Contents Issue Zero. 2018 Tea in Vietnam Pracce, Pracce, Brief Basics of Tea Culture Pracce... History and Tea in Huế Sharyn Johnston's Tea Snacks Principles 4 22 Buzz Tea The Cra from of a Tea Nerd Connoisseurship Cheryl Teo's Artwork Ruben Luyten's Stratagems 18 27 masterstalk issuezero.2018 Pilot issue Tea Master Cup, MastersTalk are registered trademarks of Tea Masters Cup Ltd. Founder and publisher: Editor-in-Chief: Tea Masters Cup Ltd. Olya Buhtz Reprinng of materials is allowed only by permission of the magazine. The reference to Editorial Address: MastersTalk magazine is obligatory. The Rooms 05-15, 13A/F, South Tower, World Finance Centre, editors don’t bear any responsibility for Harbour City, 17 Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, reliability of data placed in adversing blocks Hong Kong or announcements. The editor’s point of view +85281928853 may not coincide with the author’s point of e-mail: [email protected] view. All provided materials will not be returned or reviewed. www.masterstalk.online Contents Issue Zero. 2018 .online talk Tea Masters Cup Tea Internaonal Pilgrimage 2018 Aliona Velichko's masters Parcipants, categories, Adventures agenda, etc. 31 70 Tea Masters Cup Pairing Ideas. Chronicles Tea and Sherry Wine France Olga Nikandrova Kazakhstan & Denis Shumakov's Experiments 62 78 Turning Hobby Masters Talk: into Profession Going Green Dmitriy Green tea habits Filimonov's of tea masters Method 66 85 issuezero.2018 and winners, how they use the experience of Editor’s Word compeons and, naturally, about tea and tea Olya Buhtz culture. Work with tastes is universal and eclecc. Barista, bartenders, sommeliers, chocolaers, tea masters and other F&B professions never fix on one product or one culture. The exchange of tastes and informaon is absolutely necessary for professionals and appreciated by amateurs. These cross-cultural interacons are another key topic for MastersTalk. But the most important cross-cultural exchange is the exchange of ideas — producve ideas that are interesng to develop independently. That is why we appreciate interviews so much. Because people know and can what neither books nor Internet can know or can do. We will seek inspiraon. And when we find it, we'll MastersTalk magazine and related informaon pass it on to our readers. And here again our projects are a plaorm for professional authors (whom, in fact, we do not separate from communicaon of people working with tea, coffee, our readers) will help us. Aer all, specialists are wine, chocolate and other tasty things. All these valued not only for recipes, tricks and regalia. people talk about different subjects — but in the Behind them there is a sincere and inspiring interest same context. in their job. This context is consumer culture and ways of We plan to publish the magazine twice a year. And producve interacon with it to everyone's (people in order to while away the me in the intervals as well as culture) delight. Most likely, tea will be between the issues, we will do masterstalk.online — given more aenon in our magazine due to the a channel with professional and interesng tea (and close connecon of MastersTalk with the Tea not only tea) informaon. Masters Cup system of tea championships. We will Let's get together and talk! write about TMC tournaments, their parcipants 3 Vietnamese Tea in Brief Data and Figures Vietnam is one of top 10 tea producing countries in 34 tea planng provinces mostly situated in the the world. Annual tea producon comprises North Upland and Mountainous Region. For 185,000 tons (2017), tea export volume is 145,000 example Thái Nguyen, Ha Giang, Yen Bai, etc. Mostly tons (50% green and 50% black tea). Vietnamese Vietnamese tea is named aer provinces and tea are sold in 90 countries, leading buyers are villages they are grown in. 80% of Vietnamese tea is Afghanistan, Taiwan and Indonesia. produced by small tea farmers (500,000 households). Tea plantaons area in Vietnam is around 130,000 ha. There are 7 tea regions in the country: Vietnam produces all types of tea: from green to post-fermented, from commodity to specialty level, џ The North Upland and Mountainous Region; pure and flavored. Famous local Vietnamese tea: џ The Red River Delta Region; џ The North Central Coast Region; Suối Giàng Ancient green and white tea; џ The South Central Coast Region; џ Tà Xùa Ancient green tea (smoky old tea tree џ The Central Highland Region; leaves); џ The South East Region; џ Thái Nguyên green tea (the most popular tea in џ The Mekong River Delta Region. Vietnam); џ There is also a wide range of suitable soil for tea ÒŹÜĚŪŦŬŨĴ џ culvaon including: ÓŹȘĚĿUẀŬŨŪŦĴ џ Hà Giang red and white tea; џ Red brown soil on limestone (in northern џ Phú Thọ and Yen Bai black tea; mountainous areas) best for special tea; џ Shu and Sheng puerh-style tea from Hà Giang џ Yellow soil in clay schist (in the midland) best for and Dien Bien; commodity tea; џ Lotus tea. џ Yellow brown soil on basalt (in the Central The most popular tea within Vietnam is Thái Nguyên Highlands) best for Oolong tea. green tea. 4 The North Upland and Mountainous VITAS Region Vietnam Tea Associaon Since 1988 The Red River Delta Region 112 members, 4 centers, newspaper. Pushing forward the development of tea The North Central Coast Region farmers, enterprises, businessmen, coordinaon between enterprises, promong and supporng trading cooperaon. Running sustainable program for tea The South Central industry and work on WTO support, PPP Coast Region projects between Government and local private sector. Providing technical assistance for tea farmers and tea companies for developing The Central Highland Region standard (Organic, GAP, VietGap, RFA), tea safety, sustainable tea industry. Organizing domesc and internaonal tea The South promoon programs. East Region 92 Vo Thi Sau street, Hanoi, Vietnam tel: 844 625 0908, fax: 844 625 1801 [email protected], www.vitas.org.vn The Mekong River Delta Region 5 Oolong Lam Dong Vietnamese Oolong Tea The Red River Delta Region 6 issuezero.2018 Basics of Vietnamese Tea Culture Tea credit: Tran Thi Mong Kieu. Photo credit: Dinh Ngoc Dung Indigenous way of making and drinking tea Of course, this method of making tea ed down to tea trees and has no industrial prospects. And the The oldest way of preparing tea that exists in fact that it has survived to the present day and now Vietnam ll today is “nước chè tươi” (“nuoc che in Vietnamese villages you can easily try “nuoc che tuoi”, brewing fresh tea leaves). Families living in tuoi” is a true miracle. rural areas sll have their very own tea trees in the garden. They pick fresh tea leaves, wash them, Cultural influence soly crinkle, stuff in a pot and boil. Such a In the course of contacts with the Chinese for “spontaneous tea” is very refreshing and several years, Vietnamese people learned and invigorang. 7 Basics of Vietnamese Tea Culture pracced Chinese tea ceremony among people of guess which flower has scented his cup. Five flowers .online ranks, status and alike. used are Cuc (Chrysanthemum), Soi (Chloranthus talk erectus), Nhai (Jasmine), Sen (Lotus), Ngau (Aglaia Interacons with the European industrial approach odorata). Each session are limited to five people and created prerequisites for the development of each would have chance to taste all flavour though Vietnam's own tea industry. in different orders. masters Creave development A Local Specialty Along with absorbing the Chinese art of tea, the Vietnam has created a unique lotus tea, chè sen, a Vietnamese also created their own way of enjoying classic piece of gastronomic luxury. Difficult to the drink. Instead of using fragrant tea they used produce, it requires a large amount of me and plain tea and fresh flowers on a tea session. They resources. In order to make a kilogram of high use heat to scent flower's fragrance into tea cups quality lotus tea, you need about 1000 lotus then pour green tea into it. Each parcipant has to flowers. 8 issuezero.2018 Basics of Vietnamese Tea Culture The most beauful technology of lotus tea appear in almost every social acvies: from producon is to place tea leaves directly in the lotus wedding, to anniversary and ritual ceremonies. Of flowers for the night. But there are other course, tea in Vietnam is drunk at home, every day technologies, such as mixing tea with lotus stamens and for no specific reason, for example at breakfast. and leaving them like that overnight or joint And each family may have their own tea secrets. roasng of tea with stamens. All these procedures But the most striking part of the modern tea culture are repeated many mes and determine the rarity of Vietnam is public tea drinking. On the street tea and unique taste of Vietnamese lotus tea. is commonly sold in “quán cóc” (street vendors) Fesve and everyday life which can easily be found near bus or train staons, schools, offices or even in some corners in quiet No tea culture can be only expensive and rare. The alleys. “Quán cóc” with hot or iced green tea is the basis of tea culture is its mass character, key to understanding and developing Vietnamese accessibility and integraon into the daily and consumer tea culture. In these small, simple and fesve life of people. In Vietnam, tea is said to 9 Basics of Vietnamese Tea Culture affordable tea vendors, you can have tea on the go hours, without haste and hints that “a chair must .online or spend a few hours. It is here that centuries-old produce a profit”.