based on the above information we can easily evaluate the  claim from that Chinese sales girl, it could be possible that ‘her family farm’ owns 60km² but unlikely 60,000km².  The question from YM is about tea but again it is more than tea. Because tea is not just about business, but it is about honesty and respect. If we could not even honest with tea then how can we expect honesty in the world of tea. But again the principle is not just about tea, it is about how we face ourselves and  live our life.

 

Tea is more than business but is about trustful friendship.

Since I started to promote pure quality tea, I started to search for low pesticide or even organic quality  Oolong tea that is being processed according to the traditional fermentation and roasted by wood. In the early 2002, the internet technology was not that advance as today, so as you can imagine that the searching of right information and honest suppliers has been a very frustrated journey.  Luckily hard works, time and expensive telephone cost paid off at end.  With Luck I have  the pleasure of knowing KP who at that time worked for a tea estate in Fujian.  KP was very honest with all the information, for example they used the organic fertilizer and very little pesticide.  Most importantly, KP understood the traditional flavor and taste that I had in my memory and was willing to repeat the roasting process according to my demand.

For years, the cooperation with KP confirmed tea is more than an import/export business relationship, but it is about building and sustaining a trustful friendship.

Later KP told me he bought a small tea ground of Tie Guan Yin which has been abandoned for at least 5 years and later he acquired another abandoned farm ground to plant Mei Zhan and Jin Xuan Oolong in a very remote area in Mei Shan.  He manages it according to the principle of keeping the ecological harmony, i.e. use the natural organic fertilizer, pesticide-free and limit the picking only in the Spring season.   His motivation is very plain and straight forwards – For his health, he needs tea that he dares to trust for its purity and pesticide-free.

Difference between the normal organic tea plantation vs. ecological tea plantation

Organic tea plantation

The normal organic tea garden

As you can see that even in the resting period, even though there are some grass on the walking path, tea trees were trimmed and the tea plantation is looking pretty clean and neat

Ecological tea plantation

The wild botanical & ecological balance tea garden

During the same period of time, the ecological tea plantation is an exciting playground for many insects, grass and flowers.   Because Tie Guan Yin tea trees survived from not having fertilizer and human disturbs, so the growing path is in very irregular shape and some are growing much taller than the normal bush-type of tea plantation as we can see from the organic tea plantation. 

When we talked in the plantation, we felt like walking in a jungle because grass were growing taller than us.  The tea plantation is surrounded by trees and there are trees also between tea trees that provide tea trees natural shadow that to protect the tea tree again the burning sun.

When the Mother Nature takes over her role, tea leaves are growing very strongly.

There are signs of ecological balance, here and there.

Of course there are some arguments that the tea leaf quality of ecological tea plantation because often leaves were ‘kissed’ not only by Jacobiasca formosana, but also by other insects.  Yes, the ecological tea leaves can lose some points on the ‘look’ but they win many more points by its smooth sweetness flavor.

In order to ensure tea trees can live longer with great energy, therefore, KP insist to limit the tea picking to spring season only.  For the sake of protecting the Mother Nature, KP is willing not to consider his business profit based on small quantity of output per year.  His attitude and commitment to the Mother Nature is the most solid guarantee to the purity and quality.

Starting from 2016, KP is implementing the ecological concept further of not even using the natural organic fertilizer.

Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre is proudly be the exclusive partner in Europe.  With this ecological Tie Guan Yin, Mei Zhan and Jin Xuan, we are not able to speak about how many quantity per season, but really can only provide limited quantity per year.

Origin: Fujian, China / Type: Tie Guan Yin / 100% pure & nature quality / 2.5g:150ml /

95-99°C / multiple infusions >6-8

It’s not a beautiful tea garden, but it’s pure and nature ecological well balance tea heaven.

KP’s ecological tea garden is in the deep mountain area where is few hours drive from the nearyby city.  The tea garden is surrounding by nature forest and far away from any sort of pollutions.  In his ecological tea garden, there are three (3) tea tree cultivars, i.e. Tie Guan Yin, Jin Xuan and Mei Zhan.

Jin Xuan is an unique tea tree cultivar from Taiwan, it is also known as TTS#12.  It was introduced and named in 1980 after 43 years research.  Now Jin Xuan tea trees are planted in Taiwan, China, Thailand and Vietnam.

Is Jin Xuan Oolong an aromatic tea? 

No, the pure and nature dired Jin Xuan oolong does have very unique flavour, it is a mixture of flora, mung bean and creamy notes.  The flavour from dried leaves is not very strong, but once it’s being waken up in a warmed tea pot or cup, you will be amazed by its intense flavours.

Some people interpreted its unique creamy flavour as milky flavour and named it as ‘Milky Oolong’ in English.  Because of this English name, so now a day there are aromatic Milky Oolong tea that has been scented with milk extract to satisfy buyers who like very strong and sexy milky flavour.

Whether you like pure and nature flavour or scented with extra flavour extract is a matter of choice.  After all, you are the boss of your own body and health.

Brewing Suggestion:  1g : 50-75ml water / temperature: 95-99 Celcius / Infusion time: 1 min. – 45 sec. – 1 min. / Multiple infusions: 6-8

Eco-Jin Xuan Oolong Tea

Look: hand-picked, 1+2 leaves

• Processing: Mid. fermented with very mild roasting process by wood fire with Long Gan wood.  In order to maintain its unique aroma and flavour, therefore it is important to roast it only in the mild manner.  The extra wood-roasting process allows this tea to be stored in normal room temperature but not necessary to keep it in deep freezer.
• Flavour: The dried leaves have fine green note from oolong tea.  Once is being waken up in a warmed teapot, amazed by its mixture of flora, mung bean and delightful creamy flavour

Taste: mild, sweet, smooth, gentle

Olfaction: Fine and gentle

Multi-infusions: 6-8

An excellent choice of afternoon tea in this mild and warm spring day.

Origin: Fujian, China / Type: Jin Xuan/ 100% pure & nature quality / 2.5g:150ml / 95-99°C / multiple infusions >6-8

Friend asked me on Twitter which tea do I normally drink when feeling stress out.  I told him, I don’t specifically choose which type of tea, instead I simply follow my instinct on that moment or whatever comes into handy at that moment.  In this cloudy and greyish late spring morning, the thought of old Shui Xian came into my mind.  I only have very limited quantity but why not give myself a good treat.

The first impression: long shape hand-picked quality, traditionally processed with heavy oxidation and fermentation.

Old Shui Xian

Why I call it ‘Old’ Shui Xian?  Because I have it for more than 12 years already.  So I have at least a clear and honest idea of how old is it.

Choice of matching tea ware: ceramic Gaiwan and cup, so I can enjoy the warmth when holding the cup in my hands.

The flavour from dried leaves is very very mild, but once it sat in the warmed Gaiwan, it woke up in very sexy and entice manner with its sweet blending of flora and caramel flavour.

Brewing: 3g in water temperature 95-99 Celsius; brewing time: 1 minute – 45 seconds – 1 minute

Enjoy the fine and smooth taste when the warm energy is rising on my back.

Origin: Fujian, China / Type: Shui Xian / 100% pure & nature quality / 2.5g:150ml / 95-99°C / multiple infusions >6-8