Belgium Chinese Tea Centre

Formosa Beauty, the plantation is using natural fertilizer and no pesticide. It has been confirmed by the pesticide analysis report based on EU standards in Europe.

Q: Please do not wonder, that organic teas are sometimes cheaper than non-organic ones.

Concerning the first question about organic or non-organic, as I have tried to explain in the lesson that there are different standards for organic. In Europe, normally organic means Zero pesticide tolerance from the laboratory’s analysis based on the EU pesticide standards.  But when you visit the growing sites in the world, sometimes you find they are  using organic fertilizer and government approved pesticide and claim it as “green” or ” organic” products.  Indeed there are different organizations issue organic certificate but are their standards same as the EU standards? Also the organic label costs a lot of money that is not all small growers can afford.  Another thing we should establish a clear understanding is once the soil has been contaminated by over fertilized or pesticide then it will takes years of control and transformation.  

In Europe we have very strict standards for organic definition, but we do have to understand and question why the pesticide list has grown from 500 to nearly 600 in the last two years and I will not surprise if the list continues to extend in the future. So, this is by laws, but what is the reality in the market? This is often very confusing even in the organic shops, not all products sold in the organic shop(s) are pesticide free organic. 

The hand-picked and being processed well tea are always more expensive than machine-picked or lower quality tea.  Why? It’s simple, because of limited of quantity. With this kind of quality tea we can’t evaluate it based on price but we need to learn to appreciate its value.

Q: Not for all teas organic is also a quality sign. Especially teas from China are reaching the best prices in conventional form.

Of course the lower grades of organic tea can be cheaper than hand-picked non-organic tea.  So it does not make sense to compare price unless one puts the same quality grade in the comparison scale.

Can’t give yes or no answer to the 2^nd question – not all organic tea is also a quality sign because the quality is more related to how the production processes are being managed; indeed organic tea has less sexy flavor from the dried leaf, but the taste will tell when one is able to listen

Q: Growers have the possibility to grow better and more special teas if they are not organic.

Indeed there are more teas are turning back to the traditional processes, flavor and taste.  Tie Guan Yin and Dong Ding for example.  Again as I have explained in the lesson that Chinese people before us must had tried various methods  that they eventually identified the right production processes for a reason. 

When they give up the old traditions and try to follow the ‘market fashion’, basically they respect more about $$$ but not on tea itself.  Sometime ‘work efficiency’ and ‘cost down’ or ‘diversity marketing’ does not always mean advancing improvement.

Even in China there  are  many young people are so much related to the old traditions and they need to learn more about tea.  The influence from the American fast food culture, media and fast changes are threatening the old traditions.  Luckily there are many people start to realize this and try to preserve and promote the old.

As to the 3^rd question, I would rather say growers have the possibility to grow better and produce more special tea if they learnt to respect and protect the natural balance and traditional wisdom and method in tea production

Q: For Darjeeling or herbs and fruit  you can say organic is better than non-organic.

For me, the answer for this question is easy – agricultural products  that grow in a natural harmony environment and not using pesticide are always better than pesticide. Not just for herbs or fruits but also tea, it does not matter where these are, Darjeeling or nont Darjeeling.

 

When the world is changing fast and more unconsolidated information available on line, International political leaders are fighting the movement of globalization or protectionism, it does not matter what the outcome will be, let’s face it no one can ever able to turn the wheel backwards. The gaps between rich and poor are enlarging, more medium class are falling down, the fear for future is mounting.

Who am I? What do I want? What can I do?…. our future actually is acting in front of us now. People have such little time not only with others but most importantly with the family/friends and, last but at least, her/him-self. Who can we talk to? Who are truly willing to listen and understand?…. It does not matter what kind of strong mask we put it on, we all have to deal with this emotional and psychological challenge when we look at the mirror in the evening

Weather we like it or not, we witness and even experience psychological bully here and there, even on media. The psychological tension is mounting in our society.

Honest and trust-worthy are such critical issues in either professional environment or personal life.

People easily stress-out or burn-out because having problem to find a good balance when they only have eyes to examine others but not able to reach the inner self.

Tea is more than just a cup of healthy beverage, but it is about meeting and embracing the reflecting of inner self with ease in a peaceful moment with pure and fine flavor and taste.
— Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre / Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association, 29/11/2016

The water is fresh only when it is running,

The air is clean only with wind breeze

Wheels can only move forwards when moving together

Humabeing can only revolve and develop when able to live and work together to transform diversity to positive energy.

We have to question ourselves what have we done to ourselves and the future generations today, now.

When chaos in the world are rising, there is no better way but to promote the essence of Serenity, Purity, Collective, Harmony and Mutual Respect in each step that we practice in the authentic Chinese Cha Daou

People said the name of Taiwanese teas can be somewhat confusing because of variety, the overlapping of growing area and processing styles.  Actually the confusion is not on the word of “Taiwanese” or “Chinese”, but it goes back how much know about tea.   Qing Cha (Oolong) and Hong Cha (Black Tea) are special tea varieties from Taiwan.

There have been many researches and developments of tea tree cultivars even during the Japanese occupation period, right now 21 tea tree cultivars are identified and promoted by Tea Research and Extension Station, Taiwan’s official tea institute, there another 6 other tea tree cultivars; so the total number of tea tree cultivars in Taiwan is counted to 27.  There are 12 most popular tea trees producing fine quality oolong or black tea in Taiwan :

1. TRES#8 – for black tea
2. TRES#12 also known as JinXuan – for Baozhong, oolong and black tea
3. TRES#13 also known as Jade – for Baozhong, oolong and black tea
4. TRES#18 also known as Hong Yu – for black tea (an unique cultivar around the Sun Moon Lake)
5. TRES#19 also known as Bi Yu – for Baozhong
6. TRES#20 also known as Ying Xiang – Baozhong and oolong
7. TRES#21 also known as Hong Yun – for black tea (an unique cultivar around the Sun Moon Lake)
8. Four Seasons – mainly for light fermented  oolong
9. Tie Guan Yin – for traditional fermented and roasted oolong
10. Qing Xin Gan Zai – For Bi Lou Chun in Shan Xia
11. Qing Xin Da Gang also known as Qing Xin Da Pang in Taiwanese dialect – Bai Hao Oolong and Black Tea
12. Taiwan wild tea tree – for green and black tea

Taiwan is not very big but it sits right on the Tropic of Cancer and have lots of mountains on the island, so the micro-environment is very suitable for good quality tea.  Tea plantation areas are widely spreading from North to South, West to East, not to mention there are many fine quality Gaoshan Oolong tea on different mountains in the Central Mountains region with the height from > 1000 meters to <2,500 meter; when you look at the map the Central Mountains region as if a dragon back bone on the island.

Each tea has its own interesting story, and in Taiwan there are much more to tell than the basic six types that you can find from Taiwan:

1. BaoZhong – the lighest fermented Oolong
2. Bai Hao Oolong – also known as Oriental Beauty, the highest oxidated and fermented Oolong
3. Taiwan Oolong – can be divided in low altitude regions(<1000 meters and >1000 meters), from low to mid. fermentation, with and without roasting. There are lots of variety with different unique flavour and taste
4. Black Tea – full and rich natural flavour and taste of Taiwan black tea are very different from what you can find from China, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
5. Wild tea – made from Taiwan wild tea trees
6. Black Oolong also known as Brandy Oolong – from mid- to heavy fermented and being roasted create more choices from place to place, from private supplier to each others.

Among the 6 tea types, Oolong tea has the most specific demands on the tea tree cultivars and very complex production processes.  Key factors that can influence the quality in flavour and taste of tea, not limited to Taiwanese oolong only, basically are:

1. Healthy and suitable tea tree cultivar
   • In the high mountain regions, the number one tea tree cultivar is Qing Xin Oolong and then is JinXuan (TRES#12).
2. Ecological growing management –
   • Indeed there were many tea farmers/traders brought Taiwan tea tree cultivars to China or South East Asia, but what they couldn’t duplicate is t he unique ecological growing micro-environment
3. Timing and method in tea picking
   • The best quality oolong must be hand picked, 1 young leaf with 2-3 leaves.
   • Only pick when young buds are half open, so the picking timing and efficiency are critical
   • Basically leaves should be in light olive green color, leaves are fat and soft
   • If leaves were picked late, then leaves are rough and large, the flavour and taste are thinner; but if were picked too learly, the color of leaves are darker, the flavour is weakened
4. Experience and management in the fixing, fermentation and rolling processes
   • After the withering process, how tea master control the later repeatedly fixing, fermentation and the rolling processes afterwards play another critical role to the quality of final tea base
   • The fermentation for tea is not same as fermentation for wine. With wine, they can check and control the fermentation level but tea entirely depends on the experience of tea masters from each step in the process.

Now, the fine Oolong Mao Cha (tea base) are ready and can be served already, if you thought this is the end of fancy Oolong legend  in Taiwan, then you are wrong, because traditional Dong Ding and Tie Guan Yin that require more complex roasting process afterwards add on more exciting pages to the story book of Taiwanese Oolong.

Taiwan Oolong is not a name of tea, but a general term of fine quality flavour and taste of Oolong tea and Black tea, stories of how people preserve the old Chinese traditions from Taiwan. A small island has wide tea variety to offer, but the first thing is to learn how to identify and distinguish respective unique characters and differences. With tea, we learn not to put a period easily, but embrace the extension of dots after dots.

Soon, I will introduce Taiwanese teas step by step on our blog with more details.  So sign up and join us with the cross island tea train.

Are you following your nose or your stomach? 

While cleaning the space in tea corner found a small package of tea that raped in alumium paper; I do not remember from who and when any more.  I nearly fainted after I opened it. It is blending tea with rose petals with a very irritating and pungent vanilla aroma.  What might happen to my body if I drank it when the flavour is already so pungent and irritating?

Many people purchase tea base on the flavour in the package, but I know my body would reject heavy flavoured stuffs so I can’t think about it and don’t dare to try.  After all, I only have one stomach and it is my own responsibility to take care my body, mind and health.

In general, I am a very curious type, not afraid trying new things and often making mistakes, but still I know consciously what to avoid to mutilate my stomach from I eat and drink.

That small pack of flavoured will become my teaching material – distinguish the nature aroma blending vs. flavoured aroma blending.

What to drink with breakfast in this chilling autumn morning? Thought about a small jar of home blending tea of multiple flowers, lavender, calendula, jasmine, primrose, safflower, baby chrysanthemum, goji, dried tangerine peel with black tea hat I made for my mother-in-laws few months ago.  The taste is mild but at least I know what I am drinking and it’s a blending from pure ingredients.