Brewing Oolong Tea

Oolong tea is usually prepared with kungfu tea ware originating in the Fujian area, where people daily practice the traditional art of "kungfu tea." A set of kungfu tea ware includes several articles each with a classical name: "Yushu wei" is a pottery kettle; "Mengchen guan" is a purple clay pot believed to have been invented by Hui Mengchen, a famous purple clay craftsman, hence the name; "Ruochen oif indicates a set of four white porcelain teacups; and "Chaoshan lu" refers to a small stove.
The brewing process starts with the rinsing of the tea¬cups with hot water. They are then placed on a tray. A generous amount of leaves is put into the teapot until they fill more than half of the pot. Boiling water is then poured over the leaves from a kettle that is raised high above the teapot, until the water overflows the mouth of the teapot. The foam floating on the liquid is scraped away by the lid of the teapot before the lid is replaced. After that, hot wa¬ter is sprinkled onto the lid so as to help the brewing, which is finished in a short while, and the tea is ready to be served. The host then fills the teacups in a fashion that manages to let the tea in each cup be of the same strength, and com-pletely empties the teapot. In Hong Kong and Taiwan, kungfu tea ware even includes a "scent-smelling cup," with which a tea taster will first smell the scent of the tea before going on to take the first sip. At that point, a delicate fra¬grance will permeate both the nose and mouth, and saliva will naturally arise. Indeed, kungfu tea is a sensuous plea¬sure that should be relished very carefully.

By Explore Cultural China

Product Review: Capresso Glass Water Kettle

 

We have tested numerous water kettles and have decidedly come to love the Capresso H2O Glass Cordless Safety Water Kettle  Model 259. We have used this water kettle for over 5 years and would not use any other water kettle unless it is a Bofura over a Ryoro. 

http://www.teafirst.com/Home-page-Kettles.html

Product Specifications

• 1 1/2 quart capacity - 48 oz
• Heat resistant German SCHOTT Glass
• Concealed heating element covered in stainless-steel
• Cordless design 
• Polarized plug
• 360 degrees swivel for ambidextrous use 
• Automatic turn off upon boil
• Illuminated power switch
• Measurement markings of ounces and cup, with minimum and maximum capacity
• Cool to the Touch handle
• Drip-free pouring
• Fast and quiet boil

Since water is the mother of tea, the kettle must be worthy of her. The SCHOTT glass technology is  German technology and the item are sold under the brand name DURAN.

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

The glass is called borosilicate,

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

This particular design has gone through its variations and problems in manufacturing. The end product is perfected and the problems resolved. We have gone through a couple of these and the only reason we replaced it with a new one is because of the following:

1. We broke the first one and warranty does not cover breaking of the glass. Moreover, before it was sacrificed to the realm of broken things, we outwore the warranty of a year and at that point we were using the kettle for 2 years, with no problems or wear and tear from use.

2. The second time was because, the housekeeper was overzealous with cleaning the item, that the kettle lid snapped from the hinges and needless to say was never the same again. The cover stayed on but we felt that it was too hazardous and was a potential accident waiting to happen - what with hot water and burns and all! At this point the kettle was 3 years old and the only wear and tear that was visible was the broken hinge and the slight scratches that again was from overzealous cleaning!

The beauty about this kettle is the visual effects that are afforded during the boiling process. You are able to stop the boiling process manually by flipping the switch at the precise boiling stage that the water is needed. 

(See Stages of Boiling water - http://www.theteahorsecaravan.com/2010/06/water-and-tea.html )

The design is very streamlined and does not look out of place with the traditional Cha Dao setup.

The cordless aspects of the kettle is priceless as it does not inhibit the process of Gong Fu Tea brewing, when every movement is calculated and precise so as to not over brew the tea.

The switch on the handle has a blue light that comes on and indicates that the kettle is on and when the light is off the water is done. It needs only a gentle touch to turn in on and off with minimal sound coming from it. It is also automatic and will tun off when she has done her job.

Accumulation of residue like calcium or iron is unavoidable unless you use filtration. The residue can be removed with vinegar, or a mild commercial descaling agent.

We, however prefer to use a lemon. Cut a lemon in half and rub the the kettle with it - inside and out. Then fill it with water and put the lemon in and bring it to boil. Once it has been brought to boil, leave it overnight or a few hours minimally.Next day, discard and rinse well and fill with water and bring it to boil and discard the water. Now your kettle is ready for use, again.

Do read your instruction manual thoroughly before handling your kettle and follow them, it is meant for your safety as well as for the longevity of the product.

ENJOY YOUR KETTLE AND YOUR CUPS OF TEA!

http://www.teafirst.com/Home-page-Kettles.html

China's Oolong Cha

Oolong tea, also known as green tea or semi-fermented tea, is a unique Chinese tea variety with distinctive characteristics. It is said that the inventor the tea was named "Oolong", hence the name of the tea.

 

 
Oolong tea was evolved from the Dragon Group tea and Phoenix Cake tea dedicated to the royal family in the Song Dynasty around 1725 AD. According to historical research, tea houses of Oolong tea had been established in Fuzhou as early as 1862. Taiwan began to export Oolong tea in 1866.
The luxurious varieties of Oolong tea include Wuyi Rock Tea, Taiwan Oolong and Tieguanyin tea, etc. Tieguanyin produced in Fujian tastes rich in flavor and smells aromatic and fragrant. 

 

 

The Taiwan oolong tea tastes pure and natural with a fragrance of fruit. The tea leaves are red at edge and green in the center after brewed. The Oolong tea produced in Nantou, Taiwan is the supreme one. Tieguanyin tea is a local produce of Anxi in southern Fujian. Tieguanyin refers not only to the tea, but also to the tea shrub variety. The tea leaves are in tightly curled like scale hooks or dragonfly heads. After brewing, the tea smells extremely fragrant. Tasting the tea when it is hot, you will find aromas in your mouth. It is worthy of the reputation of "remain fragrant after seven rounds of brewing".

By Explore Cultural China

Yunnan Black Tea

"Yunan Black Tea" is a general name for black tea produced in Yunan. There are two types of Yunan Black Tea: “Yunnan Kungfu Black Tea” and "Yunnan Broken Black Tea". First produced in 1939, "Yunnan Black Congou" is characterized by stout and strong sprouts, golden sharp ends, red infusion color and strong flavor. 

 

 

When it was produced in 1939, 15 tons of Yunnan Black Congou were sold to the UK. As the output increasingly grows, the tea has been exported to over 30 countries and regions in the world, such as Russia and Poland in Eastern Europe, Western Europe and North America.
Yunnan has a long history of tea planting and is home to big tea trees of over 1000 years and those as tall as dozens of meters. The big-leaf trees selected from these big tea trees are ideal breeds for black tea making, thanks to their high content of tea polyphenols, active polyphenol oxidases and strong sprouts. The black tea made of these breeds is golden in color and has lots of visible sharp ends. Moreover, the tea’s taste is strong and refreshing. 

 

 

It's one of China's best black tea types for export.
Yunnan Black Tea is best taken with sugar and milk. The tea’s taste remains strong after milk is added. A cup of infused Yunnan Black Tea is red and shiny. And the top-class tea usually leaves a golden ring on the cup at the point of contact and the tea turns turbid like cream when it cools. These are indications of good quality.

By Explore Cultural China

White Tea Valley - China

Located in the valley of Hengkeng, Daxi Village, Tianhuangping Town, Anji County with an altitude of about 800 meters, the White Tea Valley is so named after a thousand-year-old ancient white tea plant, the only one extant in the valley. Beneath the tree are the Jiulongxia Scenic Area and the renowned "Anji Bamboo Forest" that is known as a major scene in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

By Explore Cultural China

Anji White Tea versus "White Tea"

The Anji white tea is completely different from the silver tip pekoe and White Peony (Bai Mudan) in the "White Tea" category, one of the six Chinese tea categories. The latter refers to white tea made of green hairy young leaves in artificial white color, while the former is a special and famous green tea with white leaves made according to green tea processing techniques, with its color being naturally cultivated. The Anji white tea is a rare tea breed as well as the rare tea plant.

By Explore Cultural China

WildChina Journey: The Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road with Jeff Fuchs (version 2)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SEDhDLwSzI

http://youtu.be/9SEDhDLwSzI

Characteristics of Anji White Tea

It's a genetic variation as a result of chlorophyll loss under low temperature condition and a special breed among tea plants. Because of its specificity in metabolism function, the synthesis of chlorophyll is restrained under low temperature environment, while the generation of free amino acids (FAAs) is greatly improved. Therefore, the content of FAAs in early spring white tea is generally above 6%, or even as high as 9%, while the percentage for other green tea products is 2% to 4%. The FAAs in tealeaves consists of over 20 amino acids, among which theanine occupies 50% to 60% of the total amount. Theanine is a characteristic component in tea, which is discovered in small amount in only one type of plants and animals apart from the tea.

By Explore Cultural China

Anji Cha - White Tea

The white tea is one of the six major tea categories in China, and Anji white tea is a new breed among famous teas in Zhejiang Province. However, as a product of green tea processing technology, Anji white tea is actually green tea in white color, with its raw materials being white young leaves of a certain tea plant.

 

Located in northern Zhejiang Province, the Anji County is a famous hometown of bamboos in China embraced by mountains and streams. Ever since 1982, when the local people accidentally found an ancient white tea plant in a valley, the Anji white tea has gradually been known and developed by people. It is a rare variety among tea plants, and the color of its leaf buds can change with the seasons: grey before the Tomb-sweeping Day, which will turn green at the Grain Rain Day (Apr.19, 20 or 21) until totally green. The Anji white tea has a short harvest time lasting about one month, which makes it even rarer.

 

We have mentioned that it is actually a kind of green tea since it’s the white tea leaves made out of the green tea processing techniques. Upon spreading the new leaves out for four or five hours and de-enzyming according to a certain temperature and time, then comes the trimming and drying processes. 

 

 

When new Anji white tea is steeped, it features green stem and white leaves, as well as light yellow tea liquid giving out a fresh and strongly fragrant aroma.

By Explore Cultural China

New Arrivals at TeaFirst!

Aroma Cups

Coconut Shell Ladles

Hishaku

Kohiki Glaze Teaware

Kohiki Glaze Chawan

Pandanau Fans

Porcelain Tool Rest

Tenmoku Glaze Chawan

White Tea - How to brew

White tea is a mild and fresh tea, that comes from the same plant as green tea (Camellia sinensis). Containing up to three times as many antioxidants as green tea, it is the healthiest tea there is. Follow the steps below to make sure your white tea retains all its fine qualities.
 
Steps
1. Heat water to boiling, then let it cool for five to eight minutes.
2. Make sure the water is at 170 to 180 degrees (around 80 degrees C), well below the boiling point. If the water is too hot, the tea will be scalded, making it bitter and astringent. If you live in an area with hard water, filter it before you use it to brew. Hard water may ruin white tea.
3. Use about one teaspoon of white tea per cup, or adjust the amount to your own preferences. Only steep the tea for about a minute for the first steeping.
4. Use the same leaves for steeping several cups of white tea, with steeping times increasing as needed.
5. Don't pour milk or sugar in the white tea. The already subtle flavor of the tea will be drowned out, and the antioxidants will not be as effective.
 
Things You'll Need
Loose leaf white tea (one teaspoon per cup)
Water
A kettle
Cups
A strainer
A clock to determine steeping time

By Explore Cultural China