Category | About Tea
Green Tea and Weight Loss? - 03-01-2012When I was asked to write about this topic I hesitated, because I do not have first-hand weight loss experience. I have always kept a stable and healthy body weight even after gave birth to my son. When being asked about the "secret" of weight control, my answer used to be "Hmm...well, I am Asian." But I cannot ignore the fact that with the spreading of fast food into Asian countries, overweight and obesity have rapidly increased in Asian population. Having a good gene helps, but it does not...
West Lake Dragon Well Tea - 02-17-2012The famous list of “Top Ten Chinese Teas” started at PPIE, the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. Since then the list varies over the years but West Lake Dragon Well, also known as Longjing (龙井, means Dragon’s well in Chinese), is always on the top of the list. This tea has a pretty impressive fan base. The original eighteen Dragon Well tea bushes in Shifeng Mountain (石峰) of the city of Hangzhou (杭州) were named by Emperor Qianlong (乾隆) of Qin Dynasty (清朝) as R...
Special Places for Tea & Fine Food - 12-09-2011I love travel, but there are couple of things always make me homesick. On the top of the list is a nice cup of tea. Grew up in the Yangtze River Delta region, surrounded by rich tea culture, tea became an important part of my daily life. If you are a coffee drinker traveling in North America, wherever you go, there probably is a nice coffee shop on the street corner near you. But if you are a tea drinker, a picky one like me, it is often difficult to find a decent tea shop when you are on road....
A Pearl of Green Tea, Dragon Well (龙井） - 10-31-2011West Lake Dragon Well (西湖龙井) is a type of green tea, and considered as one of the top ten famous Chinese teas. It is produced in the beautiful Hangzhou (杭州) area that has been praised as the paradise on earth since ancient time. Dragon Well is the name of the green tea, the place where the originated green tea bushes were located, and also the name of the water that makes the...
The Birth Story of Tea - 10-05-2011About four to five thousand years ago, Shen Nong (神农) was the chief of a tribe in the prehistoric China, according to the legend, who possessed the power of summoning rain to benefit the growth of crops. His other accomplishments included collecting crop seeds and teaching people how to grow them. At that time, the earth was frequently attacked by plagues and it caused thousands and tho...
Wuyi Rock Tea, Dahongpao (武夷岩茶，大红袍） - 09-01-2011Recently a friend of mine read the story of Dahongpao tea (大红袍茶) on this site and sent me a package of Dahongpao tea (大红袍茶) as a gift. Dahongpao tea (大红袍茶) is the best type of Wuyi rock tea (武夷岩茶), belongs to the Oolong tea (乌龙茶) family. The original bushes of the Dahongpao tea (大红袍茶) live on the rock cliff of Wuyi mountain (武夷山) wh...
Tea Poems - 07-25-2011Seven Cups of Tea (七碗茶诗） – Lu Tong (卢仝， Chinese poet, ～ 795－835) The first cup caresses my dry lips and throat, 一碗喉吻润， The second shatters the walls of my lonely sadness, 二碗破孤闷， The third searches the dry rivulets of my soul to find the stories of five thousand scrolls. 三碗搜枯肠，惟有文字五千卷， With the fourth the pain of past injustice vanishes through my pores. 四碗发轻汗，平生不平事尽向毛孔散，...
A Few Tips on Tea Brewing - 07-22-2011Although what makes a perfect cup of tea depends on personal preference, there are some guidelines for tea brewing. Generally speaking, high quality tea leaves, good-tasting water, and an elegant container are the three key elements for a perfect cup of tea. What we try to achieve here is to bring out the best aromas and flavors of the tea leaves, and prevent contamination from any unpleasant odor and flavor. There is no single recipe for making the perfect tea, as there are no rules for prod...
A Few Tips on Tea Selection - 07-21-2011The basic method of tea evaluation includes visual examination, smelling and tasting. These tips do not apply to tea bags as we cannot see what kind of tea leaves are packed inside. Green Tea Good quality green tea should be freshly made in current year, as green tea looses its aroma with age. The best green tea is categorized as Mingqian (明前), which is harvested and processed about 3 days befo...
