Free Single Old Tree Dan Cong Tea up to $90 value

For a limited time, we are giving away free teas. 

2017 Yin Hua Xiang - Honeysuckle Flower Fragrance Single old tree Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea ($90 value, only a few ounces left)
Free with purchase of $200+, one ounce per order.

2017 Mi Lan Xiang - Honey Orchid Fragrance Single old tree Phoenix Dan Cong Oolong Tea ($42 value)
Free with purchase of $100+, one ounce per order.

Discount valid while supplies last.  

Fire and water

Xu Ci Xu, Ming dynasty scholar, author of the book Cha Shu – Tea Sort.

One section is dedicated to boiling water.  Literal translation:

Best choice is hard wood charcoal.  Charcoal may not be fully carbonized, smoke may be present when burning, odorizes the water, hence water is not good.  Let the charcoal burn to amber, rid of smoke, the heat is at prime, water is fast to boil. When the charcoal is amber, put on the kettle, fan with fury, the faster the better, do not stop. If stop, discard and start a new pot.

Tea is nourished by water, water is placed by kettle, boiling water is succeed by fire, 4 essential elements in tea making, one falls short will fail all.

I can see why I speak broken English now! :D

The old Chinese text are precisely concised, but incredibly poetic and expressive, however direct translating to English is a whole different presentation, not quite as eloquent as it sounds in Chinese.

So what it means is that use hardwood charcoal, because the density of the wood, it burns longer and the heat is higher in temperature. But most charcoal still contains organic materials residues other than carbon, smoke will be released at burning initially. Allow the charcoal burn to red amber, until smokeless, at this point, the heat is at prime, it can bring the water to boil fast. Only put the kettle on the fire when the charcoal is amber with flame, continue to fan the stove, faster the better and do not stop until the water boils. If fanning is interrupted, the water is no longer good enough, start a new pot. Momentum! Momentum! Use full force whole heartily! Use up the water one boiled kettle at a time, also do not reboil cooled off water. This is why Chaozhou Sha Diao are made to contain only a couple brews worth of water volume. One reason why I didn't like water boiled from large kettles, tea made from it taste sluggish and muted, in other words, lack of livelhood, lack of vital energy.

There is tea drinking, there is serious tea drinking, and there is optimal tea drinking. The best possible way to make an ideal cup of tea has been documented centuries ago. We may have all the elements, however we must know how to operate them to get the best results.

The serious tea drinkers may know the tangibles such as tea selections and tea wares, but it is the intangibles we must learn from experience, either from our own practice, perceive with our own body, our own senses and mind, or learn and digest from others. It may take a long time to reach the optimal, but it's an understand and sensation one can not forgo once the practice becomes apparent and with ease.

Laying out all the elements, the materials and the operating method, the picture clearly puts everything into track, once again law of nature, the fundamental of universe, transformation of energy! In this case, maximizing the energy and its effects between earth/metal, water, wood, fire and human!

Small Yixing Clay Pots for sale

http://www.teahabitat.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_5&products_id=486

http://www.teahabitat.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_5&products_id=485

http://www.teahabitat.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_5&products_id=497

Find more teas pots on http://www.teahabitat.com/store/
This new batch of small teapots are excellent in clay quality, some of the best tea enhancing teapots we have had.  Thanks to our pot maker in Yixing Ding Shu, and our reliable shipper in Hong Kong!

Water and its relation to tea.

Water being the most essential part of tea brewing next to good tea.   In my opinion, the role of water is more important than the tea leaves itself in tea brewing.

Water is important because it directly influences the outcome of a cup of tea, it can enhance a tea and it can destroy a tea.  Tea leaves are given, whether good or bad, they don't change until the water hits them.  Ordinary tea drinking under subconsciousness does not center around maximizing the potential of a tea leaf, as everyday life goes on, we are more focused on other activities and less on more important things such as what we put in our body.  We the tea maker/drinker have the choice and control, although the tea leaves do not.

All the years, I have encountered many different sources of water, Chinese old text documents about water properties, various regional tea wares that are capable of enhancing water flavor.  My own experiences came to a statistic summary after my final once missing piece of tea ware is now no longer missing.

The first type of water, available conveniently without alteration.  Tap water, spring water from natural resources, filter water, human-engineered/formulated water.

The second type of water is enhanced water with purifier and minerals etc.   Additional water treatments being done on available water, charcoal added to further purify water, minerals added for flavor.  Imitating the nature, aquifer underground spring water went through the crust of the earth, sandstones, gravel, coal, etc. that purifies the surface water.

The third type of water is altered by tea kettle materials.  The kettle material alters water contents hence changes the taste of water.  Stainless steel, raw iron, silver, plastic, various regional clay, porcelain, glass kettles, used on various heating sources, gas burner, electric burner, wood/charcoal burner.

The available sources are wide and abundant, the combination of the water, kettle and heating source furthers the selection.   The relationship between a tea leaf and water is amazingly homogeneous to human relationships.

Tradition share one thing for certain is the concept of such tradition has been tested and proven to be effective as better if not best options.  Chao Zhou Gong Fu Tea is the most comprehensive when it comes to tea, with a simple principle in mind, maximizing the potential of tea, any grade, any time, anywhere, any how.  Consider all parts and elements in Chao Zhou Gong Fu Tea making, live fire, local clay, size of the kettle and its relation to the stove and boiling time, type of charcoal for vitality and aroma of water, not only scientific but naturally expressed in an understated extravagance.

Silver kettle is popular in British tea service, in fact, anything related to food and beverage, and then some.   A sign of status for its value.  However, silver has not been a popular dinning ware choice in Chinese culture, including tea wares, alcohol wares.   One thing I learn from history is that you can always find answers to why something exists and some don't.  And if you can't figure out why, like why swimming pools do not exist in Chinese homes before modern day, just follow it, do as so, you can't go wrong.  Take silverware for example, after a few days of testing many teas with silver water, the overwhelming result leads me to conclude, it is in fact not the best choice for tea in general.  It is extremely unforgiving to the point of brutality.  It can empower a good tea by 10 folds, it can also destroy a salvageable tea, one flaw can be blown up 10 times harsher.   As some old wise man said, utilize the best function from a matter, utilize the best skill from a man.  It does not mean that matter or man is the best of its kind, even the lowest ranking of such matter can reach its own best.  All meaning the same fundamental principle, maximizing the potential of a being!  Obviously, silver kettle does not serve that purpose well.  A silver teapot serves a purpose only if the tea is excellent, one can enjoy 10 times the pleasure, but not necessary to magnify the discomfort 10 folds.

Let's get back to Chao Zhou Gong Fu Cha, silver kettle is not a constant choice become apparent, it has nothing to do with the cost, Chao Zhou business men are the Jews of China, the area is filled with money for a long time.  The only reason is that the local red clay pots boiled water can enhance most teas, not only a few privileged selections.  Majority of the tea productions in the world are bad to good teas, rarely excellent teas.   All of which deserved to be reached its best potentials with good water and skills.

In recent days, I begin to advise people to read classic books of Chinese philosophy, medicine, Daoism, they concluded the universal truth of human, earth and beyond.  Tea being a small part of nature, viewing from bird's eye view so to speak, it becomes obvious in all aspects of its existence, history, mutation, migration, cultivation, changes with human touch, in relation with time, climate, seasons, man, water, earth and its impact in human at last.