Summer 2022

DaYuLing Oolong, Winter 2021

 Have a wonderful Independence Day! It marks my arrival in Taiwan, 26 years ago. Time flies. My blog has turned 18 and this will be the last summer as a high school student for my daughter. 

A French customer has seen the light a few days ago! He wrote that his "spring 2022 Da Yu Ling still smells and tastes great after 8 to 10 brews! This makes quality Oolong really very affordable, especially with its level of purity.' What's interesting is that he's a wine expert and seller. So, he knows when he sees a good deal in terms of price vs quality. Indeed, Da Yu Ling is still overlooked by Mainland Chinese buyers (because it's from Taiwan, maybe) while the oldest gushu puerh, the best YanCha, JinJunMei, ShiFeng Longjing... are selling around 10 USD per gram!

It's nice when your favorite tea remains in the dark and is not noticed by the top buyers. Another explanation is the Covid that has made tea trade and tourism with China more difficult.

A vain tea drinker would prefer that his tea becomes the most sought after. A smart drinker hopes that it remains under the radar, because he doesn't need others to tell him how good it is. He knows.

You don't need others to tell you what's good. You know when you taste it. A great tea shines on its own, especially when it's well prepared.

The summer is also a time of extreme heat and thirst. It's interesting to recognize how we adapt our brewing to the circumstances. In order to drink more, we brew lighter in concentration and, often, teas with low oxidation levels. The advantage in noticing how tea impacts our body in terms of cooling is that we become better aware of what we eat and drink in summer. Watermelon is a great fruit in this season, because it has a powerful cooling factor. It's so strong that it's best to eat it around noon and not in the cool evenings! The experience of tea teaches us to be careful and choose our food wisely! 

So, enjoy life, summer and tea! Make great Chaxi. Go outdoors when you can. Bring tea along during your travel. And share it with your friends!

Note: I'll be on a short break this week. Next deliveries on July 11th.