Two small cups by Yoo Tae-Keun

During preparation of the TongECha post for this blog, going through our collection, my eyes rested on two cups. Two small, extraordinary goblets created by Korean ceramic master Yoo Tae Keun.

Those cups are the only ones in our collection, where the surface is not bare clay nor glazed. Mr. Yoo has used here, for finishing the surface, the urushi. The Urushi is Japanese term and also the technique is famous as Japanese. Despite that fact there are many historical as well as modern Korean works using Chinesse lacquer three sap to create natural varnish called urushi. As many others, technique of urushi came to Japan from China thru Korea. And as many others, Koreans have used this knowledge and craft in their unique way.

We got those cups as a generous and valued gift during our first visit of Korea from Mr.Yoo. Those cups are not for daily use for me. For their special look and feeling I present them during special occasions. The lacquer gold combination represents luxury. But it necessarily doesn't have to be  luxury of wealth. There are also luxuries of time and friendship. The Luxury of freedom. By cleaning, preheating and filling those cups with high-end tea I bring out consciousness of those Luxuries.

Cups are light and with almost not-ceramic touch. I like to use them on more earthy, stoneware saucers. It brings harmony. Shape of the cups is simple and let's say humble. Regardless the urushi and the gold cups still do not protrude. When you raise them up to your lips then the preciousness of the moment shows up.

 
  To meet Mr.Yoo, to see his kiln and to visit gallery belong to those memories, which one will not forget. His ability to follow traditional ways with fresh and modern spirit is admirable. I wish to go this way too...

Pictures of Yoo's kiln, gallery, himself and bowls full of sun....

Thank you for reading!

Tong E Cha

I have spent this morning with Korean tea. Partly oxidized Korean teas are mostly called Balhyocha. In this case, leaves are not only oxidized but also pressed or shaped to kind of ball. This gave name to this tea - it is called Tongecha - cake tea. According to Matt, it is quite new thing in the world of Korean teas. I was aware  that Czech supplier TeaMountain offer this tea, but before I got to buy it, my dear Spanish friend Antonio give me chunk of those interesting leaves. Magic globalization! Tea going from Hwagae valley situated in south of Korean peninsula to Czech Republic, thereafter to Barcelona tearoom and then back to middle of Europe as a friendly gift.

Leaves are dark, small and lively looking. I removed them to small porcelain jar. After a while smelling to this jar I found dark, but sweet and very clearly speaking fragrance. When in many balhyocha you will find spicy or even sharper tones, here it is almost clear, dark chocolate.













Pressing of the tea is light so it didn't surprise me that even first brew was strong. But not too strong, it couldn't kill liveliness and vibrancy of the tea. Second brew become more smooth and filed my mouth with thick taste. The kind of taste, which brings me back to the childhood - candied fruits coated by dark but sweet chocolate.

It was interesting to contemplate how the tea slowly changed thru brews. The chocolate was still there. The aroma of chocolade changed with every cup. It went from heavier orange - citrus aromas over resin and light peprmint to violet or other sweet flowers fragrances. Smelling to empty cup was story itself or no less then irreplaceable part of main tale. The content of the empty cup was colorful and sweet in the way which reminds me best wui oolongs I had. The empty cup was full. And if I have missed that than my tea session would be poorer.






For high quality of those leaves speak (among others) their stamina. I haven't found a break point among brews. Liqueurs become slowly lighter but still sweet and fragrant. The seller says that you can prepare ten, full-blown brews. I confirm that. However, good water, right utensils and tranquil attention is needed for that. This tea is worth it.

Thank you for reading.

tea time full of memories

We had visitors in our "under construction" new place. Old friends staying here for couple of days- long nights with beers and laugh. Sunny days with walks, chats and teas. One tea experience I have prepared for my friends was session with many personal memories for me. And now, few days later, sitting on my chair I am putting some pieces of those nice memories on my table. When I am looking at them now - all grows from Korea. Or being more precise from my Mungyeong experience on which  I had the opportunity to participate for three times. To make those reminiscences more interesting for you, dear reader, lets boil water, rise a camera and try to take some pictures...

 

First we have a tea bowl here. Recently it is my much-favoured matcha bowl. Here it symbolized people I met during the festival. Those people from which many of them I can call friends now. This piece was created by Elena Renker -Skilled potter from New Zeland. I love here works generally but with this one I knew from the first touch- I am going to like to prepare and drink tea from it.

Light and soft -those words are main but not only positive impresions which pop up in my mind when I am holding it. Very thin wall, sandy clay body with slim shino glaze- It is not "Japanese like" or "Korean like" but still very pleasant with whisked tea.










 Next part of the story is this Matcha...

In Korean you find word Malcha rather than Japanese Matcha. This one was made in Japan for Korean market. It contains 5% of ginseng powder. I saw using ginseng with powdered green tea many years ago here in Czech Republic. Korean tea master (and tea producer) was mixing ginseng and tea powder directly in to the bowl during his exhibition (He was invited to our country by local tea company to promote Korean way of tea) and he told us: "this is how we prepare Matcha in Korea" I was impressed! So years after, during my first visit of Korea, I was looking for this custom. I was not so successful -all Malcha we were treated to was without ginseng. And all my questions stayed without clear answers. 

Then I finally find something -Japanese matcha produced by bigger company called "greencha". It was explained to me that this is made only for Korean market so for sure the habit was not myth or custom of one Korean tea family. I was only not so lucky to meet people who prepare it this way. Anyway I brought few cans back to home and share it with tea drinkers around. If I should compare this special ginseng-matcha mixture with some good matcha I would probably use description of my friend.  He feels that "the ginseng makes it more complete." Earthy taste and energy of ginseng makes tea more "connected to ground". Your body feels good drinking it and your mind is still. Some orthodox matcha drinkers can find it to rough, without fine sweetness of high quality matcha but I like both. Unfortunately when I purchased the same product next year it was apparently made from tea of lower quality.  But as even 5% of ginseng changes it in way I like I enjoy every sip anyway.

Another piece on my table has come to our house like a present...

 
My  friend from Prague learns Korean tea ceremony from Sun Woo Park and she gave him few boxes of "tea ceremony sweets". And we were lucky to got one of them. What a nice savory before few sips of Malcha.

Made mainly from honey, dry fruits and rice - those cookies leave natural feeling in your mouth and prepare your stomach for malcha experience...


















 The things you might not forget when thinking about spring in Mungyeong are threes in blossom -cherry three, apples or rose-bay. As reminder of it I put few blossoms in to the water. In to the woodfired, porcelain bowl with flowers frozen in ash glaze on it.

It was good idea to put those memories back on my table...thank you for reading.

By virtue of dear reader, I can show you here one of 

the new Elena’s chawans. Thank you Ho Go! Pleasant picture of compelling piece...

Dragon of the East Sea part II.

As dragons in Korea are part of mythology and as many wars went through the country you can meet some scents of them only occasionally. Places were you will find them for sure are budhistic monasteries and temples. Wonderfuly carved, dragons are members of guarding crew around roofs.

 Main hall of  Daeseungsa temple...and the dragon holding fish in its teeth is under the roof in the corner

When I was preparing this post I had in my head several pictures, details cought by my camera in few monasteries. But then, while searching the hard disk I found out that all those pictures got lost when our external hard drive broke down few months ago...hmm what a surprise, technique is not the "blue chip". Never mind. So I decided to show you few pictures from Ssanggyesa temple and share with you story of the tea I had bought there. For those who are interested to learn about the history and meanings of Dragon in Korean Buddhism I would highly recommend this .PDF paper from buddhism.org


About our trip to Hadong county you maybe have already read on Morning Tea Crane blog. One of the finest memories from our trip are from Ssanggyesa temple. Even though it is quite famous place for its tea festival and large numbers of visitors go there every year, we have spent there very calm moments.

Remarkable minutes spended with SangHun, monk who invited us for cup of tea.

Although before our visit it the tea temple we have already bought enough tea (ok, there is no term like "enough tea" but our baggage were far over weight...), I was so impressed by nature of those moments that while visiting the "dharma shop" there, I looked for something special to help me keep the spirit of this place alive, when I return back home.

 I have chosen balhyocha made in the temple. So how it is now, seven months and eight thousends kilometers away?

The tea was three times more expensive then all balhyocha there. My guess was that the reason for this price was that leaves come from under-bamboo tea plantation. It probably comes from semi-wild, shadowed tea bushes. When I open fancy package and then air proof bag the strong, spicy aroma surprise my mind. Now after seven months it is not so intensive but still key distinguishing feature from others Korean oolong I have at home. There were attractively shaped, only slightly broken, brown to gold-green leaves. 

The water for first infusion I use is around 80°C.  

After "rinsing" infusion the spicy fragrances again hit my nose. Cloves oil with sweet orange peel. In first infusion there is a little bitterness in the taste but fragrances are sweet and winsome. Scent from fair cup have take me twice longer then drinking...

 The color of the brew tells us why another name for this kind of tea in Korean is Hwang Cha where hwang means yellow. Yellow tea that what it is. In second and third brew I find more and more sweetness and basic taste become heavier. Honey and aroma of some "heavy" flowers maybe orchids with hint of chocolate. Hm...I like it.

 

 

Energy of this tea is strong but not aggressive rather balmy and soothing. Also the sweetness becomes really strong. Drinking this tea I feel honey but the sweetness is more like from sugar-cane

The cup is work of Korean potter Oh Soon-Teak. Beauty of pots is highlighted when we are using them. Glaze is very thin, high iron clay and light white slip decoration under the glaze inside the cup.

Study leaves after tea session I see strong, pretty long (compare to balhyocha I know) individual leaves. Sometime for balhyocha are used tea leaves which are too weak for Nokcha (green tea) or leaves from latter harvest - but this was not this case here. I used relatively big amount of dry leaves and enjoyed seven, eight good (and really sweet) infusions.  


To learn more about Korean oolongs - Bylhyocha - pleace visit and search on Matt and ChaDao blogs.

Dragon of the East Sea part I.

Dragons in mythology of Europe are different from dragons of Asia. Dragons of Asia are related to element of water and live under water compare to dragons of Europe with their fires and caves. Even more, dragons here in Europe are connected to the evil but on Far East there are for protection. Dragon brings rain and clouds. Dragon is important for agriculture -for rice, for vegetable, for tea.

When I have visited Korea for the first time the dragon has been given to me.

It is both symbolic and wonderful companion during my more ceremonial tea sections. It is related to agriculture and water. That is what is tea about, don't you think?

   It was very plesant gift from potter and tea master Oh Soon-Teak. Even among Korean potters I met he is extraordinary for me. I had an opportunity to be a part of his tea serving for several times and there was all. He was just preparing the tea for us.

And I was wondering: Is his tea ware so well done because he masterly goes on the way of tea or he understands to tea so well because he masterly goes on the way of tea ware ? 

Those of you who have already hold some nice Korean tea ware know, that there is something what we can call "Korean feeling“. Simplicity and softness. But in works of ....we can see also childlike happiness on details with sophisticated and deeply heartwarming impressions from each piece.

So next time when you will see the dragon on my blog - don't worry, it is here to protect the tea.