After a long while of not being able to access my blog because of mysterious circumstances, access has returned and I can add to it. There are two new arrivals to my small family of Yixing teapots, the photos of which you can see here. There should also be a great video of a tea ceremony which I filmed at Linda's teashop but there was a technical problem with my camera so I can't show it.

In March Crystal and I are planning a trip to Yixing where the teapots are made, after I return from England. My wish is to sell the teapots in Europe.

What is Chinese Tea?

There has been a great deal written about tea, its preparation, taste and health giving properties so I don’t want to rewrite what has already been written. In this section you will find a short summary by me and quotes from other websites and links to those sites. If you have the interest, you can follow the links and find out much more. One of the most useful resources for information is Wikipedia

There are four types of tea traditionally consumed in China: white tea, green tea, Oolong and pu-erh which all come from the Camellia sinensis plant, originally cultivated in China and used medicinally as well as refreshment and enjoyment. So much has been written about the health giving properties of drinking these teas and I from my research I have no doubt that tea is good for your health - see articles below. However, I intend to drink the tea for its taste and pleasure, and if it does me good, that's a bonus.

*The Miracle of Green Tea
*Potential effects of tea on health

White Tea
‘White tea is made from immature tea leaves that are picked shortly before the buds have fully opened. The tea takes its name from the silver fuzz that still covers the buds, which turns white when the tea is dried. The exact proportion of buds to leaves varies depending on the variety of white tea. For example, White Peony contains one bud for every two leaves, while Silver Needles, the crème de la crème of white teas, is made entirely from downy buds picked within a two day period in early Spring.’ http://chinesefood.about.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_tea

‘White tea is minimally processed. It is generally only air-dried and slightly oxidized. The highest-quality white teas are picked before the leaf buds have opened, while they are still covered with silky white hairs. These teas should be steeped in water well below boiling and for at least 4-5 minutes.’ http://www.inpursuitoftea.com/White_Tea_s/40.htm

Green Tea
‘Green tea is a type of tea made solely with the leaves of Camellia sinensis, that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. Green tea originates from China and has become associated with many cultures in Asia from Japan to the Middle East. Recently, it has become more widespread in the West, where black tea is traditionally consumed. Many varieties of green tea have been created in countries where it is grown. These varieties can differ substantially due to variable growing conditions, processing and harvesting time. Over the last few decades green tea has been subjected to many scientific and medical studies to determine the extent of its long-purported health benefits, with some evidence suggesting regular green tea drinkers may have lower chances of heart disease and developing certain types of cancer[1]. The tea has also been useful for weight loss management.’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Tea

‘The claims for green tea include reducing the risk of cancer, preventing or alleviating rheumatoid arthritis and eliminating heartburn. But green tea is perhaps best known for its high levels of anti-oxidents. This is especially of use to those with active lifestyles as anti-oxidents help reduce the level of damage caused by free radicals. However, if you try it, you will find that green tea is more than just a tasty, hot beverage. Green teas have become an integral part of home remedies everywhere, from skin and teeth care to general preventative measures. We detail below some of the common perceived benefits of green tea products.’ http://www.greentearesource.com/

‘Green tea has been enjoyed by people in China and Japan for thousands of years. Over the time it has become widely known in the West.
A lot of people nowadays have heard that green tea benefits the overall health, but not a lot know why exactly. And believe me after I've learned all the health benefits of green tea, I get completely different feeling every time I drink it. I not only enjoy the taste of it but I also get the moral satisfaction knowing that I am doing something right and extremely healthy for my body. I want you to have exactly the same feeling I have, so here are the benefits that you get while sipping delicious cup of tea.’ http://www.greenteasecrets.com/
Oolong
Oolong (Chinese: 烏龍 → wūlóng) is a traditional Chinese tea somewhere between green and black in oxidation. It ranges from 10% to 70% oxidation.[1]
‘In Chinese tea culture, semi-oxidized oolong teas are collectively grouped as qīngchá (Chinese: 青茶; literally "blue-green tea").[2] Oolong has a taste more akin to green tea than to black tea: it lacks the rosy, sweet aroma of black tea but it likewise does not have the stridently grassy vegetal notes that typify green tea. It is commonly brewed to be strong, with the bitterness leaving a sweet aftertaste. Several subvarieties of oolong, including those produced in the Wuyi Mountains of northern Fujian and in the central mountains of Taiwan, are among the most famous Chinese teas.’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolong

‘A good Oolong is both refreshing and delicious; the Oolong spectrum has a range of aromas and tastes quite distinct from anything you get with green or black tea - from the delicate, nearly-green Pouchong through rich and subtle mid-range Oolongs like Ti Kuan Yin and on to teas which border on black.’http://oolong.co.uk/tea/

‘Oolong tea is semi-oxidised and rests somewhere between unoxidised green tea and fully oxidised black tea. Low in caffeine, yet more stimulating than green or white tea, oolongs are the world’s most diverse and complex tasting teas. The leaves can also be re-infused as many as seven times after you have finished enjoying the first cup with minimal reduction in the strength of the flavour.’The Journal Of Chinese Medicine http://www.jcm.co.uk/

Pu-erh (Black tea)
Pu-erh, Pu'er tea, Puer tea or Bolay tea is a type of tea made from a "large leaf" variety of the tea plant Camellia sinensis and named after Pu'er county near Simao, Yunnan, China.
‘Pu-erh tea can be purchased as either raw/green (sheng) or ripened/cooked (shou), depending on processing method or aging. Sheng pu-erh can be roughly classified on the tea oxidation scale as a green tea, and the shou variant as post-fermented tea. The fact that pu-erh fits in more than one tea type poses some problems for classification. For this reason, the "green tea" aspect of pu-erh is sometimes ignored, and the tea is regarded solely as a post-fermented product. Unlike other teas that should ideally be consumed shortly after production, pu-erh can be drunk immediately or aged for many years; pu-erh teas are often now classified by year and region of production much like wine vintages.’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu-erh_tea
‘Pu-er tea is made by using the tender leaves of large leaf tea as its raw material. This variety of tea has large leaves and grows high. Its inner quality is the best. Pu-erh tea can be picked almost all the year round. The best ones are those picked in the spring and autumn.
http://www.pu-erhtea.com/
Green Tea Health Benefits...Have you tried the best Pu Erh tea on earth?
‘Pu Erh Tea with the soothing properties, aid digestion and are perfect after heavy or greasy meals. More recent studies indicate powerful cholesterol lowering effects, blood cleansing properties and aid significantly in weight loss efforts. Many published studies have been done showing the enormous health benefits of this wonderful tea. ‘http://www.prlog.org/10041795-green-tea-health-benefits-have-you-tried-the-best-pu-erh-tea-on-earth.html

Welcome to China

In The Beginning...there was China

In the beginning there was China and then there was the tea and the teapots.

I've lived in China about a year now and hadn't had much to do with Chinese tea until a little while ago. My wife Crystal teaches English to some adult students and one of those student was Linda, who with her husband and her family run a teashop and other shops in the city of Zunyi where we live.

Linda invited us to her shop and I was formally introduced to the Chinese tea ceremony. Incidentally the tea ceremony was started by the Chinese and only copied by the Japanese much later; however the Japanese styalised it more. I was captivated by her shop and the great array of delightful teapots and tea ceremony goods therein. It was then I became besotted by the idea of drinking tea in this way and all that went with it.

At the end of our pleasurable tea drinking evening, Linda presented us with a gift of special ceremonial tea tray, teapot, cups, glass jug and a little tea. It was a kind gesture. The following day we returned to purchase various quantities of tea from her - Oolong, white tea, green tea and Pu-erh tea (black tea). I wanted to aquaint myself with all the teas. Oh yes, and I also bought some tea pets! Talk more about them later.

I've started to write this blog to share with you the pleasure and spirit of drinking Chinese tea in this special way.

History of drinking tea in China

The origins of drinking tea appear to be lost in the mists of time but there is no doubt that it goes back thousands of years. Below are some accounts about how tea was discovered and all are different but all point back to tea being discovered and drunk around five thousand years ago and there is no doubting the origins of tea are from China. Although tea production has spread to other parts of Asia, notably India where most of the tea we drink comes from, the origins of the plant which all tea is produced Camellia sinensis comes from China. It is perhaps fitting that today in the U.K. where we drink great quantities of tea, mostly from India, that from mugs and cups from which we drink it, we call china.

'Chinese people are believed to have enjoyed tea drinking for more than 4,000 years. Legend has it that Yan Di, one of three rulers in ancient times, tasted all kinds of herbs to find medical cures. One day, as he was being poisoned by some herb he had ingested; a drop of water from a tea tree dripped into his mouth and he was saved.'
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine_drink/tea/

'While references to tea in Chinese literature go back approximately 5,000 years, the origin of tea's use as a beverage is unclear. Ancient folklore places the creation of the brew at 2737 BC, when a camellia blossom drifted into a cup of boiled drinking water belonging to Emperor Shen Nung. However, most scholars credit a reference found in Erh Ya, an ancient Chinese dictionary, dated about 350 BC.
Originally, tea was valued for its medicinal qualities. It has long been known that tea aids in digestion, which is why many Chinese prefer to consume it after their meal. (Another interesting side effect for smokers is that tea hastens the discharge of nicotine from the body).'
http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/cuisine_drink/tea/

Another story goes that 'tea was first discovered by the Chinese Emperor Shennong in 2737 BC. It is said that the emperor liked his drinking water boiled before he drank it so it would be clean, so that is what his servants did. One day, on a trip to a distant region, he and his army stopped to rest. A servant began boiling water for him to drink, and a dead leaf from the wild tea bush fell into the water. It turned a brownish color, but it was unnoticed and presented to the emperor anyway. The emperor drank it and found it very refreshing, and cha (tea) was born.'

The history of tea can best be summed up in this article.

'Historically, tea‘s origins date back to around 2700 BC. It is thought to have first been discovered in the mountainous areas of China‘s far western Sichuan and Yunnan provinces. It was originally taken as a detoxifying medicine though it grew to great social prominence during the Tang (620-907 AD) and Song (960-1279 AD) Dynasties. In addition to tea‘s attributed health benefits, the high level of "tea culture" was appealing to people outside of China as well. Since the fifth century AD, tea has been exported by land and sea throughout Asia before it reached Europe in 1610. It was Dutch traders that first brought tea to Europe but the British who greatly developed it, transplanting it to India in the early 1800‘s.' http://english.china.com

The history of tea points to the fact that originally it was used purely as a medicinal drink before it became popular as an every day refreshing drink but tea is still considered to have health giving properties, although the claims vary widely. Visits Benefits of Drinking Tea:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_effects_of_tea_on_health
http://www.green-teas-guide.com/benefits-of-green-tea.html


Other references
http://www.chinesefood-recipes.com/food_articles/chinese_tea.php

The Chinese Tea Ceremony

I would like to introduce to you an entirely different way of drinking tea and I don’t mean the strong (which it is; have you ever tried it without milk?) black tea from India. I mean tea from China; pure soft tea with nothing added. What is more, tea that is drunk in the same way as in the Chinese tea ceremony? And not the Japanese tea ceremony because they stole the idea from the Chinese.

The Chinese tea ceremony is a totally different approach to drinking tea because it is about something we practice so little of in the west and that is ritual. This doesn’t mean that the ceremony is bogged down in some complicated practice, far from it; it is simply a special way to prepare, serve and savor tea.

Let me explain. The Chinese tea ceremony is much more than just drinking tea. It is about sharing the time with others, about giving respect to others and it is about relaxing.

Now having said that it is about sharing and giving respect, you can drink tea this way on your own and enjoy your own company and the taste of the tea. You don’t have to wait for others to arrive before following the simple ceremony.
What do you need to follow the ceremony?

Firstly there is little point in improvising when it comes to the items required because it just won’t be the same. The aesthetics are almost as important as the tea itself.
1)You need to set the stage and the stage is a traditional tray for the pouring of tea. There is a lot of spillage when it comes to the ceremony and the traditional tray is designed so the spillage drains underneath, otherwise all your cups, pets and pots will swim in a small pool of liquid and this is not good.
2)Upon the stage you need the main characters; the small elegant purple or green clay teapot, the glass jug, the tiny china cups and the strainer. Then you need the supporting characters; the large tongs, the strainer stand and the tea pets!
3)A near constant supply of boiling water in a kettle to hand.
4)The star performer – the tea. Probably the most well revered of teas is Oolong (Wolong) but there is also white tea, green tea and Pu-erh tea. Please don’t even think about teabags from now on.

The tea ceremony - Generally Oolong (Wulong) or Pu-erh tea is preferred.
.
It is important to have everything ready before you start and the starting point is to boil some water; hard water is favored.

1) When boiled, pour a goodly amount the into the glass jug, swill it round and then pour into the teapot until overflowing. Place the lid on the pot and pour more water over the pot to clean off spilt tea. Then from there, after picking up the cups with the large tongs, place them on the serving table and pour some boiled water into them until overflowing. Sometimes a small china bowl (which can be used for making white tea) is used to wash the cups. Now pour the remaining water over the strainer and discard the rest. Pour away the water in the teapot and cups. These are obviously all simple cleaning procedures.

2) Boil the water again and then place a measured quantity to taste (if it is Oolong, it will usually be the correct quantity in a small foil sealed packet in which the tea is packed) of tea into the pot. Then pour in the boiled water until overflowing. Place on the lid and using the strainer, pour the tea into the glass jug through the strainer and pour until the pot is empty. Now fill the cups with tea until overflowing from the glass jug and discard; it is not for drinking, just more cleansing the tea. This tea from the pot will not be drunk because it is to cleanse the tea. However the tea pets don’t mind this tea and so pour some over each. If you haven’t got any tea pets, just discard it. Discard all the tea in the glass jug and refill the teapot with more boiled water until full and replace the lid. Now pour a little water over the teapot and allow the tea to infuse for about 30 seconds and pour. Note: green teas are ruined by boiling water (temperature is best around 170-185 degrees is best but who’s going to bother with a thermometer?), so allow the water to go off the boil and Oolong tastes sweeter if the water is under boiled. http://www.holymtn.com/tea/chinetea.htm

Actually green tea is not generally used in the tea ceremony and is used for more everyday on-the-hoof drinking but I find it quite acceptable to drink it this way.

Some people use the tongs to pass round the small cups because they are so small and do not have handles. Now consume and savor the fragrance and taste of the tea.

One of the main features of presenting the ceremony for friends or relatives is that you are giving to them, showing them respect. So the person preparing the tea always pours for his or her guests and as soon as they have emptied their cup, to refill it. If they don’t want anymore, just don’t empty their cup. An empty cup will always be refilled. The host pouring the tea might seem a trifle matter; why not pour your own? But the Chinese ceremony is about giving respect and so to pour your own tea would be impolite. At weddings in China, the wedding couple might well prepare tea for their parents or one for the other. Before leaving to go to college or university in a new city, children may well prepare tea for their parents. It is a way of saying thank you and showing respect by serving another.

The server will refill the teapot as soon as it is empty and once infused (infusion time increases by about ten seconds with each filling) will refill the glass jug using the strainer. Tea is always poured from the glass jug into cups, so that the color and clarity of the tea can be seen.

The tea ceremony is never to be rushed and can last as long as your guests stay or as long as you wish to sit and drink. It should be about producing the finest flavor.

Yixing teapots

Last weekend saw the purchase of my second Yixing teapot. It might seem a small event but I was quite excited about it because there are so many different teapots to choose from and they are all so exquisite and I like/love them all! The thing about them is they are hand made and are so simple and yet so aesthetically pleasing in their designs. Generally they are unpainted, so your eye is fixed purely on the shape and form, rather like the naked form. They are also so petite and this gives them another appeal all of their own.

They are made from a special clay found only in the region of Yixing which is called zisha clay and generally they are a deep red colour but the one I chose as you will see by the picture is a soft natural green. I could have pondered for ages over which one to choose but for some reason, the green one was my choice.

‘Highly prized for its porous nature, which is excellent at absorbing the flavor of tea, Yixing clay occurs naturally in three characteristic colors: light buff, cinnabar red and purplish brown. Other colors are created by mixing these three or adding mineral pigments; for example, the dusty black color is obtained by mixing in cobalt oxide and the blue color is made by mixing in magnesium oxide. A principal factor in determining the depth of the color is the concentration of iron in the clay.’ ‘It is said that if you use a Yixing teapot for many years, you can brew tea just by pouring boiling water into the empty pot.

This is just one of the many wonderful properties of these poetic little teapots. For hundreds of years, aficionados of the many varieties of tea found in China have extolled Yixing (pronounced yeeshing) teapots as superior to all other types for brewing it. The special zisha clay (containing iron, quartz and mica, and found only in Yixing) from which they are made absorbs the delicate flavors of the tea and the teapot becomes more seasoned with each use.’ Holy Mountain Trading Company

Here are a couple of other sites which show the many designs available. Note: I have no connection with any of these companies.
Deeho.com

Yixing.com

One of the special features of these teapots, is the porous quality of the fired clay and so they absorb the flavour of the tea; therefore you will require a different teapot for different teas, notably Oolong (Wulong) and Pu-erh tea (black tea). White tea (for reasons I have yet to discover) is made in a non porous pot.