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  • Black Tea – A World of Discoveries

    Once a tea I felt most connected. 

    Started at Masu, Tongmu Village, Wuyi Mountains, Fujian province, China, the origin of Zhengshan Xiaozhong (Lapsang Souchong). A mountain range with humid subtropical climate that blocks northwest cold current and save the southeast ocean warm current. The old bushes full of the terroir, the feeling of misty mornings, bamboo forests, ferns, pines, mountain springs and violets. A black tea more than a black tea.

    When marching onto the third year, I started to experience black teas outside of China. From the most iconic English Breakfast tea blends to the prestigious single estate teas, Fannings to SFTGFOP (Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe). Listening to the stories of every tea had to express, the sound of the ocean, the voices of the mountain, the condition where they were produced. Argentina, Australia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. 

    Unlike the teas I had previously, tea types and cultivars were no longer limited to the origin’s original purpose, they became more creative not only on the appearance but also the naming. 

    The year I felt being touched by the possibilities of a single species camellia sinensis can bring to the world.

  • The White Tea

    I used to answer a set of questions very often in my early years of tea drinking. Why do you like tea? What is your favourite tea?  Why White tea? It was THE TEA for me, a choice by my heart with no rational reasonings involved. 

    Bai Hao Yin Zhen’s (silver needle) pure unamic characteristics. The new Bai Mu Dan’s green floral bouquet notes transported me to blooming spring gardens. Aged Shou Mei with herbaceous, bamboo, and dates notes in sugar alike sweetness liquor. Although they were all white teas, but they were different.

    On the third year of my tea journey, I compared two Shou Mei’s of local cultivars from Fuding, Fujian province made by different producers, where I came across that the spirits tea masters put into the process resulted the end product in different styles. 

    A question between brought out the best of the tea to who they were meant to be, or into a tea that tasted as fully controlled and designed by mankind. 

    Isn’t a balance of the two will be the most enjoyable, a piece of an exceptional art created by homo sapiens and the nature.

  • Green Tea

    Green tea, the first tea I learned in my tea journey, and to today’s date, a category I would consume on a regular basis.

    Out of the many green teas I had, the most memorable must be first pluck Long Ching tea, dragon well from Shi Feng, Long Jing Village, Hang Zhou, China. There were no other traditional Chinese green teas gave me the same elevated sensational experience a Shi Feng delivered. A strong structure but also unamic and round, green and floral. 

    A tea has to taste once in a lifetime.

    A realization came much later on my tea journey that a terroir is a terroir.

  • Oolong Tea and Me

    The feeling of getting hooked to tea was a cup of Pheniox Wulong from the Pheniox mountains in Chaozhou, Guangdong, China. The highly aromatic peachy and strawberry flavours in and out the five senses into a fantasy with consistent lasting brews. On the north of bordering Fujiian province, another Chinese wulong producing region, known for Wuyi rock tea. The day when I had a Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) was the day I truly felt tea, a love of my life. It was a symphony orchestra, the cohesion of different families, a masterpiece with an ambience of its own, a powerful language no words can describe. 

  • A Short Introductory to Tea

    According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), there are more than 58 tea producing countries (FAO, 2014, p. 4) . Tea, originally from Yunnan, China, through evolution, trade and social, has became one of the most popular drinks in the world. From history of handmade teas, producing on small scale farms, batch by batch, to advanced modern technology that can help us to create a standard commodity with consistency. The form, colour, aroma, flavour, and how we drink the tea has also evolved.

    All the teas that exist and continues to circulate, have their own target market. We all have our own flavour profile preferences; we want to be objective but may fell on the more subjective side. Therefore, we can try to appreciate the good of each tea that we drink. No tea leaf is identical as there is no same brew every time.

    At the end of the day, tea is an agricultural product, a gift of nature. 

    Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2014, October). Socio-economic implications of climate change for tea producing countries (CCP:TE 14/4). https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/est/meetings/IGGtea21/14-4-ClimateChange.pdf

  • The First Post

    From the domain name, yes, I love tea, and tea has been a love of mine for over seven years. I have been thinking for a while for having a space to share my experiences with tea and other passions I enjoy in life. That’s when the idea of having a site of my own was born.