. I’ve collected my list of teas, tea ware, and tea books that have shaped my 2011 into an enjoyable tea-year. Many of the teas listed reflect the classic beauty that defined teas of their tradition. Others are newer, soon-to-be treasures.
A useful list for when you:
Have a friend or family member who loves tea, but you’re at a loss as to what to buy.
Have been drinking grocery store teas, and ready to graduate to the next level.
Are planning to make healthier choices for the new year.
Want to cultivate a fonder love of tea.
If you have questions or want advice on tea gifts, contact me: jason@walkerteareview.com
Culinary Tea. Inspired use of tea in excellent dishes. As a result of this book, I created a delightful soup with duck and pu’er.
New Tea Lover’s Treasury. Pratt is the Bill Bryson of tea storytelling. Rarely is historical background so well packaged into an enchanting, flowing, narrative.
Harney & Son’s Guide to Tea. No-nonsense description of what teas should be and how they should taste. Harney goes beyond the cliched tea terms like “grassy” to give meaningful descriptors.
The True History of Tea. Fascinating, well-researched background on tea. Learn how tea created the dalai lama.
The Tea Drinker’s Handbook. An all-around useful resource on tea production and tea appreciation. Especially useful are the sections on tea preparation and tea-drinking as a sensory experience.
Compare teas on the Scoresheet.
Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings.
Want to see a tea reviewed? Contact me: jason@walkerteareview.com
Cons: Careful when placing tea above the filter and inverting to steep. When you set it aright you may still have hot, pressurized steam/water trying to escape.
Sample provided by Libre Tea.
Compare teas with others on the Scoresheet.
Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings.
Want to see a tea reviewed? Contact me: jason@walkerteareview.com
Last week I happened to be in the Beijing neighborhood, so I thought I check out one of (probably) the world’s biggest tea market areas. I had heard several U.S. tea retailers tell tales of the place, and so I had big expectations. Maybe too big.
"ma lian dao cha cheng" is just one of many markets/shops on the street
First of all, the place is big. Multiple buildings holding 2 or more storys with dozens, if not hundreds of vendors. At first this seems to be the tea-kid’s candy shop.
Until you look closer. A lot of vendors are selling the same stuff. I mean nearly exactly. I can’t tell you how many places were offering the same pu’er cakes, the same da hong pao sitting in bulk boxes with the same brand logo on the outside. These guys weren’t specializing, they were price competing. And when you did stop to taste I often got the most insipid, pale thimbleful of tea I’ve had in a long while. I mean, I’ve seen darker water come out of rusty pipes than what they served as Wuyi wulong.
stacks of cheap clay pots- buy for friends or leave on the shelf?
There were gems and charming spots, so the rant can end here. There were lessons to be gleaned.
Look for vendors who specialize. Go to a Fujian wulong dealer who only has Fujian oolongs on the shelf. What also helped was asking for more obscure teas like tie luo han. There were too many stores hawking da hong pao. I figured: “If the vendor has tie luo han and at least some mid-grade shui xian, he’s more likely to have some serious da hong pao.
Shop around. Do your homework. Don’t just waltz into the first store you come to and start chatting up the staff. They will likely be trying to chat you up to make you stay and buy tea. Ma Lian Dao has several large markets in the area. You could spend days walking past stalls to find the right tea at the right price.
one hall in the endless maze of tea stalls
Don’t taste tea unless you are seriously considering the tea. The longer you stay, the more likely you will feel obligated to buy, and the more pressure the vendor will feel to make a sale.
When you do taste, take (at most) two sips of each steeping, then pour out the rest. Show the vendor you are serious about tasting the tea, not quenching thirst.
Ask the vendor to really push the tea. Ask them to steep longer (i.e. 30 seconds to 1 minute) if they give you thin, insipid steepings. Don’t let them combine steepings (e.g. first and second steepings) and then serve. You need to now how long the tea can last. Salespeople will do most anything to cover the flaws of their product. Caveat emptor!
Ask about different grades, and see if you can sample the top two grades. You may be able to discern a difference, or you may not.
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Compare teas with others on the Scoresheet.
Walker Tea Review- a tea blog with tea reviews and tea tastings. Operated by Jason Walker.
. Comment: consider this as a starter yixing for the office or everyday use. Works well with several Chinese greens and many darker roasted wulongs. Consider dedicating it to one category of tea (e.g. dark roasted wulongs) as aromas accumulate in the pot. . well, actually teapot! Price (as of post): $34 . Compare teas [...]
I do precious little writing about tea. Instead, I create a stage with tea in the center. I learned a lot about tea just from watching; If you observe a graceful, skillful hand Not a drop spilled or a fingertip scalded. See how the aroma is inhaled- And the resulting relationships built on sips The [...]
This week (as usual, actually), my tea colleagues have produced some treasures. Here’s a highlight of news and info in the tea blogosphere: Toki shares his Da Hong Pao Wuyi Oolong. Vintage 1985 on The Mandarin’s Tea. Note Toki’s extensive tasting methodology. His highly trained palate realized this da hong pao was not as advertised, [...]
Fleur De Vie – Flower of Life Valentine’s Tea from Art of Tea (available now thru end of Feb) . . Teas Etc. Year of the Tiger Sale. 20% off everything . Use code: TIGER at checkout. Tay Teas: Reminder: I’m just the messenger telling you about the offers. Doesn’t mean I endorse or recommend [...]
In centuries past, it took Western tea traders decades to figure out that the same plant could produce black, green, and wulong tea. The difference came in the harvest and processing. Fortunately, the modern reader can pick up Roy Fong’s The Great Teas of China and learn how some of the most treasured teas on [...]
Samovar’s Romance Tea Gift set. The world’s first tea set for romantics . . Mighty Leaf Valentine Gifts. Chocolate truffle teas, tea flowers, spa gifts, tea pouch gift tins and display boxes . . Surprise your Valentine with a bouquet of Adagio tea flowers, thrilling to observe and delightful to drink. . Stash Tea’s Valentines [...]
