Miss Tea Delight 茶悅人生

On rinsing teas.. a rarely heard voice contrary to mainstream.

2017-12-06T16:08:00.000-08:00

This isn't my tea pet. Why? When brewing, I do not rinse my teas. Technically speaking, this piece of ceramic will rarely touch tea, only hot water that goes into the wastewaster bowl. Nevertheless, it will still glow with time.

If the tea is good enough, why rinse? Conversely, if you do not feel confident about your teas and would like to give it a slight rinse, why bother brewing it in the first place? Afterall, gongfu tea brewing is only reserved for teas of trusted provenance.

Fragrant, clear, sweet, and alive

2017-02-10T02:12:00.002-08:00

Hello hello, I have been well, and alive but severely neglected my blog until recently. To make up for this long period of writing drought, here is an article about Wuyi Mountain tea, adapted from Teaparker's blog.

Wuyi tea is produced in Fujian Province, China, and thrives on rock gravel. It is naturally full bodied in aftertaste. This coupled with its unique processing that includes re-roasting, packing, re-firing and other tedious steps, is more than enough to make this tea more refined, and its aroma purer, resulting in a rather unique taste with mineral notes and floral scents.

Wuyi tea is particulary affected by its roasting. The finished product in season still bears the marks of fire roasting that render it unpalatable.

奇种 2016 年制
Copyright © 2017 Miss Tea Delight 茶悦人生

If tea roasting is not executed precisely, the resulting tea will taste burnt and likely very bitter, hence the saying: Wuyi tea is consumed only in the year that follows its production.

In his "Fujian tea song”, Qing Zhou Lianggong wrote: "Although YuQian (a period before the rainy season) tea is good, it is too new, let not your lips even come close to this tea until its fiery flare has receded, keeping this tea in storage till it evolves into a crimson red would allow its value to quadruple over the years. Every tea merchant starts to sing to the tune of old teas."

Selling Wuyi Yancha from the last year has its origins in history. Tea production areas in the past did not enjoy the convenience of different transportation modes. Through the mountains and pass the rivers, transportation takes up at least half a year’s time before tea reaches the hands of merchants and consumers.

Tea farmers devised the method of preserving tea through roasting to ensure tea quality. In combination with Wuyi tea leaves mineral notes and full-bodied aftertaste, roasting and sufficient time to rest allowed this tea to transform and evolve into a better tasting product. The essence of Wuyi tea roasting with appropriate storage especially highlights the four cardinal qualities of fragrance, clarity, sweetness, and liveliness in this tea.

This video presentation makes me proud

2015-06-05T00:55:00.002-07:00

Tea heritage and traditions of Nanyang.

The 'NO label tea' movement - an objective approach to tea tasting

2014-08-09T06:54:00.001-07:00


#NOlabeltea

As a tea-practitioner who reads beyond labels, I am initiating the 'NO label tea' movement to promote a relatively more objective and rational approach to tea appreciation and degustation.

To start the ball rolling, simply purchase a 10 g mini sampler pack of my 'NO label tea' at 9 USD each (inclusive of shipping), write to me: missteadelight@gmail.com about your thoughts and tasting notes of the mystery tea sample mailed to you, and stand a chance to win for yourself any 20 g or 30 g tea packs from my bou-TEA-que selection of your choice!

#nolabeltea #teamovement

To improve your chances of winning and most importantly to encourage objective tea-tasting methods, ten best entries will be selected :) Can't wait!

Qilaishan Spring 2013 Oolong

2014-08-04T08:00:00.002-07:00

Ever-lasting freshness of spring

A spoonful of high-mountain goodness

Cool chaxi hues on a summer day..

1. Colour changes at the rim 2.Water dries up 3. Tea is ready!

The last drop.

Relishing the dewy scents of Mount Qilai..

..followed by a subtle yet complex aftertaste.

Clarity and luminosity - traits of a high quality brew

Fresh, lively and soothing oolong tea notes

A harmonious brew satisfies any thirsty soul

Only the right teas can inspire the right photos - thanks for reading :)

Alishan soft-stemmed oolong

2014-07-23T03:05:00.002-07:00

Olive green chabu and fresh oolong - what a match!

What this world needs in this day and age is some peace, tranquility and time-out from the press. An olive green keffiyeh seemed like the best choice of chabu for today's chaxi. Green also happens to be my favourite colour since it soothes our tired eyes.

For the purpose of comparing materials, I opted for a porcelain teapot today, something that is more readily available than a Zhuni teapot. 'He' is a big guy (roughly four cups of tea) with enough room for these tightly-rolled oolong balls to unfurl. Gong fu cha brewing is always about extracting the best fragrances, taste and flavours from your teas. For this to happen, tea leaves must always be opened by the strength of our pour and heat from freshly boiled water.

The pre-heating step also gives us a clue if the pot might be too big or too small to fill all three cups. In this case, I would have to adjust my infusion volume to a lesser amount. Doing so helps us to avoid the issue of '等杯', waiting for cups to empty the teapot.

With three cups of tea nicely filled, one could take time to reflect on his pouring skills (all part and parcel of the Gong fu cha package ;-)) - how much tea dripped and how even is the tea concentration in every cup. Such reflection actually brings the essence of gongfu tea brewing back into focus if you are seeking to improve your techniques.

In my few short years of studying gongfu cha, I have come to realise that attention to detail and a high level of concentration form the core of converting techniques to excellent tea brewing skills!

With a porcelain teapot, tea notes appear to be gently skipping on my tongue with a bright, clean taste. The relatively long aftertaste coats the tongue evenly like rich butter. The scent of green apples fills the breath as I exhale.

The right teas always require the right teaware, and the right teaware doesn't always come with a big price tag to beat.

Open-faced green tea brew

2014-07-11T09:16:00.002-07:00

Tasting this year's fresh Biluochun from Lin Hwa Tai tea shop

Fresh, lively and sweet, almost transparent brew

The metallic sheen on my pewter coasters imparts a very cool sensation on today's chaxi

Summer's heat is long gone

Ommm...

Tea in a bamboo sanctuary

2014-07-09T00:28:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a roasted tea in summer!

To stave my drowsiness off one hot afternoon, I picked a full-bodied, roasted red water oolong from Dongding last spring. Using a very gentle and slow pour on these leaves, I obtained a rather balanced infusion that remains sweet and robust in my hot-water flask. The depth of its sweetness reminded me of a sweet caramalised layer on a creme brulee. There was also a hint of sugarcane fragrance!

In the company and shade of these young bamboo plants (swaying ever so slightly in the sparse afternoon breeze), I was able to silence my mind and focussed on this tea's roasted fragrance that lingers on quietly, then quickly followed by a very clean aftertaste.

Outdoor temperature was 35 degree Celsius that day but I felt much cooler than that! A peaceful and green sanctuary paired with some great tea. Yum..

To brew this tea at home, you can watch the following video: 2013 Spring Dongding (LG) red water soft-stemmed oolong.

Qi Lai Shan Spring Oolong

2014-07-02T07:12:00.001-07:00

High mountain goodness in a pot - note the evenly opened leaves that result in a harmonious brew

High mountain freshness that never seems to fade

Sweet, mineraly and fresh aftertaste

It is hard to express the taste of this tea with words...

....perhaps these batik colours and patterns can convey much much more :)

Ramadan Kareem - in this generous month of Ramadan

2014-06-29T06:37:00.000-07:00

Wishing all my Muslim friends a blessed month of Ramadan.

The chaxi of earthly hues :)

In this month of generosity and gratitude, let us not forget to also share our special teas with our loved ones and family ;-)

Mixiang red tea with lively honeyed notes!

Inventive ways to combat the summer heat

2014-06-20T03:00:00.001-07:00

An ice-cold beer sounds like the obvious choice of drink for a warm summer day. Hot tea may sound almost counter-intuitive, but in the Middle East, a cup of black tea is very often the most popular beverage ordered from the menu even during sweltering summer months.


Copyright © 2014 Miss Tea Delight 茶悦人生

While kids prefer to cool themselves in the shallow water pools on the marbled mosque compounds, adults prefer their hot cups of tea in the tree shades, very often with cubes of sugar. In our glasses, not, which is why you spot an unopened sugar jar to the left. According to the locals, hot tea cools them down more effectively than an iced drink. The heat from the tea helps them perspire, detox and feel refreshed for longer periods of time.

When in the comforts of my personal tea space, I would go for a high mountain oolong that refreshes my palates and overheated surroundings! A Ming dynasty painting of wild orchids and bamboos adds to the 'cooling effect' of today's chaxi :-) Decorating one's tea table is a rather personal affair. However, the principles remain pretty much similar - a chaxi that offers a visual representation of what you are about to experience and taste! In our case, an Alishan high mountain green oolong tea..

Soft-stemmed oolong from last spring...mmm.. much of the light green and floral scents can still be experienced in this high mountain tea. A porcelain tea pot, warming the teaware beforehand and a strong pour of boiled water will help bring out the best flavours and taste this promising Alishan 2013 Spring Oolong.

My sensory evalutation comprises of the following: colour of brew, scents, taste. 1) Colour of brew is a of a bright, strong yellow and green hue paired with a high level of transparency.

2) A highly complex floral scent that you cannot get enough of and a hint of green apple as I exhale after a few sips of tea. 3) This tea presents itself with a rather high resolution on the tongue, coating it very evenly. It is fruity and has a sugarcane sweetness with no unpleasant roughness especially towards the back of the mouth cavity.

On this day when the thermometer reads above 30 degree celsius temperatures, this oolong quenches my parched throat very well. The aftertaste is long and comfortable as I type, words can flow thanks to the inspiration I get from my already eighth cup of tea. The mind is cool and the soul comforted ;-)

茶悦人生 Cha2 Yue4 Ren2 Sheng1 - Tea as one of life's (affordable) pleasures!

Saying goodbye - a tang classic

2014-06-16T03:34:00.001-07:00


Hongni red clay yixing teapot, 1970s

The teapot that tells a story about departure. To one side, we see engravings of a chinese landscape. It depicts a scene where famous Tang poet bade his friend farewell. The following is the English translation courtesy of Mr. Andrew W.F. Wong:

Wang Changling (698-757): At the Lotus Inn to Bid Adieu to Xin Jian

1 Tonight, into Wu, o’er the River, it rains of sleet so keen;
2 Come dawn alone you’ll depart, by the hills of Chu in between.
3 If my kin and kith in Louyang, should after me they ask, well
4 My heart is ice immaculate, abiding in a vessel pristine.

Translated by Andrew W.F. Wong (Huang Hongfa) 譯者: 黄宏發
11th January 2009 (revised 13.1.09; 14.1.09; 15.1.09; 19.1.09; 18.2.09)
Translated from the original - 王昌齡: 芙蓉樓送辛漸

1 寒雨連江(天)夜入吳
2 平明送客楚山孤
3 洛陽親友如相問
4 一片冰心在玉壺

Tang poem, by Wang Changling

Further reading: http://chinesepoemsinenglish.blogspot.com/2009/02/wang-changling-at-lotus-inn-to-bid.html

Teaware giveaways with a Southeast Asian flair

2014-06-14T04:06:00.000-07:00

For every 55 USD spending and above on teas or teaware items, I will be giving away selected teaware pieces that define Southeast Asian pottery style.

You would have probably seen some of these pieces in my blog entries & videos from time to time. This blue and white Lingzhi mushroom (another favourite symbol for longevity) bowl for instance, is a common everyday rice bowl. Just as wine cups are sometimes 'misused' as tea cups, such is the tolerant environment in the Asian context.

For me, I very often use these bowls to brew large quenching bowls of green tea on a hot summer day. Alternatively, it can also serve as a waste water bowl. We sometimes also use this as a soup or dessert bowl! The free-style strokes remain elegantly relaxed without overpowering the rest of the picture.

Teas I drink and recommend

2014-06-13T07:40:00.005-07:00


2014 Spring Alishan Jinxuan, fresh oolong

Year	Harvest	Origin	Process	Leaf type	Sampler	USD

2014	Spring	Shan Lin Xi	Mixiang oolong	Soft-stemmed	30 g	19
2014	Spring	Pingdong	Red water oolong	Soft-stemmed	30 g	17

2013	Spring	Dongding (FH)	Gui Fei oolong	Soft-stemmed	30 g	18

2013	Spring	Dongding (LG)	Red water oolong	Soft-stemmed	30 g	23
2013	Spring	Alishan	Gui Fei oolong	Soft-stemmed	30 g	22
2013	Summer	Sun Moon Lake	Mixiang red tea	Taiwan No. 18	20 g	16
2013	Summer	Xin Zhu (EM)	Oriental Beauty	QX DP oolong	20 g	16
2013	Winter	Pinglin	Red water oolong	Fuo Shou	30 g	16
2012	Summer	Xin Zhu	Oriental Beauty	DP oolong	20 g	20
2012	Spring	Yunnan Red	Red tea	Jinxuan	20 g	16
2011	Spring	Dian Hong (MJ)	Red tea	Wild Pu'er buds	20 g	14
2011	Spring	Shan Lin Xi	Red water oolong	Soft-stemmed	30 g	19

My tea videos and reviews:
- 2013 Spring Alishan (ZSH) fresh soft-stemmed oolong (blog review) (brew video)
- 2013 Spring Shan Lin Xi (YK) fresh soft-stemmed oolong
- 2013 Spring Qi Lai Shan fresh soft-stemmed oolong
- 2013 Spring Dongding (FH) Gui Fei soft-stemmed oolong
- 2013 Spring Dongding (LG) red water soft-stemmed oolong (blogreview) (brew video)
- 2013 Summer Sun Moon Lake Mixiang red tea Taiwan No. 18
- 2013 Summer Xin Zhu (EM) Oriental Beauty
- 2012 Summer Xin Zhu Oriental Beauty
- 2012 Yunnan Red Jinxuan
- 2011 Dian Hong (MJ) red tea
- 2011 Shan Lin Xi red water oolong

Boiling vs. boiling - the devil is in the detail

2014-06-10T07:58:00.002-07:00

Lately I've been weaning myself off the ever so convenient electric kettle in favour of this sweet little thing - the Teochew long-handled pot and stove set. Why? In theory, water that is brought to a slow boil from the heat of glowing hot coal tastes uniformly hotter, softer and more refined. Time to 'test the waters'!

This being a very delicate set of pottery, boiling is not easy to detect - no obvious crab or fish eye bubbles, little sound and only a trace of steam quietly emanating from the spout. Once boiling takes place, I poured water into the teapot and prepared some mixiang red tea.

The result was a beautiful bond between tea and water. Quoting from one of my most important lessons in tea, a tea that scores only 8/10 will result in a perfect score infusion when brewed using good water. Conversely, a perfect tea score of 10/10 will result in a brew that scores only 8/10 when subpar water is used. This highlights the importance of water quality and the way it is prepared.

Traditional nonya sweets and a red tea pairing

Starting at close to sunset, the whole process took a little more time than usual but the results were pleasing and very encouraging. I will do this more often (hopefully).

Further reading: Palina Chan's article in Chinese (http://www.teaparker.com/2014/06/blog-post_10.html)

How do you peel your pu'er tea?

2014-06-07T01:01:00.001-07:00

Personally, I do this with my bare clean hands because the sensitivity in our fingers would allow us to properly pry apart any pu'er cake breaking as few leaves as possible.
The trick lies in:
1) keeping the leaves as intact as possible while you peel away. What was the problem with the leaves I peeled below (bottom right)? Yes it seems intact but not separated finely enough. Leaves that are not peeled sufficiently often result in a bitter, sappy brew.
2) Investing a little bit more effort into making sure that your leaves look as evenly peeled as those in the top photo. Shake it apart if you have to try to obtain finer bits, but be gentle in your ways. Ensure that no lumpy parts are left behind and your plate of precious tea leaves will seem more plentiful and harmonious.

Try this at home and notice how much sweeter your pu'er tea actually is.

Chinese Tea Renaissance (Tea-naissance)

2014-06-04T06:49:00.002-07:00


Banana-leaf shaped fan, late Qing

..or rather, the gongfu cha revival. Chaozhou ren, or rather the Teochews as I know them were the first people who devised the most refined methods of appreciating tea during the Qing Dynasty.

A few items on the gongfu cha checklist include charcoal for firing, stove, chopsticks for handling the burning hot coal, a fan for keeping the coal's burning momentum, teacups (preferably three of them as they constitute the chinese word '品', to appreciate), a teapot or gaiwan, plates for your pot and cups, and saucers for the cups. Last, but not least, a serving tray for distributing tea to your guests.

Chaozhou gongfu cha demands a high standards of decorum in keeping with good taste and achieving the best brew and in the words of my favourite philosopher:

"One must shed the bad taste of wanting to agree with many. "Good" is no longer good when one's neighbor mouths it. And how should there be a "common good"! The term contradicts itself: whatever can be common always has little value. In the end it must be as it is and always has been: great things remain for the great, abysses for the profound, nuances and shudders for the refined, and, in brief, all that is rare for the rare."

The same could probably be said of gongfu tea practitioners and their lifelong goals!

Pot cleaning day

2014-06-03T06:54:00.002-07:00

Mixiang (naturally honey scented) red tea

A little bit on teapot grooming - While I have mostly enjoyed many infusions of red tea from my big zhuni teapot, I rarely cleaned it on the outside. As a result, quite a bit of dirt has built up on the outside and despite my frequent use of this pot, it did not glow as radiantly as it should.

With a cotton cloth and a few light dabs of warm water, I gave this pot a thorough wipe on the outside. The process took a little longer than usual because of accumulated stains over two years. My advice to readers is to wipe your pot after every use. This way, your yixing pot will surely gain that extra sheen with age and polishing.

The moon and mountains are my travel companions - Mansheng

By cleaning our pots and teaware on a regular basis, we come closely into contact with the design, potter's mark, feel of the material and glaze. This way we develop a more intimate understanding of the pieces we own and become well-acquainted with how best to use them for our next gongfu brew!

Teaparker's lecture series: Taiwan Cha, Gongfu brew

2014-05-08T22:25:00.001-07:00

[Article source: translated from Teaparker's blog] At the Taipei Story House last Sunday, Teaparker touched on topic of Taiwan tea brewed gongfu style. My role there was to demonstrate gongfu tea brewing on a chaxi.

What is gongfu style brewing? The first person to counter such long standing association between gongfu tea and the elderly was Teaparker himself. He is also happy to report that in recent years, the concept of gongfu brew not being old man’s tea has deeply rooted itself in the hearts of Taiwanese tea enthusiasts.

According to him, the gongfu aspect in tea brewing includes the choice of tea, teaware. Additionally, gongfu brewing also involves a balance between the elements of rationality and emotions. Besides our senses, a gongfu tea practitioner should also apply logic and sound judgement when preparing tea.

Source: Teaparker

With a few pieces of stones, flowers and fallen leaves from the garden, I replicated a sense of nature on my chaxi. This chaxi guides our imagination into a picturesque landscape as we brewed and tasted the gift of spring – this year’s Alishan light oolong.

The audience was then invited to examine the same tea poured into various cups made from different materials. For our brief understanding, Teaparker highlighted three points: material, glaze and firing temperature that influence the performance of each cup i.e. how different cups influence the taste of tea. I attended a similar event in Brussels two years ago.

A simplified style of brewing using a porcelain gaiwan and three cups paired with fundamental yet crucial tea appreciation knowledge, that afternoon’s tea lecture brought about another intellectual twist to our understanding of tea.

Taiwanese tea notes

2014-05-03T00:52:00.000-07:00

Fo Shou Yan tea

Shantou teapot

FSY tea

Zisha teapot?

Glossiness

This spring's tasting notes

Dong Ding Spring Oolong

Shan Lin Xi Spring Oolong

SLX?

Left: SLX Right: DD

SLX?

Morrocan black tea and a puff

2014-04-06T13:13:00.001-07:00

This is one of those days I needed a little something extra to go with tea.

Shan Lin Xi high mountain oolong

2014-03-12T12:27:00.002-07:00

The light yet persistent aftertaste of this high mountain oolong from Shan Lin Xi brings to mind the light, fluttery movements of a butterfly. This morning, I brewed this tea in a porcelain pot for five. The large volume ensures sufficient room for leaf unfurling. To highlight the fresh and jade green qualities of high mountain oolongs, I chose a celadon dish to impart an aspect of green vitality that connects us to mother nature.

Like a chameleon, subtle notes of grass, fleshy fruits and flowers greet my nose. It is not possible to describe the taste profile precisely. The jade-coloured liquid was pleasant on the tongue and throat. A slight warmth in my stomach presents itself. These are little signs - easily overlooked - that bear testament to the high quality of this tea.

Preparing a two-part video for this tea seems a nice way of introducing this tea to my audience. In the vidoe links above are my proposed steps for brewing this tea, and as you will later notice in the second video, a cloth coaster was introduced to the setting to reduce the dripping effect from my teapot. Teaware arrangement from my intepretation can be very fluid but must not interfere with my hand movements. Keeping the process harmonious and calm is also one of the many things I aim for when refining my gong-fu cha techniques.

The opened leaves after the first infusion were soft and very supple. I prepared four satisfying infusions from the amount of leaves you see in the first photo.

Oolong preparation two-part video

2014-03-04T14:03:00.001-08:00

"I feel clean" was what my Japanese friend commented after tasting Taiwanese high mountain oolong for the first time. She was also surprised that the taste profile overlaps with Japanese green tea brewed at lower temperatures of 70 - 80 degree Celsius resulting in an umami note. Later, I told her that this was not green tea, rather semi-fermented oolong that adds the extra touches of flowers and fruits.

You will find answers to good questions like how much oolong tea to use, at which temperatures to brew and for how long in this this video.

I always use freshly boiled water and start with the first infusion where 40 - 50% of the total soluble materials are released. This is why it makes very little economical sense to rinse teas especially when you are certain of their high quality.

In this second video, I show how the opened leaves look like and this is something that we can aim for when improving the technique of brewing ball-shaped oolong. Doing so will ensure full flavour release.

With this winter high mountain oolong from Ali Shan, I was able to brew it at least four times. I enjoy starting the day with a sip of light oolong teas. My breath is cleansed, stomach nicely primed with no hunger pangs. The aftertaste can stretch beyond half an hour with the more powerful oolongs from Da Yu Ling or Li Shan. I am quite happy with my 'liquid breakfast' and do not want to spoil the taste in my mouth. Give it another few hours and I should be ready for lunch!

Ageing gracefully - 2012 Oriental Beauty

2014-01-22T15:25:00.000-08:00

2012 Oriental Beauty

Many consider stashing aside pu'er teas because of their high investment potential. Of course with time, storing tea under proper conditions can also transform what used to be pure and fresh tea into something that isn't just very pure in taste, but has mellowed while its flavours have become richer. And I am not discussing pu'er teas alone. Well-made teas such as red or roasted teas can mature equally well over time and are easy to store as long as humidity levels are low and conditions are dark and cool.

Clarity

For reasons above, I have placed my bet on this two-year old OB which has been deep roasted. Its dry scents and fragrances after infusing are not as heavy or full-blown when compared to standard Oriental Beauties. Rather, they have more complexity with an overall pleasant bouquet and a depth to match.

To see if this tea is well-made, the brew should display a high level of transparency regardless of its colour. Porcelain teaware is my favourite material of choice thanks to its non-porous nature that hardly influences the taste and flavour of tea.

It may come as a surprise to some as to why a light-tasting tea like this could evolve well with the passage of time. I will have another go at clarifying this part better. When tasting this tea, the notes felt very light yet pronounced, but not bland. In combination with the complexity and depth of this tea, the elements for a successful recipe of a tea that can age well all seem to be present. Undeniably, intuition also has a role to play in this case, and my goal as a tea drinker is to sharpen my instincts through learning and experience.

When it gets cold and wet outside..

2014-01-15T15:37:00.001-08:00

turning to red, roasted or raw pu'er teas feels almost intuitive. If time allows, I would slowly bring water to a boil in my tetsubin and brew red tea in a zhu ni pot to enhance the lively, fruity notes, or turn to a zi sha (purple clay) teapot to help smoothen the sharp edge in young roasted teas that I cannot wait to try! As for raw pu'ers, a thermos on the go seems the quickest way of getting the most out of this relatively expensive tea type. Occasionally, a zhuan tai teapot comes into play. The use of various clays with different intentions in mind is what is most perplexing, and I dare say fun. Also, by comparing teas brewed in a thermos as opposed to the traditional gong fu style, one grows to appreciate the harmonious, enhancing effects of clay.