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When Storing Aged White Tea, Be Mindful of These 5 Details—Otherwise, You Might Ruin It!
Recently, aged white tea has been very popular. Many tea enthusiasts say that they brew several pots of aged white tea at home every day. After drinking it, they feel warm and comfortable, especially in their throats, which can be particularly soothing when dealing with a persistent cough after being ill. Why is aged white tea so popular in winter? There are probably three reasons: First, it has a unique color, aroma, and flavor: Over time, the aroma of aged white tea transforms from the fresh, floral notes of young tea to richer, more mature scents of dates, medicine, and lotus leaves, while its taste becomes more robust; Second, aged white tea has certain health benefits, helping to boost our immune system and prevent colds to some extent. This is based on the experiences shared by many tea enthusiasts. Third, aged white tea can be steeped, brewed, or boiled, making it perfect for the current trend of stove-top brewing that's sweeping across various platforms. However, because white tea undergoes transformation during storage, we should pay extra attention to how we store it. Otherwise, the aged white tea we've worked hard to preserve might end up as a pile of flavorless… -
Mengding Ganlu: A Thousand-Year Journey of a Single Tea Leaf
Peering through the mist and looking down from above, rows of tea plants overlap in layers, scattered like stars across the mountains, nurturing this land like the source of life — Mount Mengding. Located on the southwestern edge of the Sichuan Basin in the eastern part of Ya'an City, Mount Mengding occupies the golden zone for tea cultivation in Sichuan. With distinct seasons, abundant rainfall, uniform sunlight, fertile soil, and suitable temperatures, it is often referred to as the "Rainy Sky of Western Sichuan," making it an ideal environment for tea plants and providing favorable conditions for high-quality tea. The Legacy of Mengding: Tracing the Ancient Legend of a Thousand-Year Tribute Tea In the Western Han Dynasty, the tea ancestors began planting tea on Mount Mengding, sowing seven sacred tea saplings on the peak of Lotus Five Peaks, initiating the precedent of Chinese tea culture. The quality of Mount Mengding's tea was exceptional; after eight centuries of word-of-mouth praise, it became renowned nationwide and eventually graced the palates of royalty, becoming a tribute item. During the Tang Dynasty, tea from Mount Mengding was officially listed as a royal tribute; by the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the finest tea… -
Purple Clay Trivia: Can the Speed of Drying after Watering a Purple Clay Teapot Indicate the Quality of the Clay?
A common question I often receive from teapot enthusiasts is: can the speed at which a teapot dries after being watered determine the quality of the clay used? In fact, there is no direct correlation between how quickly a teapot dries and the quality of its clay. Nor should the speed at which water dries be used to distinguish whether a teapot is made of genuine purple clay. Below are several examples to illustrate this: The speed at which the water dries is directly related to the following factors:1. The surface finish (mingzhen) of the teapot: If the surface finish is well-executed, the water will dry faster; otherwise, it will take longer.2. The fineness of the clay (mesh size): A higher mesh size (finer sand particles) means that the body of the teapot is more compact, so the water will naturally dry faster. Conversely, it will take longer. 3. The shape of the teapot: Certain shapes, like the Beauty of West Lake, Dragon Egg, or Siting teapots, do not tend to retain water on their surfaces due to their smooth contours, so they dry quickly. On the other hand, shapes like the Antique, Flat Lotus Cover, or Hollowed Flat teapots…- 2
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How to Select White Tea of Different Years?
There's a popular saying about white tea: "One-year tea, three-year storage, seven-year treasure." Based on its aging period, white tea can be categorized into new and aged varieties: New white tea refers to the tea harvested and processed in the current year; aged white tea is the tea that has been stored for years and exhibits characteristics typical of aged tea. However, distinguishing between new and aged white tea can be challenging for many tea enthusiasts. Today, we will compare the appearance and quality of one-year new tea, three-year-old tea, and seven-year-old tea to help you discern and appreciate the differences between new and aged white teas. One-Year New Tea Appearance Naturally spread out, with plump and upright buds, even and mostly intact leaves with slight fragmentation; The leaves display a natural gray-green or bluish-green color, with a fresh luster, creating a beautiful contrast between the bluish top and the silvery-white underside; Abundant soft silver-white down. The aroma is delicate floral and downy. Quality The infusion of new tea is clear and bright, with a light apricot-yellow hue, and its taste is particularly fresh and sweet. Three-Year Aged Tea Appearance The integrity of three-year-aged tea is slightly compromised; It has… -
White Tea from Zhenghe: “White Peony”
"White Peony tea," a precious variety, is produced in Zhenghe, known as the "Hometown of Chinese White Tea." White Peony tea is picked at the stage of one bud and two leaves, requiring that the buds and leaves are covered with white down, referred to as "three whites." The shape of the tea is two leaves embracing a bud, with a natural leaf posture and white down covering the back of the leaves. After brewing, the liquor turns apricot yellow or orange-yellow, clear and bright, with a fresh and lasting downy fragrance. The veins are slightly red, scattered among the green leaves, earning it the praise of "red dress on a white body." The preparation method for drinking White Peony tea is similar to that of green tea but, due to the lack of kneading, the tea juice does not easily seep out, so the brewing time is slightly longer than for green tea. "White like clouds, green like dreams, clean like snow, fragrant like orchids," this tea, which is cold and cool in nature, has the effects of heat-clearing and summer-heat dispelling, making it an excellent drink for refreshing the heart and purifying the spirit in summer. It is… -
What type of Purple Clay Teapot is suitable for brewing Black Tea?
If conditions permit, consider the following types of purple clay teapots: Clay: Purple clay, red clay, slope mud, etc. Pot shape: Large belly (considering that Yunnan black tea leaves are relatively large) Capacity: Over 200 milliliters Black tea is a fully fermented tea made from new shoots of appropriate tea trees, processed through withering, rolling (cutting), fermentation, and drying. Drinking it regularly not only aids digestion but also nourishes and protects the stomach, making it very suitable for winter consumption. Some people are casual about their tea drinking and will brew black tea in any cup, while others are more particular and use a purple clay teapot to enhance the lingering aroma of the black tea. Not all purple clay teapots are suitable for brewing black tea. Firstly, black tea is named for the red color of its tea soup and leaf base when brewed. Due to the dark color of the tea soup, clays such as purple clay, bottom groove green, clear purple clay, and sky blue clay are suitable. You can choose darker colored clays. If using original green or duan mud, be sure to clean them promptly to avoid unsightly tea stains. The color of the purple…- 1
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Drink the Right Cup of Tea to Survive the Dog Days
After the start of the dog days, most regions in our country officially enter "grill mode." The dog days fall between Minor Heat and Start of Autumn, marking the hottest, most humid, and sultry period of the year. As the saying goes: "It's hot during the dog days." This can be interpreted as: "During the heat, it's better to stay still than to move around." So, how should one maintain health during this season? First Challenge: Nourishing the Heart As temperatures gradually rise, the body's consumption also increases. Once summer arrives, many people feel unwell and lethargic. According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), "the summer qi is connected to the heart qi." During this time, nourishing the heart involves two aspects: caring for the blood vessels and adjusting sleep patterns. Caring for Blood Vessels: To care for your blood vessels, it is recommended to maintain a light diet. Eat more foods like onions, mushrooms, black fungus, milk, lotus seeds, and bean products. Try to maintain a calm state of mind and eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains to increase fiber intake, vitamin B, and vitamin C, which helps prevent arteriosclerosis. Adjusting Sleep Patterns: Sleep nourishes essence and qi,… -
The Four Brothers of Purple Clay Pots: Lotus Seed, Drum Imitation, Duetsphere, and Duet, can you still tell them apart?
The four types of pots—Lotus Seed, Drum Imitation, Duetsphere, and Duet—are very similar and often confused. Let's clarify these four pot styles: 【Lotus Seed】 【Drum Imitation】 【Duetsphere】 As shown above, the Drum Imitation is generally the shortest among these four pots, with a handle that may have an inverted ear (a small ear-like protrusion at the end). The Lotus Seed pot is slightly taller than the Drum Imitation and also has an inverted ear on its handle. The Duetsphere pot is the tallest of the four, and its handle does not have an ear-like protrusion. The bottoms of the first three pots—Drum Imitation, Lotus Seed, and Duetsphere—are all fitted with a false bottom; looking straight down, there is no visible "foot," as the body curves directly to the bottom. The last style, the Duet pot, easily reveals its bottom, which features a "line" or "foot." This makes it relatively easy to distinguish. Its handle also lacks an ear-like protrusion. Lotus Seed The "Lotus Seed" pot shape consists of circles stacked from small to large, symbolizing the Chinese traditional meaning of "successive generations of noble offspring." Ancestral customs often use homophones for auspiciousness. The basic characteristics of the Lotus Seed pot…- 3
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Camphor, Lotus, Orchid Aromas… Where Do Pu’er Tea’s Scents Come From?
The diverse and ever-changing scents of tea are one of the main motivators for many new tea enthusiasts to get started, and a source of enjoyment for seasoned tea connoisseurs. For example, green teas have a "roasted chestnut" or "fried bean" aroma, while black teas tend towards a "sweet fruit" or "flower honey" scent. The variety of aromas in Pu'er tea is even richer, with raw Pu'er offering lotus, orchid, and fruity scents, as well as apricot aroma, while ripe Pu'er has glutinous rice, jujube, woody notes, and more. Many of these aromas can overlap. Where do all these aromas come from? Why do so many of them only approximate rather than perfectly match the descriptions they're given? In this article, Lu Li will guide tea enthusiasts through the different layers of tea aromas and where the various types of Pu'er tea aromas originate. Sources of Pu'er Tea Aromas In earlier times, Taiwanese tea expert Deng Shihai summarized four types of Pu'er tea aromas: camphor, lotus, orchid, and green (fresh) aromas. Later, the industry continued to summarize the rules of changes in Pu'er tea aromas, adding more descriptive terms that contributed to the development of the Pu'er tea aroma system.… -
Zisha Teapot Dries in 5 Seconds! Does It Reveal the Quality of the Clay?
A teapot enthusiast asked: My zisha teapot dries almost instantly after pouring water on it, does this mean the clay is of high quality? Many people enjoy pouring boiling water over their teapots while brewing tea to judge the quality of the clay by how quickly the surface absorbs water. They believe that chemically treated teapots have a smooth, wax-like surface that doesn’t absorb water, whereas teapots made from original, pure clay can rapidly absorb moisture due to the superiority of the clay. Today, let’s discuss what the “water absorption” of zisha teapots is all about. Do Zisha Teapots Really Have “Water Absorption”? In fact, the speed at which a zisha teapot absorbs water is related to the crystallization degree of its firing, the shape of the teapot, and the fineness of the zisha clay, among other factors. Generally, new teapots are more absorbent than those that have been used. A zisha teapot cannot absorb as much water as you pour on it; this is fundamentally a flawed theory. For a qualified zisha teapot, we control the level of its “water absorption” within a very small range, typically around 1.5% to 2%. Why Do People Think Zisha Teapots Have “Water…- 3
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Land Nurturing, Piling Up, Ditching… Understanding the Pu’er Ripe Tea Fermentation Process: A Special on Pile Fermentation
For the average consumer, few have a comprehensive understanding of the entire pile fermentation process for ripe tea, mainly because the stability of the microbial community in the fermentation workshop is so valuable that it is often treated as confidential by tea factories and strictly off-limits to visitors. Secondly, even if one could enter for a tour, it would be difficult to conduct a follow-up study of each step, as the entire pile fermentation cycle lasts several days and includes different stages such as watering, turning piles, and ditching, making it a complex system. Moreover, since the decisive role in pile fermentation is played by invisible microorganisms, it does not resemble modern manufacturing with standardized procedures and quantifiable metrics but is more like a technology guided by empiricism. From controlling the temperature in the workshop to timing the turning of the piles, many steps in pile fermentation lack quantifiable standards, and the success or failure of each fermentation relies heavily on the experience and adaptability of the fermentation master. Today, Lu Li will take fellow tea enthusiasts through the general process of pile fermentation. Selecting the Fermentation Site The site is crucial for pile fermentation. As water is applied during… -
Five Herbal Citrus Peel Porridge Recipes and Their Benefits
Xinhui citrus peel, with its spicy, sweet, and warm properties, is a high-quality product that can invigorate the spleen and stomach, relieve nausea, stimulate appetite, and eliminate dampness and phlegm. It's a traditional ingredient that's both medicinal and culinary, perfect for home use. While commonly consumed as a tea, it can also be used in cooking and soups, but perhaps most effectively in health-promoting porridges. This article presents five recipes using Xinhui citrus peel in porridge along with their benefits, for the benefit of our fellow tea enthusiasts. Making porridge is simple, but choosing the right citrus peel is key. 1. Appetite-Boosting and Digestive Ma Bao Porridge 2. Herbal Citrus Peel and Amomum Villosum Porridge Ingredients: 5 grams of citrus peel, 5 grams of amomum villosum, 3-4 slices of ginger, 50 grams of lean meat, and 50 grams of Northeastern rice (for 1-2 servings, adjust according to number of people). Preparation: Wash the citrus peel, amomum villosum, and rice. Cut the lean meat into thin strips. Place the citrus peel, ginger, and rice in a pot, add 1 liter of water, and cook until the porridge is done. Add the lean meat and cook for another 10 minutes. Finally, add… -
Two Keywords to Help You Select White Tea of Different Years!
There's a popular saying about white tea: "One-year tea, three-year medicine, seven-year treasure." White tea can be divided into new and aged white tea based on the duration of storage: New white tea is that year's freshly picked and processed tea, while aged white tea has been stored for several years, acquiring distinct characteristics of an older tea. However, distinguishing between new and aged white teas can be challenging. Today, we will compare the appearance and quality of one-year new tea, three-year aged tea, and seven-year aged tea to help you discern and appreciate them. Appearance of One-Year New Tea Naturally spread out, with plump and upright buds; mostly intact leaves with slight breakage; clear and complete bud and leaf structure. The leaves display natural hues of gray-green and light green, with a fresh luster. The beautiful contrast of light blue on the top and white on the bottom of the leaves is visible. Abundant, soft silver-white downy hairs; fragrant with a fresh floral and downy aroma. Quality The liquor of new tea is bright and pale almond yellow in color, with a particularly fresh, sweet taste. Appearance of Three-Year Aged Tea The integrity of three-year aged tea is slightly…
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