菊枕梦

深宵夜探陆游梦
沈园肠断钗头凤
宋人痴心泪犹垂
哀叹今人情意轻
何日圆我菊枕梦
莫待红粉变飞灰

Thought of a man 9 hundred years old... his love, poems, eternal romance....

Lu You is one of the greatest poets in Chinese history, born during the end of Northern Song dynasty, having lived through the down fall of one dynasty and the weak new formed Southern Song, his patriotism for the Song, his ups and downs in his political career, his heart beak were inspirations. Essenes of his love life, his view of current political climate, his despairing hopes for China's unity, expressed through poems. He wrote more than 10 thousand poems, more than 9 thousand of which are preserved today.

At age of 20, he married his cousin Tang Yuan, the 2 were greatly in love with shared poetic ideas. Females were seldom educated in those days. Lu You wrote a poem about them collecting yellow chrysanthemum flowers to make a pair of pillows, expressing his love for his wife and the happiness they shared (This poem was not recorded). Later Lu's mother demanded him divorcing Tang Yuan (later found that she wasn't able to have children). The 2 were heart broken and helpless. Both of them were remarried under pressure.

10 years later, Lu You accidentally ran into Tang Yuan and her current husband in the Shen's garden (Shao Qing, Zhe Jiang Province). Lu wrote a poem on the garden wall (littering :P ) expressing his anger, helplessness, and sadden lasting love for her. Tang Yuan later wrote an other poem pairing with her sorrows, and died soon after. The combined poem is the famous Chai Tou Feng - Phoenix on a Hair Pin.

Lu You spend the next 40 years fighting the Mongols and was dispatched in various provinces and cities during his political career. At age of 63, he saw some one making a chrysanthemum pillow, his broken heart struck him once again, and wrote a poem about his memories of young loving marriage with Tang Yuan. In this poem, can we only know about the existence of his previous chrysanthemum pillow poem written at age 20.

At age of 67, Lu You revisited the Shen's garden, Chai Tou Feng was a spear stabbing his bleeding heart again. An other poem was written in Tang Yuan's memory.

He moved close to Shen's garden at age of 75, every time he's in town, he'd look into the garden from a hill top afar in silence. He wrote one last poem for Tang Yuan a year before he died.

What does it take to receive such life long immense love from a man....

Fall with a day dream

Fall is a dreamy season in its own style, a little sad, a little lost, a bit anxious. Golden leaves drift in between wind, red leaves dance in autumn sun. I thought of driving up north aiming Montreal on a New Jersey turn pike, diving into an oil painting of fall forest in high speed, days when I was young(er) with impulsive excitement. California has more ever green vegetation, palm trees lost its lush green in fall, leaving a sight of dull green and layered with heavy smog on top sliding off the dried edges. A shower would be heavenly, but a luxury in LA.

A friend invited me for a day of tea on a rainy day a couple of week ago. It was too early for rain in LA, but much welcomed. I didn't go to tea, rather enjoyed a day of rain and tea at my store, tranquility, quiet music, warm fire an arm away, a cup of flower warmed my fingers. My mind had crossed the ocean, rain drops smelled as soil of Phoenix Mountain, spring water swam through my bare toes tickling my senses, wild flowers immersed in water fall of rain shower in the forest, tender, vibrant and proud as a child.

I have longed to smell the soil of Phoenix mountain again, each time I sip a cup of Dan Cong, the more I needed to be near. Once I am there, my will may be captured and surrendered, I may no longer wish to return. Every time I walk at the edge of Pacific ocean, looking far into the other edge, there lays the culture of my blood, soil that once nurtured my bones and flesh, soil that nurtures tea trees that nurtures my soul today. My feet are standing on soil of LA, my spirit is already in Chao Zhou. Wish I could make an impulse decision as I was young(er), pack up and go as wish. Impulse or not, the excitement is still within, going to China next month is the plan. One might wonder why Winter instead of Spring. This trip is a personal trip, business on the side. The purpose is not to watch how teas are made. I am there to cultivate my root and connection. Also, my battery is running low, hence recharging is necessary. I need to soak up the rains on Phoenix mountain, I need to wander the ancient streets of Hang Zhou city, submerge in the romance and pain of ancient poets. Not one person in time could be exempted from pain, and every one in any time are included in seeking happiness. Pain is a magnifier of happiness, a guide to our eternal longing for happiness. Indulge it and be happy!

Perfume

This is an off topic yet closely connected to tea, especially to Dan Cong teas for its renown fragrances.

Thi the writer of the LA Times article about my tea shop and Dan Cong teas is extremely well versed in many subjects. So naturally his friends are similar contributing even wider versed interests. I had the honer and privilege to become part of his group, expanding rapidly in my own horizon and every one else's in the group.

The US is an allergy swamp! I never heard of the term allergy during my childhood years in China. We had regular seasonal rains in the south, defined seasons, a lot less pollution than today. I was happy as a bug on a bamboo tree after a Spring shower. Soon after we moved to the states, 2 years was all that it took for my allergy to develop in full swing, the serious kind that crippled my social ability for many years. Living with such sensitivity, I avoid scent, wash my hands every 30 minutes, would not touch my own skin after 5 minutes of washing them or after touching anything else. A few perfumes I had purchased out of curiosity and impulse shopping, a few were gifts, most of them are still in the bottles aging like brandies with sealed packages. Mint condition antiques you can refer to one day. I hate strong scents worn by others, they put me out like chloroform I swear. Strong perfume and tea don't mix of course. So to sum it up, I did not like perfume, I did not wear perfume for over 20 years, and I refuse to date anyone showers with cologne.

SP introduced me to hundreds of her perfume collections, most of which are not over the counter perfumes. You can find them at :
http://www.cbihateperfume.com/perfume.html
Definitely not an average joe perfume collection. Those who lives in Brooklyn New York, lucky fools! CB has a gallery in Brooklyn.

It has been a few months since I first met SP and sniffed her perfumes. I did not attempt to put any on until a few weeks ago fear of my allergic natured being. Under some fine liquor influence, I tried a few on at various spots of my arms. Next day woke up with my nose next to my arm, good morning I said in a happy liquefied mood. I then sniffed both my arms in an outward reach order, it started with sweet water with an innocent love affair for 4 inches, musky smoked Russian Caravan without milk and sugar for the next 3 inches, wet stone of the north east forest extended toward my lower arm, fresh snow and fir was where I lost before a mushroomy aroma stopped me before my palm. The memories, imaginations, sensuality are all part of these scents, alarming in a gentle but profound way. ALL of these perfumes are so light and airy, one can not smell you from a distance. They can only be smelled about 1/2 inch away or less, so delicate you want to chase your nose down beneath the skin. This is the quality of some Dan Cong teas, fragrance is in the golden liquid sipping down your throat, scenting your entire breathing system, tracing all the way deep into your lungs.

These scents combined with my own scent and had modified itself from what they were in the bottle. Upon reading more about CB I hate Perfume's website, my mind was blown away, a part of life I blocked off due to my health condition. During many tea drinking sessions with Thi, SP and his (mine too now) friends, I kept mentioning if there was a natural perfume smells exactly like any of my Dan Cong teas, I'd wear them everyday! How sensual and divine that might be! I might be able to market that in Chao Zhou. :P

I'll get a ginger flower scent for Christmas! It's a present for myself... I'm currently in love with the water #5 accord - gift from SP, it works very nice with my skin and chemistry. Accord means single scent. Go get lost in these scents! Male, female, natural, floral, dirt, smoke, leather, dried leaves and mushrooms, scents of the 60's and 70's, the possibilities are endless, and they smell very nice despite the names. Let there illusive scents illuminate your senses!

Most human have expression complication, some are introverted, some are verbal, some through music, writing, etc. Scent is another catalyst to open one's mind, imagination, express in ways one finds comfort. Tea has been a great catalyst for many as a social medium, chit chatting amongst friends, even strangers through a cup of tea. Some teas are more expressive than others. I found my expressive tea, Dan Cong. Perfumes from CB are the new addition, opening channels I intentionally shut off. It makes me feel whole, or more whole than previous.

Large Leaf - Small Leaf Varietals

Many of us know of Large Leaf varietals, Small Leaf varietals, wild varietals and such. What are the difference?

Large Leaf:
Arbor tea trees grown in the Southwest part of China and other bordering southeast Asian Countries. These are considered wild varietals or wild to domesticated varietals. The term wild does not only mean grown wildly. Wild species contain stone cells in leaf structure. Wild to domestic varietals also contain stone cells but fewer. Such genetic cell formation is for survival in wild with a hearty structure. Pu-erh teas and Feng Huang Hong Yin are both arbor large leaf wild varietals, Feng Huang Shui Xian/Dan Cong are mutated wild to domesticated varietals. These species can be found and live happily in warm and moist climates.

Small Leaf:
Shrubs with smaller tree size and leaf size. As tea trees migrate from warmer to cooler climates, the genetic changes to adopt to local condition, soil, temperature, moisture, altitude, etc. Small leaf varietals are found in mid to east and mid to north areas of China. Long Jing, Bi Lo Chun, Yan Cha, Tie Guan Yin are all small leaf varietals, also domesticated varietals. These varietals no longer contain stone cells. They can endure cooler temperature than large leaf varietals.

Too see leaf difference:
Wild Hong Yin - Wild varietal
Feng Huang Dan Cong - Wild to Domesticated varietal
Bi Lo Chun - Domesticated varietal

I'm often asked: can one tea tree be made into every kinds of tea, green, black, and such. Leaf varietal is the determine factor of its suitability for type of tea to be made. Wild, wild to domesticated varietals are too strong for green tea. Domesticated varietals are too fragile for oolong tea process. These are factors aside of how young the shoots/buds to pick. Large leaf varietals are more flavorful than domesticate varietals, the hearty nature of the leaf can also endure longer and detailed process that intended for more complicated chemistry reaction.

How to time a good brew without a timer

I have been pondering how to write this article for a while, with my limited choice of words, precisely explain something imprecise has its own challenge.

Many years of brewing tea without a thermometer and a timer is the path took me to where I am with tea today. Reading others brewing reviews with precise time and temperature written down, I always wonder if anyone actually follows with again modern gadgets of thermometer and timer. The bigger question is with all these tools involved, is outcome of tea really at its best? After all, the Chinese or other parts of the world have been drinking tea for centuries if not millenniums without a thermometer and a timer beside them. How did Gong Fu Cha refine its technique by nothing but skilled hands, observing minds and sensitive palates?

While training my new employee Peter, I realized learning to brew tea with borrowed data can not improve ones skill. Peter can now brew DCs really well after some side by side boot camp style training which he learned the initial technique, then later learned to observe color and consistency. This experience has improved my skill in teaching how to brew tea. My brewing has been some what subconscious, kinda like driving. My consciousness does not aware of the subtle difference in technique. Here I propose a simple way to start then transcend your skill level in leaps and bounds.

For oolong and pu-erh teas in general, as a starter brew, use 3 g of leaves, 100 to 120 ml cup or pot

1, preheat utensils (cup or pot)with boiling water
2, add dry leaves in to utensil IMMEDIATELY upon emptying and cover lid
3, shake utensil in circular motion (not up and down) occasionally for 1 minute
4, pour hot water (boiling or off boiled) on side of utensil at one spot (do not go all over the utensil), avoid hitting leaves directly, with force and from high up (6 inches above)for oolong teas, low for pu-erh teas.
5*, cover lid for 15 seconds for 1st brew, empty to pitcher

***For step 5, use 15 seconds as a standard for every NEW tea comes to hand as a reference point. You can change it as you get to know the teas in future sessions.

The most important part begins here, how ever the first brew comes out is your reference, observe color and consistency of liquid. After tasting this brew, you'll find out whether it's 1)just right, 2)too weak, 3)too strong for your own taste. Base on your own preference of strength, when making the 2nd brew, adjust the color and consistency in comparison to the first brew. Current brew will become the reference of the follow brew.

Out come 1, just right: brew subsequent brews with same or "similar" color and consistency as 1st brew.

Out come 2, too weak: make 2nd brew into darker color and thicker consistency. Timing is irrelevant since each tea is different, but the color and thickness of liquid are your most tell tail signs of what's being extracted and at what ratio, which is the influential factors in how strong your tea will become.

Out come 3, too strong: make 2nd brew into lighter and thinner consistency. Same as out come 2, timing is not relevant but the color and thickness of liquid are the indicators of how strong your tea is.

Each brew should be a reference of the following brew as for how long to brew and how strong you prefer your tea. Timer is soulless, it does not recognize your palate preference, it can not smell the aroma of tea, most importantly, a timer does not understand each tea individually. Only you the tea drinker can recognize those desirable attributes of a tea through tasting and more tastings. Practice makes perfection perfect!

The key to this is reproduce the same color and consistency of the brew that you like. It can be achieved for the first 4 to 6 brews depending on the quality of tea. Later brews will have lighter color, consistency can keep up or thinning depending on the quality of tea again.

This is the only way to perfect your skills in making a good cup of tea. A timer and thermometer are not going to get you there.

For other variables (temperature, utensil, leave quantity, type of tea, water, etc.), you can experiment with them in future sessions, after you get familiarize with the tea. No mater what parameters you change at one given session, the fundamental remains reproducing the same color and consistency of liquid that best suited for your own taste, without a timer and a thermometer.

You might wonder how does one know if the potential of the tea has been reached. This will come with experience, and become consistent. No one can tell you how you prefer a tea. No one can formulate a mechanical brewing process for a tea using tools.

无奈

予若乘风攀杨柳
柳垂杜鹃何堪接
几许奈何花自落
花飞柳扬水自催
卿心柳意雾中隔
银河月照丝丝意

Chinese poems can express so much more in a few simple lines than I can explain in a full page article.

How hard is it to brew a good cup of tea?

Just a thought on what Gong Fu can do to your Cha:

It's really easy to mess up a cup of green tea. In the case of Dan Cong, commercial grade products. Some can actually taste bad.

It's really hard to max the potential of great oolong tea. In the case of Dan Cong, the high end old bush Dan Cong. Without gong fu, it won't taste bad, with some serious Gong Fu, you can maximize its potentials and be rewarded by its beauty.

Cups and such

This is a lid of some sort, beautifully hand painted. I am using it as a saucer. Next to that is my flaming gay red hot orange rice bowl cup which I lug around a lot. Everything is old but the orange bowl, I also have a brown one with gold shimmers, a few pink ones, a few soft yellow ones, a couple of dark blue ones. Rice bowl is my favorite shape although not conventional in tea terms. Up side down cup is old as well, I have 4 and each one of them taste different. Yeah, it's insane! Same tea, different cup, different flavors. P suggested this monster experiment to try each cup to see if they taste different. I didn't think I should start a whole new controversy on cups, since there are enough to go about clay pots, but we couldn't help it. Anyways, I refuse to dig further into this. This can turn into a big monster obsession on top of all my other obsessions. I have only 24 hours a day and limited supply of brain cells.
Tiny cups, hand made and hand painted, god knows how old they are. White translucent clay, imperfect shapes.
My newly acquired cup sets, 6 sets of hand made and hand painted cups with matching saucers. Very nicely made with even thinness. Each cup and saucer are different from another although precisely made with fine details. Old but not sure how old. They are a bit too small tho, it's so small, the tea turns cold really fast, so fast that moving from the table to my lips is not fast enough to have a cup of hot tea. I'll use them for something else.
Gift from JM, these are Japanese made cups with crackle clear glaze. The bottom of the cup has a dot of blush pink. Such darlings! They go well with shu pu-erh in taste, also appealing in looks with amber color matching the light pale earth green. Although I messed up with leaving shu pu in it over night, some tea sipped through the crackles and left minor stain marks.


60 hand made white cups (new) will arrive in the next shipment, made in Chao Zhou by hand.

Russian Tea

A couple drove more than 100 miles from San Diego county all the way to Palos Verdes for some tea. They found out about Tea Habitat through a Russian news paper, not the LA Times. I was stunned to find out the LA Times article was translated and republished in a Russian news paper.

Thanks to NL for sending the news paper to me! I have no words to describe my surprise and excitement. :D

Goose feather fan

Goose feather fan, one of the 18 essentials of Chao Zhou Gong Fu Cha.

It's funny how perception by the norm in my childhood days, things that are ugly and old (out of fashion) last long into my adulthood. I knew this goose fan was one of the essentials of Chao Zhou gong fu cha, but I didn't want to have one because compare to the new wood carved, nice paper/silk fans, not to mention the electric fans, it just looks too neolithic.

When I first used the Chao Zhou clay stove, starting a fire with a few pieces of wood charcoal was a bit of challenge, although I had a very good idea how to get it going. But in reality, the speed of starting the fire is what's important and needed be perfected. A slow fire can bring a pot of water up to boil in 40 minutes, vs a flaming hot fire can boil a pot of water in a few minutes. The very first fan I had was a hand held electric fan runs on batteries. Ha, I thought I was smart and that must be better than a goose fan. It worked, with some constant fanning. After I dropped that a couple times and broke it, I switched to a piece cardboard paper. It was working as well, also takes some constant fanning, but I didn't have to pay for it. :P

Reading Chinese classics really open my mind about ancient traditional philosophies, tools, medicines, and much more. I realize if something has lasted for thousands years and still in practice widely today, there must be a significant function of such existence which is better than others including new inventions. The western mentality is newer the better, invent and invent and more new inventions. The eastern mentality is re-invent and refine. Anyways, I told myself, I should get a goose fan because it's still being used today by the cz locals.

As I wrote a few weeks ago, it brought me sooo much joy when using it the first time. Literally started a fire from charcoals with a few small red spots to flaming fire in under a minute. It was soooo fun, I intentionally burnt most of the charcoals down to small pieces in between sessions, so I can use the fan again to start a flaming fire with newly added charcoals. :P

Scientifically, I have not studied why a feather fan works better than anything else, including the electric fan. My guess would be the feathers used are from the wings portion of the geese. They are "designed" to fly, therefore the natural feather curve is "designed" with aerodynamics. Nature is magical! Yi Jing's fundamental is also about nature, nature is the base track of human way of living. Stay on track can get you far and beyond, off track will eventually throw you back into track and start over again where you left off. I am going to learn to be smart and stay with the track. :D

I also learn to listen, accept ideas from the right sources, although with questions in mind. Sometimes I wonder if I should put aside the questions, practice with the idea to find the outcome before asking questions. Pure skepticism will not get you too far. Learn with an open mind. When the truth unfold, questions will vanish.

Tea tasting with Wu's, Zhang's CZ pots and gaiwan

This is a long over due post, as most of you read my blog knows what had happened and how my time was spent for the last few days.

Anyways, back to business as usual, and blog as usual.

A couple of weeks ago, 3 tea drinkers and myself conducted a tasting test with 3 different vessels (left to right):
Wu's Chao Zhou Sandy Red Clay pot
Zhang's Chao Zhou Red Clay pot
White porcelain gaiwan
Tea we used was a commercial special grade of Da Wu Ye - Big Dark Leaf. DWY is one of my favorite tea with a ginger flower aroma when it's made well. The commercial grade is not as great in fragrance, flavor and texture compared to the old bush teas. When comparing to the same class/grade of tea, it's on top of my list.

I brewed with 2-3 grams of leaves in each vessel, used the same water, same timing.

Gaiwan being the first one: aromatic, sharp flavor with some dry throat feeling
Zhang's Chao Zhou Red Clay pot: very smooth-almost buttery, rounded, aroma subsided a bit
Wu's Chao Zhou Sandy Red Clay pot: aromatic, richer, smoother but not buttery, sweeter, thicker texture.

The initial brew was an open answer tasting. The second brew was closed "book" tasting. I switched the pots order to Gaiwan, Wu's then Zhangs. 2 people liked the Gaiwan, and 1 preferred the Wu's. Both people preferred the gaiwan like it because the flavor is richer, in my opinion, it's more flavorful with everything presented in the cup, the good and the flaws, but not necessary a better cup. The flavors (both good and not so good substance) are more detectable in a gaiwan.

The Zhang's muted the tea a little too much, buttery to the point it feels soapy slick, the aroma was missing quite a bit. A Yixing is even more so compare to the Zhang's conducted previous with green tea. I think this is why it makes great green pu-erh, young in particular, since most pu-erh are not as fragrant as DCs, some with sharp dryness.

The Wu's is the winner in my opinion. It has the aroma as much as a gaiwan, the texture is refined with rich full texture, sweeter.

I have been using a couple of Wu's pot to re-taste many of the dc teas, single bushes mostly. I found that it made roasting/toasty flavor disappear.

The 07 Po Tou - ginger flower was reroasted and I can taste the roasty flavor in a gaiwan and was not as desirable as I first had it in 2007. When I made it in the Wu's, the aroma came back although not as fresh as flowers after rain (that's how it felt in 2007), it turned into a matured sweet floral aroma, the after taste was amazingly sweet and clean. 2 tea tasters were quite impressed by the sweet after taste. It was actually more sweet and lingering than I had it in 2007. I am glad the Wu's brought Po Tou back to my favorite, at one point, I thought of writing it off my favorite list.

Chao Zhou pots are well known, or much more well known than Yixing in Southern China-Guang Dong and Fu Jian oolong drinking regions and many South east Asia countries. It's better suited for most oolongs. But you'd wonder why areas outside of those mentioned use Yixing mostly or unheard of CZ pots? It's because they are not made in large quantity, also not artistically made as the Yixings.

This is the reason why the more I know about Chao Zhou culture, tea culture and people culture all together (people culture reflects in tea culture), the more I love the region. It's rich, unassuming, not flashy, but full of substance in literature, culture, rites, food, tea, teawares. All of which are great without the fancy packages, most of which are designed for practicality for best use. The people are not as fashionable as Shanghai or Guang Zhou. Phoenix mountain is not as famous as most well known Chinese mountains such as Tai Shan, Huang Shan, etc. Dan Cong teas are not as well known as Long Jing or Tie Guan Yin. Tea pots are not as well known as Yixings. But over all tea culture known as Chao Zhou Gong Fu Cha is world renown although the components are not, which is quite weird. Chao Zhou tea culture is the richest, deepest and most fancy in technique and equipments, but at the same time, not that many people know of the actually details. Seems like a controversy in itself eh?

What does Cong 丛 mean?

There are many confusion about Dan Cong - 单丛.

It's 单丛, not 单枞. The correct Chinese character has always been 单丛 used in Chao Zhou. Out side of Chao Zhou, it's aslo commonly seen as 单枞. Yes, even the Chinese in China-alot of them too misuses the character.

丛 (Cong2): bush, shrub, a cluster of branches grow from the same root as one single plant.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%B8%9B

枞 (Cong1): Fir - Abies Firma
http://www.nciku.com/search/zh/detail/%E6%9E%9E/6423

The 2 characters have extremely different meanings with different sound/tone, mismatching doesn't even make sense. It's quite disturbing to see the Chinese misuse the character in China, hence misleading foreigners. You can even hear Chinese national TV hosts say 枞 (Cong1), emphasizing the incorrect pronunciation as correct. This problem perhaps can be corrected when over all education improves in a couple of generations if not longer. Tea farmers are mostly illiterate in China, great tea making skills but lack of eloquence. When China is open to private business again in the last 20 some years, a flood of misused characters can be seen everywhere, logos, signs, fliers, ads, menus, etc. English translations are even more hilarious during the Olympic games.

Dan Cong, literal translation is Single Bush, as a bush is a cluster of growth from ground up feeding off from the same root as one plant. In Chinese, a bush has no limit of height and size, unlike the English term, it's limited to a small short shrub. Hence, a tall tree with many large separate branches attached to the same roots is also call a bush (1 丛) as a unit of tree.

Cong is also loosely translated as trunk, grove, and some other meanings. While not entirely wrong, but not quite precise either.

Translation and interpretation from one language to another is never 1 = 1. As long as 1 = .9 is rather understandable. If someone claims 1 = -1, that wouldn't be so acceptable, eh?

Proof or no?

This debate of Dan Cong's meaning had been meaningful up to now. It's no longer a debate because a debate involves reasoning and evidence from both parties. I don't see any evidence or proof, except the reason of I sold tea for 20 years and I have seen non Dan Cong teas made for 20 years. Resources of Chinese tea producers are not even from the Chao Zhou Phoenix Mountain. I feel my continuous effort is like playing music to a buffalo. Some what silly!

I have respect for someone in the tea business for so long, it's tough and require love of tea, but if that is the sole reason which makes one believable in EVERYTHING they interpret is CORRECT, again I suggest getting the facts together before accusing others for spreading misinformation while they are the source of misinformation banking on the fact that 20 yrs in the industry automatically makes them believable and INCORRECTLY right but also believable.

People will believe what they already believe and whom they choose to believe regardless of the truth which is well documented for many years. They are not truth claimed by me. My function is to present these evidence, but take it or not, it's no longer part of my job.

I now know how crucial it is to have translated Chinese tea books, more than I realize previously. Please be patient for the English version of Feng Huang Dan Cong to come out. It will give you the information you need: history, today's practice, cultivation - single or not, processing, tasting method, identifying less than perfect teas and more. It's a very comprehensive book with detailed explanation and pictures.

Peace all!

Continue to fight for Dan Cong

I was gonna let it go, but seems like I have been accused of misleading the tea loving public. Let me show Roy Fong some hard evidence of such phenomenon.

This is a book I am translating: Feng Huang Dan Cong. It does not have a gram of my opinion. If any one reads Chinese, please correct me if I were off on the translation.

Following is the exact same description of a tree name Song Zhong #2 in Chinese as in the hard copy of this book shown in picture. Below that is my translation word for word.

宋种二号

宋种二号，又名宋种仔单丛。系乌岽中心寅村的老宋茶大草棚单丛（1928年枯死）自然杂交的后代，故名。

生长在东经116°38′38″, 北纬23°58′19″坐西南向东北的山坡，海拔高度950米的凤凰大庵村村后的茶园里。该茶树自1660年~1952年为凤凰太平寺的固定财产。1952年土地改革时间，分配给贫农黄勇，1958年~1980年为大庵生产队集体所有，1980年起由黄娘庆管理，1988年~2000年由黄爱国管理，2001年至现在由黄保国管理。

该树系有性繁殖植株，树龄347年，树高5.56米，树姿开张，树冠5.6×6.5米，主干因客土后不明显，接近地面有六大分桠，分枝密度中等。叶片上斜状着生，叶形长椭圆，叶长7.8厘米，宽3.7厘米，叶面平滑，叶色深绿有光泽，叶质中等，叶身平展，叶脉9对，叶尖钝尖，叶缘微波状，有24对细、浅、钝的叶齿。育芽能力较强。春芽萌发在春分，春茶采摘期在谷雨后，发芽密度较密，芽色浅绿，有少量茸毛。新梢长12厘米，着生片数3—4片，节间长3厘米，每年新梢生长2轮次，10月起为新梢休止期。盛花期11月中旬，花冠直径3.2~3.8厘米，花丝120~130枚，柱头分3叉，果实多为2籽。2007年春茶产量13.2市斤，每市斤6000元。2008年春茶产量11.2市斤, 每市斤6500元。

Song Zhong #2 – Song Varietal #2

Song Zhong #2 is also called Song Zhong Jai Dan Cong – Little Song Zhong. It’s propagated from a natural hybridized seed of Song Cha Da Ciao Peng Dan Cong - Big Thatched Shed, hence the name Little Song Zhong. Song Cha Da Ciao Peng died in 1928.

Located at 116°38′38″ longitude, 23°58′19″ latitude on a hillside facing northeast, 950 meters above sea level, in a tea garden behind Feng Huang Da An village. It was property of Feng Huang Tai Ping Temple from 1660-1952. During the Land Reform Movement in 1952, this tree was assigned to Mr. Huang Yong. It was then owned by Da An production team from 1958-1980. It’s under the care of Mr. Huang Nian Qing in 1980-1997, Mr. Huang Ai Guo from 1998-2000, Mr. Huang Bao Guo since 2001.

This tree is propagated sexually, age 347 years old, 5.56 meters tall, spread out tree body, tree crown is 5.6X6.5 meters, main trunk is not visible after additional soil, 6 split branches at ground, medium branch density. Leaves grow slanted upward, long oval shape, 7.8 centimeters in length, 3.7 centimeters in width, smooth surface, flat leaf body, shiny dark green, medium thickness, 9 sets leaf vein, round pointy leaf tip, slightly wavy leaf rim, 24 pairs small, shallow and blunt saw teeth. Sprout growth is strong, spring sprouting begins around Spring Equinox, picking begins 15 days later, dense new growth of light green color with small amount of white down. New growth is up to 12 centimeters long, 3 to 4 leaves on each stem separated by 3 centimeter. 2 new growths each year, stops growing at the beginning of October. Blooming season is in mid November, 3.2-3.8 centimeters in flower diameter, 120-130 stamens, 3 heads stigma, 2 seeds in each pod. It produced 6.6 kilograms of tea in 2007, sold for 12000 RMB per kilograms. Produced 5.6 kilograms of tea in 2008, sold for 13000 RMB per kilograms.

*2 市斤 = 1 kilo

I am not trying to be righteous. But this is getting out of hand and too many people are getting involved, some are even from over seas. The authenticity of Dan Cong, reputation of Chao Zhou people and mine are on the line, I am going to bust out a direct source of the Feng Huang Dan Cong book for Roy Fong to contact, Mr. Yao Guo Kun. Mr. Yao Guo Kun is currently the head of Chinese International Tea Culture Research Institute - Academic Department, also vice head of Zhe Jian Forestry Institute - Tea Culture Department.

Roy's comment: I am sorry that this has become so heated, and yes I do read Chinese. The fact that we are talking about documentation in books should stop us from arguing this further. What works in theory doesn't work so well in practice. I am not saying that no one ever made tea from one bush, but to have enough for commercial sales is simply not practical. A picture of someone picking tea from a tree is a far cry from actually producing tea. Perhaps someday you and I can be on a tea farm together to witness the actual production of 5 kilos of finished tea from one bush...

In response to Roy's comment:

I don't understand why is it so hard for Roy to believe such practice exist in the old days and today. This book is published this year, written by some one has 25 years of Dan Cong growing and producing experience, plus a masters degree in Tea Biology currently teaching at a University on subject of tea cultivation. If that does not make his THEORY (as Roy calls it) practical and REAL, I have nothing else to say. Let me clear it again, we are talking about small individual tree production, not mass quantity production as in a run of the mill tea farm. What is enough for what quantity production must be clarified. I am not saying a tree will produce enough for the mass population with thousands kilos of tea, a few pounds is a very reasonable and producible amount from one tree. This is not considered as commercial production, it's ALTRA RARE (borrowed term from ITC) also sold in markets. This is not even a secret! Why is it so hard for a man to admit he's wrong!

Please do not disqualify others with less than 20 years of tea business experience to take on this debate. Discrediting documentations all together is not a way to update tea knowledge in my opinion, combined with taking for granted of one's long term working experience. It's sad to find such mentality in any industry. Theory alone is not enough, experience without theory can only take you so far as well. From Roy's contacts' response, China is as misinformed or not informed as people in the US. It's understandable that one region's tea producers do not know about another region's tea. Asking a Yunnan Pu-erh producer about Dan Cong is like asking a Mexican to cook French cuisine, isn't it? The most reliable source of correct information is from the people grow those trees and make them into tea with their own bare hands.

I am willing to take anyone who's interested in witnessing tea produced from a single tree to Chao Zhou next Spring, Roy is more than welcome!

Gifts!

My tea shop has brought many good people here over the years. In particularly people with trained palates. JM came in with creme brulees, fine sugar and a torch one day, blasting right on the counter top. It can't get any better than that! The chocolate cookies are heavenly as well. JM is trained as a professional pastry chef in Europe, worked at fine establishments such as Neiman Marcus, Spagos. The creme brulees are the creamiest I ever had, sprinkled with ground Tahitian vanilla beans. I feel like a star in heaven! :D

JM is eclectic and well versed in many subjects we share interests in. A generous soul that he is gave me a Chinese medicine book from his own library collection, Japanese ceramic cups and plates as gifts. I can't thank him enough!

LA Times mentioned my orchid obsession, that brought many orchid growers into my store. G gave me a couple of orchid plants from his mother's orchid collections whom has been growing orchids for more than 30 years. I am not an expert in orchid growing. I am one of those who buys a a plant because of its beauty and not already in my collection. You can call me the possessive kind without much knowledge in depth (because most of my time are devoted to tea). The flowers are so large stretching 6 to 7 inches across, beautiful fragrance that illuminated my whole store. I love coming in the morning when the fragrance filled the entire room in concentration.

Thank you all for fueling my many obsessions! I can say thank you a thousand times. I am just very grateful!

Who's mistaking?!

I found this article online and dumbfounded! Especially coming from a reputable tea shop.

http://camelliasinensisblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/clearing-up-common-mistake-what-dan.html

Let's get to the point here.

Quote: Actually, while dan cong (单丛) literally means "single bush," it doesn't refer to how the tea was picked. It's a botanical term relating to the morphology of the tea bush. While most tea bushes emerge from the ground in a cluster of branches, the uncommon dan cong variety emerges as a single trunk that branches off higher up the stem.

From what I am reading here, the writer said Dan Cong is a single trunk tree that branches off higher up the stem, therefore Dan Cong is named as Single (trunk) tree/bush which has nothing to do with how it's processed. But most of the tea bushes (excluding DC) emerge from the ground in a cluster of branches, therefore not called single (trunk) tree/bush.

Some one found this online about Phoenix DC in Chinese:
http://www.hudong.com/wiki/%E5%87%A4%E5%87%B0%E5%8D%95%E4%B8%9B%E8%8C%B6
Quote: 凤凰单丛茶属乌龙茶类，始创于明代，以产自潮安县凤凰镇乌岽山，并经单株（丛）采收、单株（丛）加工而得名。
Translation: Phoenix Dan Cong is catagorized as Oolong tea, development began in Ming Dynasty, produced in Chao An County, Phoenix Town, Wu Dong Mountain, gained its name Dan Cong (single bush) based on harvested and processed single bush/tree/plant indivdually.

Development of Dan Cong teas in modern days: http://tea-obsession.blogspot.com/2007/09/phoenix-dan-cong-is-oolong-tea-has-long.html

Let's see some pictures here:
Zhi Lan Xiang - local name is Ji Long Han - Chicken Cage, 7 branches from the ground up (click on picture for larger image). 4.87 meters tall, tree crown is 5x2.1 meters, produced 4.65 kilo of tea (finished product) in 2007 Spring, 5.5 kilos in 2008.

Mi Lan Xiang - Honey orchid, 8 branches from ground up.
Rou Gui Xiang - Cinnamon Aroma, 1 main trunk, 2 split branches at 0.56 meters above ground, annual production is 5 kilos tea (finished product).
In fact, majority of the Dan Cong tea trees/bushes are branched off from the ground up, rarely a single trunk as the Rou Gui Xiang tree in above picture.

Quote: Unfortunately, tea sellers who have never visited tea farms and don't know tea all the way from the farm to the cup have misinterpreted the literal meaning of the Chinese characters and spread misinformation about dan cong tea. These inaccuracies have quickly propagated via the internet. If you've ever been to a tea farm or seen tea bushes out in the wild, you know that with a typical ratio of 8-10 kilos of fresh tea leaves required to make a kilo of tea, there's no way a single bush could generate a marketable quantity of tea, even if you killed it by stripping off virtually every leaf!

Let's say the writer has visited the farms in Phoenix Mountain. Does that mean commercial products are all there is to this tea region? If so the writer had visited region and had not seen the old bushes and tasted the teas processed single tree at a time, mostly grown amongst homes and not in a FARM, that just means he hadn't seem much of the hills. If this is all the writer learn about this tea at the mountain of Phoenix, he is the one should spend more time learning the truth before spreading inaccuracies which might quickly propagate via the internet.

A tree at height of 5.8 meters, covering 6.5x6.8 meters area produces barely 9 kilos of tea does require 35 kilos of fresh leaves. My suggestion is for the writer to find a tree (any tree) of similar size as mentioned, strip the damn tree naked and see how many kilos of fresh leaves (dried leaves on the ground does not count) can be collected. I am so darn curious to find out the out come.

Speaking of Dan Cong oolong only here: average production per single tree is 1.5 kilos, with the ratio of 35 to 9, each tree produces 6 kilos of collectible fresh leaves suitable for tea making per year, excluding older leaves. Growing up in the midwest, I had done some yard work of raking fallen leaves. I guess that will never happen to someone lives in San Francisco. Let me tell you, even fallen dried leaves of a tree in size of the above mentioned tree, that's a hell lot of work and bags of them each fall.

Marketable quantity is what? Mass production is what's available on the market, accessible to the mass population. Small 1 lb quantity is not mass production that's available in a niche market (at one store only). If large quantity is your game, that also speaks the quality of the business run by such mentality and that's find with me. The mass population have no problem with it, nor do I.

I hope the lesson we learn here, including myself, when we post something online, we are responsible for what we say, not just the self believing "truth" when it comes to the principles of facts. Especially when someone out there believe what you say. It's funny to tell a joke or stretch the truth. However when it comes to claiming the authority of the truth, please be well informed with proof then say so. Selling tea for many years makes one a businessman with some knowledge, brewing knowledge at best, definitely not the authority in production and cultivation! Learning the back ground and history of a tea is fairly important, get that straight before "My words are golden because I said so".

New teas arrived and arriving

Tian Yi Xiang - Heavenly Leisure Fragrance
83 Wild Hong Yin
88 Wild Hong Yin
93 Wild Hong Yin
78 Wild Hong Yin (restock)
78 vintage Dan Cong (Very good, tastes and acts like 40 yrs old pu-erh)
09 Da Wu Ye - Commercial special grade (very good for the money) - Big Dark Leaf
09 Yu Lan Xiang - Commercial special grade - Magnolia Fragrance
09 Ba Xian - Commercial special grade - Eight Immortals
09 Mi Lan Xiang - Commercial special grade - Honey Orchid
08 Honey Orchid Gold Medalist #1 (restock) -- 09 stock is not as good
07 Ba Xian (restock)
08 Song Zhong #5
20 Wu's CZ red clay tea pots
Sha Diao (water kettle) made of 20 years old clay - ugly as hell, but cool as hell too...
Chen's goose feather fan (5) - Awesome! I almost set off a fire in 1 minute. Gotta get one if you have a CZ stove, guarantee to make your life easier.

My happiness was at a level you can't imagine today when I use the fan to start a fire and tried out the 20 yrs old clay kettle together, brewed tea in a Wu's pot. My new tea boy described the tea made in a Wu's pot as velvet laminated with silk, same tea made in a gaiwan as toilet paper of the Soviet. Tea we used for this experiment was 09 Da Wu Ye special grade. Some how I always end up with drama queens working with me! :P

Arriving:
Gui Hua Xiang
98 Hai Mei Zhan
Books of traditional Chinese architecture
20 Wu's Chao Zhou Sandy Red Clay Pots

Meanings of photo

Before the article came out, I was uncertain of what would be published. I then saw the online version prior to the hard copy. It was a nice mugshot, but doesn't mean much other than people have a face to link to a store. But I was immersed in joy when I saw this photo on a hard copy. It's such a beautiful photo without any flashiness. Jay the photographer had no idea what these items mean which mean a whole world to me. I want to thank Jay again for taking such a beautiful picture and picked this one out of a LOT of pictures.
Due to the fame of my tea master, he dose not accept dispels easily although he'd teach everyone with interest. I learn everything I know about Dan Cong from him, so he's my Shi Fu, not teacher. But he did not officially recognize me as his dispel for more than a year. Until a little over a year ago, he sent me 4 of the Guang Xu (late 1700's) cups as presents along with 2 CZ tea pots from the 70's which are in this photo. The tradition is a Shi Fu would give his dispel personal gifts as a guesture of taking the person under his wings. This beautiful photo showed up at the front page of LA Times Food section, there is no better way to show my gratitude for his generosity to share his knowledge. It's better than any words I can say to thank him.
Everything came out perfectly! Well, the PV people did not like the run of the mill south bay mall description. HAHAHA...

Dejavu!

Dejavu!

I have not gone to a movie at a theater for gosh 5 years? Today I have a compelling urge to watch Julie and Julia. My friend was reading the book and told me about the movie coming out in Aug about a month ago. Some how that stuck to my mind for no apparent reason.

It's been a few intense weeks for me, first was preparing for the LA Times article to come out, planning and packing the heck out of everything in the store. I was then worried about how it will come out, of course it was so wonderful beyond my imagination of this life time. Next thing has been keeping up with the flood of tea drinkers, that also came with the worry that I might some how neglect a few and end up pissing people off, worry about disappointing people and such.

So I decided to watch a movie to take my mind off it tonight before another big weekend arrives. Oh god, it was like watching my own life 3 years ago to today.

The movie was about Julie of NY was inspired to cook 524 recipes from Julia Child's French cook book and blogged about it, her blog was so popular, NY Times wrote a story about her, then she wrote a book about it and Hollywood made a film from the book.

I started learning Dan Cong from my tea master and inspired to learn every thing about it and at the mean time carry the product as specialty items of my tea store. 3 years later, Dan Cong made its name on the LA Times. And I am working on translating the book of Dan Cong.

Strangely, I was the only one in the theater at 10:30 pm and thoroughly enjoyed this lengthy movie. I wouldn't call this my type of movie, but it's strikingly aligned with what's happening to me minus the movie part. Is this a sign?! Oh, I don't mean the movie part. God no! Julia Child's cook book was and still is a great success, it has changed ways American eat and cook. I shall contribute my share in the tea world, change the way Americans sip their tea.

Chao Zhou Clay Pots by the Wu's

Ah, the pots are here! Click on picture to see the small grains of sandy texture on surface. I used this pot very briefly today. Will post the effects it has on tea later. They are thicker and heavier, less refined, but gives off a sturdy feel. I did shock this pot with hot water without rinsing. It is much more tolerant of temperature fluctuation. These pots need not to break in before use. There is no clay smell at all even with the first infusion. Pretty amazing!

Yuan Xing Hao is established in 1847 in Feng Xi (Chao Zhou area), Guang Dong Province, known to be the best local pot maker. This batch of pots (20) are made of sandy Zhu Ni (local Chao Zhou red clay) by Wu Pei Liang.

Wu's family has its own secret recipe for clay. What's known to outsiders is the basic process. Raw clay materials are ground into dust, sifted and soak in water for 2 years, then drained and made into blocks of damp clay put away for 10 years before use. Small grains of sand are added for texture and also to increase porosity. There are 2 standard types of sandy grains used by the Wu's family.
1, raw clay materials ground into small grains then added directly into ready for use cured for 12 years clay. After firing, both clays shrink at similar rate, approximately 12%.
2, defected/broken pots are ground into small grains then added into ready for use cured for 12 years clay. After firing, clay shrinks at 12%, sands at 0%, therefore creates more pores.
Chao Zhou pots range from 2% to 5% porosity depending on the clay mix, each maker/family tradition have different recipes not shared with others. I do not have the answers to them, but all clays are pure, just different composition of texture and curing process.

Pots I currently have in stocks are mixed with the later type of grains therefore with higher porosity of up to 5%. Zhang's family pots are approximately 2% due to the fine clays are used.
These pots are fired at 1160 C to 1180 C.