Friendships as water

An old Chinese idiom:

Friendship between gentlemen is as light as water

 

 When observing the change in garden starting from spring till today, flowers that have very strong sweetness aroma normally didn't last long. Year in and year out, the nature rhythm remains unchanged in such straight forwards and simple manner. What will happen in the garden next year, again it is something that can not be predicted now.  So what is the difference in the relationships or friendships between people?

 

The sooner we  can see through this nature rhythm of change, the sooner we can relief burden from our shoulders.

 

If we can maintain positive thinking and energy, then whether the day is a good day or bad day won't make too much different, isn't it?  Everything rest when the sun is sat and tomorrow is another day.

 

Mei Lan Hsiao

© Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre, 2012

 

古人訓: 君子之交淡如水.

看看園中花草自春到今, 只見濃香撲鼻招蝶的花都只能短暫而不能持續.

大自然的韻律如此, 人際之間的變化又有何不同?

是短暫是長久何苦活在恐懼與惶恐中. 看開了負擔都可相對的減少. 

日日開心那麼該日是好日是壞日不也就是短暫的嗎? 

 

春風拂面不停留, 水面漣漪不留痕

友誼何須重香豔, 點滴在心永長留

蕭美蘭



 

Questions about the overnight tea

Q: How can I push the flavor out of Puerh tea further after many infusions?

Yes, you can with Puerh tea.  At the end of brewing, you can try to use the 'cooking' method.  You can use a bigger size of clay teapot in case that is the size can fit to the burner.  You can push the brewing for at least 2-3 rounds or more, it subjects to the quality of tea leaves and your taste preference. 

Q: Can I keep the leaves in the pot for 2-3 days?

First of all, I think it is important to distinguish the difference between brewing tea over night in the pot from drinking tea that has been brewed and filtered but store in a seperate drinking container.

The one people brew tea in the pot and let the infusion continue or re-use the leaves that they brewed tea the day before, this is the overnight tea.  Even if you filter the water out, there is still some water left in the pot.

Lu Yu and many Chinese traditional medicine gurus all suggested not drinking the overnight tea because it is not good for the health.  There are certain things to consider if you choose to leave the leaves in pot over night and hope you can continuously to enjoy it next day:

1. The change of water quality in the tea pot
2. The continuing oxidation will weaken the Vitamin C and other minerals in tea with longer infusion time, so what can you benefit or hinder by the overnight tea? That is a question.
3. Tea is base drink, the overnight infusion might release too much iron in the water
4. Also the overnight infused tea would release more Tannin that might be too aggressive to stomach as well

Furthermore, there are worries for transforming the protein and saccharide to bacteria, therefore, it is suggested not to drink the overnight tea.

Of course it is pitty to throw such tea away.  There are different creatives way to use the overnight tea. For example -

• Use it to brush teeth or to clearn moutn since the overnight tea contain rich acid and Fluorine
• Tea has calming and cleasing effects, so probably try to use it as toner after you wash your face, especially for young people who have problem with acne
• Tea contains rich iron, so can use it to water the evergreen plants which need a lot of iron
• Tea removes fat and bad odor, it's an ideal nature detergent for refrigerator or to clean the kitchen top
• When feeling very tire with your eyes, can dip a cotton pad in tea, then put the web tea cotton pad on eyes.
• .....etc.

The sky for reusing the left over tea leaves has no limit for a creative mind.

In case you really like the quality and taste of the tea that you drink today and would like to enjoy it further next day; you can infuse the tea and filter it out today, then keep in a non-toxie bottle.  Keep the bottle in dark and cool place or refrigerator, then you can still enjoy it next day.

Mei Lan Hsiao

© Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre

info@chinese-tea-arts.com  



Basic & utmost rule in Chinese tea ceremony

In a Chinese tea ceremony people could have chance to taste different kind of teas.  But, it is inappropriate to behave casually in a tea ceremony as if attending a normal tea tasting event. 

Indeed Chinese tea ceremony is more social oriented than Japanese or Korean tea ceremony.  And showing respect is a must.

In Chinese tea ceremony you have a chance not just to appreciate tea and to enjoy a peaceful moment but also to practice good and respectful manners.

Showing respect

• Sit in calm and ease.  

There is no strict rules about how you should sit.  Just relax and enjoy tea in ease.  

However remaining calm and still are important.  Remaining calm and still is not just showing respect to the person who is preparing tea for you, it helps others to know how you would like to be respected too.

• You do can talk and ask questions before sitting down, but should remain still when the tea ceremony begins.
• When sitting around a table, the tea master will pass the tea cup to her/his left hand side in both hands; the left hand side guest should also receive the cup with both hands.  Then that person should serve the cup to her/his left hand side as well and so on.
• Both tea master and guests should remain calm and still during the first three rounds of tea serving.  The box of dialogue is opened after the 3rd round.  

As we all know that meditation is very helpful exercise to relax our body and mind and helps us to reach the inner peace.  Meditation can be sitting still or moving forms.  Chinese tea ceremony is a moving meditation because it  eases your body and mind when anticipating and appreciating a cup of tea.

Organic GABA Oolong Tea

GABA is an abbreviation of gamma-Aminobutyric acid (γ-Aminobutyric acid); according to Wikipedia it is the chief inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system.  It plays a role in regulating neuronal excitability throughout the nervous system. In humans, GABA is also directly responsible for the regulation of muscle tone.  Also there is evidence stating that the calming effects of GABA. 

 

GABA Tea was discovered by Japanese researchers in 1987 when they were trying to find a natural method to preserve food.  Accidently they discovered with the fermentation in a nitrogen rich atmosphere GABA increased in 5 to 10 times.

GABA Oolong is using the organic Taiwan Jing Xuen tea leaves and processing the fermentation in an anaerobic environment

·         It’s being tightly curly in ball shape, the dried leaves are in dark gray mixes with brown color
·         The dried leaves give rich but smooth flavor that normally are found in oolong that have been processed under heavy fermentation and roasting. The creamy flavor from Jing Xuen remains in the deeper layer. 
·         Can sense very clear Peach (it particularly reminds me of fresh juicy 21^st century peach that I love from Lishan in Taiwan, Mmmm yami) that blended with rich flora and fruity flavor.

·        When it could loosen up in the pot, the dark grayish leaves became amber-brown color.
·         As you could see the beautiful rich amber color from the cup. Really love its pure and tranquil and mirror effects.
·        On top of the surface as you can see the gelatin-like tea energy bubbles.  Indeed if you pouring the water too fast to the pot or cup, it would generate bubbles, but that kind of bubbles would disappear quickly.
·       The gelatin-like tea energy bubbles that normally can only be found with teas that are pure and non-toxie, i.e. tea made from organic tea or wild tea.  Those tea energy bubbles are like glue floating on top of tea surface that did not move or disappear even I rolled the cup several times on my hand.

 ·         The taste definitely is what you smell what you get, except much richer and finer dried sweetness that mix with peach, flora and fruit.

·         Does not develop bitter taste even with longer infusion.  Has smooth mint after taste in mouth.

Brewing

Quantity vs water

-  1:50 of 1:75 if you like to brew your tea in Kungfu tea ceremony style. 

- 1:100 if you prefer mild and smooth tasting

Tea ware selection

- Glass, porcelain or Yixing tea ware

Water temperature : 90 – 95 Celsius

Infusion time

- Short infusion time for Kungful tea ceremony, it is matter of few seconds, definitely less than a minute

- For normal infusion,

The 1^st infusion: 1 minute

The 2^nd/3^rd infusion: 30-45 seconds

4^th and onwards: 1 minute

Multiple infusion : 6-8 times 

Please contact us for more information, Email: info@chinese-tea-arts.com 

Life is like a cup of tea

Energy bubbles of tea

On top of the suface, the organic tea that I've brewed gave a kind of gelatine-like bubbles. The color of tea appeared in a very beautiful mirror and tranquility effects.

Of course if you pouring the water into pot or cup fast, there will generate some bubbles; but that bubbles will quicky disappear and is not same as the gelatine-like bubbles that can be found with organic tea. In Chinese such gelatine-like bubbles has another name - 茶氣 (Cha Qi) meaning energy from tea.

However, not all kind of teas could have this gelatine-like tea energy bubbles. According to my experience it can only be found organic teas which I believe it has something to do whether the quality is pure and non-toxie or not. In other word, the small gelatine-like tea energy bubbles give us signals for pure quality, and pure quality tea not only allow you to enjoy a genunine flavor and uncompromised taste.

Life is like a cup of tea

So if only pure quality tea could generate such beautiful energy bubbles, then what is the difference in our life based on the basic philosophy of being pure and tranquil?

Mei Lan Hsiao

Belgium Chinese Tea Arts Centre

茶氣

有機茶的茶湯面上會偶些許凝膠狀的氣泡久久不散開. 茶湯清澈純靜, 亮麗精華中又有神.

但是不是每種茶都有茶氣, 這根茶是否純淨無毒有關. 通常在有機茶湯面上會看的到這種令人開心的氣泡.

當然如果你快速注水, 那在壺中或是杯裡會產生一些氣泡, 但是那些氣泡會很快消失, 完全跟那種凝聚狀氣泡是不一樣的.  專家稱這種凝聚狀的氣泡為 "茶氣".

這種茶氣只有在料很純淨的有機或是生態茶中才會看到. 這跟茶的純淨與無毒是有關連的. 這就是為什麼有機或是生態茶對人的身體健康有好處.

人生如茶

試想, 只有純與淨能產生凝聚型的茶氣.  純淨的茶不但是對身體健康好, 同時更讓你能享受那天然的持續清香與甘順.  那茶與人生在世做人處事講求純敬雅儒原則又有何不同呢?

蕭美蘭

比利時中華茶藝中心