tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76671751654869211842024-03-14T04:45:43.812-07:00五行雲Over the next few years I will be exploring how the 5 Elements of Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal affect and colour peoples lives. From the sound of their voices to the subtle colours and odours that change exist if you look close enough. I'll be applying my observations and studies with the study of Chinese herbal medicine and the fantastic world of tea. Just how will these subjects overlap and infuse? Let's find out.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-74556330020008587182011-06-23T05:10:00.000-07:002011-06-23T06:42:40.889-07:00Spot the difference<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLL7nPsJTkkjRz5jnWKuytInduzqfBCKcCzO4v8G7FIKgoQyR6zaolqkgRMdSJPSokIMN5WTyA2EDeWoC2CplzMg5xxkhEPZsm4DF2biVo9uU60kh3209aD_WPUnMsqhDeYRWwvHHr04/s1600/5d4b4334t6ee6e7b76f8a69023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQLL7nPsJTkkjRz5jnWKuytInduzqfBCKcCzO4v8G7FIKgoQyR6zaolqkgRMdSJPSokIMN5WTyA2EDeWoC2CplzMg5xxkhEPZsm4DF2biVo9uU60kh3209aD_WPUnMsqhDeYRWwvHHr04/s320/5d4b4334t6ee6e7b76f8a69023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So went the longest day of the year. In small groups around the world there exists a following of herbalists that drink a certain herb to celebrate. This herb (the ball like appendages pictured above) has a long history in Chinese medicine, it is unfashionably hot and drying that goes against the current trend of cold and fluid engendering herbs. It was even accused, for a while, of being the poison that gave Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer a heart attack. It's toxic without preparation, but nothing returns warmth and function quite like it. It is 附子, aconite. It is to herbs as the Rolling Stones are to rock and roll.<br />
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Why take a hot herb at the most yang time of year I hear you say? Because in summer, all your yang is at the surface of the body, so logically it is not at your centre. You may feel warm (British summers withstanding) because your warmth is exactly where you can perceive it but inside you are stone cold.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a_lqP_fRaONBb2gXBoOl77P1Fi7ns3reuUq9E9w5VcHN8AuqDmB-bgvQWKdlKFl2HNljcmlYC_X1xLDL87OYPwO-9h4ZS_duYWLd-TN_juwh3aeb6NqqkyA9VQxeuN7I0jAgKWV8pSQ/s1600/SANY4759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2a_lqP_fRaONBb2gXBoOl77P1Fi7ns3reuUq9E9w5VcHN8AuqDmB-bgvQWKdlKFl2HNljcmlYC_X1xLDL87OYPwO-9h4ZS_duYWLd-TN_juwh3aeb6NqqkyA9VQxeuN7I0jAgKWV8pSQ/s320/SANY4759.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Above is a picture of two almost identical teas. Both are Xiaguan 8653's, are from Essence of Tea and for those who know Nada's catalog well might of guessed the difference between the two. They have been stored differently, one dry and one not so dry. Neither are cheap and retail for about £550 a bing I remember but I thought it, well, fun to fork out for 5 grams of each to see just how the storage has changed this tea. I won't mention which one I tried first, but these are my notes.<br />
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This tea comes in a chunk, a solid dark lump that Xiaguan squeezed together when I was in my teen ages, there is no discernible aroma. For some reason, after a single rinse, I infuse for a brief five seconds despite the tight compression. The result was a soup of golden yellow, empty in my fragrance cup with a flavour that could of been mistaken for honey water.<br />
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Ten seconds pass for the second infusion but does little to change the soup apart from a slight change to amber. I swiftly move onto the third, at fifteen seconds, yielding more amber but still holding a yellow glint, but not much to write about other than appearance. The fourth infusion turns pure amber and the aroma starts to hold in my fragrance cup. The soup is very smooth, especially noticeable in the throat and I am gifted the lightest but sweetest <i>huigan. </i>The fifth becomes cooling on the tongue and lips, it really doesn't strike me as a tea from the eighties, more like a particularly smooth and fine tea from the turn of the millennium.<br />
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On the sixth (pictured above), and now at a time of sixty seconds in my <i>yixing</i> pot, the tea is becoming more solid and I am gripped by it's superb <i>qi</i>. I am quite becalmed but in no way could I say that I feel fatigued or sleepy. Inside my thoughts are alive and vibrant. Finally the terrific compression has started to give way and the leaf begins to spread.<br />
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The amber becomes mahogany, it has taken an hour to get this far! I notice a slight sourness. Another brew and the tea is squarely in the nineties, oily and thick but never overpowering with a dark fruity spice. As I drink the postman drops off some medicinal <i>dit da jow</i> I ordered from Plum dragon Herbs in America. I have a quick sniff, I just love the aroma of Chinese herbs. It reminds me of my young adulthood in Hong Kong, great years of my life.<br />
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Nine infusions in now and the sourness is back with some astringency on the tongue, that caught me by surprise a little. This is the only imperfection against what is an enormously enjoyable session of tea drinking and the sourness doesn't last into the tenth infusion, the final infusion before my stomach calls for a late breakfast. Anyway, feeling the tea in the head a little too I take a break.<br />
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I have read some criticism of Xiaguan's compression in that it stops this tea from ageing at the same pace as looser teas. In brewing it too, it took the fourth infusion to actually produce anything of note. Slowly the water started to penetrate and as it gradually did so I was transported back through the years until it's real age was on display. Some patience is required before I try the other sample I must make sure I have at least a good two hours clear.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-82239321050092526712011-04-07T07:51:00.000-07:002011-04-07T07:51:32.309-07:00To explore a mountain<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHXBE6NAOQ5yOU_xkdnunjR-9q6zCb6S7ZVHIUbusgzRjkZiHk0nqGfcN4gKLjITW0ZvmQQM8bfn-XVedyXr0Hif6uhdevPsqp-v7NGyLvaEuovjHky6f5VxpJ8LavJsDdZzU3N6i-nE/s1600/SANY4585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHXBE6NAOQ5yOU_xkdnunjR-9q6zCb6S7ZVHIUbusgzRjkZiHk0nqGfcN4gKLjITW0ZvmQQM8bfn-XVedyXr0Hif6uhdevPsqp-v7NGyLvaEuovjHky6f5VxpJ8LavJsDdZzU3N6i-nE/s320/SANY4585.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Back from my long and rarely arduous trip to Sri Lanka and the cricket world cup there was something at home I really missed, my tea. For a country that produces a rather large amount of tea, the actual tea at street level was quite disappointing. Even the tea shops were little different from the ones in the British High Street and were mainly packed with.. gasp.. flavoured teas. I found some solace in the lobby of the Columbo Continental and enjoyed at least some decent leaf tea there with a slice of cake or two but on the whole I was let down somewhat. Given the time and the right directions I'm sure I could of done better but there was a lot of cricket to cover and most of it many miles from the hills.<br />
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Back we are though and whilst away a couple of lumps of tea had arrived to welcome me home. After going through many different samples of Ban Zhang area teas from many different sources I have, for no good reason, decided to have a thorough look at Nannuo. Why Nannuo? beats me! From my first impressions it's a bit of a girly mountain, all sweetness with sugar and spice, no puppy dog's tails and snails. Armed with a selection of mao cha from Pu Erh Shop, little Douji bricks, EOT's hideaway 2010 cake and another sample of the same year from Yunnan Sourcing I plod forward. It's all very new tea and rather unwittingly I haven't strolled across anything much older from Nannuo. Perhaps this is just an oversight of mine or perhaps they just don't exist. <br />
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With YS's Nan Nuo Ya Kou in the pot I start the tricky process of brewing and writing. The sample looks good and is straight off the side of a cake so even though it is merely a sample it still retails some of the essence of being from something greater. Very nice compression that crumbles in the fingers, no need to be bludgeoned.<br />
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Three pots in I am a little bemused, the soup is quite thick to the mouth but there isn't much oomph. I seem to of brewed some very sweet oil. I inspect the foil bag containing the rest of the sample to pass time as I boil some more water and find the leaves to be very attractive, a nice mix of greens and darker olives with streaks of silver but lacking much aroma. I'm finding myself searching for a huigan desperately instead of being given one without escape.<br />
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Freshly boiled water at hand I decide to let the time pass as I bathe the leaves. Went too far, it's bitter and tastes like cologne. I try again and this time come up a little too short. In my frustration for brewing like a chump I ditch the rest of the soup and grab another tea, my journey up Nannuo will go no further today and I take rest at, what must be, base camp.<br />
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Some days I brew tea and it's excellent, the very next time the same tea falls flat. Considering this I should put this sample to one side and return to it another day.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-78551765528716355292011-02-07T04:39:00.000-08:002011-02-07T06:25:45.601-08:00Xiaguan Elegant Frisbee 2008<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIMzSXe4bjvBj2cyPso4y054QOzA6KAospNxrGNrpWfmaWgXm3HF5v3DnMc-qtlvdjPtD_-oQnndkEzH17zlmAL6l9CyVcx7SILKhjZ2mS03OsiGLMu6U9yI7JywwOnGdhpOTsdelg4U/s1600/SANY4480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIMzSXe4bjvBj2cyPso4y054QOzA6KAospNxrGNrpWfmaWgXm3HF5v3DnMc-qtlvdjPtD_-oQnndkEzH17zlmAL6l9CyVcx7SILKhjZ2mS03OsiGLMu6U9yI7JywwOnGdhpOTsdelg4U/s320/SANY4480.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm back into the groove of drinking pu erh again. Today's bing has something of a toy like attraction to it, I say that because holding this cake after the chubby, flakey Ding Xing has really intrigued me. The iron compression so typical of Xiaguan has rendered the leaves into a tea frisbee! It's hard and well defined, it's edges are cutting and sharp. I have no doubt that if I were to venture down to the park today I could let loose and this baby would fly. <br />
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Fearing that my cha dao would be repelled by the tight weave of the tiny leaves I plunged into it and found that a 15 gram lump easily came off, (in a Homer style) mmm tobacco. Calculating one third I plopped it into my pot admiring the silver tips as it went in. One quick rinse and off we go.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfRJwRJenzeaWOhxK3jt515hld7DgGR8dgChXxqLO876HzzZ3xv9ErlZUqxA5ZRVczcIiFSMaXCfJjdZ4abb00FUXx7zm36gOcHFROnkLCl0xaFbykdK1m7S3zVDDTnNgfwq-aFezyk0/s1600/SANY4487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfRJwRJenzeaWOhxK3jt515hld7DgGR8dgChXxqLO876HzzZ3xv9ErlZUqxA5ZRVczcIiFSMaXCfJjdZ4abb00FUXx7zm36gOcHFROnkLCl0xaFbykdK1m7S3zVDDTnNgfwq-aFezyk0/s320/SANY4487.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I have had some quite aromatic teas in the last week or so so I was expecting some more fireworks out of my fragrance cup but there wasn't a whole lot going on first up. The smell reminded me of something from my childhood, hot orange cordial. The second infusion woke up the Benson and Hedges in this tea and it suddenly become very, very tobacco. It's orange hue soup was a little more rough and ready than I was expecting but led itself into a very interesting huigan that gripped my tongue.<br />
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I pushed the brewing a little further, a little brave considering how brutish the tea was. The outcome was an even heavier tobacco kick with more perfume, a quick cooling sensation on the lips and a much stronger huigan. I'm quite amused by the gripping feeling on my tongue. It doesn't last forever though, I'm not sure of how many infusions I made but my 1.5 litre bottle of Evian is nearly done.<br />
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How would such a tea age? I am most curious. I was given possible sneak preview of how my belolved but rather scary Nada Bulang would turn out by sampling Nada's Heng Li Chang Bu Lang. I know very little about Xiaguan teas and I would love to know of a sample that would give me a heads up on how Father Time would treat this tea.<br />
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A very worthwhile tea that is full of character in it's form and also in it's soup. I mean, isn't pu erh just great? It's an almost endless journey of discovery. <br />
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** It is at this point that I realise that I have already, in fact, blogged this tea in sample form. It turns out that I didn't really care for it much first time around. Perhaps my ability to appreciate tea has grown over the last year or so, or perhaps I just had an off session. I am certainly enjoying my life a lot more now than then and that could have a huge impact on how much I bond with my tea **<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP0-Wc2UPrUJhBWBcEgy6vdG-AUFcFB0DZTwUKd6bvqPGDPMJpSdA-WuFO0QyHUpmsdHL9cPTaxKRFphIBpJvM6KQzqP2pOzOJ3W0mdblQKEI5EIqoPU6yxPzvaNuaTQCf3RaaIUR-FA/s1600/SANY4507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP0-Wc2UPrUJhBWBcEgy6vdG-AUFcFB0DZTwUKd6bvqPGDPMJpSdA-WuFO0QyHUpmsdHL9cPTaxKRFphIBpJvM6KQzqP2pOzOJ3W0mdblQKEI5EIqoPU6yxPzvaNuaTQCf3RaaIUR-FA/s320/SANY4507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-87797379548354737572011-02-03T05:34:00.000-08:002011-02-03T05:38:20.969-08:00Old Notorious Ding Xing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5Cqcb9MdAWST7tNrag7jtQF_9B_dipGuuWeDY7nvCwKt2Di2bgtJZ4tOA2Z6nSVxTI0qN9_cmfqN3krbnXvEK9yp7dhDMcRkKMRVzFoXeiWgaILWyJIu-UHN6HQIPQ-nfo67L_EzRoE/s1600/SANY4470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5Cqcb9MdAWST7tNrag7jtQF_9B_dipGuuWeDY7nvCwKt2Di2bgtJZ4tOA2Z6nSVxTI0qN9_cmfqN3krbnXvEK9yp7dhDMcRkKMRVzFoXeiWgaILWyJIu-UHN6HQIPQ-nfo67L_EzRoE/s320/SANY4470.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Along comes a tea once in a while that causes a bit of a stir. It's not because of it's excellence, everyone agreed that it's pretty good for the price, but it is because it has some controversy and is also pretty cheap. The controversy over this cake is it's age and that it comes from a slightly shady seller, not as shady as the geezer that sells little bags of herbs openly in public on Camden Town bridge but someone still of questionable repute. Cheap to boot too as you could score these for puppies for about £20 I believe on Taobao and much kudos to Hobbes for giving us advice on how to purchase them, even more kudos for updating his blog on this cake's availability at Pu Erh Shop. So off to Pu Erh Shop I went and picked up a couple. I'm not as bigger collector as some so I tend to buy one for keeps and one to drink.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXTIm2Vt7ebtkAZDqk8pED3kchyphenhyphenR3Z7jD4O0D9PVOhN-BSpQZW8P-uPk9mw2gc23jrmU31IlBoix-n7irmsvFb6tmpgZsmDxBxHBWqlr-6MHIO8TLEGHqIthy4_96qyn_gzjA0noDdVk/s1600/SANY4469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXTIm2Vt7ebtkAZDqk8pED3kchyphenhyphenR3Z7jD4O0D9PVOhN-BSpQZW8P-uPk9mw2gc23jrmU31IlBoix-n7irmsvFb6tmpgZsmDxBxHBWqlr-6MHIO8TLEGHqIthy4_96qyn_gzjA0noDdVk/s320/SANY4469.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The wrapping has been eaten somewhat by bugs or what have you, one of my cakes much more than the other so I chose the most tarnished cake (chubby little bugger) for my drinking cake. I inspected it for frosting and there was just the slightest hint and with a swish of my knife the leaf happily crumbled off. Being about ten years old is a funny old age for pu erh, past it's teenage years the leaf has some signs of maturity but you can appreciate how it must of looked when it was new. I popped about 5 grams into a gaiwan for brewing and gave it a rinse and was immediately greeted by those pleasant woody aromas. <br />
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This tea is very nice, I must say that I like it a lot. It's very smooth in the mouth and after an abortive attempt where the flavour rose no further than my throat, it has given me an extremely rewarding huigan full of peach. The cha qi is also very noticeable, uplifting to the eyes and forehead early on and then settling to warm my middle jiao followed by warmth creeping to my upper jiao. How rewarding this session is!<br />
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My collection is made up of teas mainly between the 2007 to 2010 range and although I occasionally pick up small quantities of old tea I didn't have any cakes younger than 2006. Given it's availability and price I heartily recommend picking up some of this tea before it goes.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-37983983968272356192011-02-01T06:19:00.000-08:002011-02-01T06:25:58.039-08:00Tea in Abu Dhabi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl1KMTwzMsZZiAgkn0FRXyH-b77jx46Exw6S3T7i9ha6igzNkah3u6ByY5WEVdi_HTWRjvxPDe2I6whMyh8ZSCRL7qDSogl4No8wkMYgwf4VU51rf9IA0nFi9UA0wsye_BsDym62cx-E/s1600/IMG_0497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZl1KMTwzMsZZiAgkn0FRXyH-b77jx46Exw6S3T7i9ha6igzNkah3u6ByY5WEVdi_HTWRjvxPDe2I6whMyh8ZSCRL7qDSogl4No8wkMYgwf4VU51rf9IA0nFi9UA0wsye_BsDym62cx-E/s320/IMG_0497.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I am lucky enough to have a 'day job' that gives me the opportunity to travel the world and also earn a reasonable living. I was delighted to discover then that Wasps rugby union team had moved a game from their industrial estate bound ground in High Wycombe to Abu Dhabi, more so that it gave me a chance to escape the sub zero temperatures. I'm no sun lizard, my skin is rather opaque but my joints are getting creakier by the year and the sun is a marvellous tonic.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d6M8D4iljyrUjYSfwN5L0xWLLVOhMBdt14EjBqf4wXDMaJDh7lopALgx0kGu-4HoqGBZz0d1TtIZoSoPfD0AnP8L4vjjwEg54pJ6ZJD9O_txqRvYF4zOX9E07TG8ZSPWMzRwlApuV5c/s1600/IMG_0525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-d6M8D4iljyrUjYSfwN5L0xWLLVOhMBdt14EjBqf4wXDMaJDh7lopALgx0kGu-4HoqGBZz0d1TtIZoSoPfD0AnP8L4vjjwEg54pJ6ZJD9O_txqRvYF4zOX9E07TG8ZSPWMzRwlApuV5c/s320/IMG_0525.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Our hotel and ground was at the very luxurious Palace Hotel, every inch an effort to demonstrate just how much money the sheiks have at their disposal but in reality a soulless monstrosity built by the hands of down trodden Indian and Pakistani workers. I have a real gripe with what you see behind the scenes in places like Abu Dhabi and Dubai.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzS0zFIsEkKEdK_0Uup34GRbN6qBV-hnDjdHcdKAjtqemdXdbh4wv451cyXidxyeJ1FY50vuRYTYBTfMO3xS5Vish0HYbMBMxpLCvArMpWog94uC2WhNWKawfpewr7IZRAuLui-dcU7w/s1600/IMG_0508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJzS0zFIsEkKEdK_0Uup34GRbN6qBV-hnDjdHcdKAjtqemdXdbh4wv451cyXidxyeJ1FY50vuRYTYBTfMO3xS5Vish0HYbMBMxpLCvArMpWog94uC2WhNWKawfpewr7IZRAuLui-dcU7w/s320/IMG_0508.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Tucked away in one corner of the beach (resplendent with it's imported sand) was an opportunity to sample something missing from the rest of the complex, some culture! Even more surprising was that it was entirely free, not a room number request in sight. In an open sided tent sat a local man who spoke little english.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeir8u1RZ6P8N9RjfVNcWdQKrY3YUHh4NwZPyZS9ZhquAM-JyfmhRoQbUrridanBx_ZCZkrEnlNolWBpsRMmYCq2ZGHkiJTdmixy95Lr14lEMXkM_PYLvn2y8K2Vpv4_z90OqNiJ0Sfz8/s1600/IMG_0507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeir8u1RZ6P8N9RjfVNcWdQKrY3YUHh4NwZPyZS9ZhquAM-JyfmhRoQbUrridanBx_ZCZkrEnlNolWBpsRMmYCq2ZGHkiJTdmixy95Lr14lEMXkM_PYLvn2y8K2Vpv4_z90OqNiJ0Sfz8/s320/IMG_0507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">"Come! Come!" he said as he waved, "Sit, rest."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">He surrounded himself with various pots, some tongs and a supply of charcoal and it was his job to brew tea and coffee whilst people waited to ride camels.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7Z1yGxcDFBpUEVmqyIfHFSaZIT4nX9-LIMwHVm1EjkgSsFN46VFKnPg_Igd_rhj8wKVL4ZVDVjAQas5_MSm1QgkHOdeH_8GIGOFOY63ogxSiPOmZjvxxQ8Q3ua4ncUpKIzhifOhx2co/s1600/IMG_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7Z1yGxcDFBpUEVmqyIfHFSaZIT4nX9-LIMwHVm1EjkgSsFN46VFKnPg_Igd_rhj8wKVL4ZVDVjAQas5_MSm1QgkHOdeH_8GIGOFOY63ogxSiPOmZjvxxQ8Q3ua4ncUpKIzhifOhx2co/s320/IMG_0504.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">"Tea? Coffee?" was the cue for my face to light up and a few moments later I was the proud owner of a glass of tea. I no longer felt compelled to mooch about the hotel grounds and I grabbed my opportunity to sit back and read a translation with commentaries of the Nan-Ching (nan jing for those pin yin minded people) by the thorough sinologist Paul Unschuld.<br />
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</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The brew was exactly how I wouldn't prepare tea, sweeter than a sherbet fountain but despite this I enjoyed it immensely, vive la difference! My new friend seemed very insistent that I had some coffee too which was also unusual. It came in a cup not much bigger than my chinese tea cups and had a heavy flavour of mint through it.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMCHHh8NEuW0C_IIhqi0TvGAGVfGaCSzZyTaBhCf1yXf0K9lzMyuFqyEckmW4QkUhFWXe_dslhyphenhyphenkFiORqVou99uV5UWOdoYqPosfSSzwCBZGqy3IjUPp1bieerd6asxbZTos8j2pNQ3M/s1600/IMG_0510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVMCHHh8NEuW0C_IIhqi0TvGAGVfGaCSzZyTaBhCf1yXf0K9lzMyuFqyEckmW4QkUhFWXe_dslhyphenhyphenkFiORqVou99uV5UWOdoYqPosfSSzwCBZGqy3IjUPp1bieerd6asxbZTos8j2pNQ3M/s320/IMG_0510.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">A place must be a good place if you have no idea how long you spent there. I read my book (or as much of it as I could absorb, which isn't a lot when it comes to Unschuld) and drank several cups of tea and coffee. Along came an offering of a few dates and I found out through sign language that the man had a real interest in camel racing. Sign language doesn't take you very far and he went back to fanning his coals and brewing more tea.<br />
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</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I walked away feeling very content with the experience, it was genuine and enriching, a saving grace for the hotel that up to that point had little to offer anything beyond skin deep. I went back there again the next morning and saw my friend who greeted me with the same words and I watched him light his fire and prepare his drinks. Work intervened and I was drawn back into the hotel's grasp.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmkGJrOQ8b4P4FVcRewN51tT3k7Isc-CGjoAOgSspqC03FRoKqnaytlXuwXC6sAOtqBfCkwKJ-SDxjCAFsuOcYRJiZuWYo-CSNjZioPOOFuIlmH_U_kOXi0__SWpj8JbK35i7itG7LIw/s1600/IMG_0509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDmkGJrOQ8b4P4FVcRewN51tT3k7Isc-CGjoAOgSspqC03FRoKqnaytlXuwXC6sAOtqBfCkwKJ-SDxjCAFsuOcYRJiZuWYo-CSNjZioPOOFuIlmH_U_kOXi0__SWpj8JbK35i7itG7LIw/s320/IMG_0509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Drinking tea is becoming more about the moment of the tea as opposed to the tea itself, that is the true gift it brings me.</div>五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-1518268551380474632011-01-27T03:16:00.000-08:002011-01-27T03:16:03.511-08:00A lot of do about QiHmmm, it's happened again, I have gone on the tea buying rampage. From Xiaguan to Douji to the now notorious Dingxing cake, it's all on it's way inbound to The Corn Barn (that's where I live). <br />
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I thought I would write something about the topic of 'qi' and my opinion on what it is (this is the sort of thing that crosses my mind on a day off sitting at my tea table). In fact, the inspiration for this was all started by a marvelous sensation in my chest which I squarely attribute to Nada's Bulang which I am revisiting today. A lot is said about cha qi, but what on earth is 'qi'?<br />
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Although I am a practicing acupuncturist and herbalist one thing I am not is a member of the spiritual hippy brigade! There is a type of person that is attracted to practicing acupuncture in the west and they are usually middle aged females with a new age, spiritual aspect to them (85% of students at my old acupuncture college fit this stereotype). As a result one of the core concepts of Asian medicine, qi, is rather over romanticised. It need not be. <br />
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Do you have to 'believe' in qi? No, not if you have a pair of eyes and nerve endings. Qi describes anything with motion, temperature and function. When you lift your arm and scratch your nose, it is qi. Regardless of the actual biomechanical function that enables you to move you will be perfectly correct in stating that it was an act of qi, it moved thus it was a result of some qi.<br />
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You can't grasp it as it is formless. You can grasp your moving arm but that is the substance you have just touched, you have not touched the movement itself. Heat plus water creates steam, you can touch the steam, feel the heat but all that is on your skin is the water. You can touch flames but you can't hold them.<br />
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Peristalsis, the movements of your gastrointestinal tract is just another thing that can be labeled qi, it makes you poop and it makes you burp. This isn't magic we are talking about, it's just a word that embodies anything that moves be it the rain or your mood. <br />
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Anger, it makes you so mad your face goes red! You want to stand up and punch the nearest inanimate object. You could explain the exact process that flushes blood to your face or you could use the Chinese abstract physiological model that anger belongs to the liver, liver belongs to the wood phase, the wood phase surges upwards and this is why your blood goes to the face and you feel so animated. Is it strictly accurate? no but it does the job of understanding the relationship of things.<br />
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So, what is cha qi? If you feel it and it has a moving quality to it, a temperature then you are perfectly correct in explaining it as an expression of qi without having to wear hemp trousers and meditate. Of course, if you like hemp trousers and meditation you can do that too.. ;-)<br />
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Rant over.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-16424076511738061242011-01-20T04:22:00.000-08:002011-01-20T15:26:35.918-08:00Five in one, 五味子<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1SZNpOMlTmcdWFN3gFRcDM16ImITbWJoyBiKiKhntRCmWoqiXaAiYLuHbrBenCttfLxzfM4ZZ5h-8vjDouE6HhDIuywbFO6lZoKGKqTreXHZLk5QeJsdoe9sAJ1CyAO__Z786imkzHQ/s1600/SANY4464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1SZNpOMlTmcdWFN3gFRcDM16ImITbWJoyBiKiKhntRCmWoqiXaAiYLuHbrBenCttfLxzfM4ZZ5h-8vjDouE6HhDIuywbFO6lZoKGKqTreXHZLk5QeJsdoe9sAJ1CyAO__Z786imkzHQ/s320/SANY4464.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Again, a little bit off the usual tea topic, I thought I would would sing the praises of a medicinal herb. It's a real favourite of mine, wŭ wèi zĭ or schisandra fruit.<br />
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The first place to look if you really want to get to know a herb is in the classics. Chinese medicine has arguably been going more backwards than forwards since the Han dynasty. The majority of herbal formula still used today originate from this time and many modern formulas are based on classical ones (you can instantly tell the ones that don't). Zhang Zhong Jing, the author of the Han classic the Shang Han Lun, took his knowledge straight from the Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing, and it is in this classic we first examine this herb.<br />
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<i>Wu Wei is sour and warm. It mainly boosts the qi, treating cough and counterflow qi ascent, taxation damage, and languor and emaciation. It supplements insufficiency, fortifies yin, and boosts male's essence. It grows in mountains and valleys. </i><br />
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Although it has a sour energetic, it actually has all the five tastes on the palette, hence the name one presumes. Sour is the representative taste of the wood element the theory classic, the Nei Jing, tells us that sour tonifies the metal element. You can imagine the movement of sour being analogous to breathing in, it is an inward, conserving dynamic. Certainly when you breath in you are boosting your qi via the lung (lung being a metal element organ) and if you don't believe me I suggest you reverse the process by breathing out and go for a sprint.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87QBGA1X7JmWDt3sDpeKnUCZVxGaN4Af7l8gzF7QGGD1lp8smMLyQBA5bs7DYLAze33-9aSUp802aWqftbWQxVUU21OjNbuOF3ZtZZsP7-qcanitYs3vLQxexebXQwxlaipSd_pOg3ko/s1600/SANY4466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg87QBGA1X7JmWDt3sDpeKnUCZVxGaN4Af7l8gzF7QGGD1lp8smMLyQBA5bs7DYLAze33-9aSUp802aWqftbWQxVUU21OjNbuOF3ZtZZsP7-qcanitYs3vLQxexebXQwxlaipSd_pOg3ko/s320/SANY4466.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Zhang Zhong Jing primarily used schisandra as a modification herb, it was added to formula if certain symptoms were present and in the case of schisandra it was used for coughing. Throughout the Shang Han Lun you see it paired with dried ginger and wild chinese ginger which added the effect of drying and warming the lung for wet coughs. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i>It supplements insufficiency, fortifies yin, and boosts male's essence.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Broadly speaking, yin is a term for material bodily fluids and essence relates to sexual fluids. But from a Chinese perspective how does this work? Using a five element model we already understand that the sour dynamic tonifies the metal element. Part of that element is the lung and the concept that the lung is the upper source of water in the body and that the metal element is in charge of downward movement. When we tonify metal we are able to manifest water and descend it downwards towards the kidney, resonant with the water element and sexual function. This is a classic example of the five element sheng 生 cycle where metal gives birth to water.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love this herb, it tackles cough very well and also gives off a nice dark fruit flavour to formula. TCM practitioners also note it's ability to curb sweating, stop diarrhea, spermatorrhea and many more uses. I'm a bit old school so I'm keeping with it's original Han dynasty use.</div>五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-24987279450425294182010-12-18T06:35:00.000-08:002010-12-18T10:55:21.296-08:00Making Zhi Gan Cao<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinaRmugs0B6nbfDiNPNeSElyh11NBBug49Tz11270FGa5XmpMsroPljQ_9yGtENhxKuE73JJMHl3CWPdytQeo3ZkN8xwTQi14ouusNV2oH2LkR8__TsxNEphnDcPGzz660xhiUDQdIPU/s1600/SANY4121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinaRmugs0B6nbfDiNPNeSElyh11NBBug49Tz11270FGa5XmpMsroPljQ_9yGtENhxKuE73JJMHl3CWPdytQeo3ZkN8xwTQi14ouusNV2oH2LkR8__TsxNEphnDcPGzz660xhiUDQdIPU/s320/SANY4121.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Well, I am being snowed in today so it's a perfect opportunity to mess about at home. It was suggested to me after my Kuki entry yesterday to try my hand at roasting the twigs further, all good fun and the result being a heavily roasted tea!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJWE_e0dwhbI-1T41SE3s_uPFLT1WD4ZYfXaHWFnnBMuGm9O5FAr7T9zLBDIF6glfY0w9hK-Xz7mR6vaAAVU8nOZf1Emf1EcqfMtKjaWxOTjI_j0rE_psv9RXB1xwkGU1QV8GwMjquK8/s1600/SANY4119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJWE_e0dwhbI-1T41SE3s_uPFLT1WD4ZYfXaHWFnnBMuGm9O5FAr7T9zLBDIF6glfY0w9hK-Xz7mR6vaAAVU8nOZf1Emf1EcqfMtKjaWxOTjI_j0rE_psv9RXB1xwkGU1QV8GwMjquK8/s320/SANY4119.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I thought I would try my hand at roasting another twig that it used in more Oriental medicinal teas than any other hands down, <i>gan cao</i> or liquorice to the rest of us. It is used to tonify the Chinese concept of the spleen (a view which isn't just restricted to the Western spleen organ), moisten the Chinese 'lung' and also detoxifies and harmonises other herbs in formulas. Z<i>hi gan cao </i>is made by dry stir frying it with honey and is said to increase it's spleen and lung tonifying effects plus enhance it's effect on coughing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZdtG66hqq3k4wsDKOxP6ndJGdIatEWNGIUqW142A_NBhGq_TUtQ1I2dpcGoJf7Q29s_HX4bJd8rCcMGBM-c6rjWEvP8EykGPCgpHBrWpBxd8qqK8NJ3uLYV-I4b3m8RH4qbupdY2XLY/s1600/SANY4127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZdtG66hqq3k4wsDKOxP6ndJGdIatEWNGIUqW142A_NBhGq_TUtQ1I2dpcGoJf7Q29s_HX4bJd8rCcMGBM-c6rjWEvP8EykGPCgpHBrWpBxd8qqK8NJ3uLYV-I4b3m8RH4qbupdY2XLY/s320/SANY4127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The <i>zhi gan cao</i> supplied to me from my herb merchant is an industrially produced version that keeps for a long time, good for my stocks but it doesn't actually resemble real <i>zhi gan cao</i>. So with a dry wok in hand, some honey, liquorice and plenty of spare time I stirred away!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWK0g3FXroI7_lp2JUpJTqCYWjivpSsOwnFezZjWEAghL9Fgqh8ennfGQ6H1TyzlRLDFX-m-J78LNr93xVmYlp_TeTnX9cK9hMtpI9rX-jiFOKd01tEPUM2lTT5A9j8R9RrUJfyheVbQ/s1600/SANY4142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWK0g3FXroI7_lp2JUpJTqCYWjivpSsOwnFezZjWEAghL9Fgqh8ennfGQ6H1TyzlRLDFX-m-J78LNr93xVmYlp_TeTnX9cK9hMtpI9rX-jiFOKd01tEPUM2lTT5A9j8R9RrUJfyheVbQ/s320/SANY4142.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The results were very passable and even by itself quite tasty if not a little chewy. This, however, is a tea blog so I thought I would make some tea with it. My partner is a chronic spleen qi vacuity case borne out of her poor diet and overwork so with my new honey liquorice I prepared a batch of <i>ren shen tang</i> or ginseng decoction.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMGAqvc83mhjrqDSphEnsCq7mOCeFXUZHJ7WpWrJULM97KeqvAzr_dTk7TxSJF7NgJPdiok25A02v8Axx90rDpuNGOaafajfza3ktuRUdsyljBgIvbnffAw-YLvk5mpx4JTuRFHe_Uuo/s1600/SANY4136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMGAqvc83mhjrqDSphEnsCq7mOCeFXUZHJ7WpWrJULM97KeqvAzr_dTk7TxSJF7NgJPdiok25A02v8Axx90rDpuNGOaafajfza3ktuRUdsyljBgIvbnffAw-YLvk5mpx4JTuRFHe_Uuo/s320/SANY4136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This tea is prepared in about a litre of water and boiled until about half remains which takes a good hour or so. It's an excellent tonic for those with poor digestion, loose stool and limbs that feel like they are lined with lead.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncN5gGXYyTbDGJYbxtEJkEaqoyNJVfC0FH0ESBU3YOLk_ZQ4lRurIvJS64iECOo3OePgcFJ-MKRJWK0bJXk7eq6HQLhpgTOuL75BOCN-2HrwyoZ7CKUwydf2Z_E44ayBSgJvqKOfmn-w/s1600/SANY4147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjncN5gGXYyTbDGJYbxtEJkEaqoyNJVfC0FH0ESBU3YOLk_ZQ4lRurIvJS64iECOo3OePgcFJ-MKRJWK0bJXk7eq6HQLhpgTOuL75BOCN-2HrwyoZ7CKUwydf2Z_E44ayBSgJvqKOfmn-w/s320/SANY4147.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>In this picture you can see the end result, the <i>zhi gan cao</i> on the left with the <i>gan cao</i> on the right. Preparing herbal medicinals is becoming a bit of a lost art nowadays, it's not really taught here in the West at colleges and most practitioners are buying their herbs in convenient granule forms that are easy to take. As well as honey roasting you can also prepare herbs with salt, vinegar, dried earth, baked; the list goes on. Tea bags destroy the enjoyment of the original plant, you don't get to touch, feel or smell it and it's the same with herbs.<br />
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Thanks for the suggestion to roast my Kuki! What if I honey roast ...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YNdTsk4HH0ippi3_avPG0hOt8BUDwrSmWTmBTNy3Bw3c2DkYo_VqhsN6L2t4rt69_EWZ4uQ8WRoW8xokVIuHBJh661-uPQLbwDRgQxcVNUbT-LaziqUerPZAicf4T78-cC7Z0Js3YxU/s1600/SANY4155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8YNdTsk4HH0ippi3_avPG0hOt8BUDwrSmWTmBTNy3Bw3c2DkYo_VqhsN6L2t4rt69_EWZ4uQ8WRoW8xokVIuHBJh661-uPQLbwDRgQxcVNUbT-LaziqUerPZAicf4T78-cC7Z0Js3YxU/s320/SANY4155.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A fun experiment, in with the wok goes my more twiggy Kuki from Clearsprings, a dollop of honey and out she comes, my invention! Tetsubin at the ready I prepare the tea in one of my pots and I wait a few minutes to steep. The result? rather average if not slightly worst than rather average....<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQto5b5WhfalcnhfkbkkiITM6MrcRQl_1nbf1PYlnSB09isw2_a50Ny1U7fH9_0JPMbnkAwuIO-fwkofexUI84hafq1FStuerU8QIhYAWbKR3m5XnYcqGhTeZtgxjSII95k4PJ9d9S6LM/s1600/SANY4162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQto5b5WhfalcnhfkbkkiITM6MrcRQl_1nbf1PYlnSB09isw2_a50Ny1U7fH9_0JPMbnkAwuIO-fwkofexUI84hafq1FStuerU8QIhYAWbKR3m5XnYcqGhTeZtgxjSII95k4PJ9d9S6LM/s320/SANY4162.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Still, one wouldn't know if one did not try.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-12531220279059266912010-12-17T12:27:00.000-08:002010-12-17T12:28:43.568-08:00Kuki Hojicha (Ippodo Tea)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXTCD6KRhCtF0Sdr7xnz4cCcpD9SvfnHtx308Bowx_ty8JTc1ahdV-oiT9rJ0BxBtS7ywdOXkdmS39douAHgEB7uupY5tTKfI8LxeUTLSHqsC_duVSMQCj0hXeUrw1VVUHWx0FnZX-ic/s1600/SANY4117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihXTCD6KRhCtF0Sdr7xnz4cCcpD9SvfnHtx308Bowx_ty8JTc1ahdV-oiT9rJ0BxBtS7ywdOXkdmS39douAHgEB7uupY5tTKfI8LxeUTLSHqsC_duVSMQCj0hXeUrw1VVUHWx0FnZX-ic/s320/SANY4117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Not for the first time have I crossed paths with Kuki cha. My first exposure to this almost oxymoronic leafless tea was after hanging out with some macrobiotic friends that drink Kuki regularly as part of their dietary regime. It's none too difficult to obtain this tea in the UK from Clearsprings, a Japanese food brand and I have a bag of the stuff in my tea village (or cupboard if you may). Since I was ordering Matcha from Ippodo in Kyoto I also got myself a bag of this tea. It's cost effective and low in caffeine so it makes an excellent evening tea.<br />
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The aroma of this tea dry is anything but subtle, the bag absolutely assaults the nose like a prize boxer with a grudge to bear. Pop! 'ave that! ... ouch. I must be some sort of misguided masochist or something as I keep going back for another whiff. Sickly sweet like a pot of bubbling bramble jam is the only way I can put it.<br />
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Unsure of how to actually make Kuki properly, in a pot one presumes, I rebel and decide to brew it in a gaiwan with xiangbei cups. The blackberry jam aroma follows it with a liquorice under current, the caramel soup has lost a lot of the sweetness and holds an easy roasted malt with a nuttiness. The tea doesn't show much endurance beyond it's third infusion.<br />
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It's a cheap and simple thrill that is instantly scrummy and warming, just right for the cold winter. Perhaps this is the tea equivalent of a bag of chips smothered with salt and vinegar!五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-66252470210557949222010-12-14T17:19:00.000-08:002010-12-15T02:08:29.699-08:00Kimmo-no-mukashi (Ippodo)I suppose that one of the attractions of being a tea fan is just the sheer variety of teas in the world. You could spend a life time honing your tastes towards just one type of tea, discovering it's complexities year after year. I, however, just enjoy tea. There's nothing better than a nice cup of Earl Grey or an extended session with an old Pu Erh. Whatever your mood there is a tea to match.<br />
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I am currently on a challenge to myself right now, to learn more about Matcha. I could be mistaken but I think I drank my first bowl of Matcha in Uji, Japan. Not a bad place to start. The 'tea' street in Uji though is a rather tourist heavy spot and I'm sure the best places are in fact the ones hidden away in the back streets. <br />
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One of the best places to start with any sort of tea could well be with the really bad stuff, tea so bad that when you have some of the good stuff the difference knocks your socks off! As previously mentioned I have a rather large bag of the bad stuff in my fridge, it's essentially cooking Matcha. It's bitter, slightly yellow and thin. The next stop was Jing UK's Matcha which was very nice, very smooth and sweet. The first time I whisked it I was amazed just how the 'head' came out, thick and creamy like the head of a pint of stout!<br />
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I decided to source some from Kyoto's Ippodo store and forked out for their 'high quality' Kimmo-no-mukashi and 'premium quality' Wakamatsu-no-mukashi teas. The latter being twice the cost of the former. My original idea was to compare them side by side which worked out just fine when comparing the aromas of the powder. I actually prefer the cheaper Kimmo-no-mukashi, it was a little stronger, perhaps a little more pungent and had a heavy overtone of cooked banana with some white chocolate.<br />
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I don't think I'll be trying a side by side taste test again though. I am finding it quite difficult to discern the differences between similar Matcha without having the both of them over lapping each other. To my mind both of them tasted more bitter than Jing UK's. They did have plenty of complexity but I am just without the vocabulary to describe what I found. It's worth mentioning that the Kimmo-no-mukashi is a third of the cost (discarding postage) and the Wakamatsu-no-mukashi a little over two thirds of the Jing UK. It's a little like going back to square one with Pu Erh again. All rather frustrating when you can't describe what you feel. Whilst frustrated I am also as high as a kite after drinking both bowls.<br />
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Tomorrow morning I'll finish off the last of my Jing UK and see how it goes.<br />
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** next morning **<br />
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This morning's test consisted of drinking the Jing UK matcha then the Wakamatsu-no-mukashi. I wasn't imagining it, the Jing UK (I wish this tea had a name instead of calling it by the company) was much more sweet pea than banana in the aroma, thicker and smoother with the froth consisting of smaller bubbles and hence firmer. The Wakamatsu-no-mukashi was less pleasant on the palette, slightly sour cream, but had a longer sweeter after taste. The after taste (what is the Japanese for <i>huigan?</i>) is much more pronounced. Two bowls has left me awfully giddy, let's hope that I don't get the shakes as I have an acupuncture patient in an hour or so.<br />
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Hmmm, so I wonder. I preferred the taste and smoothness of the Jing UK but the Wakamatsu-no-mukashi was a more complex experience...五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-1154538034842120562010-12-06T04:17:00.000-08:002010-12-08T10:40:20.250-08:00Winter greens..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsu4XklodR_N82pL7X90-QCMO_aKAAqqonLogSd6gh_Uso66w4qmt3N7H4LqHEWhAHM1xQ3Qq4s8B5q3vcWgaQ5xbulDrBkpnJ2KP6Ck_Z8vjiuwNGDuMglctR0Jfc1Y3x1fTwP1E0kZU/s1600/SANY4013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsu4XklodR_N82pL7X90-QCMO_aKAAqqonLogSd6gh_Uso66w4qmt3N7H4LqHEWhAHM1xQ3Qq4s8B5q3vcWgaQ5xbulDrBkpnJ2KP6Ck_Z8vjiuwNGDuMglctR0Jfc1Y3x1fTwP1E0kZU/s320/SANY4013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Should we drink green tea in Winter? I suppose the energetic purists amongst us would say no, it's not the season for it. Winter is dark, cold and is all about root vegetables as opposed to a nice fresh salad. But we live in a land of loft insulation and radiators so why not crank up the heating and enjoy something green? As you can see by my pictures I have something new to drink tea out of and I thought I'd show it off a bit.<br />
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Hagi ware (or Blobby-ware™) was something I was quite unsure about when I first saw it whilst perusing various tea blogs (the Sip-Tip was the likely source). I have to admit I thought it looked rather naff. Time went by though and those chaotic blobs started to grow on me but the fact that I didn't really like matcha too much and I associate Hagi with that unusual green frothy brew more so than regular green tea, meant that I didn't bother purchasing a bowl. The prices on various websites for Hagi put me right off too!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCNyZLLAUgHkmy4w_61xiyltNxiSCwVyYj-OLe_YARLWf396nrhwKKgBrfifEd8dQLC-SJHhUuHxew-Ynx2D9t71HNBUaunCX4BJf1wkWAzDyKwv3u5Gd5TokZpch9KVBVHJoBNCEbOQ/s1600/SANY4016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCNyZLLAUgHkmy4w_61xiyltNxiSCwVyYj-OLe_YARLWf396nrhwKKgBrfifEd8dQLC-SJHhUuHxew-Ynx2D9t71HNBUaunCX4BJf1wkWAzDyKwv3u5Gd5TokZpch9KVBVHJoBNCEbOQ/s320/SANY4016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I must admit to having a rather large bag of rather awful matcha. Occasionally I would froth some up with my electric whisker gadget and gulp it down with the knowledge that it was good for me as opposed to actually interesting my taste buds. I finally got around to purchasing a <i>chasen</i> whisk and despite my most frantic efforts I couldn't get the damn stuff to froth up with it!<br />
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There must be more to this though I pondered so I decided to shell out for some better matcha. Without a clear idea where to actually buy good matcha I went to Jing UK to purchase theirs. **edit** Sure, Jing UK have been accused for marking up their pu erh prices as noted by the blogging stalwart Hobbes, but the tea they sell is always reasonable at the very least and the postage quick. **edit-see comments**<br />
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I was genuinely surprised just how much difference there was, this time around the matcha was smooth, it frothed well and had a decent green pea flavour. All of a sudden I'm interested and in my flurry of interest I got myself my new Blobby-ware™ bowl from Japan. The textures of the bowl makes the experience a more tactile affair but I wish it was heavier and gravity left me really grasping it's odd surface. The price of matcha makes repeated bowls an insanely expensive tipple so I don't have much chance to really appreciate the moment, it's a little fleeting.<br />
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I would like to delve a little deeper into both matcha and Hagi.. where would you suggest?五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-53071171647308055622010-09-30T05:22:00.000-07:002010-09-30T05:57:23.707-07:00Jin De Zhen tea set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cJywKk1JozaOmLWAEv0fW7q1tPvNoMBELJ5gWjvad36yCAJd2hJWdiHQBhPzLsDsEimMrLtfPGWmBOdP2U1oGzvGBOwwwW6rtj0jOEXx_yYn6og-hyT0pUvd10vDJy-jIa_rhWqzgUw/s1600/SANY3903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3cJywKk1JozaOmLWAEv0fW7q1tPvNoMBELJ5gWjvad36yCAJd2hJWdiHQBhPzLsDsEimMrLtfPGWmBOdP2U1oGzvGBOwwwW6rtj0jOEXx_yYn6og-hyT0pUvd10vDJy-jIa_rhWqzgUw/s320/SANY3903.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I have been slumming it somewhat with my various gaiwans and cups since I started my little tea fetish. As with all hobbies I guess at first glance the prices of the finer things are shocking but after time one's 'price gag reflex' starts to relax and we spend ever increasing amounts. So I have been getting by on some rather average gaiwans that was until today when my Jin De Zhen tea set came to visit.<br />
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The set comprised of a gaiwan, jug and six cups with matching fragrance cups at a total cost of about £62. I must say that I was very much drawn towards the use of fragrance cups after seeing them in Hobbes' excellent tea blog. After much searching around the internet I didn't find much to choose from and settled for a non glazed set which Nada had lying about but the naked clay seemed to absorb the aromas. Do I need six cups? no, but as it came as a set I decided to go 'all in'.<br />
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Whilst not hugely priced this is a very decent tea set for the money. Perhaps it is all in my mind but I have really enjoyed my first session, the more subtle flavours in the soup were easier to discern, the huigan improved and the smoothness of the cups as they touched my lips gave me an extra dimension to each sip. Today was a good day for drinking tea. <br />
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Why didn't I invest earlier?五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-28452476483739630142010-09-21T05:23:00.000-07:002010-09-21T05:23:03.853-07:00Our little London trip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZvLIRNzx5EjSoJn9qDSLhaXAoAaVTIrwCGAQFYdQMgq0BjRTWf2enptn9UmN2wexSs_yo_HmkLz2CGdEpyK_FAt2QCGOc0gmKtL343XBrXBn-cYeGk2V08g6m92S4TLjWfWS9H-cXBM/s1600/IMG_0057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBZvLIRNzx5EjSoJn9qDSLhaXAoAaVTIrwCGAQFYdQMgq0BjRTWf2enptn9UmN2wexSs_yo_HmkLz2CGdEpyK_FAt2QCGOc0gmKtL343XBrXBn-cYeGk2V08g6m92S4TLjWfWS9H-cXBM/s320/IMG_0057.JPG" /></a></div><br />
It's one of those things, I take my girlfriend to see Camden Town in London, a busy market renown for quirky fashion, in your face food stall sellers and dodgy dudes hawking oregano in little plastic baggies. We spent a good couple of hours mooching around, I was happy to just tag alongside until I caught sight of some teapots.<br />
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"Tea!!!" I proclaimed and off I scuttled, probably showing the first real interest in the afternoons browsing. Somewhere near the very northern edge of the stables area of Camden was a little tea shop specialising in matcha and other Japanese green teas. For about three quid or so a drink, we sat down with a matcha and a more fancy genmaicha matcha latte with the usual complimentary sweet tit bits that come with it. The fare was actually kinda ordinary, but this is Camden after all and it provided me with a welcome little tea break away from the usual Camden garb.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG9UyhdXSelJfPB0nK1t4tVPZW3ecgeR0yddvkTZRqcHAbFTq5InyCFV1oMZa7Zr61sHk8IoRt_fHSOh3f7eeIzmH_Yr0ImvAoCZmwupjXy0Cgk9Ok-DODTnIlRK4jd54wkOXVyVpAtc/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG9UyhdXSelJfPB0nK1t4tVPZW3ecgeR0yddvkTZRqcHAbFTq5InyCFV1oMZa7Zr61sHk8IoRt_fHSOh3f7eeIzmH_Yr0ImvAoCZmwupjXy0Cgk9Ok-DODTnIlRK4jd54wkOXVyVpAtc/s320/IMG_0076.JPG" /></a></div>Next stop, Vitaorganics in the Soho district, an oasis of good nutritional vegan food and a favourite place of mine to eat when I'm in the area. I just feel better about myself after eating there. Again for three quid or so I ordered a pot of kukicha as the day was dragging on and I felt like avoiding caffeine. Out came a small tetsubin pot of quite tasty kukicha resplendent with nuttiness and sweetness. I had a peep inside the pot for the twigs only to be disappointed with naught. It's not a fancy tea nor complex but it's thick caramel soup kept me entertained whilst I munched away and watched the unusual locals go about their unusual Soho lives.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTlnbUJcs6Iqr-mcu4Ss9IZq2yN_dTCy1KeFoUiYj1SP6qmlbJv8OaMPf-COk1ipyCXjRUIZb5jPjpJ_VnN25ZJXIlvXdD7lhJfCv54W2Kw5Bl7gJYjxU_bPI23m4RgSmoGvcs0ma5UQ/s1600/IMG_0077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRTlnbUJcs6Iqr-mcu4Ss9IZq2yN_dTCy1KeFoUiYj1SP6qmlbJv8OaMPf-COk1ipyCXjRUIZb5jPjpJ_VnN25ZJXIlvXdD7lhJfCv54W2Kw5Bl7gJYjxU_bPI23m4RgSmoGvcs0ma5UQ/s320/IMG_0077.JPG" /></a></div>Sometimes it is not really about the tea you drink but the experience around it that lingers in the memory for the years that pass us by. I think I might have some more matcha and kukicha soon.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-74636991280517291852010-09-06T03:51:00.000-07:002010-09-06T03:51:59.042-07:00Why do I drink tea?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2-hIFzko9cRuKQqCV9LOzAkFqDqFv5e5gP1pycIDJ_whh3NnBaChJ80sr509peHmTaEy4LyarkRPprr_Q3j_0XwZyf_4X5NihpbuVbZEdLFzyPdTCRquaVCQuon2OfrIF4VtmtoiIwI/s1600/SANY3870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2-hIFzko9cRuKQqCV9LOzAkFqDqFv5e5gP1pycIDJ_whh3NnBaChJ80sr509peHmTaEy4LyarkRPprr_Q3j_0XwZyf_4X5NihpbuVbZEdLFzyPdTCRquaVCQuon2OfrIF4VtmtoiIwI/s320/SANY3870.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An odd hobby?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It is an odd hobby I suppose, drinking cow pat shaped lumps of tea that can cost more than gold but there is little about my choice of past times that could be considered mainstream.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg6Cy27rSB-SCCyYat8JQNTzhTReGPyufIHRRrBySgd1lb-rQIAzXJOoCXFTOC5CxYiMuY4iFRUsb5JB5GB_vdEdSUVVPzTg355R2k8SyMZCifKZ2Hdm7b9zHpog8bQ4Vy3x_37AhHfI/s1600/SANY3883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkg6Cy27rSB-SCCyYat8JQNTzhTReGPyufIHRRrBySgd1lb-rQIAzXJOoCXFTOC5CxYiMuY4iFRUsb5JB5GB_vdEdSUVVPzTg355R2k8SyMZCifKZ2Hdm7b9zHpog8bQ4Vy3x_37AhHfI/s320/SANY3883.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You begin to notice things in greater detail</td></tr>
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I guess the main reason why is that I have the chance to develop an appreaciation for something elusive and fine. By seeking such I also have a chance to reflect inwardly upon myself which is a gift. Lastly, and most unexpectedly, I have met new friends, again a great gift.<br />
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Why do you drink tea?五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-63716242944242175922010-09-03T05:58:00.000-07:002010-09-03T05:58:23.329-07:002010 Nannuo (Essence of Tea)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWZolKoUqpCmPVknJOLoDjkB3_jyz1bIZgm8IC8avu50dYIlqff8mPZKH_lssMYqY109tpWVLwJKDPWCfHmUeMcu7xSEXp_HnOK02ma30veDC8uQ6dlFcMHx89dwX8KJJ0mLR3zHPhps/s1600/IMG_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWZolKoUqpCmPVknJOLoDjkB3_jyz1bIZgm8IC8avu50dYIlqff8mPZKH_lssMYqY109tpWVLwJKDPWCfHmUeMcu7xSEXp_HnOK02ma30veDC8uQ6dlFcMHx89dwX8KJJ0mLR3zHPhps/s320/IMG_0003.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the Emperor can wear simple clothes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's no secret that I have the complete selection of pu erhs from Essence of Tea this year after my visit to Falmouth. I didn't realise that they had picked a Nannuo this year and correspondingly didn't put it on my list until Nada mentioned it.<br />
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"No harm in having another cake!"<br />
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I poured out some spring water that was a full five litres the day before but was now two thirds gone! Have I really been drinking so much? Like the other cakes from Nada a chunk of leaf was prized off without much of a fight and the individual parts easily spread, "There seems to be a few extra streaks of silver." I noticed. A strong fragrance from the<i> bing</i> emerged.<br />
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Forgive my rather naff pictures taken off my iPhone, I tried my best to capture the light yellow colour of the soup. Using very quick steeps the soup was indeed fruity, very melon like, sweet as sugar with a strong presence of green apples. I thought it was a little bit astringent, which again made me think of apples, as my mouth was left a little dry, the<i> huigan </i>was candy sweet too around the sides of my tongue.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSelwyV_71WqhujIGYsY3Vk4Yezq48JtlUcDP1Mppk7ZVwTNbdofKPpSaF2sqS91lbsw_oPRqacnc9tDT0JK3RLwxmKv_CJvC7og-Ngqtmr37hu4BwGhPJas32oYPJKrtDt7mTkDKZH0/s1600/IMG_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZSelwyV_71WqhujIGYsY3Vk4Yezq48JtlUcDP1Mppk7ZVwTNbdofKPpSaF2sqS91lbsw_oPRqacnc9tDT0JK3RLwxmKv_CJvC7og-Ngqtmr37hu4BwGhPJas32oYPJKrtDt7mTkDKZH0/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light clear soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>After several infusions it started to settle down and level out with straw and butter, I feared the most that I had finished my journey when up pops the huigan again filling out the back of my mouth. A few more infusions and the job was done.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-84331767620296923862010-09-01T10:35:00.000-07:002010-09-01T10:36:08.583-07:00Tea in the park<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyB-A9TOf92tgCRvCy0U3Ez24aEu2BhHxpNvriJzzp4-X5kX1mo9XpR6oSEAm-aMPKOwmS50r5FLiY0D9dX1Rj1KMXf8ZEbNoZbOHOcac8tCDtowiWlV30Mchk9MD1p6xOhiJb2UXKS0/s1600/SANY3813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqyB-A9TOf92tgCRvCy0U3Ez24aEu2BhHxpNvriJzzp4-X5kX1mo9XpR6oSEAm-aMPKOwmS50r5FLiY0D9dX1Rj1KMXf8ZEbNoZbOHOcac8tCDtowiWlV30Mchk9MD1p6xOhiJb2UXKS0/s320/SANY3813.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uneven pouring on uneven ground</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Today's theme doing the tea blogging rounds is tea outside so it seems and as I have just this minute returned from sitting in the park with some roasted <i>Dong Ding</i> oolong I thought it apt to post a picture or two.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HOC8KrF9BDRuTHIptKWKl4ke-QYZ4yP5r1OkiekQ74NV49Y6peAubDdD7aJg4f_jU3ZhkB45sw49IQqAJUkeRixRrh-zcG_cMxRbKwesr9NgCrHCFNrmpIZwQqEU1HCT2MwTNHfxCM0/s1600/SANY3814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-HOC8KrF9BDRuTHIptKWKl4ke-QYZ4yP5r1OkiekQ74NV49Y6peAubDdD7aJg4f_jU3ZhkB45sw49IQqAJUkeRixRrh-zcG_cMxRbKwesr9NgCrHCFNrmpIZwQqEU1HCT2MwTNHfxCM0/s320/SANY3814.JPG" /></a></div>Actually the tea was quite spoilt by the remaining flavour of my flask tainting the water with the faint whiff of Chinese herbs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz3RyQNRjx-5rjTfsEmvcUVjEBfyLzslZaMa4O3Nf6Q9jhdVkOV12YWDHaxpaLuIUT9qWdM2zkS9X3zpqGy8VlBCarn481kTqgdOtHkVcEAISWaze_7WVkHfD-1jNJeEgQ5bA_ypRLzA/s1600/SANY3842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSz3RyQNRjx-5rjTfsEmvcUVjEBfyLzslZaMa4O3Nf6Q9jhdVkOV12YWDHaxpaLuIUT9qWdM2zkS9X3zpqGy8VlBCarn481kTqgdOtHkVcEAISWaze_7WVkHfD-1jNJeEgQ5bA_ypRLzA/s320/SANY3842.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my new pot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Still, tea was drunk, food was devoured and an interesting passage on the clinical application of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma (大黄) was read.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JSqaoDizQqppvjfK1oMiyW_ID5iO9i_3eZkUVPpYkZnP-gWyGEJFo6HcbaiZihb-xsiiodsQp7zSIyj4Di1GkYz_4ff-vevzBbAHejD4IL0tazJD5YJquJOSYVDbbbEPZodqxbb8GTY/s1600/SANY3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3JSqaoDizQqppvjfK1oMiyW_ID5iO9i_3eZkUVPpYkZnP-gWyGEJFo6HcbaiZihb-xsiiodsQp7zSIyj4Di1GkYz_4ff-vevzBbAHejD4IL0tazJD5YJquJOSYVDbbbEPZodqxbb8GTY/s320/SANY3850.JPG" /></a></div>五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-84053793049609724832010-08-30T05:28:00.000-07:002010-08-30T05:30:30.001-07:001997 Hen Li Chang Bu Lang (Essence of Tea)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXi6yBWkIgV4_9Ouia0A-YknW1xoxjUgbYqjA75UR09G1l7YOlG8EnVq74JPjNafTNY4g7TlljLO8mWJ6PiOgHNDJpazIf7v7w4GHK6ckPqwo5vbgbWrggHveDhC4tGNpAONqUgPA34U/s1600/IMG_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqXi6yBWkIgV4_9Ouia0A-YknW1xoxjUgbYqjA75UR09G1l7YOlG8EnVq74JPjNafTNY4g7TlljLO8mWJ6PiOgHNDJpazIf7v7w4GHK6ckPqwo5vbgbWrggHveDhC4tGNpAONqUgPA34U/s320/IMG_0038.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fine brandy?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>One of the parting gifts from Nada during our visit a couple of weeks ago was this tea. It's nice to be able to have a chance to drink a pu erh from the late nineties again as I think it's a fascinating age where the tea goes from youth into maturity. I just wish I could of been able to track just how a pu erh reaches this stage year by year, what a education that would be!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIlfBbc4ybLXxolULk0C7Ar2ikPfjwNDXzWevPZHq_iQzKvYHaRkacIKmVEoP5jhZi2lw2KujITvSIpcWRyGc6cAMzj6Im1Tm-t7y8uN90-OxQU0mQFQEk7cKJ2SFBk0u3OT5r5nbHbM/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIlfBbc4ybLXxolULk0C7Ar2ikPfjwNDXzWevPZHq_iQzKvYHaRkacIKmVEoP5jhZi2lw2KujITvSIpcWRyGc6cAMzj6Im1Tm-t7y8uN90-OxQU0mQFQEk7cKJ2SFBk0u3OT5r5nbHbM/s320/IMG_0043.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Infused by the Sun, yang within yin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The dry leaf crumbled effortlessly into my larger <i>gaiwan</i>, it's so nice to not have to hack away with a hammer and chisel to get at the leaf (cough.. cough.. Xiaguan..). The dark honey amber soup was re-soundly in the realm of wood without being too earthy. I decided to brew using shorter steeps after my experiences at the Essence of Tea as I do have a tendency to go over the top, this also causes me to zero out passing distractions so I can fully concentrate on the tea. If there is one thing my life needs it is some tranquility, drinking tea at home gives me my only chance to truly slow down and concentrate inwardly.<br />
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Several steeps in the numbness on my lips goes up several notches and the session becomes more interesting all of a sudden with a fascinating expression of <i>cha qi</i>. I spend the next while focussing my attention on just how this feels and being quite tea drunk my mind wonders on the topic of kettles and water.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxr1Ov0cOi4vPWA8C1vGuFLpRX-H0dzu5KKmGJCu1hryf9UvHvKz8ZrjO7JdZG2lvSElpS1adL6MreK0FvxS4RwP79guGojrYvTk78wSWS1Gj5K-UabFZo8sBciH_08id_knguYzi7-c/s1600/IMG_0111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxr1Ov0cOi4vPWA8C1vGuFLpRX-H0dzu5KKmGJCu1hryf9UvHvKz8ZrjO7JdZG2lvSElpS1adL6MreK0FvxS4RwP79guGojrYvTk78wSWS1Gj5K-UabFZo8sBciH_08id_knguYzi7-c/s320/IMG_0111.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So far I have experimented a bit on using different waters from tap to filter to bottle and how to boil it. As I write this I am using a relatively cheap <i>tetsubin</i> on an induction heater that bleeps and whistles more than R2D2! I have always had an eye on an old <i>tetsubin</i> like the one pictured above and recently I have also taken a shine to a copper kettle from Postcard Teas but the truth is that spending a long distance flight amount of money on a kettle seems to be a little bit extravagant an expense at the moment. I suppose a more sensible first step would be to spend a tenth of that money on a less collectable item to give me an idea on the effects of a copper kettle.<br />
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The volume of my little <i>tetsubin</i> is small and I rarely have need to re-boil the water. I suppose if I were to have a larger kettle then I will be forced to bring the water to temperature again and again, would that have a negative effect on the taste of the water? One supposes it does but in reality I am without much actual insight.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-83030907569274956762010-08-30T04:46:00.000-07:002010-08-30T05:29:00.067-07:00Visiting Nada<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZXDQy0jwgrFAdXV9EGuUwsESqnroXEEAkiyQmZ56LzlULXxz8GvZhf039PYEPKl_ZWEY_irZlC1_8FvUHh0tTqw36KmK2RfMs-ju84LgGaGdfyiY3xAX02YPJnZAgGjhOGX8Wmdxiik/s1600/IMG_0113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZXDQy0jwgrFAdXV9EGuUwsESqnroXEEAkiyQmZ56LzlULXxz8GvZhf039PYEPKl_ZWEY_irZlC1_8FvUHh0tTqw36KmK2RfMs-ju84LgGaGdfyiY3xAX02YPJnZAgGjhOGX8Wmdxiik/s320/IMG_0113.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holiday makers on the busy High Street pass a tea oasis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Finally given a whole four day break in my busy cricket schedule myself and my partner head down the long road to Cornwall and pitch up our tent in a rather wet and windy farmers field a few miles from the town of Falmouth, home of Nada and his newly opened tea shop Essence of Tea. Nada's teas are no doubt well known to many of you, every year he makes the trip to Yunnan and sources out very promising pu erh and then sells it on without hiking up the price (there is a lesson to be learnt there tea sellers!) giving the western audience a terrific source of good tea. Pitching our tent so close to Falmouth was no coincidence and as soon as our breakfast was in our bellies we headed off to find the shop. After a couple of loops around the block, being given a bum steer by Google Maps we came across this most wonderful of tea shops. Nada's wife was sitting by the table, happily brewing tea for one of the locals and within a few minutes we were nattering away sipping to our hearts content.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9Xvk-QISZB9dtV_JfvQyVa2Ipl_mqsrxNPP-yA6waU8eipH9f1vaIx5ko3-0z2w9NyySpq_ZoGDKBH3awwpKjgl635ZiqBVISkDnN9qdZ74uvBU9a5P4EeyEFmWjgcgvdO0dY9nL5uM/s1600/IMG_0117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9Xvk-QISZB9dtV_JfvQyVa2Ipl_mqsrxNPP-yA6waU8eipH9f1vaIx5ko3-0z2w9NyySpq_ZoGDKBH3awwpKjgl635ZiqBVISkDnN9qdZ74uvBU9a5P4EeyEFmWjgcgvdO0dY9nL5uM/s320/IMG_0117.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many fine teas to choose from</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Over the next couple of days I lost count of how much tea had been drunk, the flow was constant and fine. Such a shop is a brave adventure considering the UK high street folk but one by one people who came in to mooch around were politely encouraged to spend time around the table and be given a true tea experience, how lucky they are!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzTgVOxe4DJPOaxHIx_xSdtZpJP16pphcs0bYo4MXjB5SqX-9XHqCPbad2iaF2AnOvDIT-8W_uCvNDCK73x5s4XFSXdSj7lPdS32tMcCfRiMCZxB8wqqGP2sDrVUMphj4JjBni0zvwIc/s1600/IMG_0114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzTgVOxe4DJPOaxHIx_xSdtZpJP16pphcs0bYo4MXjB5SqX-9XHqCPbad2iaF2AnOvDIT-8W_uCvNDCK73x5s4XFSXdSj7lPdS32tMcCfRiMCZxB8wqqGP2sDrVUMphj4JjBni0zvwIc/s320/IMG_0114.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Essence of Tea on the outside may be a delightful shop but the real essence is not of the tea but that of the couple that run it. We left after a couple of days feeling like we were leaving old friends quite touched by their warmth and promising to make the journey again to spend time sipping tea in their company. Thanks guys!五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-37455229631078017502010-08-04T08:03:00.000-07:002010-08-04T08:03:12.280-07:00Master Xu's Rou Gui<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6FZM0dW5VMXYW3lBNUQPaKK3muc-TWpIHn8QxZpvyqb8p6bTK6gd9o1V7I7iPY7XzIyA4G7ZxMjoQ4oV0PWX_NE7Pq5fMwdxKhnVuq-dMviJZ1l8nSPRklBjfAxrPcS7qxzpI3vIQ2Q/s1600/SANY3804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6FZM0dW5VMXYW3lBNUQPaKK3muc-TWpIHn8QxZpvyqb8p6bTK6gd9o1V7I7iPY7XzIyA4G7ZxMjoQ4oV0PWX_NE7Pq5fMwdxKhnVuq-dMviJZ1l8nSPRklBjfAxrPcS7qxzpI3vIQ2Q/s320/SANY3804.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Nutty and sweet in aroma, a thoroughly enjoyable tea..<br />
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.. short and sweet, there's something about <i>yancha</i> I can't really grasp!五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-72608014448782762382010-08-02T07:20:00.000-07:002010-08-02T09:07:25.470-07:00Behold the Beast of Bulang!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizugJeKqRZ_N8xUJPIqqCvnoSrsfmZL9XUYdNECVj1DAy3V8Ov-mal2CNigIFuMbTf9Y3T1sOHm6VpB_M-yE3CLPvXyVDtqYscLALP8oiyrR6ddTEBJgUOHbfQ1FXMNx6Fb_98kT3OYM8/s1600/SANY3776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizugJeKqRZ_N8xUJPIqqCvnoSrsfmZL9XUYdNECVj1DAy3V8Ov-mal2CNigIFuMbTf9Y3T1sOHm6VpB_M-yE3CLPvXyVDtqYscLALP8oiyrR6ddTEBJgUOHbfQ1FXMNx6Fb_98kT3OYM8/s320/SANY3776.JPG" /></a></div><br />
What seems like an age ago and was only a year or so I received a shipment of sample Pu Erhs from The Essence of Tea owner, DC. The one stand out tea of that shipment was his 2009 Bulang, it was extremely bitter and challenging to drink. Unfortunately I was too late to grab myself a full <i>bing</i> as they had all been sold and my sample soon dwindled to nowt.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjzQG9Qd31GTOoGGKi5cTY0MFOjQhbiGq8ay7oLk-IhsLkfh8BfSfDHz6MOHf3lNaxrDh7k2aVjUNP2ItmgQ4nAaOSct09h4PAAkRAO2Zu9l_xCcyz8J7XWstPq2l792Uf2J4V5UlCM0/s1600/SANY3778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjzQG9Qd31GTOoGGKi5cTY0MFOjQhbiGq8ay7oLk-IhsLkfh8BfSfDHz6MOHf3lNaxrDh7k2aVjUNP2ItmgQ4nAaOSct09h4PAAkRAO2Zu9l_xCcyz8J7XWstPq2l792Uf2J4V5UlCM0/s320/SANY3778.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>The beast returns though, in it's 2010 guise and this time I managed to snag myself a <i>bing</i>. Would it be as potent as last years? Well, with my parcel arriving in double time from DC, I launched myself upon it. Brewing 4.6 grams of leaf in a 100ml <i>gaiwan</i> I set about brewing this mighty tea once more. I consciously kept the steeping time shorter than 15 seconds and took my first sip.<br />
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Almost swearing, the soup was swallowed. This tea is an unadulterated assault of bitter lemon rind upon the palette! I cowered somewhat and reduced my second steep to just 10 seconds in an attempt to bring the beast upon some control. What followed was several rounds of myself locking horns with a formidable foe, again and again we clashed leaving me bewildering tea drunk and strongly moved by the <i>chaqi.</i> The <i>huigan</i> was most curious and quite unique, it felt like it wanted to express itself but was somehow shrouded.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bGp6FbzChzfp0-s8cRbK2yxThRN-_MMJtne3jDZ1CaU62Aa-J1aOqo45iWB5lK1fbvHNEDqKsyndM4M3WgdaznCIHeYWxfzQEM6xZrPGuTtuAaxQH2f-1rru127e5l5cDuhYmMzqZZ0/s1600/SANY3784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6bGp6FbzChzfp0-s8cRbK2yxThRN-_MMJtne3jDZ1CaU62Aa-J1aOqo45iWB5lK1fbvHNEDqKsyndM4M3WgdaznCIHeYWxfzQEM6xZrPGuTtuAaxQH2f-1rru127e5l5cDuhYmMzqZZ0/s320/SANY3784.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Rather sheepishly I took the <i>bing</i> and set it into storage, I was soundly defeated. This tea fascinates me, it is several magnitudes more potent than anything else I have tried. I can only imagine how time will warp it's characteristics and ultimately tame the beast. I am really looking forward locking horns once again in a few months time.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-21625700020940284782010-07-28T04:56:00.000-07:002010-07-28T04:56:46.641-07:00Postcard Teas and the 100 year old Shui Xian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTP5mc_dJvPGF-3x3JQphXGKSqbiEOMo5bmh6MlO-Dnm6wMOk8xoeVX9AjR1zCI8xI5igo7DwEJR813Mj2R6Ps-LHNL2-HjAoxjPKLCwbBC4W1mHhhzkcKpmFrq7zmURlowG5zbe_sds/s1600/IMG_0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQTP5mc_dJvPGF-3x3JQphXGKSqbiEOMo5bmh6MlO-Dnm6wMOk8xoeVX9AjR1zCI8xI5igo7DwEJR813Mj2R6Ps-LHNL2-HjAoxjPKLCwbBC4W1mHhhzkcKpmFrq7zmURlowG5zbe_sds/s320/IMG_0006.JPG" /></a></div><br />
How nice it is to be able to blog again but why the absence? The truth is that I have been just too busy to sit down and enjoy my tea for months now. My life has become a non stop rollercoaster ride of work and study which has been exhausting and there is little light at the end of the tunnel. My medical studies have really come along and I feel like I am finally getting somewhere. Today though is a day of rest, I have fought off illness and long days to have this solitary day sitting at home, giving me the chance to just relax and drink some fine tea.<br />
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On my way to clinic in London's Harley Street I had a chance to pop by a place I had only ever visited on Sundays (when the doors are closed). Postcard Teas sits just off Oxford Street a couple of minutes walk from the Apple store. The shop feels more like an art gallery than a retail outlet with it's well thought out displays. There are many fine quality wares with equally fine quality prices too, not for the faint hearted.<br />
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The owner is a very approachable chap and we had a good natter about tea, the weather in China this year and touched bases on people we both knew from the tea world.<br />
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My time was short so I had to leave but I left feeling rather content and ready for my clinical challenges that waited for me. I also walked off with a couple of samples generously donated to me, 'You might as well just have these for free as you will like them and want more!'.<br />
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Both samples were from <i>Wuyi Shan</i> and today's tipple is a <i>Shui Xian</i> from 100 year old trees. I am an admitted numpty when it comes to <i>yan cha</i>, but I do remember having a chat with a good tea chum about these teas and he recommended that I gave Postcard Teas' <i>yan cha</i> a go. Instead of making notes as I drunk I decided to just sit back and enjoy myself. I wasn't let down by this tea either, it is most agreeable! It had all the usual <i>yan cha</i> goodness but the<i> huigan</i> really stood out as did the endurance of the leaf. This tea kept me captivated for a good hour (which is a long time for someone with the attention span of a small child!).<br />
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It's good to be back.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-73425995296805391352010-05-04T13:28:00.000-07:002010-05-04T13:28:14.319-07:00France 1 England 0<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9pel8POdZ8A449_cn-5-J-MhQkk06I5qYoym7wLdjNwHZeiw4Av3sFE2vv2FjjRGiS6Q6YQcOlNiKG8FdOaBB4GJQ3N9tR4iNreEJ_TptJTWcR0t5iSPOrYqMSbF1A-uwHb0oQ0wlsk/s1600/IMG_1961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9pel8POdZ8A449_cn-5-J-MhQkk06I5qYoym7wLdjNwHZeiw4Av3sFE2vv2FjjRGiS6Q6YQcOlNiKG8FdOaBB4GJQ3N9tR4iNreEJ_TptJTWcR0t5iSPOrYqMSbF1A-uwHb0oQ0wlsk/s320/IMG_1961.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Not a football score I may add.<br />
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Here I am in the picturesque town of Biarritz as part of my work (a hard life it isn't). I had a couple of hours to spend looking around so I dropped by a café for a drink and some nibbles. Along came the menu and to my surprise I found this.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ok, it wasn't the finest pu erh, in fact I wasn't really sure that it was pu erh at all really. It wasn't dark enough for a shu but certainly not green like sheng. The taste was pretty unspectacular but it kept me amused enough through my hangover. I didn't take a picture of the tea bag but it was a nice cotton affair instead of the more common, and rather pointless, plastic perforated bag that I regularly see in France.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Come on England, get your act together and be more serious about tea!</div>五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-46392580670037048652010-04-20T02:59:00.000-07:002010-04-20T02:59:05.214-07:00Xiaguan FT Exquisite Elegance 2008 (YS)The spring has arrived and my hay fever mercifully isn't too bad today, so it's back to the blog I go.<br />
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I've been waiting a while for a new tea and upon my door came two examples of Xiaguan raw pu erhs, the first I'll tackle today. Certainly 'Exquisite Elegance' is a grand name but can the tea come up with the goods?<br />
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I haven't drunk much Xiaguan in the past but from what I have read the compression is tight and this tea doesn't do anything to disprove that myth. The majority of the sample came out of the foil bag in one large chunk! I wimped out of trying to prize a five gram lump and stuck to brewing up the loose leaf left over which came in handsomely to 5.1 grams.<br />
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Fitting with the volcanic activity that has brought the skies to a halt over the last week I am brewing this tea with Volvic water that filters through volcanic soil. The pot's aroma has tobacco, legume and dark winter berries coming up from the noticeably small leaf. The soup itself comes across not as potent as the aroma might of suggested but has a slight sweetness to it that grabs the sides of the tongue and builds up.<br />
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You know, it's just so nice to concentrate on tea again. My life has been a hubbub of activity recently and doesn't seem like it's going to slow down. It's my fault really with work, fatherhood, my degree and a diploma in Chinese herbal medicine too for good measure. Tea gives me a chance to slow down though and focus on a single aspect for just a moment though. What a joyous and useful hobby drinking tea is in modern life.<br />
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The second infusion hasn't changed much, no bitterness and a smooth quality, it coats the tongue nicely, a little bit numbing. The <i>huigan</i> builds slowly and I notice myself rolling my tongue around in the mouth a lot, God knows what I look like to any passers by my window. Along comes the third infusion, more bitter now but still lacking a bit of oomph, oh dear. It seems like like this tea just doesn't have enough in it to captivate my senses and the brief break from the outside world starts to fade in tandem.<br />
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On with the study and the pot becomes a side show.五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-36044055133690228462010-04-16T02:27:00.000-07:002010-04-16T02:27:35.481-07:00Ten minutes later....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3QIzqyIcZaqPh51Ri364O8_uh3ENLnhjl755QbsVrwD4PyjwhRjDyt8tIS1pjVw5MZecVi1KI9kBI21w_ep7n7fbYbKfZ4oX4VhWh2IvyLc6YXf6SPhfyixsJF6-Ta0GUr29-feyZ_I/s1600/SANY3176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ3QIzqyIcZaqPh51Ri364O8_uh3ENLnhjl755QbsVrwD4PyjwhRjDyt8tIS1pjVw5MZecVi1KI9kBI21w_ep7n7fbYbKfZ4oX4VhWh2IvyLc6YXf6SPhfyixsJF6-Ta0GUr29-feyZ_I/s320/SANY3176.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Well, as soon as I had posted my last entry there was a knock at the door and my two month wait for the Xiaguan was over. Now that's timing!<br />
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Guess I will blog again on my return from work...五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7667175165486921184.post-78480841819535521932010-04-16T02:01:00.000-07:002010-04-16T02:01:45.968-07:00Tea, tea all around but not a drop to drink...I have been unusually quiet on the blog since the start of last month. The reason for this is quite simple, I just don't have any new tea to review I'm afraid. It's not that I haven't ordered any, in fact, I have been waiting almost two months for one shipment of Xiaguan samples to arrive (something which happens quite often when shipping from China). I also have a considerable collection of tea now and I am busy making my way through my tea mountain before stocking up on new teas. I'm also waiting out for Nadacha to stock it's 2010 bings of which I wish to buy a couple of each I think.<br />
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As I'm typing this I am happily finishing off my '93 7542, very nice it is too!五行雲子http://www.blogger.com/profile/08595736598487984139noreply@blogger.com0