The Tea Series: Part One. What is it? How is it Made? What's in it for you?

Tea Series, Part One

Tea is made from the Camellia Sinensis, period. If you like mint/chamomile/strawberry infusions, that's dandy, but it ain't tea, it's an herbal infusion or tisane. Tea, all of it; green, pouchong, oolong, and black all come from (essentially) the same plant. Darjeeling, Ceylon, Assam, what have ya, the same plant. There are some tiny differences in the botany of tea plants in Darjeeling and say... Yunnan, but so slight that they do not attempt a reclassification. The Camellia Sinensis is a fairly long lived plant, but its peak years of production (quality wise) are between 30 and 50 years of age.

The chain of events that lead to producing the marvelous leaf begins with the plucking. In some areas, this process is mechanical, but in the cases of most high grade tea, the terrain is all but impossible for a machine to operate. Connoisseurs demand a well manicured leaf, so it is done as it has been since before recorded history... by hand. Workers, usually women, get up before dawn and begin the laborious process of plucking. Using only well manicured nails, they carefully remove two of the newest leaves and a bud, or for a coarser tea, any shoots that might appear. The amount of tea that a worker can pluck ranges from 8 to 25 kilos per day, depending upon leaf size, and difficulty of terrain (Darjeeling = 8, Assam = 25). As an aside, some Darjeeling Estates, such as Arya, are so quality-conscious that they will pay the best workers a whole days wages to only pick in the early morning, when the leaf is at its best. Once the day's tea is in bag, it is rushed to giant screens where the leaf is allowed to wither, to make it more pliable.

If green tea is being made, after withering, it is thrown into a big gas-fired wok-like contraption and heated to kill enzymes, packaged, and on its way. What about Pouchong, Oolong, and Black? These are "fermented" teas or, more properly "oxidized". The best way I can describe oxidation? Cut an apple, and what happens? At first nothing, and then after its juices are exposed to the air it starts to darken. Same thing with tea. The leaf is rolled and bruised, causing the juice to come out and the whole thing becomes a sticky mess. The mass of leaf starts to darken. If you want a Pouchong, just let it darken a little. Oolong? Let it darken some more... well, you get the idea. After the tea hits the shade that the master wants, it is fired in a similar manner as the Green, shaped, and shipped.

So, what's in it for you?

1. It's cheap. Even when you are exploring $20 per pound tea, you are drinking the finest stuff in the world. A $20 per pound tea represents the top 1/2 of 1% of tea produced. At 200+ cups per pound, that breaks down to about a dime a cup. How many other top tier products can you indulge in that runs 10 measly cents per serving? Now say that you are fond of an insanely expensive Gyokuro that runs $300 per pound (?!), that still breaks down to a buck and a half a serving, roughly half the cost of a bad house wine purchased during happy hour.

2. Variety. Even employing only three different methods of enjoying tea (say.. English, Gaiwan, and Gung Fu) on each of the world's great teas, you could have three different cups of tea per day, for the rest of your life, and never repeat. Try *that* with a Cognac (and, Lord knows, I've tried)!

3. Collecting. Not tea (for it is too perishable, Pu-Erh aside), but in tea ware. Samovars, Gaiwans, Tetsubins and Yixing pots, tea cups, tea pots. Lomonsov alone could be a lifetime pursuit. If you follow this approach, just chuck reason #1 right out of the window.

4. Health. This delicious stuff is actually great for ya. The antioxidant effect of tea is legendary. The Japanese smoke like chimneys, and yet have some of the longest life expectancy in the world. Georgians (Russia)? Same thing. The caffeine content is fairly benign, when compared to coffee, and yet it has similar revitalizing qualities. One only has to have one night "drunk" with chatty friends on many cups of tea from a Samovar to know how much fun this stuff can be. Many vitamins are found in tea, and studies have shown that large tea consumption retards tooth decay (so what happened with the Brits?)



Yours, in "Tea Life, Tea Mind"

R. "Bear" Graves, International Tea Master Association

The Tea Series, Part Two: How to brew Tea, English Method (or Brew-doo that Voodoo, That You Do So Well)

Tea Series: Part Two

Brewing. That moment of truth. The act that separates the men from the boys, the wheat from the chaff, the champs from the chumps...and a whole bunch of other clichés as well! It ain't magic, but it does take some attention, especially until you do it enough that it becomes automatic. The underlying assumption is that we are doing this "English" style, and not with the Gaiwan, or Gung-Fu method (down the road).

Would you choose the same marinade and preparation for beef and shrimp? Of course not, so why would you try to do a one-size-fits-all brewing method for your tea? The three primary categories of tea, Black (Red), Oolong, and Green differ slightly in their brewing sciences, but there is one common, underlying consideration; the size of the leaf. As a rule of thumb, the larger the leaf (once unfurled), the longer the brewing time. Why? A large leaf has less surface area directly exposed to the hot water than a broken leaf. Thus a gigantic Yunnan leaf will take longer to relinquish its goodness than a smaller Broken Orange Pekoe (which is a size, not a type), and a tea bag, which is usually just fannings and dust will infuse damned near immediately.

Infusion method. The simplest method is to just throw the leaf into the pot (after you pre-warm the pot with hot water, and the dump the same). This works great, if you will pour the entire contents out into cups the first go around. If you don't empty in one go, then that second cup just had the whole concept of brewing time thrown right out the window, don't ya think? For second (3rd, 4th) refills, it's important to get that leaf out, once you have reached your desired point of infusion.

There are three methods that I prefer: Wire mesh balls (not those horrid little acorns), throw away bags, and pots with built in infusers. If you choose the first, buy balls as large as the opening in the pot will allow, or use multiple balls. Only fill the device half full, to allow for expansion of the leaf. Throw away bags are my current favorite. They are available in bleach and chemical free form from a variety of sources. Just fill, drop in and pull out. As far as tea pots with built in infusers, Chatsford makes an 'ok' one, and Boodum offers a huge range of infuser pots that range from great to "Hot Damn!" I don't recommend using a Mr. Coffee filter and coffee pot. That method provides too little contact time with the water, and throws both time and temp to the wind.

Quick aside on amounts. "One heaping teaspoon per cup, and one for the pot.." is only written in the fevered imaginations of tea vendors. Thus, following their formula, if I am making a 48 oz pot, based on a 4oz per cup, I need to use 13 heaping teaspoons??!! "Piffle!", and for emphasis, I'll add "Twaddle!". For that pot, I would probably use 7 rounded teaspoons, and be considering heating extra water in case it was too strong. It will take some experimentation on your part top find your "zone" on a given tea, but my amounts should get you close.)

Black Tea: Universally brewed with water fresh off a rolling boil, all 212 f., Baby! Time: (allowing for differences in leaf size) 5-6 minutes for big leaf Chinas, Ceylons and Assams. 3-4 Minutes for most Darjeelings, unless you love astringency. Smaller leaf teas, like BOP Ceylon, BOP Assam 2-4 minutes. CTC Teas (hack, spit) 1-2 minutes. "Normal" Tea bags, 30 sec-1 minute. Lapsang: 212 f. 6 minutes. Pu-Erh: 212 f. 6 minutes. Oolongs: 190 f. Just before a full boil, 5-6 minutes. Greens: 140f-180 f. depending on how delicate—the more delicate, the less the temp. Brew for 2-3 minutes to avoid an overly vegetal flavor. Jasmines: kind of half and half. Water temp like an Oolong, time like a Green.

Yours in "Tea Life, Tea Mind",

Bear, 
International Tea Masters

The Dreaded Acorn

Don't even think of using one of these

The Tea Series, Part three: The !0,000 Names of Oolong

Tea Series: Part 3

Oolong. The name is a corruption of "Wu-Lung", or "Black Dragon" in Chinese, but this wonderful elixir is anything but corrupt. Oolong might well be my desert island type of tea.
Though, technically a tea that falls somewhere in between green and black, there can be so many variations of color and curing that it can provide nearly infinite possibilities in taste. Oolong has provided me with some of the most profound moments of my life. One evening, I was visiting family who had a great house on a hill in La Jolla. Tired of the usual patter and bickering that is the hallmark of my family, I threw my cushions out on the veranda and tried to meditate...no good, I just couldn't quiet that chattering monkey mind of mine. Giving up, I made my self a pot of Anxi Oolong, and wandered outside to look at the lights and sip. Within moments the steam curling from my cup started to entwine with the lights below, the fragrance carrying my spirit up and out over the ocean. There was nothing that was me, there was nothing that was not me. It was perhaps the closest this chattering monkey-mind with a keyboard has come to a temporary satori, or "kensho".

This lil' monograph isn't intended to be a completely exhaustive survey of all things Oolong, but to touch upon the highlights and characteristics of the "heavy hitters", as well as some of their little brethren. Before we launch into the survey (the next post), let's get a few terms that are tossed around a lot:

Ti-Kuan-Yin/ Iron Buddha/ Goddess of Mercy: A type of tea that used to be exclusive to the Fukian (Fujian) province. Noted for HUGE leaf size, multi-layered peach like fragrance, and ability to withstand many infusions. As with all things both Chinese and epic, this tea has a cool legend associated with it. Back in the days of yore, there was a poor tea farmer who lamented over the condition of a temple that was dedicated to Kuan-Yin, the Goddess of Mercy (a rough equivalent of Catholicism's Madonna). Financially unable to repair it, he thought that the least he could do was to burn incense and clean the place twice a month.

One night Kuan-Yin appeared to him in a dream and told him to look in the cave behind the temple for a treasure. He was to take it for himself but also to share it with others. There he found a single tea shoot which he planted and cultivated into a bush with leaves that produced a singularly fine drink. He began selling it under the Kuan-Yin name, and gave many cuttings to his neighbors. All prospered, and eventually the temple was repaired. Plantings (or "jets") of this sub variety are now planted in many areas of China, as well as the R.O.C. (Taiwan). Generally, if you see this nomenclature associated with a tea, it will be good...sometimes incredible. For a great example, try Upton's "Buddha Palm", and see the face of the infinite.

Monkey Picked Oolong. One of my favorite hyperboles. Growers used to puff their product by declaring that the tea trees that their product sprang from grew in such precarious and inaccessible areas, that specially trained moneys were sent up to pick in areas where no man could. Nowadays it a moniker that a seller will use to designate his very best Oolong, almost always attached to another term ("Iron Buddha Monkey Picked").

Fancy/ Extra Fancy/ Extra, Extra Fancy/ Fanciest/ Imperial (whew). A grading system, used almost solely in the R.O.C. Fancy represents what I would consider the entry level for a good oolong. By the time that you hit a Fanciest or Imperial, you are tossing anywhere from $80-$200 per pound at a tea and are in for some Oolong that will "shake the pillars of heaven".

We will start, with what many agree to be the greatest of the Oolong regions, the Venerable Anxi.

Region: Anxi
Location: Fujian Province. Southeastern China

In many cases, when you hear the names "Fujian" and "Anxi", think Oolong. This region is a huge producer of some of the most treasured Oolongs in the world. Anxis are typically floral, light, and incredibly complex. Here's a small list of some of my favorite Anxi:

Gold King: Rich, slightly heavier than typical Anxi fare. Hints of peach, with honey underpinnings. This one, like almost all good Anxi, will take many waters, for those more frugally minded.

Green Orchid Oolong: Made in an almost Pouchong manner (halfway between Green and Oolong), this one brews up in a color between grass and hay and does (really) posses a scent that resembles orchids.

Red Water Oolong: This tea moves a bit away from its Anxi Brethren, in that it tends to hit more fruit notes than floral. Rich, with hints of plum and jam, this one brews into a bronze and toffee brew that carries an base note of caramel to support the sweet preserves.

Spring Anxi Blossom: One of my favorites. Apricot, apricot and still some apricot. Make an excellent tea for Gung-Fu style service.

Te Kwan Tin: That most venerable of Oolong names. Anxi Te Kwan Yins are richer than most of their sisters. Complex layering of floral upon fruit. Perhaps the best of the Gung-Fu style teas, this one has real back bone, and can take as many as 8 waters when prepared in the small Yixing Pot (please see previous postings about Te Kwan Yin).

Water Maiden: Lightly roasted in the Mountain Tea Gardens, typifies the light, highly floral Anxis. Brews up a vibrant orange liquor with toffee and butterscotch undertones.

Da Hong Pao: Roughly translated as 'Big Red Robe', this tea is, without question, the most famous of all Oolongs, and no, you don’t have a prayer of tasting the original stuff that launched the legend, but you can come pretty damned close.
Da Hong Pao, according to legend, received its name when the mother of a Ming Dynasty emperor was ‘cured’ of an illness by drinking cups of the same. In thanks, that emperor sent great red robes to clothe the four bushes from which that tea originated. Remembering that the general industry consensus on the useful life of a tea plant is 30-50 years, the fact that three of the original bushes still exist is a testament to the attention lavished on these renowned leaves. Having that said, the greater the age of a tea plant, the lower the output. There was a point that these ancients only produced one kilo of finished leaf per year, a portion of which was reserved for high ranking Chinese officials. Back in 1998, original source Da Hong Pao received authorization for sale from the government, and the kit and ‘caboodle sold for close to one million (US)! 

The DHP that you see for sale on internet sites today can be one of two things; outright fraud OR a tea that was made from cuttings of the original, and planted in similar soil/terrain in close proximity to its ancestor. If the latter, you are in for a real (if still absurdly expensive) treat. Usually taken to 40% oxidation, this leaf brews a medium/medium-dark hue, and presents a base fragrance of sweet honey & caramel with a light peach top notes. The finish is pleasantly startling; a sweetness that is perceived in the throat before tongue, followed by a wonderfully subtle earth/mineral conclusion.
(More regions to come in subsequent writings)

Brewing time and temperature: For the darker and more robust: 190f, and 5-6 minutes. With lighter leafs, take her a bit down; 180f, start at 4 minutes and adjust time upward, as your taste sees fit

Yours, in "Tea Life, Tea Mind"
Bear, InternationalTea Master Association

The Tea Series, Part Four. Darjeeling: A Fickle, Expensive Mistress

The Tea Series: Part Four

Darjeeling, the "Queen of Teas". Grown on cloud covered slopes near the India/Nepal/Bhutan border, within view of snow-capped Everest, Kabru, and Kanchenjunga, the very name conjures up visions of travel to exotic lands. Can you see the saffron-shrouded Tibetan monks silhouetted against a crystal clear azure sky? Can you smell the clean, crisp air, and hear the wind buffet and play through green meadows? Try a top tier Darjeeling, and you just might...

Darjeeling is arguably the most famous place-name of the world's teas, and unquestionably one of the most costly. Whilst a member of The Tea Masters, we were given an opportunity to purchase a sample from the world's most expensive tea: a Darjeeling that sold for over $3300 per kilo. Um... I didn't buy much. Thankfully, for us all, Darjeeling may be expensive, but usually not that dear. Depending upon the estate, the flush, and the year, good single-estate Darjeeling will run from $25 to $100 per pound. Given that you can get about 200 cups from a good tea, that breaks down to 12.5 cents to 50 cents a cup. Not a bad deal, eh what?!

Sadly, Darjeeling is also the most counterfeited tea in existence, with almost three times as much being marketed world wide than is actually produced. It doesn't take a "smarter than the average Bear" to see that cheaper Indian tea is being sold as the Queen, as well as mixed in to the authentic stuff bearing her sovereign's name. So, how to avoid paying for a Bentley and being sold a Yugo? Know your broker, and know your estates.

Why is Darjeeling so damned expensive? For starters, the best stuff is grown on steep, treacherous slopes that range from 5,000 to 8,000 feet above sea level. Second, the leaves are typically smaller than most tea, resulting in many more leaves needing to be plucked to create a kilo of finished product. Most importantly, that damned, fickle weather. Rapidly changing, unpredictable weather patterns often turn a great growing season into a bad one. Rains too soon before a plucking will result in a tea that comes closer to being a dare than a "delight".

The Queen of Teas, is sold, primarily based on two factors: Estate, and "Flush" (or the timing of when the shoots are plucked). The first flush is usually picked in early April. If the rains hold off during the last week of plucking... good year. The first flush is the most aromatic, the brightest, and the most expensive. Estates that are perennial buys for the first flush are Arya, Puttabong, Namring, and Makiabari. A wise tea buyer once said "The harder it is to describe your first flush, the better it is". I'd agree with that. A great first flush is floral, bright, multi-layered. They also tend to be pretty damned astringent, which is why I generally drink...

The second flush. Picked in early Summer. softer, rounder, fuller, fruitier, and LESS EXPENSIVE! My favorite second flush is Margaret's Hope, which is nicknamed in the industry "Muscatel", and aptly named it is. It is still unmistakably Darjeeling, but has rounded edges and a very fruity bouquet that is reminiscent of Muscats (go figure). If you can find Margaret's Hope Second Flush from the current year, "Buy unflinchingly" sez I!

Finally, we have the Autumnal flush. All of the edge is gone, but so is much of the interest. There are some good points, however. Less expensive, darker, and sometimes has a hint of smokiness. Makiabari produces a good Autumnal flush, as does Sri Sibari.

Brew at 212 f. for 3-4 minutes depending upon leaf size and flush (a bit less time and lower temperature for first flush).

Yours in "Tea Life, Tea Mind",
Bear, International Tea Masters Association

The Tea Series, Part Five. Ceylon: Beyond Lipton

 The Tea Series, Part Five

Ceylon, renamed Sri Lanka when the nation decided to go back to its original Sinhalese name, retained its old moniker for its exports because, in theory, it sounded "more romantic". Ceylon... the very name is evocative of vine covered temples, mist shrouded mountains, shitty generic tea that sits, waiting to pounce upon unsuspecting tea neophytes. Why the reputation for mediocre tea? Well, let's go back a bit (begin dream-like "return to the past" music".)

1867, a Scott named James Taylor helped with the first tea plantings, and soon discovered that the lowlands weather (warm, high rain fall) resulted in spectacular growth in the tea plant. How spectacular? Remember how Darjeeling has three main flushes, or pluckings per year? In the Ceylon lowlands they have a flush every 5-7 days! This abundance of growth, combined with a solid middlin' brew, made it a natural for high volume commercial use. Many famous companies, such as Lipton, made Ceylon its center for raw material production.

Thankfully, for those who like high quality tea, just as Italy can produce cheap red wine *and* fantastic Barolos and Brunellos, Ceylon has its own "Bordeaux", "Burgundy", and "Loire". Namely Dimbulla, Nuwara Eliya, and Uva. (How's *that* for mixed regional metaphors?). All of these are located in higher elevations, with far less pluckings than their lowland brethren. 

Dimbulla is located in the west highlands, and its best tea is plucked from January to March, when the cool climate and low humidity combine to concentrate the leaf sap. Light in body, and incredibly aromatic, they produce a clear gold liquor and wonderfully lingering aftertaste. My favorite Dimbulla is usually produced by the Kenilworth Estate and, at only about $35 per kilo (or about 8 cents per cup) a killer deal!

Nuwara Eliya is also on the western side of Sri Lanka, but higher up than Dimbulla. At elevations that approach 8000 feet, these gardens are some of the highest elevation plantations in the world. Light in body, blockbuster fragrance. If you find these teas, especially if the estate carries the honored names of Eliya Estate, or Lover's Leap, purchase unflinchingly, sez the Bear!

Uva is not the first name of an actress, but a region that is so high and steep, that often aerial rope ways are needed to harvest the tea! Because of their eastern slope local, their best season is from July to September. More reddish than their other Ceylon brethren, and more powerful, this tea is often described as less aromatic and complex than Dimbulla and Nuwara. Still, if you give some estates like Pettiagala or Thotulagala a try, you just might find "lesser" some fightin' words. Brew in 212 f. water 3-5 minutes, depending upon leaf size.

Yours in "Tea Life, Tea Mind,"

Bear, 
International Tea Masters Association

The Tea Series, Part Six. Lapsang Souchong: Hailed by All, Drunk by Three?

Lapsang Souchong, that magnificent tea savored by connoisseurs, both real and literary, and according to industry sales receipts, apparently drunk by three people...

What, exactly, is Lapsang Souchong?

Literally translated as "small plant from Lapu mountain", Lapsang Souchong was the first recorded black tea produced in history. At its most basic, it is a Fukian (Fujian) black tea that has been cured by smoke.

Superb over ice.

According to a tourist brochure that I once saw "Lapsang gets its distinctive taste from the mineral rich soil in which it is grown". (ahem) Unless you have actually seen this tea produced in Fukien, sans smoke, you have my permission to consider this bollocks! Lapsang is made, initially, pretty much like all quality black (or as the Chinese refer to them "red") teas. Plucked, withered, rolled, and allowed plenty of time for oxidation, it is then placed in bamboo baskets and hung over *just* smoldering pine wood. The amount of smoke imparted to the leaf, much like the decision of how much petit verdot will be added to a given vintage's Chateau Margaux, lies in the hands of the master that oversees the production. A great tea, like a great wine, wants a continuity of house style, and will make micro-adjustments to offset any eccentricities found in the harvest.

Lapsang is a fantastic outdoor tea. It is my sole gardening tea, and in the Summer, I love it iced with a sprig of fresh mint. Another digression: Norwood Pratt (perhaps my favorite tea author of all time) has a great story about Lapsang and the 'Great Out of Doors'. He used to be fond of sailing with a friend of his, Lyle Bongee. Lyle, precisely at 4 pm, would always appear from down below, with a piping hot cup of Lapsang. Combined with the bracing sea air, it was always an outstanding experience.

One day, out of nowhere, a terrible storm moved upon the little sloop while it was far away from shore. The ship pitched, rolled, and nearly capsized a couple of times, Pratt was sure that they were goners. At 4 pm, Bongee appeared from down below, with the Lapsang. Pratt savored the cup as he had never enjoyed it before. For, if Bongee made tea, he (the captain) *knew* they were going to make it. Later Bongee confided that he had no such confidence. It was just that 4 o'clock was Tea Time, and some traditions you just don't screw with.......

Lapsang Souchong may well be considered the "Scotch" of teas. Like Scotch, it isn't for everyone, and is rarely appreciated on the first taste (hence, its light sales). Like Scotch, over repeated exposure, a taste can be developed. Brewed properly, it has a delightful orange-reddish liquor that is reminiscent of Scotch, and has that smoky goodness associated with the likes of Oban, and Laphoraig.

You really should give this esoteric tea a shot. Buy the smallest amount over the sample size that is available (it will take at least 3-4 exposures to come to a truly informed conclusion). At worst, you've added another notch to your tasting belt, and can speak with a bit of authority on it. At best you might have found your new outdoor brew.

Brew with water on the full boil, 5-6 minutes of steeping.

Yours in "Tea Life, Tea Mind",
Bear, International Tea Masters Association

Lapsang Souchong: The Dark Side of the Force

Tea Series, Part Seven. In Praise of the Gaiwan.

Now you have mastered the English method of making tea. There are no other worlds to conquer, no other horizons to explore, right? (buzzer sound) Wrong! "Johnny, tell our player what he gets for comin' on the show....." Today, we'll cover the first of my favorite methods of brewing: the Gaiwan method.

What's a Gaiwan?

"Gaiwan" means, basically "covered cup" (go figure) and is one of my favorite methods of enjoying tea. In a nutshell, heat water to the desired temp, and put it into a thermos of some sort (or, in my case, I have a Zojirushi that electronically maintains water at whatever temp I desire, but I'm a nut case). Drop your tea into the Gaiwan, add water, cover with lid, wait a few minutes, and drink. The initial water will cause the leaf to float on the surface in the cup.

Hold the Gaiwan, with its saucer in your dominant hand, thumb stretching up to hold the cup in place, and use the other hand to crack the lid just enough to allow the tea to be sipped, tilt and drink. In formal method, you use two hands, informally, with practice (lots), you can hold the cup and saucer in your palm, shift and hold lid with the thumb of the same hand, and tilt/ drink.
Another method is to remove the lid and fan back the floating leaves enough to sip the clear liquid. By the second addition of water, the leaves will be saturated enough to sit contently on the bottom. With some practice, you can pour the water in such a manner that you will invert the tea leaf, before it settles to the bottom.

A great tea will take up to 8 waters! Quite a method of stretching tea. Additional pouring of water will require increased steeping time. Each subsequent water will bring out different characteristics of the tea. In a formal Chinese setting, each of the guests will comment on the different nuances that each new water brings. I find this the most "meditative" of the methods of enjoying tea. Gazing into the green leaf at the bottom of a cup... it's like having your own, personal garden. Some green teas, such as "jade flagged spear", will actually rest on the bottom of the Gaiwan with its ends pointing upward, kind of like having a bird's eye view of the top of a forest. Tranquility in a cup, without the liver damage, great stuff!
Yours in "Tea Life, Tea Mind",
Bear, International Tea Masters Association