Taipei Story House event with Teaparker and tea friends

For this special event marking the end of K. C. Chen's era at the head of the Taipei Story House, Teaparker received this picture of himself performing Chaozhou gongfu cha. It was taken at the Taipei Story House in 2010 when a TV crew shot the documentary Global Drinks, tea (for France 5 TV).

Nearby, you can also see pictures from over 50 tea events organized by Teaparker with the Taipei Story House over the years. I have many memories of teas and friends there...

The Taipei Story House was built in 1913 for Chen ZhaoJun, a Taipei tea merchant, as a place to rest and entertain his guests. On Sunday, Teaparker invited us to a trip back in time and gave us 5 teas from the 1920s to brew! 

 Evon started with a Fanzhuang Oolong, meaning it's an Oolong that was sold by a foreign tea merchant in Taipei. While the leaves were provided by Teaparker, all the equipment is her own. She's using a wonderful black obi (kimono belt) as chabu and a cultural revolution big bamboo teapot. Most beautiful are her replica of Yuan dynasty qinghua cups with elevated Chatuo!

 Next, Ms. Wu brews old Wuyi Yancha in her small Yixing zhuni teapot. Wuyi Yancha is the place of origin of Oolong and also one of the most difficult to master. 

 Beauty on a Chaxi can look so simple and easy, but it requires practice and a creative mind. 

 This event with 5 Chaxi is also an opportunity to see that we're not alone in preparing tea with style. Every day we are using similar setups to enjoy our tea.

 Here, Ms. Jian is going to brew a 1920s KeyiXing puerh. The brew's color was amazingly transparent and shiny!

 Then came my turn with the Chaxi I had parcticed of a day earlier.

I brewed a 1920s Sun Yishun Liu-An GuaPian. The leaves are tiny and it's a tea that used to be exported to South Asia. This Yellow Mountain tea (Anhui Province) used to be slightly oxidized. Its scent in the pewter tea caddy is splendid and powerful. It's intoxicating like old liquor or top grade incense! Teaparker recommended I only use few leaves, a slow pour and long brew. The result was surprisingly thick, clean and sweet. The aftertaste of a small cup lasted a very long time, with waves of warmth in the body.

I was particularly glad that I could share this special moment with Emily, a Penn State alumna and reader Miguel with his family!

Old tea and wares are passed from one generation to the next. It's nice to see how tea brings the family together and how a simple moment of happiness can be shared and passed to the next generation.

Above and on the left, Ms. Chen prepared a Baozhong that was sold by Chen ZhaoJun's company in the 1920s! It was interesting to see that Baozhong tea used to be rather flat and small back then.

She also made a beautiful purple color Chabu matching the colors of her early RoC Yixing teapot for this occasion.

All these tea still felt alive and brought lots of joy and astonishment to all the participants. It showed just how resilient top quality teas can be. It's not a quest for the oldest tea, but for exceptional flavors. And this Sunday, we were blown away! It was the highest concentration of great teas and Chaxis I have seen on a single afternoon.

May the Taipei Story House continue to connect tea lovers with Taiwan's rich tea culture!

Tea event at the Taipei Story House

It will take place this Sunday, February 8th, at 3 PM at the Taipei Story House (next to the Museum of Modern Art). Teaparker's Cha Ren Ya Xin's association will perform several Cha Xi for a special event. I will also participate and hope to take beautiful pictures on this special occasion. Our Chaxi will honor the retirement of the current head of the Story House.

Ce dimanche, 8 février, à 15h, je serai au Tapei Story House avec l'association Cha Ren Ya Xin de Teaparker. Nous aurons plusieurs Chaxi pour célébrer la retraite de la directrice actuelle, K. C. Chen. En 12 ans, elle a su donner une dimension culturelle à cette demeure historique d'un marchand de thé du début du 20ème siècle. Nous lui dirons merci et montrerons que nous continuons de s'inspirer de sa démarche: puiser de l'énergie et de l'inspiration dans l'ancien pour créer du bonheur dans le présent!

The dark side of the Shan Lin Xi tea mountain

This is a typical view of tea plantations at Shan Lin Xi in Central Taiwan in spring. On the picture above there's a balance between plantations and mountains. But even though tea plantations are quite beautiful, sometimes their presence can look too intensive. When all the vegetation that remains are tea bushes, it's more easy to forget the extraordinary fact that we are on a high mountain, at 1500 meters above sea level.

So, today I propose to show you some pictures from the Shan Lin Xi National Park, just a few kilometers away from the tea plantations. I took them a month ago, early January. This protected area doesn't look subtropical at all! Tall pine trees dominate the bamboo.

But it's not just the vegetation that changes. These pictures also show how quickly the morning sun is replaced with fog and clouds in the afternoon. The temperature drops quickly.

Everything is big, dramatic and extreme at this elevation. The light coming through the fog looked bright, but everything else became dark and mysterious. This fog brings moisture and freshness to all the plants, including our Oolong leaves. This afternoon fog is the secret ingredient of high mountain Oolong and explains why its leaves can grow so long while retaining their suppleness and freshness.

These dark colors have inspired the following Chaxi:

These dark green leaves are Qingxin Oolong from Shan Lin Xi, of course. But they are medium roasted, Hung Shui style and were harvested on April 26, 2014. There are few stems, because they were originally intended for the Dong Ding tea competition.

A sweet, light and dark roasting scent comes from these dry leaves.

This nice smell is also present in the brew. It starts with the sweet and nutty roasting flavors and fades into lighter and fresher notes. The complexity of a roasted high mountain Oolong has been well preserved.

It can be brewed with porcelain gaiwan, or with an Yixing hungni teapot. In both cases, it's important to well pre-heat the vessel before the first brew. Spring 2014 Oolong is still young and tightly rolled: it requires energy (high temperature) and time to unfold well.

Hungshui Oolong is always more difficult to brew than one-dimensional Oolongs (without any roasting). It's more important to pay attention to balance the flavors and to respect the character of the leaves. This is a good, affordable Hung Shui Oolong to practice your brewing technique. It all starts with realizing that each brew is different from the previous one. The more you are sensitive to these changes, the more you'll be able to learn with experience.

These leaves do unfold completely after several brews. This is a sign that the roasting process wasn't done too hot and didn't turn the leaves into charcoal.

High mountain Oolong isn't always just green and fresh. When it's nicely roasted, it will develop a dark side that is just as bright and beautiful!

Perspectives sur la durée

La dégustation de thé n'est pas qu'un plaisir de l'instant présent. Elle se construit par une préparation en amont, dans le passé proche pour choisir ses accessoires, arranger son Chaxi et faire bouillir son eau. On peut même remonter plus loin en arrière, puisque chaque thé construit progressivement notre expérience et améliore (si tout va bien) notre technique. Et ce plaisir se projette aussi dans un futur proche. Le but d'une coupe de thé réussie est d'arriver à créer une sensation de bien-être en bouche pendant de nombreuses minutes (parfois plus d'une heure!) Les sensations du moment présent nous donnent des informations sur comment préparer la prochaine infusion.

Mais quoiqu'il en soit, ce plaisir n'est pas vraiment durable et nécessite d'être continuellement renouvellé. Chaque dégustation peut donc nous faire prendre conscience du temps et du côté éphémère de ce plaisir. Quand on boit des thés âgés de nombreuses années, on est encore plus sensible à ces notions de durée.

Les lettrés chinois connaissaient les mêmes interrogations. En peinture, l'une de leur plante favorite est le bananier (bajiao et sa fleur). C'est une plante de grande taille, belle et imposante. Mais elle n'est pas durable et son intérieur est creux. C'est cette dimension symbolique que les mandarins appréciaient comme un avertissement: cette plante représente leur situation lorsqu'ils sont en position officielle (nommés par l'empereur). Leur magnificence, leur pouvoir sont souvent acquis aux prix de sacrifices (amers) et ils perdent tout cela dès qu'ils quittent leur poste. (Cette symbolique est bien représentée sur cette peinture, je trouve).

Voici les feuilles ouvertes de 4 Oolongs que j'ai pu déguster sur quelques jours récemment:
- En haut à droite: le Hung Shui Oolong de Yong Lung de l'hiver 2013,
- En bas à droite: un Yan Cha de Wuyi du printemps 2014,
- En bas à gauche: le Hung Shui Oolong de Shan Hsia de 1990 (25 ans),
- En haut à gauche: un Yan Cha de Wuyi de 50 ans.

On constate bien une altération dans la fraicheur des couleurs des feuilles. Mais même les plus vieilles ne sont pas complètement noires et ont encore des reflets verts. Et elles s'ouvrent toutes bien. La qualité de tous ces thés est leur longueur en bouche et l'impression de vivacité du goût. Même le plus ancien n'apparait pas vieux, faiblard ou insipide. Au contraire, son chaqi est le plus pur et celui qui causa le plus de salivation en bouche! Ces feuilles sont clairement bonifiées par le temps et leur conservation.

Notons que ces 2 vieux Oolongs furent conservés dans des boites en étain. C'était un matériau apprécié par les buveurs de gongfu cha au Chaoshan, car il a pour propriété de se modifier progressivement avec le temps (tout comme la glaise zisha) et de devenir de plus en plus complexe et beau.

La dégustation de vieux Oolongs classiques éclaire quant aux qualités que doivent posséder des feuilles nouvelles pour pouvoir devenir elles aussi des thés intemporels. C'est la qualité qui permet cette longévité. L'équilibre entre torréfaction et fraicheur. Et la force d'un terroir de caractère, d'un style.

Pour obtenir une bonne perspective, il faut de la hauteur et du recul.

What is Hung Shui Oolong?

Hung Shui Oolong from Yong Lung village, Dong Ding area

It's one of the most popular Oolong category in my selection and a style I often write about. So, I was a little bit surprised to receive a question from a longtime reader to clarify what Hung Shui Oolong is, especially its relationship to Dong Ding Oolong. If it's not clear for him, I'd better explain it one more time!

Hung Shui (red water) Oolong is the technical name for Oolongs that have been made like traditional Dong Ding Oolong. That process includes an oxidation that is higher than for high mountain Oolong and that gives fruity rather than flowery scents. It's also a process that requires a medium to strong roast that adds honey, nutty aromas and a long, powerful aftertaste. It is traditionally made with the qingxin Oolong cultivar, but this process can be made with any cultivar.

Why use the name Hung Shui Oolong?

To understand this, we have to go back to the early 1980s, when Dong Ding Oolong was most popular in Taiwan and famous around the world. The Dong Ding area is actually quite small and includes the Yong Lung village, the Feng Huang village and the Dong Ding village. Only tea from this small area should be called Dong Ding Oolong. But its success meant that other villages in Central Taiwan were also producing similar tea, using the same cultivar (qingxin) and the same oxidation and roasting levels. And they would also sell their teas under the general name of Dong Ding Oolong. So, Dong Ding Oolong started to loose its original meaning, a tea that comes from the Dong Ding area. That's why the name Hung Shui Oolong was coined to characterize any Oolong that has been processed like a traditional Dong Ding Oolong, but that doesn't necessarily come from Dong Ding.

In the 1990s, as fresh, unroasted high mountain Oolong became more popular, some farmers stopped roasting a growing portion of their Dong Ding Oolongs. Even Dong Ding Oolong was not necessarily Hung Shui Oolong anymore!

The Dong Ding competition organized by the Lugu Farmer's association has helped to preserve the taste and technique of Hung Shui Oolong. But it has also contributed to the confusion over the name Dong Ding. This competition allows farmers from all over Taiwan to compete. Some will even submit Oolongs grown in Thailand or China! (This also explains why around 25% of the submitted lots are rejected because they are too far away from the judges' standard.) And recent winners will proudly say that their Dong Ding competition winning Oolong was grown at high altitude, in Shan Lin Xi, Tsui Feng or even Lishan!

Conclusion: The name Dong Ding Oolong still evokes a glorious past, but it would be more accurate to say Hung Shui Oolong from X or Y, when naming an Oolong with a fruity oxidation and a skilled roast that adds sweetness and depth while preserving the freshness of the aromas. This is the case with this 'strong' Hung Shui Oolong from Yong Lung from the winter 2013. And since it comes from the original Dong Ding area, this particular Hung Shui Oolong can also be accurately described as an authentic Dong Ding Oolong!

Is everything clear now?

Fly away with tea

Each tea session is an opportunity to escape your daily occupation and routines. Ancient Chinese scholars and officials already enjoyed their tea with a very poetic spirit and lots of symbolism in the accessories they chose. For instance, bamboo stood for the strength to bend but not break under the pressures of life. A pine tree was for eternal friendship, because its leaves always remain green...

It's in this symbolic and poetic mood that I'm enjoying my 2014 Oriental Beauty from Hsin Chu. With its warm summer aromas, I hope to escape from the cold feeling of winter. 

Considering its high oxidation and low roasting level, I choose a porcelain teapot to emphasize its fragrances.

On the top of this Chabu, we can see eagles flying in the sky. This powerful bird inspires altitude and decisiveness. Taking a short break isn't being idle. It's stepping back to obtain a higher view of what we're doing. What is important and what not? And then act accordingly.

There's also a small bird on the pewter caddy! This one seems more playful. I feel free (like a bird).

On the copper Chatuo, we see the Chinese mandarins' favorite bird: the elegant and long crane.

This chatuo hold my 'dragon' cup, another flying animal with magic powers!
Lush vegetation is also present with this celadon bowl and its light incised decoration.

As I finish my tea session, I start to eat a couple of French macarons, flown directly from Paris! Tea friends surprised me with these delicious, sweet gifts (merci beaucoup!)

Their refined aromas provide a new escape to the realm of Western pastries, where Oriental Beauty is such a natural partner.

Fly high and away with great tea!

3 new postcard gifts

I'm very happy to have printed 3 new postcards from last year's pictures. They look even better in reality and this year the printer had a thicker paper available that makes them even stronger to the touch. If you already have my postcards from previous years, then you'll start receiving these cards as gifts with your orders from now on. If you're a new customer on my tea boutique, then you'll first receive these and then those.

Etain chéri destiné au thé, par Teaparker

Le nouveau livre de Chi Jung Sien (Teaparker, mon maitre de thé) est sorti. Celui-ci traite des accessoires en étain utilisés dans la préparation du thé.

1. Qu'est-ce qui fait la beauté de ces accessoires en étain?
2. L'évolution des prix aux enchères des pièces de vieux maitres,
3. Utiliser une jarre en étain,
4. Le centrage d'une coupe sur un cha tuo,
5. Les théières à 3 matériaux (zisha, jade et étain),
6. Le bol à eaux usées en étain,
7. Le plateau en étain,
8. Les vieilles firmes,
9. Le commerce Asie-Occident des objets à thé en étain.

De nos jours, la plupart de ces accessoires sont produits au Japon, pour le Sencha Dao. Leur origine est chinoise et remonte à la fin de la dynastie Ming et au début de le dynastie Qing (c'est à dire dans les 1600s). Ces accessoires furent notamment utilisés dans le set de Gongfu cha de Chaozhou. Et c'est cette tradition qui a inspiré le Sencha Dao. Cela explique pourquoi on ne trouve pas d'objets en étain dans la préparation du matcha au Japon, puisque cette tradition de thé d'origine chinoise (dynastie Sung, 960-1279), est antérieure à l'usage de l'étain dans le thé.

Le livre contient de très belles images et on y retrouve même quelques uns de mes Chaxi!! Lors de notre dernier cours, Teaparker a partagé un thé vert Longjing des années 1980s qu'il a conservé dans une jarre en étain pour nous montrer l'impact de l'étain sur le thé. Très peu de feuilles infusées dans une vieille théière zisha nous ont donné ce résultat:

Malgré ses 30 ans, l'odeur de Longjing est encore présente et discernable, de même qu'un certain sentiment de fraicheur. Mais le thé est devenu plus puissant et pur (puisque moins de feuilles donnèrent une couleur plus foncée). Ce n'était plus du thé, mais un nectar de thé très, très fin. Etonnant!