As the weather gets warmer, our world gets crazier! China took a beating by a prolonged winter storm, then a deadly earthquake, now flooding in the south, most of the tea growing regions are affected during this spring. As we all know or suspect, price of tea will go up, Dan Cong prices are already up 25 to 35% before the flood, I'm afraid to make that phone call after the flood.
I think we vendors are most interested in is buyer's preference, especially with the spiralling down turn of US economy, are consumers willing to
1, spend the same amount of money as previous year for lesser quantity of same quality?
2, spend the same amount of money as previous year for same quantity of less quality?
3, spend more money for same quantity and same quality of tea?
4, spend more money for better quality regardless of quantity?
5, spend less money for less quantity of same quality?
6, spend less money for same quantity of less quality tea?
Wish I knew the answers to be more business savvy. I'd appreciate it greatly if you would share your thoughts on this. :)
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Lots on my plate
It's been a while since the last post, I do want to apologize for the absence.
The world tea expo just wrapped up on the past Sunday, one of the biggest tea emphasized event, or shall I say the one and only commercial tea emphasized event in the US. My friend and I walked up and down the isles for 2 days meeting vendors and learning new products. Met a few familiar faces and a lot of new ones. It's a small world indeed, a couple of exhibitors turned out to be seniors of my tea master 20 years ago.
An other project's occupying my time is working on the new website, which I take very little part in. Majority of the work is done by my friend a computer guru FW. If I had to do all the work on my own, it would take another 2 years and the quality would only measure to half of what it will be. Designing a website is no easy task, the details required to make a functional and user friendly site with clarity is enormous. At times I feel lost in a giant sea of information. The new e-commerce site is still under construction at this time, will announce the completion date as soon as possible.
The shop is constantly transforming as well. Rearranging displays, packaging design, gift ideas, promotional ideas, working with local school community are taking a lot of my time. As a new business, I like to regenerate the cosmetics of the business continuously base on a solid foundation.
Well, of course there are tons of bills to pay which takes away a big chunk of my time as well. :P
Work hard and play hard, my play time is drinking good tea with good company. Cheers to you all!
The world tea expo just wrapped up on the past Sunday, one of the biggest tea emphasized event, or shall I say the one and only commercial tea emphasized event in the US. My friend and I walked up and down the isles for 2 days meeting vendors and learning new products. Met a few familiar faces and a lot of new ones. It's a small world indeed, a couple of exhibitors turned out to be seniors of my tea master 20 years ago.
An other project's occupying my time is working on the new website, which I take very little part in. Majority of the work is done by my friend a computer guru FW. If I had to do all the work on my own, it would take another 2 years and the quality would only measure to half of what it will be. Designing a website is no easy task, the details required to make a functional and user friendly site with clarity is enormous. At times I feel lost in a giant sea of information. The new e-commerce site is still under construction at this time, will announce the completion date as soon as possible.
The shop is constantly transforming as well. Rearranging displays, packaging design, gift ideas, promotional ideas, working with local school community are taking a lot of my time. As a new business, I like to regenerate the cosmetics of the business continuously base on a solid foundation.
Well, of course there are tons of bills to pay which takes away a big chunk of my time as well. :P
Work hard and play hard, my play time is drinking good tea with good company. Cheers to you all!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Brand
China is the birth place of tea, it's also one of the largest producers of tea, however China does not have a strong solid brand.
Brand is an image, a recognition of quality, a culture, also a champion of competition. What's said here is what a commercial entity projects its product image and build up a solid position in the market. The most successful cases are in the western world, IE Coca Cola, Nike, Starbucks, and Lipton of course. The sad thing is Lipton is recognized, but not so much of its quality to some discriminating tea drinkers. You know who you are. :P I supposed it's even more sad that most people do perceive Lipton as an image of quality. One day I'll get killed by a Lipton assassin.
Lipton is a British company, however given the history of colonization, we can pretend Britain did produce tea on its soil. If we compare China and Britain, Lipton is far better in branding itself with few competitors. China on the other hand have many private labels, but not one dominating brand which I can think of. Tian Fu perhaps?! Tian Fu is arguable. I can visualize many fingers pointing at me already.
There are 70+ thousand tea factories in China as of today. Each one is competing for market share locally. When it comes to global market, there is not a contender can measure up to Lipton. 75% of green tea are from China, why are they labeled as Lipton green tea or Tazo green tea instead of say EGCG green tea -"East Green Camellia Garden"? Just a fake thought. :P
Brand is an image, a recognition of quality, a culture, also a champion of competition. What's said here is what a commercial entity projects its product image and build up a solid position in the market. The most successful cases are in the western world, IE Coca Cola, Nike, Starbucks, and Lipton of course. The sad thing is Lipton is recognized, but not so much of its quality to some discriminating tea drinkers. You know who you are. :P I supposed it's even more sad that most people do perceive Lipton as an image of quality. One day I'll get killed by a Lipton assassin.
Lipton is a British company, however given the history of colonization, we can pretend Britain did produce tea on its soil. If we compare China and Britain, Lipton is far better in branding itself with few competitors. China on the other hand have many private labels, but not one dominating brand which I can think of. Tian Fu perhaps?! Tian Fu is arguable. I can visualize many fingers pointing at me already.
There are 70+ thousand tea factories in China as of today. Each one is competing for market share locally. When it comes to global market, there is not a contender can measure up to Lipton. 75% of green tea are from China, why are they labeled as Lipton green tea or Tazo green tea instead of say EGCG green tea -"East Green Camellia Garden"? Just a fake thought. :P
Monday, April 07, 2008
Stubborn
Many customers of mine give me suggestions on how to improve my business. I appreciate their inputs and endless new information from every corner of the world. I learn quite a bit and stumble upon valuable information every now and then.
Today, a very dear lady customer of mine stopped by told me about a "brewing" product she tried. A bottled tea tastes like wine. It cost $10 a bottle and it's still in testing stage. She suggested I carry something like that when it's in the market.
The idea urks me. It sounds like one of those Monster drinks that the marketers tell you how good it is for your health and what can it do for your "brain", except it will turn you into a dummy slowly.
It's sickening that some people try to ride the wave of "tea" and make bank. I refuse to get suck into the RTD market. Do we not learn anything from the fast food/beverage diet that American health are suffering now?! Call me stubborn, I'll not carry RTD tea no matter how much money I might make.
Today, a very dear lady customer of mine stopped by told me about a "brewing" product she tried. A bottled tea tastes like wine. It cost $10 a bottle and it's still in testing stage. She suggested I carry something like that when it's in the market.
The idea urks me. It sounds like one of those Monster drinks that the marketers tell you how good it is for your health and what can it do for your "brain", except it will turn you into a dummy slowly.
It's sickening that some people try to ride the wave of "tea" and make bank. I refuse to get suck into the RTD market. Do we not learn anything from the fast food/beverage diet that American health are suffering now?! Call me stubborn, I'll not carry RTD tea no matter how much money I might make.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
How much do you understand the teas you like?
Tea is territorial. Tea drinkers are territorial to be exact. Each region is proud of their local flavor as they should be. However the tea war starts when one region claims better than others. It's not just the producers and vendors are at war, most of the fighters are consumers. What's the point of comparing an apple and an orange. Does any one truly know every tea or even had tasted every tea? Tasting a tea does not mean it's understood by the drinker, even if you liked it. One maybe married, but do they truly understand the spouse?! When you get used to a taste whether you grow up with it or adopt it later in your life, it becomes a habit that one may resist to accept others. As well as one gets used to a relationship, good or bad, you are reluctant to walk away, hopefully good and don't walk away. Some American hamburger eaters find French cuisine repulsive, others might travel to Paris just to indulge a $500 bloody meal literally and a $3000 bottle of wine. Is there a value to the price tag? hmm both meals can fill you up right? There has to be a value to it. Can I afford it? Not once a week. Am I willing to try it once in a long while? Absolutely, maybe with tea instead of wine.
Green teas are not my favorite because I don't understand it as much as I understand oolong. Green tea is an alien while oolong is part of me, I know how it feels in my body, I know when it will make me happy, I know when it can be temperamental, if it throws a tantrum, I can fix it easily. Of course I am fortunate enough to have ranges of oolong teas to play with, and the quantity which allows me to mess up and learn. I do love the challenge of a temperamental tea. What's all the fuss about tea? Well, the fuss improves skill, only if that's what you strive for. Other wise, no fuss, no muss.
I like to think I understand my Phoenix Dan Cong oolong, it's a diamond that sparkles in my eyes. Is it better than other teas? The question should be do you prefer DC over other teas? Well, only to those whom built up a palate for it. IE my sister in law, she's been drinking old bush DCs consistently for more than half a year now, everyday for the last 3 months. I asked her what'd she like to refill her stash with this morning, she replied DC. She asked how come your DC makes other teas bland? It didn't used to be like that before. Oh well, I gladly take the blame for programming her palate. :D She even quit her 15 yrs old coffee drinking habit.
Green teas are not my favorite because I don't understand it as much as I understand oolong. Green tea is an alien while oolong is part of me, I know how it feels in my body, I know when it will make me happy, I know when it can be temperamental, if it throws a tantrum, I can fix it easily. Of course I am fortunate enough to have ranges of oolong teas to play with, and the quantity which allows me to mess up and learn. I do love the challenge of a temperamental tea. What's all the fuss about tea? Well, the fuss improves skill, only if that's what you strive for. Other wise, no fuss, no muss.
I like to think I understand my Phoenix Dan Cong oolong, it's a diamond that sparkles in my eyes. Is it better than other teas? The question should be do you prefer DC over other teas? Well, only to those whom built up a palate for it. IE my sister in law, she's been drinking old bush DCs consistently for more than half a year now, everyday for the last 3 months. I asked her what'd she like to refill her stash with this morning, she replied DC. She asked how come your DC makes other teas bland? It didn't used to be like that before. Oh well, I gladly take the blame for programming her palate. :D She even quit her 15 yrs old coffee drinking habit.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
How organic is organic?
One of the best things of owning a tea shop is you get to meet all kinds people, each but not every one is an inspiration in some way. Today I met one whom brought up the organic subject which you may not see it through his scope, nevertheless it's alarming and true to the core.
The old saying you can run but you can't hide is very much true when it comes to organic agriculture. The concept of organic is that no intended fertilizer and pesticide are used on the soil which a plant is growing in. Sounds simple enough right? But what about air pollution, rain that's polluted, the soil near by which is polluted, and the polluted water source which forms rain as the water vaporize, in turn we human and animals inhale, plants absorb.
How many people know that prescription drugs or even over the counter drugs are toxins? Toxins that relieve symptoms, prolong lives, and cause MANY more problems. One of the problems most of us don't think of is when toxins were eliminated from a person, where did they go? It went though the sewage, got treated with more chemicals which are also toxins, then went into the ocean and soil. Then as the water evaporates, we suck it in through our lungs, plants suck it in through roots, then we eat them. This cycle goes on and on. Yes, even if you don't have heart disease, you are realistically inhaling small trace of drugs for heart disease consistently, also combined with a million other drugs.
There are times I thought I could live in a remote mountain with good tea like Phoenix mountain, eat local grown veggies, local free range chickens and drink old bush Dan Congs, life would be PERFECT! I might live till 120 even though I don't want to live that long. But can one really hide from all the prescription drug highly concentrated pee evaporated water fed food and tea?!
Please do share your thoughts on this.
The old saying you can run but you can't hide is very much true when it comes to organic agriculture. The concept of organic is that no intended fertilizer and pesticide are used on the soil which a plant is growing in. Sounds simple enough right? But what about air pollution, rain that's polluted, the soil near by which is polluted, and the polluted water source which forms rain as the water vaporize, in turn we human and animals inhale, plants absorb.
How many people know that prescription drugs or even over the counter drugs are toxins? Toxins that relieve symptoms, prolong lives, and cause MANY more problems. One of the problems most of us don't think of is when toxins were eliminated from a person, where did they go? It went though the sewage, got treated with more chemicals which are also toxins, then went into the ocean and soil. Then as the water evaporates, we suck it in through our lungs, plants suck it in through roots, then we eat them. This cycle goes on and on. Yes, even if you don't have heart disease, you are realistically inhaling small trace of drugs for heart disease consistently, also combined with a million other drugs.
There are times I thought I could live in a remote mountain with good tea like Phoenix mountain, eat local grown veggies, local free range chickens and drink old bush Dan Congs, life would be PERFECT! I might live till 120 even though I don't want to live that long. But can one really hide from all the prescription drug highly concentrated pee evaporated water fed food and tea?!
Please do share your thoughts on this.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Oolong wiki
Contributors wanted! Writers, vendors, researchers, tea drinkers with knowledge and the like, please help create a new Wiki page for Oolong! I have very limited time to organize the contents, let alone my writing skill is as good as a 3rd grader. Please contribute if you can.
Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolong
It's shameful how crappy this is!!! About 20% of the info is actually useful there. I tried correcting a couple things, and then realize it's a much bigger project than I have time for.
A couple of days ago I was looking for the origin of the term oolong (Fujianese, Taiwaness, or just some random spelling such as Cantonese words were translated phonetically in the US which mandarin speakers have no clue of, not to mention none Chinese speakers). Mandarin spelling is Wu1 Long2. I have used oolong since day one I encounter Taiwanese oolong in the US. Things like this you just get used to it, like orange is orange, you don't give much thought to whether it's a Latin or French word. Now I am curious whether I should continue using oolong or switch to Wu Long.
Tea is derived from Fujianese, Cha is the official pronunciation in Mandarin. However Tea is a widely used term more so than Cha. This creates a dilemma, whether I want to be correct in the Chinese term risking of confusing reader/consumers, or should I just continue using what's more recognizable world wide. KungFu tea or Gong Fu Cha?!
Check this out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolong
It's shameful how crappy this is!!! About 20% of the info is actually useful there. I tried correcting a couple things, and then realize it's a much bigger project than I have time for.
A couple of days ago I was looking for the origin of the term oolong (Fujianese, Taiwaness, or just some random spelling such as Cantonese words were translated phonetically in the US which mandarin speakers have no clue of, not to mention none Chinese speakers). Mandarin spelling is Wu1 Long2. I have used oolong since day one I encounter Taiwanese oolong in the US. Things like this you just get used to it, like orange is orange, you don't give much thought to whether it's a Latin or French word. Now I am curious whether I should continue using oolong or switch to Wu Long.
Tea is derived from Fujianese, Cha is the official pronunciation in Mandarin. However Tea is a widely used term more so than Cha. This creates a dilemma, whether I want to be correct in the Chinese term risking of confusing reader/consumers, or should I just continue using what's more recognizable world wide. KungFu tea or Gong Fu Cha?!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Victory day!
For the last 9 months, I met a lot of beginning tea drinkers, curious coffee drinkers, regular tea drinkers and a handful of connoisseurs here at the shop. When the price tag $120/lb pops up, majority just say "wow" or "WOOOOW". The handful of connoisseurs would say, hmm, can I try the nice teas? Either they end up taking a small pack or wipe out the stock. And some of them laugh hysterically out loud when they saw $120 a pound of tea. As a shop keeper, I just suck it all up with a nice smile and offer a taste. Whipping out the $1200/lb Dan Cong would be unprofessional now. :P
On Saturday, a customer came in with my list of tea in hand, and told me he wants to get a few things from the list. I gladly helped him, and we started chatting about tea. He told me his wife and him start drinking tea a few months ago by discovering the tea section in Whole Food. Whole Food is an up scale chain of organic hippie food stores. It's a notch up from regular grocery stores in case you wonder what Whole Food is all about. Until a couple of weeks ago, they both wandered into my shop unintentionally and took home some teas. They found out loose leaf teas truly is more fresh and flavorful than grocery store teas. Then he continued with what else he has uncovered, the price of tea. Some of the tea bags in a box cost $12 for 1.2 oz. If you do the math, that's almost $200 a pound of unknown vintage unknown grade of tea. My few dollars per ounce of tea (2 oz size pack) has lasted a while for him.
These words if were come out of my mouth, it'd sound like a sales pitch, but coming from a consumer, makes me excited. It sounds almost like bell rings of Notre Dame.
I feel my 2 years of work is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This understanding of tea, both quality and value of tea being recognized by a new group of tea drinkers validates the value of specialty teas. It's not just for the honor my shop and teas I carry, it's rather for the entire specialty tea industry, everyone that has contributed to promote quality teas.
There should be a tea dance for moments like this. :P
On Saturday, a customer came in with my list of tea in hand, and told me he wants to get a few things from the list. I gladly helped him, and we started chatting about tea. He told me his wife and him start drinking tea a few months ago by discovering the tea section in Whole Food. Whole Food is an up scale chain of organic hippie food stores. It's a notch up from regular grocery stores in case you wonder what Whole Food is all about. Until a couple of weeks ago, they both wandered into my shop unintentionally and took home some teas. They found out loose leaf teas truly is more fresh and flavorful than grocery store teas. Then he continued with what else he has uncovered, the price of tea. Some of the tea bags in a box cost $12 for 1.2 oz. If you do the math, that's almost $200 a pound of unknown vintage unknown grade of tea. My few dollars per ounce of tea (2 oz size pack) has lasted a while for him.
These words if were come out of my mouth, it'd sound like a sales pitch, but coming from a consumer, makes me excited. It sounds almost like bell rings of Notre Dame.
I feel my 2 years of work is starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This understanding of tea, both quality and value of tea being recognized by a new group of tea drinkers validates the value of specialty teas. It's not just for the honor my shop and teas I carry, it's rather for the entire specialty tea industry, everyone that has contributed to promote quality teas.
There should be a tea dance for moments like this. :P
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
18 levels of tea drinkers
Found this article somewhat interesting. A couple of them don't make much sense even before translating due to lack of explanation. I am sure one can be at more than one place in your tea life. High lighted ones are where I feel I belong to currently.
1. no tea, do not drink tea
2. do not like tea, can drink tea but do not like tea, usually are soft drink drinkers.
3. too lazy to drink tea, can drink tea, does not detest the flavor, but to lazy to make a cup of tea
4. lonely drinker, likes tea but too cheap to share tea with others.
5. business tea, loves tea and know what's good tea, but only share when there is something to gain.
6. beautiful tea, drink tea for reason of pretty girls whom performs the art of tea
7. wake up tea, drink tea for caffeine effect.
8. meal tea, drink tea to aid digestion after meals.
9. learn tea, always a student when it comes to tea, learn not only tea, but the spirituality that tea brings, some what Zen.
10. love tea, tea nerds, enjoy the fun of smelling aroma, observing tea color, tasting flavor, where it's from, what year is it, the physical being of tea.
11. addicted tea, only the flavor is important, what where and how are not their concern.
12. indulge tea, ones who would travel far to meet the tea.
13. Crazy tea, focus on Cha Tao intensely, narrow tracked mind.
14. above and beyond tea, mind without skill or skill without mind is just tea, without mind and skill is true tea.
15. treasure tea, treasure life and friendship. In life, you gain some and loose some, treasure friendship and treasure the moment, treasure tea that brings friendship, treasure the moments together.
16. happy tea, having tea is good, not having tea is also fine, love tea, but not controlled by tea.
17. watch tea, be happy just watching tea.
18. abandon tea, transcend to an other realm from tea.
1. no tea, do not drink tea
2. do not like tea, can drink tea but do not like tea, usually are soft drink drinkers.
3. too lazy to drink tea, can drink tea, does not detest the flavor, but to lazy to make a cup of tea
4. lonely drinker, likes tea but too cheap to share tea with others.
5. business tea, loves tea and know what's good tea, but only share when there is something to gain.
6. beautiful tea, drink tea for reason of pretty girls whom performs the art of tea
7. wake up tea, drink tea for caffeine effect.
8. meal tea, drink tea to aid digestion after meals.
9. learn tea, always a student when it comes to tea, learn not only tea, but the spirituality that tea brings, some what Zen.
10. love tea, tea nerds, enjoy the fun of smelling aroma, observing tea color, tasting flavor, where it's from, what year is it, the physical being of tea.
11. addicted tea, only the flavor is important, what where and how are not their concern.
12. indulge tea, ones who would travel far to meet the tea.
13. Crazy tea, focus on Cha Tao intensely, narrow tracked mind.
14. above and beyond tea, mind without skill or skill without mind is just tea, without mind and skill is true tea.
15. treasure tea, treasure life and friendship. In life, you gain some and loose some, treasure friendship and treasure the moment, treasure tea that brings friendship, treasure the moments together.
16. happy tea, having tea is good, not having tea is also fine, love tea, but not controlled by tea.
17. watch tea, be happy just watching tea.
18. abandon tea, transcend to an other realm from tea.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Slovakia brochoures from Halfkill
What a pleasant surprise it was when I opened the big envelope stamped with foreign stamps! Included are maps of Bratislava and other travel info of Slovakia. European culture has interested me a great deal, as much as Chinese culture. Fascinating architectures and arts, life style, cuisines. There is a certain romantic notion of being there, as least for a visitor.Thank you Halfkill! It's very special. We shall meet and have tea one day in Slovakia. :)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Perspective
Take a step back, ocean becomes bigger, sky becomes wider! Every now and then, or should it be more than often, one must attempt to perceive life from a distance. Tonight, this ancient wisdom struck me to the core.
In a previous post, my focus was in tea and tea alone. Tea is my life, my center, my world along with my family and friends. But I was caught up in how tea prices and current economy will effect the livelihood of my business, that I was oblivious to the aftermath of the snow storm affecting those whom live there. Millions of people lost their crops, fruit trees, houses, resources of future income for the coming months and years, and even their own lives. You don't see you don't feel. How insensitive I was! My problems are not problems in a big scheme of universe.
Hu Nan province is one of the area, perhaps the worst affected province by this brutal and unforgiving snow storm. Power was out for more than 2 weeks. Millions people lived in the dark or trapped in remote areas where food and heating materials were scarce. Electricians work around the clock to fix towers and power lines both in cities and mountains. They work an average of 16 hours per day. Groups of 6 to 8 people walked on foot in the mountains over night to track power line/tower failures. Only return to the office for a hot cup of instant noodles in the morning. Upon leaving for the mountain before dark, no one can predict if everyone could come back alive the next morning. Over worked in cold dark icy conditions and in hunger, these are the modern day heroes truly devoted to their country and its people in times like this. To the family members of those fallen heroes, this snow storm is not lovely snow flakes drifting romantically, magically, but the sky - their world collapsed upon them. The wives, children, parents, brothers and sisters lost their loved ones, their source of reliability. How could this be real, many of them asked.
At times as such, it reminds me how fortunate I am to have nice warm bed to sleep on, food is abundant, loved ones are around and well, on top of all, I have a good cup of tea in my hand. What luxury that is! Thank you lord!
Wish all will be well again soon in China! China is a nation of uncrushable spirits!
In a previous post, my focus was in tea and tea alone. Tea is my life, my center, my world along with my family and friends. But I was caught up in how tea prices and current economy will effect the livelihood of my business, that I was oblivious to the aftermath of the snow storm affecting those whom live there. Millions of people lost their crops, fruit trees, houses, resources of future income for the coming months and years, and even their own lives. You don't see you don't feel. How insensitive I was! My problems are not problems in a big scheme of universe.
Hu Nan province is one of the area, perhaps the worst affected province by this brutal and unforgiving snow storm. Power was out for more than 2 weeks. Millions people lived in the dark or trapped in remote areas where food and heating materials were scarce. Electricians work around the clock to fix towers and power lines both in cities and mountains. They work an average of 16 hours per day. Groups of 6 to 8 people walked on foot in the mountains over night to track power line/tower failures. Only return to the office for a hot cup of instant noodles in the morning. Upon leaving for the mountain before dark, no one can predict if everyone could come back alive the next morning. Over worked in cold dark icy conditions and in hunger, these are the modern day heroes truly devoted to their country and its people in times like this. To the family members of those fallen heroes, this snow storm is not lovely snow flakes drifting romantically, magically, but the sky - their world collapsed upon them. The wives, children, parents, brothers and sisters lost their loved ones, their source of reliability. How could this be real, many of them asked.
At times as such, it reminds me how fortunate I am to have nice warm bed to sleep on, food is abundant, loved ones are around and well, on top of all, I have a good cup of tea in my hand. What luxury that is! Thank you lord!
Wish all will be well again soon in China! China is a nation of uncrushable spirits!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Destiny of a tea leaf
In an hour of commute on a Saturday morning, thoughts came across my mind is nothing far from tea. Now that my tea shop's into its 9th month of operation, much of the tea related daily thoughts are inventory, tasting, who likes what tea, things I know and things I don't know about teas.
This morning, my thoughts went a step further, if I were a tea leaf full of flavor and substance, what's my destination? The optimal result would be end up in a cup of hot water releasing all the flavor?! Meet the right water, waiting for the right temperature and use the right utensils. Making a good cup of tea is some what like meeting the right person as a mate. If the water was good, tea flavor can be enhanced, on the other hand, a fare mannered girl can become bitchy. If the temperature was hot enough, the substance can be released, if too hot, the bitterness will also come out. On the other hand, flavor of tea will not be revealed, a fun persona could become boring. If the utensils were wrong, tea would be bland. On the other hand, the right utensils can magnify the good and round off the bad. The right persons can inspire one and other to learn, improve, progress, and excel.
If I were a tea leaf, where is my water?!
Collection of scattered thoughts.
I got up on a Sunday morning thinking, this post sounds too much like an online dating profile. HAHA
This morning, my thoughts went a step further, if I were a tea leaf full of flavor and substance, what's my destination? The optimal result would be end up in a cup of hot water releasing all the flavor?! Meet the right water, waiting for the right temperature and use the right utensils. Making a good cup of tea is some what like meeting the right person as a mate. If the water was good, tea flavor can be enhanced, on the other hand, a fare mannered girl can become bitchy. If the temperature was hot enough, the substance can be released, if too hot, the bitterness will also come out. On the other hand, flavor of tea will not be revealed, a fun persona could become boring. If the utensils were wrong, tea would be bland. On the other hand, the right utensils can magnify the good and round off the bad. The right persons can inspire one and other to learn, improve, progress, and excel.
If I were a tea leaf, where is my water?!
Collection of scattered thoughts.
I got up on a Sunday morning thinking, this post sounds too much like an online dating profile. HAHA
Monday, January 14, 2008
Physical & spiritual
US is a society of speed, fast cars, fast high ways, fast Internet, fast service from food to drive through wedding, how can tea be omitted from the fast lane?! No one has the patience to sit down and wait a couple minutes for tea to brew, hot tea does not cool fast enough for instant drinking so the invention of iced tea. My customers ask me for ice cubes. Machines are made to brew hot and iced teas with preset time and temperature.
#4 in the world, US consumption of tea is more than I thought it would be. One must think there is a tea culture here. Well, if there was one, it must be tea bag and iced tea culture. It's the physical presence of tea without the spirit.
I am stressed out just thinking of waiting in line for a cup of hot tea at Starbucks.
My mind is bubbling with thoughts today.... and still bubbling
#4 in the world, US consumption of tea is more than I thought it would be. One must think there is a tea culture here. Well, if there was one, it must be tea bag and iced tea culture. It's the physical presence of tea without the spirit.
I am stressed out just thinking of waiting in line for a cup of hot tea at Starbucks.
My mind is bubbling with thoughts today.... and still bubbling
Cha Yun4 茶韵
The term Cha Yun4 has troubled me for a few years, especially when I was in the stage of trying many teas I had not had or heard of before, not that I know all teas now, but I had enough to find a love of my life, which needless to say, Dan Cong.
Through years of drinking, I heard many people refer a tea's characteristics as cha yun. Each tea has its yun, each location, region, mountain all have their yun reflected upon tea. How do we determine the term? From my understanding out of my experience, 2 things might be mixed when we speak of cha yun. First is varietal flavor, Tie Guan Yin is distinctive from Dan Cong, Dan Cong is distinctive from Taiwan oolong. Roughly speaking, these are varietal flavors, not Cha Yun. Chicken will taste like chicken whether its free range or caged although one taste like good chicken and the other taste just like chicken. Second is the indescribable yun. What makes up cha Yun is the subtle characteristics which remind you of the place, the people and the happenings where you had the tea?!
Yun is an up in the air term. Literally it means Rhyme, the ending of 2 phrases rhyme with each other. The music tones rhyme. It's a term to describe sound.
When yun is used to describe human, it takes on a totally different meaning. Women have lady yun which girls don't. In this context, it means aura, character, charisma, personality.
How can we describe cha yun? To me, it's how a tea makes you feel, the energy created in your body that reminds you of something consistently when drinking similar teas.
When I drink Long Jing, the lightness, greenness, and the shapes of floating young leaves make me think of the infamous beautiful ladies of Su Zhou and Hang Zhou, the silkiness associates with real silk also a famous product of Su Hang. ladies of Su Hang are famous for being thin, soft spoken and fair skin with a fragile look. Long Jing is a shadow of all those above. I don't drink much green tea including LJ. Not for the lady like reason, or is it?! :p
Aged pu-erh gives me a nourishing feel, grounded and protected. It's the aging effect I suppose. Like a father caring for his child. I associate pu-erh with a masculine energy, Wuyi rock tea also give me the male masculine energy.
Dan Cong, reminds me of an out side world unlike any metropolis or even a country site. 世 外 桃 园 a peach garden out side of this world. The floral aroma will lighten your feet, lift your spirit off the ground, the honey taste is warm to the soul, leaving you worry free.
Each person perceive things differently, and each tea effects every one differently as well. That's why cha yun will vary for each person.
Through years of drinking, I heard many people refer a tea's characteristics as cha yun. Each tea has its yun, each location, region, mountain all have their yun reflected upon tea. How do we determine the term? From my understanding out of my experience, 2 things might be mixed when we speak of cha yun. First is varietal flavor, Tie Guan Yin is distinctive from Dan Cong, Dan Cong is distinctive from Taiwan oolong. Roughly speaking, these are varietal flavors, not Cha Yun. Chicken will taste like chicken whether its free range or caged although one taste like good chicken and the other taste just like chicken. Second is the indescribable yun. What makes up cha Yun is the subtle characteristics which remind you of the place, the people and the happenings where you had the tea?!
Yun is an up in the air term. Literally it means Rhyme, the ending of 2 phrases rhyme with each other. The music tones rhyme. It's a term to describe sound.
When yun is used to describe human, it takes on a totally different meaning. Women have lady yun which girls don't. In this context, it means aura, character, charisma, personality.
How can we describe cha yun? To me, it's how a tea makes you feel, the energy created in your body that reminds you of something consistently when drinking similar teas.
When I drink Long Jing, the lightness, greenness, and the shapes of floating young leaves make me think of the infamous beautiful ladies of Su Zhou and Hang Zhou, the silkiness associates with real silk also a famous product of Su Hang. ladies of Su Hang are famous for being thin, soft spoken and fair skin with a fragile look. Long Jing is a shadow of all those above. I don't drink much green tea including LJ. Not for the lady like reason, or is it?! :p
Aged pu-erh gives me a nourishing feel, grounded and protected. It's the aging effect I suppose. Like a father caring for his child. I associate pu-erh with a masculine energy, Wuyi rock tea also give me the male masculine energy.
Dan Cong, reminds me of an out side world unlike any metropolis or even a country site. 世 外 桃 园 a peach garden out side of this world. The floral aroma will lighten your feet, lift your spirit off the ground, the honey taste is warm to the soul, leaving you worry free.
Each person perceive things differently, and each tea effects every one differently as well. That's why cha yun will vary for each person.
Bragging about Ginger Mom Fragrance 姜母香
Ok, I lost sleep for 2 nights in a row after I found out I'll have the privilege to taste the $6000 / 500 g Dan Cong in June 2008, I can't contain my happiness and feel the need to brag a little. This makes me gitty just thinking about it. #1 bush on Wu Dong mountain, Jiang Mu Xiang - Ginger Mom Fragrance 姜母香.
I know this sounds silly and juvenile. :P
I know this sounds silly and juvenile. :P
Monday, January 07, 2008
Drinking with Camellia
I can finally sit down and drink some tea quietly after the holiday chaos. Camellia blooming season is here, it's as close to drinking next to a tea tree as possible here in the US. :)
Tiny hong ni shui ping pot (30-40 ml) makes one perfect cup of tea. When drinking alone, I like using a small pot, so I get to finish every infusion before turning cold . Ah, if I didn't have to run a shop, this would be a pretty darn good and easy life.
I am working on the long over due "Get to know Dan Cong 3", should have it ready in a day or so.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
My future retirement location - Phoenix mountain
I mentioned when I retire, I'll spend part of the time living in Guang Dong, Chao Zhou area, soak up the air and drink lots of good teas while watching sun rise. See it for yourself and imagine what life would be like. *dreamy*
Tea plantations among dense fogs in the morning.
Fog is so thick in the morning, only take a few minutes to accumulate a drop of water. Facial for tea every morning!
Ah, old arbor tea trees! They can be over 5 meters tall, hence difficult to harvest, climbing on branches and using ladders are the only way to access those precious leaves. Average of 3 pounds of finished products per tree, only one harvest annually in Spring. Picture is taken in Fall, there is not much leaves on these trees. High altitude old arbor trees don't grow much during fall.
Only in natural organic habitat will parisitic plants grow on trunks of tea trees. You can be sure leaves from these trees are safe and delicious.
Tea plantations among dense fogs in the morning.
Fog is so thick in the morning, only take a few minutes to accumulate a drop of water. Facial for tea every morning!
Ah, old arbor tea trees! They can be over 5 meters tall, hence difficult to harvest, climbing on branches and using ladders are the only way to access those precious leaves. Average of 3 pounds of finished products per tree, only one harvest annually in Spring. Picture is taken in Fall, there is not much leaves on these trees. High altitude old arbor trees don't grow much during fall.
Only in natural organic habitat will parisitic plants grow on trunks of tea trees. You can be sure leaves from these trees are safe and delicious.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Kung Fu Tea the real style
Nowadays, Tea presentation/ceremony are popular due to revival of Chinese tea culture. Pretty girls dress in traditional clothing, sitting up and straight, shoulders leveled and balanced, making tea in fixed procedures, showing off tea with "orchid" hands - stick out pinkies. It's a performance to entertain.
Real life tea drinking, on the other hand, I feel it does not have to be so pretentious. Tea is secondary when a group of friends get together for tea, as the conversations carry on and in between, "wow, this tea is wonderful, I love the flavor". That's the kind of tea drinking is all about in real life.
Chao Zhou Kung Fu Tea dates more than 800 years back, the most comprehensive of all in every way. At the same time, it's so simple, inelaborate, cultural in the most common way. The more I learn about it, the more I want to spend a good part of my life there when time permits.
Tea culture at level as presented in above photo struck me to the core, I'd so shamelessly invite myself to sit down on the floor with these old men for a cup of tea if I happened to walk by one day!
Saturday, November 03, 2007
PV brats embracing tea culture
This ought to turn some of us long time tea drinkers to shame! Through out the years of drinking non-commercially, I accumulate tea wares and a lot of teas, just like most of you do. However, not to the extend as some of these new drinkers.
Within a couple of months, began with drinking in a glass infuser cup, to drinking kung fu tea with some of the best teas on the planet, and now owning a whole set of tea wares (tray, gaiwan set, clay pot, named personal cup, caddies, coasters that match) all fit in a portable leather box. On top of all that, a new rug, new tea table, pillows to create a tea corner in private home. That's over the top!
It's very touching and significant for me. Since spreading Chinese tea culture is my ultimate goal, I feel as my intend is achievable. The result encourages me to pursuit my goal with light ahead. While it's fulfilling for myself, it also helps others to live healthy and stylish at young, and most of all, stay away from drug!
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
PV brats
One of the joys I get out of having a tea shop, probably the most enjoyable out of all is to spread Chinese tea culture. By saying this, of course not forcing everyone comes through the door to learn what I feel so special and endearing. However when some one truly is inquisitive about the world of tea, it really gets me excited. One of the girls who work here is very much into tea and the whole Chinese tea culture after exposing to it for the last few months. It's quite a sight to watch a blonde girl pouring tea and explaining it to customers with enthusiasm. Her friends also got into tea influenced by her. After a lesson on brewing techniques and taste training, the first thing after school on a Friday afternoon is to drink kung fu tea at my platform. It started with 3 then 4 then 8 then 12 boys and girls showing up on Friday afternoons, Saturdays, some times even Sundays whenever they get a chance, spending 3 to 5 hours at a time, going through 3 or more teas, buying and sharing the most high end teas. It's rather amazing, not quite as I expected before I opened the shop, but definite a good thing for these kids, it's a better and healthier addiction than drug!
PV, as most kids here say, "I just want to grow up to be a normal person", without knowing they will never be normal, living here is realistically not the norm of this society. 1/2 of the kids smoke and take drugs, mainly because they have too much spending money. Their parents are hard working business people whom have very little time to spend with their kids, materials are substitutions of love and time. My friend Ming (a PV mom) said to me "how are they going to live without good tea from now on or live anywhere else with no access of good tea? You spoil them!". I then said to her, I am glad I'll have access to good tea even if I don't run a tea shop later in my life. Despite what's available on the market, I know where to get my good stocks of tea, how fortunate is that!
PV, as most kids here say, "I just want to grow up to be a normal person", without knowing they will never be normal, living here is realistically not the norm of this society. 1/2 of the kids smoke and take drugs, mainly because they have too much spending money. Their parents are hard working business people whom have very little time to spend with their kids, materials are substitutions of love and time. My friend Ming (a PV mom) said to me "how are they going to live without good tea from now on or live anywhere else with no access of good tea? You spoil them!". I then said to her, I am glad I'll have access to good tea even if I don't run a tea shop later in my life. Despite what's available on the market, I know where to get my good stocks of tea, how fortunate is that!
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