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.

2006 ZhangPing Shui Xian

This morning I opened two new bags - first with tea I got some time ago from Chawangshop. Second one arrived yesterday - new charcoal as food for my "water heated on charcoal" project. Both tea as well as charcoal would deserve more space than this short post. I can promise that as my experiences with charcoal will grow I will happy to share with you more.

Zhangping Shui Xian is rather rare oolong tea. Maybe I was not looking dutifully but I know only about Life in Teacup where you can purchase such tea on the "west". Reading description on Chawangshop and going thru posts on blog of Life in Teacup you can come to know about origin of this interesting oolong. I have not tried it yet so I was exited to see what is inside the very nice package.

just wet fingers and ink is smudged...

I cut this five years old small square brick in half, and put it in to my 90ml teapot. It was maybe too much tea for it. I don't mind to drink strong tea. But as I was enjoing it in my cup I was aware that behind its full body there are covered fragrances. So next time, the second half of the "brick" will be cut again in to the half.

Although brews were strong, let's say powerful, there ware still many flowery and sweet, fruity scents. Roast of this tea is not so strong like with traditional Wui ShuiXian but you can still feel it. Probably those five years of age, created it the tea heavier hints of plums and dry apricots, which this tea has left in my mouth.

If I would like to sound romantic I could say that this tea reminds me "taste of old China". From its package, thru look of dry leaves to sweet aftertaste. But this is just my personal impression - what do I know about it? But it was pleasant mixture of misty, quiet morning and tea leaves what made my day. Hot water in my kettle was slowly gurgling - just one step to happiness. It is decent and interesting tea worth to try. The seller says that "this tea is very good for long term storage". Who knows? But even now there are signs of (semi)aged oolongs and that is good thing.
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For those who are interested in to my new charcoal experience I have, for now, just few words and couple of pictures. I have tried few different charcoals and, till today, as the best work coconut briquettes. Today morning I used "single kind", high quality, Czech oak charcoal. Ok, producer labeled it as "high quality". But truth is that there are rather bigger, nice pieces and chunks. Charcoal is clean and without dust, which makes smoke and smells during burning.

For lighting it up I used gas burner. I leave charcoal in original, bigger pieces and I was afraid how it will work. After five minute on gas and another ten, waiting, if " the light up" was sufficient, I have my first cup in fifteen - twenty minutes. It was faster then I was hoping for!

 Having still enough hot water I have enjoyed six infusion for another forty five minutes. Everyone who uses charcoal for heating water for tea, talks about impact on quality of the tea itself. I like how it works! But I have to make the whole process of preparing charcoal, heating water and brewing tea more calm and get routine. Then I will be more free to see and feel how it improves my tea. For now I can say: It is way worth to be started.

Thank you for reading.


Note: To everyone who would like to learn about heating water by using charcoal fire I can recomment to read and stay tune to Mattcha's blog.

Red Water from mountains

Another tea experience, I would like to share with you, arrived from Taiwan in January. It is not easy for me to write shortly and concisely all I would wish. Each new tea I have, teaches me (and usually pleases me) from very beginning - first look at the package, reading the name, first smell and observation of dry leaves. Than, when the time is right - first brew and first sip of the liquor. I am looking for the right setout with each new companion on my Way of Tea.

color of leaves goes from light yellow-green to dark green

Gao Shan Hung Shui Oolong
Origin: Shan Lin Shi, Taiwan
Harvest: Spring 2010(June 3rd)

 In this case it was package from Stephane Erler, so I knew for sure - it will be interesting. I opened the vacuum sealed bag and nice, roasted aromas reached my nose. I was drinking some aged oolongs before and my first thoughts were "this could be interesting to store!"  Gao Shan Hung Shui we can literally translates as "high-elevation red water". Maybe some more educated reader can tell us why "red water"? Anyway, Hung Shui usually refers to more traditional way of processing, which is not so common these days. Higher oxidation (more then 50%), slower and longer roasting is what also characterized this Gao Shan. I wish to see and experienced this processes live.

I like how the celadon cup have liven up the set.

first infusion is yellow green

Enjoying this tea, I find very difficult to describe individual tastes and fragrances there. Fragrances are not "popping" but rather calmed by the roast. At first, this tea resembled, in my mind, YanChas, but then I realized - the roast is not so strong and flowery scents are not from cliffs of Wui, but from mountains around Shan Lin Shi. Soup is definitely not watery, but not so creamy and thick as I know from other GaoShan oolongs. 

Thinking about it - the best thing, I find on this tea is its evenness. In the taste and fragrances as well as in mouthfell and aftertaste - there are no sharp edges. This kind of "serenity" allows to drink it often, but it is too good to be called the“everyday tea". I also find pleasant how its late infusions are still enjoyable. As the roast "calm down" fragrances in the same time it makes them deeper and long-lived.

I am glad to say that spring is slowly coming to our country-side. From my childhood the barbs with "lamb's-tails" are sign and symbol of the spring. I bring them with the mornig sun around on my tea table. We usually associate certain tea with certain kind of whether or season. In case of this Gao Shan there is no one mood to link up with. But during cold spring morning it works very well.

Wet leaves of the tea are green, with brown-red oxidized rims and spots. You can find mixture of different sizes, some leaves on stems some individual. If I should make a conclusion I would like to learn more about Hung Shui process and try more Hung Shui teas. And also try to store this tea (or similar one) for few years. I think the roast, oxidation and quality of this tea should be good presumption. 

Dong Ding in the jar

When I tried sample of 1981 DongDing (from EoT) I woke up morning after with aftertaste of this tea in my mouth and I knew - I am going to get more. Few months later, when I have opened the bag with bigger amount of this aged kindness, I was wondering if the bag is the best for storage. As this is not the only aged tea in my stock I was looking for pot to storage it in. All tea caddies I use turned out as too small but finally I have find the right one in our "for a sale" shelf.

It is made from iron rich clay with simple slip and carving decoration. Will this piece do good job? We will see. 

It is glazed inside by feldspathic glaze and I am not sure how important for storage this is going to be. Glaze protects tea from moisture and loosing fragrances but maybe the clay itself can improve tea better...

This DongDing is pretty light so only 90grams of tea fit to this jar. The color together with scent of those dry leaves is something very pleasant to me. The color of dark caramel but not without luster and mellow, like dried plum scents.

I am still not sure if should seal the lid (by beeswax) or let it breathe. Any experiences with it? Originally it was stored in airtight jars so I will use the wax to protect  it from air (and also from myself...)

 Is this the last cup of the thirty years old Dong Ding I enjoy? I have still some on the side but from this jar, probably yes. Next time it will be thirty-one years old...

Winter tea in winter cup

As cold days are not something what I am probably going to get use to, especially when our new studio is still without comfortable heating, a cup of tea keeps me company since morning to evening. The company, which cheers me up.

 

What is my winter tea? What is my cup for cold, chilly morning?

I have realized that there is not simple answer. Each morning is different.  I usually have several kinds of tea, which tell me "I can be the one for freeze morning, I can help you out".  But not always there is the right energy to choose with deliberation, in chilly air - there is time for intuition. Surprisingly for myself, I quite often choose KouCha - Japanese black tea. So I decided to share it with you. 

This one I got like a generous gift from my friend (thank you again, Antonio) and it is from menu of one of the best supplier of Japanese teas I know - TeaMountain. On webpage they say: „Rarity made from Kousun cultivar on farm of Mr.Katahiry in Nunusowa village on Shizuoka. June 2010. The tea was made directly for us as our own special commission."  And good reputation of those people says that it is not only nice story.

Very promising is even smell of dry leaves- citrus or lime fragrances with slight, cinnamon like spices in it. Light roast. Maybe this dry leaves talk to me in the morning.

.The liquor is dark but bright. The dominant character is uncommon combination of lime and some salty "Japanese" in it. It is tasty.

If the first look at dry leaves tells us that it is "dark dark" tea the look at wet leaves shows combination of dark green, light brown as well as dark brown leaves. I usually make three full-valued infusions.

 The woodfired shiboridahsi pictured below helps me enjoy the tea even in cold morning while I light fire in the fireside. 

My "work" shiboridashi - slightly broken but  I like the touch of the fire, running ash, color...

  I am usually not big fan experiments like this. But in this case there is originality and it doesn't try to look like something else. 

The winter cup in front of our "bamboo forest"

 The cup I have fallen for this winter and which I like to use for darker tea was made by Mirka - my girlfriend and colleague. Although it was originally created in series like sake cup or shot (as there is not many sake drinkers in Czech Rep.) most of them have been picked by tea fans as winter cups.

As in my tea caddy there is too litlle left of this tea I hope the spring is going to be here soon....

Pin Lin oolong from 70's enjoyed by potter from 70's