Category: Tea Types Page 7 of 8

2001 Mini Tou Cha

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Pu-Erh

Non-intentionally let it sat in a Yixing clay tea jar for more than 15 years.

Now it has transformed to an astonishing beauty.

Mini Tou Cha of year 2001

Brewing it with a classical earth ware teapot

Color: Beautiful clarity in rich brownish red color with a golden ring.

Surprisingly smooth flavour with mild notion of astringent that accelerate the after taste of sweetness back on the tip of tongue

The 1st infusion (Left) vs. the 2nd infusion (Right). The color is getting richer in the later infusions.

The dried sweetness taste does not just stay on your tonque, it further stimulate the after taste at side in mouth, feel the surprisingly stimulative taste between teeth from the back side moves to the front.

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Unknown Year Aged Puerh

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Pu-Erh

Accidentally discovered and bought three porcelain jars from a local antique shop, the porcelain jar is well sealed with an aged paper of “雲南普洱” (Yunnan Pu-erh) “光緒十六年” (which is in 1890).

Well, the porcelain jars are not in the top quality and the drawing clearly was rural hand works.

First of all, it is not usual to pack and sell tea in a porcelain jar, so surely it’s not meant to sell as tea. Was it a personal collection?

When I shaked the jar, I could clearly hear the crispy sounds from very dried leaves (Puerh would become drier because water content was evaporated during the natural aging process even though it’s well sealed).

Was it really is an antique tea with more than 120 years old? What was really in the jar? How was the quality? …..A series of question came to my mind that woke up my curiosity. In the situation that the shop owner did not ask for outrageous price for these three porcelain jars and under no circumstances that I could request the shop owner to let me open the jar, so I bought them home and tried to find out the truth myself; even if the tea inside is not good, at least I could use them to store my own Puerh tea.

A moment of truth

The lid of the jar was well sealed by plaster
The tea leaves are as expected very dried in dark black colour
Not having very noticeable musty or unpleasant aroma but has very mild and gentle mixture of woody plum and fruity notes
Brewing in an earthware teapot with almost 100°C water temperature
After warmed up with hot water, the mixture of woody plum and fruity notes became noticeable, again it’s gentle and mild but not unpleasant
The tea colour was surprisingly fine with great clarity and transparency in brownish red color
The flavour was matching with its dried leaves in gentle and not-aggressive or unplesant flavour, but with woody plum mixture of fruity notes
When poured the tea into the serving cup, could see a kind of cloud floating in tea
How about the taste? Well, I wish I could share this cup with you because I was joyfully surprised by its dried sweetness, rich but gentleness; easy to swallow.

Well, I have never tasted the aged Puerh that’s older than 25 years, so I do not have very solid base to identify its actual age by comparing the taste; but the gentle aroma from the dried leaves did remind me the memory of my first visit to the Meng Hai Tea Plant in Xi Shuan Ban Na, Yunnan in 2002 when the Deputy Director of the factory showed me a very old Puerh (>80 years) in their tea library. Perhaps it was an imitation long time ago, perhaps in many experts’ point of views the jar is not a high quality antique. But for me, it’s a joyful and imaginative tea journey of the day.

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Shou Pu (Ripped Puer)

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Pu-Erh

Tea is simple and yet is a such complex world that no one really know how deep and how broad it is. When I first wanted to learn more about tea and Chinese traditional tea ceremony in Taiwan in 1985, frankly speaking my views about tea was narrowed by Taiwanese tea only. Said good-bye to my family was a hard decision but there was nothing I could explain, except “love is blind”. But living in Belgium gave me a great opportunity to re-examine the cylindrical views about tea world that I thought I knew from a inside-out limitation to 360 degree.

At that time I could only drink the Shou Pu (the web storage Ripped Puer) imported (actually it was more like smuggling) from Hong Kong and honestly speaking I disliked that aging musty flavor and taste at that time. The trip to Xishuangbanna in Yunan and the visit to then the ‘only’ Puer manufacturer in MengHai has opened my eyes and changed my mind completely. I then realized, there is another ancient boundless tea world for me to discover and there are more stories to hear and to tell.

I still remember during that visit to MengHai Tea Factory and LiMing Tea Factory, we could only visit the compressing and packing departments, but it was not allow us to visit the fermentation room for Shou Pu (Ripped Puer). The reason then was “it’s a top secret area”. Now a day, there are many photo’s and articles can be found about the past-secret territory.

But still there are many debates about when the production of Shou Pu was started, in 1927 or 1974? Actually there was no documentation about Shou Pu before 1974. According to the investigation document, it was not possible to deliver the loose Ripped Puer from Yunnan to Hong Kong; one horse can only carry 50kg loose leaf tea while the horse could carry 70kgs if it’s compressed to brick or cake before 1948. Unique geographical environment and transport conditions, therefore it decided the future of compressed tea cake to Hong Kong since 1948. One thing we are sure is there was no documentation about Shou Puer from the historical documents in Dali, Xishuangbanna and Puer regions or manufacturing record before 1974. Without ripped loose leaves, then there is no Ripped Puer tea cake, because once the Sheng (Raw) Puer being compressed, then it’s not possible to transform it to Ripped Puer through the artificial fermentation process any more. The cost of storaging the loose leaves is much higher if they could compress it. So the compressed Shou Pu started from Hong Kong in the 50’s.

In the time of cultural revolution, there was no direct communication between Hong Kong and Mainland China. But still soon the State-Own company learnt about how Hong Kong was able to accelerate the fermentation by using the artificial fermentation process, so they ordered the tea factory in Xia Guan to begin the experiment of using the artificial fermentation process for the exportation. That began the life of Shou Pu.

How is the quality of artificial fermented Shou Pu is decided both by the piling techniques and the storage time, and of course not to forget how the quality of the tea base lays the foundation to the aging process. The advantage of Sheng (Raw) Pu is its solid natural flavor and the surprising transformation during the storage, there is a special flavor and taste from the natural aging process; but the down side is the natural transformation takes time. On the other hand, Shou Pu allow us to enjoy the mellow flavor and taste in about 5 years and above; but its down side is tea leaves were damaged during the piling-fermentation process and it often is not suitable to store for too long.

So my learning journey about Puer began in 2002. Did I make mistakes in selecting and buying Puer tea? Of course, it’s necessary. Otherwise I could have another learning block if it’s not because of those stupid decision I made. Since I don’t have very deep pocket, so I couldn’t afford to buy those ‘trendy fashion aged or antique Puer’, so I decide to get old together with my tea and enjoy the surprising journey of transformation together. It is like a friend said It is not possible to achieve the perfection state in anything on his/her own. The ancient world of Puer tea definitely is another domain where there is anyone can hardly master its knowledge perfectly. Will I still make mistakes in Puer tea? Of course, the chance is big; but it won’t stop me from learning and enjoying the relearning.

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Nanjing Yu Hua Tai

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Green Tea

Among the top 10 famous green tea in China, Nanjing Yu Hua Tau is an unique choice. It is unique not just because of its fine green tea flavour and taste, but also because it represents the magnificent glory past of Southern Capital city in Chinese histor and ugly yet horrible war crime, Nanjing Rap, conducted by Japanese militants during their invasion in China.

Thanks to Yemin who brought three different quality of Nanjing Yu Hua Tau green tea from her recent family visiting trip to Nanjing.

We started from the lowest price (Size “L”):

Leaves are rather long with fishy note. Small young buds are covered with white hair

Flavour is mild with astringent taste in the 1st infusion, but bitter in the 2nd infusion.

From the Size “L”, we dumped to the size “S”, the youngest and tiny buds. Normally is the best quality from the quality filtering process:

All young and tiny buds, the water content % is higher than the size L

Lovely impression with young buds standing in the cup.

Due to the high water content percentage, therefore it is better to brew this young buds quality with lower water temperature, otherwise the taste can be bitter easily.

Now we moved to the last one, the size “M” which are young leaves that are like shy girls who open their windows slightly for their love one.

The color is more greener

The flavour and taste are more balance comparing with size L and size S

Conclusion:

With such quality green tea, it is better to brew with lower water temperature, i.e. 70-75°C, and shorten the infusion time.

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Oolong Tea

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Oolong

Oolong tea is the most sophisticated tea among the six tea types because it is made through very complex manufacturing processes. Not all semi-fermented teas can be named as Oolong tea, because Oolong has specific quality criteria to evaluate its flavor and taste.

The leaves can be picked and processed in four seasons, and each season has its unique charms and energy:

Spring Oolong – young an fresh with charming flora aroma like refreshing young girl
Summer Oolong – Hot and spicy like a sexy woman with easy changing temperament
Autumn Oolong – After through the warm summer, the complexity of flora and fruity notes are emerging. As an assertive mature woman.
Winter Oolong – After being through many changes from the bitter and sweet seasons, like a mature lady who absorbs the glory of flora, fruity and nuts flavor from her rich living experience. She is wise and gentle.

Treat her like treating a lady and then enjoy her sexy complexity in your imagination, feel the extraordinary flavor and taste on your tongue.

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Ecological Oolong Tea

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Oolong

“How organic is true ecological?” Well, I think this photo is more convincing than thousand words or a piece of organic certificate. This is the photo of tea picking from the ecological tea farm in Fujian. Not only it’s in the middle of wildness, far away from human populltion; but also the owner insist

Only use the natural fertilizer, free from pesticide; but still we submitted samples for pesticide analysis in Belgium accordign to the EU Pesticide standards
Respect and maintain the harmony balance with Nature. Do not use any chemical products to remove grass or stimulate the growth
Allow tea trees search for the growing strength in natural manner, so do not trim the tea trees since the farmer took over the long-time abandoned tea farm.
Implement collective stateownership with the community who live in the mountain; the daily income of tea pickers is ensured regardless the quantity they pick, because we believe the picking quality is more important than the quantity
Only pick ONCE a year without considering the high cost, the risk and ROI. So only limited quantity available
Respect the old Chinese traditions; semi-manual processes and afterwards fine re-processed through the wood fire roasting process

“How to know the quality of tea is good? “ , this is a pretty common question people ask. Unfortunately price is indeed a critical milestone to help you to evaluate the quality of tea. We are not encouraging the practice “show off the wealth’ , but we do think tea lovers should learn the priceless hardworking and human values behind each leaf. Besides it takes only 3g max. 5g it takes for you to enjoy +/- 1.5L tea in a day, so what is the cost per cup in a day? From this ecological tea farm, we provide three different tea selections:

Tie Guan Yin Oolong
JinXuan Oolong
MeiZhan Oolong

More information for each ecological Oolong Tea is to follow later.

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Huang Guan Yin Honey Yellow Tea

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Yellow Tea

We proudly announce the launching of new type of Yellow Tea in EU – Huang Guan Yin Honey Yellow

Tea Research Institutes in China and Taiwan are constantly trying to create new and better tea tree cultivars, and launching a new tea tree cultivar takes many years of research and experiments. Fujian Agricultural Sciences Tea Research Institute launched the new development by crossbreeding from Tie Guan Yin (F) and Huang Yen (M) in 1977 to 1997. It registered as a tea tree cultivar, Huang Guan Yin (Camellia sinensis cv. Huangguanyin) in Fujian in 1998 and won the 2^nd award prize from the science and technology assessment. It was official introduced in 2002, so we can consider as a pretty new member to the Camellia sinensis va sinensis family. The plantation areas of Huang Guan Yin has expanded from Fujian Province to other provinces in China.

Huang Guan Yin is a small size bush-type tea tree of mid-size leaves, the color young buds is in yellowish green color. The youngest buds available for picking at end of March to early April for quality picking of 1 bud with 2 leaves. Based on the quality of 1 bud with 2 leaves, it contains 31.9% Polyphenols, 3.5% Amino acids, 3.5% Caffeine, 42.8% dissolvable water extracts; It combines the unique flavor and taste from both Tie Guan Yin and Huang Yen, suitable to produce excellent quality green tea, Tie Guan Yin oolong to black tea.

Huang Guan Yin Honey Yellow

Huang Guan Yin Honey Yellow is an unique higher fermented yellow tea made from Huang Guan Yin tea tree cultivated in Hunan. Using the premium quality of 1 bud with two young leaves and was processed through an unique innovative process that combines the unique shake green process in Oolong Tea, the fermentation process in Black Tea with the traditional piling fermentation process in Yellow Tea and then going through the rolling process.

Criteria	Dried Leaf	Tea Liquor
Color	Dark, almost like black tea with a mixture of golden tips	Due to the increase of fermentation , so the color of tea liquor is in mild yellowish brown color
Shape	Half ball shape as oolong	1 golden tip bud with 2 leaves
Flavour	Refreshing with flora and caramel aroma	With delightful caramel sweetness, almost like honey, with the blending of flora aroma
Taste	Mild and gentle
Final sensation	The mouth is full with gentle flavor and taste, the taste of astringent comes in very gentle slow path that stimulates the fluid from both sides in the mouth

Astonishing mild amber color

Even though it is classified as Yellow Tea, but the heavy fermentation process allows its to flourish with high temperature of water. We recommend to brew it according to the Oolong brewing.

Leaves vs. water	3g : 150ml (1g : 50ml)
Water temperature	95°C
Brewing	1^st infusion: 30-45 seconds, 2^nd/3^rd: 20-30 seconds, afterwards can increase the infusion time to your taste.
Suggested tea ware	Porcelain gaiwan or small teapot

Learning from a flavoured Dong Ding Oolong

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Oolong

This is a rice-aroma flavoured Ding Ding Oolong that my student bought from Holland to the lesson last night, the shop has mistaken the height of mountain to 1200mt, actually the the correct information of Dong Ding Mountain should be 743mt.

I did not say too much when I first smelled a very strong rice-aroma from the dried leaves, I chose to give the tea a chance to speak to me when I tasted it later.

I woke up the tea with warm water without drinking as I normally do. The rice-aroma was weakened but still there some notions of it and the note further dropped in the 2nd infusion. The rice-aroma was vanished in the 3rd infusion and we could then evaluate the true flavour and taste afterwards
The rice aroma does not match with the natural aroma and flavour from Dong Ding Oolong.
the first impression about the taste is ‘not bad’ because of the gentle sweet taste, but the taste was pretty flat that we missed the complexity from the after taste

So what do we learn from this tasting last night?

Today Wikipedia and internet actually offer many information
Natural traditional semi-fermented with roasted Dong Ding Oolong

that allow us to double check the information. If the shopper could double check the information about Dong Ding Mountain, then s/he could avoid the mistake on the label about the height of mountain. When we write story for tea, we should at least get some facts correct.
Dong Ding Oolong is one famous traditional seimi-to-heavy fermented and being roasted Oolong tea from Taiwan, using 1 heart (young bud) with 2 or 3 young leaves hand-picked quality. It first started from ZhangYa, FengHuang and YongLong villages and now is spread species in LuGu area.
Repeatedly roasted by charcoal made from Long Yen wood gave it a special roasting flavour and taste. But these days there are light fermented with light roasting with electrical oven, and aged roasted Dong Ding Oolong, so there are many choices under one name. No matter what it should be made from Qing Xing tea tree cultivar from LuGu, Nantou, Taiwan.
Dong Ding Oolong has very powerful natural ripped fruits and/or flora notes (Lizhe) with mild caramel flavour and taste. The complex flavour notes and taste can be intensified if we kept the same infusion as in the first infusion, therefore we normally reduce the infusion time slightly (+/- 45 seconds); afterwards we back to the 1 minute infusion. The flavour and taste are synchronized and continued for several infusions.
Only weakened strength tea base can be easily reprocessed by additional flavour additives. The basic cost structure of good quality nature tea is much higher than the tea base used for the flavoured tea.
Traditional Dong Ding has powerful natural flavour and taste with good strength, no additional flavoured additives are needed

Even though flavoured teas do not meet with my personal preference, but I do recognize for people who do not have too much knowledge about tea, not to mention about Oolong tea from Taiwan, can be easily attracted to this rice-aroma flavoured Oolong. I do, however, think shopper/s should be honest to label information for each tea with correct information.

Origin: Nantou, Taiwan / Type: Qing Xin / 100% pure & nature quality / 2.5g:150ml / 95-99°C / multiple infusions >6-8

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2001 Liu Bao Cha

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Hei (Dark）Tea

Image result for 六堡茶

Liu Bao Cha, also known as LiuPao Cha, is another unique Dark tea (Hei Cha in Chinese means Black Tea), a speciality from Liu Bao, Chang Wu Xian in the autonomous region by the minority Zhuang tribe, it is another drinkable antique same as Puerh tea from Yunnan. Liu Bao Cha is made from fresh leaves from the mid-sized leaves of Camelliasinensis (L.)O.Kuntze, it is picked either 1 bud with 1 leaf or 1 bud with 3-4 leaves, the picking time is in March to November.

Reddish color, betel nuts flavour, smooth with strength taste

It has long history that can trace way back to 1500 to 2000 years in Chinese history. It is known by its unique betel nuts flavour and the noticeable special characters of rich red color, with earthy flavour, with mellow but strengthened astringent after taste; regardless is Sheng (Raw) or Shou (Ripped), the color of leaves after being brewed is all in shinning reddish or dark brown.

The content of Polyphenols in Liu Bao Cha is almost as rich as found in the big-leaves Puerh from MongKu, Yunnan:

AnHua Hei Cha : 22.6%
MongKu Puerh : 33.8%
Liu Bao Hei Cha: 32.4%

It has the highest content of Amino acides:

AnHua Hei Cha: 2.9%
MongKu Puerh: 1.7%
Liu Bao Hei Cha: 3.0%

The content of caffeine is also relatively high, therefore the brewing of Liu Bao Cha requires some special attention:

AnHua Hei Cha : 4.1%
MongKu Puerh: 4.1%
Liu Bao Hei Cha: 4.4%

Even though the caffeine in dark tea is higher than found in green, white or black tea, but the good news with the aging transformation in the post-fermentation process, the content of caffeine is weakened.

Liu Bao Cha has benefits to those who have problem with hypertension, hyperlipidemia (high blood viscosity, high cholesterol and high triglycerides), high blood sugar (diaetes), high uric acid that cause gout psychosis crowd. It has effects to ease heat and dampness, laxative flooding dysentery, cellulite blood pressure, and has hypoglycemi sedative effects.

Liu Bao Cha has been appreciated by many Chinese and Chinese migrants live in South East Asia through the Ocean Silkroad in the last Qing Dynasty.

Here are some useful tips about brewing:

Using very warm water, the higher temperature the better.
Wash the tea leaves twice, as quick as you can.
Keep the infusion time short and sexy (5-10 seconds or 10-20 seconds subject to the water temperature)
Don’t hurry to drink when it’s still very warm, drink it at the suitable temperature, +/- 40 degree

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Puerh is Red Tea? Hei Cha!

By Mei Lan Hsiao

On 30/09/2016

In Pu-Erh

All those years, I’ve tried not too ‘critical’ to other tea ‘sommeliers’ or ‘traders’, but I was once again shocked by the information about Puerh tea from a Dutch web shop that my student Jess relayed to me by email which kept me awoke that I think it is necessary to point out some fundamental mistakes:

First of all, since the name of Black Tea was used for Chinese Red Tea (紅茶), so now we can call Chinese Hei Cha (黑茶, literally mean Black Tea in Chinese) to Dark Tea. Puerh is in the category of Hei Cha (Dark Tea) but not Red Tea (Black Tea).
But there is something unique about Hei Cha, because there are Sheng (生 means raw, green, not-full fermented) and Shou (熟 means ripped, full fermented), but one thing in common is these considered as ‘living and drinkable antique’, the flavor and taste are transformed according to the difference in post-fermentation process and the later storage.
The brewing of Puerh is similar but again different from the brewing of other sort of tea
The flavor and taste of Puerh from lower altitude vs. high altitude, bush-type vs. tree-type and the age of tea tree, from loose leaves to tea cake, etc. create a lot of diverse flavour and taste in Puerh
Indeed the taste of Puerh is very smooth and gentle, especially those aged Puerh; but it shouldn’t be flat and boring, on the contrary it should be the first taste of smoothness, then with gentle after-taste that give your mouth a full body of faste afterwards with the closure of kind of sweetness on your tongue. Different post fermentation process and the period of time can influence the flavor of Puerh, some will develop a kind of earlthy woody note, but good quality Puerh, even Shou Puerh, won’t give a rotten rot flavor and struggling with the swallowing.

Out of curiosity, so I decided to pay a visit to that web shop as well and surprisingly have found more chaotic and unthinkable mistakes, here I just simply point out two Taiwan Oolong as example:

Formosa Fine Oolong :

in the description, they introduced it as Black tea, then further it wrote, it’s semi-fermented tea. So is it a Oolong or black tea? Oolong is Oolong but not black tea. There are heavy fermented Oolong, but it is still Oolong but not black tea because the flavor and taste are not on the same parameters; certainly there are some strict and important evaluation parameters to define ‘fine’ Oolong tea.

Formosa Oolong Thing Dong (Jade Oolong):

Jade Oolong is also known as Cui Yu in Chinese Pinyin, so what does it mean “Thing Dong”?? again is it a black or oolong? Indeed high mountain Oolong often is very light fermented, but how can black tea be non-fermented? Withering and fermentation processes are necessary for Oolong, so how can it be non-fermented?

I don’t question they treasure tea or not, but based on how they classify the tea category on their web site, I wonder how much they really know about tea. Frankly speaking, I have no idea where they learnt about tea but I would be very shamed if I were their teacher. There are simply TOO MUCH unthinkable mistakes that I really do not know how to correct them. The discovery from this web shop who mistook the Puerh as ‘red tea’ gave me a speechless evening.

One can’t distinguish the quality and the value of tea until s/he is willing to give her/himself a chance to taste the tea with an open mind for a life-time learning with tea. The learning starts from getting the fundamental information right as much as possible.