tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19927789816324266212024-03-14T13:48:31.558+08:00China Tea TravelsLooking for tea in all the right placesCecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-44361265481521583132017-10-11T18:25:00.001+08:002017-10-11T18:25:44.906+08:00Airbrush Problems<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This the problem with the airbrush referenced.<br />
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Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-7066590062146365102012-09-03T15:57:00.002+08:002017-05-28T10:51:44.800+08:00Even Cheap Thai Teas Are Better Than Lipton Tea or . . . Not<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had heard about the tea industry in Northern Thailand now for several years. I had even tasted some of the oolong teas that had become famous for its quality (Oolong Number 12 and 17). The oolong type tea plants had been brought in from Taiwan some twenty years before. These teas were very good and matched easily the quality coming out of Taiwan and even Fujian Province of China. So when we recently spent a week in Chiang Mai, I decided to check out some of these teas. We ended up buying five packages of an assortment of Northern Thai teas.</div>
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The Thai teas consisted of three oolong teas(I call them red, gold and blue from the colors of their packages), a black tea and a white tea. The three oolongs teas we bought at a local Hmong market (heavily commercialized) and the black I bought in a fake Hmong village on the mountain. The white tea came from the big market in downtown Chiang Mai. </div>
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Additionally, on our last day in Chiang Mai we visited two celadon factories which carried some interesting tea cups. The following pictures show the cups we bought to drink our new Thai tea. </div>
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The first factory we visited was Siam Celadon, a commercial enterprise that has been around for decades. It had a beautiful show room and had lots of neat and interesting porcelains and pottery. We ended up buying two sets of fairly standard tea cups as pictured below. The cracked celadon finish was especially attractive.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U2mrUdU958A/UEQ5WnTL9pI/AAAAAAAAGFg/BQemdIolxyM/s1600/celadongreen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U2mrUdU958A/UEQ5WnTL9pI/AAAAAAAAGFg/BQemdIolxyM/s320/celadongreen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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From the Mengrai Kilns, we also bought a set of blue cracked celadon cups plus two similarly shaped cups with different designs. We felt the Mengrai Kilns offered better prices and a lot more interesting pieces from which to choose.</div>
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Two small beautifully crafted cracked celadon from Mengai Kilns</div>
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Two unusual cups from Mengrai Kilns which were our favorites</div>
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<b>The Red Oolong Tea</b></h2>
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The first of the oolong teas I tried was the one in the bright red packages. From what I have been able to find out, these are some minor teas grown by some of the local minorities, hand-picked and hand processed. It is obvious from the looks of the tea that it cannot compete with the teas coming out of China. The read oolong tea was about thirty percent stems and trigs and looked rather shabbily fermented. The smell was just barely noticeable but was not unpleasant. </div>
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As one can see, the tea is not very exciting but remember it cost 3 for 100 Baht or just a little over one USD per package. There is not, however, a lot of tea in each of the packages.</div>
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This is the first steeping of the tea. I let it steep for about two minutes and then tasted it. It tasted like a cheap green tea from China. The color was barely noticeable and looked rather sick. Not impressed at all!</div>
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For the second cup, I let it steep for a full five minutes. The color came out looking more like a traditional oolong but with a weak fragrance. Tasting this second cup gave me hope as I did taste some interesting things it offered. Almost like what one would expect from an oolong. </div>
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I did not give up on it and decided to let the third cup steep until it really did look like an oolong. About eight minutes in boiling hot water produced a very beautiful full-golden looking oolong. It was exactly what I expected in a quality oolong. Upon tasting it, I was shocked by the huge hit of bitterness. We are talking about raw kuding cha bitterness here. I think the leaves are old and tough and it takes a lot of coaxing to get anything from them. This tea is definitely not a match for even a cheap bag of Lipton tea which I truly detest. It was, however, worth the dollar just to taste it.</div>
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<b>The Gold Oolong Tea</b></h2>
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The second oolong tea I tasted came from a gold colored back (both the red and the gold looked like it came from Christmas decorations). The tea looked virtually the same as the red oolong tea above. There was nothing unusual about the leaves except the hug number of twigs I saw. It looked to be processed in the same manner as well.</div>
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The leaves look unkempt and irregular. Most of the better oolongs I have tried from Fujian and elsewhere were very uniform in how they are process. This just looked like a bunch dried up leaves and sticks.</div>
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This close up shows the irregularity and rather ugly looking mass of branches and leaves. It, like the read oolong above, had very little fragrance.</div>
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This is a five minute steep. I did not expect much and I was not surprised. Five minutes seems to be the absolute minimum required by these leaves. Again, it appeared that the leaves were old and tough and just needed coaxing for them to give up any drinkable tea. The taste was mild and just there. Nothing fancy, with no aftertaste or any other sensations. Drinkable but then, so its just plain hot water. Lipton tea bags beats the heck out of this tea. </div>
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<b>The Blue Oolong Tea</b></h2>
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The blue oolong tea had a more tradition blue wrapping with tea plants as its main design. Too bad the tea appeared to be exactly the same as the above two. Lots of twigs mixed in there with the leaves. </div>
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Twigs, twigs everywhere there were twigs.</div>
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This close up shows some pretty strange shapes and colors of this oolong tea. It was obviously harvested and processed by hands that were not yet expert and shaping them correctly. </div>
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No one can tell the difference between these three teas - NO ONE! They looked alike, smelled alike and tasted alike. I would most definitely choose a tea bag of Lipton over any of these. Leaving them to steep for awhile makes a beautiful golden liquor but also brings out some pretty harsh bitterness. Why drink this tea in its two minute green tea form when one can have a real green tea from China. Not disappointing, understand, because I was expecting a one dollar tea. We will not be buying any more of the red, gold or blue oolongs anytime soon.</div>
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<b>Numb Feeling Black Tea</b></h2>
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I first saw a package of this black tea at the fake Hmong village on the way to Doi Sutep, the most important Buddhist temple in Northern Thailand. Saw it among some of the same red, blue and gold oolongs we had already purchased. Talked the lady into selling it to us for 40 Baht from its original 50 Baht price. Black tea it stated clearly. Numb Feeling Black Tea. Had nothing to lose except the 40 baht, which made it well worthwhile for this blog. </div>
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The tea leaves are almost a reddish black color, more black than red but the red seems to come from the outside of each leaf. These leaves were definitely different than the three oolongs I tasted earlier.</div>
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A close up shows the very dark leaves surrounded by some redness coming from smaller leaves and all those twigs. Red twigs still seem to dominate among the black leaves. </div>
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A three minute steep brought me this reddish liquor, very nice with hints of a deeper and darker substance. It is very attractive. So attractive that I took a closer shot with my macro to show the depths of the redness.</div>
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See the red tones throughout this tea. I have to say I like the color a lot. It is not knock-out red like my great Qimens but a more subtle red that makes things interesting. </div>
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So, how did it taste and can it compete with my Lipton tea bags? We are in a different category here. Sunee said it reminded her of a weaker Qimen. I thought it had some really strange and unidentifiable tastes around the edges with a huge after taste of something I have yet to figure out. It is drinkable and very interesting so I would say it beats Lipton. Lipton tea in bags is just boring. This black tea is interesting and has a lot more flavor. I like it so much I finished off the leaves by making enough to put in our refrigerator to find out how it will be cold. Not sure I would buy more since I have lots of Qimen and lots of the Yunnan Gold Tips to drink. It will, however, be a tea that I will drink now and again to try to figure out the flavors I am tasting. A keeper but probably because of its very unique color and taste quality. </div>
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Thai White Tea</h2>
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The last tea we bought was a Thai white tea we found in the main market in Chiang Mai. As Sunee shopped for various items, I was looking over the selection of teas to be had. I began to notice some white teas in the mix and I was interested. All the whites I picked up and asked about were plainly marked in Chinese that they came from Fujian yet all the sales people were telling me they came from Thailand. Not going to buy a lie, thank you very much. </div>
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One guy we met had some white from Fujian like the others but he also had some that were marked from Thailand. When I asked about the white teas, he said it all came from Fujian except two that came from the mountains of Northern Thailand. An honest man! Because of his honesty, we bought our final tea from him. Later, I would check on the internet to find that there were, indeed, white teas just now being produced in Northern Thailand. This, then was a tea I had more expectations for than the rest.</div>
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Tea leaves were definitely different than the other four. Oh, they were bent and misshapened in no recognizable uniform way but they definitely had less twigs. The darker leaves were not as dark and the lighter leaves were lighter than the other teas. One, however, would never be able to tell (in reality) what this tea really was.</div>
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Here you can see the lighter leaves more predominant than the darker ones. </div>
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The liquor is light with hints of amber gold. I boiled the water and let it sit for about two minutes before using it on the leaves. I knew that the leaves should not come into contact with boiling water for they are supposed to be very delicate. This proved to be correct as the taste was refreshing and nice. This is better than any Lipton tea bag in the world. This made the whole buying tea process very much worth it. Like the few other white teas I have tasted, this had hints of a grassy green tea but was overpowered a crisp freshness totally different from the great greens I have in my possession. I different but similar taste and certainly a little more bitter and sweet after taste. I can see me drinking this tea over the next month or so until it is gone. I like it. Thus ends the search for a cheap Thai tea to compete with the Lipton tea bags. </div>
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Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com6Chiang Mai, Thailand18.7964642 98.66005859999995717.3439552 97.87823309999996 20.2489732 99.441884099999953tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-85346151643088245582012-07-26T18:19:00.004+08:002012-07-26T18:57:09.379+08:00Xiaotian Lanhua Green TeaWe bought this tea from the same family in Qimen City where we bought most of our Qimen Red Tea and the previously tasted wild green tea. It is from the nearby town of Xiaotian and comes from the mountains that encircle the town. From what I was able to find on the internet, this tea has won some local awards. The lanhua or orchid refers to how it tastes, reminding one of the smell of orchids. We spent around three hours talking about tea and tasting the various teas they had from the region. I remember this one was especially sweet and pleasant. I have not been drinking this tea as much as the wild tea but occasionally we will try some. It is really orchid sweet and mild.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZHJNlXPjII/UBEetFISc_I/AAAAAAAAGBw/8ARl6XMWvDA/s1600/lanhuagreen.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gZHJNlXPjII/UBEetFISc_I/AAAAAAAAGBw/8ARl6XMWvDA/s400/lanhuagreen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769426357458203634" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This tea looks a lot like the Huangshan Mao Feng we bought in Anhui Province. It was obviously processed in the same manner and exhibits the hair that the mao feng teas have. It is very dark with only hints of green in it.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DnOf2fxQFjQ/UBEZj7vUbhI/AAAAAAAAGBg/Y7qPDBnKJQg/s1600/closeuplanhua.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DnOf2fxQFjQ/UBEZj7vUbhI/AAAAAAAAGBg/Y7qPDBnKJQg/s400/closeuplanhua.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769420702760594962" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>One can see the hair on most of the stalks like Mao Feng. The tea is processed like Mao Feng but with a little tighter wrap, making the tea look almost like sprigs of grass. <br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a58sbIi-XAs/UBEZjnVdrzI/AAAAAAAAGBU/D-4gXz3h3FQ/s1600/Lanhuacloser.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a58sbIi-XAs/UBEZjnVdrzI/AAAAAAAAGBU/D-4gXz3h3FQ/s400/Lanhuacloser.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769420697283440434" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A little closer and one can see the just how the leaves have been wrapped and the hair on the stems. This tea looks like it could almost be a more oxidized tea than a green. It as kept very nicely in our refrigerator this past year but it is most definitely time to drink it up.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yiLISWCd4c/UBEZjY-2v9I/AAAAAAAAGBI/ptashb1nKUw/s1600/Steepinglanhua.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 378px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0yiLISWCd4c/UBEZjY-2v9I/AAAAAAAAGBI/ptashb1nKUw/s400/Steepinglanhua.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769420693430517714" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>To steep this tea I used the glass tea outfit we bought on our last trip to China. I bought two of these "tea devices" and they work really well. I used boiling water that had sat for about three minutes to get the temperature down. <br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tpRvx5YmpM/UBEZjKN4qUI/AAAAAAAAGA8/l_bpRKnTvWE/s1600/lanhualiquid.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 389px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4tpRvx5YmpM/UBEZjKN4qUI/AAAAAAAAGA8/l_bpRKnTvWE/s400/lanhualiquid.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5769420689467025730" /></a><br /><br />The color of the liquid is a pale gold and taste magnificent. The tea is sweet from start to finish with no real aftertaste. As with all sweet green teas, it reminded me of the artesian well a couple of miles from where I grew up in north central Oklahoma. Lots of mineral taste, flowery, sweet and very refreshing. This is a much better tea than the Huangshan Ye Tea I tasted yesterday. Believe I will have this tea for the rest of July. Makes a nice morning tea!<br /></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-48448817905822215732012-07-25T12:39:00.008+08:002012-07-26T18:16:36.071+08:00Huangshan Ye Cha<div>We bought this Mt. Huangshan Wild Green Tea in Qimen, Anhui Province when we were searching for the authentic Qimen tea. We have been drinking this tea now for sometime so I thought I would do a tea tasting with it before it was all gone.<div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NqqE17xIzmw/UA96Z-nGguI/AAAAAAAAF_g/ihX26tSNRdo/s1600/yechamedium.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: left;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NqqE17xIzmw/UA96Z-nGguI/AAAAAAAAF_g/ihX26tSNRdo/s400/yechamedium.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768964234407215842" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The leaves are shorter and more tightly wrapped than the famous Huangshan Mao Feng. The color tended toward a golden brown with a small amount of stems among the leaves.</div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYCPsZ1CrmU/UA96aKGnunI/AAAAAAAAF_s/28xbyR-4f7s/s1600/yechacloseup.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: center;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px; " src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sYCPsZ1CrmU/UA96aKGnunI/AAAAAAAAF_s/28xbyR-4f7s/s400/yechacloseup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768964237492206194" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This close up reveals just how brown and golden most of the leaves are. The tea is very much like a tightly wrapped Qimen but not as short and obviously not nearly as fermented.</div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: left;">We bought this Mt. Huangsha Wild Tea in Qimen, Anhui Province when we were searching for the authentic Qimen tea. We have been drinking this tea now for sometime so I thought I would do a tea tasting with it before it was all gone.</div><div><br /></div><br /><br /></div></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SK3FoS6DHMg/UA-BWjqbzuI/AAAAAAAAGAs/yW6IBbpZYLI/s1600/Firststeep.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SK3FoS6DHMg/UA-BWjqbzuI/AAAAAAAAGAs/yW6IBbpZYLI/s400/Firststeep.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768971872215224034" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>So how is this tea? Since we have been drinking it for some time now, I can say I like it. I did three steepings and each came out almost identical in taste and strength. The first time around was the weakest (not enough time and a bit too hot water)but it was very refreshing and tasted clear with hints of vegetables and spring. The aftertaste was pleasant and long-lasting.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fc6fv0LhiAs/UA-BWfBW4QI/AAAAAAAAGAg/P1jPHGidEK4/s1600/liquorfirst.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fc6fv0LhiAs/UA-BWfBW4QI/AAAAAAAAGAg/P1jPHGidEK4/s400/liquorfirst.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768971870969192706" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The liquor is dark yellow to golden brown. Each steeping presented almost identical color in the liquor. The taste is actually a bit stronger than what I expected based on this color. Generally, I drink this tea very light in the morning and do not use boiling water. I let the boiled water stand for about five minutes before I pour it over the leaves. It works great and I end up getting around five steeping with the tea which works out well for a morning tea.<br /><br />I never drink green tea in the afternoon as it bothers my stomach, forcing me to take Zantac before I go to bed. Oolong tea or Puerh tea is what I drink in the afternoon. Absolutely no problems with the stomach and these teas.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDVxAct1veU/UA-BU9Jc3dI/AAAAAAAAGAU/YkahzUp_QOI/s1600/secondsteep.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uDVxAct1veU/UA-BU9Jc3dI/AAAAAAAAGAU/YkahzUp_QOI/s400/secondsteep.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768971844696464850" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>This is the third time around and I let it steep for about four minutes. Came out as nice and strong as the first two without any serious bitterness. I once read that a good tea will tend not to go bitter quickly, no matter how long one steeps it. Not sure if this is correct. I do have some cheap teas which tend to be bitter the longer one steeps them. </div><div><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ICXThJtUBdo/UA-BUonrUmI/AAAAAAAAGAI/ZdxOOc8ezyY/s1600/wetleaves.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ICXThJtUBdo/UA-BUonrUmI/AAAAAAAAGAI/ZdxOOc8ezyY/s400/wetleaves.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768971839186096738" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The nice little green leaves show up well in the tea pot. Looks to be two very small and delicate leaves that have been processed on each stalk. They looked shiny and pale green. The taste matches the color of the leaves, pale and refreshing yet slightly strong in its aftertaste. It starts out refreshing and tastes like unidentifiable vegetables until it is swallowed. The aftertaste continues for several minutes after swallowing.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPq2c-ZWZU8/UA-BUXJOksI/AAAAAAAAF_8/D98tDXCz_d0/s1600/Closewetleaves.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hPq2c-ZWZU8/UA-BUXJOksI/AAAAAAAAF_8/D98tDXCz_d0/s400/Closewetleaves.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768971834494980802" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here you can see the leaves a little bit better. They are very uniform and precise. It took a long to pick these leaves. The family who sold us the tea said it came from near the top of the mountain on uncultivated tea plants. Nice sounding sales pitch.<br /><br />Overall, this tea is a good little green tea, great for drinking at around noon. Been doing it most of 2012 and will do so for a few more months.<br /></div><div><br /></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-67651572079035590492012-07-24T23:36:00.002+08:002012-07-24T23:39:53.508+08:00<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VQFibfW9ypg/UA7BS1wueFI/AAAAAAAAF_Q/DDdHXsIL9a8/s1600/clayteapot.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VQFibfW9ypg/UA7BS1wueFI/AAAAAAAAF_Q/DDdHXsIL9a8/s400/clayteapot.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5768760702121441362" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:130%;">Clay Tea Pot</span></b><br /><br />A clay tea pot so old, yet picturesque<br />Sits empty on the corner of my desk<br /><br />Surrounded by cups in a porcelain bowl<br />Awaiting the water now in my control<br /><br />Boiled perfectly to the exact right degree<br />Ready to be poured on waiting green tea</div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-91038994316383358572012-07-15T11:39:00.006+08:002012-07-26T19:00:10.632+08:00Iranian Hand-Picked and Processed Tea<div>Every Saturday, I meet with former teachers from Assumption University of Thailand. Usually three of us meet with several different teachers dropping by as they have time. I provide all the tea and our afternoons are spent visiting and drinking tea, beer and sometimes Coke. </div><div><br /></div><div>Last week, Saeed, an American born and raised in Iran, brought some wild tea he had picked from a mountain near his village in Northeast Iran. He had just recently returned from taking care of some family business. This week, I had Saeed bring back his Iranian tea so we could have an official tasting. This is the results of that tasting.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OGWcdk4OKyE/UAI71XYOHdI/AAAAAAAAF9c/xLR9i-HuZZc/s1600/IranianTea.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OGWcdk4OKyE/UAI71XYOHdI/AAAAAAAAF9c/xLR9i-HuZZc/s400/IranianTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236260982365650" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Saeed told us every year his family picked this wild tea from a mountain nearby and let it dry in the sun for several days. That is all the processing they do to prepare it to drink. The leaves, as one can sea, are new, very delicate and small. The leaves reminded me of the Mengding Gan Lu and other similar teas we saw in Sichuan.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ec_Y6aArDzE/UAI71k3IIpI/AAAAAAAAF9o/OcT9CliYCbs/s1600/IranianTea2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ec_Y6aArDzE/UAI71k3IIpI/AAAAAAAAF9o/OcT9CliYCbs/s400/IranianTea2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236264601658002" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Another view of the leaves. They were pale green and dried naturally without any rolling or frying. Dick, the other retired teacher from Assumption, and I figured the tea would be sweet, fresh and quite mild based on these leaves.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-shwLdseCLN8/UAI72JWTIiI/AAAAAAAAF-A/C49wPdLnqic/s1600/leaf2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-shwLdseCLN8/UAI72JWTIiI/AAAAAAAAF-A/C49wPdLnqic/s400/leaf2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236274396078626" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>A close-up look at a single group of this very green looking Iranian tea.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0yAXtU0AA8/UAI72E_x56I/AAAAAAAAF90/EamfTs3f3js/s1600/Leaf1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W0yAXtU0AA8/UAI72E_x56I/AAAAAAAAF90/EamfTs3f3js/s400/Leaf1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236273227884450" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Another single tea grouping. Small. Very, very small!<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R63S6f6F4_M/UAI72gWYblI/AAAAAAAAF-M/xyHzhcyMO1k/s1600/SaeedSmell.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R63S6f6F4_M/UAI72gWYblI/AAAAAAAAF-M/xyHzhcyMO1k/s400/SaeedSmell.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236280570441298" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The smell of the tea was distinctive and a lot stronger than what I had expected. The strange spicy smell one finds in the markets of Central Asia.<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBz2oDYGQkI/UAI8MHIG5FI/AAAAAAAAF-Y/bW3kygVSNZA/s1600/Pouring.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hBz2oDYGQkI/UAI8MHIG5FI/AAAAAAAAF-Y/bW3kygVSNZA/s400/Pouring.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236651756807250" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Saeed makes our tea. He uses the Chinese clay pot I purchased in Tunxi, Huangshan area of Anhui Province a couple of years ago. What he does differently than the Chinese is he leaves the steeping pot of tea over the boiling water for several minutes, Iranian style. This insures a strong even steeping. Saeed knows a heck of a lot more about tea than I will ever know. Iranians drink tea, a lot of tea.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aWvl1a9yiR0/UAI8MWOTp5I/AAAAAAAAF-k/3_jF5YREhCI/s1600/DeepRed.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aWvl1a9yiR0/UAI8MWOTp5I/AAAAAAAAF-k/3_jF5YREhCI/s400/DeepRed.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236655809341330" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>The tea comes out like a Qimen red tea. Very strong looking and beautiful. I was blown away by the apparent lack of fermentation of the leaves and the resulting color. Amazing!<br /><div><br /></div><div><div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M8HDZiZjCFo/UAI8MkzPWHI/AAAAAAAAF-8/N_65bNLl1wM/s1600/Tasting2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-M8HDZiZjCFo/UAI8MkzPWHI/AAAAAAAAF-8/N_65bNLl1wM/s400/Tasting2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236659722344562" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Tasting the tea was even more mind-blowing. The tea was strong, rich and had a strange but wonderful spicy taste right up front. There was very little aftertaste but strong feelings of tea on both sides of the tongue. This tea was made for milk and/or yoghurt - Iranian style.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X6j9x4LiJcA/UAI8MfxO7oI/AAAAAAAAF-w/NyFsYenA-e4/s1600/Tasting1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-X6j9x4LiJcA/UAI8MfxO7oI/AAAAAAAAF-w/NyFsYenA-e4/s400/Tasting1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5765236658371751554" /></a><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Here Dick enjoys the taste of the tea. This tea is as different from Chinese tea as is coffee. It is strong with a huge caffeine kick right up front. It will open ones eyes in the morning. The taste was definitely tea but with a strange, "I can't quite place it" taste. The closest I could come was the smells from open air spice markets along the Silk Road in Xinjiang Province of China. A mixture of spices and flowers with strong tones of an Indian black tea. Strange, different and wonderful.<br /><br />I informed Saeed he must return to Iran at the proper time and bring us all a kilo of this Iranian tea.<br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-6860938421527232992012-06-28T16:49:00.001+08:002012-06-28T16:52:38.667+08:00Tea Memories<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-64dfl_gsaVU/T-wbIJHlErI/AAAAAAAAF9M/BRf6GWdjlF4/s1600/Song_Dynasty_Elegant_Party.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 296px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-64dfl_gsaVU/T-wbIJHlErI/AAAAAAAAF9M/BRf6GWdjlF4/s400/Song_Dynasty_Elegant_Party.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5759007850200634034" /></a><br /><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 18.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Weekly Commune</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman; min-height: 18.0px"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The green of spring in the new picked tea</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Flushes with joy under the shade of the tree</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">My friends gather round in gladness gleam</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As the tea flows endless like a rippling stream</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">With mingled memories of happiness, I see</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The joys of friendship now sheltering me</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">This meeting occurs each Saturday at noon</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We do not stay silent in this weekly commune</span></p>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-61935444174694779702012-05-16T20:33:00.002+08:002012-05-16T20:33:44.001+08:00Teas From Our Latest Chinese AdventureLast month (April) we traveled once again to China and, as always, started and ended our trip at our beloved Emei Mountain. And, as usual, we were given wonderful green tea from Emei by our many friends in the area. We have several packages of Zhu Ye Qing green and recently processed Qingming green tea from the mountain as well.<br />
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Additionally, I found some unusual tea in Xian, the local Xiyang Mao Jian tea and some Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong Hong Cha from Fujian that the dealer in Xian recommended. In addition, I had picked up some local Bi Lo Chuan green tea during our stay in LangZhong, Sichuan. Before we left Chengdu, we also made a visit to the Tea City and got some black tea bricks to take back with us. For not being a true tea trip, I think we did OK. Will be tasting these teas as soon as I finish our travel journal for our Travellerspoint travel blog.Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-67736430215185898752012-05-10T22:02:00.003+08:002012-05-10T22:02:47.106+08:00<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xu06slIVuUU/T6vKMSKl0LI/AAAAAAAAF8s/v5PSzWl_xas/s1600/MoonoverEmeif.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xu06slIVuUU/T6vKMSKl0LI/AAAAAAAAF8s/v5PSzWl_xas/s320/MoonoverEmeif.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b>A Celebration</b></span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">On Emei’s peak on a clear night</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I see the rising of the super moon</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">As I sit and watch the awesome sight</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The quiet dusk brings a soft Chinese tune</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">If this spring weather brings not the rain</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I wonder how the green tea can thrive</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Watching the moon and thinking of tea again</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I celebrate just being here and alive</span></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-8904108508507994402011-06-02T17:42:00.016+08:002011-06-14T13:09:58.824+08:00Putuoshan Focha (Buddha Green Tea)<p>I am always on the look out for tea whenever we travel to China. Since this trip to visit all the sacred mountains in China was going to be our last for quite some time, I wanted to be sure and take advantage of it to buy some interesting tea. We were visiting one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains (Putuoshan) when we got this tea.</p><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1piU5laZZa0/TedbVGP0QmI/AAAAAAAAF6k/aprxzJbFQEE/s1600/Can.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:center; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1piU5laZZa0/TedbVGP0QmI/AAAAAAAAF6k/aprxzJbFQEE/s400/Can.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613555878552945250" /></a><br /></p><p>I talked Sunee into buying a small can of the local (and very famous) Putuoshan Focha <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(36, 36, 36); font-family:Georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">普陀佛茶)</span></span> or Buddha tea. It was super expensive but I wanted desperately to try it. We bought the tea at a local tourist place that was part of the package tour of Putuoshan so everything was expensive. I did not even see any tea on the island during our tour. So here it is over a month after arriving back home to Bangkok and I am just getting around to drinking it. Guess I was not so desperate after all.</p><p>The leaves are a bit curled and light green and gold with fuzzy hairs on most of the golden buds. They reminded me a little of Mengding Gan Lu but not as tightly wound. </p><br /><p><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1ntp_TIX5c/TedbVv61qwI/AAAAAAAAF60/v2ZV0SLpn6A/s1600/Putuoshantea2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-z1ntp_TIX5c/TedbVv61qwI/AAAAAAAAF60/v2ZV0SLpn6A/s400/Putuoshantea2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613555889739246338" /></a></p><p><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LcMU0onvKZM/TedbVfSzFeI/AAAAAAAAF6s/fy5KpHPjlJQ/s1600/PutuoshanTea1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: right;float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px; " src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LcMU0onvKZM/TedbVfSzFeI/AAAAAAAAF6s/fy5KpHPjlJQ/s400/PutuoshanTea1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613555885276337634" /></a></p><div style=""><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><br /></p><br /><p><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtQ_QbYzNbA/TedbV9l55bI/AAAAAAAAF68/R23cO9f3rHM/s1600/Putuoshan%2BBuddhist%2BTea.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RtQ_QbYzNbA/TedbV9l55bI/AAAAAAAAF68/R23cO9f3rHM/s400/Putuoshan%2BBuddhist%2BTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613555893409539506" /></a><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I used my most expensive tea pot. (Hey, my pots are not really that expensive because I was told early on that tea pots made cheaply from the same clay that is artistically designed produces the same level of tea.)</p><p>I allowed the water to cool a bit from my boiling pot before pouring into the waiting small amount of tea leaves. I was only going to taste it so my desperation speech to Sunee would become truth. </p><p>This tea is as good as advertised or as good as the ads that I had read from some of the big suppliers on tea on the internet had promised . I liked it, very much.</p><p>To be perfectly honest, we sneaked a bit of this tea to try in our hotel in Ningbo after finishing the tour of Putuoshan. Neither of us were impressed. We simply put some in a tea cup, poured the boiling water on top and waited for it to turn color. As I recall, it seemed to be very grassy tasting. I got no grassy taste in this, the official tasting. It was sweet and refreshing and like the Longjing tea I had while we were in China, it reminded me of the sparkling water we used to get from the artisian well not far from where I grew up in Oklahoma. Refreshing, sparkling and sweet. I knew I should have bought more of it!</p>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-56751089657890457012010-09-12T20:46:00.007+08:002010-09-14T11:10:20.133+08:00DuJun Mao Jian Tea<div>Since I did the Henan Xinyang Mao Jian, I figured to break out a little of the Dujun Mao Jian (<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Verdana;"><b>都均毛尖)</b></span> that three of my students bought for me in their home town of Guiyang in Guizhou Province where this tea originates. It is a bit different looking than the Xinyang Mao Jian with more silver, yellow and lighter green leaves. Weight wise they seem to be about the same.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzOVx5ZSTI/AAAAAAAAF0o/AkiLq3qu20E/s1600/DujunMaoJian.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzOVx5ZSTI/AAAAAAAAF0o/AkiLq3qu20E/s400/DujunMaoJian.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516010517188659506" /></a><br /><div>Here you can see the silver very clearly and the green does not appear to be as dark as that of the other Mao Jians.</div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzOVj72jXI/AAAAAAAAF0g/HWWyyDyfjgY/s1600/MaoJianclose.jpg"></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzOVj72jXI/AAAAAAAAF0g/HWWyyDyfjgY/s1600/MaoJianclose.jpg"><img style="text-align: left;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzOVj72jXI/AAAAAAAAF0g/HWWyyDyfjgY/s400/MaoJianclose.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516010513440869746" /></a><br /></div><div>In this close up, one can see why this is called Mao Jian or Hairy Tips. If you look close enough you can see the tiny down-looking hair on many of the lighter leaves. There is a lot of tea in a pound of Mao Jian tea.</div><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzMKbMLfOI/AAAAAAAAF0I/8shcKl2iBFs/s1600/MaoJiancup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzMKbMLfOI/AAAAAAAAF0I/8shcKl2iBFs/s400/MaoJiancup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516008123091614946" /></a>I followed pretty much what I did with the Xinyang Mao Jian, letting the boiled water cool for about two or three minutes before I steeped the tea. This Mao Jian does not seem to be as delicate and contrary as that of the Xinyang tea. No matter how much I used or how long it steeped (of course I did not let it steep too long), I tasted no bitterness at all. The liquor is not as sweet and interesting tasting as that of Xinyang Mao Jian but it is very, very good. The color is a bit more yellow and just as light. I still have a lot of this tea in the freezer and have taken some out to drink regularly. It is considered to be one of the top ten classic teas of China. This tea is in most of the top ten lists but in some, if it is not listed it probably would be number eleven. Xinyang Mao Jian is listed in all the top ten teas I have seen. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzMKFasFpI/AAAAAAAAF0A/n5CMNTF2GPk/s1600/MaoJianCup2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIzMKFasFpI/AAAAAAAAF0A/n5CMNTF2GPk/s400/MaoJianCup2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516008117246891666" /></a>Here is a nice view of the little cup of Duhun Mao Jian resting peaceably on my tea tray along with the other things brought from China. This tea is supposed to be one of the three treasures of Guizhou. The other two are the Maotai (powerful alcoholic rocket fuel) liquor and Dafang lacquered ware. </div><div><br /></div><div>My three treasures from Guizhou were Katherine, Craig and Grace. All were from Guiyang and they were some of the finest English students I have ever had. Craig, in particular, was a scholar beyond belief while Grace was the most sophisticated speaker of English in all of China. Katherine was just a sweetheart with excellent English skills and a quiet personality. We visited all three in their home town two years ago and had a fabulous time. </div><div><br /><br /></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-36437804010221588492010-09-07T15:32:00.003+08:002010-09-07T15:48:02.913+08:00Emei Mountain Yin Zhen Yellow Tea (last drop)<div>Today I am working on preparing the pictures of my wife's silk scrolls that she is making out of all the watercolor painting she did while in China. So far she has finished 46 and is working on about two or three a day. While getting the pictures ready for publication, I thought I would use up the last of my Mount Emei Yin Zhen yellow tea. I bought this in early 2009 and only have a small amount left. It was very expensive and I bought it along with the Jun Shan Yin Zhen to see if there was any difference. The Jun Shan tea was probably fake but the Mount Emei tea is not as I have seen it for sale in reputable dealers in Chengdu. The tea is probably about a year old and has been stored in the freezer so let's see what we have.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrJLQ6HqI/AAAAAAAAFzg/3NBR8P8AIXc/s1600/YinZhenDry.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrJLQ6HqI/AAAAAAAAFzg/3NBR8P8AIXc/s400/YinZhenDry.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514071861660098210" /></a>As you can see the leaves still have a nice color to them thanks probably to the freezing. They remind me a lot of the Emei Sparrow Tongue that is so expensive and popular in the region.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrJtdf3FI/AAAAAAAAFzo/6lkVJQN09FA/s1600/YinZhenCloseup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrJtdf3FI/AAAAAAAAFzo/6lkVJQN09FA/s400/YinZhenCloseup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514071870839708754" /></a>This is a good close up view to show the light green, golden color of the individual buds and leaves. Still pretty good shape for being around a year old.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrKVONdGI/AAAAAAAAFzw/Z_D2vfBeTJ0/s1600/Yinzhencup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrKVONdGI/AAAAAAAAFzw/Z_D2vfBeTJ0/s400/Yinzhencup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514071881513006178" /></a>The first steeping and that is really all I could get out of this tea. It was a little sweet, a little this and a little that. It had lost a lot of its marvel but it was refreshing. I do not think it was ever a top grade tea since I bought it at the local department store. Hey, it was drinkable and quenched my thirst a little.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrKvOkcfI/AAAAAAAAFz4/xtKehjPRgSM/s1600/YinZhenPlacement.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TIXrKvOkcfI/AAAAAAAAFz4/xtKehjPRgSM/s400/YinZhenPlacement.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514071888493834738" /></a>Here you can see the cup of Yin Zhen between my two pee boys and the glass tea decanter with the rest of the tea liquor. I had to get rid of it so drinking it and blogging about it was very pleasurable. When we go back to visit China (probably in October), I plan to get some more yellow tea as well as others. I just got a copy of The Harney & Sons Guide To Tea and plan on trying all the tea they talk about in it that I have not yet tried. The Tea Travelers are not yet done with China.Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-34366179849829657142010-09-01T21:26:00.005+08:002010-09-03T20:20:08.271+08:00Xin Yang Mao Jian<div>Last year in July, we decided to travel to northern China and look specifically for classic Chinese courtyard buildings. Beijing, of course, has the most famous and the most renovated. Shaanxi, however, has several times more than anywhere else in China. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Shaanxi was pretty much the financial center with Pingyao being the most famous. In fact, if one travels in eastern China, one can see the evidence of this success as many of the Shaanxi business people moved to other locations and became equally successful. So why am I writing about this trip in a tea blog?</div><div><br /></div><div>Our trip began in Yuncheng, Shaanxi and then we traveled to Henan Province so my wife could visit the famous Shao Lin Temple not far from Luoyang. Since Henan is home to one of the top ten teas in classic Chinse tea history, I figured to find some so I could say I bought it in Henan. Thus, for my first tea tasting in Thailand, I dug out the Xin Yang Mao Jian we bought in Luoyang. Chinese Tea Travelers we are!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WZWUDX_I/AAAAAAAAFzQ/rCme99tI4VM/s1600/MaoJianDry.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WZWUDX_I/AAAAAAAAFzQ/rCme99tI4VM/s400/MaoJianDry.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511937987434471410" /></a>Here is the sample of Mao Jian bought in Luoyang. I do not recall the exact price for this, but it was not cheap. I do remember my wife not wanting to buy it because it was too expensive. We bought a half pound from the tea merchant's freezer. It has the characteristics of what I have read about Mao Jians - dark green and tightly dried with points at each end.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WZ4Kue8I/AAAAAAAAFzY/60WjiZMS0VY/s1600/MaoJianTea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WZ4Kue8I/AAAAAAAAFzY/60WjiZMS0VY/s400/MaoJianTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511937996522159042" /></a>Before actually preparing this tea, I did some search (again) on the internet to find out if it had some interesting features for which I should be aware. At the Half Dipper tea site (my favorite tea site), I read the article on Xin Yang Mao Jian that saved me a lot of pain. Basically, this tea is very delicate and the water temperature has to be just right for the better Mao Jian from Henan. So I followed his advice for the first steep and used cooled boiling water. Was I rewarded?<div><br /></div><div>This tea matched the Half Dippers comments about an expensive tea. It was refreshing, delicate and kind of reminded me a bit of lemons. I immediately shared it with my wife and she was delighted. Only problem was I did not empty the tea out of the teapot (my only expensive teapot) and when I went for more after about six or seven minutes of continued steeping, the tea was flat out bitter. Wew, it was as bitter as any tea I had ever tasted. </div><div><br /></div><div>More experiments proved that the tea we had bought in Luoyang was probably the real deal. Too hot of water and it becomes common. Steep too long or use too many leaves and it gets really bitter. Do it right and one has truly one of the best teas in China. Amazing stuff this Xin Yang Mao Jian. </div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WZEFovYI/AAAAAAAAFzI/nxZf5iPBR2Q/s1600/LuoyangTeacups.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WZEFovYI/AAAAAAAAFzI/nxZf5iPBR2Q/s400/LuoyangTeacups.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511937982542167426" /></a>When China Tea Travelers travel they not only look for tea but for tea stuff as well. Here we negotiate for some really fine tea cups. All nice but what I was looking for was the Luoyang Jun pottery made famous during the Ming Dynasty with its three colors. Believe those on the left are the Jun style pottery. Not cheap but we did get a few as well as some of the other ones. Fun to be Tea Travelers indeed.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WYqAVUcI/AAAAAAAAFzA/vepDQiOlIQY/s1600/16_Specialty.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WYqAVUcI/AAAAAAAAFzA/vepDQiOlIQY/s400/16_Specialty.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511937975540601282" /></a>After our tea shopping trip, we stopped at a nice small restaurant and had some of the local dishes. This one is the most famous vegetarian dish. We broke out our Mao Jian tea and enjoyed it with our meal.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WYQPW-RI/AAAAAAAAFy4/Tqd_xtuc4eo/s1600/15_NicePork.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/TH5WYQPW-RI/AAAAAAAAFy4/Tqd_xtuc4eo/s400/15_NicePork.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511937968624302354" /></a>This is not a famous pork dish from Luoyang as we have eaten this all over Sichuan. This dish, however, was especially good with our nice Xin Yang Mao Jian. </div><div><br /></div><div>I will have more on our trip to Shaanxi and Henan at my Emei blog later on.</div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-91445315261259798752010-08-30T20:49:00.003+08:002010-08-30T20:56:50.003+08:002010. Finally A New BeginningIn China, blogger.com got busted just before Tiananmen Square anniversary and it never got unbusted. What can one do?<div><br /></div><div>I tried to set up another tea blog on wordpress but my heart was not in it as I was at the end of a semester and getting ready for our summer vacation. We were heading north to look at Chinese courtyard houses to get an idea of our planned Chinese house in Hua Hin, south of Bangkok. </div><div><br /></div><div>In September, just after returning from our exciting trip to the north (I also snuck in a trip to Huangshan tea country as well), I experienced a right eye collapse. Actually, I was not sure what it was but it was not right. Internet research convinced me it was a detached retina but Chinese doctors said it was not. I believed because I wanted to believe. Went ahead and did the semester.</div><div><br /></div><div>We returned to Bangkok in January 2010 and found out the eye definitely had a detached retina. I was in deep trouble because the longer they are detached the harder they are to fixed. To make it short, I underwent three operations from January to March. The last one worked and we returned to China to finish out my contract. History is history and this is a tea blog so enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here is the plan for the next few months. I will be tasting most of the tea I picked up between June and our permanent return to Bangkok. With each tea, I will tell you the story of where and how we got it along with pictures and explanations. </div><div><br /></div><div>I am back in business! Welcome aboard once more. </div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-70289388600011653232009-05-25T09:05:00.001+08:002017-10-11T18:26:42.396+08:00Green Tea from Ebian near Black Bamboo ValleyCecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-15644032410599806202009-05-25T09:04:00.001+08:002017-10-11T18:26:42.352+08:00Tian Cha from Dali in Yunnan ProvinceCecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-83770633038730959992009-05-25T09:03:00.000+08:002017-10-11T18:26:42.405+08:00Bian Xing Cha from the Jiaoda MarketCecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-86708530761800006372009-05-15T14:17:00.008+08:002009-05-26T08:50:48.971+08:00Green Tea Semi-Marathon Tea TastingWe scheduled a tea tasting to give the Gap Guys one last opportunity to share their ability to taste and develop the "qi of cha". Unfortunately, Tom was sick with an ear infection and John was being stalked by several of the young students he had met at the University. Made for a short but enjoyable tea tasting. <div><br /></div><div>In addition, we had to attend the closing ceremonies for the ongoing English Culture Week. One of our students was going to take part in the opening of the singing contest as a guest singer. Seven finalist meant the opening duets needed an extra. She was the only member of the Foreign Affairs Department to take part in the singing contest. The winner of last semester's contest, our own Giselle, opted out as she was preparing for the finals of the Sichuan-wide speech contest. Other talented members also decided not to participate. We also found out later that Mr. Yao had been the official translator for one of the VPs who closed the week. <div><br /></div><div>Anyway, here is the report from our last tea tasting with the Gap Guys.<br /><div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOtVtDW5I/AAAAAAAAFeA/dra3sOaccvA/s1600-h/1Tableset.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOtVtDW5I/AAAAAAAAFeA/dra3sOaccvA/s400/1Tableset.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339033530330733458" /></a>We set up our Chinese Tea Service set on my desk which gave us a bit more room to enjoy the tasting. The plan was to do as many greens as we could. Things never turn out as one expects.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOtBGKNEI/AAAAAAAAFd4/M0mNnK6nCS8/s1600-h/1Teastash.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOtBGKNEI/AAAAAAAAFd4/M0mNnK6nCS8/s400/1Teastash.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339033524798895170" /></a>John insisted on taking a picture of one half of my now fully stocked tea cabinet. Do you think that my wife and I are serious about tea? She also has a corner full of tea that we plan to send back to Thailand when her family comes to visit us in September. Most of that is Yunnan Dian Cong, Golden Tips and lots of Puerh Beeng Cha.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOs-6fDdI/AAAAAAAAFdw/5vqwjx6Z5tg/s1600-h/1Teatasters.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOs-6fDdI/AAAAAAAAFdw/5vqwjx6Z5tg/s400/1Teatasters.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339033524213059026" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The three tea stalwarts pose for the beginning of what we hoped would be a green tea tasting marathon.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOszSBWpI/AAAAAAAAFdo/weGBgAlpUKg/s1600-h/1The-firstinfuse.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOszSBWpI/AAAAAAAAFdo/weGBgAlpUKg/s400/1The-firstinfuse.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339033521090550418" /></a>The first tea was the Ying Bin Cha or welcome tea. I have been looking all over the internet to get information about this tea. "Welcome Tea" is what the wholesaler in Kunming called it. I think it is simply the traditional tea that Yi people in Yunnan Province and elsewhere offer their guests when they first arrive. It is part of the traditional "three tea" ceremony in the Yi culture. First the welcome tea, then the "let's talk and have a good time" tea and, finally, the "sorry to see you go." Hey, it sounds good to me. There really is a three-tea ceremony of the Yi. I am just not sure what kind of tea they use. The information I wrote down in Kunming just stated that it was a traditional welcome tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOta8IzZI/AAAAAAAAFeI/3pd_kXmvG-I/s1600-h/1Evals.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOta8IzZI/AAAAAAAAFeI/3pd_kXmvG-I/s400/1Evals.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339033531736182162" /></a>Here I am checking out the "welcome tea." The liquor appeared to be a green tea with nothing to distinguish it from a Yunnan blended green tea. I tried but I found very little to like about it other than as a remarkable green tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIk8sGUI/AAAAAAAAFdg/_JBZnnWo0pQ/s1600-h/1Waitforwelcome.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIk8sGUI/AAAAAAAAFdg/_JBZnnWo0pQ/s400/1Waitforwelcome.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339032898767690050" /></a>John received his "welcome tea" with the same dexterity as before. We all open this tea tasting with a hearty "WELCOME ONE AND ALL."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIe1g_OI/AAAAAAAAFdY/L4yTXnf6cek/s1600-h/1Welcomeeval.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIe1g_OI/AAAAAAAAFdY/L4yTXnf6cek/s400/1Welcomeeval.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339032897126989026" /></a>John gets the same reaction as I did with this tea. A weak and mild tea. John, however, in his unusual ability to taste the essence of tea, suggests that it is not really from the tea plant but a herbal tea. He does not think it tasted anything like a tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIf7fKhI/AAAAAAAAFdQ/FjUu9CQXAYg/s1600-h/1Welcomefortea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIf7fKhI/AAAAAAAAFdQ/FjUu9CQXAYg/s400/1Welcomefortea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339032897420470802" /></a>Dave takes this unusual picture that really shows off the beauty of one of the tea cups I bought in Yunnan. We discuss the possibility that John brings up.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIE_s9NI/AAAAAAAAFdI/5NfRPrl1Tak/s1600-h/1WelcomeTea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOIE_s9NI/AAAAAAAAFdI/5NfRPrl1Tak/s400/1WelcomeTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339032890190394578" /></a>All of us then check out the dried leaves once more to see if it is a herbal tea. Here is a picture of the dried leaves. We all concluded that this was, indeed, a herbal tea and not a real tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOICiRkNI/AAAAAAAAFdA/EQnI5HLqiKg/s1600-h/1WelcomeTeaeval.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgOICiRkNI/AAAAAAAAFdA/EQnI5HLqiKg/s400/1WelcomeTeaeval.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339032889530093778" /></a>Dave shows his disdain for this herbal tea. He says it is uninspiring while I added that I would never again welcome any guest to my home with this tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNRuMb11I/AAAAAAAAFc4/dTkZwxjW7CE/s1600-h/2JohnFirst.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNRuMb11I/AAAAAAAAFc4/dTkZwxjW7CE/s400/2JohnFirst.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339031956356847442" /></a>While taking pictures, John also takes another good taste and agrees with our assessment.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNRvFSWFI/AAAAAAAAFcw/WThKg-ElcJs/s1600-h/3DaveFirst.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNRvFSWFI/AAAAAAAAFcw/WThKg-ElcJs/s400/3DaveFirst.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339031956595300434" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Finishing the herbal "welcome tea."</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNRbJEFdI/AAAAAAAAFco/9EdveiEX_F4/s1600-h/4INterruptions.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNRbJEFdI/AAAAAAAAFco/9EdveiEX_F4/s400/4INterruptions.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339031951242434002" /></a>A stalker calls John and takes him out of the tea tasting "game" for several precious moments. It is obvious that we have lost him as a viable taster of fine teas. This continues through the late afternoon until we are forced to shut things down and attend the singing contest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNReGRYlI/AAAAAAAAFcg/Ch4ydoB-wUU/s1600-h/5Zhufirstpour.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNReGRYlI/AAAAAAAAFcg/Ch4ydoB-wUU/s400/5Zhufirstpour.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339031952036029010" /></a>We next do the Zhu Ye Qing green tea that Dave had brought from Mengding Mountain near Ya'an. He had gone there with Robert and had found a plantation that offered Zhu Ye Qing. They had tried the best and it was marvelous. The tea that Dave had given me was not the top quality but was probably number two. Our goal was to compare it to a top quality Zhu Ye Qing from Emei Mountain.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNQ2S98gI/AAAAAAAAFcY/a8lCAXzHBpE/s1600-h/5Zhuoffer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgNQ2S98gI/AAAAAAAAFcY/a8lCAXzHBpE/s400/5Zhuoffer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339031941351862786" /></a>Here John, get off the phone and try this fine quality green tea from the number one tea green mountain in all of China - Mengding Mountain..<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgL0W1IvmI/AAAAAAAAFcQ/dIsPyzzVk0M/s1600-h/5ZhuyechingMD1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgL0W1IvmI/AAAAAAAAFcQ/dIsPyzzVk0M/s400/5ZhuyechingMD1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339030352357277282" /></a>John forced the stalker to hang up so he could try this Mengding Zhu Ye Qing green tea. He liked it as he sits back and enjoys its "qi." A full-bodied "qi" he quips.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgL0R60_YI/AAAAAAAAFcI/Cq-JJzCd_ns/s1600-h/5ZhuyeqingMD2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgL0R60_YI/AAAAAAAAFcI/Cq-JJzCd_ns/s400/5ZhuyeqingMD2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339030351038971266" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Dave agreed that this was a good green tea with a lot of "qi." </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgL0GPN8XI/AAAAAAAAFcA/7X1oZ7LpCCE/s1600-h/5Zhyechingcolor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgL0GPN8XI/AAAAAAAAFcA/7X1oZ7LpCCE/s400/5Zhyechingcolor.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339030347903267186" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The Mengding Zhu Ye Qing has the familiar yellow green liquor found Zhu Ye Qings from Emei Mountain. Beautiful color!</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgLz4Kbg_I/AAAAAAAAFb4/6fGbj6_lExg/s1600-h/6Zhuemeibag.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgLz4Kbg_I/AAAAAAAAFb4/6fGbj6_lExg/s400/6Zhuemeibag.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339030344125088754" /></a>Next up is a top quality Zhu Ye Qing from Her Majesty - Emei Mountain. This tea as given to me by the University for my work getting ready for the CCTV Speech Contest last month. People do not go to the trouble of putting cheap tea in expensive little bags like this. This stuff was expensive!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgLz_9xvKI/AAAAAAAAFbw/dtLgGufXkak/s1600-h/7Johnevalzhu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgLz_9xvKI/AAAAAAAAFbw/dtLgGufXkak/s400/7Johnevalzhu.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339030346219502754" /></a>John is given the honor of trying the first cup of Emei's finest. He was not disappointed. This tea could very well be the world's finest green tea.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgIzdz4pFI/AAAAAAAAFbo/w77GwbLx2kI/s1600-h/7ResultsZhu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgIzdz4pFI/AAAAAAAAFbo/w77GwbLx2kI/s400/7ResultsZhu.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339027038516323410" /></a>Dave frantically takes notes on what we think of this Zhu Ye Qing. He, too, has an inner feeling that we are enjoying the world's finest green tea, or at least the finest green tea that the likes of middle class working stiffs like us could afford.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH257kyAvI/AAAAAAAAFJ8/wZ4mXK4pySw/s1600-h/7Zhuemeicup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH257kyAvI/AAAAAAAAFJ8/wZ4mXK4pySw/s400/7Zhuemeicup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337318508515689202" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Emei Mountain Zhu Ye Qing in all its golden green beauty. Simply the best.</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH25vfM45I/AAAAAAAAFJ0/nV9TCImwSzU/s1600-h/8Johnsturn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH25vfM45I/AAAAAAAAFJ0/nV9TCImwSzU/s400/8Johnsturn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337318505271059346" /></a>To get John away from his stalker machine (cell phone), Dave and I insist that he take over the Tea Meister's slot. Here I explain the fine art of tea processing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH25gOTbJI/AAAAAAAAFJs/upbiSKv2XDM/s1600-h/8Teameister.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH25gOTbJI/AAAAAAAAFJs/upbiSKv2XDM/s400/8Teameister.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337318501173652626" /></a>With confidence way beyond his years, John proves to be a novice expert at tea processing. as he pours all of us some fine green tea we picked up in Chuxiong - Bai Zhu Shan Lu Cha or White Bamboo Mountain green tea. </div><div><br /></div><div>The stalkers do not leave John alone and we are only able to do this one last green before it is time to head out to the final installment of English Culture Week.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgIy6WWY_I/AAAAAAAAFbI/bbmcr1aaxQc/s1600-h/9Cookiebreak.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShgIy6WWY_I/AAAAAAAAFbI/bbmcr1aaxQc/s400/9Cookiebreak.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339027028997202930" /></a>Before we head out, we take some much needed sustenance in the form of cookies. These are now a tradition at our tea tasting parties.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH240WaOkI/AAAAAAAAFJc/zMMAY-KPSss/s1600-h/10Dumplings.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/ShH240WaOkI/AAAAAAAAFJc/zMMAY-KPSss/s400/10Dumplings.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337318489396492866" /></a></div></div>In addition, Sunee brings us some dumplings that she has unfrozen and prepared for us. They are inexpensive, convenient and very TOM DELICIOUS!<div><br /></div><div>Hey do they look like this:</div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Shs7VEdKp6I/AAAAAAAAFeQ/FmOsJVFuwNw/s1600-h/Pelmen.jpg.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 271px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Shs7VEdKp6I/AAAAAAAAFeQ/FmOsJVFuwNw/s400/Pelmen.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339927016337221538" /></a>Notice the comment below from someone probably from Russia. I saved the recipe for these Russian dumplings and they are, indeed, very similar. <div><br /></div><div>We closed out this tea tasting early because of the constant stalking of John and the start of the singing contest. Soon the Gap Guys will be back in England. Hope they carry on the tradition of tea tasting.<br /><br /></div></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-49479039400622615482009-05-12T09:46:00.002+08:002009-05-12T10:03:55.000+08:00An Invitation To An Evening of Tea Tasting<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SgjY58AxCKI/AAAAAAAAFBs/POV6tVUKh84/s1600-h/Invitation.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SgjY58AxCKI/AAAAAAAAFBs/POV6tVUKh84/s400/Invitation.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334752248493836450" /></a>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-5177094999392540432009-04-28T18:51:00.005+08:002009-04-30T21:13:14.592+08:00Another Day, Another Tea Tasting Party Planned<p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Qi Of Tom</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Another day, another fun activity</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Dedicated to the tree of desirability</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We know all about this kind of tree</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The tree that brought us all our tea</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">As we sat here with our open pot</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We hoped to get our tea real hot</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Dear Tom did work his magic great</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">And provided us with tea first rate</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We heroes great were on his side</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">He filled our cups with speed and pride</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">With water hot and the qi of tea</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We waited for him in solidarity</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tom did his thing both quick and true</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">And made us all one great brew</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">It was from Emei our mountain near</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Twas Zhu Ye Qing the green so dear</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We filled our cups not once but thrice</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">And drank them down at Tom’s advice</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">We were all experts in the qi of tea</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Except for Tom, as we all could see</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">Tom cried out loud for the qi to come</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">His cheeks were red and his body numb</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">He poured his tea and we saw him frown</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">He bit his lips and swallowed it down</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The tea passed down his anxious throat</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">At first a silence then a rumbling note</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The qi began to flow into Tom’s sad face</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">His head spun around and his heart did race</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">The qi was strong in Tom this day</span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px">He is now one of us all the way</span></p>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-32635436763846416162009-04-18T07:39:00.038+08:002009-05-07T22:26:43.352+08:00Searching for the Key (钥匙) to the Qi of Cha (茶气)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se7UtI3xoCI/AAAAAAAAESw/8Zw1X0ZzKPU/s1600-h/AprilTeaTasteInvite.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 221px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se7UtI3xoCI/AAAAAAAAESw/8Zw1X0ZzKPU/s400/AprilTeaTasteInvite.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327429281166499874" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Invitation to a tea tasting.</div><br />We scheduled an official Chinese Cultural Tea Tasting Party for 17 April 2009 (Friday) at 1800. I sent out official invitations to the participants (to include my brother in Oklahoma and John, a former teacher here who now lives in Guizhou Province). Participants were Tom, Dave Bishop (Gap Guy #1), John Whale (Gap Guy #2), Ivan (Gap Guy #3 doing his thing in Leshan down the road) and me. Tom was the designated Tea Meister as he had been practicing for the last two weeks to get things right. Tom also dressed the part as he wore is new Chinese white silk shirt which put the rest of us to shame. <div><br /></div><div>We were in search of that elusive energy force we had heard about - Qi. In my research, I had read articles about how tea brings with it this Chinese Qi and many writers often described the Cha Qi they experience in drinking their tea. Why not us? Why not channel the forces of the tea for us in our own special tea tasting ceremony?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se7TqlEwH6I/AAAAAAAAESo/nuYaNXf2PuQ/s1600-h/culturalteaTaste.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 283px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se7TqlEwH6I/AAAAAAAAESo/nuYaNXf2PuQ/s400/culturalteaTaste.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327428137685884834" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The Chinese Tea Ceremony's Seven Steps and what each step means.</div><br /><br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Seu7NfS7I1I/AAAAAAAAEEw/rgtMOMYu8x4/s1600-h/QiCha.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Seu7NfS7I1I/AAAAAAAAEEw/rgtMOMYu8x4/s400/QiCha.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326556824709309266" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The Qi of Tea movie poster starring the five great tea heroes of Emei Mountain.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Ode To Cha Qi</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When we five heroes came, we drank our tea hardcore;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No matter how much we drank, we always asked for more;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The table was set to search the world for this thing called qi;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We sat around and philosophized about this drink called tea.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We guests, heroes one and all, drank from cups so fair and small.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The greens came first, two dragons involved in a battle brawl;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The Chengdu one , bought with cash, was the one we qi’ed about,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>But both were great and gave us qi of which we were without.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When Ivan and John took the tea, they rolled upon the floor; </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>John smiled his smile of complexi-tea and quickly asked for more.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ivan, drinking his stupidi-tea, grasped hard upon the chair,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And as he looked at all of us, he understood this qi affair.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The qi took charge as our visions dimmed, it must have been the tea</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>For Dave began to wax and wane about things that only he could see.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>We tried to calm him down a bit, but nothing seemed to work</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He crawled upon the table and quietly went berserk.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Poor Tom our tea master, saw us all heading south,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And wondered how it was, for his tea was in his mouth.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He’d tried to swallow several times, but all to no avail,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And now that the qi had come, he hoped he would prevail.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The qi was now inside of us and all around the room.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The tea had brought it on and now it spelled our doom.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Ole Cecil was dancing high, way up in a big white cloud;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>The qi had taken him way up there and he was getting loud.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Poor Tom still could not drink his tea, it simply wouldn’t go,</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>So he never really experienced how the qi did flow. </i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He gathered up the four of us, and took us all outside;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>He kicked our heads and faces until the qi did subside.</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>When we five heroes went back in, we drank our tea hardcore;</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>No matter how much tea we drank, we always asked for more.</i></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297ldXrbI/AAAAAAAAEQA/-s8rMr-FSrI/s1600-h/18Heroes.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297ldXrbI/AAAAAAAAEQA/-s8rMr-FSrI/s400/18Heroes.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327122765614394802" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The five famous and great tea heroes of Emei Mountain search for the key to the Qi of Tea.</div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3EowyYZsI/AAAAAAAAESY/o0Egros6Csw/s1600-h/1Setup.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3EowyYZsI/AAAAAAAAESY/o0Egros6Csw/s400/1Setup.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327130138819192514" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">The tea set up was meticulousl y laid out for efficiency and professionalism. No one could say that we did not have the right tools in our search for the Qi of Tea.</div></div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3Eo9PpvYI/AAAAAAAAESQ/hvJLXa1Euqw/s1600-h/2TeaMeisterTom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3Eo9PpvYI/AAAAAAAAESQ/hvJLXa1Euqw/s400/2TeaMeisterTom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327130142163189122" /></a>Tom, the Tea Meister, prepares the equipment and tools to start the ceremony. He was most anxious to feel the Qi as quickly as possible.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DaePTuaI/AAAAAAAAESI/SuHfRNcXJDk/s1600-h/3LongjingGrace.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DaePTuaI/AAAAAAAAESI/SuHfRNcXJDk/s400/3LongjingGrace.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327128793810450850" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Our first teas to be tasted were the most famous in China, two different Longjing greens from the Hangzhou area. The first came from the Chengdu Tea Culture Street and the second was given to me by Grace Spright one of our students. She claims to have gone right to the source and bought this tea from the processor himself. We called this the battle of the dragons or </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">dou cha (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> 斗茶 ) - tea fight. A competition of tasting different teas to establish which is the best. Of course, we were tasting what was supposed to be the same tea. My research has revealed that many teas from the Hangzhou area are now called Longjing but only the real one comes from the original plantation on Lion Head Mountain. I must find out the exact location where Ms. Grace purchased this green tea. Here Tom shows the heroes the leaves of the Longjing green prior to pouring the first cups. </span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DactYliI/AAAAAAAAESA/4eOy0lJs_ug/s1600-h/4DaveDoesTea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DactYliI/AAAAAAAAESA/4eOy0lJs_ug/s400/4DaveDoesTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327128793399727650" /></a>The first cup of Chengdu-bought Longjing green tea goes to Dave who smiles in "brilliant" anticipation of gaining access to this teas "qi." His excitement was palpable and almost embarrassingly overwhelming.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DaPw3tkI/AAAAAAAAER4/PYJuLUHLtqQ/s1600-h/4Johndoesgreen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DaPw3tkI/AAAAAAAAER4/PYJuLUHLtqQ/s400/4Johndoesgreen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327128789924689474" /></a>Here John portrays his normal oblique self-expression of Asian inscrutability. Notice how deftly and passionately he handles the newly purchased tea cups I bought specifically for this ceremony. John, of course, prefers any liquid to tea (especially water) but because of his Asian background felt obliged to enter into the halls of fame and heroism to observe this thing called " Chinese qi." Is his smile the wry smile of Asian amused condescendence or simply the obligatory politeness so often formed on the lips of his ancient ancestors?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DZ4-CVTI/AAAAAAAAERw/ilXfH37DJ84/s1600-h/5TomPontificates.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DZ4-CVTI/AAAAAAAAERw/ilXfH37DJ84/s400/5TomPontificates.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327128783805895986" /></a>Casually, Tom introduces the concept of sipping tea. Most westerners have no real understanding of what "sipping" entails. As an inveterate sipper, Tom provides needed depth to our understanding of how exactly one sips a Chinese Longjing tea to get the most taste from it and force the qi from its unwilling leaves. For Tom, sipping was easy. It was the follow-on swallowing that caused him great concern throughout the tea-tasting evening.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DZyYBmFI/AAAAAAAAERo/4RLRrGvx3F8/s1600-h/6Sharinggreen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3DZyYBmFI/AAAAAAAAERo/4RLRrGvx3F8/s400/6Sharinggreen.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327128782035851346" /></a>Time for the Grace Spright provided Longjing. After three infusions of the first Longjing and gaining enough experience from the process, we were all anxious to apply the rules of "dou cha" to this second Longjing. Notice, once again, the dexterity that John is applying to his tea cup. Also notice the "kung fu" stance of our great and masterful tea meister. I was led to believe that this stance brings out the "qi" of tea much quicker than just handing out the tea willy nilly.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3Bczl9OiI/AAAAAAAAERg/aYTN2aXwXws/s1600-h/7IvandoesTea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3Bczl9OiI/AAAAAAAAERg/aYTN2aXwXws/s400/7IvandoesTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327126634879072802" /></a>Ivan jumps the gun on this second Longjing. He could not wait. He refused to wait. He glared at us with his nerdi-tea! He immediately scarfed the tea down in one gulp. Of course, Tom was shocked at this breaking of protocal. He spent the next ten minutes lecturing Ivan on the subtleties of sipping. Ivan was forced to sip slowly four more Longjing teas before he could join in our brilliant wordsmanship and philosophizing. He kept repeating to himself - tea is for sipping, tea is for sipping.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3BchLprxI/AAAAAAAAERY/BP-ndm1GXZc/s1600-h/8QiWorking.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3BchLprxI/AAAAAAAAERY/BP-ndm1GXZc/s400/8QiWorking.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327126629936901906" /></a>Dave, fully loaded with qi from this second Longjing green tea, begins to speak in a language that no one could understand - British English. Even John could not help but laugh at Dave's ridiculous accent. Tom, unawares of any language being spoken, had become involved with trying to swallow the tea. This was a constant struggle for Tom all evening. It was concluded that both Longjing teas were beyond reproach in their taste and the qi we received from them. We all agreed, however, that the Longjing tea I bought in Chengdu gave us a bit more of a "qi" kick than the one Grace had provided. Could it be that the Grace-provided tea had been unwilling to give us the full force of its qi and needed to be "aged" a few months more to discourage its beligerence? One will only know in two months time.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3BcuthMOI/AAAAAAAAERQ/oPQBzkyGnmI/s1600-h/9JackGift.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3BcuthMOI/AAAAAAAAERQ/oPQBzkyGnmI/s400/9JackGift.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327126633568612578" /></a>Qi was flowing amongst us and began to fill up the room to such an extent that I decided to slow things down by showing off my newly acquired Puerh Bing Cha that Jack, one of our students, had given me for my birthday. We are talking a serious bing cha (puerh pressed tea cake) here. The box was beautiful and the cake smelled wonderful. It took me more than fifteen minutes to wrestle this tea back from Tom's grasping hands. He kept insisting that we try it since he had been unsuccessful in swallowing the Longjings and thus sat as an empty vessel on his chair with nary a qi to be seen in or near him.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3BccNdcTI/AAAAAAAAERI/PaF_JOheqZM/s1600-h/10CookiesPlease.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3BccNdcTI/AAAAAAAAERI/PaF_JOheqZM/s400/10CookiesPlease.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327126628602310962" /></a>We also took a break and shared some cookies amongst us to slow down the rapidly expanding qi that most of us had begun to feel. Tom, however, felt nothing but contempt and thus was eager to eat the cookies to hide his inability to drain the qi from his tea.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy-NboMInNRFupvwFt9GB1lP2lMop40GhEaesVNNtMsuFFmPgqb4f52Ha9V5UTevGcXwQ3bpo9yGaBPOk6J3w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We witness the full effects of the Qi as Dave passes out the cookies. Strange language!</div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3Bcf0I-xI/AAAAAAAAERA/05wm9HaU9pY/s1600-h/11alookinTom.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 382px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se3Bcf0I-xI/AAAAAAAAERA/05wm9HaU9pY/s400/11alookinTom.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327126629569854226" /></a>Our next "dou cha" was between the yellow tea from Emei Mountain and the yellow tea from Jun Mountain in Hunan province. Both were called "silver needles" or "yin zhen" (<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Helvetica;">银针). The Emei Mountain tea I had purchased several months ago from a local department store and had tasted it once with Tom. It was ok but nothing really great. The Jun Shan yellow tea I had purchased on our last trip to the Tea Culture Street in Chengdu. Here Tom examines both teas to see the differences. There were big differences to be sure.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5qjYsqI/AAAAAAAAEQ4/HCRMiuK0FR0/s1600-h/11AromaJohn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5qjYsqI/AAAAAAAAEQ4/HCRMiuK0FR0/s400/11AromaJohn.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327124931645321890" /></a>Tom then allows all of us to smell the Jun Shan tea. This, of course, is testing the aroma to see if we could get a little qi going prior to drinking the tea. John takes a whiff and denies knowledge of any aroma, even though some of the tea stuck to his uncharacteristically none-Asian nose.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5tMCxdI/AAAAAAAAEQw/FqlrweayEUo/s1600-h/12AromaDave.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5tMCxdI/AAAAAAAAEQw/FqlrweayEUo/s400/12AromaDave.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327124932352722386" /></a>Dave gets some qi quickly and refused to quit smelling the aroma. Tom had to threaten him with "remedial sipping class" to get the bag back. Pouting, Dave, immediately goes back to his version of the English language which only he could understand. We all figured he was bad-mouthing us but none of us could really be sure.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5ZvKTDI/AAAAAAAAEQo/qwCDeBrdC9A/s1600-h/13AromaIvan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5ZvKTDI/AAAAAAAAEQo/qwCDeBrdC9A/s400/13AromaIvan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327124927131307058" /></a>One whiff of this yellow tea sends Ivan into Lala Land (as if he ever left there in the first place). Tom was quick to retrieve the bag of yellow tea before Ivan could eat it. In Lala Land, eating tea must not be thought of as immoral nor in bad form.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5ABzmVI/AAAAAAAAEQY/zJd1oR_9RHE/s1600-h/15PouringYellow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5ABzmVI/AAAAAAAAEQY/zJd1oR_9RHE/s400/15PouringYellow.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327124920230189394" /></a>Here Tom is pouring our first infusion of the Jun Shan Yin Zhen. Because the gaiwan had grown a bit from handling to0 much of the qi from the tea, Tom needed some help to get the tea poured. No problem as Dave was willing to assist this delicate operation even though no one could understand what he was saying.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5VkH1kI/AAAAAAAAEQg/R9nnqWQcwEY/s1600-h/14YellowColor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2_5VkH1kI/AAAAAAAAEQg/R9nnqWQcwEY/s400/14YellowColor.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327124926011266626" /></a><br />Tom proudly shows off his successful pouring of the yellow tea. He also spent ten minutes admiring and telling us how yellow the tea was. None of us were blind, yet that did not stop Tom from his pontification of the yellowness of the tea. The tea was, indeed, yellow.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2973uqYMI/AAAAAAAAEQQ/V2aX70Bhb2c/s1600-h/16MoreSharing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2973uqYMI/AAAAAAAAEQQ/V2aX70Bhb2c/s400/16MoreSharing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327122770518761666" /></a>Since we were all tired of watching John passionately grasp his tea cup as he got his tea, Tom decided to give the first cup of Jun Shan Yin Zhen to Dave. This was done mostly to quiet Dave down so we would not have to listen to the strange noise coming from his mouth that he kept claiming was English. Of course, Tom conned him into thinking that it was because of John's constant hotdogging in grasping his tea cup.</div><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297jrsrCI/AAAAAAAAEQI/wFGKmYdMDdg/s1600-h/17IvanandDave.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297jrsrCI/AAAAAAAAEQI/wFGKmYdMDdg/s400/17IvanandDave.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327122765137620002" /></a>Ivan breaks away long enough from Lala Land to get some of the Jun Shan yellow tea. Here we see him concentrating on getting back to Lala Land. Does he live in Lala Land all the time or is it the qi of the tea that sends him there? None of us could really quite figure out how he moved between reality and Lala Land so easily.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297cI5vzI/AAAAAAAAEP4/jXwySoen5wE/s1600-h/19MoreYellowTea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297cI5vzI/AAAAAAAAEP4/jXwySoen5wE/s400/19MoreYellowTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327122763112628018" /></a>As you can see by this picture, Tom, our Tea Meister, is doing an excellent job of not wasting any of the precious qi coming from the tea. His professionalism was astounding but we all felt remorse at his inability to swallow the very tea he was meistering.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28YbLYa_I/AAAAAAAAEPY/w_GOYBCQTuo/s1600-h/23CompareYellow.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28YbLYa_I/AAAAAAAAEPY/w_GOYBCQTuo/s400/23CompareYellow.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327121062047542258" /></a>Here Tom is carrying out the pre-dou cha ceremony where we are shown the two opposing teas. The Jun Mountain silver needles knocked the locally grown Emei Mountain silver needles yellow tea out of the ring. There simply was no comparison of the two teas. The Emei Mountain tea looked more like grass whereas the yellow tea from Jun Mountain looked exactly like the pictures I had found on the internet. Fake verses real. Real verses fake. Not even close!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297ChMwYI/AAAAAAAAEPw/DW2CTYyOW6E/s1600-h/19YellowTea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se297ChMwYI/AAAAAAAAEPw/DW2CTYyOW6E/s400/19YellowTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327122756235215234" /></a>My own cup of Jun Shan Yin Zhen. One can almost feel the qi as it floats up from the yellow liquid. This tea is great! We all had positive things to say about it and spent an unusual amount of time singing its praises.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kFW8LHI/AAAAAAAAEOo/oJ7QcWFoRAo/s1600-h/29PuerhReady.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 393px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kFW8LHI/AAAAAAAAEOo/oJ7QcWFoRAo/s400/29PuerhReady.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327119063325617266" /></a>Our dou cha was interrupted with a beautiful four-year old mini-tuocha that Sunee and I had taken from the hands of a dealer in Kunming two weeks previous. The dealer offered us fifty of these little jewels for 80 Yuan. As we were tasting it and deciding to buy it, he mentioned that we could get 150 of them for only 150 Yuan. A deal is a deal wherever one finds it so we bought the larger can of these marvelous little tuochas. We loved them in Kunming and the five heroes loved them on the slopes of Emei Mountain. This was the best tea we tasted all evening.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28Y8DyIbI/AAAAAAAAEPo/OpCbrnvxrGo/s1600-h/20TeaMeisterShare.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28Y8DyIbI/AAAAAAAAEPo/OpCbrnvxrGo/s400/20TeaMeisterShare.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327121070874042802" /></a>Isn't the dexterity of John's grasping of the tea cup amazing? We all stopped talking and stared as Tom handed the puerh-filled cup to John. </div><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">His fingers nestled the glazed blue cup filled with tea.</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Smooth, feminine-like graspings promising much no respite</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To the cup so often held in the light for all of us to see.</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Yes, John, yes! It seemed to squeal in pleasure and delight.</span></i></span></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28YP6cQiI/AAAAAAAAEPI/45McAeC9EM8/s1600-h/25QiComing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28YP6cQiI/AAAAAAAAEPI/45McAeC9EM8/s400/25QiComing.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327121059023700514" /></a>Tom answers a question concerning his method of extracting the precious liquid from the mini-tuacha as John grasps with pleasure the small delicate blue tea cup. Notice the glow of qi that surrounds John but seems to be missing from Tom. Once more, Tom's problems continued through even the puerh session of tea tasting.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpgpJgZI/AAAAAAAAEOY/eDCCKo8DVZ8/s1600-h/31PourPuerh.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpgpJgZI/AAAAAAAAEOY/eDCCKo8DVZ8/s400/31PourPuerh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327111459967697298" /></a><br />Ah, puerh. Blessed puerh. All agreed that this was a wonderfully complex tea. We all sipped and took a shot at describing what we were experiencing.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28YEF8OvI/AAAAAAAAEPQ/Zey3MaqbvJY/s1600-h/24Puerh.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se28YEF8OvI/AAAAAAAAEPQ/Zey3MaqbvJY/s400/24Puerh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327121055850707698" /></a><br />Here is my cup of puerh. This was around the fourth infusion and it remained as dark and beautiful as the first. Talk about a steal! This tea was worth every bit of Yuan we had paid for it.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kSoMJmI/AAAAAAAAEPA/rlvL1gZqxbg/s1600-h/26Cheers.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kSoMJmI/AAAAAAAAEPA/rlvL1gZqxbg/s400/26Cheers.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327119066887628386" /></a>Amazing but true, Ivan returned to reality just in time to celebrate his first infusion of the puerh. Here he toasts the puerh with Dave. Ivan, a brilliant linguist in his own right, was actually able to interpret for the rest of us what Dave had said over the last few hours. It was also Ivan who most impressively expressed the exact adjectival nouns that applied to this puerh. Such words as "halibut" and "squidy-like" aroma breached the etiquette that Tom was so forcefully trying to maintain as our tea meister.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kXWslYI/AAAAAAAAEO4/-pJyyIxQL78/s1600-h/27JohnPuerh.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kXWslYI/AAAAAAAAEO4/-pJyyIxQL78/s400/27JohnPuerh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327119068156433794" /></a>Infusion after infusion brought on many more of these Ivanistic adjectival nouns to our ears and minds. Here John fakes a sniff of the puerh to show off his now "celebrated grip" of the beautifully glazed blue tea cup. He was obviously sniffing just for the "halibut."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kBfRNkI/AAAAAAAAEOw/SlBOLcssf-8/s1600-h/28AromaPuerh.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26kBfRNkI/AAAAAAAAEOw/SlBOLcssf-8/s400/28AromaPuerh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327119062286808642" /></a>Another infusion. More sniffing. More Ivanistic adjectival nouns. This time it is "the dust of a Rhodesian wine cellar" that Ivan smells in his puerh. What a nose for sifting through the dictionary of his mind to come up with just the right descriptions for this puerh!</div><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The words grate upon the human ear and test our fortitude</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ivan, dear, Ivan bring forth your royal chants of pictured phrases</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 16px/normal Georgia; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Let us all travel down your path of words for puerh so crude</span></i></span></p> <div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And smell the aroma you describe and never cease to amaze us. </span></i></div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26j-cgldI/AAAAAAAAEOg/xVVhng4-VhI/s1600-h/30QiHere.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se26j-cgldI/AAAAAAAAEOg/xVVhng4-VhI/s400/30QiHere.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327119061469926866" /></a>Here Tom continues to wonder why he simply cannot swallow the tea he has so brilliantly prepared for us. As John smirks "qi'ingly" at the way the other heroes hold their cups, Tom looks wistfully at the dark orange liquid lying limpid in his cup. No see no qi, we hear him muttering to himself between his tea meistering.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpg48ZnI/AAAAAAAAEOQ/YGsrsUyBttU/s1600-h/32WhatTheheck.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpg48ZnI/AAAAAAAAEOQ/YGsrsUyBttU/s400/32WhatTheheck.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327111460033947250" /></a>Left alone on a plain of existence below that of the other four heroes, Tom desperately seeks the qi in the actual dried tea leaves. What is it that makes the tea hard for me to swallow? Maybe it is just not my "cup of tea" tonight, he rationalizes to himself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpVrdRZI/AAAAAAAAEOI/ORQVUTfdJcQ/s1600-h/34Johnqi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpVrdRZI/AAAAAAAAEOI/ORQVUTfdJcQ/s400/34Johnqi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327111457024591250" /></a>"I have fully "grasped" the qi of tea," John states emphatically after infusion number twenty of the tuocha puerh. No one dared argue as we all stared at the incredible spectacle of his thin, flawless fingers gently, yet firmly caressing the beautiful blue glazed tea cup from Kunming. Notice the index finger defyingly pointing toward the obviously inferior heroes that sit on his right. How dare this sycophant to the qi of tea so insult his fellow heroes in this "sippingly" uncharitable way! So much for the obvious benefits of puerh.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpSlwxFI/AAAAAAAAEOA/AJSyFPaC3dI/s1600-h/35DoingDahongpao.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpSlwxFI/AAAAAAAAEOA/AJSyFPaC3dI/s400/35DoingDahongpao.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327111456195396690" /></a>Round three of our dou cha - Tailand oolong #17 verses the world champion of oolongs: Da Hong Pao or Big Red Robe. Here Tom introduces the wet leaves of the Da Hong Pao to his fellow tea heroes. Notice how Ivan turns his now enhanced respiratory system into a sniffing machine; capable of tracking and classifying even the tiniest hints of adjectival nouns.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpLkRupI/AAAAAAAAEN4/LVlgtMC6MTg/s1600-h/33DaHongPaoSmell.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2zpLkRupI/AAAAAAAAEN4/LVlgtMC6MTg/s400/33DaHongPaoSmell.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327111454310120082" /></a>Da Hong Pao, the legendary tea of Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province, brings only an arrogant sniff from John. Maybe he has not been clued in on the brilliance of the tea. Maybe his claim to have obtained "qi nirvana" has caused his sensory perceptions to become lazy in his newly-gained status as the foremost hero amongst us lowly mortals. Perhaps, perhaps he remains a neophite in teadom and has been putting on a show to fool us into believing he has reached tea stardom.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xvMu2xTI/AAAAAAAAENw/ZEKY_Ug4vwA/s1600-h/36DaveChaChi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xvMu2xTI/AAAAAAAAENw/ZEKY_Ug4vwA/s400/36DaveChaChi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327109358678885682" /></a>Darth Dave reaches a new level of "qi'ness." Denied the use his facade of speaking English, he rapidly moved into a different plain of existence than his fellow heroes. His language had also accompanied him to this higher plain. No longer the language of the barbarian and unsociable Saxon hordes who punished the original inhabitants of the island we call England by forcing them into using the now modern weird and strange language of the Brits, the Darth man's language now consisted of heavenly "hum's and ha's" and a few angelic "mmm's."</div><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Rising up as if already gone</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">The teamonger Darth Dave</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Like a white and flying swan</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Moves into the nirvana cave</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; min-height: 15px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"></span><br /></span></i></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Entering into the mystery of the qi</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">As all us poor mortals sit so near</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">He takes another swallow of the tea</span></i></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal 'Times New Roman'; "><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">Then floats away on qi to disappear</span></i></span></p><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xuxmoRqI/AAAAAAAAENo/T3qqAa9EUCE/s1600-h/37Dahongpao.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xuxmoRqI/AAAAAAAAENo/T3qqAa9EUCE/s400/37Dahongpao.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327109351396624034" /></a>The Da Hong Pao experience reaches a personal level as I sip and enjoy my own cup. Here the amber liquid reminds one of apple juice squeezed by virgins intent upon gaining the last drop of their precious liquid from the fruit they have so patiently picked.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xu18MYHI/AAAAAAAAENg/pxQUb8T9930/s1600-h/38Distance.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xu18MYHI/AAAAAAAAENg/pxQUb8T9930/s400/38Distance.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327109352560812146" /></a>The Thailand Oolong Number 17 turns out to be but a footnote in our quest for glory and qi. Up against the finest oolong money can buy, it pails in comparison. On its own, it would have done very well. This last round turned out to be a fight between the adjectival nouned - 800 pound gorilla and a pleasant and beautiful bunny rabbit. The rabbit, sweet and affectionate as it may be, was squashed into oblivion by the 800 pound gorilla. And so it was with Thailand's best. A footnote that states that there was no contest and we, as heroes, were guilty of fixing the competition in the champions favor. Guilty as charged!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xulHulmI/AAAAAAAAENY/E5GxM2YV-7Q/s1600-h/39WhereQi.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xulHulmI/AAAAAAAAENY/E5GxM2YV-7Q/s400/39WhereQi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327109348045788770" /></a>Tom Terrific ponders his role as our tea meister, reviewing the errors made and the triumphs won. We all agreed that the last dou cha was unfair and promised our "bunny rabbit" of a Thailand oolong a chance against a more worthy and equal opponent. The Da Hong Pao was one of our favorites along with the incredible puerh. The two green Longjings were also very noteworthy in their ability to supply us with a load of "qi." </div><div><br /></div><div>John was voted into the heroes hall of fame for his rapid rise from obscurity to tea hound extraordinaire. Dave remains firmly entrenched as one of the top heroes. He could easily join John in the hall of fame except for his inability to speak modern standard English. His British dialectual English prevents most people from understanding his deeply moving and spiritual thoughts as interpreted to us by Ivan, the adjectival noun wizard. </div><div><br /></div><div>As to Ivan? Until he approaches the 50% mark of living in reality, he is neither allowed into let alone near the hall of fame. Hero he is but he remains in the "twilight zone" somewhere between reality and his own personal Lala Land. He made great progress this evening in approaching that 50% benchmark with his brilliant translations of the "sayings of Darth Dave" and his accurate and telling descriptions of the tuocha puerh. A few more tastings and he most definitely will have a shot at the coveted hall of fame.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xudGCwaI/AAAAAAAAENQ/m69BeqU7i-U/s1600-h/40EndofSession.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/Se2xudGCwaI/AAAAAAAAENQ/m69BeqU7i-U/s400/40EndofSession.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327109345891238306" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div></div>All good things must come to an end and here Tom bids adieu to his fellow heroes. His plans over the next few weeks prior to our next scheduled tea tasting is to practice his swallowing techniques. Thus, he too, will be able to enjoy the Qi of Tea with the rest of us.<div><br /></div><div>The following are the results of our tea tasting as transcribed by Darth Dave:</div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzQjb9VsJm8AtCaNW0QyOzq2ou3dWgqQIXbmTR6B1X5PC4cK9Zl7maacRhgWdsA9bkpUCkOCpvRE7NS96s' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">We witness the full effects of the Qi.</div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-20383816589836951512009-04-12T23:52:00.015+08:002009-04-30T21:53:22.155+08:00China Tea Travels To Yunnan For Tea (Naturally)<div style="text-align: left;">We left the Chengdu airport at around 9pm and arrived in Kunming after 10pm. By the time we got to our hotel (courtesy of the many touts at the airport) it was well past 11pm. We were hungry so we walked down to the only restaurant open and had some quick noodles. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The next day we took the early bus to Chuxiong, about two hours by express bus from Kunming. Unfortunately, we did not take the express bus and our journey last three and half hours through some very rough mountains and bad roads. Wrong bus station. Wrong bus.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">After completing our business in Chuxiong we had the next day's morning to explore this small Yi minority town (see inchinahil.travellerspoint.com for more information on Chuxiong). The first thing we looked for was a tea shop and we found one in the middle of the town.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Chuxiong Tea Shop</b></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzAz4KFvI/AAAAAAAAErY/gSozmLRWl3k/s1600-h/1Ownere.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzAz4KFvI/AAAAAAAAErY/gSozmLRWl3k/s400/1Ownere.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329151454337439474" /></a>As we entered this couples well-stocked tea shop, they were having their lunch and did not seem too happy to see us. As we visited and had them finish their lunch, they became friendlier. By the end of our visit, they treated us as if we were part of their family, visiting with us about the local tea and giving us advice on how to determine the quality of the tea we were drinking.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzBPdhsJI/AAAAAAAAEro/YtVgj8HiI5E/s1600-h/Preparation.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzBPdhsJI/AAAAAAAAEro/YtVgj8HiI5E/s400/Preparation.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329151461741932690" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">Tea ceremony, Chuxiong style.</div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzLQ-GoCI/AAAAAAAAEsI/RochrYvkYVI/s1600-h/LocalandBaiZhu.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 174px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzLQ-GoCI/AAAAAAAAEsI/RochrYvkYVI/s400/LocalandBaiZhu.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329151633945698338" /></a><br />The tea on the left is a standard blended green from Yunnan. The one on the right is a local tea from White Bamboo Mountain. The first thing I noticed was the cloudiness the local tea had.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzLd6llHI/AAAAAAAAEsA/Wb0eSAnSnI0/s1600-h/LocalGreentea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzLd6llHI/AAAAAAAAEsA/Wb0eSAnSnI0/s400/LocalGreentea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329151637420610674" /></a>This is a close up of the Yunnan blended green tea. We have tried several of the Yunnan greens and all were solid green teas and very drinkable. This one was no exception.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzBRSRP0I/AAAAAAAAEr4/vc0Mg9Z9ngw/s1600-h/BaiZhuShanPkge.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzBRSRP0I/AAAAAAAAEr4/vc0Mg9Z9ngw/s400/BaiZhuShanPkge.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329151462231588674" /></a>Package for the locally produnced White Bamboo Mountain green tea. This tea was supposed to be grown by Yi people, picked and processed by them. It looked a lot like Bi Lo Chuan.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzBZ7Uw1I/AAAAAAAAErw/oOdSfHM7vQc/s1600-h/BaiZhuShanGreenTea.jpg"></a><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzBZ7Uw1I/AAAAAAAAErw/oOdSfHM7vQc/s1600-h/BaiZhuShanGreenTea.jpg" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><img style="text-decoration: underline;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzBZ7Uw1I/AAAAAAAAErw/oOdSfHM7vQc/s400/BaiZhuShanGreenTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329151464551269202" /></a>Here is a close up of the White Bamboo Mountain green tea. It was very unusual and obviously unique so we bought some to give it a try. I will do a tea tasting of it in the near future.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzA5nxdhI/AAAAAAAAErg/nnJY6CBR73k/s1600-h/2TippyPuerh.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfTzA5nxdhI/AAAAAAAAErg/nnJY6CBR73k/s400/2TippyPuerh.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329151455879329298" /></a><br /></div>While we were at this shop, we asked about a puerh that we had purchased in Chengdu. Remember the white or tippy puerh we had purchased earlier? Well, this guy had one and so we asked if we could try it. Both, Sunee and I were disappointed and decided against buying his tippy white puerh cake.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Yulin Puerh Tea Shop in Kunming</b></div><div><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMKQlpWI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/HLq9SwTU1Rk/s1600-h/PuerhTea.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMKQlpWI/AAAAAAAAEsQ/HLq9SwTU1Rk/s400/PuerhTea.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329530980835632482" /></a>We went looking for an art house for Sunee to check out some art books and look at some paintings. There is never a tea shop we can pass by nowdays without going in. Here we found the Yintai Shop next to Green Lake in downtown Kunming. It is a tough life chasing tea in China.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMM7pQIbI/AAAAAAAAEsw/SfwGrrVqRrs/s1600-h/WellStocked.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMM7pQIbI/AAAAAAAAEsw/SfwGrrVqRrs/s400/WellStocked.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329530994092417458" /></a>Inside we found wonderfully stocked shelfs of puerh. This was a puerh shop after all and we were in Yunnan Province.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZNVsccn3I/AAAAAAAAEs4/vlVLnaG6Gfs/s1600-h/TuochaDisplay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZNVsccn3I/AAAAAAAAEs4/vlVLnaG6Gfs/s400/TuochaDisplay.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329532244142628722" /></a>We ended up buying one of those golden cans filled with mini tuochas. It turned out to be a rare find when we tried it later on at Emei.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMpDcFOI/AAAAAAAAEso/llQBRK8uhyI/s1600-h/TwoTeas.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMpDcFOI/AAAAAAAAEso/llQBRK8uhyI/s400/TwoTeas.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329530989101978850" /></a>Two different kinds of puerh. The one on the left was the min tuocha we eventually bought. It was great!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMa9WEGI/AAAAAAAAEsg/cvZvD07rS_4/s1600-h/PuerhDisplay.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMa9WEGI/AAAAAAAAEsg/cvZvD07rS_4/s400/PuerhDisplay.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329530985318322274" /></a><div style="text-align: center;">A full service shop no less.</div><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMcQpiAI/AAAAAAAAEsY/lJDYyl91YwM/s1600-h/PuerhColor.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZMMcQpiAI/AAAAAAAAEsY/lJDYyl91YwM/s400/PuerhColor.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329530985667725314" /></a>And here is our tea master who let us taste tea to our hearts delight. Of course, we rewarded him with many great purchases as well.</div><div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Looking For Yunnan's Best Gold</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">After spending some yuan at the puerh shop we decided to seek out my favorite tea - Yunnan Gold. We stopped at several along the lake only to be told they stocked only puerh. We then walked through the beautiful Green Lake Park and decided it was time to return to our hotel. That was when we found our Yunnan Gold. </div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1_4PfwI/AAAAAAAAEtY/QAP3XZ2qHKo/s1600-h/yunnanbest.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1_4PfwI/AAAAAAAAEtY/QAP3XZ2qHKo/s400/yunnanbest.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329532799115296514" /></a>The owner had the gold and was happy to let us try some. Seems she did not cut her gold with the normal dian cong but sold it straight. We had to believe her as the tea we saw was solid gold and the taste was even better.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1nCY8UI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/hJL7VZ-wiGw/s1600-h/PreppingGold.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1nCY8UI/AAAAAAAAEtQ/hJL7VZ-wiGw/s400/PreppingGold.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329532792446972226" /></a>Here the owner's daughter (I assume) fixed us up some of her Gold. Was it fine! Of course we stocked up on it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1kvbjGI/AAAAAAAAEtI/_Ih2ZWkWgnA/s1600-h/Negotiations.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1kvbjGI/AAAAAAAAEtI/_Ih2ZWkWgnA/s400/Negotiations.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329532791830580322" /></a>Sunee negotiates with the owner so we can have lots more of the Gold when we get back home. She was successful and I was happy.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1YB_S9I/AAAAAAAAEtA/i_rtFDGJqYw/s1600-h/Greengold.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZN1YB_S9I/AAAAAAAAEtA/i_rtFDGJqYw/s400/Greengold.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329532788418759634" /></a></div>We also got to try some standard Yunnan green. Got lots of green in Emei so we passed on this tea. Took a bunch of Gold off her hands, though.<div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>The Kunming Tea Wholesale District</b></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhGoy18I/AAAAAAAAEtg/oZizKJeYa-A/s1600-h/SalesLady.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhGoy18I/AAAAAAAAEtg/oZizKJeYa-A/s400/SalesLady.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329533539663927234" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhyXqXgI/AAAAAAAAEuI/Fr9dng1NReg/s1600-h/selection.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhyXqXgI/AAAAAAAAEuI/Fr9dng1NReg/s400/selection.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329533551403228674" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhlGgzxI/AAAAAAAAEt8/o5DsszQh8kg/s1600-h/PuerhDiffs.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhlGgzxI/AAAAAAAAEt8/o5DsszQh8kg/s400/PuerhDiffs.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329533547841638162" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhvBMciI/AAAAAAAAEtw/7KzUeH48ejo/s1600-h/Layout.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhvBMciI/AAAAAAAAEtw/7KzUeH48ejo/s400/Layout.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329533550503686690" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhcKrndI/AAAAAAAAEto/Q9ocOflKiPM/s1600-h/Explanations.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZOhcKrndI/AAAAAAAAEto/Q9ocOflKiPM/s400/Explanations.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329533545443204562" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZPQ4xyZfI/AAAAAAAAEuU/5sh-b5VgBV8/s1600-h/TianCha.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SfZPQ4xyZfI/AAAAAAAAEuU/5sh-b5VgBV8/s400/TianCha.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329534360577271282" /></a><br /><br /></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-15154823237735402572009-03-30T07:52:00.009+08:002009-04-05T11:23:30.197+08:00A Tea House in the Nongyuan Artist Village of ChengduThis past Saturday (March 28), we met Bogdan and his wife, Weiyan, in Chengdu and traveled to the Nongyuan Artist Village of Chengdu (see my emeimtn.blogspot.com) where we had lunch and visited for about three hours. As we walked through the beautiful setting, we came across a restaurant and tea house that were in the process of being finished. The tea house was open so we went in to check it out. The following pictures and information are about this very unique tea house set up for the resident artists.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAPL43NPCI/AAAAAAAADAI/UoOAybHdlSs/s1600-h/MorePuer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAPL43NPCI/AAAAAAAADAI/UoOAybHdlSs/s400/MorePuer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767856841473058" /></a>A great "stash" of puerh on an antique Chinese medicine cabinet.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO_Wpil6I/AAAAAAAADAA/6MsS1uO3smg/s1600-h/TeaTable1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO_Wpil6I/AAAAAAAADAA/6MsS1uO3smg/s400/TeaTable1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767641498916770" /></a>In addition to the main tea table in the front, the tea house had four antique looking tables with four chairs around the spacious and sunny room. Each table had its own tea server of different design and size. Here we see a tradition tea server carved from a single piece of wood with all the normal accessories.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO_WW6JXI/AAAAAAAAC_4/-UkyPM27uvE/s1600-h/TeaTable2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO_WW6JXI/AAAAAAAAC_4/-UkyPM27uvE/s400/TeaTable2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767641420768626" /></a>This table had a very attractive tea server with coaster and hot water pot ready for guest to sit, relax and enjoy their tea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO_HdUikI/AAAAAAAAC_w/nuDFXzd_gJw/s1600-h/TeaTable3.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO_HdUikI/AAAAAAAAC_w/nuDFXzd_gJw/s400/TeaTable3.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767637421132354" /></a>A traditional Chinese tea server located near the windows with a beautiful view of the surrounding bamboo forests and flowers in the area.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO-7Q44HI/AAAAAAAAC_o/IxdahRI-7OU/s1600-h/TeaTable4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO-7Q44HI/AAAAAAAAC_o/IxdahRI-7OU/s400/TeaTable4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767634147762290" /></a>Another table and another server. Again, this table afforded a view of the garden setting of the tea house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO-n1_oVI/AAAAAAAAC_g/hzhCxTFYf3E/s1600-h/Maintable.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAO-n1_oVI/AAAAAAAAC_g/hzhCxTFYf3E/s400/Maintable.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767628934685010" /></a>A huge carved water buffalo gave an impressive feel to the main tea table located in the front of the tea house.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOn6HaM7I/AAAAAAAAC_Y/1qultBOu_g0/s1600-h/PuerStash1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOn6HaM7I/AAAAAAAAC_Y/1qultBOu_g0/s400/PuerStash1.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767238702576562" /></a>A second "stash" of puerh stood across the room from the first. Again, it was actually an antique Chinese medicine cabinet. What a great idea for storing one's precious teas!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOnUlKFQI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/MBQOdAOG2cI/s1600-h/PouringPuer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOnUlKFQI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/MBQOdAOG2cI/s400/PouringPuer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767228626801922" /></a>One of the local resident artist welcomes me to their tea house with a great cup of puerh tea. The tea was really good with hints of floral and mushrooms.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOmg6q2sI/AAAAAAAAC_A/KG4cNvd0hU8/s1600-h/GoodPuer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOmg6q2sI/AAAAAAAAC_A/KG4cNvd0hU8/s400/GoodPuer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767214758386370" /></a>A nice deep orange colored liquor made me feel welcome and warm toward the three artists who were enjoying a tea together.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOnL2eW8I/AAAAAAAAC_I/JvSxP58ooJ0/s1600-h/PuerMostly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOnL2eW8I/AAAAAAAAC_I/JvSxP58ooJ0/s400/PuerMostly.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767226283514818" /></a>These interesting tea canisters were filled with different puerh's from their collection, all ready to be brewed and enjoyed.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOmEE8-tI/AAAAAAAAC-4/b5PPhsZcwhE/s1600-h/EnjoyPuer.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_80BbyvYDnzE/SdAOmEE8-tI/AAAAAAAAC-4/b5PPhsZcwhE/s400/EnjoyPuer.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5318767207016889042" /></a>The tea house was beautiful and gave a feeling of warmth and friendliness that Sunee and I would like to replicate one of these days in our dream traditional Chinese compound we plan to build in Thailand.Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-69782546837258557552009-03-24T20:13:00.004+08:002009-04-26T19:42:33.345+08:00Chengdu Tea CeremonyThis is a short Tea Tasting we had at the Chengdu Tea Culture Street. The two teas were Huang Ya from Meng Ding Mountain and Dragon Well Longjing. Both were great so we bought a little of both.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dykigYxBmli-JTBmroAfQV9fNkgkh6JGmZ3rcjurG_2SXFDW-kmeCe_zqYfWgMdGmGVvQALOMOC9FO5-CvIZQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1992778981632426621.post-15301177408095476692009-03-24T09:28:00.003+08:002009-03-24T10:44:03.299+08:00An Emei Mountain Chinese Tea CeremonyThis is a typical tea ceremony performed in tea shops and tea houses everywhere in Sichuan Province. This particular ceremony took place at a new Zhuyeqing Tea shop across the street from Southwest Jiaotong University in Baguan Village.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dycuTnzuC0zfnpPnYdi501PPIjEo2U_uAl5heGINFF2eYG8cqqN5RnLOUkrQiUKm-gotOAivIgPEyTpIFA5' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Cecil Hillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15551474809860713547noreply@blogger.com2