GLOBAL EA HUT & Tao Magazine 國際茶亭 October 2018 GLOBAL EA HUT ContentsIssue 81 / October 2018 Tea & Tao Magazine

Undying不朽的燈 Lamp

Aged is one of the most underrated types of tea, offering incredible sensual and energetic Love is experiences. We are very excited to focus in on history, as well as aged and aging Taiwanese tea, as the start of a journey through changing the world aged in this and future issues. This is a seminal issue! bowl by bowl 特稿文章 Features 55 19 Taiwanese Tea: The Part I By Huang Yi Jia (黃怡嘉)

23 Taiwanese Tea: The Qing Dynasty Part II By Huang Yi Jia (黃怡嘉) 55 Aging Oolong Tea Well By Tsai Yizhe (蔡奕哲) 59 Special Offer: 23 59 Age Your Own Oolong Tea

Traditions傳統文章 23

03 Tea of the Month “Undying Lamp,” Aged Oolong Tea, Mingjian, Nantou, 33 Expansion Pack VIII Aged Taiwanese Oolong 35 Gongfu Martial Arts & Gongfu Tea By Shen Su (聖素) © 2018 by Global Tea Hut All rights reserved. 61 TeaWayfarer 不 No part of this publication may be re- Erika Houle, USA produced, stored in a retrieval system 朽 or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, pho- tocopying, recording, or otherwise, 的 without prior written permission 燈 from the copyright owner. n October, Fromthe weather is cool and perfect inthe Tai- This issue is editorvery exciting. It is the first in what we hope wan. We can begin to drink tea outdoors if we wish. to be a series about Taiwanese tea history. We will start Around here, we start drinking aged oolongs and by exploring the early days of Taiwanese tea and then get Cliff Tea, as well as tasting all our own Light Meets further into more recent times in a future issue. We have ILife in their finished form. We also start breaking into also wanted to cover aged and aging oolong tea for quite aged sheng puerh and occasionally blending a Five Element some time. The issue has always been that aged oolongs are tea or two. For a tea lover, the autumn is a great time: all rare and often quite expensive, so we have been unable to of this year’s teas are available, the weather is great for tea find a good candidate to send along with an issue on the drinking indoors and out and the changing seasons draw topic. Thanks to the great generosity of Mr. Xie Yuan Zai 謝元在 more of our attention to Great Nature, reminding us who ( ), who once again has shown up for this commu- and what we are. nity in a powerful way, we have an aged oolong to drink As you are reading this, I am in Spain conducting our this month as we discuss aged oolong, how to age oolong third annual Zen & Tea Retreat at the Casa Cuadrau in the tea and, of course, Taiwanese tea history. Also thanks are 黃怡嘉 small village of Vijo, located high in the Pyrenees Moun- due to Huang Yi Jia ( ), who let us translate part of The Stories of Formosa Tea 黃怡嘉 tains. This epic ten-day course is a silent retreat embrac- her beautiful book ( ) for ing rich hikes through the gorgeous surrounds, lots of deep this issue. We also have one of the most stellar Expansion meditation and, of course, tons of tea. If you haven’t yet Packs we have ever made, offering some other great aged attended one of these retreats, mark it on your calendar as oolong teas to “expand” your knowledge and experience of they are truly life-changing, due to the power of the moun- the genre. I hope your kettle is already steaming! tains, the wonderful hospitality (and food) at the Casa Aside from Taiwanese tea history, there is herein a Cuadrau and the great teas we share as well. May our efforts lengthy discussion on aged and aging oolong tea, with a and the merits we generate cultivating ourselves be shared focus on aged and aging Taiwanese tea. We feel like aged with all of you, our beloved tea community. oolong is the most underrated type of tea, even though the Our Light Meets Life tea and is amazing this best teas on earth fall into this category, and even though so year. We have several cakes of dian hong, two shou puerhs many of you would be much better off aging oolong than and one sheng. We also have two different aged Liu Bao puerh due to the climate where you live. Aged oolong is teas in gorgeous duanni clay jars shaped like Liu Bao bas- amazing: it ages faster than puerh and black teas, and when kets. We have also gone to great lengths to create all the you choose the right tea and age it properly, it rewards on all teaware you will need to begin or advance your tea journey, levels. The flavor and aroma are exquisite, and the energy is including kettles and burners, sidehandle pots in three sizes deep and profound. We cannot overstate the fact that aging and bowls for all your bowl tea needs, as well as Yixing pur- oolong is one of the greatest joys of a tea lover, or should ple-sand pots, trays and boats, and porcelain cups for gong- be. In this issue, we will explore this issue deeply, including fu tea. Of course, all the proceeds from this tea and teaware everything you will need to start aging your own oolong tea. will be used to build our future, bigger and better Center, which we call “Light Meets Life (光壽無量).” All of our courses fill quickly here at Tea Sage Hut, and there are often long waiting lists as well. We, therefore, need a bigger Cen- ter to host larger courses, so that it is easier for you to come. Wu De Also, as of now, we just have two types of courses—Intro to Cha Dao and Old Student courses. When Light Meets Life is built, however, we will introduce many types of courses throughout the year, including various levels of gongfu tea, tea and meditation retreats like the one in Spain going on now and much more… –Further Reading– There is a lot of joy in offering you a complete array of teaware to begin your journey. Aside from raising money to This month, we recommend rereading the Sep- build our future Center, we long to start more people out in tember 2016 Extended Edition issue that was tea, helping facilitate peace and harmony throughout this all about Taiwanese tea, as you will gather some world, bowl by bowl. Whether you love bowl tea or gongfu amazing insight into all aspects of Taiwanese tea! tea, we have tried to create a lot of affordable yet still well- Also, make use of the search function in the brand made and useful teaware for all the brewing methods in our new archive of .html and .pdf, which includes all lineage, from sidehandle brewing to boiled tea. our past issues!

2 of the

ur Tea of the Month, Undying Lamp, is a brilliant into the warehouse of the farm or storage room of the shop aged oolong from the storehouse of our very own because it didn’t sell, the usual reason why is that it was Mr. Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在), whom we have dis- low-quality tea and customers just weren’t buying it. There cussed so often in these issues, including last month. Every are exceptions to this, like our Tea of the Month, but usually visitor to our Center who comes to a ten-day course gets to aged Taiwanese oolong was leftover, low-grade tea. Our tea meet Mr. Xie, as we take them to his farm to harvest and is an exception, as it wasn’t selling because it was organic, process some tea so they can be around tea plants and expe- which is a good thing. Sometimes the market turns towards rience how hard the work is. Mr. Xie has been a dear tea things that have no intrinsic value and great things are friend to us over the years, helping out in so many ways. He overlooked. This is certainly rare in aged tea. It was a decent shares his wisdom, time, tea and open heart with us, elevat- tea even at birth, but the market at the time wasn’t willing ing this community through knowledge and healthy, envi- to pay extra for “organic,” and Mr. Xie couldn’t bring him- ronmentally-sound tea. This month he has shown up like self to sell it for too cheap, as he worked so hard to make it. never before, offering this community anunprecedentedly He says that he did eventually sell some off cheaply to help expensive tea. Like previous months when have shared old feed his family, but kept some in storage hoping he could Liu Bao and other teas we could never afford, this month sell it later in the year. we are once again blessed by a great generosity. Raise a cup Since most of this tea was casually put away and wasn’t or a bowl to Mr. Xie, as we drink this month’s exquisite tea, selling, which means the farmer or shopkeeper themselves as we would not have been able to send this tea without his would start to disregard it, these teas are almost always love of kindness. stored improperly. As we said, the tradition of aging oolong Undying Lamp is an aged oolong from Mingjian, Nan- wasn’t popular in this period, so many tea farmers and tou dating back to the late 1990s after Mr. Xie made the shopkeepers didn’t even understand basic principles like switch to organic. Like many organic farmers, he had dif- sealing the oolong to prevent oxygen and humidity from ficulty selling his tea at first; he had to learn better farming getting in, which certainly impacts the flavors, aromas and methods and new processing skills to deal with the oxida- Qi. But Mr. Xie was hoping to sell Undying Lamp later in tion caused by insect bites. His journey into more tradi- that year, so he packed the tea up super tight, using a vac- tional processing skills took some time, so a lot of his tea uum-sealer to remove all the oxygen from the bags, which from those early days didn’t sell out. He sealed it up well were then boxed and put up on a second floor. The card- and stored it in large plastic bags, which were then boxed board absorbs moisture, which is also lessened by being and sealed shut. Though the tea may not have had a niche one story up. As a result, this tea was stored immaculately, at the time, the last twenty years have certainly been kind to resulting in a very pristine mid-age oolong. (This tea would the tea: it is incredible! also be a great candidate for further aging.) Storage is an important issue when it comes to any aged Undying Lamp is a delightful tea and demonstrates tea, and oolong is no exceptions. As we will discuss in our quite clearly how wonderful aged oolong can be. It is very “Deeper Session,” starting on the following page, the rise aromatic, with deep nutty flavors, the aroma of dates and of greener, lightly-oxidized oolong in the 1970s and 1980s hints of pleasant Chinese herbs in every cup. It is very pa- rendered aging Taiwanese oolongs unpopular, since that tient, making for a long session with many, many cups of kind of tea is not a great candidate for storage, as the mois- bliss. We recommend setting aside ample time to enjoy this ture content is too high. This means that the art of inten- glorious tea; it is worth a whole afternoon of bliss, indeed. tionally aging Taiwanese tea all but died, only preserved It is very uplifting, un-grounding the senses and spirit for by those who really love tea. Therefore, most aged Taiwan- a dance through the clouds, riding the back of the “black ese oolong was not intentionally stored. If the tea was put dragon (烏龍) .”

3 Undying Lamp (不朽的燈)

Mingjian, Nantou, Taiwan 老 傳 Aged Oolong Tea 烏 統 製 龍 程 Han Chinese 茶 ~500 Meters Tea of the Month

A Deeper Session Further Exploration into Our Tea of the Month

ver the course of this month, that the typical understanding of “all And this evolution continues on in we are exploring Taiwanese tea is one plant and the differences are every tea growing season, even now. If 茶tea history. And the best in the processing” can be very mislead- you travel to Wuyi, for example, and Okind of history is the kind you can ing, indeed. There is some truth in that watch a true master make oolong tea drink! When tea is aged properly, it statement, but authors who use it rare- each year, you would see a lot of vari- is always amongst the highest quality. ly qualify it as much as they should. ation from year to year. The overall Technically, all tea can be aged, though Different processing methodolo- methodology used to describe oolong there are certainly better teas to age. In gies were developed locally over time production is as general and rough a this deeper exploration, we will discuss and are as much a part of the terroir sketch for what actually happens as all aspects of aged and aging oolong, as the rain, sun or soil composition. any basic understanding of an artistic while we drink our amazing aged And these regional variations in pro- process is. In any art, the basic formula oolong tea. Before we start aging our cessing grew alongside certain vari- is always a very abstract and simplified tea, however, we should review oolong etals of tea. The masters that lived and explanation of what the practitioner tea in general, starting with the foun- worked with these leaves were listening knows much more intimately, subtly dation of what oolong tea is. With to them, and that conversation was of- and with complex discrepancies. Sim- such an understanding of oolong as a ten responsible for the evolution of any ilarly, when a beginner watches a mas- genre, as well as its history and process- given processing methodology. In oth- ter brew gongfu tea, he or she tries to ing, a conversation about aging oolong er words, oolong processing was devel- grasp the basic steps of pre-warming will make much more sense. oped over time to suit certain varietals the cups, showering the pot, Oolong is the richest and most of tea because that is what brought the tea, showering the pot again and so refined of tea chests, filled with so out their greatest potential. The farm- forth. But to the master, there are great many varieties and kinds of tea that ers mastered their craft by processing and very important subtleties that you couldn’t explore them all in a the tea the way it “wanted” to be—for change these steps from tea to tea, like lifetime. It is technically defined by lack of a better word, we use “want” to how high you pour water into the pot, the fact that it is semi-oxidized, but describe the nature of the tea. Just as which is different for different teas. that barely sketches an outline of this water “wants” to flow downhill, these The master farmers are changing huge genre of tea—especially since leaves wanted to be oolong. In that the way they make tea each and ev- “semi-oxidized” can mean everything way, oolong is as much in the varietals ery season. Everything from when from ten to seventy percent. When you of tea as it is in the processing. And they pick (what day and which time add to that all the different mountains that is true for most of the other sev- of day) to how long they fry the tea oolong tea comes from, the varietals of en genres of tea, as well (red and black to de-enzyme it will change based on trees and variations in processing, you teas can be exceptions to this rule, but the weather and season and how the have a huge map, spanning Taiwan, not always). While you could process tea looks and feels to them. This means Chaozhou and mostly. We’d tea leaves from Wuyi mountain like a that their processing must suit their truly need the “black dragon” this tea or an artificially fermented trees and terroir, and not just in terms is named after to fly through the rich (not red!), they would not be of some fixed methodology, but rather heritage, history and variety of oolong. nearly as good as green tea from such a a changing and adaptable process that, But what a journey that would be! varietal or Liu Bao black tea. Further- like any skill, requires them to intuit When talking about genres of tea, more, they wouldn’t be as nice as the and then modify their processing to it is always important to remember oolong made from the same leaves! suit the current leaves. In that way,

5/ Undying Lamp: Aged Oolong Tea (不朽的燈老烏龍茶) also, oolong is as much the terroir and production in larger quantities, as well Oolong tea is either ball-shaped or trees as it is the processing methods. as a movement towards more modern striped, depending on how it is rolled. Oolong tea requires the most re- production means that it is also often The rolling is done to further break fined and complicated of all tea pro- withered on large tarps outside on the down the cells in the leaf and to shape duction, requiring the greatest skill ground. As we discussed earlier, there the tea as well. Striped teas are rolled flat that can refine or ruin a tea. Each kind are infinite subtle variables in the with- across large, ridged bamboo mats. Ball- of tea finds its quality in some ratio be- ering of fine oolong tea. We have even shaped oolongs, on the other hand, are tween three things: seen a master lick his thumb to feel rolled in twisted-up bags. You can tell a the humidity during indoor withering, lot about a tea by looking at the shape 茶 The trees and the environment and then ask his sons to bring a can full of the balls or stripes. Hand-processed of charcoal to place in the back-right teas, for example, will have a variety of 茶 The farming methods, viz. organic corner of the room since he felt the hu- shapes, sizes and twists in the balls or or not, fertilized or not, irrigated or not midity was too high there. stripes, whereas machine-processed tea During the withering, oolong tea is will be much more uniform. 茶 The processing of the tea leaves also shaken. This shaking is the most After withering/shaking, the sec- distinctive feature of oolong tea pro- ond most important part of oolong With puerh tea, for example, the cessing. It helps to bruise the cells and processing is the roast. If a farmer is quality is almost exclusively in the first further the oxidation of the tea. When roasting the tea, they will usually just of these—the trees and the environ- you see a master pick up one of the roast the tea dry—to arrest oxidation ment. When producing a fine oolong, big round trays and dance the leaves and stop the processing—until all the however, all three are equally import- around with grace, you may think that tea is finished that year. They don’t ant. It’s not enough to have great teas it looks easy—until you try it and toss have the time to keep up with all the in a nice environment, for the compli- all the leaves onto the ground (or in tea coming in, and rarely sleep during cated processing will have as much to your face). Like all stages of fine tea, harvests. After the picking and initial say as Nature. This is true of all teas, as this too takes great skill. The best processing of maocha is done, they will a manifestation of Heaven, Earth and shaking will just bruise the cells at the then roast the tea slowly and with care, Man energies, but none as profoundly edges of the leaf, which will be appar- knowing this is one of the most crucial so as oolong tea. ent when you brew the tea. When the stages in the production of fine oolong The basic steps that make up all shaking is done masterfully, there is a tea. oolong production are harvesting, redness only at the edges of the tea, Traditionally, all oolong tea had withering, de-enzyming, rolling and all around each leaf. Nowadays, most higher oxidation and roast than roasting. But these steps are a part of stages of are done with what you see these days. The range most all tea production. A big part of machines (in a world of quantity over of oxidation that defined the genre what sets oolong apart is the withering. quality). The shaking is done in a large of oolong was much smaller for the Because oolong is a semi-oxidized tea, machine that turns around on an axis first few hundred years of its devel- it is withered in a very particular way— and tumbles the tea, bruising it, but opment. Most old-timers can’t stand both indoors and outdoors. Oolong is not with the precision that a master the lightly-oxidized, greener teas that mostly withered on big, round bam- can do by hand. You cannot automate are popular these days. Some say boo trays that are stacked on shelves, character and skill. And a machine has that “if it looks like a green tea and allowing for airflow underneath. But no spirit... smells like a green tea, then, well…”

6 Tea of the Month The Processing & Aging of Taiwanese Oolong 臺灣烏龍茶製程和熟成

Plucking Roasting Dry 智 (zou shui bei, 走水焙) 慧 Withering 熟 Roasting (indoors and outdoors) 最 (hong pei, 烘培) 成 Shaking Sorting (lang qing, 浪青) 佳 (fen ji, 分級) Withering/Shaking Purchasing in 90-minute cycles 熟 日 Firing Sealing in Jar (Sha qing, 炒青) 轉 星成 Rolling/Shaping 移 Aging (rou nian, 揉捻) (shou chen, 熟成)

That trend began in Taiwan in the late kinds of tea are just based on the arbi- suits the environment, trees and leaves 1970s, or more predominantly in the trary decisions made by farmers who of that place. It is also the culture and 1980s. And the shift towards greener choose to process their tea as white, heritage that has developed, refined oolong was also to do, in part, with ter- red, black, oolong, etc. And if you and passed on that processing wisdom roir and varietal. are reading between the lines, as good from generation to generation. As we discussed in previous issues, teawayfarers, you can perhaps see the And so, you can understand how the majority of Taiwanese oolong tea more profound truth hiding between traditionalists might not see tea in is produced from Qing Shin (清心) the rows of tea trees: there is no tea tree such simple categories as “oolong,” trees, which were brought to Taiwan by itself. especially when the whole industry from Wuyi. They are very sensitive Saying that there is no such thing is so radically transformed in a sin- trees, which get sick easily. As Taiwan as a tea tree in itself seems obvious to gle generation. The switch to lighter, started to develop infrastructure, cul- state, but necessary. We so often for- greener oolong teas, however, is a bit ture and prosperity in the 1970s, tea get to connect the dots, because our of a chicken-egg scenario, as there is a culture grew in popularity and farm- rational mind is all about dissection strong economic factor that may have ing started to increase, with a trend of and analysis, fragmentation and ex- influenced the predominance of cer- moving towards higher altitudes where ploration of conceptually cut-up parts. tain varietals, or vice versa. Traditional Qing Shin trees thrive. Higher altitude There is no tea tree. Not really. Tea is oolong tea is very difficult to produce. farms receive less sunlight and the tea an environment. Tea is the soil, the It can take decades to master the pro- leaves, therefore, respond well to such weather, the water, rocks and moun- duction. The family we study with in light oxidation. Again, the innovations tains. Oolong tea is not a formula in a Wuyi has just handed supervision of in processing were a result of changes textbook. (Show me a farmer that uses production over to the next generation in terroir. This can’t be stated enough, a textbook to process his tea!) Neither after thirty to thirty-five years of work. especially since so many authors mis- is it in the leaves alone. Oolong tea is a In other words, it took thirty-five years takenly promote the idea that all tea is certain terroir, one that includes a par- of practice before the father was confi- one plant and that the differences in ticular processing methodology that dent enough to hand the factory over

7/ Undying Lamp: Aged Oolong Tea (不朽的燈老烏龍茶) How Oolong Got Its Name 烏 烏 olong tea gets its name from the same trees it always came from, an old folktale about a lazy son they were confused. They asked him to 龍 who was nicknamed “Black tell them everything that had happened 傳 ODragon” because he was always so tan that day. 龍 from falling asleep in the tea fields One of the wiser elders quickly re- 奇 during the day. Though he was a great alized that the difference in the tea had hunter, his father didn’t seem to notice. something to do with Black Dragon After so many poor harvests, the old chasing the rabbit. After some experi- man had had enough and told Black mentation, they realized that it was the 名 Dragon to come home with a full basket result of shaking the leaves on his back, or not at all! Black Dragon was clever, which bruised the edges of the leaves though, and worked vigorously to fill and furthered their oxidation. his basket with tea leaves by midday so From that day, all their tea was he could take a nap. After some time, he named after its founder, who became 字 saw a rabbit and chased it down, forget- one of the village chiefs. And even now, ting that his basket was still strapped to all oolong tea is shaken during the with- his back. When he got home, he discov- ering to bruise the leaves red around the ered that half the leaves had flown out in edges! the pursuit. His father was furious and Black Dragon became a hero and kicked him out of the house. was known far and wide as the creator 何 Several days later, the elders of the of this amazing tea, which soon rose village came to see the old father, saying up in the tea world to be the best tea in that the tea he brought in that day was the land. As a chief, Black Dragon re- the best they’d ever seen. They all went nounced his lazy ways and began work- to the forest to find Black Dragon and ing hard to help his people master their 來 ask him where he’d gotten the tea. When new tea craft, bruising the edges of each he showed them that it had come from and every leaf.

to his son. Traditional oolong also has leaves would be lost in sorting. Finally, the ideal candidate for doing so. Also, a narrow margin of error, meaning that of course, they needed this tea to reach marketing pushed freshness. The push a higher quantity of tea is down-sorted, the mainstream, and therefore be easy to consume quicker is, of course, in and it is more challenging to achieve to brew: in a bag, cup, mug or even part a ploy to encourage tea lovers to fine tea. Finally, traditional oolong can bottle. For this, they turned to green drink their tea faster and buy more. be challenging to brew, requiring at tea and the Baozhong in the north, It is also not environmentally sustain- least basic skills to bring out the best in and began producing lightly-oxidized able. This starts at the farm: tradition- its flavors, aromas and energy. oolong. This lightly-oxidized tea is eas- al oolong tea, oxidized from 40-70%, When Taiwan boomed economi- ier to producer and prepare, and now evolved to allow for bug bites, which cally in the 1970s, as everything in the represents the majority of Taiwanese begin oxidation on the tree (you can West was “Made in Taiwan,” the way it oolong, which has also influenced see the red rings around the bites since now is in , tea became popular. tea-growing regions on the Mainland, the inside of the leaf is now exposed to When a country prospers, culture fol- like Anxi. air). While you can create lightly-ox- lows. Tea shops and tea houses opened The shift to lightly-oxidized oolong idized oolong using organic farming all over the island, and the was one of the biggest and most influ- techniques, it is more challenging, and here flourished like never before. As ential changes in the tea world. It is so as this kind of tea grew in popular- a result, small, artisanal farms were also relevant to aged and aging oolong. ity, so did the use of agrochemicals. bought, and new, bigger plantations The “freshness” aspect of this kind of were created to supply a growing de- tea also introduced all kinds of plas- mand for Taiwanese tea. They needed From Dark to Light, tic-based packaging and machinery, a tea that could be processed easily— Light to Dark including the still-popular vacuum to train employees in weeks, not years, sealing. And this packaging and ma- and to create machinery to expedite As Taiwanese lightly-oxidized tea chinery industry which surrounds this the process. They also needed a tea grew in popularity, the trend of aging type of tea causes environmental prob- with a broader margin of error, so less oolong tea decreased, as this tea is not lems of its own.

8 Tea of the Month

Nowadays, some vendors and on- puerh boom. In the 70s and 80s when a contributing factor in the re-popular- line tea resources mistakenly report Taiwan shifted to lightly-oxidized ization of aging oolong tea. that aging Taiwanese tea is a “modern oolong, local tea teachers did not ap- The second factor in the recent trend.” This is because of this shift to preciate this new kind of tea and began re-popularization of aged oolong tea lightly-oxidized tea that began in the looking elsewhere for fine tea. They in Taiwan has to do with a different 1970s and 1980s. Since this tea is not started delving into puerh, and sharing trend: altitude. In the 1980s, it became ideal for aging, which we will discuss it with their friends and clients. Slowly, popular in Taiwan to associate altitude later on, intentionally aging tea cer- aged puerh took off in Taiwan. And it with quality—and ultimately Taiwan tainly slowed down and was not dis- was the perfect time to do so. At that tea became known as “high-mountain cussed much, especially in the main- time, aged sheng was very cheap rela- oolong.” There is some truth to the stream. However, aging oolong tea is as tive to now, and even cheaper because idea that higher-altitude farms pro- old as the genre itself. Sometimes old most of it was in Hong Kong, which duce unique tea, but the marketing of trends resurface and newcomers then was liquidating due to fears over the this is, of course, highly exaggerated. think that the trend is new, when in 1997 return to Mainland control. Bei- Lots of other factors go into the quality fact it is a rekindling of old traditions. jing offered the people of Hong Kong of an oolong tea, like the health of the This happens in fashion all the time. little information about what the take ecology, the age and type of trees and Two important factors have pushed over would entail, and what the econ- the skill of the one processing the tea. aged and aging oolong back into the omy would look like. As a result, most A chemical-laden tea from a higher al- forefront of tea culture in Taiwan. businesses were trying to liquidate to titude is not as good as one grown in a First of all, the rise of aged sheng cash, and some people were even mov- thriving ecology, like Master Gao Ding puerh has influenced the entire tea ing overseas. At the time, tons of puerh Shi’s (高定石) tea, which we discussed world, from to oolong. Now- moved to Taiwan (literally). The sub- in last month’s issue. His tea gardens adays, you can find almost every kind sequent quick growth of the puerh in- are not very high, but the ecology, cou- of tea compressed into discus shapes dustry from the 90s to the present has pled with his incredible skill, makes (bing, 餅) to get associated with the influenced Taiwanese oolong and been some of the highest quality tea in Tai-

9/ Undying Lamp: Aged Oolong Tea (不朽的燈老烏龍茶) wan—both in terms of quality and short time. In Wuyi, this was tradi- We love some lightly-oxidized price. Nevertheless, as the popularity tionally done from spring (April/May), oolong teas, and so long as they are of “high mountain oolong” grew, older, when the teas were harvested and pro- sustainably produced, we support the lower regions lost their market share. cessed, to of the farmers who produce them. We drink The classic example of this is Dong following year, when the teas reached them in the late spring and early sum- Ding (凍頂), the oldest tea-growing market. This was to allow the roast mer when it gets hot in Taiwan. They region in central Taiwan. Dong Ding to mellow, and the flavors to develop offer a splendid bouquet of aromas, is relatively low-altitude, especial- through continued, slow oxidation. from floral orchids to sweet hibiscus ly compared to places like Li Shan Nowadays, our teachers in Wuyi have and even milk. However, they also lack (梨山), and history wasn’t enough to decreased this time, and tea comes to body, depth and Qi. Most of the time feed the farmers there. Farmers are re- market in September or October. But when a group of tea lovers sit down to silient, though, and regions like Dong they often recommend allowing it to have a tea session and the host offers a Ding have made a comeback in recent sit for longer. Long ago, tea lovers of- lightly-oxidized oolong, no one is sat- years. They have found a new niche in ten aged their oolong tea. Oolong tea isfied and we always end up drinking the market—actually two. wasn’t sold in vacuum-sealed packages, another tea afterwards, like a puerh or Places like Dong Ding have started and “drink it while it’s fresh” wasn’t a Cliff Tea. Lightly-oxidized oolongs are becoming competitive again by switch- part of the marketing at the time. Tra- delicious, but they are delicious appe- ing to organic, eco-farming, tradition- ditionally, oolong tea was wrapped in tizers, like a plate of olives put out be- al processing or both. This new trend paper, and vendors as well as tea lovers fore a group of hungry people. There of traditionally-processed oolong is knew how to wrap and re-wrap their are exceptions, but this is often true. the second reason that aging and aged tea. They would keep it in the paper For many reasons, lightly-oxidized tea has grown in popularity in the last or put it in a jar, and then drink it at oolong is just not that great a choice twenty years. Traditionally-processed their own pace, knowing that it would for aging, which brings us to our next oolong was almost always aged back just get better over time. Traditional topic of discussion: choosing a tea for in the day, though usually for only a oolong has other qualities as well. aging.

10 Tea of the Month Candidates熟成候選人 for Aging

We all have limited budgets, space as it is never the fault of the tea. The red tea, white tea, black tea, puerh tea and only one lifetime, which is a very low quality is always a result of human and oolong. Obviously, each of these important place to start when contem- interference: either the tea was grown categories has centuries of history, and plating the possibility of aging some with chemicals in a way that favors in- there are issues and issues worth of in- tea (unless you intend to selflessly age dustrial yield over quality, or the pro- formation on aging each of these teas. tea for future generations). We have cessors lacked the skill to craft a fine In fact, we have covered aging puerh to develop a standard for choosing tea. If you leave tea alone in a forest, it in multiple issues (see September 2015 candidates to age. Otherwise, we will turns out just fine. and June 2016, for example). This waste our tea-storing budget on less- Consequently, when choosing a tea issue is about oolong, so let us focus than-ideal teas. And along with bud- to age, always start with quality. And in on choosing an oolong for stor- get, we only have a certain amount of quality always begins with tea grown age. And since this month is also all storage space in our home. If we spend in healthy environments with healthy about Taiwanese history, let us narrow our money and fill our tea cabinet trees; a thriving, diverse ecology; no our discussion down further and talk with teas that won’t age well, we will agrochemicals and a farmer that has a about choosing a Taiwanese tea to age. waste our money, space and time. It is, philosophy of quality based on a love (Believe it or not, even aging oolong therefore, incredibly important to have for tea (“living tea,” in other words). is too broad a stroke for one article, some strategy. Great tea becomes even better when as that would include Dancong, Cliff We need to make something very aged, and results in the pinnacle of tea. Tea, and much more.) clear: all tea can be aged. All tea im- Since our budget and space is limited, The tradition of aging oolong is as proves with age, without exception. it is important to remember to age the old as oolong Herself. As with other But this doesn’t mean all teas should teas that are worth aging! Don’t get types of tea, oolong was quickly recog- be aged. The best teas on earth are all confused and think lots of is bet- nized to improve with age (especially aged teas. Nothing really compares to ter than a small amount of quality tea! in the long run). As mentioned above, them. Sadly, one of the reasons that It never is. Try to find a balance of su- Cliff Tea is traditionally aged for a aged teas represent the pinnacle in premely-awesome teas to age—the top while before it is drunk, and other the tea world is that they come from shelf, best of the best—and some teas areas of China have also intentionally a time when the tea-growing regions that are more affordable, but still come and unintentionally aged oolong over were completely clean and pure. There from healthy farms with good quality the years. Today, aged oolongs are in- were no agrochemicals, or very little, in processing. That way, when your tea is creasingly revered in Taiwan, where tea-growing regions. When these tox- mature, you will have no junk, lots of you can find oolongs over one hundred ins were introduced differs from place day-to-day goodness and some excel- years old on occasion and more than a to place, but a part of what makes aged lent teas for special occasions. This is few decades old with relative frequen- teas from before that time so special is a good recipe for new teas we drink, cy. Here, some oolong teas are market- that the ecology was healthy and thriv- as well. Just don’t get caught up in the ed as “aged” after as few as six years, ing, and the tea that we call “living.” idea that time is going to magically but most tea connoisseurs consider an This makes choosing a tea to age more turn your junk into treasures. oolong to be truly aged once it’s about difficult these days. After assuming that one under- thirty, and we’ve savored a few Taiwan- Before we discuss the type of tea stands that only quality tea is worth ag- ese oolong teas that have been around for aging, we must go to the source: ing, the next factor in choosing a tea to for one-hundred-something years. Un- Nature. Remember, the previous step age is the type of tea. The most obvious less they’re stored in poor conditions, is always more important than the fol- types of tea that people ask about are most oolongs will become incredible if lowing one in tea production, in part light teas, like green tea. These teas can you simply wait long enough to drink because it informs what happens next: indeed be aged, but they aren’t great them. the land/terroir decides the varietal, candidates because you will, first of all, Aged oolongs cover a broad spec- then these two factors determine har- lose the fresh, spring vibrancy of them trum, from teas that were forsaken for vest time, which governs withering, when they are new; and then, second years up to teas that won awards and etc. The conclusion of this is that the of all, and more importantly, these teas sold for enormous sums before they terroir/ecology is the most important will take a long time to age, which is were aged with the utmost care for factor in tea quality. And choosing a due to a high moisture content. We thirty years or more (in their sealed, candidate for aging should always start will get to moisture in a bit, but again, original canisters no less). There are with quality. Of course, aging will im- space is limited. Unless you want to ex- certain factors which influence the prove tea, so a low-quality tea may be periment with aging some green tea in quality of the tea at the end of decades better for aging, but relatively speak- a small amount, which we recommend of waiting, and one of these factors is ing, junk that is aged is just old junk. since you can then learn that all teas undeniably the quality of the tea at the Normally, we don’t like to refer to any improve with age, we suggest stick- start of the aging process. Great tea be- tea as “junk,” or even “low quality,” ing to the traditional teas for aging: comes great aged tea!

12 Tea of the Month The best Taiwanese oolongs are al- oolong traditionally didn’t require aging oolong tea. It should be not- ways made from a traditional style of vacuum-sealing or all that extra ma- ed, though, that there are still more rolled semi-balled oolong. All other chinery and wasted packaging. A stable questions than answers. Not enough factors being equal, this style of tea roast meant the tea could be wrapped research has been done into aged and (and other traditionally-processed, in simple paper and preserved that way aging tea, and as these teas grow in darker roast oolongs in general) has indefinitely. popularity, this will surely increase, as an advantage over the greener oolongs The instability of oolong teas (and will our understanding. when it comes to aging. By “tradition- other light teas like green teas) that are Aside from new and exciting areas al processing,” we mean higher oxida- not roasted enough is why many peo- of scientific inquiry waiting to be ex- tion and/or roast. One of the keys to ple say that they are not ageable. Since plored, there is also the spiritual ap- choosing an oolong for aging, as we they are instable, their flavor, aroma proach to this, which will always be discussed earlier, is moisture content. and Qi will fluctuate drastically over mysterious. In other words, the whole Traditional roasted oolongs only have the first ten or even twenty years of is always more than the sum of the about two percent moisture content in aging, often passing through awkward parts. Just understanding the chemi- the leaves (compared to five percent or phases. Eventually, Time stabilizes all cal changes in tea as it ages does not more in greener, less roasted leaves), so things, including awkward tea (and mean we fully understand aged or ag- they change and ferment more gradu- teenagers), but for some time, the tea ing tea any more than understanding ally and predictably. They are less likely will not be as nice. This is actually true the chemistry of our bodies means we to crumble into dust before their time of all green teas, certain puerhs and understand human life, love, music or or require re-roasting to keep them other teas that you would not ordi- meditation. From a more spiritual per- from going all musty and moldy. (We narily think of as good candidates for spective, it is, in fact, a great analogy to will discuss re-roasting during aging aging. think of aging tea as retreat. Just as hu- later on.) mans change in meditation over long In order to have low enough mois- periods, tea similarly gathers wisdom ture content for stable aging, oolong The Science of Change and power—medicinal efficacy and tea needs a longer final roast during Nature wisdom. How those chang- its initial processing. This is a natural Before we wrap up this wonder- es occur is ineffable, and can only be part of traditional oolong processing ful conversation on aging oolong, understood in the drinking of aged in Taiwan, and it is still practiced in we should put another kettle on and teas and listening to their stories and some parts of China, too. This is why discuss some of what we know about wisdom. There are so many subtleties

13/ Undying Lamp: Aged Oolong Tea (不朽的燈老烏龍茶) to the energetics of aged teas that we atmospheric conditions present in the ized substances that develop into the can literally spend a lifetime listening room. Similarly, cutting an apple into various and distinctive flavor compo- to their sutras, and what a life that slices and drying these in a dehydrator nents that we expect in red tea. would be! We just wanted to be sure to is an example of controlled oxidation, “Fermentation is an important include the living, breathing, growing occurring within the process of drying. component in the fabrication of puerh wisdom of aged and aging teas—the The browning of the cut surfaces is not and black teas like Liu An or Liu Bao. wondrous mystical transformation of considered aesthetically pleasing in the Therefore, any discussion of fermenta- these energies over time—before we marketplace, so sulfur compounds or tion in tea manufacture ideally focuses discuss the science we do understand citric acid are sometimes used to mit- on—and is well illustrated by—the so far, starting with the work of our igate the color change, but oxidation manufacture of puerh. So let’s examine own Global Tea Hut member and con- occurs in this situation even without what fermentation is and why careful, tributor, Robert Heiss: a visible change in color. The oxygen- expert fermentation is so integral to the “First, let’s define oxidation: Oxi- ation of the polyphenols stimulates manufacture of traditional, high-qual- dation is a biochemical, enzymatic ac- them to start the series of chemical re- ity puerh. While it is one of the oldest tivity during which oxygen is absorbed actions that ultimately yield the flavor and simplest forms of tea production, by and subsequently causes changes to components and cup characteristics the world of puerh is complex and ex- the host physical matter. In the case that we expect in red tea. During the acting, to the extent that volumes have of freshly plucked leaf for tea, this is first and most important period of the been written on the subject by Asian plant matter. Oxidation can be sponta- enzymic oxidations, the enzymes poly- tea experts. However, we will not ex- neous or controlled and cause positive phenol oxidase and peroxidase act on amine the specific complexities of the or negative change. A familiar example other polyphenols to produce theafla- different types of Puerh manufacture of spontaneous negative oxidation is vins. These red-orange compounds here, as this article seeks only to offer a what happens when one cuts an ap- then react with more polyphenols to more general description of fermenta- ple or banana and leaves the cut side produce thearubigins, the chemicals tion and oxidation. open to the air. The exposed cells ab- responsible for changing the leaf’s col- “Fermentation is microbial activity sorb oxygen, soften and turn brown. or from green to golden, coppery or involving one or more types of bacte- This is a very simple form of oxidation chocolate brown. The thearubigins, ria, molds and yeasts. By definition, that most people have witnessed. Left meanwhile, are also busy reacting with fermentation occurs most readily in the undisturbed, the fruit may simply air- some of the amino acids and sugars in absence of oxygen, though exposure dry or it may rot, depending on the the leaf, creating the highly polymer- to some is ideal for aging raw puerh.

Though Yixing purple-sand clay is better for puerh and black tea, as it breathes, it can also be used for oolong. The benefits of the clay outweigh the porousness and slight oxy- gen that gets in, especially in dry climates. You can mitigate this by wrapping the whole jar up in a cloth as shown to the far left.

It is a great idea to seal the jar with wax, inserting a string into the wax as you go around, which will make the seal easy to break later on. As we were sealing the celadon jar to the far left, we spilled some wax and decided to go crazy with it, making it a decorative element of this jar of aside for aging. You could also stay neat and place the wax between the lid and body. We use the kind of wax people use to seal envelopes.

These days, many porcelain jars come with very tight seals, using aluminum to force the lid in airtight. Pewter, laser -cut lids are the tightest we have found on earth. If you use a metal jar, however, the metal can impart a metallic fla- vor to your tea over time and constrict the tea energetically (metal disciplines wood in Chinese cosmology), so line the jar with paper like we do with our Global Tea Hut tins. This has been done for centuries. In ancient times, it was hard to create ceramic jars with a tight seal, so pewter or tin was used. But these pewter jars were always lined with rice pa- per on the inside so that the tea was not touching the metal, detracting from its flavor, aroma and energy.

14 Tea of the Month The leaf that is being transformed into Certainly, aged oolong is more aromat- puerh must be exposed to bacteria (or ic, sweet and delicious. have bacteria present inherently) in or- Another aspect of the chemistry of der for fermentation to occur. oolong tea changing over time is the “As is the case with the fabrication Maillard reaction, which is a reaction of traditional ‘hard’ cider or Roquefort between amino acids and sugars that cheese, the bacteria necessary for mi- are being reduced by heat, often caus- 點 crobial activity to commence is present ing cooked food to turn brown and naturally, in the atmosphere and/or on have a distinct flavor and fragrance. the interior surface(s) of the chamber This is what gives roasted oolong its in which the fermentation occurs (the toasty flavors and what causes onions 歲 cider-house or cheese-curing cave). In to “caramelize.” Normally, this reac- 月 the case of puerh, the bacteria required tion requires heat, but in the aging of 亮 to both initiate and maintain fermen- oolong tea, the sugars and theanines 的 tation are potentially present during transform over time through degra- several aspects of its production.” dation of the molecular chains. These 魔 Puerh and black teas ferment and complex changes of amino acids create 法 oxidize both as they age, whereas aromatics like pyrazine that we per- oolong tea just oxidizes. But that is the ceive as nutty, roasted flavors and fra- 自 使 whole of what we understand regarding grances (most of what we “taste” in tea changes in oolong tea. There is also hy- is actually aroma-based). 茶 drolysis, which is the release or break- A 2011 Chinese study of aged 陳 down of chemicals due to a reaction oolong, reported in the January edi- with water. As we discussed earlier, all tion of the Journal of the Science of 化 oolong tea has some moisture content Food and Agriculture, found that “Sig- 己 成 after processing. We discussed that this nificant differences were observed be- was better when it was lower, which is tween the volatile compounds in fresh 純 a truth that is evident by the differenc- and old oolong teas. This observation es in the same tea processed as light- suggested that long straight chains of 淨 ly-oxidized oolong and then tradition- alcohols and acids were putatively de- 的 ally-processed (high oxidation and/or composed while shorter-chain acids, 不 roast) aged side by side, which we have their amide derivatives and many ni- 黃 done and which we encourage you trogen-containing compounds were 金 to experiment with. The traditionally generated during the tea conversion -processed tea will age much better, processes. The overall patterns of vol- be more stable and have much greater atile compounds observed in five dif- vibrancy and fidelity, not to mention ferent preparations of old oolong tea 朽 better fragrance and flavor. Under- were fundamentally identical… Char- standing some of the chemistry of acteristic aroma nitrogen-containing hydrolysis in oolong tea as it is aging compounds, including N-ethylsuccin- hasn’t yet explained why lower mois- imide, 2-acetylpyrrole, 2-formylpyr- ture content is better, though, save per- role and 3-pyridinol, were consistently haps the assumption that these chang- found in the examined old oolong teas. 的 es happen slower and maybe more These compounds might be regarded consistently. as typical constituents at least for a cer- In the tea leaves, there are many tain kind of old oolong tea.” compounds that are part of glycosidic This quick introduction of some of bonds or linkages, which are a type of what we were able to research in the covalent bond joining sugar molecules changes of oolong tea over time only 燈 to other groups, usually another carbo- represents the tip of the iceberg. Future hydrate. These aromatic compounds research will uncover deeper levels to are often sweet and floral, and the bond the chemistry of tea leaf transformation means that they are not detectable; this over time. Also, we should end where explains why some teas are so much we started by saying that the chemistry more aromatic after being brewed in does not fully explain why aged oolong hot water, which breaks these bonds. is so great—not on the level of flavor/ It is possible that the moisture content aroma, nor on why aged tea has such a in tea leaves is also affecting the oolong profound effect on our consciousness. as it ages in this way as well, breaking For that, you will have to drink aged these bonds and releasing more sweet, tea. And since aged tea is so expensive, aromatic fragrances as time goes on. that means storing your own.

15/ Undying Lamp: Aged Oolong Tea (不朽的燈老烏龍茶) How如何妥善收藏烏龍茶 to Store Oolong Tea

If you want to be abundant, age puerh is very slow, and so long as you transform any day into a special one. If tea. You will thank yourself later. Hav- are drinking the tea regularly, it will be you have tried some aged puerh, which ing aged teas to share with others will fine for you to finish it over years. But is also wonderful, of course, and want bring you great joy later in life. Aside it won’t age well long-term in a dry lo- to compare, you should try our special from being ideal in most of the places cation. Oolong, however, will. Expansion Pack on p. 33. We hope where you, our beloved tea communi- Oolong tea doesn’t require moisture that more of you who live in dry, cold ty, live and drink tea, aged oolong is or oxygen to store, like puerh does, so places stop fighting the place you live, incredible. It is the most underrated, you can age it anywhere. Puerh really and trying to store teas in unnatural, undiscussed tea in the Western world, is best stored in humid environments, artificial ways, which will never result we find. But we cannot exaggerate how especially if you plan to age it for lon- in teas that will reach their full poten- wonderful an aged oolong is. Most of ger periods of time, but oolong will tial, and maybe think instead about you live in places that are too dry for happily transform wherever you live. the equally rich, vibrant and varied storing puerh or black teas, which as Oolong also ages much, much faster world of aging oolongs. (While this is a result will never reach their full po- than puerh or black tea, changing in an issue on Taiwanese tea, we feel com- tential. They need humidity and other what we call “oolong years,” which, pelled to tell you that aged Cliff Tea, factors, since they are fermenting and like dog years are about seven to one. especially when the tea was very fine oxidizing both, which means bacteria, This means that in five to ten years, to begin with, is, in our limited experi- yeasts and fungus—all of which come you can already have a magnificent, ence, the best of all teas on Earth, and from a rainforest. Don’t worry, this glorious tea to drink. And this isn’t just we devote almost equal storage space doesn’t mean your puerh is all going about flavor and aroma. Aged oolong to it as we do to puerh. Trust us, you to go bad or “die.” The drying out of can also be powerful energetically, and want some aged Cliff Tea!)

僧 禪 洞 Tea of the Month To age oolong tea, you will need a sometimes get lucky and find a Zisha the longer it is still—and that goes for jar. Traditionally, these were sometimes jar with a laser-cut pewter lid, which the aging of all types of tea. made of good pewter, as such jars of- is super ideal. If you cannot find an Although a solid final roast and fer a much tighter seal than ceramic. authentic Yixing jar, choose glazed ce- good storage are enough to keep the If you do find high-quality pewter, ramic with as thick a glaze as possible tea aging well for many years, many tea you will need to line it with rice pa- and a very tight lid. lovers also like to re-roast the tea to keep per, like we do with the Global Tea Simply fill the jar to the brim, the moisture content low during aging. Hut tins, as metal and tea do not do which reduces oxygen in the container, Some do this several times a year, ev- well together. Usually, it is ideal to and seal it with wax. You’ll want to put ery five years or at other intervals, and use a glazed jar so it cannot breathe. a string in the wax so it will be easy to it’s common to light up the charcoal We hope to slow down the oxidation open. If you want to check on it more fire pit or switch on the electric roast- and prevent any moisture or humidity regularly, you can forgo the wax, but er upon discovery of an accidentally from getting into the tea, so porcelain remember that every time you open aged tea. However, we are amongst or other glazed jars with a tight seal are the lid, you are exposing it to unwant- another school of oolong aging when often ideal. The exception, of course, ed air and moisture—disturbing the it comes to roasting. More specifically, is authentic purple-sand (zisha, 紫砂) tea’s meditation. Checking on the tea we don’t re-roast our oolongs at all. We clay from Yixing. (You can read our like this will reduce its quality by a lit- find that it makes aged oolongs taste September 2017 issue to learn more tle every single time you open the jar. more like roast than aged tea, and that about “authentic” Yixing clay.) This We recommend leaving the tea alone the tea doesn’t respond well to the in- clay has a magical effect on all tea and for as long as possible. This includes consistencies of roasts (which are often can make up for the fact that it does moving the jar itself. We dust our jars done by different people using differ- breathe slightly. We have done com- without moving them or disturbing ent roasting techniques over the years). parisons, and more is gained than the the tea inside. Remember, energetical- This technique of re-roasting the tea loss in tight seal. Nowadays, you can ly, the tea will always be more powerful destroys the aged flavors that are grow-

位置是儲存茶的一切 Location, Location, Location ifferent teas age well in differ- takes years. This conversation is more is also incredible. We cannot overstate ent locations. It is important to to do with long-term storage. If you are the fact that aged oolong can be stun- understand where you live and drinking your teas, don’t worry. They ning (try this month’s Expansion Pack, Dwhich teas will age well in your home. will be fine as you drink them. offered on p. 33, to find out). Using space to age teas that won’t age In general, black teas and puerh If we lived in a dry place we would well in your location is a waste of money, are much more sensitive to location as be aging tons of oolong tea: Dancong, time and space. We often hear people they are fermenting and oxidizing as Cliff Tea and traditionally-processed say that their puerh tea, for example, has they age, which means there is a living, Taiwanese tea. We would also put aside “changed over time,” in essence accept- breathing colony of bacteria, yeast and some nice red tea and white tea as well, ing any positive change as a good one. fungus that comes from a rainforest and as these will probably turn out great But you wouldn’t be happy with a stock therefore needs humidity, along with where you live. Utilize your budget, that earned you only fifty dollars after many other factors like temperature, space and your time well and create ex- ten years, especially if it was a return to age well. (We recommend checking tra fine teas for later on. from a one-thousand-dollar invest- out the June 2016 issue for more infor- We have an amazing opportunity ment. In other words, that same tea mation on that.) Most red teas age well to help get you started on your oolong aged in the right location would be way with only a slight degree of humidity, storing journey on p. 59. We hope that better, so much so that a tea lover might unless it is dian hong (which is essen- this issue, the Tea of the Month and the change their mind and see that they tially puerh, since it is made from puerh Expansion Pack all turn you on to the might be wasting storage space. You can raw material). Dian hong requires less limitless possibilities of aged oolong so always store a tea where you live and humidity than puerh, but still needs a that so many of you do not feel stuck trade it for other kinds of tea later one relatively high humidity. Along with red when it comes to aged and aging tea (we have discussed making a communal teas, white teas and oolong are excellent where you live, especially since puerh forum for trading in this community in candidates for drier locations. With and black tea are so location sensitive years to come), or perhaps sell it and use white tea, like red tea, a bit of humidity and aged versions of those teas are also the money to buy another kind of tea. and some air (much less than puerh) is so expensive. Oolong is an affordable You could also learn to appreciate the okay. But oolong loves dry, oxygen-free and equally magical way to start aging tea that ages well where you live. Also, environments. It also ages much faster tea, and they have just as much to offer your teas won’t go bad overnight. It than black teas or puerh. Aged oolong as any other kind of aged tea.

17/ Undying Lamp: Aged Oolong Tea (不朽的燈老烏龍茶) ing over time, leaving only the flavors Since the 1970s, when lightly-oxi- A fine aged oolong often has a clear of the compounded roasts. It is also of- dized tea grew in popularity in Taiwan surface and a color like amber, notes of ten used as a technique to sell a tea as (as we discussed in detail earlier), ag- prune and Chinese medicinal herbs in older than it really is, since you cannot ing oolong has slowed down. For this the flavor and aroma, and a balancing, taste the age under all the roasting. reason, most aged oolongs of the past powerful Qi. It feels silky in the mouth In quality tea production, each thirty to fifty years were not intention- and smooth in the throat. It has huigan stage in the processing should be done ally aged—they are just teas left in the (回甘, a minty-cooling sensation in in a way that it enhances the tea with- back of some farmer’s house or a shop, the mouth and throat after swallow- out leaving a trace of itself. If you can etc. This means that they may not have ing) and a sweetness that lingers almost taste the kill-green, in other words, that been great teas to begin with, or else as if it is being exuded from the throat. kill-green wasn’t done well. The same they would have sold. Also, this means Although thick-walled purple clay Yix- is true of the roast. If a tea has strong that they were not aged in ideal con- ing are generally preferred for roast flavors, it was either roasted im- ditions, which we will discuss in a bit, aged oolongs, a thin-walled, purple properly, or this was done to cover up meaning they often have off flavors clay Yixing pot is said to be ideal for other flaws in the quality of the raw and/or aromas—“storage flavor chang( brewing an aged oolong from Dong leaf or processing. In Wuyi, for exam- wei, 陳味),” in other words. Such teas Ding (the home of this month’s tea), as ple, Cliff Tea is often heavily roasted benefit from a short roast within an it will elicit more aroma and Qi from when it is low-quality or down-sorted hour before brewing. the leaves. But you’ll know when you’re tea, blended tea or tea grown outside This is actually a principle that can brewing it well because the leaves will the park. If you buy four different be applied to aging all tea, which is begin to murmur to you of their past, kinds of Cliff Tea and they all taste the that the less interference there is, the present and future, speaking kindly of same (like roast) and you cannot taste better the tea will turn out. Remember, their many years spent circling the sun, the distinctions in the varietal, those fermentation and/or oxidation are nat- all the while whispering hints of the il- are low-quality teas, or teas processed ural processes. lusion of Time... without skill, or both. As we discussed earlier, Cliff Tea was usually stored from spring until Chinese New Year of the following year to let the roast mel- low so that the tea would mature and Content with a simple tea, the fire mellow out, leaving no trace of itself. Roasting and re-roasting over Some old leaves in a cracked bowl, time is a multiplication of this issue, especially since the roaster cannot pos- I couldn’t help but glance over sibly keep every roast consistent, mak- ing the layers all of different frequency, At the special jar not to mention the movement and dis- turbance to the tea’s meditation. I was aging That said, we’re not opposed to a roast just before it’s time to drink an To reward my life’s practice. aged oolong. Re-roasting the tea be- fore brewing may dissipate some of the “off” flavors that accumulated during Should I see how it’s going? aging, refresh the overall character of the tea and warm the tea up energet- Just a bowl or two? ically, if it is done with skill. Roasting aged oolong shortly before drinking it is relatively common amongst tea lovers in Taiwan, and it’s easy to find Then I recalled small, earthenware oolong roasting sets for home use here. Nonetheless, The light of past moons this takes some practice and skill and may harm your tea, so you may want Reflected on the River’s turns— to try it out on simpler teas first. It is also not necessary, and many well-aged The water flowing, pausing, twirling & crashing teas don’t need this. We only do this for teas that are not well-aged, which Beneath the Buddha’s “Undying Lamp,” is very common in Taiwan. In gener- al, however, this is not really necessary, And I remembered and naturally-aged oolong teas turn That a pillow is for more than sleeping on... out better. As with most things, Nature does a better job! –Wu De

18 Tea of the Month

Brewing沖泡技巧 完成好Tips茶 This month we are drinking an aged oolong. Such teas were made to be brewed gongfu. Gongfu tea brewing evolved, in part, due to the development of oolong tea. They are a match made in Heaven. This tea will only truly, deeply shine if it is prepared gongfu. However, do not let that discourage you if you do not have any gongfu teaware or haven’t yet started a gongfu practice. You can also brew this tea leaves in a bowl, or sidehandle, though we would recommend leaves in a bowl if you are going to make this tea in a bowl. In gongfu tea, temperature preservation is the key to unlocking a tea’s fragrance and flavor (actually most of what we taste in tea is actually aroma, so it is the more important of the two). With proper temperature control, our tea is also more patient, meaning we can get anywhere from fifteen to forty steepings depending on the quality of the tea. As we have reminded you before, we remind you again: develop an appreciation for later steepings; it will make your tea journey so much more enjoyable. Later steepings aren’t worse than the more fragrant ones at the beginning; they are just different. In oolong teas, the later steepings often taste of the mountain minerals the tea is founded upon. It can taste and feel like you are closer to the Earth in these steep- ings. In fact, we like to boil a nice aged tea like this month’s after we have steeped it for a second session. Gongfu tea brewing means brewing with skill—bringing out the best in any tea. It means listen- ing to the tea and preparing it in a way that takes it to its highest potential. Skill in brewing (gongfu) is akin to cooking: when we give a chef some veggies and some basic ingredients, they can bring out the natural flavors and aromas of the food in a way an unskilled cook cannot. They combine and nourish the ingredients to their highest potential, depending upon their skills (gongfu). Similarly, when brewing gongfu tea, we listen to the tea and brew it the way it “wants” to be brewed, as op- posed to how we want to brew it. We must therefore know the tea, know our teaware, water and fire and how to bring it all together with grace and harmony. At first, we practice this using a formula we are taught—the way a chef uses a recipe to start off—but then we must transcend the method and work spontaneously, freely, trusting in our skills to adapt and flow with the steeping before us. Heat is always expanding and rising, so when you do not shower the pot both before and after the steeping, the temperature difference disturbs the structure of the tea liquor, as well as the tea’s absorption in the water, which makes each and every steeping drastically different. In that way, the tea is constantly disrupted and is quickly exhausted. If the temperature remains constant, on the other hand, the fragrant oils in the tea are released slowly from steeping to steeping, and the tea is smoother and lasts much longer. Try experimenting with showering your Yixing, zisha (purple-sand) pot and not shower, only before, only after and then both. We have discussed this experiment in past issues, which a quick search of the brand-new archive of past issues on the site will reveal!

Gongfu Leaves in a Bowl

Water : spring water or high-quality bottled Make sure to shower the pot Fire: coals, infrared or gas both before and after brewing a Heat: crab-eye; 90–95°C tea gongfu. This can reduce the Brewing Methods: gongfu or leaves in a bowl difference between the inner (gongfu is much better) and outer temperature of the Steeping: flash, flash, flash and longer pot from ten degrees down A few balls in a bowl if brewed that way to one, which is huge. Patience: 15 to 20 steepings / 7 pours in bowl

19/ Undying Lamp: Aged Oolong Tea (不朽的燈老烏龍茶)

Taiwan Tea History 台灣 茶文化 Taiwanese Tea 清領時期的茶事 the Qing Dyansty Part I One of Taiwan’s lead tea scholars, Huang Yi Jia (黃怡嘉), released a seminal work this year, “The Stories of Formosa Tea (黃怡嘉),” covering the history of the island’s tea in more compre- 台 hensive detail than ever before. This work is the result of decades of research and is an incredible contribution to the tea world. We hope 灣 to translate more of it in future issues as well, but thought that for this month we would focus on Taiwanese tea in the Qing Dynasty, 茶 from 1644 to the Republic in 1911. However, this survey, which we have divided into two parts, covers from 1684 to 1895. 事

茶人: Huang Yi Jia (黃怡嘉)

Section One: Wild and Introduced Tea

n 1684, the 22nd reign year of the cused on appeasing were largely native this extract we can see that during the Kangxi Emperor, Taiwan officially Taiwanese peoples; in the descriptions early period of Qing rule, the govern- became part of the territory of of the locals written by members of ment used tea as a gift to appease the Ithe Qing empire and was designated the court, we find some mentions of people, and the locals evidently greeted as Taiwan Prefecture, under the juris- tea. For example, the National Palace these gifts with much enthusiasm. diction of Fujian Province. The Qing Museum collection in houses a However, due to the high pop- court sent the Zheng family’s soldiers document from 1734 entitled A Report ulation and shortage of arable land, back to the Mainland and enacted on the Aboriginals of Taiwan Crossing life was not easy in ’s a policy of passive governance in the Over to the Provincial Capital to Deliv- coastal regions of Fujian and Guang- name of “governing Taiwan to protect er Wishes for Longevity (奏報臺灣土 dong, and despite the ban, there was Taiwan.” This entailed a number of 番渡海赴省城叩祝萬壽摺), which still a lot of illegal immigration to Tai- measures aimed at restricting immigra- contains the following extract: “Local wan. During the 212-year period of tion, such as limiting the cultivation officials were dispatched to accompa- Qing rule in Taiwan, while the Kangxi of new land and prohibiting passage ny the foreigners to the teaching venue Emperor was in power, fewer than to Taiwan from the Mainland. At and have them watch from the side- 20,000 people immigrated to Taiwan. this time, there weren’t many people lines to instruct them in the established Later, from the eras of the Kangxi and of Han descent living in Taiwan. As customs. This complete, they were re- Yongzheng Emperors through to the an example, in 1685, Shen Shaohong warded with tea and a meal... Every early years of the Qianlong Emperor, (沈紹宏) called for people to come one of the foreigners kowtowed with the number of illegal immigrants from and cultivate the wild land, describing gratitude and trembled with fear at the Fujian and surged, and by its vast expanse of fields, but nobody might of the army.” This description 1811 (the 16th reign year of the Jiaqing came to cultivate it. A work from 1688 paints a picture of the indigenous Tai- Emperor), the Han population was entitled The Changing State of Chinese wanese people being offered food and over two million, and the total popu- Emigration (華夷變態) records that tea when they visited the Qing court lation of Taiwan had increased almost prior to Qing Dynasty rule, there were on the Mainland. Another report, this tenfold over a period of one hundred tens of thousands of Han people in Tai- one from 1746, is entitled A Report on years. wan; after Qing rule began, there were the Joint Inspection of the State of the Taiwan’s Han immigrants were only one thousand, which resulted in Land and Naval Battalions in largely farmers, laborers and unem- a significant drop in the production of and Taipei (奏報會同閱看臺南臺 ployed people who were struggling sugar and deerskin. In the 1697 Pihai 北水陸營伍情形), and contains the back home and risked the illegal cross- Travel Journals (裨海紀遊), author Yu following: “We passed through about ing in search of a new life; among Yonghe (郁永河) reports that the areas twenty of the natives’ settlements, and them, men outnumbered women. north of Chiali were entirely occupied in each settlement we handed out to In the early days they were subject to by the Pingpu peoples, with barely any the people such things as tobacco, many legal restrictions. Among the sign of Han Chinese. cloth, tea, paper, brushes, ink, alcohol immigrants, there were also schol- So, all these records confirm that and flatbreads; to the native women we ars and investors who came to clear the number of Han people in Taiwan gave such things as red cloth, needles new farmland; these people later be- prior to Qing rule was very low. The and thread. Every one of them was came local leaders during the early population that the Qing court fo- greatly pleased and heartened.” From period of immigration to Taiwan.

24 Taiwan Tea History

Since the writing of this book, some of the wild trees of Taiwan were researched by biologists and found to be a whole other species of Camellia, which they are calling “Camellia formosensis.” This tea is commonly known as “shan cha( 山茶).”

There were also bureaucrats sent over tion on “Tea” in the Zhuluo County has a very good fragrance.” So, we can by the Qing court, who formed the Annals: Produce Records (諸羅縣志 see that there wasn’t any tea grown in upper echelons of society. In the early 物産志) from 1717 contains the fol- northern Taiwan at that time; all the days of Qing rule there was no gen- lowing excerpt: “There is none grow- Wuyi and Songluo tea drunk there was try in Taiwan; later, as a result of the ing along the northern road. In the grown on the Mainland. However, in imperial examination system, an up- mountains of Shui Sha Lian, there is the central regions surrounding Puli per social class gradually developed. a variety with a unique flavor, that can and Yuchi, there was wild tea growing The officials and scholars who made alleviate summer heat. The Wuyi and from very early on. The Han people up the gentry brought their person- Songluo varieties all come from the didn’t harvest it due to its remote loca- al tea-drinking customs with them to Mainland.” The “Miscellaneous Re- tion, the presence of the local people, Taiwan, which had a certain guiding cords” section of the same book con- and their lack of tea-making knowl- influence on Taiwanese tea culture. tains another mention of tea: “There is edge; however, we can infer that they tea in the inner mountains of Shui Sha likely purchased raw leaf picked by the Lian which has a unique flavor and a indigenous people and had it processed green color like that of Songluo. The by Wuyi tea makers, which resulted in The Discovery of mountain ravines are steep; (the tea) tea with a great flavor. Wild Tea in Taiwan has cooling properties and can alleviate Another relevant record appears heat and swelling. Han people do not in a work published in 1736 entitled When did locally-grown tea first dare go there to harvest it for fear of Journal of an Envoy to the Taiwan Strait appear in Taiwan? A Dutch publica- the dangerous roads and the local bar- (台海使槎錄), written by imperi- tion from 1645 entitled the Bavaria barians; they are also not well versed al censor Huang Chujing (黃琡敬) City Records (巴達維亞城日記) con- in the methods of tea-making. It seems who was sent to Taiwan in 1722. In tains an entry describing the wild tea they have been able to make teas of the the third volume of the work, “Notes growing in Taiwan, but it does not Wuyi variety by buying and process- on Chikan,” Huang writes that “Shui state a location. In addition, the sec- ing the tea leaf picked by the locals; it Sha Lian tea is found deep in the

25/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part I 帝國時期福建橫過海峽地圖

Imperial Map of the Provinces: Map of Fujian, 1693–1722

After Qing forces defeated the Zheng family, there was much discus- sion within the Qing court regarding what to do about the island of Taiwan; it wasn’t until April of 1684 that they finally decided to incorporate it into Qing territory. On this map of Fuji- an from the last year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign, we can see that Tai- wan is marked as belonging to Fujian Province. The waters of the Taiwan Strait were a dark, inky color thanks to the Kuroshio current (also called the “Black Tide”) that flows through the region, which gave the strait the nick- name “the black gutter.” Because of the current’s northward flow, the people of Fujian and Guangdong would often meet with misfortune at sea when set- ting out toward the east, which made the crossing very dangerous. Much like pilgrims leaving for the new world, ear- ly immigrants braved these seas to start a new life amongst sometimes violent natives on the island, bringing tea trees as well as farming processing and tea drinking culture with them. Slowly the island’s tea culture came into its own over the centuries.

mountains. The tea trees are hidden sana Kitam), and was only produced Certificate,” which details the distribu- away in the dense forests and con- for domestic consumption rather than tion of property between three brothers cealed by heavy fog and mist; at dawn export. It was largely drunk for its me- and mentions that “Bobin will receive and dusk, no light can reach them. dicinal properties, namely alleviating the planted at Luntou.” The The tea is green like Songluo and has summer heat and fever, and was very “Zhan Zehui Irreversible Sale Con- cooling properties, most effective for different from the tea that was later tract” contains the following record: soothing a fever. Every year, the inter- planted for commercial purposes. The “There is one thatched cottage and two preter meets with all the locals to dis- tea that has really had an influence on other houses of ten rooms in size, and cuss going up the mountain to process Taiwan’s tea cultivation and processing there are tea trees, fruit trees and other and roast the tea.” This journal gives us over the last two hundred years is Wuyi plants growing there… None of these a more detailed description of the en- Mountain tea, an introduced varietal tea and fruit trees and other plants vironment that Shui Sha Lian tea grew from Fujian Province. will remain.” The third document, the in, as well as confirming the evidence “Lai Lian Irreversible Sale Contract,” in the Zhuluo County Annals that Han contains the following: “The fields people had already begun making tea and mountain gardens, with their tea from wild leaf in the mountains at that Origins of Tea Planting and citrus, are to be divided up… the time. in Taiwan mountain gardens, fields, tea and oth- These records tell us that it has er sundries are the property of (the been over three hundred years since According to the research of Liu owner) himself, and are not connected the discovery of tea plants growing in Zemin (劉澤民), the Compilation of to the uncles, brothers or nephews.” Taiwan and the earliest attempts to Records from the Taiwanese Governor’s The land concerned in these three manufacture tea from them for drink- Office (臺灣總督府公文類纂) con- contracts was located at Wanshun ing. However, this early tea was largely tains three land contracts from 1792 Liao (modern-day Shenkeng district) native Taiwanese mountain tea (Ca- relating to the planting of tea. The first and Tudi Gong Keng (modern-day mellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze f. formo- is the “Hu Boyong Property Allocation Wenshan district, in Taipei County).

26 Taiwan Tea History

These records tell us that tea was al- poem, “Passing through a Village at chants at a competitive disadvantage ready being grown in northern Taiwan Neihu (過內湖莊)” goes, “Most of the when trading in Fujian in those early in the late 18th century. It’s a pity that flat land is planted with rice, and half days. These records also reveal that by none of the aforementioned land con- of the mountains are planted with tea. this period, tea production in Taiwan tracts mentioned anything about the Winding through the forest, the sandy had already reached a certain scale, and variety of tea that was being grown, shore is far away; near to the river leans trade with Fujian had become quite nor about the scale or methods of pro- a tilted bamboo fence.” The places de- frequent. duction. scribed in these poems, Nankang and The 1891Knowledge of Taiyang (台 One of today’s most commonly Neihu, are located in the area around 陽見聞錄) also mentions that “I have cited works is A Comprehensive History modern-day Nankang and Muzha investigated the area of Tamsui in Tai- of Taiwan: Agricultural Records, pub- in Taipei city; the descriptions in the pei; this area has been producing tea lished between 1908–1918 and writ- poems paint a scene of mountain tea for a long time. During the Xianfeng ten by Lian Heng (連橫, 1878–1936). gardens covering the whole landscape, era, merchants shipped tea to It contains the following passage: “Tai- reflecting the scale of tea growing in to sell it there, all of it rough maoc- pei has produced tea for nearly one Taiwan during that period. ha.” So, we can see that the Taiwanese hundred years. During the era of the merchants of the era did not have the Jiaqing Emperor, a man named Ke ability to carry out the “refining,” or Chao returned from Fujian and began secondary tea leaf processing stage, so planting Wuyi tea at Yujie Yukeng, The Early Days of they had to ship the semi-processed where it grew very well. He sowed two Tea Export in Taiwan maocha to Fujian to undergo refined dou of tea seeds; the harvest was abun- processing before being sold overseas. dant, and the tea was gradually spread Taiwan’s geography was very well In other words, the development of around and planted elsewhere. It covers suited to growing tea, which brought Taiwanese tea was very limited in the the land around Taipei; with the area’s abundant harvests. Taiwan’s tea farm- early days. Aside from this, the Tai- frequent rain, there are four harvests ers started making maocha (semi-pro- wanese tea of that period was of inferi- every year, with spring and summer cessed “raw” tea leaf) as a secondary or quality to Fujian tea. Due to factors being the best in quality. The best tea source of income. In the early days, Tai- such as the unfair competition caused is from Shiding township in Tamsui wan’s tea was only sold and consumed by the taxation system and the oppo- (淡水) and Erbao in Wenshan, and the locally. According to J. H. Klaproth’s sition of the Qing court to expanding next best is from Benbao, Bali town- 1824 Mémoires relatifs à l’Asie (Mem- overseas trade, it seemed that there was ship. The tea from is called Pu oirs Relating to Asia), “in 1824, Formo- no need for refined tea-making tech- (埔) tea, and has a modest color and a sa was exporting a significant volume niques to cross the straight to Taiwan, very reasonable price.” So, this tells us of tea into China.” In his Description and Taiwanese tea was overlooked as a that larger-scale tea planting in Taiwan de Formose (Description of Formosa), he candidate for international export. began during the Jiaqing era. In A His- also writes, “Taipei has been produc- tory of Taiwan’s Tea Industry During the ing tea for around a hundred years… Ming & Qing Dynasties (明清兩代臺 in fact, it was only sold locally. During 灣茶業發展史研究), researcher Yang the Daoguang era, it was shipped to Due to the flourishing tea trade Yinong (楊逸農) estimates that this Fuzhou.” So, from these records we involving Fujian and Taiwan, there tea planting began around 1810, and learn that during the Daoguang era, were frequent sea journeys between also recounts the story of Ke Chao in- from 1821–1850, the Wuyi tea pro- the two, especially by tea makers troducing the tea from Mount Wuyi in duced in Taiwan began to be shipped and other tea workers, many of Fujian and planting it at Yujie Yukeng to Fuzhou in Fujian Province. whom had to brave the dangers Tamsui Government Records in northern Taiwan. In the of the “black gutter”—the Taiwan 淡水廳志 In short, introduced tea from Fuji- ( ) from 1871, we find men- Strait. Because of this, many of an was already being grown in north- tion of the following: “The residents th them prayed for blessings and pro- ern Taiwan from the 19 century at the of Shiding, Quanshan and Erbao in tection from the sea goddess Matsu latest, and by mid-century tea gardens Tamsui are largely tea growers by (媽祖). Later, Matsu was welcomed were flourishing all over the mountains. trade. During the Daoguang era, all into Taiwan from Fujian, and a A wealthy person of the era named the merchants shipped their tea to shrine dedicated to the goddess Lin Zhanmei (林占梅, 1821–1868) Fuzhou for sale. They had to pay two was established on the tea street at wrote a poem in 1853 called “Passing yuan of import tax on every picul of Da Daocheng, where people would through the Nankang Tea Mountains tea to be allowed to sell it.” In addition make offerings of incense. Today, (過南港茶岩)” which contains the to this two-yuan import tax levied in there is a shrine to Matsu at the following description: “The cattle’s Fujian on every picul (approximately Taipei Tea Merchants Association, horns form the shape of the charac- 50 kilograms) of Taiwanese tea, further and a day of celebration is held in ter ‘eight’ against the walls; the horses regulations were later put in place that honor of Chajiao Matsu (“Matsu of leave their forked hoof-prints along the required each merchant to obtain a the Tea Districts”) on the birthday road. Solemnly, we reach Chong’an permit, for which they were subjected of tea saint Lu Yu, the 22nd day of Road; the hills are covered with tea, to to frequent checks. So, it’s evident that the 9th month in the lunar calen- the north and to the south.” Another these policies put Taiwanese tea mer- dar. (This is our altar at the Center.)

27/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part I Section Two: The Opening of Taiwan’s Ports

In 1684, after the beginning of opening of the port at Tamsui (then The establishment of Taiwan as an Qing rule in Taiwan, although the also called Huwei). That year, Anping international trading port in 1860 rep- Qing court established Taiwan as an in Tainan was the first port to open up, resented a turning point for Taiwan’s administrative district with a local gov- and staff were sent from Hong Kong’s overall economic development. Before ernment, they enacted a closed policy Jardine, Matheson & Co. to purchase the ports were opened up, Taiwan was and cut off Taiwan’s frequent trade semi-processed maocha in Taiwan. completely integrated into the eco- with Japan, the Netherlands, Spain and Two years later, conflict arose once nomic system of Mainland China, and Great Britain. By the mid-19th century, again when England’s intentions to most of its trade interaction was with this closed policy was challenged by the change the terms of the treaty were China’s coastal provinces, forming a re- Western powers, and after several mili- obstructed; the Anglo-French allied gional division of labor. After the ports tary defeats, China eventually signed a forces once again defeated Beijing, and opened, a succession of foreign traders number of trade treaties. In particular, the Convention of Peking was signed arrived in Taiwan to establish inter- after their defeat by the Anglo-French in 1860. It wasn’t until this point that national trading firms, re-integrating allied forces in 1858, the Qing court the conditions named in the Treaty of Taiwan’s trade activities into the inter- was compelled to sign the Treaty of Tianjin were actually implemented. national economy. This changed the Tianjin (Tientsin) by Great Britain, From that point, the ports of Keelung history of Taiwan forever, even unto France, the United States and Rus- and Takao (modern-day Kaohsiung) the modern day. Taiwan quickly be- sia. The treaty stipulated that Taiwan became affiliated with Tamsui and came a hub for European and Ameri- would be opened as an international Taiwan Prefecture (Tainan), and were can traders, creating relationships that treaty port; the treaty signed between successively opened as trading ports to have even influenced the modern his- China and France also stipulated the the world. tory of Taiwan.

眾 媽茶 之 女 祖皇 仙 Taiwan Tea History The Pioneers of consular representative in Taiwan. He Although Swinhoe was not sta- arrived in Takao (today’s Kaohsiung) tioned in Taiwan for very long, he Taiwan Tea Export in July 1861 from , traveling made an innovative contribution to overland to reach Taiwan Prefecture. Britain’s diplomatic affairs in Taiwan. During the reign of the Daoguang He noted that the coastal inlet of Tai- In addition to his consular work, he Emperor, Taiwan had already been ex- wan Prefecture’s capital was obstructed made full use of his training as a bi- porting semi-processed maocha, while by silt and would hence be difficult ologist, collecting specimens of many the local people drank tea imported to establish as a trading port, while new plant and animal species and from the Mainland. In 1861, follow- the commercial prospects of Tamsui sending them back to England. In this ing the opening of the port at Tamsui, looked more promising. So, in De- capacity, he made a significant contri- foreign merchants came to Taiwan to cember of the same year, he moved the bution to the study of Taiwanese tea. set up import–export firms. Interna- consulate to Tamsui, and within a year After arriving in Tamsui, Swinhoe no- tional trade flourished, driving the he had set up its office and residence ticed that Taiwan had been exporting development of Taiwan’s tea industry. in a loading vessel belong to Jardine, a certain amount of roughly processed Below is a brief outline of some of the Matheson & Co. However, Tamsui maocha to China. He sent some sam- major figures who had a significant -in was quite far away from the Chinese ples of this locally-produced maocha to fluence in terms of promoting tea ex- officials in Taiwan Prefecture, mak- tea specialists for inspection. The re- port in Taiwan. ing communications with them quite sulting verdict was that “this tea has a inconvenient, so Swinhoe eventually very fine flavor; its only fault is that the moved the consulate back to Takao processing and packaging methods are Robert Swinhoe in southern Taiwan, handing over the rather too coarse.” He also professed management of the northern consular that “the tea mountains are not far Robert Swinhoe (1836–1877) was post to George C. P. Braune. In 1861, from the port; if an enthusiastic busi- appointed by Great Britain as vice con- Swinhoe was promoted to the post of nessman were to go there in person to sul to Taiwan and was the first foreign consul in Xiamen and left Taiwan. observe the mountains and make the

29/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part I appropriate arrangements, this (prob- Swinhoe didn’t become a major advo- on doing business in Taiwan. Swinhoe lem of quality) would not be difficult cate for Taiwanese tea export, he did thought that camphor and coal had to rectify.” He believed that thanks make some profound observations better prospects for growth, and ad- to the climate and geography, there about the general situation of Taiwan- vised against going into the business of was good potential for tea growing in ese tea in the mid-19th century, and his Taiwanese tea; this may be one of the northern Taiwan. influence set the stage for the century reasons that Dodd didn’t get into the However, after a later comparison, of tea export that followed the opening tea trade until later. In July 1865, the Swinhoe concluded that Taiwan’s tea of Taiwan’s ports. Qing court declared new regulations was not as good as Mainland Chinese on foreign camphor and opium trad- varieties, and was only suitable for sale ers, forbidding them from anchoring and consumption within the island of John Dodd at any ports other than Tamsui and Taiwan. He also discovered that Chi- Keelung. This policy no doubt had na’s tea merchants were in the habit British businessman John Dodd a big impact on Dodd and Dent & of mixing the Taiwanese leaf in with (1838–1907) left his homeland for Co. Because of this, Dodd set out for tea from Fujian in order to make an Hong Kong in 1850, and in 1860 he Tamsui to evaluate the possibilities of exorbitant profit. Taking all the rel- visited Taiwan for the first time before trading his camphor. He also carried evant factors into account, Swinhoe returning to Great Britain. In 1864 he out a further investigation of Tamsui’s concluded that the current state of Tai- returned to Hong Kong as head of Tait local produce, and happened to notice wan’s tea meant it was only suitable for & Co. Hong Kong and agent for both the tea grown by farming households export to China’s ports in an attempt Jardine, Matheson & Co. and Dent & around Keelung and Monga (today’s to make some profit; aside from the Co. At that time, Dodd’s main pur- Wanhua). Dodd bought all the tea potential markets in China, pose in visiting Taiwan was trading he could get his hands on, shipped it and Australia, he did not think Tai- in camphor on behalf of Dent & Co., to Macau and sold it at a good prof- wanese tea would be competitive on and when he first arrived in Tamsui, he it, thus discovering the commercial the international market. So, although paid a visit to Swinhoe to ask his advice potential of northern Taiwan’s tea.

Left is a Kangxi-Era Taiwan Map, an artifact of national significance, showing the Shui Sha Lian (水沙連) region, finished in 1699-1704 This Copy of Kangxi-Era Taiwan Map uses traditional Chinese paint- ing techniques to depict the geograph- ical and cultural features of western Taiwan, from north to south. North is to the right of the map; west is at the bottom. The Shui Sha Lian community appears surrounded by mountains in the upper middle part of the map, quite far from the west coast. This certainly matches historical descriptions such as “The mountain ravines are steep” and “deep in the mountains”—making it difficult for Han people to go up the mountains to make tea. Robert Swinhoe (1836–1877) John Dodd (1838–1907)

This 1871 illustration from a west- ern newspaper depicts the flourish- ing business of refining tea in Tamsui, northern Taiwan, before it was shipped off for export to the United States. The tea was sorted into various grades, bar- gained over, packaged and then sealed into chests for shipment. The far right picture is a Tait & Co Taiwanese oolong label from 1870–1900. One wonders how such tea would compare to today’s oolong, especially since it was all so clean. No doubt, it was lower grade, but maybe still great.

30 Taiwan Tea History

However, the quality of Taiwan’s tea substantially. This drew the attention In addition, Li Chunsheng also still wasn’t as good as Fujian’s. From of the foreign merchants who had assisted Liu Mingchuan (劉銘傳), 1855 to 1856, Dodd sent his compra- originally been buying Taiwanese tea the inspector-general of Taiwan from dor, Li Chunsheng (李春生), to Anxi leaf in Xiamen, and they flocked across 1885–1891, in his negotiations with in Fujian to bring back a large quan- the straight to Taiwan to establish their foreigners. In 1889, Li also worked tity of tea seedlings, and assigned him own companies, factories and ware- on a tea business in partnership with a to coordinate the associated arrange- houses in order to be able to export lo- tea merchant, Lin Weiyuan (林維源). ments. They provided loans to the tea cally refined Taiwanese tea. Gradually, Together they constructed residences growers and encouraged growers in the Taiwan had no more need for Fujian’s and offices to supply to the foreign tea region surrounding Tamsui, Sanhsia tea processing factories. By 1872, at merchants at Da Daocheng’s Qianqiu and Tahsi to start planting the tea, and least four other companies had suc- Street (the middle and southern part also provided technical guidance. cessively established a presence in Da of today’s Dihua Street) and Jianchang In 1867, Dodd made another foray Daocheng in addition to Dodd & Co.: Street (today’s Gui De Street), an area into selling Taiwanese tea in Macau, Tait & Co., Elles & Co., Brown & Co. designated as a residential zone for for- and it once again fetched a good price, and Boyd & Co. This marked the be- eigners. With its collection of foreign bringing a healthy profit for both the ginning of a period of unprecedented firms and its bustling tea trade, the exporter and the producers. That year, success for Taiwanese tea exports—a area around Da Daocheng was a pic- Dent & Co. was approaching crisis golden age for trade in Taiwan. ture of flourishing prosperity. point due to cashflow problems, so Dodd had to rely on his position as agent for Jardine, Matheson & Co. at 李春生 林維源 Tamsui, whose tea business was steadi- Li Chunsheng ( ) Lin Weiyuan ( ) ly growing. In July, Dodd founded his Li Chunsheng (1838–1924) came Lin Weiyuan (1838–1905) was own company in Tamsui and Keelung; from Xiamen in Fujian Province, and born into the Lin family of Banqiao. in English, the company traded under acted as a representative for Chinese During the period when Liu Mingch- Dodd’s name, while in Chinese it con- tea merchants of the period. At the age uan was the acting inspector-general of tinued to use Dent & Co.’s Chinese of twenty-one, he was employed as a Taiwan, Lin Weiyuan was involved in trading company name of Baoshun comprador for British company Boyd implementing a set of policies entitled (寶順). Thus began the company & Co. In 1865, at the introduction of “enlisting the aboriginals, eliminating known to later generations as Dodd Mr. Elles of Elles & Co., Li became the internal conflict, cultivating native & Co. or Baoshun Yanghang (寶順洋 comprador of the agent of Dent & Co. land, expanding territory.” In 1886 he 行); Dodd himself officially went from stationed at Tamsui: John Dodd. established the Taiwan Pacification and being an agent to being the head of his In 1865, after Dodd had noticed Reclamation Bureau at Tahsi and pro- own agency. Tamsui’s suitability for trading in tea, moted tea planting on the land occu- The Taiwanese tea that Dodd & Li Chunsheng quickly displayed his pied by native people along the moun- Co. sold was of fine quality and made talent for business, playing a significant tains of Taipei, as well as collecting a rich profit, with the result that in role in helping Dodd expand the tea tea taxes which were used to support 1868, Dodd opened Taiwan’s first tea trade in northern Taiwan. The Tong’an the needs of the bureau. Lin Weiyuan refining (secondary processing) facto- County Annals (同安縣志) contain the seized the initiative in response to Liu ry at Monga (Wanhua). He employed following record: “First, the British Mingchuan’s plans for the tea industry, tea-making masters from Fuzhou and Dodd began dealing in tea at Tamsui, and thus the Lin family went from a Xiamen (then called Amoy) to be in encouraging the farmers to plant it traditional farming family to a large fi- charge, thus beginning the refining of and training them in processing tech- nancial group, making Lin Weiyuan’s Oolong tea in Taiwan. Later, because niques. Thus Taipei’s tea has become Jianxiang tea firm the largest and most of the silted-up river port at Monga known in Taiwan and abroad, with prosperous in all of Taiwan. and some incidents reflecting anti-for- great assistance from Chunsheng.” eigner sentiment in the area, he moved Throughout the development of Tai- the factory premises to Da Daocheng wanese tea during the period of Qing (the area around today’s Yanping rule, Li was involved in many parts North Road). of the process in the northern Taiwan In 1869, the finished Taiwanese tea tea region: promoting the planting of produced by Dodd & Co. was shipped Anxi tea, granting loans, establishing from Tamsui for sale in New York, factories and refining the tea. He vig- where it met with an enthusiastic re- orously threw himself into the business ception. This successfully opened up a of tea production, making a consider- new export market for Taiwanese tea, able contribution to improving the and the Formosa Oolong Tea brand quality and manufacturing standard of gained international recognition. Be- Taiwan’s tea. His work forever changed cause of this positive reaction on the the landscape of Taiwanese tea in the international market, the price and world, making it amongst the most sales volume of Taiwanese tea increased well-known teas to date.

31/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part I Qing Dynasty tea export merchants doing business in Guangzhou from around 1825

In the bottom left of this painting we can see a western tea trader talking with his Chinese comprador, while the tea workers in the background pack tea into chests. The tea chests are stamped with the tea names, including Yuqian( 雨前), Xichun (熙 春), Huaxiang (花香), Xiaozhong (小種) and Baozhong (包種). Yuqian and Xichun were names of green teas from Huizhou in the Jiangnan region, while Huaxiang and Xiaozhong were high-quality Fujian Wuyi teas. These are referred to in chapter 19 of the 1751 Mount Wuyi Records (武夷山志) written by Dong Tiangong (董天工): “[Wuyi tea] varieties include Xiaozhong, Huaxiang, gongfu and Songluo; when brewed they have a naturally authentic taste, and are not red in color.”

Qing Dynasty tea making drawings

The left painting depicts an early tea-rolling method involving trampling the tea with one’s feet. The right shows that pack- ing tea leaves by treading on them was a common task in early tea markets. The tea chests are marked with the names of the tea: Baihao (白毫) and Liu An (六安).

32 Global擴 Tea Hut Expansion Packs

Expansion VIII:充 Aged Taiwanese Oolong

We’ve developed a new and exciting way to expand your tea education. We offer three or four of these expansions a year. Each will come with two or more teas that expand upon the topics we are covering in that issue, allowing you to taste more, rarer and sometimes higher-quality samples, in order to learn more about包 various genres of tea. This month, we explore the won- derful world of aged Taiwanese oolongs!

his month’s expansion is a liv- ways says: “The only Zen masters are expansions until you are ready. But for ing testament to all the reasons those who have died. The rest of us are those who want to try more of a tea we began this Expansion Pack students of Zen. Stop calling me a ‘tea in a way that is curated to the reading Tproject in the first place. It is the per- master!’ I am a master of nothing. If topic of that month, we created these fect example of how a variety of types you want to call me that, wait until expansion packs. When you have three and qualities within a certain genre or I’m dead. Until then, I am a student or even six teas, including the Tea of topic of tea can expand the tea lov- of the Leaf!” This beginner’s mind the Month, as well as the magazine to er’s knowledge and wisdom by leaps keeps us humble, encourages growth read, you have a powerhouse of experi- and bounds. When this Global Tea and also fosters continued enthusiasm ence and knowledge that can promote Hut experience was still in its dream over the years so that we never grow deeper and more productive learning. days, and we were brainstorming the bored with our practice. Like a long- Variety is also not the only factor very first issue (which was more like a term healthy marriage, we find new behind these expansions. There is also newsletter than a magazine), we imme- and exciting things to explore in and quality. Our Tea of the Month is al- diately realized that we had to include through each other, as well as new ways partially or completely donated, tea each month, even if it represented paths to walk together, falling deep- and budget is ever and always a factor much more work. After all, one can- er and deeper in love over the years. in our choice, as well as the generosi- not learn about tea simply by reading Hopefully, this magazine, the Tea of ty of so many tea lovers and farmers, articles (even great ones), not without the Month each time and the commu- including Mr. Xie’s amazing gift this drinking it. In fact, we think a student nity behind Global Tea Hut help keep month, which is one of the most gener- would be better off drinking tons of tea you in a beginner’s mind: receptive and ous gifts ever offered to this communi- qualities and varieties than just reading open to learning as well as excited and ty. Occasionally, when such donors are lots of articles. Of course, the ideal tea enthusiastic to explore all the new tea extremely gracious, we can offer high- education is a balance of both. lands out there! er-end teas, but not always (though all The tea world is incredibly vast. To some of you, twelve teas a year our Tea of the Month teas are “high- Even after almost thirty years of ex- may seem like a lot, but in the vastness end” in environmental terms). Some- ploration, Wu De is always saying of the tea world, it is really such a small times, even if a farmer or tea lover is he is baffled all the time because he amount. Of course, if you feel like feeling generous, they cannot donate thinks he has reached a plateau of un- twelve teas is a lot and that is where you certain teas because the quantity is derstanding, turns a corner and finds comfortably learn and grow, please do not there (Oh how this community a whole world yet left to learn. He al- not feel any pressure to get one of these has grown!). When we create these

33 Darker Mingjian tea from 1990s Cloudgate, 1988 Alishan tea

seventy-year-old tea

1970s Muzha Tieguanyin 1980s Pinglin Baozhong

Expansion Pack experiences, on the different teas, all with very different other hand, we never, ever compromise raw material, aging conditions, ener- due to budget or rarity. We brainstorm gy and feel that, along with our Tea of 天 which teas here in Taiwan, China or the Month, will sketch in a lot more 空 Hong Kong that we have access to details of the history of Taiwanese tea, through a huge network of friends who as well as the nature of aged Taiwanese 中 will best support a learning experience oolong—one of the richest categories in relation to each month’s topic, viz. of tea on earth, and one every Chajin 騎 aged and aging oolong. These expan- should know and love. Also, this may sions are pure education expanded, in inspire you to store some Taiwanese 龍 other words, and often fill in the gaps oolong yourself! in the knowledge of the articles in an issue, offering actual drinking experi- ence to Global Tea Hut readers. Finally, we also do not tack on hardly any profit. These expansions are This Expansion Pack comes with: not fundraising for Light Meets Life, in support of this magazine or our cur- 茶 25g of another aged oolong from Mingjian (darker) rent Center, Tea Sage Hut. They are a 茶 木柵 gift. Each is marked up ever so slightly 20g of 1970s Muzha ( ) Tieguanyin because we offer them at a flat ship- 茶 20g of 1988 Ali Shan (阿里山) tea, “Cloud Gate” ping rate, and a small markup covers 茶 20g of 1980s Pingling, (包種) the differences in shipping to various countries as well as the packaging costs 茶 10g of seventy-year-old Taiwanese oolong tea! of bags, boxes, etc. that are required to get them to you. This month we offer an incredible This Expansion Pack is $65 + $15 shipping tour of aged Taiwanese oolongs, which may open a doorway to whole new worlds for some of you. We have five www.globalteahut.org/expansions

34 Gongfu Teapot 功夫茶壺

Martial Arts & Gongfu Tea

t’s always important to remem- and the sun went into the production gional local tradition from Chaozhou ber that drinking tea is an aimless of such a fine tea, and it deserves to be in southern China. It arose in the ear- activity. No matter how we brew brewed with that in mind, with a skill ly Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), influ- Iour tea, if we feel joy and connection equivalent to the energy used to create enced by three main factors: (1) mar- through the process, then the most it. tial arts practitioners, (2) the quality important “goal” has been achieved. Though many experiments focus of simplicity/frugality and (3) oolong Experiments shouldn’t get in the way on specific teaware, the brewer is always tea. These three main factors were of that, and, in fact, should enhance the most important element, for with- what gave rise to the gongfu tea brew- our overall experience of drinking tea out her, who would brew a fine cup of ing method. In this lineage, we refer to so long as we remember this. Tea is tea? All the silver kettles, antique cups, this as traditional gongfu tea, which is not a means to an end, but for those Yixing teaware, and purest spring water important because nowadays “gongfu of us who want to explore some of the in the world can’t make fine tea with- tea” is seen in many forms, and often subtler qualities in a cup of tea, exper- out a Chajin. In this experiment, you refers to any brewing technique using iments cast an illuminating light when will play a more significant role than a small pot and cups. This isn’t neces- we maintain perspective on what’s usual in our benevolent effort to learn sarily a bad thing, but it is important most important. Bringing out the most more about tea. Whereas many exper- to clearly define what we are talking a tea has to offer by learning how to iments focus on the differences created about it so “traditional gongfu tea” is prepare fine tea is the intention behind by pots, cups, clays, kettles, method, not confused with the menagerie of this experimentation. Gongfu tea, in etc., this experiment will focus on your methods under the broader use of the one sense, is about brewing the fin- physical posture, stance and grounded- term, most of which are very modern. est cup of tea possible. To experiment ness as you brew tea! And many are motivated by other fac- and learn how to brew tea to its fullest Like all good tea experiments, this tors, cultural and economic, rather potential is an honor to Tea Herself. A one highlights a historical lesson. Let’s than self-mastery and brewing the fin- lot of energy from humans, the Earth first remember that gongfu tea is a re- est cup of tea.

35 茶人: Shen Su (聖素)

We are very fortunate in this tra- yoga, dance, tea and so on. Gongfu reflection of their inner harmony cul- dition because a pure form of gong- tea, therefore, means to brew tea with tivated through martial practice and fu tea has been preserved and passed skill through self-discipline. The mar- meditation. down from generation to generation tial artists who developed gongfu tea As with all martial arts, stance to the point where we can enjoy and did so based on the principles of inner and posture form the foundation of learn from it in modern times. It has of harmony and balance of energy and all techniques. It is often said in this course also been adapted and evolved movement, the same principles that tradition that advanced techniques are over time as well, but these adaptations guided their worldview. In the same basics mastered. That means we must have come from a deep connection to way, they repeated the forms of their always review and strengthen the ba- the spirit of tea, a connection cultivat- martial arts over and over again until sics in order to lay the foundation ed over decades of diligent practice, they essentially became them, and such upon which the advanced techniques experimentation and reverence for the repetition was then applied to brewing will take form. In martial arts, that Leaf. (And, as these experiments show, tea with small pots and cups, cultivat- means stance, and a proper stance re- development is an essential part of any ing refinement, grace and fluidity. It is sults in a loose and agile upper body gongfu.) We are also bestowed with the no surprise that traditional gongfu tea with strength and groundedness in the honor and responsibility to practice it has no superfluous elements; it keeps legs. Not unlike meditation, there is in its traditional form and pass it down everything quite contained around a balance between tension and relax- to future generations. the brewer to reduce movements and ation to maintain an upright posture, For this experiment, the most rele- conserve energy, thereby preserving not overly rigid and not slouched over, vant of those three factors is the influ- temperature and facilitating efficient but calm and awake... The experiment ence of martial artists. Gongfu means brewing that extracts the most out of below will raise awareness around the to master a skill through self-discipline. a small amount of leaves. The exter- importance of grounding yourself Though it often refers to martial arts, it nal harmonious movements used by when pouring tea. It will also root you can be applied to any skill set: cooking, martial artists to make tea are a direct in “mastery through self-discipline.”

36 Gongfu Teapot

The Set Up

Have a pen and notebook nearby for taking notes. This is a very easy experiment, but one many of you may not have tried, and one surely worth repeating. It will require a rather basic gongfu tea setup. The four treasures will do: a purple-sand clay teapot, a tea boat, some porcelain cups and a good heat source and kettle. You’ll need the unmentionable treasure as well, a jian shui (建水) or waste-water basin in order to pour off the water in your tea boat collected from showering your purple-sand clay teapot. We usually stress the importance of using an authentic purple-sand clay teapot, but if you don’t have one and really want to try this experiment, then any brewing vessel will do, especially because the main differences will be caused by your stance and not the teaware. Still, having teaware that facilitates the best tea, such as purple-sand clay, is preferable. You should use a tea with which you are familiar. It is also quite helpful to use a smaller amount of tea and brew it lighter than usual. The lightness of brewing will aid in your ability to observe any differences, whereas a strongly brewed tea of age and depth will be distracting and too multi-layered to distinguish any subtleties resulting from the parameters of the exper- iment. It will be necessary to sit in a chair at a table for this experiment. That should be fine for many of you as you likely brew seated at a table anyways. For those of you who sit on the ground to brew tea, you’ll need to temporarily use a chair and table for this experiment; anything will do, it need not be fancy.

Procedure

First Pre-warm, clean, and prepare your teaware as usual. Pour off the first flash infusion and plant your feet firmly on the ground shoulder-length apart. If it’s appropriate in your tea setting, try to brew in your bare feet for this experiment. Feel the connection your feet have to the ground, which is ulti- mately connected to the Earth. Keep your upper body relaxed with an upright posture. Rest in that sensation for a moment and take a deep breath. You should feel strength and connec- tion in your lower body and relaxation in your upper body. Brew and drink your tea in this way for the first infusion. Record any observations.

Second Infusion Keeping one leg firmly planted on the ground, lift up the opposite leg and maintain this posture throughout the second infusion. In other words, brew and drink your tea with one leg raised. Record any observations, especially as they differ from the first.

It’s important to note here that your observations should only account for any differences you notice. It’s not about “good” or “bad.” The most important thing is to just write any differences you notice and to use your own words. Stick to your experience; you can’t be wrong, but avoid comparative words.

Third Infusion In the third infusion, raise both legs off the ground, com- pletely disconnecting your feet from the Earth. Be careful, maintaining balance as best you can, and brew and drink your tea in this way. Record your observations.

37/ Martial Arts & Gongfu Tea Conclusion Of course, the conclusion is up to you. This is a fun and interesting experi- ment, and easy to repeat. Repetition of forms and experiments is necessary to fully 從 understand them and to continue learning from them. One of the most profound insights in the journey of a tea lover is the realization of just how important and 地 powerful an impact we make on the tea. This conclusion can result in a tremen- 上 dous amount of questions, which lead to other experiments that lead to growth. When you understand that you influence your tea in everything from your mind, 地 透 lifestyle, diet and posture, you get a deeper feel for what we mean when we say 過 that “gongfu tea” means mastery through “self-discipline.” This opens up worlds, allowing you to make your tea practice a way of life, a Dao. 水 There are more experiments that involve the body and brewing tea. See if you can come up with your own, and let us know if you have any questions about this 注 one on the app or website. The ability to create your own experiments and work 球 入 with them is one of the most important skills of any seeker of truth, as it is of any gongfu tea practitioner. This is why we never share the results of these exper- iments in the magazine, as they may influence your outcome. A Chajin wants to understand things experientially, on her own, using her own body. We always love hearing from members who are looking to improve their gongfu tea. We hope you enjoy this experiment! 根

38 Taiwanese Tea 清領時期的茶事 the Qing Dyansty Part II Let’s continue our exploration of Qing Dynasty (1644–1911) Taiwanese tea! In this second section, we explore the unique evolution of Taiwanese tea through this period, as Taiwan be- 台 gins to define itself in the tea world and find its own character— flavor and aroma, if you will. Huang Yi Jia takes us through the 灣 emergence of the teas that Taiwan is known for today to the tea houses and tea house culture that began in Taiwan at this time, 茶 influencing Taiwanese tea even today. Finally, we explore tea drinking in this era, which is our favorite part! 事

茶人: Huang Yi Jia (黃怡嘉)

Section Three: The expansion of Taiwanese Tea

he period from 1861 to 1875, sumers, so much so that it took over yuan, which is favorable when com- during the reign of the Tong- the dominant position previously held pared with tea. Because of this, the zhi Emperor, was the most by Fujian oolong. However, in 1872, area around Mengjia (Monga), Bajia Timportant time in the development the United States abolished import and Dalong is mostly engaged in the of Taiwanese tea. Previously, during taxes on tea, and tea from all over flower growing business.” The vigorous the reign of the Xianfeng Emperor, the world was soon being imported growth of these flower teas created de- Taiwan’s tea did not yet have a fixed in great quantities. With supply mas- mand across the whole labor market, name, and most of the teas were sim- sively outweighing demand, tea prices which went some way toward solving ply named after the places where they dropped steeply, and Taiwan’s foreign the problem of vagrancy in Taiwan and were produced. But in 1866, the name tea trading firms found themselves fac- attracted a large number of tea work- “oolong tea” appeared, first recorded in ing a serious deficit. In response to this ers from Mainland China to Taiwan a customs report related to the export slump in the market, the trading firms in search of a livelihood. In short, flo- of tea. became very selective, only buying the ral-scented Baozhong tea emerged in In 1869, Dodd & Co. sent a ship- finest quality leaf, or in some cases 1873 as a solution to the problem of ment of this “oolong tea” directly to halting purchasing altogether. As a re- surplus oolong, and from this second New York for the first time on two sult, the tea factories were all left with chance it went on to become another ships carrying 127,860 kilograms of large reserves of unsold oolong. major player in the Taiwanese tea in- tea. It met with a warm welcome and In 1873, faced with this predica- dustry. forged the beginnings of a good repu- ment, Taiwan’s tea merchants had no From that point on, as the reserves tation for “Formosa Tea.” Dodd’s suc- option but to change the packaging of of tea that had resulted from slow US cess had merchants scrambling to buy their backed-up oolong inventory and sales were gradually used up, oolong Taiwanese tea, and the export market ship it to Fuzhou to be scented and prices recovered and began to look grew rapidly. The export volume of made into Baozhong (or Pouchong) healthier once more. Beginning in Taiwanese tea jumped from 82,022 tea. It was then sold in Southeast May 1874, sales volumes in the US kilograms in 1865 to 1,170,811 kilo- Asia, where it was quite well received. began to surge, and by 1880 export grams in 1872; within a few short years Baozhong (包種) tea, literally mean- sales of oolong had reached 5,428,553 the export value had increased more ing “the wrapped kind,” was named kilograms. Despite this, Baozhong tea than tenfold, and Taiwan’s tea indus- after the paper bags that were origi- continued to be produced, and tea try was booming. During that period, nally used to package small quantities makers coming from the Mainland the Formosa Oolong Tea brand name of this tea. A Comprehensive History of also brought processing techniques could be seen everywhere on posters Taiwan: Agricultural Records contains for other types of tea with them to and tea packaging; the oolong name the following detail: “At every port in Taiwan. In 1881, a tea maker from became more or less synonymous with Southeast Asia they are selling tea from Tongan in Fujian named Wu Fuyuan Taiwanese tea. Fuzhou, and Taipei’s Baozhong tea (吳福源)—also known as Wu Fulao is its closest rival. If it is not scented (吳福源) in some sources—came with flowers, its flavor is not strong, so to Taiwan and introduced a re- Baozhong (Pouchong) farmers are encouraged to grow flow- fined technique for scenting the tea ers. The more fragrant flowers include with flowers. He set up the Yuan From 1869 onwards, Taiwanese Sambac jasmine, Royal jasmine and Long tea factory, which specialized oolong met with wide acclaim and Cape Jasmine (gardenia); each harvest in the manufacturing and trading found particular favor with US con- can bring in more than one thousand of Baozhong tea of various types.

40 Taiwan Tea History Flower-Scented Tea 花香茶

To make flower-scented Baozhong tea, tea makers selected highly fragrant flowers such as Sambac jasmine, Roy- al jasmine and Cape Jasmine (garde- nia). They made use of tea’s ability to absorb scent to naturally blend in the fragrance that the flowers emit. The traditional Baozhong flower tea man- ufacturing process is very complicated; after the tea leaves have been prepared, several steps are carried out with the right proportion of flowers to tea, in- cluding scenting (with tea and flowers in layers), mixing the flowers through, removing the flowers, a final re-scent- ing with a smaller amount of flowers, re-baking the tea leaf, and spreading it out to cool. To enhance the floral fra- grance, the initial scenting phase may be carried out two or three times, or even more, with a progressively smaller ratio of flowers each time. This tech- nique entered Taiwan from southern China toward the end of the Qing Dy- nasty and has been passed down ever since. This technique is more widely used in Mainland China these days and much less in Taiwan. Most of us have tried a of some kind.

From then on, there was no further most abundant on the mountains of crops and the quality of production need to send Taiwan’s Baozhong tea to Daping, Datun and Nankang, and the methods, but also brought changes to Fuzhou for refined processing. A suc- inner Shenkeng mountain.” In 1877, Taiwan’s whole manufacturing econo- cession of brands—such as the British Embassy at Tamsui made my. Because tea brought significant ex- Zhennan, Jinfang, Wuyuan and Yong the following report: “Each year the tra value to the economy, it rapidly be- Qing Li—came to Taiwan to invest in Han people continue to cultivate more came one of Taiwan’s major industries. Baozhong tea manufacturing. Their of the mountainous region. Hill by According to records from Shanghai products were mostly sold in Southeast hill, they cut down the trees and plant Customs, China (上海中國海關), tea, Asia, and the demand for Baozhong tea.” A similar record appears in a Tam- sugar and camphor respectively repre- tea began to grow rapidly. sui customs report from 1878: “Fifteen sented 53.49%, 36.22% and 3.93% years ago, tea was practically nowhere of Taiwan’s total export value between to be seen on the hillsides around Da 1868 and 1895. Tea alone represented Daocheng; now, those same hillsides more than half of the total export val- Spectacular Success are completely covered with tea plants, ue, which led to a rapid economic up- in the North right up to the native territory… Tea turn in northern Taiwan. The port of now extends south as far as the 24th Tamsui grew in importance by the day, After the opening of Taiwan’s ports, parallel north, almost to the central re- which also boosted the status of Taipei. the efforts of Dodd and his contem- gion of Taiwan.” From these records, poraries saw Formosa Tea make its de- it’s not difficult to imagine the flour- but on the world stage in 1869. The ishing vista of tea planted all over the impressive profits to be made on the northern part of Taiwan. Taiwan’s Political Center export market had many northern In addition, the joint efforts of the Moves North farmers scrambling to expand the area British and Chinese tea merchants saw of their tea crops. The 1871Tamsui the introduction of new tea varietals Taipei further received official rec- Government Records note the extent and processing methods, which not ognition from the government; in of tea planting at that time: “(Tea) is only greatly increased the area of tea 1874, after the Mudan incident of

41/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part II Top: Signing the Treaty of Tientsin. Below is a scene from the commercial port near the British Consulate at Tamsui. To the right is a map of Qing Dynasty Taiwan. Images from “The Stories of Formosa Tea,” Nan Tian Bookstore( 南天書局).

three years earlier, government official became known as the “three cities area Hence, looking back, the northward Shen Baozhen (沈葆楨) recommend- (san shi jie, 三市街).” In 1894, the shift of Taiwan’s center of government ed strengthening government control, next governor proposed that Taipei be was one of the notable factors that and petitioned the emperor to estab- made the provincial capital, and there- contributed to the emergence of the lish a new Taipei Prefecture in addition after Taipei officially replaced Tainan city of Taipei and to the boom in the to the existing Taiwan Prefecture. The as the center of government in Taiwan. tea industry in northern Taiwan. Qing court approved his proposal, and According to A Comprehensive His- the focus of Taiwan’s overall develop- tory of Taiwan: Agricultural Records, ment gradually shifted toward to the “Oolong tea is a distinctive style from Tea Houses north. In 1884, the construction of Taipei; it is sold in the United States of city walls and gates was completed at America and sales are growing by the The “tea houses” of the time, called Taipei. day. This has led to a boom in the tea cha hang (茶行), were mainly con- In 1885, Taiwan was established as industry; the yearly value is as much centrated around Da Daocheng, with a province. The original plan was to as two million and several hundred some also located near where the tea set up a provincial capital in central thousand yuan in silver. Merchants was grown. (These are “brands,” which Taiwan; however, its construction was have come from Xiamen and Shantou; are called “houses” in Chinese, not sit- never finished, and governor Liu Ming- altogether they have set up twenty or down places to drink tea, like a cafe, chuan remained temporarily stationed thirty tea companies. Most of the tea which are also called “.”) The at Taipei and established the governor’s workers are from Anxi; they make tea main business activities of these tea office and the administrative commis- in the spring and return home in the houses were buying “rough” (semi-pro- sioner’s office within the newly com- winter. Women from poor households cessed) maocha, carrying out further pleted Taipei city walls. Thus Taipei harvest tea for a living; each day they processing to refine the tea, then pack- became the de facto provincial capital; make two or three hundred qian (one aging it and selling it to the foreign trad- following these developments, Mon- qian, or mace, was equal to one tenth ing firms. Those tea houses that refined ga, Da Daocheng and the walled city of a silver tael). All of this has shaken oolong tea were called “fan zhuang grew into three neighborhoods, which up the situation in the city of Taipei.” (番庄),” literally “native villages,”

42 Taiwan Tea History

while those that dealt in Baozhong tea ket, with Taiwan becoming the main “eternal harmony” and “prosperous”), were known as pu jia (鋪家), “shops.” place of export. In 1885, after the to signify our hopes for the lasting Those that processed both types of tea Sino-French War ended, the export prosperity of the tea industry. May the were simply known as “Oolong–Bao volume of Taiwanese tea grew substan- future hold great opportunity and dai- tea houses (烏龍包茶館).” tially; it was just at this period of thriv- ly progress; may the current of trade In the early days, the tea houses at ing export that unscrupulous traders at Da Daocheng be fair and the ships Da Daocheng were mostly tea process- began to appear, dealing in imitation that sail from the port of Huwei be like ing facilities established by the foreign Taiwanese tea or trying to pass rough, a gathering of rosy clouds.” The hope trading firms, and had a fairly large mass-produced tea off as the genuine was that tea merchants could work to- amount of capital. However, in 1875, article. This led to an overall decline in gether toward a common goal, put an the Qing court lifted restrictions on quality. end to dishonest practices for personal immigration to Taiwan, meaning that In 1889, Taiwan’s governor at the gain and join forces for the prosperity people from southern China were now time, Liu Mingchuan, formed a plan of the whole Tamsui tea industry. able to cross the straight legally, and to prevent these corrupt business prac- According to a later study by a Jap- merchants from Anxi in Fujian sub- tices, preserve the quality of the tea, anese researcher, the Yonghe Xing Tea sequently began arriving in Da Dao- resolve business disputes and provide District was the organization of the cheng to establish tea houses. From emergency relief to the tea workers. oolong merchants, and there was also then on, thanks to the prosperity of To this end, he gathered all the major another organization for the Baozhong the tea industry, a succession of Chi- tea houses at Da Daocheng and es- tea merchants, called the “Golden nese tea merchants came to Taiwan to tablished the “Yonghe Xing Tea Dis- Harmony Shop Cooperative (鋪家金 set up tea houses. Soon enough, these trict (茶郊永和興),” an organization 協和).” This marked the beginning of tea houses occupied a larger share of intended to regulate the tea industry the tea districts, and provides further the market than the foreign tea trading and the quality of tea in Taiwan. Thus evidence of the lively state of the tea firms. Moreover, tea drinking gradually Taiwan’s first specialized “tea district industry at the time: a bustling era of became more popular among the gen- (cha jiao, 茶郊)” was formed. The traders from around the world coming eral population, and these tea houses objectives of the organization were and going from Taiwan. A tea lover were established at several of Taiwan’s described as follows: “The circulation can sip Taiwan oolong and imagine major ports. Aside from Da Daocheng, of stolen property or imitation goods this adventurous time, when tea was which mainly supplied the export mar- is forbidden from north to south; the carried across the high seas! ket, the tea houses in the capital and at Rites of Zhou (a Confucian work on Lukang purchased tea from either the governance) places great importance local tea region or from the Mainland, on the governance of cities. Regarding and sold it on the domestic market. the tea trade with foreign firms, these Several related industries sprang up terms ought to be everlasting, to ex- following this tea boom, such as the press our honesty and sincerity toward 一 merchant houses that offered financ- other countries and to seek prosperity 座 ing as well as tea manufacturing, and for the East China Sea. Our tea trade packaging companies that manufac- here at Tamsui grows more prosperous 島 tured tea chests and provided the art to by the day; many merchant ships set 嶼 decorate them. sail each day. Green rufu tea bowls can be found in many countries in the Far 茶茶 West; and bowls decorated with vibur- num flowers are famed throughout the 的 Tea Districts Indian Ocean. These days, our produce 首 is plentiful and our revenue is increas- In 1872, a number of different ing; although there are many people, 府 “districts” began to emerge which were some good and some bad, as the val- 文 in charge of Taiwan’s imports and ex- ue of goods has risen, malpractice has ports; their function was similar to that appeared, with people seeking to make of a trade association. At the time, the large profits by trading in counterfeit international tea trade was flourish- goods or mixing (tea) dust in with the ing, yet the market was showing signs products. All this has a negative effect of change. Around 1881, the volume on our general situation. Therefore, 化 of tea export from Japan, India and we gather as fellow professionals in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) multiplied this trade to discuss these terms and rapidly, while China experienced a establish these prohibitions for the sudden decline. In 1883, the United sake of replacing old habits with new, States issued a ban on the import of not to lay blame but to unite and help “inferior quality” tea, and Taiwanese each other, to eradicate the source of tea took the place of tea from Xiamen (ill-gained) profits. The name of our and Fuzhou on the US consumer mar- collective is Yonghe Xing (meaning Formosa tea export tins.

43/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part II Section Four: Tea Drinking Culture in Qing Dynasty Taiwan

From the late Ming through to the Records of tea drinking culture monastery in the bamboo forest; the Qing Dynasty, along with the trans- in Qing Dynasty Taiwan are limit- tea comes from Dawang Peak.” These planting of Fujian tea, a large number ed to a few poems by literary types records present a picture of bureaucrats of people from the southern provinces and some reports on the activities in Taiwan searching for spring water of Fujian and Guangdong immigrated of government officials who visit- for their tea and tasting Chinese green to Taiwan, bringing their tea drink- ed Taiwan. Shen Guangwen (沈光 tea and Wuyi Cliff Tea; tea culture ing customs with them. As author 文, 1612–1686) wrote the following was mostly popular among the litera- Lian Heng (連橫, 1878–1936) puts poem, called “Reminiscence (感懷):” ti, government officials and wealthy it in the introduction of the Yatang “My mind is tired; a winter’s dream families. In the early days, they large- Anthology: A Discussion of Tea (雅堂 spirals back through the branches. ly drank Wuyi tea, and later on they 文集˙茗談), “the tea drunk by the Suddenly, I imagine I have died, and mostly drank oolong and Baozhong. Taiwanese is different to the tea from am tasting Mengding tea once again.” The teaware in use at the time can the central Mainland, but is the same (Meng Ding tea was a green tea from be broadly divided into three catego- as the tea from Zhangzhou, Quan- the Mengshan region in Sichuan.) Lu ries: gaiwans (individual lidded tea zhou and Chaozhou. There are many Ruoteng (盧若騰, ?–1661) searched cups), large teapots and tea bowls, people from these three places living all over to find the best spring water for and gongfu teaware (small teapots and in Taiwan, so the prevalent habits are brewing tea, and concluded that Crab small cups). Of these, the main trend also similar.” So, Taiwan’s tea drinking Eye Spring at Mount Taiwu on the in Qing Dynasty Taiwan was for gong- culture was influenced by the tea cul- Kinmen Islands earned first place. Sun fu teaware, which had a profound in- ture from Zhangzhou, and Yuanheng (孫元衡), Taiwan’s coastal fluence on the development of the art Chaozhou; one could even say that the defense sub-prefect, wrote “Inspira- of tea-making in Taiwan. We’ll talk tea culture in Taiwan was an extension tion in The Study on a Winter’s Day about gongfu teaware in detail below. of that of southern Fujian. In the ear- (冬日草堂漫興):” “I teach the young First, we will describe the characteris- ly days, most of Taiwan’s teaware was servant how to brew tea; how to listen tics of gaiwans and large teapots and also brought over from the Mainland to the crab-eye bubbles and judge the tea bowls, which played a role in casual where the famous kilns were. heat. The water is drawn from near the tea drinking.

44 Taiwan Tea History Gaiwans (蓋碗)

Gaiwans were a popular type of dazzling array of different decorating be found in A Report on the Sondage teaware among Qing Dynasty officials. methods: blue and white, “five col- at Bantou Village, Hsinkang Township, They are also known as san“ cai wan or” painting, colored enamel and the Chiali County (嘉義縣新港鄉板頭村 (三才碗)” or “three talent cups,” indi- colored painting techniques created 遺址考古試掘報告) by Liu Kehong cating their three parts: the lid, the cup for imperial court teaware. There are (劉克竑). Although the cup and the and the saucer. Tea brewed in a traces of gaiwan use throughout the lid were both fragments, the charac- has a strong fragrance and a pure fla- population, from the imperial court to ters 成化年制 (cheng hua nian zhi) are vor. When drinking from a gaiwan, the ordinary people; it is a classic form still visible on the bottom of the cup, it is not necessary to lift the lid; one of Qing Dynasty teaware. In 1999, meaning “Made during the Chenghua can simply move it partly aside and sip some Qing Dynasty ruins were exca- years” (the Chenghua Emperor’s reign, with the lid still half on. This way, the vated at Bantou village in Hsinkang 1465–1487). This shows that there tea leaves will not get in one’s mouth, township, Chiayi County. Among the were already signs of gaiwan use in Tai- and the tea can slowly steep. Holding artifacts unearthed there was a gaiwan wan during the period of Qing rule. the saucer in one’s hands makes it easy decorated with blue and white kui long to drink the tea and avoids burning the patterns (夔龍紋) depicting a mythi- hands. Gaiwans are generally made of cal beast resembling a one-legged drag- porcelain, and they are crafted using a on—more details on this artifact can

蓋 碗 在 廚 房

Above is a Portrait of Shen Baozhen (沈葆楨), and he is seen using a gaiwan to drink tea. The bottom right is a Qing Dynasty gaiwan that we have here at the Center. It is very important to note that though gaiwans date back to the early Qing Dynasty, they were used only as lidded cups for drinking out of, much as we drink leaves in a bowl tea. They were not used as brewing vessels as they often are these days. This was a casual way of drinking tea in the home and at tea houses, as servants or waiters could easily refill the gaiwan as time passed. Using gaiwans as brewing vessels really began in the 1980s in Taiwan and spread from here to the Mainland and beyond. But a gaiwan is really more of a cup or bowl than a brewing vessel, and wasn’t created to be used in that way.

45/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part II Using large pots and bowls was how the majority of Chi- nese people drank tea throughout the Ming Dynasty (1368- 1644). It is very misleading to get lost in the assumption that in such-and-such an era, people drank tea in a certain way, like saying that people “boiled tea in the Tang, whisked it in the Song and steeped it in the Ming.” Such statements are akin to saying that “Americans wore bell-bottoms in the 1960s,” which is technically true, but not all Americans. China is a large land, vast in culture and rich in peoples. There have always been many brewing methods throughout China, and the changes are never abrupt. Still, it was popular amongst the mainstream, literate scholars in the Ming and early Qing dynasties to let tea steep for a long time while they worked or chatted and then decant it into large bowls. This was also the period in which the West came into contact with China and started its own tea drinking journey. And that is why “West- ern” tea brewing is in this style even today. The Europeans learned this style of brewing from the Chinese at the time, who mostly drank tea this way.

Large Teapots & Bowls

From the early Ming Dynasty on- ability to eliminate summer heat and office of the deputy governor of Ben- wards, large teapots became the most promote digestion. The large teapots gang, Zhuluo County. Among the arti- common tea-brewing vessel; although used included dragon pots as well as facts unearthed here were twenty Zisha the tea they produce tends to have a several types of Yixing purple-sand clay teapot fragments, which are believed weaker fragrance and flavor, they are pot, or “zisha hu (紫砂壺),” brought to come from four individual pots. simple, convenient and practical. After over from the Mainland. One of these was a large Zisha pot with adding a certain amount of tea leaves, In 1999, the National Museum of bamboo-joint style handles and spout. one can generally keep steeping the tea Natural Science carried out an exca- (Pot is shown above.) There are several all day long, adding hot water sever- vation of the Bantou village ruins in examples of Large Yixing pots in most al times and continuing to drink it, Hsinkang township, Chiayi. In olden anthologies of Yixingware, especial- not worrying about drinking it while times, this area was called Bengang ly if they include pots from the late it’s still hot. It’s even possible to forgo (笨港) and was one of the earliest ar- Ming and early Qing dynasties. There and simply drink straight from eas to be cultivated by the Han people. are also large porcelain pots from this the spout. Another method is to brew It featured in a saying about the three time period as well. Though gongfu oolong tea using a large pot and large major ports of the period: “First, Tain- tea started burgeoning in the south of bowls, then drink it sweetened with an Prefecture; second, Bengang; third, China, such large-pot tea brewing con- white sugar, making use of the tea’s Monga.” The ruins excavated were the tinued throughout Chinese history.

46 Taiwan Tea History

Four Treasures潮汕四寶 of Gongfu Tea

47/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part II Gongfu Teaware

“Gongfu teaware” refers to the Chaoquan in “A Song of Wuyi Tea:” cussion of Tea: “The tea drunk by the teaware used for brewing gongfu tea “With an aroma like the plum blos- Taiwanese is different to the tea from in the southern regions of Fujian and som and the orchid, it generally be- the central Mainland, but is the same Guangdong, where it was popular comes fragrant when roasted.” Because as the tea from Zhangzhou, Quanzhou during the Qing Dynasty. This brew- Wuyi Cliff Tea has a strong fragrance, and Chaozhou. There are many people ing method involves many different it’s speculated that this is where the from these three places living in Tai- implements, but the most obvious method of using small teapots to brew wan, so the prevalent habits are also characteristic is that the pots and cups semi-oxidized teas came from; the similar. The tea must be Wuyi; the pot are very small, suitable for drinking small pots that would later characterize must be Meng Chen; the cups must oolong teas such as Wuyi Cliff Tea. the gongfu tea brewing method were be Ruo Shen; these three are vital for The first type of tea to be introduced to probably also established as a feature tasting tea. Anything less than these is Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty was of the method during this period. In not worthy of pride, and not worthy Cliff Tea, which was made using the short, the small-pot gongfu tea brew- of serving tea to guests.” This point of oolong processing method, and was ing method developed from the Ming view is inherited from the gongfu tea also mainly brewed in the gongfu style Dynasty teapot brewing methods, and customs of Fujian and Guangdong: to from Fujian and Guangdong. So, the was formed around the unique charac- entertain guests, one needed Wuyi tea teaware and tea drinking customs in teristics of oolong, thanks to the prog- and fine tea implements. These were Taiwan at that time were all inherited ress in Wuyi tea processing methods; it known as the “Four Treasures of Chao- from the Mainland provinces of Fujian later became known as the “gongfu tea shan (潮汕四寶):” an Yu Shu (玉書 and Guangdong. (工夫茶)” brewing method. 碨) pottery sidehandle pot for boiling The Qing Dynasty gongfu tea Tea drinking in Taiwan mainly in- water, a Chaoshan stove, a Meng Chen brewing method from Fujian and volved this gongfu brewing method. pot (a small purple-sand clay teapot), Guangdong was characterized by the Zhou Shu (周澍, 1684–?), who lived and Ruo Shen cups (small white porce- use of small pots, and can be traced during the Kangxi and Qianlong eras, lain tea cups). (Some lists put the stove back to the late-Ming pot brewing spent some time in Taiwan and wrote a and kettle together and add the teaboat method. Ming Dynasty brewing meth- work called “A Hundred Songs of Tai- as the fourth “treasure.” There are dif- ods included the “cooked tea” method yang (台陽百詠),” which contains this ferent sources and traditions of gongfu (jian cha fa, 煎茶法) that used a large poem: “Under the shade of the hang- tea.) Along with Qing Dynasty gongfu porcelain pot, and the “pinch meth- ing banyan, the day is becoming clear. tea drinking customs in Taiwan, many od (cuo pao fa, 撮泡法)” that used a I pour water into the Gong Chun tea- of these tea implements also came over tea bowl. From the mid-Wanli period, pot; the crab’s-eye bubbles make their from the southern coast of the Main- the “steeping in a teapot” method (hu sound, like the wind and rain outside land, making Taiwan a hub for gongfu pao yue cha fa, 壺泡瀹茶法) emerged, a closed door, like droplets falling from tea culture. which involved putting the tea leaves the bamboo tips into the gutter of a In 1999 during the excavation in an Yixing Zisha teapot and then tiled roof.” He also noted that “the peo- of the Bantou ruins at Hsinkang, directly pouring in the boiling water. ple of Taiwan Prefecture all brew their Chiayi, archaeologists discovered part Although this method arose later than own tea. First, they hold some tea in of a zhuni (朱泥) red clay teapot that the other two, it was more widespread. one hand and smell its fragrance; then had a partly legible verse inscribed on The main characteristic of this brew- put it into a small Gong Chun teapot. the base: “The moon on the pavilion ing method was the importance of the Gong Chun (供春) is the pseudonym (missing words) people—Meng Chen teapot; as Qian Chunnian (錢椿年) of Wu Yishan (吳頤山), a maker of (亭月□□人 孟臣).” They also found puts it in the Jiajing era New Manu- Yixing teapots; the name ‘Gong Chun’ some blue and white porcelain al of Tea Making (制茶新譜): “If the is sometimes written with a different fragments with the words “Ruo Shen pot is large and there is tea left over, character (龔春), which is erroneous. Collection (若深珍藏)” on the base. and it sits for a long time, the flavor One pot can be used for decades, and These findings serve to verify Lian will deteriorate; this is not good!” In is worth a tablet of gold.” We can see Heng’s records of gongfu tea drink- The Book of Tea (茶經) from the late from these excerpts that the trend for ing customs in Taiwan. (More detail Ming Dynasty, author Zhang Qiande this teapot brewing method had al- on the excavation can be found in the (張謙德, 1577–1643) also expresses ready arrived in Taiwan. aforementioned Report on the Sondage the opinion that “the qualities of tea After the arrival of Fujianese Wuyi at Bantou Village, Hsinkang Township, are limited; if the pot is too big, the tea and processing methods in Taiwan, Chiali County by He Chuankun and flavor will not be strong.” The size and tea brewing methods adapted to the Liu Kehong, and Jingxi Zhuni Clay material of the teapot both influence strong flavor and fragrance of oolong by Huang Jianliang and Huang Yijia.) the flavor of the tea; hence the teapots tea. Only a small pot could bring In addition, further archaeological used for drinking green tea at the time out the right flavor and color; only a findings from tombs and shipwrecks gradually trended toward a smaller small cup could concentrate the aro- provide another point of view on the size. In the late Ming and early Qing, ma of the tea. Hence, the gongfu tea same time period, testifying to the the pan-firing method used for Wuyi brewing method used for Wuyi tea popularity of gongfu teaware both on tea gained an oxidation step, resulting became extremely popular, as we can the export market and within China, in semi-oxidized tea. Many fine teas see from this quite detailed record in and verifying the origins of gongfu tea emerged, such as those praised by Shi Lian Heng’s Yatang Anthology: A Dis- culture in Taiwan.

48 Taiwan Tea History

There are many explanations as to leaves come out half green and half simply the product of an early form of the origins of the name “gongfu cha red. The green is from the pan-fir- the oolong processing method, and the (工夫茶),” encompassing two main ing and the red is from the roasting. word “gongfu” in this context does not meanings. The first originally referred The tea leaf is spread out and shaken; appear to refer to a particular tea va- to high-quality Wuyi Cliff Tea; since when it gives off a strong fragrance, it rietal. Moreover, the detailed reference the processing method for a good is pan-fired. It must not be fired for to the oolong-style processing meth- Wuyi Cliff Tea is very complicated, too short or too long a time. When ods of Mount Wuyi tea in Wang Fu- it was called “gongfu tea” (gongfu can it is both pan-fired and roasted, the li’s About Tea suggests that high-qual- be interpreted as meaning “time and old leaves and stalks are all repeatedly ity gongfu Wuyi Cliff Tea likely had effort,” “mastery through discipline” picked out, to ensure it is uniform in its origins in the late Ming and took or “acquired skill”). The Qing Dynas- color. It is described in Shi Chaoquan’s shape in the early Qing. At present, ty Sequel to the Classic of Tea (續茶 poems as having “an aroma like the the earliest known historical record 經), compiled in 1734 by Lu Tingcan plum blossom and the orchid,” and as that clearly uses the term “gongfu tea” (陸廷燦), contains a passage in Chap- requiring “a calm mind, nimble hands to refer to high-quality Wuyi Cliff Tea ter 3, “Processing,” from the 1678 and meticulous skill.” So, from this is the 1734 Sequel to the Classic of Tea About Tea (茶說) by Wang Fuli (王複 description, we can see that Wuyi tea by Lu Tingcan, in which the fourth 禮). It describes the process of Wuyi was spread out and shaken after pick- chapter, “Tea Production,” contains tea making as follows: “…after the ing to allow it to oxidize; compared the following excerpt from A Journal tea is harvested, it is spread out evenly to steamed green tea such as Yangx- of Things Seen and Heard (隨見錄): in bamboo baskets and stacked on a ian Jiepian and pan-fired green teas “The Wuyi tea which grows on the frame to dry in the wind and the sun; like Songluo and Longjing, the Wuyi mountains is known as ‘cliff tea (yan this is called “sun-drying (shai qing, 曬 manufacturing process, involving steps cha, 岩茶),’ while that which grows by 青).” After this, its bright green col- such as pan-firing, roasting and pick- the rivers is known as ‘riverbank tea or gradually recedes; it is then fired. ing out old leaves and stems, truly does (zhou cha, 洲茶).’ Yan cha is superi- Yangxian Jiepian (陽羨芥片) tea is require a lot of time and energy; hence or, while zhou cha comes second. Yan only steamed, not pan-fired, and then the name “gongfu tea.” cha grown on the northern mountain finished by roasting over a fire. Songluo The Shi Chaoquan poem that is superior to that grown on southern (松蘿) and Longjing (龍井) are pan- Wang Fuli mentions in About Tea is mountain. The teas are named after the fired and not roasted, which gives them the same poem quoted earlier in this two mountains where they are grown, their pure color. Only Wuyi Cliff Tea article, “A Song of Wuyi Tea,” which north and south; the best of all is called (武夷岩茶) is both pan-fired and dates to around the late Ming or early gongfu tea.” The original book,A Jour- roasted. After this cooking process the Qing; the Wuyi tea of the poem was nal of Things Seen and Heard, is now

49/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part II lost, but was probably written earlier Wuyi Cliff Tea brewing and drinking land, of which it is truly not unworthy. than the Sequel to the Tea Classic of method is from the Suiyuan Cata- What’s more, it can be steeped three the Yongzheng era. A later book from log of Food and Drink: Tea and Wine times and still retain its flavor.” around 1753, A Collection of Leisurely (隨園食單˙茶酒單) by well-known In this excerpt, Yuan Mei describes Moments (片刻餘閑集) by Liu Qing Qianlong-era scholar Yuan Mei (袁 how he was used to regularly drink- (劉埥), contains this description: “The 枚, 1716–1797). He writes, “I was not ing well-known teas from Jiangsu and best of the rock teas is old-growth particularly fond of Wuyi tea; I disliked Zhejiang such as Yangxian and Long- xiaozhong (small-leaf) tea; the next its strong, bitter taste that was rather jing, but was unaccustomed to drink- best is xiaozhong, then xiaozhong gong- like drinking medicine. In the autumn ing oolong teas such as Wuyi Cliff Tea. fu, then gongfu, then gongfu huaxiang of 1786, I traveled to Wuyi, and visited When he visited Mount Wuyi in 1786, (floral fragrance), then huaxiang…” such places as Manting Peak and Tian- the monks warmly entertained their Recollections from the Fields (歸田 you Temple, where the monks warmly guest with Wuyi Cliff Tea. They used 瑣記) by Liang Zhangju (梁章鉅), offered me tea. The cups were as small small cups and a small pot, first smell- written around 1843 to 1844, has a as walnuts, and the pot as small as a ing the tea then tasting it, carefully section called “ (品茶)” citron; each pour only filled one or two savoring and swallowing it to truly ex- that says, “Xiaozhong is a common (cups). When bringing the tea to the perience the floral fragrance and sweet product of the mountains; the best mouth, one must not swallow it im- aftertaste of the Wuyi Cliff Tea. It kind is called mingzhong (名種). It is mediately, but first smell the fragrance could even be steeped three times. This hard to find outside of the mountains; and then taste the flavor, to slowly sa- experience vastly changed Yuan Mei’s people in Quanzhou and Xiamen call vor and contemplate it. Indeed, it had impression of Wuyi tea, and green teas it gongfu tea.” Here, “gongfu tea” re- a pure fragrance that filled the nostrils, such as Longjing and Yangxian no lon- fers to high-quality Wuyi Cliff Tea; it’s and an ample sweetness on the tongue. ger seemed so good by comparison. clear that from the time of A Journal After the first cup, I tried one or two Although Yuan Mei’s description does of Things Seen and Heard onwards, this more; it soothes restlessness and calms not use the term “gongfu tea,” from his term became widespread. the spirit, leaving one cheerful and re- depiction of the small cups and pots The second interpretation of “gong- laxed. After this, I began to feel that al- and the tea’s ability to be steeped three fu tea” is that it refers to the brewing though Longjing is pure, its flavor is a times, it’s clear that he’s describing the and drinking methods of Wuyi Cliff little weak; although Yangxian is a fine gongfu brewing and drinking meth- Tea; it’s speculated that it was named tea, its appeal is a little deficient. Just od. (Many traditions in Chaozhou use for the complicated process and deli- like jade and crystal, each has a differ- only three cups, and also only serve cate teaware involved in brewing gong- ent character. Hence, Wuyi enjoys an three steepings, even into the present fu tea. The earliest record to date of the excellent reputation throughout the day this is still practiced.)

50 Taiwan Tea History

The earliest known use of the term cakes (feng tuan, 鳳團) to soothe my come the fish-eye bubbles, and finally “gongfu tea” in relation to a brewing restless mind.’ The other goes, ‘The the string-of-pearls bubbles, at which method appears in the Mengchang Mis- small cauldron makes many sounds, point the water is ready. If the water is cellaneous Writings: Scenes of Chaozhou like the playful babbling of a spring; under-boiled, the tea liquor will be too (夢廠雜著˙潮嘉風月), written by outside the canopied window, the ‘young;’ if it is over-boiled, the liquor Yu Jiao (俞蛟, 1757–?) in 1801. This night is quiet; voices mingle with the will be ‘old.’ It’s not easy to get it just passage from the book recounts a de- sounds of cicadas. I gently sip from my right, hence the saying, ‘the Heavens scription of the courtesan boats in cup; (the tea) is as pure as snow; I do provide the moon, and people must Chaozhou, and also touches on the not envy the brews of Mengshan with watch the flame.’ A good cup of tea gongfu tea brewing method. their lively flames.’ Tea from Sichuan requires habitual practice, it doesn’t “The gongfu tea brewing method has not been quite as good for some happen by chance. First, when the wa- originally came from Lu Yu’s Tea Sutra time; the most highly esteemed tea on ter in the long-handled pot is (nearly) (茶經), and the teaware is very fine. The the boats these days is Wuyi, of which ready, some is poured into the emp- stove is cylindrical in shape, about one the finest costs one hundredqiang and ty teapot and then poured out again. foot and two or three inches in height, two mei per jin. So, it’s clear that the Second, when the water is ready, a few made of fine white clay. The best tea- ‘six-sail boats’ are quite extravagant in taels of tea must be placed preemptive- pots are those produced by the Yixing their choice of refreshments.” ly in the teapot with a utensil. Then, kilns; they are round with a flattened This passage on gongfu tea from water is poured into the teapot until belly, a X spout and a curved handle; Scenes of Chaozhou specifies the re- it overflows around the lid, and the the larger ones can hold half a sheng of quirements the people of Chaozhou pot is placed onto a copper tray. Third, tea. The cups and dishes are mostly flo- had when drinking Wuyi Cliff Tea. when the water is once again ready, ral-patterned porcelain, decorated on The tea implements it describes are the inside and outside with landscapes more complex than the small cups and and people; they are very finely made. small pots of Yuan Mei’s monastery They were not made in recent times, visit, with a white clay stove, an Yixing but they do not bear any maker’s mark, purple-sand clay teapot, a porcelain so it is impossible to verify the year in tray and teacups, pottery cups, a palm which they were produced. The stove fiber mats, a paper fan and bamboo and the pot are placed on a tray sur- tongs all making an appearance. The rounded by as many cups as there are brewing process, too, is described as guests; the cups are small, and the tray having several steps: arranging the im- is like the full moon. Apart from this, plements, boiling the water, adding the there are also pottery vessels called wa tea, pouring on the water, wetting the cheng (瓦鐺), a palm fiber mat, a pa- teapot, pouring and then tasting the per fan and a pair of bamboo tongs; tea. From this description of the del- all are simple and elegant. The pot, icate teaware and painstaking process, tray and cups are all beautiful old ones, it’s easy to see why the phrase “gongfu valuable treasures; they are common tea” is used to describe this Wuyi Cliff on the boats but difficult to obtain. Tea brewing and drinking method. First, spring water is poured into the Although Chaozhou is the main wa cheng, and then heated with fine place featured in Yu Jiao’s Mengc- charcoal until it begins to boil. The hang Miscellaneous Writings: Scenes tea from Fujian is put into the pot and of Chaozhou, the gongfu tea brewing water is poured in; the lid is put on, method certainly wasn’t limited to and more water is poured on top. Then Chaozhou. It may have started there, the tea is poured and sipped delicate- but very quickly spread. Gao Jiheng ly. It has a strong fragrance, even more (高繼珩, 1797–1865), also known by marvelous than if one were chewing on the pseudonym Ji Quan (寄泉), wrote plum blossoms themselves; those who the An Unofficial History of Diejie (蝶 gulp it down or drink it only as part 蝔外史) in 1854. The section enti- of the finger-guessing game cannot tled “Gongfu Tea” says the following: truly taste its distinctive flavor. I have “Gongfu tea is most prolific in Fuji- also seen two boats on the river, with an; it is produced on the mountains owners from Wanhua, decorated with of Wuyi; after harvesting it is scented tea drinking poems. One goes, ‘The with flowers. The pots used are all Yix- banquet finished, I return home late ing sand-clay pots; they come in many by the light of the full moon; I remove styles, made by Gong Chun and Shi my outer robes and sit alone to see out Dabin. Every tea has its pot; a stove and the waning evening. To my left, the a long-handled pot are used to heat the beloved daughter of our household, water until the third stage of boiling. most accomplished, brews phoenix tea First come the crab-eye bubbles, then

51/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part II it is poured onto the teapot, starting by Xu Ke (徐珂, 1869–1928), who Tea brewing method that was popular from the top and pouring it all over, also mentions that “gongfu tea is in in the coastal regions of Fujian and to bring out the fragrance of the tea. vogue in Fujian and can also be found Guangdong, with its delicate teaware The cups are like (those used for) yel- in eastern Guangdong; it is present and complex process. So, by the late low rice wine; a cup is offered to each all over the three prefectures of Ting- Qing, the term “gongfu tea” had two guest, who sips at the small drop of tea zhou, Zhangzhou and Quanzhou in meanings, denoting both high-qual- inside it, savoring and pondering the Fujian and the prefecture of Chaozhou ity Wuyi Cliff Tea and its associated subtlety of its flavor. If one drinks the in Guangdong. The brewing meth- brewing method. It’s worth noting tea in one gulp, one will know nothing od originally comes from Lu Yu’s Tea that although the use of “gongfu tea” of the flavor; a respectful guest avoids Sutra, and the teaware is finer.” So, this to denote the Wuyi Cliff Tea brewing such behavior.” gives us a picture of the spread of the method first appeared during the mid- Like Yu Jiao, Gao Jiheng also gives gongfu tea brewing method through- Qing Dynasty, the brewing method it- a detailed description of the gongfu out the various prefectures of Guang- self certainly didn’t pop up suddenly in tea brewing and drinking method, in- dong and Fujian. the mid-Qing; its origins can be traced cluding warming the pot, preparing In summary, historical records in- back to the teapot-brewing methods of and placing the tea, adding water and dicate that the phrase “gongfu tea” was the late Ming. Therefore, there is much pouring it over the pot, and so forth; used earlier on to refer to high-quality missing from the historical records this time, the location of the tea ses- Wuyi Cliff Tea, with its complicated concerning the origin of gongfu tea. sion is Fujian. Another description of manufacturing process. Around the Different traditions record their own this gongfu brewing method appears middle of the Qing Dynasty, the mean- histories as well, so there is no one way in the Qingbai Collection (清稗類鈔) ing extended to include the Wuyi Cliff of “gongfu tea.”

Cliff Tea then and now... Oolong is the most difficult tea to make, and Wuyi Cliff Tea is the pinnacle of all oolongs. The craftsmanship has continued for cen- turies—each step painstakingly monitored as the tea is crafted with great skill, or “gongfu.” Indeed, the birth of such oolong tea is one of the three reasons that “gong- fu” brewing began, for tea crafted with such heart and devotion demands that the brewer respect the hard work of the farmers, from leaf selection through the night of processing. In our tradition, we talk about two other forces that helped create and inform the creation of this brewing method: the martial artists of southern China (their philosophy, cosmology and lifestyle) and an ideal of simplicity/fru- gality. Large pots and bowls were expensive and wasted such precious teas. These simple people wanted to use a small amount of tea and brew it in a way that one could be satisfied after a single pot.

52 Taiwan Tea History Section Five: Archaeology & Qing Dynasty Gongfu Teaware

During the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan’s ship to other existing pieces that are The Desaru( 迪沙如號) tea drinking customs were just as de- known today in places such as Taiwan scribed earlier by Lian Heng in A Dis- (the teaware customarily used by the The Desaru sank off the coast of cussion of Tea: “The tea drunk by the older generation and in the Chaozhou Johor in southeastern Peninsular Ma- Taiwanese is different to the tea from and Zhao’an brewing traditions), Ja- laysia in around 1845. Items excavated the central Mainland, but is the same pan, (the teaware used in tea from the wreck included over 50,000 as the tea from Zhangzhou, Quan- ceremonies), and the Mainland Chi- blue and white porcelain spoons and zhou and Chaozhou. There are many nese provinces of Fujian and Guang- all sorts of other everyday ceramics, people from these three places living dong (various pieces that have been many of which were Yixing pottery. in Taiwan, so the prevalent habits are passed down or excavated). This cargo Among these were several hundred also similar.” Therefore, historical re- is undoubtedly an outstanding source Yixing teapots, most of which were cords of tea customs from Fujian and of first-hand historical data regarding pear-shaped pots and straight-spout- Guangdong during the Qing Dynasty the Yixing teapot trade and gongfu tea ed flat-bellied pots, and one Zisha can also provide evidence as to what culture. tea leaf jar. The Zisha teapots found tea customs in Taiwan looked like The gongfu teapots aboard the Tek aboard the Desaru gave us some very at the time. This section will discuss Sing are Meng Chen pots; they were interesting information: they are made th two 19 century trading ships which all made in Yixing, some from pur- from the “pure” Qingshui clay (清水 met with misfortune and sank in the ple-sand zisha (紫砂) clay and some 泥) and red-brown Hongzong clay (紅 waters of Southeast Asia after setting from red zhuni (朱泥) clay. They vary 棕泥) commonly used to make Zisha out from Xiamen. The two ships were in size, with a capacity ranging be- teapots in the Jiangnan region; yet they each carrying a significant amount tween 120 and 220 milliliters. There are made in the most traditional gong- of teaware, and have thus become an are over ten different shapes of pot, fu teapot shapes—pear-shaped and the invaluable source of archaeological roughly representing all the main straight-spouted flat-bellied shape— artifacts. In addition, the custom of gongfu teapot shapes. Most of them including teaware among the buri- are signed on the bottom with the al objects in tombs in the Zhangpu words “Made by Meng Chen (Meng region of Fujian has provided anoth- Chen zhi, 孟臣制)” in raised xingkai er source of archaeological material. (行楷) semi-cursive regular calligraph- ic script, and some of them also bear a stamp in zhuanshu (篆書) seal script. The time of manufacture was the late The Tek Sing( 泰興號) Jiaqing period (the Jiaqing Emperor reigned from 1796–1820). The craft- The Tek Sing sank in 1822 off the ing techniques displayed on these pots coast of . Of all the shipwrecks are identical to those of the zhuni clay discovered to date, the Tek Sing (also pots excavated from Qing Dynasty sometimes called the “De Shun Hao, tomb sites throughout southern Fuji- 得順號") has proved the richest an. This shipment of gongfu teapots source of information about gongfu are classic Meng Chen pots, with the tea culture. Nowhere was gongfu tea craftsmanship displaying a certain level more prevalent in the Qing Dynasty of skill; at the time they would have than in the coastal areas of Fujian and been classed as mid- to high-end com- Guangdong, and Xiamen was one of mercial products. They were mainly the region’s major hubs; so the gongfu sold on the domestic market in Fuji- teaware that this large trading ship was an and Guangdong and on the export carrying when it set out from Xiamen market among overseas Chinese in is of great significance. These wares Southeast Asia. This also implies that included pottery items such as Yixing the customers who bought them were clay teapots by the maker Meng Chen, all well versed in traditional gongfu tea tea stoves, sand-clay sidehandle pots, customs, and likely belonged to the and water jugs; they also included por- middle to upper socioeconomic strata celain items such as blue and white of the overseas Chinese settlements. porcelain teacups, porcelain bowls, By this time, gongfu tea brewing had gaiwans and tea trays inscribed with spread throughout the diaspora, reach- tea poems. Besides these, there were ing Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan as also a few tin tea cannisters. These tea well—everywhere that oolong tea was implements all display a clear relation- drunk and enjoyed.

53/ Taiwan Tea History: The Qing Dynasty, Part II 考古學和清朝功夫茶具 and have a relatively large capacity. kind was the tomb of Lan Guowei A number of historical relics were Moreover, the Zisha purple-sand clay (藍國威, ?–1756) at Qianyuan Vil- also excavated from another tomb in teapots found on the Desaru bear over lage in Chiling Township, Zhangpu Zhangpu County, dating from some thirty different makers’ marks, all in County, Fujian. Among the artifacts time during the late Qianlong to the the inscription style typical of Zisha unearthed at the tomb was a gong- early Jiaqing era. Among these artifacts pots from Jiangnan. So, we can con- fu tea set, including a hexagonal tea was another gongfu tea set, including clude that this batch of Yixing teapots tin containing tea leaves and a slip of four classic blue and white porcelain are a hybrid of the purple-sand clay paper with the brand name Su Xin Ruo Shen Collection brand teacups, a pots of Jiangnan and the gongfu tea- (素心) written on it. There was also a Meng Chen zhuni clay teapot and a pots of Fujian and Guangdong, blend- Kangxi-era porcelain tea tray decorated green celadon glazed porcelain tea tray. ing elements of the tea culture of both with landscapes and figures painted in The glaze is applied down to the foot regions. ink, four small white porcelain teacups of the tray, which is the only part ex- bearing the mark Ruo Shen Collection posed, and displays a pattern of large (若深珍藏), and a small Yixing zhuni cracks. Experts believe that it dates to clay teapot. Judging by the tea stains the Yongzheng or Qianlong era during The Gongfu Teapots on the inside, this pot had evidently the Qing Dynasty. Excavated in Fujian seen many a brew over the years. When put together, all these items make up In southern Fujian, when someone a full set of implements for a gongfu died, it was traditional to bury the tea- tea session, so during his lifetime, Lan pot and teaware that they used during Guowei was clearly a tea enthusiast. their life with them in their tomb. The And he loved tea so much, these wares most well-known excavation of this traveled with him in to the afterlife.

Left are kettles and stoves from the Tek Sing, and above are gongfu pots and wares from the Desaru. They aren’t great for making tea anymore, though.

54 Aging Oolong醇 Tea Well

Master Tsai shares his decades of wisdom with regards to stor- 老 ing Taiwan tea. It should be noted that this article is in reference to storing Taiwanese tea, not puerh or black tea, which would involve very different advice.

茶人: Tsai Yizhe (蔡奕哲) 茶

ecause of their health benefits, ter sources are not worthy of a fine tea. tea are in part caused by breakdown old and aged teas can be quite When roasting tea cakes, if the outside of the lipids in the tea leaves, which expensive. Some of the old teas is done while the inside is still raw, one constitutes around 5–8% of the leaf. Bbeing sold are genuine, but some are has more practice to do. Do not grind For oxidation to occur, the tea needs a not, and without a certain amount of the tea leaves into too fine a powder. certain amount of water to act as an in- experience, you may risk spending an Neither stirring boiling water with termediary; so in humid atmospheres, exorbitant amount of money on an old jerky motions nor too vigorously is tea will quickly oxidize to the point tea that may be harmful to the health. proper brewing. One must stir grace- that it becomes acidic. In fact, when So, rather than relying on old tea of fully and smoothly. And lastly, drink- tea processing is newly completed, the uncertain origins supplied by some- ing tea only in one season, like during water content in the tea leaf is around one else, it’s better to choose a properly the summer yet not much in winter, 3–4%; at this point, the water content made organic tea and age it yourself. is not conducive to a true understand- forms a monolayer and any moisture In his Tang Dynasty Tea Sutra, or ing of tea.” Any of these missteps mean in the outside atmosphere is not easi- Cha Jing (茶經), tea saint Lu Yu (陸 that “the tea will become undrink- ly absorbed. If the tea leaf is carelessly 羽) says the following: “There are nine able!” Wouldn’t it be a great pity to put somewhere without careful protec- skills one must master in a life of tea: have the good fortune to master these tion, it will gradually absorb moisture processing the leaves, discrimination nine challenges, yet not manage to from the atmosphere; when the water of quality, understanding the utensils store the tea successfully? In his Record content rises above 5%, the free water and their use, preparing the proper of Tea (茶錄), Song Dynasty author will introduce oxygen into the leaf, and fire, understanding and selecting suit- Cai Xiang (蔡襄) has this to say about the leaf will gradually become acidic. able water, proper roasting of the tea, storing tea leaf: “It loves bamboo leaf When the water content rises above grinding the tea into powder, brewing and fears medicines; loves cool, fresh 6%, water will coagulate in the cap- the perfect elixir and drinking the tea. air and loathes humidity. It loves clean illaries of the leaf fiber, transforming To pick leaves on cloudy days and roast solitude and dreads perfumes and them into water channels. This speeds them at night is not the sign of skillful odors.” Clearly, there are a lot of things up the effect of the oxygen and the tea processing. To but nibble the tea to be careful of when planning to age process of acidification. So tea leaves leaves and sniff their fragrance is not your own tea. must generally be roasted to dry them truly discerning quality. Pots used for The Ming Dynasty Tea Chest (茗 before packaging for storage, ensuring cooking or bowls that smell of food 笈) by Tu Benjun (屠本畯) emphasizes the water content is reduced to below are not appropriate implements for that: “Tea has its own spirit, and must 5%. (A traditionally-processed oolong brewing tea. Similarly, firewood con- be carefully protected; just like a new- is perfect for this, as it will have been taminated with oil or mere kitchen born baby, how could one not protect properly roasted. All oolong was made coals are not suitable for brewing tea, it?” To explore this in terms of modern to be aged back in the day, at least as either. Rapidly moving or stagnant wa- science, the qualitative changes in the long as it was being drunk.)

55

Aged & Aging Oolong

In another Ming Dynasty work, earthen jar. Tamp it down lightly and son, a fire will be needed to keep the the Zhang Boyuan Tea Records (張伯 compress it using a bamboo-leaf lining. tea dry.”) 淵茶錄), author Zhang Yuan (張源) Use repeated layers of bamboo leaf and In his Commentary on Tea (茶疏), points out that: “When tea is newly paper to seal the mouth of the jar, then Ming Dynasty author Xu Cishu (許 made, it starts out fresh green in col- use a heated brick to press it down, 次紓) mentions that when storing tea, or. If it is not stored properly, first- and place it into a cha yu. It must not one must be careful to “pack the tea ly it turns darker green, secondly it be stored near drafts or flame; being solidly, and wrap it tightly with thick turns yellow, thirdly it turns black and near drafts will make it too cold, while bamboo leaf. The mouth of the jar fourthly it turns white. Drinking such being near flame will make it prema- must be sealed with more bamboo leaf tea can cause stomach cold and even qi turely yellow.” (A cha yu, 茶育, was a and wrapped with paper.” Aside from deficiency.” So, these changes that oc- special container described thus by Lu the container, an even more important cur in the tea are not simply a question Yu in the Cha Jing: “A covered wooden requirement is the storage location: “It of taste—they can also have negative storage container, called a yu, is used to should be kept in a place where people effects on the health. Zhang Yuan also preserve tea cakes. It has bamboo walls often sit or lie nearby. This way it is raises the question of storage methods: covered in a paper finish. There are near to human energy, and will be kept “To start, the tea must be dry. First, put partitions and racks in every chamber. at room temperature and not become it in an old box, and seal up any gaps Below, there is a door. Behind the door too cold. It should be kept in a wood- by wrapping it with paper. Wait three there is a fan and a stove with constant en storehouse, not an earthen cellar; days for the tea to recover its original low heat. This maintains the freshness wooden storehouses are warm and state, and then dry it again over a low of the cakes. However, for people liv- dry, while earthen cellars are humid. flame; when it has cooled, pack it in an ing in the South, during the rainy sea- [The storage location] should also be

57/ Aging Oolong Tea Well well-ventilated; do not keep it in a hid- it usually displays certain changes: the well-aged tea, we must be sure to ob- den, closed-in space, as it will tend to color becomes darker, the fragrance serve the following points: be too humid.” Another author of the and taste grow weaker, and the tea may same era, Luo Lin (羅廩), mentions in even spoil or go moldy! Tea Explained (茶解) that “tea is ab- Tea leaf has a high capacity to absorb 1. Dry the tea thoroughly before storing sorbent and easily contaminated; any odors and moisture, mainly because it (or choose a well-processed oolong); smelly, dirty or strongly scented items the leaf is composed of dry matter with must not be kept near it. The fragranc- a loose structure and many capillaries. 2. Store it in dry conditions; es of different teas should also not be According to research, many of the 3. Avoid sudden changes in tempera- allowed to mingle together.” So, choos- substances in tea are hydrophilic in na- ture; ing a good storage container is very ture, including tea polyphenols, esters, important: “Any vessel used for storing proteins and sugars. Under the influ- 4. Avoid contaminating the tea with tea must be used only for tea from be- ence of the absorbed moisture, the tea other odors; ginning to end; it should not be used polyphenols, ascorbic acid, esters and for other purposes.” Luo Lin also says so forth all undergo varying degrees of 5. Avoid direct sunlight. that “stored tea should be kept suitably oxidation. Because of these characteris- cool and dry. If it is too damp, the fla- tics, we must be careful about what we vor will change and the fragrance will store together with the tea when aging In short, “tea should be finely diminish; if it is too hot the flavor will it; otherwise, the flavor of the tea can processed, stored in a dry place and become bitter and the tea will turn yel- very easily be contaminated or spoiled. brewed cleanly. Fine; dry; clean: these low.” If tea is not stored appropriately, To store our tea properly, resulting in are at the heart of the Way of Tea.”

The principles that Master Tsai is suggesting actually apply to the storage of most all tea, especially for long-term storage. Puerh and Black tea do have some humidity requirements, but the other aspects remain the same. Interestingly, we have found, like Xu Cishu, that the tea needs positive human energy nearby.

58 Special Offer Age Your Own Oolong Tea 陳化自己的烏龍茶

e have some great news ly roasted, lending them a warming nately, the region temporarily lost its for those of you interested Qi and flavor that’s ideal for autumn way when lighter oxidation, unroast- in aging some oolong: and winter. Better yet, they love to be ed oolongs came into fashion in the WWe are offering this year’s Old Man infused many times, so they’re perfect 1980s, and many traditional processes Dong Ding in a small quantity with for warming up a few hours on a cool were cast aside in favor of the prospect very special Yixing jars for aging. We morning, or just after the increasingly of higher profits. In an attempt to com- have had Yixing jars made from for- early sunsets of the season. pete with the success of nearby San Lin ty-year-old clay, each one packed with According to local folklore, the Xi high mountain oolongs, the farmers roughly 600 grams of Old Man Dong original Dong Ding tea bushes were of Lugu cast aside their traditional pro- Ding. Every one of these limited jars brought to Taiwan around 1855. Leg- cesses, and many lost the knowledge will have a Metta Sutra (慈經) inside. end has it that a government official and skills behind traditional oolong After cleaning the jars, we will fill them named Lin Fong Tse traveled to Wuyi roasting entirely as a new generation of with tea and put in the Metta Sutra. and came back with thirty-six Qing farmers took over. Perhaps even worse We will also provide a traditional Jap- Shin (清心, “purified heart” or “ten- yet, the loss of traditional processing anese cloth to each jar and protect the der heart”) varietal tea plants. He gave methods coincided with a switch to tea inside. Unlike puerh, oolong ages twelve of these trees as a gift to a friend conventional farming. Realizing that well anywhere. It doesn’t need a hot, in Nantou, who then planted the trees they couldn’t compete with the aroma humid climate. In fact, the less humid- amongst the gorgeous views outside of high mountain oolong (which is, by ity the better. All of the proceeds from the Nantou town of Lugu. Some of the way, the best thing high mountain these fifty jars will go to support the those original plants are still around oolong has going for it!), they began to building of our new center, Light today, and although a few of them pump their plants full of fertilizers in Meets Life. have been overly taxed by cuttings for an attempt to increase their profit mar- “Dong Ding (凍頂)” comes from cloned bushes, there is still reverence gins by drastically increasing amounts. the same place as the original Dong for them in the area, and small offer- Much of the land surrounding Lugu Ding bushes—Wuyi Mountain in Chi- ings can sometimes be seen strewn was scorched with harsh chemicals in na—and it means “Frozen Summit.” around their roots. the decade or so after this shift, and As the name suggests, this tea knows In the many years since the arriv- some of it remains fallow or seriously how to handle a chill in the air, and al of these twelve plants in Nantou, damaged today. it can help you do the same. (There is much work has gone into perfecting Traditional Dong Ding oolongs are another local story for how it got its the processing of this distinctive vari- processed in a specific way requiring name, suggesting that the “Dong” re- etal of tea. Nantou County tea makers great skill. They are typically oxidized fers to the flexing in the calf muscles (especially those around Lugu) have around thirty percent and rolled into required to get up the cliffs to the trees, mastered the art of charcoal roasting a semi-ball shape during a process as it sounds identical to that word in and garnered immense respect for their of rolling and shaping, roasting and the local, Taiwanese dialect.) Tradi- medium-oxidized, dark roasted Dong re-rolling. The rolling is a process of tional Dong Ding oolongs are expert- Ding oolongs in the past. Unfortu- repeated rolling or kneading, requiring

59 凍 頂

Metta Sutra in each jar.

strength and endurance. It’s often left tea production has since been handed Like all fine oolong, this tea is pro- to strapping young men who work as over to his son. Though the decades of cessed mostly by hand. It is picked and bamboo harvesters during the off-sea- tea oils soaked into the old man hands withered, indoors and out. The defin- son. The roasting is repeated firing, and would have attracted any Chajin, every ing characteristic of oolong tea is in the the shaping is done with a cloth bag to time they shared tea, Master Tsai no- shaking, which bruises the edges of the produce the ball-shape. These process- ticed that the oolong was very different leaves. This causes cellular breakdown es are managed by an experienced tea than what he was buying. After getting that further semi-oxidizes the tea. master who can evaluate the tea’s oxi- to know the old man better, Master Oolong is then fired to arrest oxida- dation levels by appearance and aroma Tsai inquired about this tea. The old tion and de-enzyme the tea. After that at each step of the way. man admitted that their farm was pro- it is rolled to further break down the After the tea has been processed, it ducing a relatively traditional Dong cells, release the juices and to shape the is given a final “finishing roast.” The Ding oolong compared to what is tea. Striped oolong is rolled across the lengthy firing process is traditionally available in the market nowadays, with ridges of a bamboo tray, like the Wuyi done in a charcoal fire pit with char- more oxidation and roast. But to him tea we sent out earlier this year. Ball- coal from longyen (龍眼, dragon eye) it still was not “traditional” enough. shaped oolong, like this month’s tea, is trees. During charcoal roasting, the tea He liked his tea as it had been made rolled in a twisted-up cloth bag, which is placed in a woven bamboo tray or long ago when he was young. So ev- compresses and shapes the tea. Finally, basket over a stone pit. In the stone pit, ery year he would process some of the and perhaps most importantly, oolong embers gleam from beneath a thin lay- tea for his own enjoyment, retiring in tea is roasted, which seals in the flavors er of ash. The embers must be contin- style, as it were. and lends it depth. This stage also pro- ually adjusted to get the right tempera- After a few years and more rapport, tects the tea for storage/aging. ture and to keep smoke to a minimum Master Tsai asked if he could commis- This is one of our all-time favor- throughout the roasting. sion some of the tea the old man was ite teas. It is deep, fragrant and has a Since the Black Dragon first flew— enjoying, since he too preferred the long-lasting satisfaction. The Qi moves and oolong means “Black Dragon”—it taste of tradition. The farmers agreed to the head and uplifts you, leaving traditionally had a high degree of ox- and “Old Man Dong Ding” was born. you stranded with the dragons. It tastes idation and roast. Oolong has always There are three tea-growing areas of nuts, plums, dates and often of Chi- meant semi-oxidized tea, but the range in Dong Ding. The highest is called nese medicine. It is an excellent candi- of oxidation was much more narrow in Fong Huang, which is a newer area. date for long-term storage! the olden days. Traditionally-processed Then, the oldest farms are in an area oolongs are way better for aging. called Zhong Ya. The lowest farms are As Master Tsai would travel to in Yong Long. Our tea is from Zhong Each Amazing Jar Dong Ding to get his different organ- Ya, which is considered to be the “true ic teas, he would sometimes drink tea Dong Ding,” and definitely the place is $200 + Shipping with the old, retired grandfather that where you could find an old man still lived on the farm, Master Su. All the making tea in the traditional style! www.globalteahut.org/dongding

60 TeaWayfarer Each month, we introduce one of the Global Tea Hut members to you in order to help you get to know more people in this growing international community. It’s also to pay homage to the many manifestations that all this wonder- ful spirit and Tea are becoming as the Tea is drunk and becomes human. The energy of Tea fuels some great work in this world, and we are so honored to share glimpses of such beautiful people and their Tea. This month, we would like to introduce Erika Houle.

feel honored to share my Tea journey with you. It is my wish that we get to share many bowls together in person I one day... Tea’s journey into my life is very much inter- twined with my partnership with Gordon. Tea first came into my life in 2009 when Gordon served her in a class he was teaching. Although I was interested in the metaphor he was using to demonstrate, the tea honestly gave me a headache. But I knew I wanted to befriend Gordon, so I kept an open mind. Over the years we got to know each other better as we prepped materials for his class and worked on films together. Tea was an ever present companion too as we slurped many cups while tediously binding slides or warming our bones on snowy film shoots with a thermos. In a natural course we began dating. During the early stages of courtship we decided to go on an adventure together because Gordon had never taken a vacation since graduating high school. After hearing many stories about some weirdo in Taiwan who had dedi- cated his life to Tea, I suggested we go visit him. (Only years later have people pointed out to me how odd it was to visit a Zen monk as a romantic getaway.) Upon arriving in Taiwan we learned that Wu De had just 茶人: Erika Houle transformed his home into the Tea Sage Hut. To our surprise we ended up spending much of our visit working, packing the This June, Gordon and I went to the Tea Sage Hut to sit fourth issue of Global Tea Hut into envelopes, and running a course. Through the service and guidance of those serving errands for the Center. Any conventional sense of romance at the Hut, I learned a lifetime of lessons from Tea. Those ten was dashed, yet we still enjoyed ourselves. Gordon and I days were the most profoundly transformative of my life. The hoped to get a bit of private time on a trip to Taroko Nation- process of release was intensely painful, yet incredibly heal- al Park. However, due to financial and logistical constraints, ing. Since returning home I see a marked difference in my Wu De ended up generously driving us there. My favorite ability to navigate life, work, and relationships more skillfully. part of the trip was the night we all shared a cabin. While Witnessing what it means to live a life of service was incred- Gordon was changing, Wu De caught a peek and exclaimed, ibly inspiring and has already helped me serve my film stu- “Wow, Gordon! You are one hairy little dude!’ dents in a deeper and more profound manner. The discipline For the next few years, Tea gradually seeped more and and self-accountability I have continued to develop have sup- more into our lives through Global Tea Hut. In 2015, I began ported me in allowing challenges to polish rather than hard- organizing tea gatherings which slowly and organically grew en me. One of the most radical changes I experienced was our tea community. Then, in 2016, we invited Wu De to be internalizing the lesson that the only issue is my orientation the officiant at our alchemical union celebration. Together to an issue. A funny example of this was how my first trip to we devised a ceremony which of course included Tea. From Taiwan was nearly ruined by how I allowed mosquitoes to that moment on She poured like a fountain into my life. bother me. This time I learned to love and appreciate them The weeks following our celebration were spent managing because their itchy bites helped me focus on my breath better fourteen workshops and ceremonies for Wu De to lead, after in meditation. I actually miss the little suckers. which our New York City Tea community blossomed. This Inspired to give back and learn more about a life of Tea gave me a blessed opportunity to serve the community with and service, I have decided to return to the Hut to serve a my organizing skills by hosting regular gatherings alongside course before I begin a new job. I look forward to meeting other Tea brothers and sisters. This has offered tremendous some of you there. And, of course, a bowl of tea is always opportunity for growth. waiting for you at our home in Brooklyn.

61/ TeaWayfarer Inside the Hut

Coming Soon to Global Tea Hut Magazine

茶主题: Tea & Diet 茶主题:Classics of Tea 茶主题:Sun Moon Lake & Elevation 茶主题:Masterpiece Era Puerh

Global Tea Hut is looking for an SEM and We are looking for a PR person with experience Facebook ad professional to help us set up and opti- who can help us spread the word about Global Tea Hut. mize evergreen SEM and Facebook campaigns in order The job entails contacting blogs, magazines and other to reach people we might not otherwise reach. We want periodicals to send sample months to review, and try- to work with someone who is deeply experienced in this ing to facilitate interviews for articles, radio, television, field, and who will be thoughtful and loving. Volunteers podcasts, YouTube channels, etc. Also, if you know have done a great deal of the groundwork already. We anyone with a podcast or video channel who would need the right person to take their efforts the last mile. fit us and would be interested in interviewing Wu De For compensation we can offer tea and a small mone- or another student, please let us know. Help us get the tary consideration. Let us know if you can help! word out and grow this amazing community!

Wu De will be teaching at Esalen from Decem- ber 7 to 9. The course is full, but there are off-site spaces still available. You can find out more information at: www.esalen.org Center News Before you visit, check out the Center’s Check out our live broadcasts on Facebook, In- website (www.teasagehut.org) to read about stagram and soon YouTube, which we do every month. the schedule, food, what you should bring, etc. Also, check out our “Life of Tea” podcast on Sound- Make sure you apply early for courses as they cloud and “Brewing Tea” video series on YouTube! fill up fast. This is why we need a bigger, more awesome Center.

We have created a vast array of teaware for this We have opened all the ten-day courses community, both for bowl tea and gongfu tea. There are to service! This is exciting for those of you who also some amazing Light Meets Life teas this year, in- have already taken a ten-day course and want to cluding a gorgeous shou puerh, some dian hong cakes, come serve one. You can apply on the website. a sheng puerh and an aged Liu Bao as well! This is also another way to visit if a course is full!

We have a whole new crew at the Tea Sage Hut living and serving. We are moving towards one-year internships for students for who have October Affirmation sat and served some courses and are willing to I am compassionate on my future self volunteer in this way. If you are interested in a future spot, email us for more information. Many of the habits I create or reinforce now will influence my future self, becoming an encourage- We are saving up to buy or lease a van to ment or obstacle to growth. I succor habits that drive you around during service periods and to lead to character development and renounce those take you to the tea farm and mountain to fetch that are unwholesome for me. water during courses. www.globalteahut.org GLOBAL EA HUT The most historic Tea magazine in the world! Tea & Tao Magazine Sharing rare organic teas, a magazine full of tea his- tory, lore, translations, processing techniques and heritage, as well as the spiritual aspects of Cha Dao. And through it all, we make friends with fellow tea lovers from around the world.