Meet the Chinese Tea Masters
During a phenomenally interesting end-of-year UK Tea Academy session dubbed “Meet the Chinese Tea Masters” (with Yang Yajing (杨亚静女士) [A Level One Tea Art Master, Tea Appraiser, President of the Changxing County Agricultural Products Agents Association, and Chairman of the Changxing County Purple Bamboo Tea Industry Agricultural Cooperative, who has devoted over 40 years to the frontline of the Purple Bamboo Tea production], with Wang Guangxi (王光熙先生) [Born in 1952 in Xiuning County, Anhui Province, Wang Guangxi became the inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Song Luo green tea production in 2015], with Liu Tongyi (刘同意先生) [As a recognised inheritor of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for Qimen Black Tea production, Liu Tongyi has played a significant role in promoting and preserving the traditional art of black tea making. His expertise has led to the development of a new handmade tea called “Hongxiuqiu” for Qimen Black Tea in 2015, which has received many accolades from consumers.], with Liu Zhongrui [A member of the China Tea Society, he has served as a director of the 5th, 6th, and 7th terms of the Shanghai Tea Society. He was a tutor for the first year of the Shanghainese tea art training class and the first director of the China International Tea Culture Research Association. From 1978 to 1995, Liu Zhongrui worked as the manager of Shanghai Huxingting Tea House which is the oldest existing teahouse in Shanghai. (Click here) ], and with wold-famous Jane Pettigrew [See here] ), it was suggested that we watch the following 6 videos.
These are made absolutely superbly. They offer something to both the novice as well as the advanced tea drinker and the corresponding links are provided here. Lie down under the Xmas tree and let the others open the parcels while you open the 6 films:
EP1: Tea Is an Art
Watch tea leaves float like seahorses / Oldest tea trees / Yellow tea / Tea as part of Buddhist life / Six different types of tea / Wuyi Mountain pinewood smoking / Lapsang Souchong / Red = black vs. fermented tea = pu’ erh / Tibetan tea with fermented yak milk / Knife tea / Traditionally rolled tea Liucha / Oolong tea / Da Hong Pao ancient tea trees (Note how some tea tree varieties can take on the look of a large bush while others have a more tree-like appearance. In most cases, either species is kept as a comparatively small shrub in order to facilitate plucking) / Wuyi mountains / slurping tea / First Fuding Large White Tea Tree / White tea making / Baihao Yinzhen / Qing Ming / Taimu Mountain temple / Every cup of tea contains (more than) 2’000 years of knowledge
EP2: Tea Is a Journey
Roads because of tea / Lives intertwined because of tea / Xinjiang chrysanthemum “tea” and its value as an infusion / Keliyangxiang in Hotan Prefecture / Jasmine flower infusion / Rose infusion / Cantonese herbal tea and rap / A herbal tea a day can keep the doctor away / Xishuangbanna, Yunnan / Tea as part of dowry / Menghai County tea competition / Mao cha = rough tea, unfinished tea / Pu’erh cakes / Tea horse road – Yunnan & Sichuan to Tibet / Tea carriers / Tea as form of nutrition / Mongolian Suutai Tsai / Wild tea tree in Chishui / Worm tea / Zandan Monastery and Tibetan butter tea / One cup of tea
EP3: Making Tea
Ancient tea in Japan / Tea is simple and complicated / Japanese tea ceremony / Traces from Tang and Song dynasty / Gong fu cha / Lu Yu’s Classic of Tea / Tang Tea Ceremony / Origins of Tang tea / Oil tea / Steamed green tea / Enshi yulu tea / Shizuoka hand-rolled tea / Moriuchi tea / Chinese Whuzun and his Japanese disciple Enni Bennen at Jingshan Temple, Zhejiang / Do not fall asleep, enjoy tea instead / Kathok Temple buttered tea / Tea for the Song dynasty / Cultural exchange between China and Japan / Kamakura / Oda Nobunaga & Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Sen no Rikyu / Gold tea house vs. Konnichi-an / Humans and nature blending together as one in a tea bowl / Mieko / Chaozhou / Ming Dynasty / Fenghuang Danchong / In search of the meaning of life in a bowl of tea
EP4: Foreign Lands, Homeland
From Asia to Africa / Tea brings people together / Spring is the time for tea (plucking) / Pulled tea / Tea in Thailand / Oriental Beauty from Thailand / Tea in Darjeeling, India / 1823 Scottish soldier Robert Bruce discovers wild tea in Assam / 1848Scottish botanist Robert Fortune visits Wuyi Mountains in disguise in the hope of being able to secretly smuggle plants, seeds and production secrets for making black tea to India / Makaibari / Milk in tea draws customers in Calcutta / Smashing Kulhars / 1875 Appearance of Keemun tea (Chinese, black) / Beijing’s Liu family links to tea in Georgia / Tea Road from China through Siberia to Russia / Liu Tea / In the world of tea, some …
EP5: Time Stops for Tea (in England)
For the sake of tea, the British have sacrificed everything (money, sea voyages) and started wars. Why are they so obsessed with tea ? / Tea clippers to satisfy 19th- century craze for black and oolong tea from Fujian / Clippers cut delivery time from 9-12 months down to 56 days, but only 3-4 of every 10 sent from China would reach London / 10% household of household income spent on tea / 1840 Opium War / Clippers lose power to steam ships / Catherine of Braganza (and Jane Pettigrew) / Postcard Teas / Green tea can be a little overpowering, but everything is alright if Jane’s there :-) / Twinings / Byron / Song Luo tea Xiuning County (Anhui) / Two thirds load of a ship from China would be Song Luo tea / By the end of 18th Century, everyone in England was in love with tea / Anna Russel’s, 7th Duchess of Bedford’s, solution for hunger pang in the afternoon: Afternoon Tea / 1850 Industrial Revolution: Boiling water for tea kills bacteria and thus improves workers’ health, and reduces alcoholics on the streets / Betty’s Café Tea Rooms, York / David returns to Betty’s / Jane’s love with tea / Tea dance / Afternoon Tea in Taiwan: Taking time out from our busy lives / England uses its imperial might to turn India, Sri Lanka and Kenya into large-scale tea-cultivating countries / Twining’s Tea blender and Stephen Twining / 1706 London’s first tea shop opened on the Strand / 1996 Tregothnan introduces Camellia Sinensis var. Sinensis on estate in Cornwall (It’s no longer the only tea estate in the UK) / EIIR commemorative tea / Tea dance at the Hilton Waldorf London / Tea is no longer a world-changing commodity but a cultural lifestyle / Jane: It’s a magic drink
EP6: Humanity in a Tea Cup
The Chinese character for tea has the character of a person sitting between grass and earth (Same character in Japanese) / Tea people / Auntie Zhao’s Tea House / Jasmine tea / Multiple scentings / Tea shootings / Tea longevity / Organic Tieguanyin from Anxi / Goat manure and natural predators / Thieving monkeys on Mount Emei / Skilfully putting new life into two leaves and a bud / Zhu Ye Qing tea / Advanced molecular food processing technology vs. hand processing / A tea leaf goes through so many ordeals in its life / Tange Meigetsu / Non Solo Tea / Dramatic end-of-episode summary
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