Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Why do I like Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea?

During the blogradio conversation with host Steven Knoerr of 39steeps.blogspot.com, he asked why/what do I like about Dan Cong teas in particular. Today while drinking tea with friends, this question came up again, which made me think further on reasons why Dan Cong is able to capture my attention for so long and I'm so intensely in love with it.
Aside of Dan Cong teas are great in flavor with a wide varieties of aroma, having the right mentor is probably the greatest force that guide me through the learning process, which opens the Pandora box of Dan Congs, hence allows me to explore and discover Dan Cong teas in great magnitude.

At this point, I realize my love for Dan Cong is beyond knowledge, flavor or aroma. It's how they make me feel beyond my palate. Dan Cong has the perfect balance of Yin and Yang energy to me. Using Steven's terms, it's aromatic, illusive, seductive and beautiful. These are qualities that representing femininity. It also has a wild side in Qi, long durable steeping sustainability and prolonged after taste. These are qualities representing masculinity. When both parts are equally powerful yet harmoniously married, it's the most desirable pairing one can hope for. These qualities are ever evolving from infusion to infusion. Each infusion is a live Chinese painting on a silk scroll, be it an old man drinking tea under a pine tree with a tea boy fanning the stove, or an elegant young maiden holding a gaiwan of tea amongst blooming cherry trees with a bamboo forest back ground. Each tea session is a mini old movie, frame by frame slowly unfolds itself and keeps moving forward, each infusion is a still of moment just long enough, then lead toward the next. Its eternal beauty has captured my soul....

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

The balance of Dan Cong is like the marriage of the male and female aspects. That's beautiful. And indeed Oolong teas are balanced or neutral as far as the Qi energy of the ancient Chinese beliefs about medicine is concerned. --Jason

Imen said...

Jason,

After learning a little bit about Chinese medicine, I found a whole new connection between body and nature and tea. Intriguing!

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Charles T. Draper said...

I am drinking one right now and I could not agree more.