At the beginning of the Lunar New Year celebrations I wish all of you luck, joy and abundance – particularly with regard to good tea!
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It’s not often that I get the opportunity to work with a tea with very little historical precedent, a tea in the infancy of its introduction to the worldwide tea community. But the orthodox production purple tea from Royal Tea of Kenya is so new and so unusual that there’s little guidance and no standards, so that means it’s time not to learn, but to experiment and pull out the arsenal of tools and equipment.
I should also add that my brewing methods typically come from what I know about a type of tea and what I’ve learned previously. I’m intransigently neglectful of accompanying instructions provided by tea companies, plus I tend to approach many of my tea drinking adventures as science experiments in the first place. In the case of the purple orthodox tea I don’t remember what information I started out with, but I knew that this was not a tea I would want to brew with boiling water. I didn’t want to emphasize the astringency as much as I wanted to bring out the grapy sweetness.
Some of my initial experiments were underwhelming and even jarring, so I knew I had to find better methods. The dry leaf seems kind of like a black tea, and kind of like a green tea, so it was not obvious what variables of leaf quantity, water temperature, or brewing time to choose for it. I could tell that this intriguing tea had the potential to brew into something I really enjoyed, so I set about figuring out how to get satisfying and consistent results (and document my methods to help other people while I was at it).
The Camellia sinensis clonal bush (Clone TRFK 306/1) that produces this purple tea has been in development by The Tea Research Foundation of Kenya for the past 25 years, and has been cultivated to produce unprecedented high levels of anthocyanins, which are the antioxidant pigments that make leaves and fruits red, blue or purple. As a result, the very dark leaf can result in an abrasive and harsh brew. But that same element can produce a very pleasant and surprising wine-like note above the underlying tea taste.
Through trial and error, and retesting my steps, this is what I determined worked for me:
For a second infusion use the same temperature of water and the same steeping time. If you want to try to coax a third infusion out of it, use boiling water and steep for about 7 minutes.
This is what I determined worked for me, but adjusting the variables can result in emphasizing different qualities of the tea, according to taste. Adding a minute or two to the steeping time or using slightly more leaf are possible options. Of course the initial rinsing infusion could be omitted, but I found that it tamed the tea in a way that produced a much smoother liquor, which I liked better.
You can read more about the properties of purple tea on its product page on the Phoenix Tea website.
You can also read about purple tea on Lazy Literatus’ post, Four-Eyed No-Horned Flightless Purple Tea Drinker, and the article on T-Ching written by Joy M. W’Njuguna, one of the founders of Royal Tea of Kenya.
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This past weekend I took the opportunity to try some tea that I purchased from Michael Coffey of Tea Geek quite some time ago. This tea is, in essence, very large leaves from the bushes of a pu’er varietal simply dried and tied into bundles. As described on the Tea Geek blog:
[This] limited availability product tries to reproduce, as well as the tea-makers knew, how tea was made in Yunnan before the widespread use of compression. This would go back to when tea was considered a medicine, not a beverage. It clearly draws on how herbs are collected and dried–the leaves are tied together by their stems in little bundles that were hung up to dry.
I didn’t really try to anticipate what the tea would be like before I brewed it. I assumed that it was going to have its own unique characteristics, and indeed it did. Rather than following instructions for breaking up leaf from stem and brewing in a bowl, I chose to brew the tea in a tall tea glass so that the leaves could remain intact, and so I could see them as they infused. I used boiling water and brewed the tea for about two minutes for the first infusion.
The dry leaves had very little scent, but as soon as they began to steep I could smell the distinctive scent of very young sheng pu’er. The taste was also easily identified as coming from the same plants that produce pu’er cakes, although clearly having undergone considerably less processing than any other tea. If an experienced tea drinker were handed a cup of this tea’s brewed liquor without any information he would be able to identify its origin as Yunnan, China easily and immediately.
The tea remained vibrantly flavorful through three infusions, but had mostly lost its punch by the fourth. It was a little surprising that it had as much flavor and personality as it had. With such a humble appearance and primitive preparation of the leaves it would have been unsurprising for it to yield a mild and uninspiring brew. But instead it conveyed the core essence of the pure tea plant. Rather than a novelty experience of what tea used to be before people learned how to process it into the many types of fabulous teas we value today, it really showed how much information is in the pure leaf already, even with so little craft transforming plant into beverage.
Read the Tea Geek blog post to find out more detail on this very interesting tea.
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There are books that are enjoyable to read because they are about tea, and books particularly well-suited to a read accompanied by a cup of tea. Katrina Avila Munichiello’s recently published anthology of non-fiction writings about tea, “A Tea Reader,” is both of these. The 52 essays in the book are arranged thematically into five sections, entitled “Tea Reveries,” Tea Connections,” “Tea Rituals,” “Tea Careers,” and “Tea Travels,” each one prefaced by a short introduction written by Munichiello herself. The contributions to the book range in era from a translation of a work written in Tang Dynasty China to writings by contemporary authors solicited for this book.
While all of the writings are thematically linked, centering on tea-inspired memories and the ways that tea forges connections between people, there is enough variety in the writing styles and perspectives to give nearly any reader something he will respond to. Munichiello’s skillful curation and editing have produced a book that is deceptively small in size, while containing a great deal of variation. One of the things that is especially appealing about the book is its flexibility: a reader can either delve into it straight through and traditionally, frontispiece to back cover, or browse among the different essays in capricious order, reading one or two at a time.
My own essay in the book, entitled “Immersion,” and published under my real name, is about my first explorations of Gongfu Cha, and how I fell into a compulsion toward Chinese tea culture. It was an enjoyable piece for me to write, giving me the opportunity to step back and look at a bigger-picture view of my evolution as a person involved in the tea world. I am very proud to see it in this collection alongside works by so many wonderful tea people and writers.
The book is widely available for purchase, and if you’re really fortunate you can attend one of the many reading events taking place across the country. For additional information on the book, visit the “Tea Reader” website.
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For people within striking distance of Seattle, there are still a few more days to to see “Chado: The Way of Tea,” an exhibit of work by Miya Ando at ArtXchange Gallery in Pioneer Square. Sculptor Ando is descended from Japanese sword makers and has embraced her heritage of fine metal-working, along with a large portion of the attendant philosophical approach to the arts.
This particular show of her work is themed around Chado, the Japanese tea ceremony, using the traditional practice as inspiration for the stark metal forms of her abstract steel and aluminum works, and more directly in the pieces that take the form of actual implements of the ceremony.
The tea tools, as re-worked by Ando, become something less and also more than their utilitarian counterparts, made more stark through a shift in their materials. One set has received a coating of graphite, creating a dramatic, fragile black sheen. Another set of pieces is recast in aluminum, replacing the warm organic bamboo with cold metal. In both cases the beauty of the forms of the tea tools is illuminated, while the functionality is absent, which is a curious transformation.
What does it mean for a tool – in this case one designed and crafted for the express purpose of preparing tea using a very specific and measured set of behaviors and protocols – to be reduced to pure symbol and aesthetic object? Does this allow for a more objective perception of the beauty of the object, or does it somehow lose a part of its meaning? It may not be so simple to determine, and it is possible that the symbolic aspects of the tea tools bear the greatest weight for Ando in their place in the traditional art forms of Japan, not in any contemporary application of tea practice.
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Sponsored by Puget Sound Tea Education Association, the fourth annual Northwest Tea Festival will be held this coming weekend in Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center. The event will include at least 16 vendors and a robust roster of speakers and presenters, including James Norwood Pratt, Michael J. Coffey, Becky Lee, Brett Boynton, and Jason Chen. Each year since its inception the festival has grown and become more enjoyable, and I expect this year to be the best yet.
The following are few recommendations of presentations or educational opportunities that you may want to take advantage of. There are also a wide range of tasting opportunities throughout both days, including one that I am presenting, which is a comparison tasting of two white teas, one from China and one from Kenya.
SATURDAY
The Common Wealth: Tea in Community Life
James Norwood Pratt
“Humans drink more tea than any other beverage. It is humanity’s favorite habit and a treasure of the world: nothing has contributed more to our enjoyment of leisure, friendship, sociability and conversation, which is why mankind’s love affair with tea has now lasted 5000 years. The history of that love affair has involved not only agriculture and business but also medicine, religion, finance and fine arts – but always human relations above all. Treat yourself to a trip into the mind of America’s foremost tea historian and storyteller and you will never think of tea quite the same way again.”
Tea Chemistry: Reactions in Leaf and Cup
Michael J. Coffey
“All of the amazing flavors, colors, and aromas in a cup of pure tea are the result of chemical reactions–in the tea plant, during the preparation of the leaf, or during the process of brewing and drinking a cup. We will look at some of the major reactions and what they mean to your tea drinking experience. This is not a beginner’s class; participants should at least know what basic processing differences lead to green, wulong, and black teas.All of the amazing flavors, colors, and aromas in a cup of pure tea are the result of chemical reactions–in the tea plant, during the preparation of the leaf, or during the process of brewing and drinking a cup.”
Learning Professional Tea Terms in Chinese
Becky Li & Issac Dumiel
“This is a 2-part workshop presentation. In the first section, Ms. Li will explain a selection of professional terms in Chinese used to describe and evaluate tea in mainland China and Taiwan, with a focus on concepts that have no exact analogs in English. In the second section, Mr. Dumiel will present a small selection of traditional Chinese texts on tea preparation, tasting and etiquette, introducing some of the fundamental concepts in Chinese tea culture. This presentation is intended for persons who are already familiar with Chinese teas, but not fluent in Chinese. Attendees will learn key concepts Chinese people use to understand and discuss tea and how these ideas differ from both the professional terms and general culture associated with tea in the West. You will also learn how to appreciate Chinese tea following the concepts indigenous to its tradition.”
SUNDAY
Tea Roasting Class
Shiuwen Tai
“Are you a tea drinker who is just excited by a lot of teas and tend to buy more than what you can drink? In this class, Shiuwen will show you how to refresh a stale tea and you will get to practice it. She will also cover some different ways that you can refresh or roast your tea at home. Participants will get to taste a stale tea, the same tea that has been worked on in the class, and the same tea that has been roasted from a tea roaster.”
Japanese Tea Ceremony
Ako Yoshino & Pearl Dexter
“Presented by Ms. Ako Yoshino, a senior instructor of Japanese tea ceremony academy and tea lecturer at Shizuoka university, this special presentation will invite you to the world of traditional Japanese tea ceremony.”
Consult the festival schedule for details. There are a lot of additional events and happenings. Some of the events require sign-ups ahead of time, so you’ll do well to plan ahead. If you come to the festival – and you should – be sure to stop by the Phoenix Tea booth and say “hello” to me. I’ll be the one who isn’t Brett.
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Adagio Teas’ Roots Campaign, which has been operating for the past two years, was created for the purpose of connecting tea drinkers more directly with information about the producers of the teas they drink. More than a dozen tea growers have been featured so far, providing Adagio’s customers additional insight into the people who comprise the first links in the supply chain.
In addition to the interviews and photos available on Adagio’s site, a new arm of this project, scheduled to launch this month, is an opportunity for consumers to communicate with the farmers by writing them notes on pre-addressed postcards which are available in Adagio’s retail stores.
The tea selected for this group tasting by ATB members – and currently the featured tea in the Roots Campaign – is a Pi Lo Chun which was grown and produced by Huang Jian Lin in Dongting, Jiangsu, China.
Note that Adagio spells the tea name, “Pi Lo Chun,” the farmer spells it “Pi Luo Chun” and the Pinyin Mandarin spelling is “Bi Luo Chun” (碧螺春). The name translates literally as “green snail spring” and this delicate green tea is universally recognized as one of the historical ten famous teas of China.
Huang Jian Lin has been close to the tea industry his entire life and tea farming has been the only job he has ever worked. His farm near Tongting Lake only produces Pi Lo Chun, so his days are very focused on protecting the tea field from overgrowth of weeds and on the short plucking season in the Spring.
The following brewing instructions are from the interview of Huang Jian Lin:
Pi luo chun is very tender. Do not use boiling water with 100 degrees centigrade. Better use the water with 90 degrees centigrade. Second, use glass cup to brew the tea. Do not use teapot with lid. Because pi luo chun needs more air for brewing. While waiting for the tea to be cool down, you can enjoy the beautiful green soup with pleasant aroma from the glass cup.
I used a couple of different methods to brew this tea, determined by previous encounters with Bi Luo Chun and experimenting with what I like. The first was in a glass gaiwan with cooled water and four steeps for about 30 seconds each. This is generally how I brew Chinese green teas, and it always brings out the best from the teas. The other method I used was to cool the water in a tall Chinese tea glass and add the tea when it got down to 160° Farenheit. This method achieves results similar to what you would get using a traditional glass tea thermos, and the tea does not get bitter even with such a long steeping time as long as the water is not too hot.
This type of tea is one that can exhibit very different qualities depending on how it is brewed, so my recommendation is to experiment until you find what works for you.
Here are links to the posts from other contributing ATB members:
Black Dragon Tea Bar
LeafJoy
Notes on Tea
The Tea Enthusiasts’s Scrapbook
Tea For Today
Tea Pages
Teaspoons & Petals
That Pour Girl
Walker Tea Review
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My article on this year’s World Tea Expo has been published on the English Tea Store Blog. Here’s an excerpt:
One highlight among the vast sea of exhibitors on the Expo floor was the Taiwan Pavilion, where Thomas Shu and his wife Josephine Pan [of ABC Tea] hosted tastings and demonstrations. They were aided by their compatriots in the Taiwanese tea industry and at one of the tastings I attended, by Bill Waddington of Tea Source, who waxed poetically about the special Taiwanese varietal developed in Taiwan in the ’80s named Ruby18. A few lucky visitors to the booth were also given the rare opportunity to hear Thomas Shu sing Hakka songs during the course of his presentations, one of which was about Baozhong (Pouchong).
The photo below shows Sunny Tang brewing oolong at the Taiwan Pavilion during this year’s Expo.
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A little over a year ago I started a tea company called Phoenix Tea Shop. I worked on sourcing good teas and products during the subsequent months (along with branding and building the websites), and managed to find a lot of great connections and opportunities.
But I never really wanted to tackle this project single-handedly. I wanted someone to work with me to build the business and help define what it would grow into.
A little over a month ago I saw a glimmer of an opportunity when Brett Boynton of Black Dragon Tea Bar announced that after nearly a decade as manager of The Teacup, he was unemployed. So I approached him with the idea of partnering with me in the tea business. We met, we plotted, we schemed – and now I am very pleased to announce that Brett is co-owner of Phoenix Tea.
We have a lot of very exciting ideas in the works, and you’ll be hearing more about them as things progress (although I will continue to ensure that commerce does not interfere with Gongfu Girl blog content, so don’t worry about that). If you want to keep up with us, follow the Phoenix Tea House blog, which is where we’ll put all of the business related news and information. You can also keep up with us on our Facebook page.
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The following three weekends in the greater Seattle area hold opportunities to experience the whimsy of Alice in Wonderland-themed theater in a park setting. Read my article on Examiner.com for details about Theater Simple‘s “WONDERLAND: Alice Adventures”.
The image above is related only thematically to the upcoming theatrical performances in parks. It is a still from the first cinematic adaptation of Lewis Caroll’s fanciful tale, a 12-minute distillation called – like most film adaptations – Alice in Wonderland (unlike the book itself, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”).
The silent film, released in 1903 and directed by Cecil Hepworth and Percy Stow, captures the historical milieu of the original book in a way that more contemporary adaptations can not. There is only one known print of the film in existence, but fortunately we can watch the film online:
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