Sunday 27 November 2016

So pure…so puerh



Puerh tea is pure in origin and pure in taste. It is named after a town called Puerh in central Yunnan at the furthest south western part of China and comes in a myriad of forms, loose tea, round cakes, rectangular bricks, the inverted birds nest mini tuocha and is even pressed into lengths of bamboo!

The method of producing raw puerh today differs very little from centuries ago. The tea was pressed into cakes or bricks and then wrapped in bamboo leaves in a set or seven, ( seven is considered a lucky number and it was the wish for fathers to have seven sons), for ease of transportation in the olden days along the ancient tea horse routes.

There are two types of puerh tea, raw (sheng) and ripe (shu). Many people think that ripe puerh has hundreds of years of history, but this is not so! Puerh made before the 1970s was made from green tea and aged naturally. Centuries ago, sometime during the Tang dynasty (AD 618 -907) merchants began to trade the tea. Because of the time it took to reach its destination, Tibet, India or Beijing, it had changed. It changed colour from green to brown and became richer and smoother in taste. During the months of travel, the long distances and the difficult terrain, the tea underwent a fermentation process, whereby microbes acted on the tea causing biological and enzymatic changes. The resulting tea became know to the Chinese as aged puerh and was highly sought after by royalty, high officials and tea connoisseurs. In the mid 1970s a process to accelerate the ageing process was invented in the Kunming factory by tea master, Wu Qijing. This saw the start of the popularity of ripe puerh at first in China and then around the world.

The highest quality Puerh tea cakes come from the high mountains in Yunnan. The one bud and two whole large leaves are handpicked from ancient wild arbour trees at high altitudes where the rich organic soil, climate and cool nights produce a tea of exceptional quality.  The leaves are picked during the middle of the day when the morning dew has evaporated and some sun has been on the leaves. After picking, the leaves are carried in a bamboo basket (to allow ventilation) and sorted, are then pan roasted for 5-10 minutes and then rolled for 15-20 minutes. After rolling the leaves are sun dried for half a day, less in summer, and are then ready to be pressed. Before pressing in stone moulds the leaves are weighed then steamed to prevent them from breaking in the moulds. Nowadays, the cakes are pressed manually (by feet) and the bricks use a machine press. The steamed leaves are placed in a square of muslin and pressed. After pressing they are placed on racks and air dried. It normally takes one day to dry the raw cakes and up to three days for the ripe cakes.

As there is no harvest between November and March, the farmers use this time to prune and weed  around the trees. They climb the trees to cut off surplus branches which are then piled around the trees to provide a natural fertiliser when rotted. These ancient trees, some are 1000 years old, produce a tea that is pure in origin and taste. In general the tea from 300 plus year old trees produce a tea which is mild, sweet and rich in aroma, the younger the tree the fresher the taste.

Puerh teas improve with age like wine. The puerh tea taste gets better with each year, developing more mellow complex flavours. The main difference between raw and ripe puerh is the post fermentation. Raw puerh ferments naturally and does not go through the post fermentation process. Ripe puerh is subjected to controlled levels of humidity and heat to hasten the maturation of the tea.

As well as being pure in taste, Puerh teas have a lot of medical lore attached to them. In China, they are considered to help to lower cholesterol, fight hangovers, induce sleep and aid digestion, which is why they are frequently drunk during mealtimes.

High quality puerh is in short supply as it is hoarded by tea connoisseurs in China and Asia. It is a secret, pure pleasure yet to be discovered by countries outside Asia. Why not try some today????


Monday 31 October 2016

Anyone for afternoon tea, Gongfu style?



For tea lovers and connoisseurs, a gong fu tea ceremony is a must! Gong fu is not a type of tea or a martial art, but an exact brewing process, a method of preparing tea that creates the ideal tea experience. 
Drinking tea is a tradition thats been around for centuries. It is also one of the healthiest drinks, packed full of vitamins and anti-oxidants, and is the perfect drink to share with friends at home. Creating a tea party is the perfect occasion to enjoy the company of others and share conversation about common interests. But, be careful. Tea contains L-theanine, which releases endorphins that make people feel good and creates a talkative atmosphere, so your tea party could last for hours and hours! So make sure you allow for plenty of time so that everyone can appreciate the company of each other! 
The art of gong fu lies in a combination of the right amount of tea leaves, the correct water temperature, the brewing time and the use of special tea utensils.
To prepare tea gong fu style you will need a bamboo water tray, a gong fu tea set in glass or china, comprising of a teapot, a server (jug), a matching set of cups for the guests, a filter strainer, a set of bamboo tea tools, tea scoop, tea tongs, a tea pick, and a clay tea pet, which is a traditional part of the ceremony and is said to bring good luck to those drinking the tea.
You can select whichever tea is your preference, jasmine sliver needle (white tea), dragon well long jing (green tea), jasmine pearl, oolong, black or puerh tea.
For a gong fu tea ceremony the guests are seated around the tea table, with the server, the person preparing the tea, at the head of the table.  By the way, gong fu literally means pouring tea with skill

So once you've for your equipment ready and your guests seated you're ready to start.

Firstly warm the cups and teapot by pouring hot water over them. Pour the water away after a few seconds.Then add the appropriate amount of premium loose leaf tea, using the tea scoop, into the teapot.  Pour over water, preferably spring water, at the appropriate temperature. Water temperatures of between 80-90 degrees C are fine for white, green and oolong teas. Boiling water may be used for black or puerh teas. Replace the lid on the teapot and continue to pour the hot water over the small hole in the lid, this will ensure that the pot is full and retains the right temperature.After the optimum infusion time, 5 seconds or longer, according to taste, pour a little of the brewed liquid into each cup. Never pour a full cup of tea!  Like wine tasting in western cultures, drinking tea, gong fu style is more about the sense and taste rather than the quantity. It is even considered impolite in China to completely fill your tea cup. You have been warned! Once all cups contain the correct amount of tea, pour the remaining brewed liquid into a server or jug. Always make sure that all the liquid is emptied from the teapot to prevent remaining infusions from tasting bitter. If you are serving oolong, or compressed puerh tea cakes you may which to rinse the tea leaves with hot water before brewing as this allows the tea leaves to unfurl a little and provide a better taste.
And, if you wish, have to hand some small cakes and biscuits for your guests to eat in between brews. It also helps to cleanse the palate in between tasting various different teas. Chocolate cake goes particularly well with jasmine teas!
The gong fu method of preparing tea is simple and creates the ideal tea experience that may be enjoyed by all tea drinkers alike. In todays hectic lifestyle a gong fu tea party is an ideal social gathering, to get together with friends, to slow down the pace of life, to chat, to enjoy tea and the company of others.


Thursday 29 September 2016

To steep or not to steep? That is the question………



Are you someone who expresses shock and disbelief at the thought of using the same tea leaves to brew a second cup of tea? Please don't be. If you are using premium quality loose leaf tea, many teas may be re- steeped several times.

So dont throw away your tea leaves after the first brewing. Tea leaves retain their flavour after steeping and in fact, in China, quite often the first infusion is disregarded in favour of the subsequent steepings. (This is called washing the tea).

Teas that steep well are whole leaf teas with large leaves or buds which have a large surface area. So you do need good quality loose leaf teas. You will not be able to re-steep cheap teas or tea bags as these tend to be made of chopped leaves and fannings which lose their flavour early on in the steeping process.

Which teas can be re-steeped?

Chinese Pu erh and Oolongs are the best steepers, followed by Green and White tea from China. Black teas hold up less well to multiple infusions, perhaps because they have been more oxidised, but large leaf China black teas, like Yunnan Golden Buds, will re-steep well.

Pu erh teas are fermented for years like a fine wine to produce their distinctive flavour. Generally, the older the tea, the more times it can be re-steeped. Once you have learnt to appreciate the taste of Pu erh, you may find you can brew 10 cups from one serving of tea.

Oolong teas re-steep well. They have a range of complex flavours which change from steep to steep. You should be able to get between 4 - 6 steepings if not more, from a good quality Oolong like Iron Goddess of Mercy.

Most loose leaf Green teas will steep up to 3-4 times, and some a lot more. As with the Oolongs each cup may have a slightly different flavour.

White teas have a simple, smooth, spring like, clean flavour, that will give 2-3 steepings.

Some better quality Chinese black teas will steep 3-6 times depending upon how strong you like your infusions. Even though the better quality teas cost more, they may be less expensive when you consider that you are re-using the leaves.

In general, you may continue to re-steep your tea until the leaves are exhausted of flavour. But make sure you drain the liquid from the tea leaves completely between steepings otherwise you may end up with a bitter tasting tea.

The best way to enjoy the range of flavours when re-steeping is to use a small teapot, gaiwan or  tea vessel that has a maximum capacity of 4-6 ounces. Place the tea leaves in the pot, fill the vessel to capacity with hot water and steep for 20-45 seconds or more, according to your preference, and pour all the brewed tea into the cups. Each successive steeping of tea should taste full and rich until the leaves are exhausted of flavour.

To be fair, there are no hard and fast rules for re-steeping. Try it and see what you think.

And don't throw away the leaves after they've lost their flavour, they make an excellent compost for the garden!

Saturday 30 July 2016

Tea for the Royalty



Lightly scented with fresh jasmine flowers, Jasmine tea is usually made with green or white tea and is one of the most popular of teas to emerge from Ancient China. Today it is usually served as the standard tea in Chinese restaurants worldwide so it is probably the most well known of Chinese teas. Yet it is also one of Chinas finest tea enjoyed by Chinese royalty.

Jasmine tea first appears in records in the Song Dynasty which ended in the 13th Century and at this time is was mostly drunk by royalty. It is thought that Jasmine tea originated in Persia (Iran),and was exported along the ancient Silk Road together with Buddhism. The Hengduan mountains in Sichuan, one of the last mountain ranges of the Himalayas, on the border with the rich lowlands of China are very lush and are some of the richest tea producing mountains in the world. The tea growers in this area produced mainly green and Jasmine tea which were traded along the ancient Tea Horse routes to Tibet in exchange for horses and silver.
Today Jasmine tea production is widespread, but the tea made with Da Bai (big white) leaves from Fujian is generally considered to be of the highest quality. And it is from this region that Abbey Tea have sourced their Jasmine Dragon Pearls and Jasmine Silver Needle tea. Jasmine Dragon Pearls are made from green tea where two tea buds and one leaf are rolled into pea-sized balls. Hand rolling the pearls is a tradition that began over 1300 years ago when a Chinese Emperor wanted to give an original gift of love. Silver Needle is made from the buds of white tea. The resulting tea has a tight fat needle shape, full of silver hair. 
All the various types and shapes, need to be scented with fresh jasmine flowers before becoming Jasmine tea. The spring buds and leaves are picked in the spring, sun dried and then layered with fresh jasmine flowers for several nights to absorb the fragrance of jasmine.
The resulting tea tastes sweet and soft with a fresh and pleasing jasmine aroma, delicate, light and ethereal.
And because it is lightly processed it comes with amazing health benefits.
Green and white tea contain very high levels of polyphenols which are powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants attack the free radicals which can tamper with DNA and alter cells contributing to ageing, heart disease and cancer. So drinking Jasmine tea regularly can provide a natural defence to help to prevent such diseases.  Drinking white and green tea can boost the immune system and may help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure thus decreasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Chinese medical practitioners claim that the tea is good for the teeth, hair and skin. And in fact, in ancient times Jasmine tea was served in China after a meal to cleanse the mouth and palate. Jasmine tea has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine as a relaxant, sedative and even as an aphrodisiac.

Today, one does not have to be royalty to enjoy this charming tea. With its exotic scent, drinking Jasmine tea can have an almost tranquillising effect that can calm the nerves, soothe the spirit and reduce stress, the perfect antidote to modern life.

Thursday 30 June 2016

Probably the finest Oolong tea’s in the world



come from Taiwan and they are often described as being the champagne of teas.

Oolong tea, also known as Wulong tea is a semi-fermented tea as compared to green and white tea which are un-fermented and black tea which is fully fermented.

Taiwan has a unique climate which is ideal for growing extremely high quality oolong tea. The climate is sub-tropical and with mountains as high as 13,000 feet or 3939 meters the air is cool yet moist. This climate, combined with the mountainous terrain, and rich dark soil, produce tea bushes with leaves that are robust, thick, and soft, to create some of the best Oolongs in the world.


The flavours of Oolong change dramatically from season to season. Oolongs harvested in the spring and winter is considered to be superior to teas harvested in the summer and autumn. This is because of the different weather conditions at the time of harvest. The cool, foggy conditions in the spring and winter give a much more succulent leaf. Spring flavours are generally robust with a lovely flowery note, whilst winter flavours tend to be crisper and lighter.

The processing of the tea after harvest accounts for much of the diversity and uniqueness of Taiwanese oolongs. After the leaves are picked they are dried in the sun for several hours, then taken indoors where they are gently shaken in bamboo baskets or a rolling drum. This shaking bruises the leaves which starts the fermentation process. The aroma begins to develop at this stage. The leaves are then rolled into the shape of a pearl or twisted sideways into a thin strip. When they have been shaped they are fired at high temperatures to stop any further fermentation. Once the tea is dried it is known as raw tea which may be further roasted to enhance the flavour and aroma. The lightly roasted teas usually retain more of a floral character, whilst the medium and dark roasted teas develop sweeter, fruitier tastes.

High mountain Oolong tea retains all the nutrients and natural healing elements as green tea but without the raw grassy taste and harsh effect on the stomach that can make green tea disagreeable to some people. The very brief fermentation process of oolong tea eliminates the harsh irritants from the raw tea. It also doesn't contain the tannins that are found in black tea, and the resulting oolong has a unique wealth of subtle flavours.

The skilled tea makers and the cultivation of Oolong tea can be compared to the production of fine wine, with each mountain and plantation producing it own unique bouquet of flavours and aromas.  Top quality Taiwanese high mountain Oolongs are among the grand crus of fine tea, with Alishan and Tung Ting among the best examples.  Alishan Oolong has a fresh, floral, creamy taste and aroma whilst the Imperial Tung Ting offers a deliciously mild, sweet, fresh creamy tasting tea with undertones of honey and nectar.

As well as a tea with an exceptional range of flavours and aromas, high mountain Oolongs has incredible medicinal and health benefits. Well known in traditional Chinese medicine for aiding digestion and detoxification, recent research has shown that Oolong tea has powerful cleansing and protective properties for the lungs. The studies show that smokers who drink Oolong daily have significantly lower rates of lung cancer and other respiratory disorders than those who dont. Packed full of healthy antioxidants, known as polyphenols and catechins, drinking this tea daily can provide strong protection against the development of all types of cancer. As a mild diuretic it promotes the flow of toxins from the body thus acting as a natural detoxifier. It also alkalises the digestive tract, mouth and stomach which eliminates the bacteria responsible for bad breath. Drinking Oolong tea regularly can also reduce blood pressure, balance the levels of blood sugar,  and reduce levels of cholesterol preventing arteriosclerosis, heart disease and strokes. As high mountain Oolongs also contain vitamins A, C and E as well as essential minerals and trace elements, drinking the tea helps to boost the immune system and improve overall health. 











Monday 9 May 2016

Ancient Tea Horse Roads



Its a well known fact that tea has been consumed in China for centuries, but how did it become the most popular beverage in the world?

Many will have heard of the famous Silk Road, but the Ancient Tea Horse Roads were the routes that allowed the transportation of tea between Ancient China and West Asia.

There were several of these ancient routes but the two main ones stemmed from the two major tea production areas, Puerh in Yunnan and Yaan in Sichuan and for thousands of years human feet and horses hoofs treaded these routes trading in tea and Tibetan horses.

Along these unpaved and rugged roads stretching for more than 4000km from the Yunnan - Guizhou plateau to the Qinghai - Tibet plateau, tea, salt and sugar were traded into Tibet and horses, cows, furs and other local products passed into China.These ancient commercial passages first appeared during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and lasted until the 1960s when the Tibetan highways were constructed. As well as trade routes these corridors were very important for the political, economic, social and cultural development of the very different ethnic groups that lived along the way.

Crucial to China for the export of tea, these routes also played a major role with the gifting of Imperial tribute tea to emperors.  All Chinese tea was originally pressed into bricks, cakes or discs as the famous Puerh of the Yunnan is still produced today, and this is the form it always took as tribute tea, prior to the Sung dynasty. In order to preserve the tea and to make it easier to to transport along the Tea Horse Routes, the tea was processed by steaming and compressed into these cakes, known as Biing cha. These discs of tea were packed in stacks of seven, then wrapped in bamboo leaves for easy transportation by the horses. Seven is an important number in Chinese culture. It is the number of a perfectly completed cycle, as each phase of the moon lasts for seven days (the four phases of the moon form a complete cycle). This may be why so many ceremonies and festivals in China are celebrated on the seventh day.

This pressed Puerh tea was the most preferred tea of the nomadic tribes of the northern and central Asian areas as an aid to digestion. The Mongols who brought Yunnan into the Chinese Empire ate a lot of fatty meat and dairy products, as in fact they do today, and drank Puerh tea to eliminate grease from their diet. The tea growers of Yunnan sent their best grades of fully fermented aged Puerh tea cakes along these roads to the new northern capital of Beijing and this is also the type of tea that was shipped onward across Siberia alone the northern tea road to Russia.

Tribute tea and the ancient Tea Horse Roads were key to establishing the Chinese economy. Much of the tribute tea sent to the emperors court were given away as gifts to favoured courtiers and visiting foreign diplomats who took them back along the tea horse roads to their own lands. This is saw Chinese tea become the most popular beverage creating a constant demand of imports from the only place that produced tea - China. Imperial tribute tea and the routes was the way of spreading Chinas most exquisite product to countries around the world.

Interestingly enough, the practice of offering the best tea as a tribute to the emperor continues today in Taiwan and China, except today the emperor wears a suit and tie and his courtiers use mobile phones and computers rather than calligraphy brushes and silk fans!

The Ancient Tea Horse routes  passed through sub -tropical forests, lakes, rivers and mountain peaks. Today, with the opening of the Sichuan-Tibetan highways in the 1960s, the routes declined though some sections are still used for transport purposes. There can be no doubt that these ancient roads formed the basis for the economic success of China in the millennia and linked together all the ethnic groups living in areas near the roads making them members of the great Chinese nation today.