Photo du Jour - Dolmen des Fados


The Dolmen des Fados or le Dolmen de Fées (Fairy Dolmen)

A 24 meter long, megalithic dolmen tomb that sits on a small hill about 4 kilometers from our village. The sign leading up to the site states that the dolmen is more that 5000 years old. Other sources state that it was built during the Iron Age, making it only about 3000 years old.

Our Teas Are Now Available At Yoga Mountain


Our fine loose leaf teas are now available on the retail shelves at Yoga Mountain, 132 Park Avenue, New City, NY 10956, 845-639-0736. On Sunday, January 27, 2008, Certified Health Counselor Rodney Fisher will offer a free lecture titled, "Suffering From the Sugar Blues?" Come for the lecture and enjoy some tea.



Taken from http://potlucktea.blogspot.com/

Memorial Day



The observance of Memorial Day as a U.S. holiday began in the 1860's as a remembrance to those who gave their lives in service to our country. It is not about division and warfare, but rather reconciliation and gathering together to honor those who gave their all. Additionally, some Americans choose to honor family members who have died on this holiday as well. Cemetaries are filled with flowers, flags, and visitors during this holiday. This holiday is also a time of picnics, camping trips, and family gatherings. Many view this holiday as the official beginning of summer and the camping season. Although this holiday isn't until Wednesday, May 30, it is observed by all Americans on the first Monday after the fourth week-end in the month and actually throughout the entire week-end.

Photo: by Copyright @ Brandon


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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Stretching Tea: A Detailed Sampling of Mystery Puerh, The Marathon Tasting



This is a continuation of the post Stretching Tea: A Detailed Sampling of Mystery Puerh, The Initial Tasting. One decided to take this sample as far as it can go by using a brewing technique outlined by Toki on his blog.


The day after brewing eleven infusions from the leaves of this sample. It was time to sample the cold brew that was sitting in the pot for about twenty hours. Perhaps due to the fact that one didn't do so many initial steepings this tea turned out quite red in colour. Its taste a bit bitter with very strong metallic and mushroom still in the aftertaste. The mouthfeel very dry but pleasant and was felt in layers in the mouth.


The hot few second infusion was very yellow like the colour of a young puerh. The flavor was soft and muted, so light with metallic, wood, and very little mushroom. The mouthfeel was faint. The chaqi was calming, relaxing, and balancing.


Then the pot was filled with boiling water and left to infuse until it was revisited the next day.
The tea was brewed in this manner for days. Each day yielded something slightly and sometimes unnoticably different than the day before. As the days went by the taste became more metallic especially in the cold brew, and the mushroomy profile ran out. The hot infusions were always quite a bit softer and less flavourful then the cold. The energy of this tea also considerable weakened until becoming undetectable. The feeling of the tea in the mouth was the most pleasant experience of dragging out this tea. Its complexities in the mouth, toungue, and throat were always welcome.


The tea seemed to peek at around the fourth day. Where the tastes of mushroom, metal, earth, and wood tasted right together and the mouthfeel of smooth, dry, and astringenic was the deepest.


The resulting infusions slowly degraded until on the eighth day the long session was stopped. Really one should have probably pulled the plug on the fifth day.


Anyways this longer session was beneficial for many reasons. Firstly, this technique yielded better results than just leaving the leaves in the pot overnight and adding fresh water the next day, the technique one had previously used for brewing tea for up to 3 days. Secondly, it harvested a relationship of patience between the tea and drinker. This patient mind is not only useful when drinking tea but also in the broader context of our lives. Thirdly, brewing tea this way allowed one to savor the cold brew immediately after one awoke in the mornings. While preparing the coals in the brazier and waiting for the kettle lid to shake, the water coming to a boil inside, one could meditatively enjoy the cold brew. Forthly, it allowed for a more celebrated way for the tea to exhaust itself. In Korea many people enjoy their teas until they are completely spent, their sessions push even green teas into the double digits. One feels this is the most appropriate way of exhausting good puerh leaves.


Many thanks Toki for suppling the leaf for this experience.


Peace




Taken from http://mattchasblog.blogspot.com/

Why and how to raise a pot? (3)


Now that we have an idea what clay can do to tea, what can tea do to clay? Dissoluble substance of a leaf as we can observe is not colorless. Tea stain is dried such dissoluble substance. We can smell aroma of such substance dissolved in water, we can taste the sweetness/bitterness/astringency of such substance dissolved in water. Fragrance is from distinctive essential oil of a plant. Lavender oil, rose oil or tea oil are all essential oils of its own species. When dissoluble substance and oil are released from a leaf into water inside a clay pot, sip through tiny air hole among clay, when dried, the substance stays in the pores (storage cabinets). More usage of the tea pot the more deposits will be stored away. Polishing a pot is to evenly distribute these essential oil, hence the shine on the exterior. This is cosmetic enhancement of the clay pot appearance.

It's commonly known to use one pot for each specific type of tea, similar in flavor and roasting method. The logistic is to accumulate similar substance in "storage", when making tea, these deposit will be redissolved again some what, hence enhance the tea flavor and aroma. Kinda like cooking a chicken with chicken broth. It's not a myth that a well used clay pot can make fragrant tea with only water. Ceramic and glass wares are not porous materials, therefore can not store away these flavorful substance, neither can they neutralize or react chemically with tea, therefore they can not enhance nor diminish tea flavor, however reflect true flavors.

These 3 articles briefly explains why the need or desire to raise a clay pot. The next article will talk about the techniques in raising a pot.



Taken from http://tea-obsession.blogspot.com/

Drying Dishes



Do you remember those days 'before dishwashers'? Maybe you choose not to have a dishwasher and wipe dishes by hand even yet. My husband's parents always used their dishwasher for storing cookbooks. For them, there nightly ritual of washing and drying dishes together created a time for conversation and togetherness. I remember hand-drying dishes with my sister as a child. The task was made lighter and more interesting by the games we played while we dried. One of our favorites was 'thinking land'. One of us would start a story, the other would continue it, and we would trade back and forth in creating stories about pioneers traveling west in covered wagons, or about the girl with hair a mile long. Sometimes our stories would continue for days, all whilst drying dishes! These days I'm thankful for a dishwasher. It seems there are always some that won't fit in, so the pleasures of the drying ritual are not lost on me, as kettles, china, and crystal are hand-done and so the tea towel is a useful tool in our home. Just walking down memory lane today, thinking of days gone by.

*Tea towels stitched by mom.


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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Linen Fanned Decor



Tables set in anticipation of a banquet feature china with the hotel logo embossed in gold on each plate. Sparkling, white, clean, and fresh. . .each place setting is inviting and proper.
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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

A Frosty Green


Last night we went to the movies with some friends - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I enjoyed it, but I had read the books and seen the other movies. It would be hard to make sense of it all unless you had. The most fun part was finally finding the right theater. This is a small town theater, made up of several buildings and it's a real maze, for us, necessitating several changes. An adventure. But it was only $4.00 for a first run movie and you can't beat that. I did notice that Harry and friends had not only 1 but 2 teapots in their runaway tent. We took some of Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Jelly Bellies and I nicely took out the earwax and booger ones. (Jelly Bellies is the brand, the rest is a spoof).

Hooray, hooray, the sun is shining! Which means that I am, too. I love to watch it come up, if I am up. At this time of the year, it shines in the swamp and back lights the fringe of trees at the edge of the lawn and the spinney across the road.

Dear me, what tea to have today. I guess a green, since I am feeling light. It is Frosty Spring Yunnan Roast Green from Life in Teacup. This was picked at the very beginning of the year, so I guess it is appropriate to end the year with it. The dry leaves do not have a great deal of scent. They are quite pretty, ranging from palest to darkest green. I brewed them for 2 minutes with water about 190 degrees. This is a very vegetal green, smelling almost like asparagus. The taste is surprising, as it is not a bit like asparagus, but it is bitter, with a hint of mint, and maybe the merest breath of sweet around the edges. As the tea cools, the aroma softens, as does the flavor. A good tea for making you feel alert and warm, as the bitterness keeps you aware of the tea. Not a bad bitterness, mind you, like citrus pith is, more along the metallic side.




Taken from http://teafortoday.blogspot.com/

Terai tea team for star campaigners

At the 45th annual general meeting of the Terai Branch of the Indian Tea Association (TBITA), planters said the primary reason for depletion in tea share in the beverage market is due to the absence of celebrity endorsement and sports sponsorships.

Such promotions are common with aerated soft drink and mineral water companies, the planters said.


“Though apex agencies, like the Tea Board of India, have come up with some campaigns, these alone cannot save the tea industry from its present crisis,” said C. Bose, the chairman of the Terai association.


“So far, the stress was on international market, where the sole aim was to boost export,” the chairman said. “The domestic market can no longer be ignored, which needs aggressive campaigning to spread the message across the population, 60 per cent of which is below 24 years This would then increase the annual per capita domestic consumption, which is as low as 660 gm now.”


The annual per capita consumption of tea in countries like Pakistan is 1 kg, while it is 2 kg in the UK and Ireland.


Monojit Dasgupta, the secretary-general of the Indian Tea Association, who was present at the meeting, brought with him a few good tidings. “The tea board is designing a strategy for improvement of the brew belt during the 11th Plan period,” Dasgupta said. “Under the plan, priority will be given to domestic campaign for expansion of the market.”


Not the aerated soft drinks but mineral water brands are the principal contenders of the beverage.


“There has been an unprecedented rise in mineral water sale across the country which has brought down tea consumption,” Dasgupta said. “We are into experimentation and hope that by summer, ice-tea or tea in cold formats will be in market.”


According to him, they need to concentrate on CTC varieties instead of the orthodox tea. “We have already started planning strategies for aggressive marketing in different countries, which can be potential buyers,” he added.


At the meeting, the planters lined up several demands and recommendations, seeking government intervention, some of which are:


dot.gif Introduction of incentive scheme for exporters of Indian tea


dot.gif A 50 per-cent slash in the social cost borne by planters as per the recommendation of the inter-ministerial committee constituted by the Centre


dot.gif Keep the industry outside the purview of any excise levy


dot.gif Waive payment of salami for purchase or take-over of sick gardens


dot.gif Devise schemes for diversification into other commercial crops


dot.gif Declare North Dinajpur district as a “non-traditional area”


dot.gif Consider provisions for self-employment for the unemployed residents of tea gardens


Source: The Telegraph



Taken from http://teanewsdarjeeling.blogspot.com/

Yin and Yang of Tea


I tend to be of a fiery personality (Aries and tending toward Yang). I also am choosing green teas more and more frequently. On any given day, there's a 70% chance I'll be drinking a green (or a "soft" oolong). So, this is good news for me - my body has wisely chosen a tea for me. I do tend to drink black tea more in the winter, which would be appropriate to add more "fire."

Interesting stuff.



Taken from http://stephcupoftea.blogspot.com/

Welcome Spring


This morning I went for a walk in my yard to welcome spring. It always amazes me how the flowers know spring is here! Yesterday the flowering trees started to bloom. Today the weeping cherry tree looks like popcorn! And there are other new flowers budding and blooming in my garden beds. Fresh, vibrant, and new --- joy and hope spring from the earth!


"See Nature, and through her, God."

Henry David Thoreau



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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

繁體中文版Chinese-English Tea Studies Terminology(2010年)

增訂版包括 [ 中英文茶學術語索引 ]
編譯者:蔡榮章‧瓊斯史迪芬
預訂出版時間:2010年2月 (2010年) 繁體中文版

出版者:陸羽茶藝股份有限公司
ISBN 978-957-9690-06-5

luyutea1980
http://www.luyutea1980.com/T5004ShowCmdyData?&y_SketchName=Sketch1-2_Hi178&y_KindId=971049&y_HrefId=155247&y_CompId=215&y_MuId


陸羽茶藝中心
10045台北市衡陽路64號3樓
電話 02-2331-6636 分機211
傳真 02-2389-7786
E-Mail:luyutea@ms59.hinet.net


Title: Chinese-English Tea Studies Terminology
Updated edition including Chinese-English Tea Studies Terminology Index
2010(Traditional Chinese Version)
Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute Publications Department
Translators and Editors: Tsai, Rong-Tsang and Steven R. Jones,

ISBN 978-957-9690-06-5

Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute
3F, #64, Heng-Yang Rd.,
Taipei, Taiwan, 10003
Tel: +886-2-2331-6636
FAX: +886-2-2331-0660
E-mail: luyutea@ms59.hinet.net

目錄Table of Contents
序 Preface

第一章 茶樹裁培、采青、初制
Chapter One Tea Cultivation, Tea Harvesting, and Tea Primary Processing

第二章 茶葉精製、加工、包裝
Chapter Two Tea Refining, Added Processing, and Packaging

第三章 茶之分類與識別
Chapter Three Classification and Recognition of Tea

第四章 泡茶原理
Chapter Four Tea Brewing Principles

第五章 十大泡茶法
Chapter Five The Ten Tea Methods

第六章 陶瓷藝術
Chapter Six Ceramics

第七章 茶具名稱與功能
Chapter Seven Kinds of Tea Ware and Functionality

第八章 茶會
Chapter Eight Tea Functions

第九章 中國茶史
Chapter Nine Chinese Tea History

第十章 日韓英茶文化
Chapter Ten Japanese, Korean, and British Tea Culture

第十一章 茶詩與健康
Chapter Eleven Tea Poetry and Health

第十二章 茶學綜論
Chapter Twelve Tea Studies Review

中英文茶學術語索引
Chinese-English Tea Studies Terminology Index
= = =


茶藝月刊
318期-2010年01月
新書預告--《中英文茶學術語》
中英文茶學術語
Chinese-English Tea Studies Terminology

蔡榮章 ‧ 瓊斯史迪芬 編譯
Tsai, Rong-Tsang and Steven R. Jones, Translators and Editors
陸羽茶藝中心出版部
Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute Publications Department
ISBN 978-957-9690-06-5
(序文)

  序 Preface:

  一項文化或學科在不同語種的國家或地區傳播,首先必須將這門學科的專用術語譯妥,否則學校或傳播界在傳遞的時候無法正確地表達。
  A culture or a branch of study in a country or region with different languages spreading, must first translate the discipline-specific terminology properly, otherwise, the schools or the propagation at the time of delivery can not be properly expressed.

  茶學的國際傳播就是面臨這樣的問題,茶葉種植、製造方面還好,茶葉沖泡、欣賞與茶道觀念、思想方面就還欠缺。
  The international spread of tea studies is confronted with this problem, with tea cultivation, and manufacturing aspects are fair; but with tea brewing, tea savoring and tea ceremony, concepts and ideology are quite deficient.

  要將茶學術語正確地翻譯,必須譯者對茶學有基本性的認識,而且相當準確。
  To correctly translate the tea studies terminology, the translator must have the fundamental qualities of tea studies knowledge, and also be very accurate.

  所幸臺北陸羽茶藝中心在三十年的茶道教室裏,有了一位Mr. Steven R. Jones 能夠有將近十年的時間學習各種課程,而且說得一口尚稱流利的華語。
  Fortunately, the Taipei Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute has three decades of tea classroom teaching, with Mr. Steven R. Jones having nearly a decade of time spent on learning a variety of courses, and can speak with some fluency in Mandarin.

  於是從2005年初起,每週四下午, Steven 與我共同從事這項工作,我將先行挑出的術語之意義充分地讓他瞭解,然後由他選出適當的譯辭,經雙方討論後定案。
  So from early 2005 and onwards, every Thursday afternoon, Steven and I would undertake this work together, I would first select terms with their full meanings to allow him to understand, then he would select the appropriate translations, then after mutual discussion we would reach a conclusion.

  譯了一個或半個單元的術語後,就在每月發行的《茶藝》月刊上登出,以候各方的反應與指正。
  After translating one or half a section of terminology, then published every month in the "Tea Culture Monthly" circulated, and await responses and comments.

  到了2007年,“天福茶學院”在福建成立,其中“茶文化系”開設有一學期二學分的“茶文化專業英語”,需要這樣的教材與老師,於是快馬加鞭趕完大部分的術語翻譯,Steven也被派上用場前往任教。
  By 2007, "Tenfu Tea College" was founded in Fujian, where the "Department of Tea Culture" began to offer a one-semester two-credit "Specialized English for Tea Culture " course, which produced a need for teaching materials and teachers, so at full speed to finish the last part of the terminology translations, Steven also came in handy to teach.

  但尚未完備的部分仍然需要繼續完成,又在學院“大學英文”的教師中找到了蔡曉曉老師,請她協助校勘。
  With still part not complete and needing to continue for completion, again at the college "University English" teacher Cai, Xiaoxiao (Cynthia) was found, and asked for her to help collate.

  到了2010年初,這本《中英文茶學術語》總算完稿,由臺北陸羽茶藝中心出版部發行。
  By early 2010, this book "Chinese-English Tea Studies Terminology" finally was completed, and published by Taipei Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute, Publishing Department.

  Steven 在家裏從事翻譯的準備工作時,他的臺灣夫人張麗香幫他找字典、補充中文及茶學方面的資訊。
  Steven at home engaged in preparations for the translation, his wife Chang, Li-Hsiang is Taiwanese and helped him find a dictionary, to supplement the Chinese and tea science information aspects.

  當他在茶學院開設小班制的訓練課程時,張女士還在一旁泡茶給同學們喝,也作為英語交談的話題。
  When he is at the tea college and having the small class for training curriculum , Ms. Chang is still present and brewing tea for the students to drink, and also as a topic for conversation in English.

  他們夫婦都在陸羽茶藝中心取得了“泡茶師證書”。
The couple at the Lu-Yu Tea Culture Institute both have obtained their "Tea Master Certifications".

  這本《中英文茶學術語》只是先完成初學茶道者所應用的部分,尚需繼續完備。
  This book "Chinese-English Tea Studies Terminology" is just the first complete beginning step for tea studies application part, yet there is a need to continue to complete.

  敬請各方先進更正錯誤及提供寶貴意見。
  Please bring to attention any needed corrections or provide any advice.

蔡榮章
2010年1月於天福茶學院茶文化系

Tsai, Rong-Tsang
Department of Tea Culture, Tenfu Tea College, January 1, 2010



Taken from http://teaarts.blogspot.com/

First Fruits

Summer is officially here! The temperatures are hot and the days long and lazy. On a walk around the block, the first fruits of the season could be observed. Apricots are ripening, apples are starting to grow bigger and turn a rosy red, and the blueberries are ripe and ready to eat. Cars of pickers line up along the road each morning as the blueberries are picked. It's time to enjoy the abundance of nature's harvest! Happy summer!









But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.


James 3:17


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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Season's End



As October nears the end, local farmers and vendors at the Farmer's Market are bringing the last of the harvest. What beautiful products they have for sale! Fresh flowers, pumpkins, squash, gourds, apples, pears, grapes, peppers, onions, garlic, and more. It's very hard to go to market and not buy 'too much'. The prices are excellent and you couldn't buy better food anywhere else! Fresh, flavorful, and at it's peak, they seem to scream out "Antioxidants", "Vitamins", "Minerals", "Fiber", "Good Health"! YUM!

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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

League of Pots #017

Code Name: "Desmond"




Material: Blue-grey clay
Height (not including handle): 7.5 cm
Length (handle to spout): 10.5 cm
Weight: 84 grams
Volume: 130 ml


Brews: High Mountain oolong teas with light to medium oxidation and roast.
Specialty: He Huan Shan High Mountain Oolong Tea - 合歡山高山烏龍茶
Story: Desmond was a gift from my friend Lin Xiuyue in Yingge, Taiwan. I believe Lin's little brother made him.
Super Powers: Desmond can see flashes of the future. We are currently looking for his "constant" (a little teapot named Penny).



Taken from http://www.blackdragonteabar.blogspot.com/

If I Could. . .



If I could step back in time,
I would enjoy a tea party at my cabin
'tea cosy'. Quaint, quiet, and rustic,
this spot is one of my favorites to
share a cuppa with a friend!
It's usually Calli herbal tea at the cabin.

Alas, it's still too cold and covered with snow. . .



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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Boston Tea Company Berry Medley

Finest Grade Loose Berry Medley Black Tea, 125g Tin

The Boston Tea Company lists the ingredients of this tea as including Chinese black tea, raspberries, cranberries, rosehips, safflowers, natural pomegranate and raspberry flavor. The dry leaves were such a mix of fruits and flower petals that they resembled potpourri. There was a strong but pleasant fruity aroma. I steeped this tea in my Breville One-Touch Tea Maker with 212 degree water for four minutes.


I was actually surprised by how much I liked this tea. It was a perfect balance between tart and sweet. It had just the right amount of astringency but wasn’t overbearing. I love when a tea is sweet without tasting artificial. That is not an easy thing to achieve and Boston Tea Company does it well. I haven’t tried it yet but this would make a great iced tea. I would definitely recommend this tea.





Taken from http://teaformeplease.blogspot.com/

Tea in NYC


We started out going to Ito En at 69th and Madison. The selection of Japanese teas is far more extensive than what I'm used to. The man that helped us made a pot of Megami Sencha for us to try. It was more mild than Harney's Ichiban Sencha but sweeter and simply delicious. There are far too many to name and I have no idea what the differences in any of them are, but it would be fun to try a bunch if given the time. I asked what he drank the most and his answer was mostly greens and oolongs. His favorite oolong at the moment is Four Seasons Oolong. It smelled floral and buttery so I left with an ounce of that. I also bought an ounce of Vanilla Hojicha for two reasons: my boyfriend loves vanilla, and I've never seen flavored Hojicha before, it seemed rather interesting.

::Tasting note:: [The next day I brewed the Four Seasons Oolong. My gods it was wonderful. Sweet and buttery and floral all at the same time.]

Our second stop (after spending about an hour in Crate & Barrel) was to Takashimaya for lunch. It was nice, but not our style. The food was good, but the waiters seemed disinterested in the fact that we were there, and it was not a warm and loving atmosphere that we're used to being in.

Our last tea stop was to The Tea Gallery. I had visited a few weeks ago with Brigitte, but we wanted to share the experience with Hill. Dae was wonderful again, we tried different types of teas this time. Last time we were focused on oolongs and puerh, this time we tried Golden Buddha (a Wu-Yi Cliff tea), Queen's Red tea, and a Gyokuro from Uji.

The Golden Buddha (the Wu-Yi Cliff Oolong) was really delicious for reasons I can't explain. Hill is far better at describing tastes, I just enjoy them. Dae said that it should have a mineral taste because of where it's grown and made, and while I never quite grasped "mineral" I did notice the lack of the floral or fruity which is what I usually gauge my oolongs by.

The Queen's Red I didn't really enjoy at all. It was all buds, very similar to Assam Golden Tips, although Chinese instead of Indian. I think I prefer my red teas to be less sweet and honey and more oomph and body.

The Gyokuro was freaking delicious. The leaves were long and shiny, a dark emarald green. Dae brewed it in a shiboridashi, which is basically a Japanese Gaiwan. It's a shallow lidded bowl with the smallest suggestion of a spout.

(Image courtesy of www.thejapanesegreenteashop.com)

She brewed it with approximately 130 degree water, she wasn't using a thermometer, and although it was very cool by the time we drank it, it had a sweetness to it that we've never matched in our own Gyokuro brewing. It was lighter in color but thicker in body. It was heavenly.

So now I have another piece of teaware I must own.



Taken from http://toastedtoads.blogspot.com/

Govt. aids three closed tea gardens

So far, 10 of the 13 closed or abandoned tea estates in the region have been on the labour department’s list. “The three new gardens included in the scheme are Dekhlapara, Kalchini and Raimatang,” said Md Naseem, the joint labour commissioner posted in Siliguri. Under the scheme, every permanent worker of the gardens will receive Rs 750 every month from the state.

His subordinates at Jalpaiguri, where all these gardens are located, assured that the process has been initiated. “We will soon issue forms to workers of these estates. After they are filled, the forms will be scrutinised and sent to the higher level for sanction,” said Kallol Dutta, the deputy labour commissioner of Jalpaiguri. “Once the funds start coming in, we will help the workers open bank accounts, where the money will be transferred.”


Officials said they were trying to break the deadlock at the estates through tripartite meetings. “So far, at least 30 meetings have been convened for every closed estate, but to no avail,” said the joint labour commissioner. They have fallen through mostly because the management officials of closed gardens have not attended the meetings, he alleged.


The labour department has also got in touch with the provident funds (PF) officials to recover the workers’ dues.


“During the recent visit of our secretary here, it was decided that the issue will be taken up with the PF department. We are checking the dues of the workers who were on the payroll of these gardens and taking joint steps to recover the money,” an official said.


The labour department, however, said no new instructions have reached them after the finance minister’s visit to Jalpaiguri last week, when he made a number of promises to workers.


Source: The Telegraph





Taken from http://teanewsdarjeeling.blogspot.com/

Nishio Samidori

Tea: Nishio Samidori - 7501
Vendor: Lupicia USA
Price: $12.50 / 20g
Source: Aichi, Japan
Vendor Description: Matcha from Nishio, Aichi Pref., the 2nd largest Matcha producing area after Uji, Kyoko. A variety called "Samidori" suitable for producing Matcha is used, with a mild flavor to suit everyone's taste.

Powder: This matcha is a rather light shade of green. It was darker than the 7502 (Okabe Aohane) however. There is a nice aroma to this matcha though, it's very enjoyable.

Infusion Parameters: 140F, 3 scoops, 1 ladle of water

Infusion: This matcha foamed rather nicely. The large foam brought out the lighter color of the matcha and gave off a nice hue. The flavor was a very rich matcha flavor. The flavor was quite bold, yet had a slightly gritty texture to it. There was a detectable light bitterness to it though.

Rating: 7/10

Conclusion: This is a rather enjoyable matcha, there wasn't much that was particuarly outstanding about it. It was probably one of the easiest matcha to foam. It is definitely an usucha though.



Taken from http://meandmytea.blogspot.com/

Pouchong Tea

Pouchong Tea is a famous Taiwan tea, it is a twist shape, lightly fermented oolong, usually with no roasting, light floral notes, light golden yellow tea liquid, it used to be paper wrapped by hand, below is an expert and has wrapped a many of tea.  We attended his class before and no it is not easy to wrap and I still can't even make it look any where near what the master can do.  The term Pouchong means "(Pou) wrapped, (chong) type", and it is an old phonetic spelling system.  Pouchong tea has been written in many old and new books, therefore we should continue to use the spelling.
A note on spellings.

If you are a student of Chinese, of course you should use the modern spelling when speaking Chinese  ( 包種 Bāozhòngchá ).  But if you are speaking English, first see if there is an English term.  Tea terminology is difficult enough, let's try to stay on the same page.

An example is coffee, why should we start calling it café.  This would only create another term for the same meaning (coffee).





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Taken from http://teaarts.blogspot.com/

Hello Li Jiang


The night before the trip, Ms. Dong kindly offered us some expensive Song Zhong (Feng Huang) Dan Cong. Ms. Peng, one of our house tea masters, prepared two bottles of Song Zhong Dan Dong drink for us. Ms. Peng is an expert in brewing Feng Huang Dan Cong. To prepare the drink, she first poured little water out of two bottles of mineral water. She then carefully added a few Song Zhong Dan Cong leaves into the bottles. “It should be ready for drink next morning.” Ms. Peng told us. The cold brewed tea was quite tasty, and gave us a lot of pleasure during the trip.

To be continued…

Linda
www.teahub.com



Taken from http://teahub.blogspot.com/

Visite au mémorial de docteur Sun Yat Sen


Pleins d'expositions ont lieu dans ce grand batiment construit comme un palais impérial. Je vous présente quelques photos prises récemment.


Je ne suis pas certain que cet objet avait un rapport avec le thé, mais j'ai vu Teaparker en utiliser un très semblable pour chauffer son eau sur un réchaud placé dans l'ouverture.

J'imagine bien une vieille tetsubin fumer là-dessus...
J'ai aussi bien aimé cette chaise longue antique. On voit comment on a pris une chaise classique chinoise, augmenté l'angle du dossier et ajouté un reposoir pour les pieds. Je trouve le résultat assez hilarant, car au lieu d'obtenir une chaise longue moelleuse, on obtient une planche dure pour les fesses et le dos! Pour un occidental, cela ressemble à un instrument de supplice. Un chinois trouvera cela sûrement confortable, par contre. On comprend mieux qu'ils ont été habitué depuis des générations à s'assoir sur le sol et à dormir sur le dur. Les lits ici sont bien durs et de nombreuses personnes ont encore des fauteils en bois massif dans leur salon. Or, les médecins du dos conseillent de nos jours de dormir sur de tels lits qui gardent la colonne vertébrale droite: encore un domaine où les Chinois étaient en avance sur nous!

Je suis ensuite allé voir quelques jolies calligraphies chinoises.
Il y en avait beaucoup. Voici la vue d'un côté:
Et voici la vue de l'autre côté:
Et, pour finir, en voici encore une très simple. J'aime bien le dernier caractère en bas à gauche: xin, le coeur. On dirait un visage en train de sourire. (La traduction 'maison' de ce poème est: "Regarde vers le ciel et ton coeur grandira". Ainsi, pour être amour, il faut voir haut et élever son âme au-dessus des affaires de ce monde. Et quand on parle de quelque chose de beau et de pur comme du thé, on laisse la politique de côté ;)




Taken from http://teamasters.blogspot.com/

Golden Pearls from Teas, Etc.

Scent in package: light malt scent
Ratio: 1 heaping tsp to 10 oz water
Steeped: 5 min. @ boiling

These little tea pearls are very attractive, and unfurl into thin, elegant leaves while brewing. The scent is very light, but I wasn’t too worried, since the leaves are lighter as well. Unfortunately, though I really wanted to like it, I was left wanting by this particular tea.

The taste is very delicate – more what one might expect from a white tea. All focus must be on the tea as it swirls around the tongue to catch a hint of malt flavor. The aftertaste is somewhat fruity/muscatel – almost like you’d expect from a Darjeeling, but it’s so difficult to pinpoint that it’s hardly worth the effort.

There is a tiny bit of peppery zing on the tongue, which gives a little life to the medium liquor, but overall, this tea is just too much trouble for casual drinking. I would compare it to a good quality Yunnan if the flavors were more prominent, but delicacy is something I want in a white or green tea, not a black such as this.

I’ll pass on this one, and go for that stronger Yunnan instead.



Taken from http://teaontap.blogspot.com/

Tea is Hard Work

Mr. Liu the former tea judge spends his time cultivating new cultivars of Tung Ting. His latest is a variant of the soft stem Tung Ting, sweeter and has the Hui Gan. Gan was a taste word we introduced some time ago, the taste of slight bitter astringency flowing smoothly into a sweet after taste. Hui Gan is another effect, that of the returning taste, the aftermath of the sweet. It’s as though the taste has trailed off and possibly forever, only to return, and stay, nourishing your palate and throat with a revitalizing almost minty sweetness. The sweet note of Gan will linger if you give it a chance.
He tasted his prized aged Soft Stem Oolong with us. The fieryness has all but gone, a smooth caramel darkness with deep complexity and very different 10 infusions really impresses me the dedication that Mr. Liu has for his craft. He has found a way to roast his tea 80 hours non- continuously, and every 6 months for the last 4 years and counting. The secrets I won’t divulge, but every passionate professional will invent new methods to improve and express the hidden capacities of each varietal.

We wheezed our way up to San Lin She, where the highest point is 2000 meters tall, one of the highest in Taiwan, to see the harvesting and processing. The hills are so steep I felt alittle afraid for the first time. Agriculture doesn't usually look like you need to be a monkey to get up to! So the name 'High Mountain Oolong' is completely justified in everyway, including the price. It's hard work, trying not to fall off the 80 degree hill picking tea. Tasting the unfinished fresh leaves inspired me so much that I foolhardily bought, at very high prices, a jin of fresh barely dried leaves for our harvest party next week. This, folks, would be the only chance one might ever have, unless you are at these mountains at the exact right place and right time, to taste these leaves at such freshness. And unprocessed too, with the original fruity fragrance of the leaves completely intact. I will try not to drink it all before I get back.





Taken from http://teapersonality.blogspot.com/

Crafting from Afar

A baby quilt



Fabric and pieces for a wedding quilt




A capelet in the works - ooh, this will be nice!







Taken from http://stephcupoftea.blogspot.com/

Opening the Heart


Prayer is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend.

"Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You. Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily." Psalm 102:2
Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!


Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Wakamatsu-no-Mukashi Matcha from Ippodo

Origin: Japan (prefecture unknown)
Year: 2008 (?)
Vendor: Ippodo (Product page)
Price: $14.14 / 1500 yen (20g can)

Matcha Packaging
Gotta love the Japanese.


I recently ordered some Wakamatsu-no-Mukashi matcha to accompany my new chawan. I know they say not to judge a book by it's cover, but seriously, take a look at how fantastically this can is packaged! I am very pleased with Ippodo's style; the two other items I purchased in this order, a matcha furui (sifter) and a chasen (whisk), were also elegantly wrapped.

Matcha Sifting
Sifting matcha.


Ugh, sifting is a pain. I'm not entirely sure it matters, either, but what the hell. Also, I've heard from certain people (Brandon, for one) that infuser baskets work better than the special sifters. Thanks for the late advice, Brandon! ;)

Matcha froth
Mmmmmm! Nice, frothy usucha.


This is a really nice matcha. It has an almost gummy mouth-feel; this is a really meaty (uh, not flavor-wise, don't worry) tea. It has a muted sweetness, in contrast with O-Cha's Kiri-no-Mori, and has a little kick of astringency. There isn't much to taste, really, but there is a lot to feel; between the mouth-feel and the buzz afterward (hmm, I wonder if this would fall under the qi umbrella?), drinking this tea is a somatic experience.

Chasen comparison
On the left, a new 100-tine chasen from Ippodo. On the right, my worn ~70 tine chasen from O-Cha.


Here you can see what violent whisking does to a chasen. It took me a long time to learn not to scrape it so hard against the bottom of the chawan! It's hard to see in the photo, but there are several broken tines.

Palm frond
A palm frond. Fairly self-explanatory.




Taken from http://teanerd.blogspot.com/

Instructions: Boil. Chill.


I'm not rocking out. I'm freaking out.

Yeah, so, things are a little quiet here at present because your faithful t2 blogger is experiencing career meltdown. My full-time gig is at the Chicago Sun-Times, which may or may not exist by year's end. I'm spending my time in union meetings and with much wailing and gnashing of teeth. I may have a lot of free time to sip and blog in the near future, as long as I can afford tea and wifi. Sigh. Back in the '90s, they told me this would be a stable career.

Thank God fellow local tea blogger Lainie Petersen recommended some baby chrysanthemum tea from Ten Ren. Tiny little flower buds, dusty white and green-grey, make a dull, slightly bitter infusion, but she was right: "Very calming. Evens you right out." She and I were the only attendees of a meetup last weekend in Chinatown, and when she pointed that out with that advice, I bought two canisters. I may finish them both by week's end. (Lainie's had a crap week, too, local readers. Send her some well-brewed love.)

I also have a nice bag of German chamomile our travel editor tossed to me the other day — it's a nondescript herbal packaged for Virgin Atlantic Airlines. God knows where it comes from, but it tastes fine. Need the nerve tonic, man.

What do you drink when you need to tame your nerves?



Taken from http://teasquared.blogspot.com/

The Immortal Mountain

That is how one feels at Phoenix Mountain, like an immortal, on a rainy, foggy, soggy day, squishy pathways up the mountain on the red clay soil, everywhere the scent of tree size gardenias, osmanthus flowers, giant bamboo groves and of course, extremely old tea groves full of white lichen. You feel that if you could but absorb some of this heavenly energy, you, too, can purge all the city living out of your lungs, and live to a thousand years alongside the tea. I think I would be perfectly happy having my ashes fed to the roots of the tea groves here. Wonder if my ashes are good enough fertilizer? Probably, have drank enough tea already by now. The trees here are typically 50 to 100 years old, and the best and oldest are well over 300 years. The young ones are about 10 years old and harvested for the first time. Most tea bushes in the world get harvested by the time they are 2-3 years, but not here. They have to be seasoned, sure, but the groves grow so very very slowly, and it takes so long for the roots to reach deep for nutrients. The roots are taller than the trees. Trees that grow on low lying areas never really grow well and usually don't survive, because the soil isn't rich enough. So high mountain it is; generally by 500 meters the fog rolls in, the soil is rich, and the trees thrive. Our Honey Fragrance Phoenix Oolongs are usually harvested at 800 -1000 meters, the Almond and Pommelo Fragrances are at the peak areas of 1300 meters or more. Wudong Mountain, the tea mountain of the Phoenix Mountain Range, is covered with new plantings at the bottom and full of the old trees at the top. The new trees are planted at the base for a couple of years, and if they survive, transplanted up the mountain for continuous growth, sort of like in a dojo, you can work your way up from white belt to black belt, that is if you survive the matches. Any poorer quality groves are grafted with better quality or more in style varietals. For example, this year, our favorites, the Almond and Pommelo, proved to be so wildly popular many younger trees were grafted with those two species.
I believe the energy of these mountains make the teas. I don't care what anyone says about teas grown at improper areas or mountains not meant for tea. There just isn't that heavenly energy. The soil, air, water, and the majestic quality of the mountain makes the tea plants grow to reflect that energy, and you can taste that in your cup of tea.



Taken from http://teapersonality.blogspot.com/

Tea Under the Tuscan Sun


Warmth and joy radiate from this tea set
as shown in a shop window display.
In my imagination,
some of the sun over Tuscany
casts it's glow on the
teapot and tray,
just waiting for someone
to take them home!


Thank you for visiting Gracious Hospitality. Please come back soon!


Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

Comfort Food ~ Creamed Potatoes



Each family has their own version of 'comfort food'. When I married Brent I discovered that their family was no exception. One of his family's favorite comfort foods was something I had never heard of before; creamed potatoes. This really is a good recipe. Simple, savory, and filling; it's a stand-by for those days you want something white and creamy for a meal.

To make:

Dice cold, cooked potatoes. Be sure peelings are removed. Place in a large mixing bowl.

In a saucepan, make a white sauce. Mom's original recipe used milk and wheat flour. I've been able to adapt it successfully to vegan and gluten-free. In blender, whiz together plain soy milk, cornstarch, and a dash of mineral salt. Pour into saucepan containing olive oil. Stir over medium heat until thick. It should be 'pourable' rather than thick like pudding. Add dried leaves of sweet basil to the creamy sauce.

Pour sauce over diced potatoes and stir gently. The sauce will heat the potatoes, but if you would like them piping hot, place in microwave briefly to heat through.

Serve and enjoy!


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Taken from http://www.gracioushospitality.blogspot.com/

What is shincha? | Review of 2008 Yukata Midori shincha

ichiban sencha; this is a more broad term, as it includes not only shincha but also first flush tea that is cold-stored for processing and sale throughout the year.

For comparison’s sake, shincha could be likened to beaujolais nouveau in that it is a celebration of the new harvest, and that it typically does not last long after production. That’s pretty much where the similarities end, though.

Shincha is not better or worse than ichibancha, so don’t be swayed by sales pitches (not that there really are any). It generally has a slightly more intense flavor, but doesn’t necessarily taste better than regular first flush sencha. In addition, it goes stale much sooner than ichibancha (which is why it is only sold for a short time).

Shincha can be purchased from most, but not quite all, dedicated Japanese tea vendors; O-Cha, Hibiki-an, Den’s, and Zencha (among others) are all popular.

When brewing shincha, one is advised to brew a bit weaker than one normally would for sencha. Lower temperatures and/or less leaf may be needed, and shorter steep times in particular are recommended. Shincha is slightly more intense than ichibancha, so it is easier to overbrew. If I could share one more bit of advice that helped me greatly, I would suggest pouring sencha slowly from your teapot. This pearl of wisdom isn’t specific to shincha; I do it with all Japanese teas, and I find it helps keep bitterness at bay.




Class: Green
Origin: Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan
Year: 2008
Vendor: O-Cha (Product page)
Price: $24.95 (110g)

Since trying the Yukata Midori last year, I have eagerly awaited its return in 2008, and this year’s crop does not disappoint.

Dry Leaf

The leaf, as you may or may not be able to see, is fairly broken up, being a deep-steamed (fukamushi) tea. The scent of the dry leaf is sweet and rich. When brewed, this tea really shows its true color: vibrant, deep green. The color of brewed Yukata Midori is something of a legend among us internet shincha geeks.

Infusion

It’s flavor this year is even better than last year’s, or at least better than I remember last year’s to be. If it had a fault last year, it was that it was a touch too mild; the 2008 version, however, is not. Being a blend, I imagine it’s producers attempt to achieve a consistent product from year to year, and I think they did a good job. It is still very smooth and sweet, without much astringency or any bitterness to speak of, and has a mild grassy flavor I don’t remember from before. Don’t worry if you’re not a fan of grassiness— I’m not either, but this was subtle enough that it’s really not an issue. It does require a light hand (yes, Hobbes, I’m stealing your line), being quite fussy with temperature. I would start low (160ºF or so) and work your way up until you find a temperature that suits your equipment and tastes.

I wholeheartedly recommend this tea, especially if you’re looking for a good introductory shincha. It will always be a favorite of mine!



Taken from http://teanerd.blogspot.com/