國際茶亭 September 2018 Extended Edition Pure禪茶tea

GLOBAL EA HUT Tea & Tao Magazine 國際茶亭 September 2018 Extended Edition Pure禪茶Tea

Sustainability Living Tea Organics Tasting Clean Tea GLOBAL EA HUT ContentsIssue 80 / September 2018 Tea & Tao Magazine Summer夏風 Wind

Month in and month out, we always recommend environmentally sustainable, clean teas. It is past time we took an extended trip through this topic, Love is as it is perhaps the most important tea discussion of them all, and maybe the most important for Changing the world humanity as well. And we need a special tea to drink along the way, of course. Bowl by bowl Features特稿文章 17 Pure & Organic Clean Tea 23 The Impact of Modern Agriculture 61 By Shen Su (聖素) 29 In an Awakened Heart By Wu De (無的) 39 To Taste the Sweet, We Must First Welcome the Bitter By Tsai Yizhe (蔡奕哲) 45 People Among Plants 03 29 By Pan Meiling (潘美玲) 57 Living Tea By Connor Goss 61 Organic Changes 73 By Wu De (無的) 73 Slow Is the Way By Ci Ting (慈聽) 81 Discussions of Pure Tea By Li Xingyao (李星瑤), Snow Yang (楊雪花), Chen Yuting (陳鬱婷) & Luo Huaikang (羅懷慷) 91 How to Taste Clean Tea Traditions傳統文章

03 Tea of the Month © 2018 by Global Tea Hut “Summer Wind,” Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea, 夏 All rights reserved. Beipu, Taiwan No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any 風 form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, pho- 61 TeaWayfarer tocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior Kristina Clark, USA written permission from the copyright owner. n September,From the heat in Taiwan starts to breakthe and rather than pureeditor consumerism. One of our goals for when we enter one of the best tea-drinking periods in the our future, bigger Center, Light Meets Life, is built is to year, where we can enjoy long morning sessions, late host annual gatherings for organic tea farmers throughout afternoon sessions and, of course, evening sessions— Asia. We will sponsor their trip to Taiwan, host them and Imaybe even outdoors if we can make space between ten-day allow them to hold a three-day forum, which we will then courses! The autumn means roasted oolongs, aged oolongs, record, video, photograph and write about, lending them a our beloved Cliff Tea from Wuyi, lots of boiled tea and we microphone to the world. This is just one way out of many start opening jars of aged puerh, especially those with some that we are committed to healthy tea that is good for the older, more mature leaves in the blend (huang pian, 黃片). Earth, good for the farmers that produce it and also good These teas align us with the season, and help bring Nature for us who drink it! indoors: through the doors of the Center and those of our We have chosen to go with the term “pure” as opposed being to help uplift our hearts. to “organic” for the title of this issue, which is a very im- The Moon Festival, or Mid-Autumn Festival (Zhongqiu portant choice. There are many levels of pure, clean tea, and Jie, 中秋節), is one of the most important Chinese holidays organic is just one. Organic certification has issues, and ul- of the year. The full moon of this month is considered to be timately is not advanced enough when it comes to making the largest of the year, and family members gather to have tea truly pure. But we also need clean tea in many qualities picnics or meals and stay up to see the full moon, which is a and amounts, so that tea lovers around the world can have symbol of abundance, harmony and luck. It is also a roman- access to healthy tea at various price ranges for different tic time, and you’ll see lovers out on benches holding hands, uses, all of which is good for the Earth, for farmers and for celebrating the fullest moon of the year. Chinese people eat those who consume it. And each of these levels has its own pomelo as a symbol of fortune and abundance. They are criteria determining what is “pure,” which we shall discuss huge and delicious, gifted to the center from many family in great detail throughout this issue! and friends. We also eat moon cakes, which are tradition- In most issues, we take for granted that you are all on al sweets with an egg yolk in the center, combining sweet board for clean, chemical-free tea and just lightly touch and salty—like life. (We prefer the ones without the eggs, these issues, usually in the Tea of the Month article. Now however, some of which are made with amazing pineapple we have a huge volume of pages where we can discuss these filling!) topics in greater depth than ever before, gathering together Though it means a lot of extra work, this is one of our years of articles and writings, along with new interviews, favorite times of year. This Extended Edition of Global Tea translations and research into the topic. Hopefully, this Hut is a chance for us to get into a single topic more deeply, work inspires you all to value the importance of your pur- making lasting contributions to the tea world. We do this in chasing decisions even more, and also motivates the farmers lieu of a gift. And we spend several months discussing and to continue their work or change their ways if they are wan- planning, thinking about which topic we’d like to explore dering destructive paths. This is for the good of all beings more fully, knowing that these issues are a big part of the ed- who share this planet, our beloved home! ucation in tea that Global Tea Hut provides. Our first year, September 2014, we created one of the largest English-language publications on puerh tea. Then, in 2015, we translated and annotated the entire Cha Jing (茶經) by the Tang Dynasty tea scholar, Lu Yu (陸羽). The hundreds of an- Wu De notations alone have made the translation a much-needed contribution to the scholarship of tea. In 2016, we released the largest English-language publication on Taiwanese tea, and in 2017 the achieved the same unprecedented coverage of Yixing history, lore, science, craft and art. This year, we decided to boil a deep and long cauldron –Further Reading– on sustainability and tea, pouring many bowls on this most-important topic. As all of you know, we are commit- This month, we recommend rereading the Sep- ted to clean, environmentally-friendly, organic and sustain- tember 2016 Extended Edition issue that was all able tea. All of the teas we send to you are free of agro- about Taiwanese tea, which was the same as last chemicals. We seek to support farmers who are going against month’s extended reading. We also recommend the current of industrialization and destruction in the name the Tea of the Month from May of this year. All of profit, those who continue traditional ethics, philoso- the past issues are now up in both .pdf and .html phy, skills and production methods out of a love for tea, versions on our website!

2 of the

ur Tea of the Month, Summer Wind, is an exceptional The production of oolong tea is the most complicated and Eastern Beauty (東方美人) from the birthplace of skillful of all tea production on Earth, and Eastern Beauty has Eastern Beauty in Northern Taiwan, Beipu (北埔). the most steps of any oolong, perhaps making it the most dif- Eastern Beauty is also known as White Bud Oolong (Bai Hao ficult tea on the planet to produce well. Because there are so Oolong, 白毫烏龍) and sometimes “Liar’s Tea (Peng Feng Cha, many steps, there are many areas where mistakes can make the 膨風茶). This is one of those amazing months you’ll be talking difference between a very fine tea or a mediocre one. This is about for some time, and a big part of what makes this Global why there are more than twenty grades of tea at Master Gu’s Tea Hut so special. It is great to connect people from all over factory. Starting right from harvest, the different types of the world to such amazing teas and farmers as this, and to see leaves are separated based on the quality. At various stages of how they in turn light up at the opportunity to share their craft the processing, any number of changes can make the difference with the whole world—bright honest smiles, and a true and between the very peak grades and a high to average tea. We will humble gift to our cause, and to you all, given from as pure discuss all the steps in Eastern Beauty production starting on a heart as there is. If you wonder what this hut is all about, the following page in our Deeper Session section. have a drink of this tea. And if you then lean back into a quiet Eastern Beauty is the highest oxidized of all Oolong teas, in satisfaction, we’ll meet there and have a smile with Master Gu part because it begins oxidizing on the tree before it is picked, Cheng Gan (古乘乾). Master Gu is one of the kindest and most and in part because of the arduous withering process that夏 be- skilled tea producers we have ever met. gins as soon as the tea reaches the tea processing plant from The first time we sent out Master Gu’s tea in 2012, we the field. Mr. Gu, his son and a helper sleep but a few hours visited him afterwards and he had a friend over for tea. He during the three weeks of annual Eastern Beauty production, turned to his friend after introducing us and with moist eyes as is the case with most traditional Oolong producers who still on the verge of tearing up he said, “They are drinking my tea follow Nature and harvest but once a year, as their entire year’s in Spain!” He was blown away by this community and by the income is dependent upon this tea. fact that his tea had traveled around the world—something he Summer Wind is a magical tea. Because of the dance be- couldn’t have seen in his wildest dreams. Imagine, then, how tween weather, mountain, insects and plant, it is the perfect thrilled he was this year, now that Global Tea Hut has expand- tea to accompany our Extended Edition on the environment ed to more than sixty countries! and clean, organic tea. It is a very rich tea, combining the en- The magic of Eastern Beauty starts with the leafhoppers ergy of plants and ecology, insects and the skill of people. The who bite the leaves in the early summer. There are enzymes in fragrance of Eastern Beauty is otherworldly. The flavors of this their saliva which cause the leaves to begin to oxidize before tea are also very complex, and different brewing methods pro- they are even picked, turning red around the edges of the bites duce very different teas, which means there is a lot of room to and growing at a crooked angle from the stem. These unique explore this magical tea. Also, our Tea of the Month is actually leaves are the ones used for Eastern Beauty. The plant responds from 2013, which means it is also aged, adding depth and com- by producing aromatic compounds that protect it, which also plexity to an already-rich tea experience! change the aroma and flavor of the leaves. This complex dance The energy is also rich, reflecting the rich ecology and between environment, insects, tea and human is amazing, and insect-plant-human relationship, which is there for all organic one of many awe-inspiring aspects of the tea world! We think teas, but more pronounced in this one. We recommend drink- it is the perfect tea for this month’s special issue. ing this tea outdoors, especially this time of year.

3 Summer Wind (夏風)

Beipu, Taiwan 東蟲吮方烏 Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea 美龍 Hakka 人 200–500 Meters

夏風 Tea of the Month

A Deeper Session Further Exploration into Our Tea of the Month

ver the course of this amaz- the sensual side of tea—exploring all from Nature. The plants create fruit so ing month of clean tea, from the wonderful flavors, aromas, mouth- that animals will eat it. The fruit is a 茶organic to living tea, we will feel and even Qi (氣) of all the teas we sweet message designed for the bodies Obe drinking one of the most marvel- drink. In fact, we think that since our of the animals that are attracted to eat ous and magical examples of Nature, Tea of the Month is amongst the most it, spreading the plants’ seeds around Heaven, Earth and Human work- delicious teas on Earth, it is worth dis- in gratitude for the nourishment given. ing together to craft the Leaf. East- cussing just how profound the sensual There are many instances of such sym- ern Beauty (東方美人), also called pleasures to be had in tea are in the life biosis in Nature, where plants attract “White Bud Oolong (白毫烏龍),” is of a Chajin. animals or insects with something they a rare and precious tea that has a flavor First and foremost, aroma and need, some message created for their and fragrance like no other. It is one flavor are part of our practice as they bodies, in exchange for propagation. of those magical teas that is so deli- connect us to our bodies and therefore And we are also a part of this great cious it inspires people to become tea to the present moment. The quieter we exchange, encouraging more tea lov- lovers. And the story of its creation is are, the more Tea rewards us. That may ers to drink tea so that farmers plant intriguing and magical. We also love sound like a funny way of saying this, more tea trees, and also devoting entire Master Gu and his work, which was but what we mean is that the more magazines to better and healthier ag- just the inspiration we needed for an focused and sensitive one is, the more riculture so that Her descendants can issue devoted to Mother Earth. He one experiences when drinking tea. In thrive in gardens that are happier and loves Nature and tea, and works tire- other words, if you increase your sen- healthier for them. It is no coincidence lessly to create healthy tea farms and sitivity, then you taste, smell and feel that tea is delicious and fragrant. It support tea culture and his Hakka her- more. This connection to the sensa- was engineered to reach us. The sen- itage. This will be an exciting tea for tions in the body can be very ground- sual pleasure evolved to attract us. This many of us, and one you will certainly ing, helping us to escape the endless is a part of Her language to us. It is appreciate more after you read a more stream of distracting thoughts we all through these senses that She commu- in-depth account of Master Gu and face, not to mention the distractions of nicates to us, as other plants do to an- this month’s tea. our lives, careers, etc. When the mind imals and insects, reminding us of the As do most of you, we at the Hut is quiet, the tea tastes richer and you Su Dongpo quote: “It is an exceedingly approach tea as an aspect of self-cul- notice subtle nuances you may have useful plant. Cultivate it and the ben- tivation, using the mindfulness of our never tasted before. And the tea also efits will be wide-spread; drink it and tea practice to live more peacefully helps us quiet down, relaxing us and the spirit of animals and Nature will be and true to our guiding principle. We taking us inward from smell to flavor, lively and clear.” also focus on tea as a Way (Dao, 道) from mouthfeel to gross sensations and of finding harmony within and with- then on to the subtle body, or energy, out; connecting to Nature through of the tea. This creates a loop where Master Gu Cheng Gan the mountains, rain, wind and sun in you quiet down and the tea helps you the leaves; and connecting to others quiet down more, and so on… Master Gu Cheng Gan (古乘乾) through our service. But just because We also find it very profound that is a fourth generation Eastern Beauty tea is primarily an aspect of our spiri- Nature has created something so at- farmer who has, like his father before tual practice does not mean we do not tuned to our senses as to bring bliss to him, worked incredibly hard to pre- thoroughly, completely and fully enjoy our bodies. This is a communication serve this amazing tea culture. Master

5/ Summer Wind Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea (夏風東方美人烏龍茶) Gu was born in the Year of the Rooster, The Hakka language and culture Beipu’s Eastern Beauty production. In 1969. He grew up amongst tea, har- are rich. They were one of the first 2000, Master Gu’s Bao Ji Tea Compa- vesting and processing from an early groups of Chinese to migrate to Tai- ny (寶記) bought back the first of sev- age. He is a Hakka, and much of his wan, coming in waves at the end of the eral abandoned Eastern Beauty farms, life’s work has been to preserve Hak- Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), and then cleared several hectares and planted ka culture. With the proceeds from throughout the Qing Dynasty (1644– saplings there. They have thrived and his tea, he promotes food, traditional 1911) as well. Today, they make up are beginning to produce tea again. crafts, music and the preservation of almost twenty percent of Taiwanese In 2006, they increased their holdings the Hakka language. Hakka people are people, the second largest ethnicity. to four large ecological gardens. They one of the reasons that Wu De chose They were the first ever agricultural- tend these gardens with great care Miaoli as home, and why the Center ists in Taiwan, as the aboriginals were even today. In April, they make green was built here. They are very hospi- hunters and gatherers. They settled in tea and a striped oolong that has only table, kind and simple people, with a Miaoli and Hsinchu at that time be- slightly been bug-bitten, like Nantou’s history of farming, and a love of the cause the land was wild and free for “concubine tea (gui fei cha, 貴妃茶),” Earth and each other. They really treat settlers. which Master Gu says was developed guests with sacred hospitality, which is In the 1970s, Taiwan’s booming through studying Eastern Beauty in the spirit of tea and our Center. And economy shifted from agriculture to Beipu. From May to August, they their story is a big part of Master Gu’s industry and technology. As the qual- make Eastern Beauty followed by red own story. ity of life rose dramatically, people tea. Master Gu says that red tea is eas- As many of you know, our Center, shifted from rural places like Beipu ier to make, so they produce it when Tea Sage Hut, is located in Miaoli, a to cities like nearby Hsinchu. More they are tired from hard work and lit- small town in northern Taiwan which and more people became interested tle sleep many days in a row, as well as is home to one of the largest concen- in culture as they grew more affluent. at the end of the season when the tea trations of Hakka people in the world. High mountain oolong from central quality drops. Hakka (客家) are actually Han Chi- Taiwan grew in popularity through- Master Gu’s son, Gu Yi Ping nese, mostly from Guangdong and Fu- out the island and beyond, so much so (古亦平) , was born in the Year of the jian. Their legends say that they came that most people think of such tea first Monkey, 1992. He has begun to take from the Yellow River Valley original- when they think of Taiwanese tea. The an active role in the family’s produc- ly, but Hakka people have been rather dwindling of land for tea plantations, tion, ensuring a future for Eastern nomadic for many centuries, migrat- migration to the city and the aging of Beauty tea and a fifth generation of ing throughout China and abroad. the tea farmers themselves threatened magical Bao Ji tea. It is returning to They are actually the largest diaspora the very existence of Taiwan’s Eastern popularity, and more people are dis- of Chinese people in the world, set- Beauty. There were some families who covering this amazing tea. tling Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, carried on, nonetheless, like Master Master Gu and his son are in- Singapore and the West. Traveling the Gu. credibly devoted to preserving the world, they came to call themselves Master Gu and his family worked environment, tea and traditional “Hakka,” which literally translates hard and expanded their tradition- tea processing, as well as Hakka cul- to “guest families,” even after they’ve al holdings to a neighboring field. ture. Their four farms are all organ- stayed in one place a long time, like With increased savings and years of ic, and run with sound ecology and Miaoli and Hsinchu. hard work, they were able to revitalize vibrancy that borders on living tea.

6 Tea of the Month Master Gu’s organic Eastern Beauty is utensils. They are gorgeous scoops and tions up in the high mountains that a real treat, as is any time in his com- teapot picks crafted by hand from old would later make Taiwanese tea so pany. He does a lot to promote sustain- Japanese and Taiwanese bamboo. famous. Most of Taiwan’s tea at that able agriculture that protects Nature time was exported, and was grown in and traditional culture. He is simple, the lower, flatter areas of the north- genuine and giving; and he enthusias- Beipu west, like Beipu. Here, they could have tically leapt at the opportunity to do- larger plantations and higher yields. nate some of his tea to our project and Beipu is a gorgeous valley in the It took some time to craft a tea that share it with all of you. His face lit up northwest of this Formosa, covered in met the high standards of foreign mer- when we told him people around the green fields and rice paddies set off by chants like Dodd, but eventually they world would have a chance to appreci- the occasional white crane soaring up achieved success and Formosa tea went ate his tea as much as we do. We hope from that brighter green to the dark on to international renown. that any of you who visit Taiwan get green of the surrounding mountains. Like all of the agriculturally-sane a chance to visit with him and share The mists are channeled into this val- centuries before this one, the farm- a traditional Hakka meal and some ley daily, and the loose soil is rich in ers of Taiwan of course grew all their amazing tea. As we mentioned above, nutrients. It’s no wonder that early tea organically. Unfortunately, a lot his tea center also does a lot to promote tea farmers chose this special place to of the valleys here that are perfect for and preserve other aspects of Hakka grow tea, knowing that the terroir here tea production—with excellent soil, culture, like food, ground tea (we have would produce a unique and amazing humidity and a rich and diverse ecol- a whole article about this in the January tea, but they couldn’t know just how ogy—were also perfect for Nature’s 2017 issue, leicha, 擂茶), pomelo tea special it would be… manifold insects. Most bugs, however, (red or oolong tea stuffed in pomelos In the nineteenth century, many are not particularly fond of tea as it is and aged; it is boiled with pieces of immigrants were crossing the strait bitter and produces tannins to protect the dried fruit as a throat medicine), from Fujian to start a new life in Tai- itself. Also, tea mountains are usually vinegar production, regional art and wan. Many started growing tea for ex- at high elevations where insects are less music and even bamboo tea utensils port, primarily to famous merchants of a threat. In Beipu and some other carved by hand. His son Gu Yi Ping is like John Dodd. At that time, there regions, however, there are large pop- o quite famous for making amazing tea weren’t yet any commercial planta- ulations of leafhoppers (茶小綠葉蟬,

古乘乾

7/ Summer Wind Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea (夏風東方美人烏龍茶) jassids, Jacobiasca formosana) that will Real farmers commune with the let alone sell it for more than regular eat tea in the late spring and summer land and converse with Nature. They spring tea, so his tea was called “Liar’s months. For that reason, the farmers listen to the tea trees, communicating Tea (Peng Feng Cha, 膨風茶),” which found their crops decimated every with them each and every day. They is still one of the common names used summer, and came to rely solely on the adapt and learn, growing and master- for this magical tea. harvest of other seasons. ing their processing techniques in re- They say that one legendary farm- sponse to trees each and every season. er refused to give up, and taught us all Even Master Gu himself, our modern Eastern Beauty: one of the pivotal lessons of a life of farmer who masterfully made this Cultivation tea, whether it be farming, producing month’s tea, has changed and adapted or preparing tea: all mastery of any art several processing steps to suit the tea Most oolong in Taiwan comes comes in doing that thing the way it of this particular age. from the Gentle Heart (Qing Shin, wants to be done, rather than how we After some experimentation, our 清心) varietal, which was originally feel it should be done. Rather than tell- legendary Qing Dynasty farmer de- brought to Taiwan from Wuyi. In the ing your tea how you want to prepare veloped a new and exciting kind of Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), when it, see how it wants to be prepared. This oolong that was processed in a way many Fujianese people were migrating is indeed a way to master life as well. that enhanced the bug-bitten sum- to Taiwan, it would have been danger- This mythical and unknown master mer leaves. While other farmers were ous to cut or steal seeds from one of didn’t quit; he adapted his production throwing away their crops, he sold it the famous varietals in Wuyi Moun- to Nature. Rather than complaining, all to John Dodd. As legend has it, this tain. Some trees were literally protect- or using chemicals to tell Nature what amazing tea was so good that it reached ed by law and others by custom and he wanted it to do, he adapted his pro- the august hands of Queen Elizabeth mores strong enough to deter a thief. cessing methods to suit this bug-bitten II, who was herself a great tea lover. Therefore, lesser known varietals like tea. This is, in fact, how all the world’s She reportedly favored the tea above Gentle Heart were taken. Qing Shin traditional tea processing evolved. It all others and named it “Eastern Beau- has since disappeared from Wuyi. wasn’t invented; it evolved in response ty.” They say that the farmer’s neigh- Though it was born abroad, its desti- to new varietals of tea. Processing and bors couldn’t believe that he was able ny and home was across the Strait in varietal go together. to sell the late-flushing, bug-bitten tea, Taiwan (like us). In Beipu and Miaoli,

Master Gu has purchased several abandoned tea gardens and allowed them to be free, ecological and completely organic. The bottom far left is a garden he recently purchased, and just in a couple years one can see tons of life returning—as the bushes grow up, the undergrowth thrives and an ecology returns to balance. He showed us a tree that had been decimated by bugs and assured us that the roots were healthy and the bugs would move on, leaving this tree to recuperate in a year or two. In a balanced ecology, heavy insect populations attract predators, and the ecology balances itself over time. If you think in years, there is always balance. Below is the leafhopper responsible for the magic of Eastern Beauty tea. Its bites begin the processing of this magical tea. Left is the perfect bud set: bitten, curled and already oxidizing.

8 Tea of the Month where Eastern Beauty is grown, two ing the firing, etc. Ultimately, this also main varietals are used, and both are means the foundation of all tea is the Summer Winds related to Gentle Heart: Huang Gan environment. As we will discuss often (黃柑), which literally means “Yellow in this issue, Wu De often says: “The Carry me away Mandarin;” and the more popular leaf is the tree’s expression of its rela- Over sea and mountain Qing Shin Da Mo (青心大冇), which tionship to its environment.” In order is “Gentle Heart Big Nothingness.” to make fine Eastern Beauty, the ecol- Past the stars They are both related to Qing Shin. ogy must be especially vibrant. This is Much more of Eastern Beauty due to the insects involved. To bring back hope comes from Qing Shin Da Mo. This Master Gu’s trees are far apart, with hearty tree produces the best qual- lots of healthy undergrowth. The trees ity, and flushes in late spring/early are mostly around thirty years old, but summer in Beipu, which is ideal for he says the oldest ones are seventy to I ’ll plant my hope Eastern Beauty. It is a clonal cultivar, eighty years old. A rich ecology filled And let it grow strong meaning that it is manmade, and was with tea trees always feels different. cultivated by the Tea Research and This may sound like rhetoric, but it Let it flush with leaves Extension Station (行政院農業委 is true, nonetheless. A recent guest to 員會茶業改良場) in their cultivar the center who is a very down to earth Of inspiration and joy series that began in the 1960s. Most man commented that it would be hard of their early research predated agro- to feel the same about a conventional chemicals and was oriented towards plantation ever again after visiting an I ’ll die into my hope creating heartier, insect-resistant trees old-growth ecological garden. You can that also had strong and high yields. feel the difference energetically, taste Offering my body Through the process, they also discov- it in the leaves, smell it in the aroma ered unique trees with special qualities of the tea and the soil if you bring it To be medicine and/or flavors, and these were also to your nose (clean farms smell dense favored in certain areas of Taiwan. and loamy, alive, while inorganic soil For the hearts Originally it was pronounced “Qing is powdery and has little to no odor), That live Shin Da You (same characters: 青心 hear it in the sounds of life all around 大冇),” which means “Gentle Heart and, of course, see the difference in the Past the stars in Abundance,” and the later, more abundant vegetation all around as well –Wu De popular “Big Nothingness” may be a as the richness of the tea trees and the quip, like calling this tea “Liar’s Tea moss, ferns and mold that cover the (膨風茶).” Qing Shin Da Mo flush- trunks and branches. To protect itself from the bites, the es powerfully and more often, espe- Eastern Beauty starts with the bite tree also releases chemicals, some of cially in low-altitudes like Beipu. It’s of a tiny green leafhopper. There are which are within the leaf to discour- a vibrant tree, with larger and juicier actually many species, but Jacobiasca age the insects from taking too much, leaves if all things are equal (meaning formosana and Empoasca onukii are the while other compounds are airborne healthy environments). most common. These insects are so and aromatic. Some researchers are Master Gu told us that the Qing small that you cannot see their bites. now suggesting that these aromat- Shin varietal that was brought from They do not make holes, but rather lit- ics actually attract spiders, which, of Wuyi is actually not ideal for Taiwan’s tle pricks that allow them to suck the course, reduce the population of ka- terroir. He said that most farmers juices out of the leaves. Their bites af- tydids and help the trees find balance. don’t realize this, but rather just carry fect the leaves in three ways: 1) they be- This demonstrates how deeply con- on what they think the market wants. gin oxidation; 2) they cause the tea to nected all the organisms in a healthy Qing Shin Da Mo is a descendant of release defensive chemicals that change ecology are, and how tampering with Qing Shin that was born out of and the nature of the leaf; and 3) the tree Nature’s balance has upsetting results raised within Taiwan. “It has all the also releases airborne compounds that that often ripple further than we fore- qualities of Qing Shin, but is suitable change the fragrance/flavor. see. You can smell the bug-bitten trees to Taiwan. It is stronger and more vi- The bites begin oxidation, as the in the garden. The smell is very lovely brant, with healthier trees and juicier holes are now exposed to air. Enzymes and inviting. Chewing on these leaves leaves. It can make better green, red in the saliva of the insects encourages is powerful, especially when the garden and oolong tea that Qing Shin.” He oxidation. This is a part of the reason is ecologically sound, as with Master thinks that farmers would benefit by why Eastern Beauty is the most oxi- Gu’s farms. The leaves are rich and cultivating more of this amazing tree. dized of all oolong tea (around 80%), juicy, and the bitterness and astringen- In tea production, the previous though more of this heavy oxidation cy quickly give way to a lasting sweet- step always informs the next and is, has to do with processing. Remember, ness and gan (甘). Master Gu told us therefore, more important than the the bites of these katydids are very, that farmers often eat them to quench proceeding one. This means that the very small, so the oxidation is therefore thirst on a hot day, as this tea is picked type of tree determines the harvest, the minor. This doesn’t mean it should be in summer (Taiwan can be sweltering harvest the withering, and the wither- discounted altogether. hot in June).

9/ Summer Wind Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea (夏風東方美人烏龍茶) Beipu (北埔)

As with all things tea, the ideal for seasons, as opposed to forcing some- sids that bite the leaves. Real tea pro- Eastern Beauty means not too little or thing out of the tea in any given year. duction involves an entire ecology. too many bites. Too many insect bites Nature can balance the ecology on its The buds start to curl up after be- and the tea over-produces defensive own, in its own time frame, and always ing bitten and turn a yellowish-white compounds like tannins and the tea be- with better results than our meddling. color. The further down the stem the comes overly bitter. There must be the Master Gu makes a great point: “Con- yellowish-white color goes, the higher right amount, so that the tea is sweet ventional farmers have good and bad quality the leaf. The absolute high- and fragrant. This is only possible in a years due to over-population of the ka- est-quality bud sets include a tiny, bit- healthy ecology. “Conventional farm- tydids and are constantly arguing with ten bud that has curled completely over ers are constantly battling the very in- their gardens, whereas we always have next to two opened leaves that are also sects that make their tea unique in the high-quality tea every year, though the slightly bitten, with yellowish-white first place,” Master Gu says. “If they let amount may vary, and do so on Na- color far down into the stem—below the ecology balance itself, over time the ture’s terms. This always ensures a bet- even where the tea will be picked. tea will be great more often than not.” ter product in the end.” Master Gu says that the best buds We saw a tree in one of his garden that Don’t assume that just because flush only in the period which is called was completely decimated by bugs. We these jassids are an essential part of “Mang Zhong (芒種)” in the Chinese asked if it would die, and he said that Eastern Beauty production, that all solar calendar (correspondin~June 6 to it would not because the remaining in- such tea is organic. Actually, very few 21). The buds will then turn white as a sects would move to another tree and Eastern Beauty farmers are organic result of the unique processing this tea this one would recover. Also, he said nowadays. They have perfected the goes through, which is why this tea is that having lots of undergrowth and a art of spraying their trees at the right also called “White Bud Oolong (白毫 rich, dense ecology means that insect times to prevent and allow bugs, and 烏龍).” It is also called “Five Color Tea levels may spike one year, but that many still use chemical fertilizers and (五色茶)” as there are five colors in the just attracts more predators and then weed-killers as well. Master Gu’s meth- leaves: black, brown, red, yellow and the ecology balances itself out. This od is special, and his organic tea is rare white. This makes it amongst the most theme comes up a lot in the produc- and clean. He has recorded more than beautiful dried tea leaves on Earth, like tion of healthy tea, which is allowing twenty species of insects that interact Nature-paintings that show us diversi- balance to happen over the course of with and affect his tea, not just the jas- ty in color and fragrance.

10 Tea of the Month

精

Eastern Beauty Processing involves the tree faster and deeper to increase masters who will transform it into the many unique steps not found in oth- the amount in their satchels/baskets. dried leaf before us. er teas, one of which is that the tea is Master Gu, like many fine tea pro- After the tea returns, it is spread actually sorted as it is picked, which ducers we know, pays his workers by out on sheets to wither for a long time. requires a slower and more involved the day. This means that the sorting Eastern Beauty tea will be oxidized to picking. The highest grades are all of the grades of tea already begins on around 80% by the time it is done. bug-bitten leaves, and exclusively one the farm, and the pickers are happy to The initial withering (shai qing, 曬青/ bud with two leaves, as it is with most move slowly, carefully and pick what- wei diao, 萎凋) is done for about four- high-grade teas. This requires a much ever is required of them. teen hours, on a covered, sunlit roof, more careful and arduous tea-picking. Harvesting Eastern Beauty at the and sometimes indoors, depending on The pickers must carefully select only right time of year and the right time the weather and the grade of the tea the best bud-leaf sets and pick them of day, which is early in the morning, (higher grades are done indoors and one by one. This is, of course, only for is another method that farmers use monitored much more carefully). On the highest grades of Eastern Beauty to make sure that there are neither the roof, they have black cloth with tea. At Bao Ji Tea, Master Gu and his too little nor too many bug bites on holes that can automatically cover the team produce five levels of tea. The the leaves. Catching the leaves at the entire area—rolling out like a garage lower grades can actually be picked at right time ensures their quality. When door on electric shafts when needed. a normal speed, relative to other hand- you couple this with a healthy ecology, They shade the tea during the noon picked tea in the world. strong trees and the right weather pat- hours, and then retract the slightly One thing we find common to terns, then you have the raw material transparent black cloth when it isn’t as high-grade tea throughout China and needed to create the finest qualities of bright. All of this requires careful ob- Taiwan is a move away from paying tea: as always, Heaven, Earth and Hu- servation and great skill. pickers by weight, which is the typi- man. With such raw material, the tea After the tea is adequately withered, cal method. When you pay by weight, can now be handed over from Nature, it is laid in a long pile to be shaken (lan pickers are unscrupulous and pick into insects, sun, wind and water to the qing, 浪青). The higher grades of tea

11/ Summer Wind Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea (夏風東方美人烏龍茶) Outline of Master Gu’s Eastern Beauty Production 古大師東方美人製作工序

茶 Picking (cai cha, 採茶) 茶 Indoor and/or covered withering (shai qin, 曬青) 茶 Shaking—tumbling or by hand in long piles (yao qing, 搖青/lan qing, 浪青)—four cycles of withering/shaking 茶 Piling for oxidation (jing tze, 靜置/wo dui, 臥堆) 茶 Frying to de-enzyme (sha qing, 殺青) 茶 Oxidation in the wrapped-up ball 茶 Rolling to break down cells (rou nian, 揉捻) 茶 Piling again, for a short time 茶 Initial “water roast” (shui pei, 水焙) to dry the tea 茶 Sorting (fen ji, 分級) 茶 Final roast I: awakening (zhou jing pei, 做驚焙) 茶 Final roast II: roasting the body (pei ze di, 焙之蒂) 茶 Final roast III: sealing aroma (pei xiang wei, 焙香味) 茶 Sorting & packaging (fen ji, 分級/bao zhuang, 包裝) are shaken entirely by hand, while the putting more force into the lifting, oxidized. It will then complete the oth- lower grades are tumbled in a machine shaking and dropping/scattering, as er 20% in four to eight hours of pil- for twenty minutes and then shaken by well as increasing the duration each ing, depending on the weather and the hand; as Master Gu says “the machines time, thereby moving into heavier oxi- grade of the tea. cannot be trusted with our precious dation and bruising with each shaking After the tea is fully oxidized, it tea.” This shaking stirs the tea up and of the tea. is fried ((sha qing, 殺青). This stage, exposes every leaf to more oxygen. You At the end of the withering and stir- literally called “kill-green,” destroys can grab a handful of the tea Master ring/shaking, the tea is piled (wo dui, enzymes that make tea bitter and ar- Gu has shaken and another from the 臥堆) to further oxidize it. It is piled rests further oxidation. It is done in a part of the pile that is yet to be shak- on a round bamboo mat and covered gas-heated tumbler that is around 280 en and smell the difference between with a cloth. Nearly all Eastern Beauty degrees. After just a few minutes in- them quite distinctly: the previously farmers use wet piling and withering side, the tea is then rolled into a ball shaken tea is much more full-bodied, throughout their tea production, as inside a wet cloth. The cloth is damp richer and more fragrant. The tea is this is quicker and more convenient. only because Master Gu’s special tea then spread out once again to be with- Master Gu says it could increase their has up until this point been withered, ered even more. It will eventually go production by as much as 30%, but he shaken, piled and fried in a dry way— through four cycles of withering and doesn’t believe that quantity is as im- very unique for Eastern Beauty pro- shaking, though only the first is so portant as quality, and therefore uses a duction. This stage of Eastern Beauty long. completely dry process, even drier than production is also very unique. The The indoor withering goes on for whatever was done traditionally. He tea will rest in tight balls, which are around six hours, during which it is says these adaptations are his own, and bagged and placed in crates for around shaken four times (sometimes this is besides being organic and hand-pro- twenty to thirty minutes before being adapted to suit the leaves). The shak- cessed, they are what separates his tea rolled (rou nian, 揉捻). This oxida- ing gets more vigorous each time. They from other Eastern Beauties. When the tion within the ball shape of the tight increase the effect of the shaking by tea is piled, it is usually around 60% bag further breaks down the cells,

12 Tea of the Month bringing the inner juices to the surface the defects in the tea. In places like The tea is then sorted once more and taking them to a higher degree of Wuyi—and here in Beipu as well— and packaged for sale. It should rest reddish brown. The warmth and tight- lower-grade tea is also often a blend of for some time, usually at least a few ness inside the bag is incredibly cata- different kinds of leaves and cultivars, months, to let the roast settle down lytic, causing even deeper changes in so the roast helps bring a kind of uni- and leave the tea. Otherwise, this will the tea leaves. formity to these teas. be the only recognizable flavor. They The rolling breaks down the cell The final roasting is divided into say that a good roast enhances the tea walls of the tea and releases the juic- three stages. It is often done in large, without leaving any trace of itself. es. Master Gu reminded us once again round bamboo roasters with electric There are more skills, techniques that he doesn’t trust the machines with elements underneath that are meant and steps in Eastern Beauty produc- his heritage, and therefore rolls his tea to mimic the heat of charcoal, which tion than any other tea we have wit- three times, twice by machine and was used traditionally. Master Gu nessed. In order to photograph the once by hand. When the tea emerges would love to use charcoal to roast all whole journey, we had to spend an from its rolling, it is at its most fra- his tea, but recently the prices of hard- entire day with Master Gu, from the grant, and a handful is enough to send wood charcoal have risen dramatical- early morning until almost midnight. you to the fabled Heavens Chinese ly. Taiwan has a very unique kind of And that doesn’t even include any of people once believed existed across the smokeless charcoal made from dragon the roasts! We left as the first drying strait and up Taiwan’s cloud-enshroud- eye (long yen, 龍眼) trees. (We actu- roast was about to begin… Master Gu ed mountains. ally use it here at the Center to heat jokes with us that farmers and tea mak- After the rolling, the tea is once all our water.) It is renowned for tea ers come from Nantou to learn about again piled for twenty or thirty min- roasting, but the tree grows slowly and Eastern Beauty production, hoping to utes. At this time, it is roasted gently over-harvesting has driven prices up. create concubine (貴妃茶) tea, and at low temperatures for around three Master Gu therefore roasts his high- that they never last the whole day. hours. This first roast is called a “water est-grade Eastern Beauty with charcoal “They are lazy. They always leave in the roast (shui pei, 水焙).” It’s done in a and uses electric roasters for the four early afternoon,” he smiles. “Making large oven with trays that are inserted lower grades. Eastern Beauty sure is hard work!” horizontally, like shelves. It is not a The first roast is only two to four As you can see, a tremendous real roast, but just to dry the tea and hours long, and is called the “zhou amount of effort has gone into the pro- put it in a stasis—a limbo that will last jing pei (做驚焙).” It awakens the tea duction of this amazing tea: billions of until the end of the growing season. from its slumber. Then there is a sec- years of evolution, a glorious dance of Roasting oolong tea is the most diffi- ond roast called the “pei tze di (焙之 Nature between the tiny jassids and en- cult and potentially dangerous aspect 蒂)” which literally means to “roast zymes in their saliva, hours of sweating of tea processing. Roasting secrets are the body” of the tea. This begins to en- in the summer sun to clear abandoned guarded both in Taiwan and China, hance the tea and bring out its unique farms and replant this tea, shirtless and and often only known to the father flavors. This roasting matures the aro- sleepless weeks on the roof of the tea and son. As the roast takes days and matics and flavors of the tea, so it starts processing center withering, shaking, requires constant monitoring, there is to glow in the cup. The final roast is piling, frying, rolling and roasting, and no time to roast all the tea during the where the real favor is enshrined in this of course doing it all with great skill growing season. The need to have the amazing tea, called the “pei xiang wei and a bit of gratitude, which Master tea processed by day’s end consumes all (焙香味),” which means that it locks Gu definitely manages. This wonderful the farmers’ time. Consequently, tea is in the fragrance. This is the point at collaboration between Nature, from always roasted briefly to arrest oxida- which Master Gu uses charcoal for his Heaven to Earth—and from the tini- tion and dry the leaves sufficiently for highest-grade teas. est insects to Man—is an inspiration it to sit in bags for the remaining weeks Roasting techniques are very secre- that concludes in your soul, from sip of the growing season. Then, after the tive. The methods are only discussed in to sip… season’s tea has all been processed, the general with the likes of us. Details like farmers can catch up on some much temperature, rotation and other sub- needed sleep and get started roasting tleties are often kept within the family. the tea properly. Master Gu is not oriented like that, Before the final roasting, the tea and is happy to discuss every aspect of must be sorted (fan ji, 分級). The tea is his tea with us, but like many skills in first sieved through bamboo to remove tea production, his answers often or- all the fannings, which are later used bit some form of “it depends,” mean- It took a full day, from early in tea bags. The larger leaves are then ing that the production of tea is done morning until late at night, to get the spread out on large tables where they through careful handling of the tea— tea ready for its first roast. After the are sorted by hand, according to size smelling and touching it and adapting last, short oxidation in the cloth, the and quality.. This is necessary at this it accordingly—rather than a recipe or gorgeous ball of tea was opened. The stage because different grades of tea formula. This is true of most arts. Art- fragrance was outstanding, filling the are roasted in different ways. Usually, ists become their medium over time, room with tea and causing exclama- lower-grade oolong teas have always letting form go. Mastery can look like tions all around. The tea had five col- been given a heavier roast to cover up bungling to the untrained. ors. At this stage, the roasting begins...

13/ Summer Wind Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea (夏風東方美人烏龍茶) 夏風東方美人烏龍茶 Tea of the Month

Brewing沖泡技巧完成好Tips茶 One of the many beautiful qualities of our Tea of the Month, Summer Wind, is that it can be brewed any way. You can put these magical leaves in a bowl and watch them twirl, creating a light and deep bowl. They also make for a magical session in a sidehandle as well. Should you wish to, this tea is great gongfu. It can also be brewed in some other magical ways as well. Often times, tea vendors over-simplify tea brewing in some ways that can lead a Chajin astray. One of the big misconceptions we find throughout the tea world is that all light teas, like green teas, need to be brewed using lower temperature water, while darker teas like shou and traditionally-processed oolong should always be brewed at higher temperatures. In general, we advise avoiding such vague practices as applying brewing techniques, methods or approaches to whole genres of tea at once, and instead work with specifics. Brewing each tea specifically is a much better approach. By developing sensitivity to the nuances of every tea you brew, your ability to appreciate all the subtleties of tea will increase, and you will also develop the ability to brew any tea well—even if someone hands you a tea you are unfamiliar with. These too-broad sweeps of suggesting certain temperatures for certain categories of tea are a bit like telling someone visiting a foreign city to always turn left. Which way you should turn depends on where you want to go. Saying that all green tea should be prepared at lower temperatures is misleading, if not wrong. As you get to know a tea, you may find that there is an ideal temperature for brewing it—one that brings out all its best qualities, enhancing the flavor, aroma, energy and patience of the tea. For some teas, this ideal temperature might even be very specific, down to the thinnest of lines—one side being too cool and there is some loss of aroma, for example, while just the other side of the line scalds the tea and it becomes astringent. But don’t ever assume that this should then be applied to the whole genre. As you brew a tea and become friends with it, you will find that the tea isn’t better at a particular temperature, but rather different—not different in terms of quality, just plain different. Not only can you brew Summer Wind leaves in a bowl, sidehandle or gongfu, you can also boil it or even steep it for a long time in a large pot. You can make a completely different tea by brewing it at a cooler temperature versus hot temperatures. It has depth and power in both forms. When it is brewed cooler, it is more fragrant, with a long-lasting honey fragrance. When brewed hotter, it has more depth and force, with a nice aftertaste and mouthfeel. In fact, you can also make some of the best iced tea you have ever had with this tea. If you do want to make some of this tea into a cool summer treat, we recommend sun brewing. Put some of the leaves in a glass jar (like a mason jar) with room-temperature water. We recommend using the best spring water or bottled water you can find. This is a high-quality tea, so it is worth getting some great water. Leave the jar out in the sun for around two hours. The times will create different teas. In Taiwan, we often do 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You may want to experiment. If it is not so hot, you may have to leave it out longer. You can taste it to see if it has steeped enough. After that, you can refrigerate the tea and serve it with or without ice. It is deep and fragrant, and extremely refreshing on a hot day. Master Gu often serves Summer Wind this way when guests come to visit.

Gongfu Sidehandle Leaves in a Bowl

Water : spring water or high-quality bottled Try brewing this month’s Fire: coals, infrared or gas tea at different temperatures to Heat: try different temperatures see that it doesn’t necessarily Brewing Methods: gongfu, leaves in a bowl, mean a better tea, but rather sidehandle or sun tea different. Try sun brewing, Steeping: flash, flash, flash and longer by putting the tea in a A few stripes in a bowl if brewed that way glass out in the sun and Patience: 15 to 20 steepings / 7 pours then refrigerate.

15/ Summer Wind Eastern Beauty Oolong Tea (夏風東方美人烏龍茶)

Pure & Clean Tea

any times guests come here Extended Editions are not an annual our home, our mother, our bodies and and see how much work chore. We honestly feel excited about our experiences. Without a healthy goes into the normal issues the extra real estate to explore the top- world, we have no experience. Mof Global Tea Hut and exclaim, “How ics we love in greater depth. The truth And so, while we love talking about do you find the energy to produce this is that most months we have way more tea roasting, teapots or translating clas- every month!” What they don’t under- articles, ideas and photographs than sical tea texts and writing commentary stand is that making this magazine is can fit in an issue. Last year, when the on them, without tea, all these top- a great joy. Nothing brings us greater Extended Edition on Yixing came out, ics become absurd. When your child joy than writing about, photographing Wu De literally danced around the is sick, the conversation you have as and sharing tea with you! It is not hard Center in glee because it was the first parents isn’t about what kind of hair- to find the energy to talk about what ever issue of Global Tea Hut to have cut they should have, which clothes to you love, or share it in the form of a binding with words along the spine. wear or whether they should study pi- writing, photography, artwork, etc. We He was overcome, singing and holding ano or violin. When your child is sick, have a great love for tea; a deep pas- the issue aloft in glory! the only conversation in the house is sion informs these issues. We also love There is no aspect of tea that we do medicine, doctors and healing. And this community. The greatest friends not love sharing, from history to folk- our child, our beloved Tea, is sick. we have ever made are through tea— lore, science to production, from the This analogy may be stronger than friendships to last many lifetimes. And ethnography of tea villages to teaware, necessary, but it makes a point: that so even the tedious parts of producing and from sharing the preparation maybe we don’t need to stop talking this are actually joy-filled, as we think methods of our tradition to using tea about roasting and teapots altogether, of all your smiling faces when the as an aspect of self-cultivation, Cha but we should also spend some time envelopes arrive, as you read and learn Dao. But there is a topic that trumps talking about the sustainability of tea or share these teas with your friends or all of these, and in some ways makes or there won’t be any leaves to put in family. The production of this mag- them all moot. And it’s about time we our teapots, which means magazines azine is an honor and a great joy to spent an issue devoted to it, especially on Yixing will be lost records of things produce. We feel blessed to be able to an Extended Edition! There is nothing that once were, like an article on phones serve in this way. more important than the environment, with rotary dials. We truly stand at a As a result of this feeling of being in terms of tea quality and in terms of precipice, brothers and sisters, and tea honored to be of service in this way, the human experience full stop. We are can be the focus of larger, global is- contrary to what you may think, these this Earth; we don’t walk upon it. It is sues concerning the environment and

17 Organic 純淨有機茶

human health. It seems curious to us Down in this precipice, the tea lov- tracize anyone. We believe change hap- that with all our brilliance and inno- ers of the past who devoted their lives to pens through inclusion, not exclusion. vation, we have created a world that passing these traditions on look down We want to start dialogue, discussion is so ill-suited to human health and at us in askance, while the other side of and even healthy, friendly debate so happiness, with one million suicides a the cliff is equally crowded with future that these issues can be moved forward year—one every forty seconds. tea lovers who stare down at us with towards a healthier, greener Earth for The fact is that the agro-chemi- furrowed brows, wondering why we us and our descendants. We also dream cal industry is new, beginning in the would make such poor choices leading of a world in which all tea is delicious, 1950s, and we don’t really understand to no tea for them. And tea is just one green and wonderful. We long for a re- its long-term environmental effects, of many ways our future descendants turn to the days when tea lovers could though signs are not good when it will look back on this “Carbon Age,” pair waters from streams, rivulets, comes to tea. Many tea farmers in aghast at our unskillful management springs or even snow or rain with par- Taiwan report that tea trees are living of resources, and how we foolishly ig- ticular teas, without worrying about significantly shorter lifespans, and that nored signs that should have caused us pollution, let alone lethal toxicity. yield is decreasing in the life of each to pause and think, change our ways. tree. Some people don’t care; they’ve But the future tea lovers will know grown used to ingesting chemicals of that some of us did stop and think; all kinds, from dyes to artificial flavors. some of us were with hope. We choose In Every Way, But these trends should be worrying to see a brighter future full of grateful From Every Approach to you, no matter how you feel about tea lovers, smiling at all the wonder- your own body and health, as they ful, healthy tea choices they have. They We recently saw an article in a have the potential to make long-term are happy they understand the impor- major online magazine talking about tea production unsustainable, forcing tance of environmental awareness and tea “myths” that needed “debunking.” us to drastically reduce the quantity of human cooperation with Nature. They Some were good, like that certain teas tea in the world. If that happens, many are excited for their future. need to be brewed at certain tempera- future tea lovers won’t be able to afford We sincerely hope that this issue tures every time. But we were shocked tea. This means traditions will die. inspires you. We do not want to come and saddened to see that the author felt Traditions of tea production, teaware off preachy. We are passionate in our that organic tea was one such “myth” crafts, brewing traditions like ours— love of Tea and the Earth, but our ef- that he needed to save us from, as if all will erode or even be lost. forts are honest. We do not want to os- Nature and Tea have no relationship.

18 Pure & Clean Tea

Granted, his reasons had to do more and trade of organic produce. In gen- sity to high-yield plantations. For each with the certification process and some eral, this is a good thing, despite some of these, the criteria of what is “clean” of its problems, vis-a-vis cost of tea, outlying issues. Tea vendors who make is very different. but frankly, some of the reasons he list- excuses based on certification processes In this issue, we are going to talk ed for why certification is an issue were are just distracting you from the real is- to Mr. Xie, a low-altitude, high-yield also “myths” and not backed up by real sue, like a magician who uses one hand plantation owner who uses “organic” data, statistical or otherwise. In anoth- to get your attention while the other farming methods to balance sustain- er article, we will discuss the problems does the trick. The real issue is always ability and health for the environ- with certification in greater detail. profit margins and the ability to find ment, his family and customer with For now, let us be clear at the out- organic teas at prices that allow them increasing productivity. For him, all of set that we intend to focus this issue to make their bottom line. the issues relating to certification are on what we call “pure” tea, as opposed To us, however, the issue is much valuable discussions worth exploring. to organic certification, which is differ- larger than the term “organic,” and We will also talk about “living tea,” ent in different countries and subject certification issues are only one type of grown in forests, which has its own cri- to all the issues that any government discussion within a much larger topic, teria that are worlds away from what regulation is. Of course there is cor- which is how do we grow tea in har- Mr. Xie is dealing with. Finally, we ruption. Also, different countries test mony with Nature—in a way that is will meet Mr. Gao Dingshi (高定石), for different pesticides, and it is nigh sustainable, healthy for the environ- whose eco-garden tea is something impossible to test for them all. They ment, healthy for farmers and healthy above organic, and an example of “liv- also have different stringencies, es- for our bodies, as we drink the tea. ing tea.” pecially since farmers cannot always This discussion is much bigger than For each of these teas, “clean” is a control what their neighbors do, and organic plantations, certification, gov- whole different thing, and all of this spray may contaminate their field. Dif- ernment regulations, corruption or transcends legal issues. Let us remem- ferent countries also require different other dishonesty or even the market ber, then, that our exploration of these amounts of time to pass so that previ- itself. We need healthy tea at all quality topics transcends any of the legal or ous residues subside to certain degrees. levels, from high-end, old-growth tea market ramifications of “organics,” However, all of this does not mean we trees from forests (what we call “living though that certainly will be a chapter should abandon or ignore the certifi- tea”) to mid-level teas from healthy in a much larger book. In other words, cation process. Of course our society trees in manmade gardens, and from “organic” is just one provisional way to needs laws governing the production eco-gardens left in complete biodiver- heal our balance with Nature.

19/ Introduction to Pure, Clean Tea Suffice it to say, there is no ap- you, then you should care because tea ing away the terroir, in other words. proach to tea in which these issues do grown without agrochemicals tastes You take away everything that makes not matter. Setting aside sustainabili- better and has a fuller body. It is more tea special, bringing the mountain to ty and how our agricultural methods patient, which means more steepings the city. The farmer may advertise the will impact future people’s ability to so your dollar goes further. It is also sunrises of the glorious mountain on grow tea at all—especially since we better for your body and will support which they grow tea, and talk about really don’t know enough about the a healthier lifestyle. When the leaves how special it is, but what does that long-term effects of agrochemicals— grow slower, they are thicker and juic- matter if the trees are grown in sterile there is no approach to tea that is not ier and have a much better aroma, fra- beds without the influence of that en- impacted in some way. Whenever we grance and flavor. vironment? are asked to speak on tea in public, we When the tree takes in the minerals If tea is a Way, a Dao, then how always leave our listeners with these of the mountains and the natural fer- can you cultivate peace if the instru- questions: How do you love a leaf tilizers of other organisms in a healthy ment of that peace is incongruent with without loving the forest? How do you soil, it creates rich and delicious leaves. Nature? How do you find harmony in love the forest without loving Nature? It is common for true farmers to look disharmony? How can you cultivate No matter what you love about tea, it on leaves with bug bites and smile, yourself when, just like such inorgan- is impacted by the tree’s environment; knowing that the environment is vi- ic trees, the fertilizer of your practice of course it is. brant and so will the tea be. When you is toxin? All the fresh water we drink The leaf is the tree’s expression of its use chemical fertilizers, you are feeding comes from the plants of this Earth, as relationship to its environment. Tea is unnatural food from another ecology does all the air we breathe and the food terroir. The soil, climate, rocks, other (laboratory) to the trees, and they aren’t we eat. Whether you are vegetarian or plants and life are all the characteristics eating the mountain. When you irri- not, ultimately we all consume plant that make a tea what it is, and make gate, they aren’t extending roots down energy. We are our environment. We it unique from other teas. You cannot to grow strong and healthy drinking move with and through the same ener- take the environment out of the tea. mountain water. When you add pesti- gy and life as the plants. What we do A tea tree cannot be healthy in a lab. cides, you drive away not only insects, to the Earth, we do to ourselves. We It needs sun and mountain air, rain but the organisms that eat insects and are the Earth. We are the land. We are and minerals. And if any of these are the animals that eat those animals, and the trees. And this is our one and only missing or unhealthy, the tea will also all their feces and dead bodies which home forever. We are eternally bound be. If tea is a hobby or a beverage to in turn fertilize the soil. You are tak- to its destiny...

20 Pure & Clean Tea

There really is no way to ap- keep it for. The components of most proach this without coming to some tablets are far more gnarly than paper, common-sense conclusions: that we especially if we upgrade every year. have to stop allowing greed to motivate However, just so you know, you can our relationship to our earth, and start request an electronic version of Glob- promoting, discussing, learning about al Tea Hut instead of the print one, (and then passing on our education and we will just mail you the tea and to others) healthy forms of agriculture gift, emailing the issue in a timely way. that support our environment and our Also, Global Tea Hut magazine itself is own health. printed on 100% recycled paper using non-GMO soy-based ink, and so has very little footprint. We also do our Global Tea Hut Itself best to do the same with all the other packaging, including our new enve- Before we put a kettle on and lopes which have more environmental start sharing some bowls, we wanted printing (they have always been recy- to share with you our environmental cled paper), and we are also switching commitments here at Global Tea Hut, to new tins with flat tops that screw starting, of course, with the teas we on. These tins are also recycled and re- share each month. Not all the teas we cyclable, but we are hoping that with send out in Global Tea Hut are certi- the more convenient screw-on lid and fied organic, but they are all certainly the ability to stack them, since they are agro-chemical free. They are all “clean” flat, more of you will re-purpose them in whatever tier they find themselves. after the tea is gone! We only choose sustainably produced Finally, once we build our future tea to send with these issues and also Center, Light Meets Life, we plan to for our Light Meets Life fundraisers. host annual conventions for organic We don’t want Global Tea Hut to farmers, where we pay to fly them to just be about big philosophical ideals, Taiwan, host them, feed them and give either. We have chosen to make a dif- them space to network and hold semi- ference in the life of one great farmer nars and round-tables about issues that who has sacrificed a lot for his love of are important to them. We can then the Earth. The only tea we repeat ev- record for future issues of the maga- ery year is our Sun Moon Lake Eleva- zine, videos, podcasts, etc. So this issue tion, produced by Mr. Su Shui Ding won’t be the last one we publish on the (蘇水定). This allows all of us, you environmental aspects of tea, which and the servers here, to make a differ- will make you happy if you enjoy dis- ence in the life of one man, his family cussing the Earth and Nature-love as and the plot of earth he stewards. The much as we do! reason we send his tea each and every year is that we made a commitment on behalf of this community to purchase whatever tea he has left unsold at Chi- nese New Year each year, allowing him to focus on farming and not have to worry about selling his tea. This would be too much tea for us anyway, though we do drink a lot of Elevation around here, so sharing it with you makes this a communal influence on a down-to- earth, real, in-the-life-of-one-person way, and not just armchair dreaming about a better Earth for us all. Within the boughs of healthy, Sometimes there is an argument living tea, you find a whole world that we should all switch to electronic of organisms. There are often doz- reading, which could, potentially, be ens of species of mold on a single great for the environment. However, tree, not to mention beneficial ferns this is often propaganda for publica- like those shown here, which do not tions to decrease costs. This really de- harm the tree. Of course, there is pends on what kind of device we use also a whole host of insects living in to do the reading, and how long we and around these trees.

21/ Introduction to Pure, Clean Tea

The Impact of Modern Agriculture 現代農業的影響 Before we start discussing tea and the environment, we thought we would research some so-called “conventional farming,” and the impact of synthetic agrochemicals on the environment and human health. We know this may be a controversial topic, but it is worth understanding some of the details as a context for our exploration of what pure, clean tea really means. Shen Su has a background in agriculture, as well as lots of hands-on farming experience, so he was excited to research this topic. (The footnotes refer to reference #s at the end of the article.)

茶人: Shen Su (聖素)

n a world of 7.6 billion people— now considered the exception, while and plant products, materials or envi- projected to reach 10 billion by modern, industrial farming is called ronments and includes vectors of par- 2055—food safety and security “conventional farming.” From our asites or pathogens of human and ani- Iand clean water will continue to be the viewpoint, this new, destructive ag- mal disease and animals causing public most important topics to discuss for riculture should bear the burden of health nuisance.5 It would be more ac- our growing human population. The being “unconventional.” But, for the curate, however, to view the response way we approach agriculture on large purpose of this article, we will follow of pests as a symptom of the root of and small scales will play key roles in the modern trend. the problem, because without such an addressing these topics. We do not live imbalanced environment, such pests in a time, nor have we ever, where we would never arise. This is where the can collectively sacrifice the environ- Conventional Farming arsenal of chemicals comes into play to ment for the sake of personal pleasure ostensibly control the symptoms of the and comfort. It is now recognized that Conventional farming is defined problem. At this point, a snowball ef- Nature is not an optional “luxury”— by systems that include the use of syn- fect sets into place to try and maintain but an essential foundation for human thetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides, such an unnatural system, predicated well-being and sustainable develop- herbicides and other continual inputs, on the promoted assumption that con- ment.4 In fact, we must address the genetically modified organisms, heavy ventional farming is the only means by range of issues that affect food from irrigation, intensive tillage, or con- which to feed our growing population. farm to table in order to reduce hun- centrated monoculture production.12 It is true: most of the meat, dairy, eggs, ger and poverty while safeguarding our Conventional farming methods are fruits, and vegetables available in su- environment and natural resources. In promoted as being essential to pro- permarkets today are produced using order to have a sustainable agriculture duce enough safe food for our growing these methods of conventional and system, it is our responsibility to con- population. It is true that current con- industrial agriculture.13 But, are these sider the systems already in place and ventional farming methods have tem- facts, which point towards quantity act from there because there is room porarily increased the carrying capacity over quality, really justifiable to contin- for improvement and/or the imple- of the Earth for humans, but they also ue with these methods? What are the mentation of completely different sys- are slowly destroying the long-term implications on humans and the en- tems altogether. In this process of anal- carrying capacity of the Earth, which vironment when pesticides and other ysis, it is most important to address necessitates a shift to a sustainable agri- chemicals are misused and abused over the root cause of the problems we face culture.13 Farming on large, industrial time? Are full supermarkets worth the today in industrial agriculture, and to scales, especially monoculture, creates sacrifice of our health? What is the line ask why some of the generally accepted certain imbalances because it is op- to draw between quantity and quality, solutions are not good enough or sim- posite to the biodiversity and equilib- and have we crossed it? ply don’t work, especially in the long rium of Nature. The response to this So, is conventional farming really term. We have to return to our roots, imbalance can be seen in an increase the path forward? Have we exhaust- literally. of certain pests that are often viewed ed all other solutions? This is where It is amazing but true that the way as problems. “Pest” means any species, we must proceed with caution. As humans farmed food, tea and other strain or biotype of plant, animal or author Ursula K. Le Guin so wisely agricultural products for millennia is pathogenic agent injurious to plants said, “That which we resist, persists.”

24 Organics To accept things as they are with ob- Pesticides in Agriculture jective clarity and understanding and then make educated decisions is the Technically, inorganic chemicals skillful path forward. This may be have been used to control pests since particularly challenging to accept in the eighteenth century, though early the world of industrial agriculture, be- examples weren’t really what we think cause conventional farming methods of as a pesticide today, and were limit- are so heavily relied upon and yet are ed to rare instances of chemicals like so detrimental to the health of our en- soap. Then, of course, the insecticidal vironment and ourselves. Therefore, it potential of DDT was discovered af- is all the more important to assess the ter the Second World War. Since the systems in place and work towards a 1980s, hundreds of thousands of pesti- future vision of the world that sustains cides have been developed10 to protect a quality of life for all of us, now and crops affected by different pests, and into the future. in the last five decades, chemical control of pests aimed at minimizing crop losses has been introduced throughout Pesticides the world.14 Countries such as China, the United States, France, Brazil, and For the purpose of this article, I’ll Japan are among the largest pesticide define “pesticides” as any synthetic producers, consumers and traders. In substance or mixture of substances the developing world, where a quarter intended for preventing, destroying, of pesticide consumption takes place,14 repelling or mitigating any “pest,” in- the use of pesticides is still poorly reg- cluding insecticide, herbicide and fun- ulated and often dangerous, especial- gicide.10 While pesticides may actually ly through certain types of exposure be synthetic or extracted from plants, which will be reviewed below. the synthetic ones are the more detri- The annual impact of our current mental of the two, and often consist of agricultural systems is responsible for hundreds of active ingredients.9/14 If we billions of tons and billions of dollars are to increase yield with monoculture, of food waste, as well as millions of developing some plant-based, sustain- tons of manufactured pesticides which able insect control may be necessary. results in millions of cases of pesticide With millions of tons of pesticides poisonings, hundreds of thousands of manufactured each year, they are re- deaths, and negative impacts on our sponsible for a billion-dollar industry. soil, food and water—not to mention Pesticides, by definition, are meant to that half a million tons of obsolete ing strong actions towards clean, sus- be efficient against target organisms pesticides are improperly stored and tainable, traditional, eco-friendly and and safe to non-target organisms and scattered throughout the developing other alternative methods of farming, environments. At the same time, when world, leaking into the soil and water. which will be briefly mentioned below. improperly used, most of them are There are “beneficial” effects of us- highly toxic to humans and the envi- ing pesticides to minimize crop loss ronment. and increase yield, but in general, we Exposure to Pesticides So, when used properly, pesticides’ have done a poor job striking the bal- agricultural function is to protect crops ance between those gains and the neg- Human exposure to pesticides can against the symptoms of the conven- ative side-effects which pose serious be acute or chronic, occupational or tional farming method and to increase health risks to the general population non-occupational, intentional or un- crop yields in order to ensure food safe- and our environment. Many publica- intentional, accidental or incidental. ty. However, studies have shown that tions (See references: 4, 7, 8, 9 and 13) Within each type of exposure can be intense use of pesticides to kill resistant point towards increased regulation and oral (by mouth), respiratory (by inha- pests induces more resistance until fur- education to solve the many problems lation), or dermal (through the skin).14 ther increases in pesticide use actually associated with pesticide use, but per- The most at-risk population are agri- reduce agricultural yield.9 Damage of haps completely alternative solutions cultural workers who apply pesticides, an ecosystem from an overdose of pes- (of which are there many) should be and other people in the immediate area ticides can lead to reduced agricultur- further explored and promoted. As a during and right after the pesticides al production, decreased health of the billion-dollar industry, however, the are spread.1 Exposure through skin ab- environment, and also economic loss. first and most realistic steps towards a sorption occurs especially to workers Though the definition is clear and ob- chemical-free agriculture system will in developing countries where safety jective, the results of using pesticides be at least to both increase regulation equipment is not available or not used in agriculture can prove quite different and education surrounding the use of because it is expensive or impractical to from their intended function. pesticides while at the same time tak- use in the humid tropics.9/14

25/ The Impact of Modern Agriculture Due to poor regulations, lack of Since most of these chemicals are quire the determination of the effects education, ease of access and financial very modern, we won’t know what on soil microorganisms and soil fertil- pressures, pesticides are also popularly long-term effects their ingestion has ity. This is an important part of pesti- used to induce self-harm (suicide), a until many more decades have passed cide risk assessment11. form of intentional exposure, which and more studies done. It is well documented that some can account for a staggering percent- pesticides vaporize quickly, thereby age of overall pesticide poisonings. The not affecting the soil at all, while others World Health Organization (WHO) Effects on the Soil can persist in the soil for years.1 These estimates that three million pesticide persistent pesticides can contaminate poisoning cases occur worldwide ev- Soil is often deliberately treated water supplies, or be taken up from ery year, with 220,000 deaths, some of with certain pesticides, but is also ex- the soil by crops and then ingested by which are intentional.9 posed to as much as 50% of sprayed animals further up the food chain. The general population is more chemicals on crops that miss the target likely to be exposed to pesticides and fall to the soil surface14. Research through residues found in food, water, on the effects of pesticides on soil are air or skin absorption through direct surprisingly limited, namely because Alternative Solutions & contact. And with the increase of in- soil microorganisms are so diverse and the Path Forward tense pesticide use, the costs on our soil fertility is so complex. However, health are becoming more evident. there is clear evidence11 demonstrating With so many devastating facts, it Symptoms range far and wide, from that certain pesticides stimulate the is clear that better agricultural prac- diarrhea, external chemical burns, growth of microorganisms while oth- tices are in order. The sources of the behavior changes and effects on the ers have depressive effects creating an problems are well understood and ad- immune and reproductive systems, to unnatural balance at the microscopic equately researched. There is no doubt skin damage, neurological effects and level. Moreover, there are guidelines that conventional farming is harm- possibly even cancer. for the approval of pesticides that re- ful for the Earth and for our health.

26 Organics Lack of education and enforcement of methods such as Biodynamic farm- Just as growing one crop on a large legislation, industry corruption, im- ing, Biointensive farming, Fukuoka’s scale is not the long-term solution to proper labeling, etc., are all responsible Natural Farming and plenty of other food security, the method of chemical for the millions of pesticide poisonings farming associations and cooperatives farming alone is not the solution ei- each year, as well as the contamination that put the environment and peo- ther. And just as Nature maintains bal- of our environment. ple before profits. Beyond that still, ance through biodiversity, it is through The introduction of major edu- there are modern agricultural practic- a diverse number of sustainable farm- cational and preventative programs, es designed after traditional ways of ing methods that will meet the needs compliance with available guidelines farming, most notably, Permaculture of our current and future population. for the safe use of pesticides from design, an actionable idea of a perma- Therefore, we must fearlessly work to- WHO and the United Nations’ Food nent agriculture ecosystem founded on wards the ideal of a clean, sustainable and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an ethical basis of care for people and future of farming. enforcement of regulations, govern- the Earth, intended to be sustainable ment initiative and quality control and self-sufficient. These, and other re- are all important measures to take to lated methods, will be the sustainable realistically work towards solving the path forward. problems we have created. But, many of the solutions and alternative strate- gies for pest control are aimed at mitigating the risks to human health and the environment by continuing to use References chemicals. At this stage, and with such staggering numbers documented, mit- 1) Pesticide Residues in Food. WHO, 2018. [text at: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/ igating the risks is no longer enough, fact-sheets/detail/pesticide-residues-in-food] especially when there are approaches 2) Food Safety. WHO, Geneva. 2017.[text at: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact- that go far beyond mitigation and, in sheets/detail/food-safety] fact, improve the health of our population and the environment. This is ob- 3) Food Security. FAO, Rome. 2018. viously the skillful path forward. [Text at: https://www.ippc.int/en/themes/food-security/] Pesticides can prevent large crop 4) Environmental Protection. FAO, Rome. 2018. losses and will therefore continue to [Text at: https://www.ippc.int/en/themes/environment-protection/] play a significant role in agriculture.1 5) The International Code of Conduct. FAO & WHO. Rome. 2014. They have the potential to protect [Text at: http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agphome/documents/Pests_Pesti- or increase yields and the number of cides/Code/Code_ENG_2017updated.pdf] times per year a crop can be grown on the same land. The FAO predicts 6) Prevention and Disposal of Obsolete Pesticides. FAO. Rome. 2018. that by the time the population reach- [Text at: http://www.fao.org/agriculture/crops/obsolete_pesticides/en/] es ten billion, the majority of food 7) Highly Hazardous Pesticides. WHO. Geneva. 2018. production to feed that many people [Text at: http://www.who.int/ipcs/assessment/public_health/pesticides/en/] will come from increases in yield as 8) Exposure to Highly Hazardous Pesticides: A Major Public Health Concern. WHO. Ge- opposed to the expansion of farming neva. 2010. land. Is proper education, enforced [Text at: http://www.who.int/ipcs/features/hazardous_pesticides.pdf?ua=1] regulations, and the use of minimum amounts of pesticides to protect crops 9) Pesticide Poisoning in the Developing World—a Minimum Pesticides List. really the extent of the response we Centre for Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, UK. 2002. [Text at: http://sci-hub.tw/10.1016/s0140-6736(02)11204-9] need, or is a bigger shift in order? Is improving pesticide use the answer, 10) Global Pesticide Consumption and Pollution: with China as a Focus. or removing pesticide use altogether a Proceedings of the International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. better ideal to work towards? 2011. [Text at: file:///Users/wude/Downloads/Global_pesticide_consumption_and_ It is well recognized that food can pollution_With_Ch%20(3).pdf] be produced on a large scale without 11) Effect of Pesticides on Soil Microbial Community. Journal of Environmental Science the use of pesticides altogether. There and Health, Part B: Pesticides, Food Contaminants, and Agricultural Wastes. 2010. are countless alternative farming meth- [Text at: https://sci-hub.tw/http://www.tandfonline.com/doi] ods that have clearly demonstrated 12) Conventional Farming. Wikipedia. 2016. their ability to grow food on a large [Text at: http://www.appropedia.org/Conventional_farming] scale in a natural, balanced, sustainable way that protects food securi- 13) Industrial Agriculture. New World Encyclopedia. 2018. ty without the use of chemicals. The [Text at: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Industrialagriculture] most obvious trends in this direction 14) Public Health Impact of Pesticides Used in Agriculture. WHO in collaboration with are certifiable organic farming meth- UNEP. Geneva. 1990. ods. Beyond organics, there are other [Text at: http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/39772]

27/ The Impact of Modern Agriculture

In在 an 一個Awakened 覺 Heart 醒的心 A scientific approach to agriculture is an important lens for understanding our impact on the environment and for developing tools to solve our agricultural need in a growing and developing world. However, these issues are also of the heart. It is important that we face them openly and compassionately. In this article, Wu De addresses many of the arguments vendors give us for why their teas are not sustainably produced, and asks that we face them all with the love. There is no easy way forward, but we do have the power to change this world.

茶人: Wu De (無的)

n an awakened heart, the conse- judge people, no matter how horri- arguing with someone when you abso- quences of one’s choices are never ble their behavior. We solve our issues lutely know you are correct. The hard- ignored. Some of our actions have with patience, heart and cooperation. er you push, the more it seems they re- Iapparent effects, while others create At the same time, that doesn’t mean we treat into their unreasonableness, and invisible results—too distant or subtle cannot or should not stand up against though you may “win” the argument, to be obvious. Though much of what behavior that so obviously leads to the you feel worse than when you started, we do is bound up in the apparent success of some few individuals at the and more disconnected. That you had consequences of our choices—the day- expense of whole species, or even our logic on your side is little consolation. to-day challenges in our immediate own future generations. Sometimes It is only with compassionate under- environment—the compassionate and you have to make a choice, but that standing as well as mutual goals that awakened heart also takes responsibil- doesn’t mean you are unforgiving of the we can effect real and lasting changes ity for the influence she has on distant ones participating in that activity. As I in the world. situations, being conscious of how her used to tell the kindergarten students I With such a light of understand- choices affect tea growers on the other taught, “It isn’t you who are naughty. ing, I would like to illuminate some side of the world, for example. It is our You are good. It is what you are doing of the challenges I see amongst tea responsibility to rest in the truth that that is naughty!” And we have to wake vendors with regards to a global move- our choices impact the world, encour- people up to that—to their connection ment towards organic and sustainable aging others to see their connection by to others and to the world—while at tea production. Of course, there are consciously acting on ours. If you love the same time standing up for what is the big companies, primarily produc- tea, and we know you do, you want to right. William Faulkner said it quite ing tea bags, whose problems are more recognize the impact your tea drinking poignantly: obvious to the tea lover. They are also has on the world, big and small, pos- more challenging to address. Few of us itive and negative. When you live in Some things you must always be un- around here are purchasing much of California and are enjoying some tea able to bear. Some things you must that tea anyway. But I want to address grown in a small village in China, it is never stop refusing to bear. Injus- the merchants who honestly do love no longer possible for you to deny the tice and outrage and dishonor and tea and care about the loose-leaf teas global connectivity that humanity has shame. No matter how young you they sell. If they don’t recognize or care achieved. And if you really love that are or how old you have got. Not for about the environmental impact their tea, you also cannot ignore the simple kudos and not for cash. Your picture company has on Nature and the tea in- fact that you care; you really do! in the paper nor money in the bank, dustry, we can only do our best to help The compassionate heart doesn’t neither. Just refuse to bear them. them feel the truth in such connec- seek to fight or exclude people. Recog- tions. Meanwhile, we can also express nizing our connection to Nature and Still, the “refusal” Faulkner men- our dissatisfaction kindly and use our each other, we also realize the funda- tions need not be charged with nega- buying power to make wiser choices mental truth that we are all in this to- tivity. Too much resistance only causes that support those who are awakened gether. Every being on this planet has people to dig in their heels. It discon- to the importance of sustainable ag- an equal stake in its fate. We cannot nects us and moves us further apart. ricultural practices. Vote with your let our hearts get angry. We mustn’t I’m sure you have had the experience of hard-earned money!

30 Organics If you search around the Internet, to look, you can find amazingly deli- In order to make fine tea, the farmer you will find more than a few tea ven- cious organic teas like the ones we find must be working in harmony with the dors who have overtly addressed the for you every month. Nevertheless, weather, the mountain, the season and issue of organics. Others will if you ask recognizing that quality is determined the varietal. And he must be doing so them. The arguments that they give for by flavor brings us to the final issue we out of a love for tea. When he is mo- why their teas aren’t organic are usually have with the argument that organic tivated solely by money, he will never one of these three (or some combina- teas aren’t as good. create fine tea. He will instead make tion thereof): 1) Organic teas aren’t We must rethink what we want. volume his priority; held far above good enough quality; 2) Many small Our value systems need to start in- quality, quantity will rule his produc- farmers are organic, but cannot afford cluding provenance. In other words, tion. Without heart, there cannot be certification; or 3) The certification how a tea is produced should be as rel- fine tea. process itself has issues, including, but evant to its quality as how it tastes. We In the old days, stacks of puerh not limited to, corruption. I think it is no longer have the luxury of enjoying would come with what is called a important to address these ideas, and personal satisfaction at the expense of “large trademark ticket (da piao, understand why we as tea lovers must environmental destruction. Better to 大票)” attached to each tong (seven refuse to stand for them. have a tea that tastes worse than one cakes wrapped in bamboo skin) or that destroys Nature, just like it’s bet- jian (12 tongs). We have an old one ter to eat a blander dinner that’s good from the Tongxing Factory (同興號) for us than to eat unhealthy junk food framed on the wall at the Center, as it The Arguments that tastes “better.” Some of the so- was one of the first that included En- called “good” flavors in junk food don’t glish for export, and it also has a line Organic teas aren’t high quality. even taste very nice once you realize in its advertising that we like a lot. where they come from. Looking at It says of the tea leaves in the cakes: Though this seems to me the most fresh, green rows of chemical-laden tea “Those made by human labor cannot foolish of the three arguments, it is is akin to looking at a really buff guy compare with them.” It is the height of the one you hear most often. The first on the cover of a magazine who only pride to think that we can outdo Na- problem with this idea is that all teas looks that way because he took lots of ture, especially since we ourselves have produced for thousands and thousands steroids that are bad for him—doing been created by Nature. The great Jap- of years were organic, and if you have irreparable internal damage. Is the sur- anese farmer and philosopher Masano- ever tried some of the old, vintage face really the end of our value system? bu Fukuoka studied biology in college tea that is still around (like a very old Is a good taste all we want from tea? and had a professor who used to scold puerh), you know that those teas are I have been trying for years to prac- him, warning that “philosophy and amazing. In fact, a part of why aged tice not saying that any tea is “crappy” religion have no place in the world of teas are so desirable is that they come or “low-quality,” which is a promise science.” Some years later, in a field of from a world before agro-pollution of I often break in casual conversation. conventionally-grown, monocultured any kind. High quality teas were sent After all, when we leave tea alone in barley, Fukuoka remembered this and as tribute to the emperors for centu- a forest, it turns out just fine. Though exclaimed, “Science has no place in ries, and the poetry that eulogizes human skill is important in tea quality, the world of barley!” Just because we such amazing brews is not suggestive both in the processing and brewing of understand a few of the myriad con- of low-quality tea. Therefore, it is im- fine tea, Nature has done most of the nections, subtleties and relationships portant to recognize that we do have work: creating these amazing trees over of growing living plants, that doesn’t the capability to grow better, more billions of years, and providing the wa- mean we understand the environment, delicious crops organically, and that ter, sun, mist and minerals they need especially since our perspective is so amazing teas were produced that way to be strong. There is a powerful teach- myopic compared to the long lens of for centuries. ing I often give: Nature. Fukuoka was criticizing mono- Still, even if the organic teas pro- culture, in which we strip an ecology duced nowadays aren’t as good as their The leaf is the tree’s expression of its down to single crops to produce larger counterparts, this argument creates an relationship to its environment. quantities of nutrient deficient crops. inescapable catch: if no one supports To me there is no substance to an organic farmers, and organic processes The terroir creates the tea, in oth- argument that organic tea is of lower do not succeed in the market, how will er words. A tea is a product of the quality, as it is, in essence, an argument the quality ever improve? In order for environment in which it grows. The that the health of an environment and the production skills, effort and care of healthier the environment is, the better the trees growing in it are dependent organic tea to improve, more people the tea will be. There is no low-quality upon human intervention in the form will have to start supporting organic tea, only low quality agricultural meth- of chemical fertilizers, weed-killers and endeavors. As demand increases, farm- ods or low-quality skills in processing. pesticides. This makes no sense, since ers and tea producers will invest more And in 999 out of 1,000 cases, the the most abundant, thriving forests in creating higher quality organic teas. true cause of a so-called “low-quality” and plants are found in habitats that Also, this argument really only ap- tea isn’t truly a poor environment or a are left wild and free, where humans plies to teas that are available in main- lack of skills, but rather an improper do not interfere. Also, plants lived stream tea markets. If you know where orientation towards tea production. and died in perfect health long before

31/ In an Awakened Heart humans walked the earth. The only Of course, not all tea in the world decisions on the lives of other beings arguments for monoculture and agro- can be living tea, grown wild or in and the environment are too distant. It chemicals that hold any weight are all eco-gardens. There simply would not is easy for vendors to distract and use about increasing yield, and therefore be enough tea for everyone. We have to other spiels to deflect this issue when necessarily about quantity over quality. compromise. We have to increase yield it is never about that for them. They Deforestation and weed-killers for everyone to have tea. But if we use are interested in the bottom line, just means insects have no choice but to unsustainable methods, this means ev- like the farmers that made their tea. eat tea, and bugs that otherwise would eryone who wants tea now gets some, And great tea cannot be made by those rather eat other plants, since tea is as- but future tea lovers will have none. whose primary motivation is financial tringent and produces tannins and That’s not the “everyone” for whom I reward. Like all art, a love of the craft other chemicals to protect itself, are want to compromise. We can produce itself creates excellence. Of course, forced to eat tea. When a farmer sprays tea in larger quantities and do so in a a farmer has to make a living, but if pesticides, you obviously deter insects, way that is good for the earth. they put their heart into their craft and which then also drives away the insects Some vendors claim that their tea create tea out of a love for tea, tea lov- that eat those insects, the animals and makers can sell their tea easily, as it is ers will always appreciate their tea and birds that eat them, not to mention the crafted well and in small quantities and they will be supported. poo and dead bodies of all these organ- that only low-quality tea needs certi- Similarly, if a vendor is truly inter- isms. When a farmer uses graftings/ fication, since the producers of such ested in supporting the environment, cuttings and irrigates to increase yield, organic tea are using “organic,” rath- there is always a way! Our Center is full the trees do not grow deep roots and er than quality to sell their tea. Sure, of great quality organic teas. We have do not live long, developed strength there is a market for inorganic tea, and faced difficulty in finding them some- and character. They never absorb the yes, it can be well-processed by skilled times, but with some commitment and deep mountain water or minerals from farmers and roasters. But just because a heart full of love for tea, you can find the soil, instead gathering nutrients there is a market for something doesn’t tons of like-minded farmers who are from fertilizers that are made from mean it is good or even quality. In fact, protecting the earth and do what they ingredients sourced in other distant some of the most popular markets in do for the love of tea. places and trucked in by people. What the world are full of the lowest quality There may be some farmers who is the point in even comparing this to goods, like fast food, for example. This do choose organic certification as wild, vibrant forests of tea trees? And is kind of the point. The education of marketing, maybe because it is a the rest is just a scale of compromise the average consumer is way too low, niche that allows them to make a liv- from gray to black. and the influence of their purchasing ing. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

32 Organics It doesn’t mean that their tea is neces- ine how much better that tea would be to them by the government. In fact, sarily inferior, and if you include en- if it, too, was organic! Wouldn’t it be the government reimburses their re- vironmental impact in your value sys- even better? And if that farmer really newal test and fees every year, making tem, such tea may even be better. Since cared about quality, wouldn’t he do organic certification free for Taiwanese ancient times, tea quality has always anything to improve quality, even if it tea farmers (so long as they pass the been defined as the perfect cooperation did require more work? tests). of Heaven, Earth and Human. “Heav- Also, some groups have begun help- en” means the weather, the seasons and ing the farmers that cannot afford it to some of the great Mystery that creates get other types of organic certification all life—the Source. “Earth” means the Many tea farmers are organic, (beside the government’s). Most often, terroir, the trees and their health. And but cannot afford certification. these groups were formed by conscious the “Human” part is the skills to craft tea merchants who care about the en- and finish the tea. Of course, such a Organic certification can be expen- vironment. They recognize that if the scale requires that the tea be organic, sive in some places, but it is becoming farms whose teas they sell have certi- or the Earth part of the tripod is miss- more and more affordable, and, once fication, it also benefits their business; ing and quality topples. again, where there is a will, there is a therefore, they raise money to help the In the end, if “organic” is just a mar- way. As our technology and efficiency farmers achieve that. Master Tsai Yizhe keting gimmick for low-quality tea, we in testing improves, costs go down. (蔡奕哲), who has shared teas with tea lovers have to ask ourselves why Also, this argument never, ever applies Global Tea Hut in the past, is a shining this is the case. Does the average tea to Taiwan. If a vendor argues this in re- example of that. He has raised money bag or bottled tea drinker in the super- gard to Taiwanese tea, raise your hand from events and drives to help certain market care more about the earth than and halt them because that is an abso- farmers make certification more af- a tea lover? If a so-called convention- lute fabrication. In Taiwan, if a farmer fordable. This is an excellent way for al farmer is making great tea that sells passes the certification process, the en- a merchant who cares about the envi- easily with inorganic methods, imag- tire cost of certification is reimbursed ronment to get involved.

33/ In an Awakened Heart Rather than complaining that fact that his farm is small, and that farmer may be certified by the Mokichi many farmers don’t have certification, he adds no agrochemicals, concluding Okada Association (MOA) in Taiwan, a conscious vendor of their teas should with full disclosure that the tea is not he won’t necessarily meet the more rig- work towards helping them achieve certified organic. Several of our Tea of orous tests of the European Union, es- that—to the mutual benefit of the the Month teas fall into this category. pecially if some of his neighbors aren’t farmer and vendor alike. Furthermore, What we find, on the other hand, is growing organic tea. Some small farm- we find that most of the vendors who more of an attitude of “small farmers ers in Taiwan, for example, are only use this argument do not, anywhere cannot afford organic certification; interested in the local market. They on their websites, provide examples of therefore, we don’t carry organic teas.” don’t grow enough for international farms which produce tea organically business, and don’t speak English any- but are not certified. In other words, way. It would consequently be a waste they say they don’t sell organic tea be- for such a farmer to apply for USDA cause small farmers cannot afford cer- The certification process itself organic certification, even if he was in- tification, or the process is complicated has issues, including, but not terested in certification. And different internationally, but then don’t offer a limited to, corruption. tests also test for different types of pes- link or an explanation as to which of ticides, as well, further confusing the the teas they stock fall into this cate- There can be truth to this argu- certification process. gory. Does lack of certification make ment, actually. Not only can certifica- There is a lot of corruption in the a tea inorganic? If you have teas that tion be relatively expensive in certain world, but that is no reason to give are clean, though the small farmer can- countries, but there is no global certi- up! Some certification processes, like not afford certification, why not tell fication process, making it impossible MOA, are more reliable, and others me so? I recognize that claiming a tea for a local farmer to get certified in less so. This is why it is important to is “organic” is illegal without certifica- all the countries his tea may wind up choose vendors that you trust. We tion, but they could show pictures of in. Also, the standards aren’t universal need more honesty and integrity in the farm and farmer and discuss the amongst the different tests, so while a the tea market, as we do in the world.

Celebrated philosopher and farmer Masanobu Fukuoka said that when he was studying biology in college, he had a professor who always used to tell the students that philosophy and religion have no place in the world of science. Years later, walking in a field of conventionally-grown barley, Fukuoka said he realized that science has no place in the world of barley! We think we can control some of the factors in an environment to our ends, but in Nature, no species is unwanted— everything plays a very essential role in the overall health of the ecology. There are no “pests” in Nature. Every species has its place. Meddling has severely disrupted our place in this global ecology. Species are going extinct, which is sad, but also a symptom of our disruptions. We need to move forward, advancing our agricultural science, but do so along a healthy path—a path of heart!

34 Organics

雲女神 A vendor who encounters this problem and for the Earth. Certainly, the certi- We need stepping stones; we need may want to join one or many of the fication process can be improved, and building blocks; and we need flexible movements towards more rigorous cer- certainly some people will abuse it, but thinking to work together towards a tification standards, recognizing that the intention that started it—which brighter, greener future for ourselves there will always be corruption in such is to verify healthy products that are and our descendants. Compromises processes as long as humans are will- good for the Earth and for us must be may play a large role in our work to- ing to sell their connection to Nature, fostered—while we also address the wards a brighter future. Again, the way not realizing that the loss “over there” underlying problems in the human forward is through the heart—through which resulted in their personal prof- heart that would have us grow food inclusion! We must work together and it “over here” still affects them, their for profit and sell unhealthy products learn to cooperate if we are to resolve world and future generations of their to our brothers and sisters in the first these challenging issues. family. place. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter that If a farmer produces only a small there is corruption, as intention is what amount of tea and does not require marks the merits of our actions. If you certification, since the quality of the At the Hut donate 500 dollars to an orphanage tea is high and it sells easily, more pow- and the manager steals 200 of those er to him or her. We do not feel that Here at the Hut, we try to re- dollars, that isn’t your problem. You certification is the only road, or even main optimistic and promote positive freely and open-heartedly gave to char- necessary. The issue for us is not a legal change in the world. It doesn’t really ity. That charity has a problem. The one. We are talking about clean, sus- matter why a vendor says they don’t manager has a problem. The mistake tainable tea, whether it is certified or carry organic teas, or don’t do so exclu- is his, not yours. If you find out, you not. It is grown with or without agro- sively, because if you are actively look- may not want to support that charity chemicals, and that is true whether it is ing for a reason to give up hope, you’ll in the future, or make your experience certified after the fact or not. find one (or many). Furthermore, the public so as to influence a change in That said, having certification honest truth, which they think would the management of that orphanage. processes helps maintain social order. cause the loss of our respect, is that Either way, this is no argument to stop Without it, we would have unlicensed they don’t carry organic teas for finan- giving to orphanages altogether. Sim- doctors practicing medicine in hospi- cial reasons—either they don’t sell as ilarly, corruption isn’t an argument to tals without any training and causing well, aren’t as available or don’t offer give up trying to support sustainable havoc as a result. The argument that the same profit margins. I, personally, tea production. some people abuse the law and there- would respect a vendor more if they The whole concept of “organic” and fore the law should not be, is silly. were open and forthright about the fi- the certification process that surrounds Arguing that because certification has nancial motivation behind their unsus- it has some flaws. At the same time, it’s limitations, therefore, it doesn’t matter tainable teas, rather than sugar-coating the best we have at the moment. We is also absurd. It is helpful, as part of the issue with pseudo-arguments. should support it, help it iron out its a growing change in the consciousness Anyway, it isn’t the vendors’ re- problems and use it to educate people of humans. We move towards creating sponsibility. It is ours. We are the ones towards better quality, environmental- lifeways that are healthy for us and rec- who can make a change in global tea ly friendly agro-products, including ognize that our own health and happi- production by taking a stand for or- tea. It would be great, though, to tran- ness is wrapped up in, contained with- ganic tea. If the tea isn’t certified, fine, scend the need for “organic” or “cer- in and dependent upon the health of but is it clean? Clean and lacking any tified,” in any way—to reach a time our environment. After all, our bodies agrochemicals isn’t something that re- when all agro-products are produced are made of water and food. We put quires a piece of paper to prove. The without genetic modification or chem- our environment into ourselves. As the tea is or is not produced in a way that icals which harm humans or Nature! leaf is the expression of the tree’s rela- is harmful to people and/or Nature. There is a saying: one should not tionship to its environment, so are we. And as you drink more and more teas, interrupt the one trying to do some- This realization undercuts greed—the you can begin to notice the effects such thing with complaints that it cannot mind that sees natural processes like chemicals have on the tea, especially be done. Telling a farmer that his food, tea or minerals as “resources” to when they are used heavily. neighbors’ spray will end up pollut- be exploited. “Organic” is, indeed, a If all of us start demanding this, the ing his own crop; or complaining that limited concept, and the certification merchants will have to follow the de- some people use the organic certifica- of it is flawed, but it is a cooperative mand, and you will see a rise in organic tion process in corrupt ways, leading force that helps us make a greater shift teas across the board, as well as more to a breakdown in the term “organic;” away from environmental destruction informative descriptions that state the or any other excuse for not getting towards environmental harmony and tea’s origin, farmer and philosophy. We involved, not caring and not voting cooperation, creating the foodstuffs we believe that this is what the intelligent with your dollar are all nay-saying that need to support ourselves in a sustain- consumer wants. And it leads to a more gets in the way of the real tea-loving, able way that enriches the Earth, which awakened, connected and compassion- Nature-loving farmers and tea vendors is very possible. It has been proven that ate world—one in which tea consump- who are in the fields working hard to organic methods are capable of pro- tion in California has a positive effect make sustainable, healthy tea for us ducing high yields. upon a farmer’s life in China.

36 Organics When you bring this up with tea ticular types of tea (other than healthy, trying to scratch that itch of lack and vendors, they squirm. That is a good clean tea). Things get a lot easier fill it with more consumerism, I found thing. There is no excuse for ignoring when you stop seeking/craving certain that I started valuing tea and teaware the environment. There is no real profit teas that you may not be able to find for the sharing. I would ask how this in making a living from environmental clean versions of. Some genres of tea tea or teaware helped me to serve bet- destruction, unsustainable agriculture are harder than others. Mainstream, ter, as this was what really brought me or agrochemicals that endanger the industrially-produced teas, like certain joy. And even if you do drink more tea lives of farmers and often the consum- Chinese green teas or lightly-oxidized alone, which is also wonderful, you er as well. In the end, no matter what oolong in Taiwan, are mostly grown can think of this in terms of what the a vendor says, the truth is very basic with agrochemicals, so these are genres Tea wants: which pot will take the tea and always very street: either they do that we drink less often. Occasionally to its fullest potential, in other words. not care about organics and the envi- clean examples find us, but we are nev- As you walk the path of Cha Dao, ser- ronment, or they do but were not able er lacking in fine tea to drink. vice grows in your heart. to find the teas they want or need to We have noticed that two shifts in Respecting tea as a living being, a support their business and/or not at a orientation can help fine tea to find plant teacher, and creating a dialogue cost that allowed them the profit mar- you. The first is in your approach to with Her will alter your practice, your gin they require (full stop). tea. We do not believe that tea must relationship to tea and, of course, the Whenever I am invited to speak always be self-cultivation. Tea is not a quality of tea you source. You will find at a tea conference, I always leave the spiritual elixir or a beverage; it is both. a mystical relationship between your listeners with this question: “How do If you only drink tea ceremonially, you relationship to Tea in general and the you love a leaf, without loving the for- miss out on half of what tea is: time quality of tea you find. This is some- est? How do love a tree, without loving with friends, healthy gatherings, com- thing many Chajin have verified to us. Nature?” No matter whether you love radery and loving-kindness through Try it yourself and see what happens. tea as a beverage, hobby or Dao, we all tea. And if that is all there is to tea, you You may be blown away! love this plant. And the tea traditions also miss out on the other half of tea: of the past, as well as all the tea lovers the ceremonial, meditative side. There of the future, are both staring down at is nothing wrong with putting tea in us and wondering why we made deci- a mug and watching TV. However, if sions that threatened the sustainability you do that, the kind of tea that will and quality of the leaf we all love. find its way into your life is the kind that belongs in a mug when someone watches TV (which is to say low-quality tea). If you want fine tea to find The Quest for its way into your life, you will have to 葉當 Organic Tea honor tea, making space in your day and in your home to fully appreciate 子人 The question that always follows is Her. When you respect tea as a medi- how to source organic tea. People want cine, a plant teacher, finer teas will find 尋尋 specifics, but we’d rather teach them their way into your life, we promise. how to tell if a tea is clean, which we do Often, they come from the most un- 找找 on p. 91 of this issue. We have a saying expected sources—maybe even right in our tradition, which is: “As the per- around the corner from your home! 人葉 son seeks the Leaf, the Leaf seeks the The second shift you can make to person.” We think it is always better to have more fine tea find its way into 子 let tea find you. Teas have their own your life is to stop orienting towards destinies. When you stop seeking, fine ownership or hoarding. Tea is a leaf teas will find you. Trust us. Also, when from a forest; it has no value. It is price- you stop questing for certain teas, you less. She does not belong to you. You relax and problems related to clean cannot hoard Her. Tea is to be shared. versus unclean teas ease up. Let’s talk Cultivate a real love for sharing tea, as about what gets easier, and then what opposed to collecting tea. If you pay you can do to help Tea find you. attention to your tea practice, you will Around twenty years ago, I made a find that sharing tea is far more enjoy- In our tradition we follow the say- commitment to only support sustainable than owning it, or even drinking ing that as the person seeks the Leaf, able tea production. I haven’t looked it alone (which can also be wonderful). the Leaf seeks the person. Let Tea find back. And I have never been without Sharing tea is where the greatest joy in you and relax into the process. You tea. The Center is filled with hundreds a tea practice is to be found. When you may not always have a certain kind of of clean teas. But I have gone periods break the dam of hoarding property, tea that way, but you will always drink without certain types of tea. When I and cultivate an experiential love for healthy, clean and pure tea that is stopped seeking certain teas and let sharing, fine tea will find its way into good for the environment, the farmers fine tea find me, I stopped craving par- your life. Instead of buying on impulse, and good for you as well.

37/ In an Awakened Heart

To Taste the Sweet, We Must First Welcome the Bitter Thoughts on Organic Tea 未見甘心氏先迎苦口師 Many of you who have been to our Center know about the great influence Master Tsai Yizhe (蔡奕哲) has had on all that we do. He is a teacher, a brother and a great tea sage. He shares tea and wisdom with a spirit of hospitality that most tea lovers have encountered, freely given the way tea trees open their crown and offer leaves to passersby. His work to protect the environment of Taiwan has earned him awards. We recommend reading his story in the January 2016 issue to provide some context for this amazing man and this article.

茶人: Tsai Yizhe (蔡奕哲)

ot counting the early days ceeded, but soon the tea merchants 培實施準則), which was drawn up when I first learned to drink began to exploit this achievement for by the government of Taiwan in 1997, tea, I have studied gongfu tea their own gain. Of course, if the mer- the definition of “organic farming” is Nand tea tasting for more than thirty chants were to sincerely get involved as follows: years. The first time I heard of organic in the business of organics, that would farming was in 1988, and in 1996 I be a great thing; however, all we saw Organic farming is a production method threw myself into the vocation of pro- were a lot of marketing slogans and de- that uses no chemical fertilizers or chem- moting organic tea in Taiwan. I have ceptive advertising, with the result that ical pesticides, or that uses them as little now been doing that, too, for over consumers no longer trusted that true as possible. To increase the viability of twenty years. organic tea really existed. cultivating organic crops, this production When we first started promoting How could we identify a genuine method relies on the use of many types of organic tea, the farmers toiled hard to Taiwanese organic tea? Sometimes, al- crop stubble, poultry and livestock waste, produce it, but consumers still didn’t though the tea companies would em- green manure plants, oil meal and oth- understand the reasons for drinking phasize the importance of not using er uncontaminated waste products from organic tea. On top of that, Taiwan’s chemical fertilizers or pesticides, in re- farmland or elsewhere, as well as compost tea merchants, who had a vested in- ality they still allowed the use of some made with nutrient-rich minerals, to terest, either watched from the side- trace elements and other pest and dis- improve the land and provide nutrients lines or actively hindered our efforts. ease control substances that came from to the crops. For prevention and control Just like tobacconists selling cigarettes, naturally occurring minerals or other of disease, insects, animals and weeds, it they insisted that pesticides and chem- sources that they deemed reasonable. is strongly encouraged to use plant culti- ical fertilizers didn’t have any negative In other words, they lowered their vation techniques, natural materials and health effects, justifying their beliefs standards for financial gain. They mar- physical or biological control methods. on the grounds that we weren’t able to keted the products of these methods These measures are important in pre- produce any valid data to prove other- under various names, such as “alterna- venting harm to the soil, water sources wise. They stopped at nothing to block tive farming,” “sustainable farming,” and surrounding ecosystem, as well as our attempts to promote organic tea. or simply the even vaguer “non-toxic maintaining sustainable production and The two phrases that we heard most farming.” They believed that as long providing safe, healthy and high-quality often were: “Our master says organic as they weren’t destroying the soil or food products. In other words, operating tea doesn’t taste good,” and “Taiwan the surrounding ecosystem, it was an organic farm requires the mainte- doesn’t have any real organic tea.” still acceptable to use certain chemical nance of good environmental conditions, Later, consumers came to gradual- fertilizers and low-toxicity pesticides. and the air, soil and water sources must ly accept organic farming and became This fallacy pervades most agriculture be free of pollution. willing to assume the higher cost of throughout the world, leaving a trail organic produce—including tea—for of devastation in its wake that may According to the organic farm- the sake of their health. At first, we take centuries to clean up. According ing standard, “pure organic farming” took this outward result as a sign that to the Taiwan Organic Crop Cultiva- allows absolutely no use of chemical our promotion of organic tea had suc- tion Standard (台灣農作物有機栽 fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides,

40 Organics

whereas “standard organic farming” al- that has not undergone composting. heated discussion of chemical residue lows some use of chemical pesticides in Of course, genetically modified crop testing standards among tea circles in the early stages of cultivation. Howev- varieties are even more strictly prohib- Taiwan. Tea merchants, however, have er, no matter whether it is grown using ited, as are those produced using cell seized the opportunity to oppose strict the “pure” or “standard” organic farm- fusion technology. Of all the farming standards, obscuring the facts with ing methods, the final product must methods, this is the one I respect and spurious theories and dealing a serious contain no detectable traces of agricul- admire the most. blow to the morale of those who de- tural chemicals when tested. According to Taiwan’s Enforce- vote themselves to organic, toxin-free In addition, many tea farmers in ment Rules of the Act Governing Food farming. I find this situation very sad- Taiwan still adhere to the principles of Safety and Sanitation, the inspection dening. “natural farming,” also known in Chi- authorities will designate an “allowable From a consumer point of view, nese as the “xiuming farming method chemical residue level standard” using there are a lot of questions: What are (秀明農法),” advocated by Mr. Mok- the positive listing method. This means water-soluble chemicals in pesticides? ichi Okada (1882–1955) of the Mok- that any chemicals for which a standard And what about lipid-soluble (fat-sol- ichi Okada Association (MOA). This is not listed must not be detected at all. uble) chemicals? How strong of an ef- approach favors the strictest of organic But because of the chemical detection fect do they have on the human body? farming methods; as well as disallow- methods used, the minimum detection Are lipid-soluble chemicals truly not at ing the use of any chemical substances limit of the equipment will be set at all water-soluble? What is the Accept- or pesticides, it also forbids the use of the officially allowable standard. Since able Daily Intake (ADI)? And what human waste or any other potentially it looks like some of the standards for are Maximum Residue Limits (MRL)? contaminated organic substance, as agricultural chemical detection may be What does toxicity mean in the con- well as poultry or livestock manure relaxed, there has recently been a lot of text of the human body? And in the

41/ To Taste the Sweet, We Must First Welcome the Bitter Master Tsai’s sponsorship model is transforming the tea world. Farmers are paid to steward land regardless of the amount they produce. A collective pays them, no matter the yield. Participants get great, clean tea, with a cool story, and farmers are respected and well-paid—this is a win-win situation! The tea lovers are also required to visit the farm regularly and lend a helping hand, which helps validate the farmers’ efforts and provide encouragement to continue their tireless effforts.

context of the environment? How can controversy. So what is the truth of back to its origins, starting by preserv- we understand the difference between the situation? Can we modern humans ing the tea mountains. In May of 2010, the residue level of a certain pesticide have become so saturated in a miasma I established the first natural farming in a plant (tea), and the total residue of smog, melamine, chemical fertil- tea mountain conservation station at level in the body of an animal that con- izers and pesticides that we have lost the Fujian Wuyi Mountain National sumes the contaminated plant? (The our sensitivity, become numb, been Nature Reserve. I created the “spon- total residue level includes the pesti- soaking it up for so long that we no sorship and partnership” model of tea cide residue itself plus any metabolites longer notice it? When we first started mountain conservation and began to produced during metabolism of the promoting organic farming, we had to promote it in collaboration with the tea pesticide.) The current non-expert on- overcome obstacles from all sides, and farmers, and in 2012 I established the line debates do not provide an avenue now we are faced with debates over Tea Mountain Preservation Association for rational discussion, and are really of the authenticity of organic produce. If (茶山保育協會) in Taiwan. no use at all. consumers don’t trust the authenticity This “sponsorship” model means Then, there are proponents of of organic products, and organic farm- commissioning the output of a tea chemical-free tea who claim to be ers have to deal with doubt and mis- plantation at a high price that exceeds able to tell whether a tea was grown trust on top of all their hard labor, they the predicted regional tea leaf prices with chemical fertilizers, pesticides or may well lose their will to carry on. for that year, allowing the tea farmers herbicides just by drinking it. Some So, we need to think of another way to employ natural farming methods to people believe them, while others are forward, one that can ease the suspi- plant the tea and look after the plan- skeptical and put it down to manufac- cion between the two parties. As a tation. This period of sponsorship turers making grand claims to swin- result of this situation, I decided to lasts for at least five years, which is dle consumers, so it has created some change my approach and follow tea the time it takes to start seeing results.

42 Organics During this time, no matter how small urally won’t have much confidence to approach can they achieve a triple win the plantation output, the tea farmers persevere in the whole enterprise. As a in the areas of production, consump- will receive an income that is equal result, an even more important compo- tion and environmental protection. We to, or even slightly higher than, the nent of this tea mountain conservation look forward to a day when humans no income they would have made using model is the spirit of “partnership.” longer destroy the beautiful mountain traditional farming methods. We have With this model, we break the mold tea forests with chemical fertilizers and to remember that tea farmers rely on of the aloof, uninvolved consumer; pesticides, all in the name of increasing tea to make a living, so if we want the tea mountain sponsor must roll up output. Good mountains, good water, them to use natural farming methods their sleeves and genuinely accompa- and human hearts free of greed: these to manage their plantations, we must ny the tea farmers in their work, must are what we need to supply our won- guarantee that it will be of benefit to kneel with them in the soil of the plan- derful tea sessions with a cup of good, them, and also make sure that they ac- tations as they tend the tea plants to- clean, truly moving tea! cept the reasoning behind it. Tea plants gether. Our tea mountain preservation generally reach at least waist height, sponsors come from many different so when the tea growers are spraying industries and professions, and there them with herbicides or pesticides, the is no shortage of tea specialists among chemicals come into contact with their them. When we personally participate bodies. This means that the farmers in work—such as weeding and clear- on the front lines are at high risk for ing the tea plantations—the shared la- cancer. Therefore, we tactfully let the bor allows us to gradually deepen our farmers know that adopting organic bonds with the tea growers and build a farming methods is beneficial for them relationship of mutual trust. 人 and their descendants, as well as for The first year of natural farming the soil, water, environment and eco- is the hardest; many of the tea plants system. wither and die because they are un- 天法 That said, there are also many prac- able to adapt, and some that remain tical difficulties in promoting natural are more dead than alive. At the be- farming to preserve the tea moun- ginning, the lack of pesticide results tains. First of all, if only one family of in plagues of insects who eat more tea 法地 tea growers agreed to the system, we leaves than they leave behind. In the wouldn’t get anywhere, because each worst cases, entire tea plantations are tea plantation adjoins other people’s annihilated. But this is a process of 道地 plantations. So even if that one fam- metamorphosis that each plantation ily stopped using pesticides, contami- must go through—slowly, the natural nation from the neighbors would still predators of the insects will also grow 道法 make its way over on the wind and in in numbers, and those predators’ pred- the water. Also, the more famous the ators will start to appear, too: earth- tea grown in a certain area, the hard- worms, butterflies, dragonflies, bees, er it is to implement natural farming ladybugs, mantises, spiders, rodents, 法天 methods. The significant drop in pro- birds, frogs, snakes and even eagles. duction capacity during the transition Thus, the food chain will gradually re- years is off-putting, and the tea grow- cover its health, and the tea will regain 自 ers’ parents and elders are often op- its vitality. posed to it; sometimes even their wives Laozi (Lao Tzu, 老子) has a say- and children are against it, too. In ing that goes: “People follow the law 然 some regions, the government is also of the Earth, the Earth follows the law working hard to implement change, of the Heavens, the Heavens follow providing free natural fertilizer to en- the law of the Dao, and the Dao fol- courage tea growers to transition to lows the law of its own Nature!” We organic methods, although these cases appealed to a group of people who are still a minority. didn’t want to be deceived by a whole If the model only consisted of the lot of advertising slogans, but simply sponsorship component and the tea wanted to drink real, clean tea. They When you walk in a garden of liv- growers were left to deal with all the became our tea mountain conserva- ing tea, the difference is so obvious. ensuing challenges of the transition tion partners, who work alongside the You can smell, hear and see the vi- process on their own, then the arrange- tea growers to implement the correct brancy. And, of course, you can taste ment wouldn’t be any different from a methods for ecological tea cultivation. it in the tea. When we tea lovers start regular business contract. If the grow- As well as considering the natural eco- to demand living tea, and take the is- ers are constantly worrying that the system, they also work to improve the sue of environmentally sustainable tea sponsor will wash their hands of any tea plants’ ability to grow and survive seriously, things will shift, since in this further responsibilities, then they nat- in natural conditions. Only with this world supply follows demand.

43/ To Taste the Sweet, We Must First Welcome the Bitter

People Among Plants Reflec人在草木間tions on Taiwan’s Organic Tea We translated this beautiful article from Pan Meiling’s new book “Taiwan Tea (茶知錄).” It is a beautiful article on the positive changes happening in Taiwan, as well as the issues that we still need to focus on improving. Her writing is gorgeous, and the book itself is stunning. We hope to translate more of it in future issues, as there are other sections on other topics that are equally rewarding and inspirational. The more we educate ourselves, the more positivity we can encourage through our choices. In this time, making good choices is instrumental.

茶人: Pan Meiling (潘美玲)

top a blue bucket, two emerald green tree frogs sit in piggy-back stance, playing their roles in Act One of the great theater of life: fertilizing eggs. The female frog hangs on to the edge of the bucket with her forelegs, while the smaller male clings to her back; beneath them they release a continuous stream of white foam, the eggs hiddenA within. Inside each egg, the beginning of a small tadpole is just about to form. Thus, the great circle of life quietly plays out in a Pinglin tea garden. Suddenly, the cicadas, not wanting to be left out, erupt in an almighty clamor. As if amplified through a Dolby sound system, they noisily proclaim to humankind: “Summer is here! Summer is here!” The chirping calls of the bamboo par- tridge echo back in response. The presence of emerald green tree frogs is an important indicator of the health of protected water sources. For the organic tea authentication personnel who vote with their footprints, the existence of these noisy living creatures is, in some sense, an assurance that the purity and biodiversity of this natural resource remains pre- served, bringing peace of mind to the humans who tend it.

The “Cluster Effect” in Organic Farming

It’s the spring tea season, and we are other side of him, though, is anxious would never have reached down into paying a visit to Mount Lala in Taoy- about how to handle the harvesting. the soil to find their own nutrients and uan. We meet with technician Wang The tea plantation is situated wouldn’t be as deep as they are now. Junmin (王俊民), a newcomer to tea on the upper reaches of the Shimen Stick it out for a while, and things will cultivation. His great love of tea led reservoir. Looking down from the change.” Wang Junmin to roll up his sleeves and plantation, the winding Kala Creek “We put on a real banquet for the rent a plot of land to grow some tea of (a tributary of the Dahan Creek) looks stink bugs with last year’s winter tea!” his own. Rainfall has been scarce this as if it were just in front of our eyes. Only fifteen kilograms of tea was sal- year; many tea growers call this type If Junmin were to use fertilizer on the vaged from the two main plantations, of weather “endless bitter days.” Wang tea trees here along the upper reaches and all the rest was completely eaten Junmin’s harvests have all reduced in of the reservoir, the fertilizer would be up by the bugs. “To grow organics, you volume by one-third due to the weath- washed down the slopes, causing eu- need to be able to endure a lot!” deer, but the tea plants on his two hect- trophication (excessive plant and algae clares Wang Junmin, releasing his ten- ares of organic plantation still appear growth due to an overabundance of sion with an ironic laugh. To endure surprisingly lustrous and healthy. nutrients) in the water of the reservoir declining crop output; to endure the “The only thing that’s not great is and contaminating the water supply bugs and resist exterminating them: that this year there have been water for the people of Taoyuan. organic farming operates according shortages all over, and the weather “This slope over here is quite steep,” to a completely different philosophy keeps fluctuating between cold and he says, gesturing off to the right, “so than conventional agriculture. Organ- hot. It’s made the tea buds grow irreg- the water retention isn’t good—but ic farming doesn’t just focus on bene- ularly, so we’ve had to harvest several look how well the tea plants are grow- fiting humans, but also on benefiting times to pick them all.” Wang Junmin ing. If we’d started frantically spread- the land, allowing all living things the chats with me beneath a tall tree, looking on fertilizer at the beginning for chance to go on living. This creates ing every bit the carefree farmer in his fear that the moisture and nutrients balance and a healthy ecology, not just conical bamboo hat and gloves. An- wouldn’t stay put, then the roots for us, but for the Earth as well.

46 Organics

Tea farming is a lot like child-rearing, and many tea farmers throughout Asia speak of their tea trees as blood, especially those who are following natural farming methods. To the right is the “Thousand-Island Lake” area of Pinglin (坪林) in northern Taiwan. It is located near the Bei Shi River (北勢溪). As with the reservoir in Taoyuan, discussed in this article, if this tea farm used any agrochemicals, it would destroy the water for surrounding towns. Photography by Yan Songbai (颜松柏).

On Mount Lala’s forty hectares of to avoid, so few people dare to official- The answer was very eye-opening: tea plantations, Wang Junmin is the ly declare their products organic. As “Soil is a living entity.” It really isn’t the only tea grower to be certified by the a result, the “organic” label has come lifeless, inorganic substance that many Tse-Xin Organic Certification Cor- to represent something of a rare trea- of us imagine it to be. poration. Under his influence, one or sure with a glowing halo around it. Curious, I looked up “pedology” two of the neighboring tea farmers Lu Meiying (吕美莹), the director of in the dictionary, and discovered that have also slowly converted from their the Jingyuan Tea Factory, believes that it has two definitions: one is the study former conventional farming methods. rather than encouraging the establish- of soil, and the other is the study of Wang Junmin realized that “organic ment of new organic tea farms, it’s children. Could there be a connection farming can’t be done alone—you need more productive to encourage existing between the study of soil and the study a group of people to work together.” tea farmers to convert from conven- of raising children? An organic farmer’s biggest concern tional to organic farming methods. In my experience of interviewing is contamination from the neighbor- With everyone working together, it’s tea growers in the last few years, I’ve ing plantations; only if everyone pools much quicker to restore the land to an noticed that when talking about their their strength and works together can organic state. tea plants, nearly all of them personi- organic farming be successful. fy the plants and adopt a sort of con- Taiwan has a small land area and cerned, affectionate tone, almost as if a dense population, with the area of Soil = Life they were talking about raising their tea plantations across the whole is- own flesh and blood. It’s funny how land only totaling 14,000 hectares. Zhang Haoyan (张颢严), who a conversation about organic plant- The small-scale farmers each have their graduated from the pedology (soil ing and natural farming methods can specialties, producing a diverse array studies) major program at the National sometimes start to feel like a discussion of crops. In the last few years, as well University of Taiwan’s Department of about child-rearing. as feeling the effects of global climate Agricultural Chemistry, recounts how Zhang Haoyan uses his own tea change, Taiwan has been heavily affect- the very first lesson of the program left plantation as an example of how the ed by monsoons, resulting in extremes the deepest impression on him. Facing soil has changed: in the days when his of wet and dry weather (wind, fog, rain all the new students sitting in the lec- father began planting tea, the soil was and ice). The micropollutants resulting ture hall, the teacher posed a big ques- still made up of 19% organic matter, from this environment are impossible tion: “What is soil?” whereas the figure is now only about

47/ People Among Plants: Reflections on Taiwan’s Organic Tea 4%. In some areas the topsoil layer is and varied elements come from hun- er words, he specialized in cleaning up only about 30–40 centimeters deep. dreds of thousands of years of accu- the aftermath of over-exploitation. In When the tea trees start to deteriorate, mulation and erosion, yet in the brief terms of agriculture, he is an advocate all you can do is wait—even though, in 200 years since the Industrial Revolu- for “going with the flow.” He has come today’s world, waiting represents a very tion, humans have managed to almost up with a simple principle regarding significant cost. completely exhaust the planet’s supply balance when dealing with insect and In pedology, the proportion of or- of fossil fuels. Zhang Haoyan uses the disease damage on tea plantations: “If ganic matter in soil can be thought of following allegory: The Earth was once you use too much or too little fertilizer, as an energy source, comparable to fat like a wealthy person with billions the nutrients (trace elements) will be in the human body—having either too of dollars in assets. At that time, get- out of balance, and the tea trees will much or too little is not good for the ting a loan of one million dollars (in suffer from disease. If the ecosystem is health of the person (or soil). Applying other words, getting results with just out of balance, the trees will suffer in- too much fertilizer hinders the soil’s a little bit of fertilizer) was very easy. sect damage.” ability to breathe and digest. To con- But now, after all that money has been In early August, just after the end of tinue the comparison, tea plantations squandered (the soil fertility has been the Dashu (大暑) or the “Great Heat” on flat land are often “underweight,” depleted), it’s impossible to get enough solar term, the hillside surrounding while mountain tea plantations usually mineral nutrients from the soil, no Nantou’s Zhenshan Village is alive suffer from “soil obesity.” Soil fertility matter how much fertilizer you use. It with greenery. As I step foot onto the has always been a major worry to farm- wasn’t until humans started hungering grassy path of the tea plantation, a great ers, who tend to irrigate and fertilize after high-profit mass-production that crowd of the local “tenants” flee the for all they’re worth for fear that the we needed the assistance of chemical scene in fright: grasshoppers and oth- soil won’t be fertile enough otherwise. pesticides and fertilizers. Who could er unidentified jumping insects, giving Using fertilizer to squeeze out more have guessed that we would end up at me a “green carpet” welcome. When I output may be quite effective in the the mercy of these “assistants,” making first set eyes on the tea plantation, I get short term, but if you take this ap- matters worse than before? quite a surprise to see that the weeds proach, there will be bigger problems After graduating, Zhang Haoyan are just as lush as the tea trees, and the waiting for you down the line. worked as an environmental engineer- two are growing mingled together. If Soil can also be thought of as a ing consultant. His main focus was re- it weren’t for my years of experience source of fossil fuel energy. These rich habilitating contaminated land; in oth- visiting mountain tea plantations,

48 Organics

49/ People Among Plants: Reflections on Taiwan’s Organic Tea I probably would have simply con- Visiting the tea plantation that he Another young farmer who has re- cluded that the plantation belonged took over, it’s true that the weeds are cently returned to the village is Chen to quite a lazy tea farmer! Far from it: very lush and the tea seedlings sparse. Shifeng (陈世峰), who also decided it turns out that the Qingxin Oolong The seedlings were planted over a year to grow tea in his first year back. Af- variety, originally adapted to high-al- ago, yet their stems are long and thin ter three years, everyone was stunned titude regions, actually grows extraor- and surrounded on all sides by weeds at the quality of his tea. The older dinarily well here on this low-altitude and vines, like “communist grass” and farmers from the neighboring planta- hill of just 400 meters. velvet (or “tiger-claw”) beans. He is de- tions were especially curious about one “To help it withstand extreme termined not to trim them, and with thing: Chen Shifeng didn’t use pesti- weather, I let the tea take shelter in good reason. cides on his plantations, so how come the weeds to escape the heat.” Zhang He is hoping to wait a year, until he wasn’t overrun with insects? His Haoyan confidently explains how in the root systems of the seedlings have response: “All I did was do nothing!” the current sweltering heat, under- grown more robust and extended But the neighbors just thought he was ground soil temperatures can reach down into the soil. The conventional bluffing in an effort to hide his trade 40°C. He enthusiastically expounds wisdom regarding tea planting is that secrets from them. He explained that if on the three functions of wild grasses the root system will grow downward you let the tea plantation find its own and weeds: improving drainage, in- to the same length as the height of the ecological balance, Mother Earth’s own creasing moisture retention and low- tree above ground. So, if you prune the Divine power will take care of things. ering temperature. He also tells me tea seedlings too soon after planting The young farmers who have re- that the weeds provide a food source them, the root system will grow hor- turned home to practice natural farm- for the insects: “With tender weeds to izontally outward instead. Although ing do not focus on output, but rather eat, the bugs won’t eat the tea.” These this encourages rapid leaf growth af- the health of the land. “As long as there unremarkable weeds growing in front ter fertilizing, it also means missing is a harvest, we’re happy. We’ll harvest of us—“two-ear grass,” “bamboo joint the opportunity for the root system to as much or as little as the Heavens offer grass,” and white-floweredAgeratum grow deeper. us.” The two young farmers, Junda and conyzoides—are, in fact, excellent assis- Shifeng, pool their knowledge and even tants in managing the plantation. The conventional wisdom exchange free labor during the busy In the past, farmers saw weeds as a “regarding tea planting is that farming season. Another neighboring thorn in their sides and got rid of them the root system will grow natural-method farmer often comes to as quickly as possible. Now, however, downward to the same length the two with questions, and they share some organic farmers have not only as much as they can with him too. So, as the height茶 of the tree above stopped pulling them out, but have it’s almost as if both farming methods even started planting them intention- ground. So, if you prune the and interpersonal relationships in the ally. “Lei gong (雷公) root and runner tea seedlings too soon after region have experienced a return to peanuts are both good for fixing nitro- planting them, the root sys- bygone times, regaining their former gen, which helps the tea leaves grow, tem will道 grow horizontally simplicity. and globeflower is a type of repellent outward instead. Day-to-day work on the planta- plant, which keeps away the bugs… tions mostly involves pulling off the Different weeds have different benefits. The older generation” of tea farm- vines that entangle themselves around Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ers like to compare their plantations to the tea trees. Only when harvest time are each effective for aiding growth in each other’s, so they disapprove of let- arrives are the plantations weeded, and the leaves or roots of the tea plants.” ting weeds grow. In their opinion, only sometimes the weeds are purposely From the chemical to the biological, a neatly pruned and weeded plantation not cleared too thoroughly. “There’s a the mutual benefits of growing weeds is the badge of a good, hardworking certain amount of science behind the and tea plants together are very clear. farmer. Chen Junda’s natural farming weed-cultivation method; we don’t methods, in which he uses no fertilizer just let them spread wildly all over the or pesticides and does little weeding, place. For example, we don’t let one Weeds: A result in a lower production output, type of weed take over, or let the weeds “Household Revolution” and he has been subject to a lot of grow taller than the tea plants. We’re concerned finger-pointing from family constantly observing the plantations, Chen Junda (陈俊达), the erst- and friends. They even came close to managing them and making adjust- while assistant director of a Tai- barring him from signing up for the ments.” People generally just focus on pei-based refrigeration and air condi- rural social pension plan because of the the appearance of the plantations, and tioning factory, decided to return to “terrible” appearance of his tea plan- all they see is a lazy person’s methods— his home village seven years ago to be a tation. After the inspectors from the but what they don’t see is that “lazy” good filial son to his aging parents. He farmer’s cooperative first saw his plan- person’s true intentions. never suspected that he would clash tation, they declared that “this person Chen Junda is certainly very ear- with his father so many times over is not a real farmer,” and decided they nest, and has suffered from these per- their conflicting farming philosophies weren’t going to let him pay into the ceptions. His intentions and heart that he would start to feel like a rather plan. They just couldn’t understand are pure, and his outlook and meth- unfilial son instead. what he was up to. ods are actually quite admirable.

50 Organics His well-meaning but stubborn fa- ing (秀明) natural farming method, According to research associate ther, afraid of the neighbors’ gossip non-toxic, permaculture, ecological Chen Jieting (陈玠廷) from the Chi- and unable to change his son’s mind, and even the “wild” tea growing meth- nese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ snuck into the plantation while Junda od. The word “organic” is particularly Agricultural Policy Research Center, was away selling goods at the Saturday disputed, with many conflicting opin- the land area used for organic farm- market in Taipei, and secretly “helped” ions about its definition and differenc- ing reached a plateau in 2012, and it clear away the weeds. es between what people say it means currently still only constitutes 0.7% Although his friends and family and how it is implemented in practice: of total farmland, or about 6784 hect- don’t understand, the way Junda sees there’s “organic farming” that insists on ares. In September 2017, the govern- it, if he didn’t stick to the natural farm- zero contamination, “organic farming” ment invested a budget of 1.2 billion ing methods that he so firmly believes that uses organic materials and even NTD (six times the previous organic in, then returning to his hometown to “organic farming” that uses traditional farming budget) into reducing the use grow tea would be a meaningless en- farming methods. This debate about of chemical fertilizers and pesticides on terprise. the definition of “organic” isn’t limited the island of Taiwan by half over the to tea farmers—consumer sentiment next ten years, and expanding the area toward organic produce also tends to of environmentally-friendly farmland. be quite polarized. Some people refuse Chen Jieting emphasizes that “envi- Organic Farming: A to drink anything but “clean” organ- ronmentally-friendly farming” should Beautiful Dream? ic tea, while others think that high- not be considered inferior to organic priced organic teas are just a rip-off, farming; it is simply a different farm- Visiting each family’s plantation and still others dislike the “holier than ing model and subject to more relaxed and hearing the farmers talk about thou” image of organic tea. inspection standards. The important “raising” their tea was a very inter- It has been more than twenty years thing is trying to shift the mindset of esting experience. Planting tea really since organic farming was introduced consumers from simply valuing “edi- is like raising children: each family’s in Taiwan, yet organic farms still only bility” (focusing solely on food safety), child-rearing methods have their own make up less than 1% of farmland. So, to broadening their focus to include merits. where does the problem lie? Has the the ecological and social impact of Since the advent of organic farm- development of organic farming been what they consume. This is a broader ing, many terms can be heard in cir- prevented by the environment itself, or concept of what organic farming is culation: natural farming, the Xium- restricted by legislature? about.

51/ People Among Plants: Reflections on Taiwan’s Organic Tea In fact, a group of organic farmers small area of the inspection, then the Ideally, organic farming should who want to benefit nature with their whole inspection is voided, and their involve low-density planting, rather methods has existed in Taiwan for a produce is all returned; there’s no room than chasing the highest profit. The long time, but it was practically im- for flexibility. In terms of climate and most important cost consideration is possible for them to fully comply with environment, everyone realizes that the cost to the land, and the focus is government policy and receive official weather extremes resulting from global on environmental sustainability rather authentication. As one tea grower put climate change have presented chal- than financial gain. it, “Taiwan’s legislature surrounding lenges for farmers, but society’s de- The Xiongkong organic tea planta- organics has been ‘written to death,’ mand for zero pesticide detection still tions at Sanhsia town lie at an altitude which is why most people tend to just leaves no margin for error. of 700 meters, and are open for tour- go with natural farming methods.” In 2007, when the organic farm- ists to visit. Wandering through the “The national organic farming ing legislation was being drawn up, plantations is a delightful experience; standards are all conceived around the the standards were required to be as even with the hot sunlight shining on consumption phase; they haven’t given exacting as possible. Although this is your face, the wide valleys still provide serious consideration to the production an admirable approach, they failed to a cool, gentle breeze and a panoramic phase,” says Wang Junmin. He can un- consider the realities of agricultural view. Of the 168-hectare estate, only derstand the government’s standpoint production, and the implementation six hectares are planted with tree seed- on protecting consumer rights, but of these organic farming standards was lings; the rest of the area provides space all the emphasis is on prevention and liable to become a beautiful but unat- for other plants and animals to live in restriction, with none on encouraging tainable dream. harmony. the producers to adopt organic meth- “With traditional farming, it’s a ods. Over the long term, this approach very competitive red ocean situation, isn’t likely to benefit anyone. Good bugs? Bad bugs? whereas with organic farming it’s a Organic farmers have also pointed much more harmonious blue ocean,” out that overseas, organic certifica- We often hear the phrase “people says Deng Zhimin (邓志民), the tion inspections have about a 5% pass eat whatever the bugs have left be- manager of the tea center at Taiwan’s rate, whereas in Taiwan the regula- hind.” Is this just empty talk? How Council of Agriculture. Ten years ago, tions remain rigid and monolithic. If does one achieve organic farming the Council of Agriculture began im- organic tea growers in Taiwan display without killing any living creatures, plementing organic growing meth- the slightest non-conformance in one without eliminating any insects? ods on some of their tea plantations.

Above, you can see the ground beneath some organic trees. Healthy tea trees seed more often, and the farmer has allowed the seeds to fall on the ground, decomposing into excellent fertilizer and demonstrating the cycle of life. To the far left is the Ciji (慈濟) tea plantation of Sanyi, in Miaoli County. They are a beacon of healthy farming and an example to others. They always come to trade shows to promote natural farming in Taiwan and abroad. To the left is a wonderful photograph of our old friend the leafhopper (Jacobias- ca formosana), helping our Tea of the Month, an Eastern Beauty, as well as the “Concubine Oolong (gui fei, 貴妃)” of Nantou. Photography by Yan Song- bai (颜松柏).

52 Organics

For the first few years, they suffered it resulted in a plague of tussock compound that unexpectedly created serious insect damage; because they moths, instead. In the natural world, the honeyed fragrance of Dongfang couldn’t use herbicides or pesticides, each link in the food chain is insepa- Meiren (“Eastern Beauty”) tea. So, this they sent workers to go and catch rably connected to the next; the mo- story that began with a pest infesta- the insects by hand—arduous work ment this delicate ecological balance is tion caused by hot and humid weather which incited a lot of grumbling! upset, it can trigger a butterfly effect concluded with a happy ending, and These days, the rich ecosystem, with of unimaginable proportions. Look- brought great benefit to the Taiwanese its many plants and animals, has being back on our history with insects, economy. That being said, the small- come the most eye-catching feature of we’ve gone from screaming at the sight er green leafhopper is still considered the plantation. Aside from providing of them and going to great lengths to a serious pest in the southern parts of city-dwellers with a place to relax and destroy them, to trying to understand Taiwan. In the north, tea farmers wish de-stress, it’s also a great place for fam- the reason for their existence. With the for these bugs to live, and in the south, ily holidays and ecological education concept of organic farming, humans they wish for them to die—there’s a initiatives. have slowly learned to coexist in har- distinct border between love and hate. The green leaves of the tea plants mony with Nature. Research associate are veiled in a layer of finely woven spi- Zeng Xinguang (曾信光) from the Tea der’s web; from a distance it looks a bit Research and Extension Station, who like fluffy cotton padding. Department specializes in pesticide-free pest con- People vs. Nature: head Guo Zhangxian (郭政宪), who is trol, says that “the more complex the Who Takes the Lead? leading us on our tour, tells us that in array of organisms, the more balanced the beginning they saw these webs as the ecosystem.” In the Ciji (慈濟) tea plantation in an eyesore and wanted to clear them Bad bugs? Good bugs? In reality, the township of Sanyi, Miaoli Coun- off right away. Later, they realized that these are all descriptions imposed from ty, white cattle egrets follow closely the webs belonged to hunting spiders, a human point of view. If an insect behind the farmers as they weed the which are a natural predator of tea jeopardizes our own goals and desires, plantation, awaiting their opportuni- mosquito bugs (Helopeltis fasciaticollis we call it a “pest;” whereas if it helps us ty to scavenge the prey exposed in the Poppius), a major pest in the tea plan- satisfy our needs, we call it a “beneficial loose soil. Their feathers glow snow- tations. So, in our constant struggle to insect.” white in the sunlight, a picture of tran- eliminate pests, we humans secretly Zeng Xinguang uses the smaller quility. In the past, this plantation was owe a debt of gratitude to the spiders. green leafhopper as an example. This farmed using traditional fertilizers and When wasp nests were removed insect feeds on the tea leaves, caus- pesticides and the trees were over-har- from the plantations for fear of stings, ing the leaves to secrete a chemical vested, resulting in infertile soil. After

53/ People Among Plants: Reflections on Taiwan’s Organic Tea The Ciji (慈濟) tea plantation, begun by the well-known Buddhist charity, strives to have as little environmental impact as possible, making use of whatever they are given. They have increased the vitality of the land and set new standards, creating a desirable tea from a year of frost. Photography by Yan Songbai (颜松柏). the plantation changed hands, a new Dharma Master Cheng Yen (证严 of mountain tea, but rather, to identi- approach to farming methods restored 法师), an influential Taiwanese Bud- fy the tea’s innate strengths, then grow the vitality of the land and the richness dhist nun, has expressed the hope that and nurture them. of its ecosystem. In 2016, the planta- tea plantations will reduce their car- It has taken eight years to nurse the tion was certified by the Tse-Xin Or- bon footprints, so the plantation own- land of the Sanyi plantation back to ganic Certification Corporation. ers have never considered channeling health, and now that it’s back in good One official from the Tea Research water up the hill for irrigation. The condition, all that it needed was for and Extension Station who visited the only artificially added nutrients on the opportunity to come knocking. With Ciji Sanyi plantation several years ago plantation are soybean meal and liquid well cared-for soil, the chance of failure praised the plantation as an example enzyme fertilizer. They even insist on is naturally reduced. of “people prevailing over Nature.” not using any animal by-products as During the spring tea harvest of Truthfully, though, the secrets behind fertilizer, meaning they can complete- 2016, specifically on January 20th, the plantation’s success are treating the ly avoid introducing any antibiotics or there was a heavy snowfall. All the Earth well, respecting Nature and fol- heavy metals, faithfully sticking to the viable tea shoots, rearing to go after lowing its lead. tea-growing methods of their ancestors hibernating all winter, got completely The plantation covers nearly thirty long before them. frostbitten, as the temperatures hit an hectares. Aside from the fact that the Chen Zhonghou (陈忠厚) from unexpected low of -3°C. The tea farmland is completely self-contained and the Ciji Sanyi plantation often likes to ers were at a loss; all they could do was doesn’t have any secondary pollution, say: “Organic farming is a concept, not complain that it seemed the Heavens the growing conditions are not that a method.” From firsthand experience weren’t feeling generous this year. Al- great. The plantation is not very high of the challenges of organic tea grow- though Chen Zhonghou felt anything in altitude, the soil quality is poor and ing, he understood that the environ- but reassured, after three days, he made precipitation is low. During the win- mental conditions are different every- a prompt decision to act: they would ter and summer, droughts have been where, so it’s not possible to simply take prune off the spring shoots. This de- known to last twenty-three days in a a method that works in one place and cision entailed a certain risk, he says: row without a single drop of rain. The copy it somewhere else. Transplanting if temperatures continued to drop, not hard, dry soil doesn’t retain water well, even the most brilliant of techniques to only would they be unable to save the so the tea growers just have to hope the wrong place can render it useless. tea shoots, but all their time and effort that the Heavens are feeling generous, He jokes that the Sanyi plantation is would be wasted, too. But rather than or rely on planting trees to trap in the like the “dummies’ class” at a school: resign himself to his fate, he decided to fog in winter, finding ways to survive they’re not aiming for first place, not take the gamble, trusting in the good by following the natural conditions. looking to imitate the revered terroir karma of their work.

54 Organics Fortunately, the temperature soon I also finally get to meet Zhang For today’s organic farmers, the rose back above 10°C. Although the Haoyan’s mother, Ms. Gui Chun (桂 biggest challenge is how to stick to remaining volume was not high, they 春), who is petite in stature with de- organic principles and still make a were able to harvest those tea shoots termination written across her brow. living. Producing a reasonable output that had survived all the hardship, and Zhang Haoyan’s father, Zhang Heng- while honoring their commitment not took the opportunity to make them cheng (张恒诚), belonged to Taiwan’s to harm the soil. Is having the best into a lightly-roasted oolong which first generation of organic tea farmers, of both worlds simply an impossible they named “Xue Cang Cha (雪藏 and the Hengcheng Farm that he start- dream? This predicament has been 茶),” or “Concealed in the Snow Tea.” ed is quite famous in the surrounding emphasized time and time again, and This tea enjoyed an unexpectedly good area. The names “Hengcheng” and has started to seem like an unsolvable reception on the market. Consequent- “Gui Chun” have become inseparable problem. “If we look at it from the per- ly, this reversal of fortune was a result partners in the business of organics. spective of one person’s lifetime, then of both experience and courage. Although organic produce had a very perhaps it is (unsolvable). But if we “This poem is definitely talking good reputation in those early days, the look at it from the limitless perspective about organic tea, because good, clean reality was that they were often unable of all life…” These wise words from organic tea will make your body more to make ends meet and were forced to Gui Chun provoke a sudden moment and more relaxed as you drink it. Al- spend what they didn’t yet have. Gui of enlightenment... though the flavor of the first few brews Chun was determined to support her I immediately think of the advice is quite ordinary, in the latter brews the husband’s organic enterprise, even if that Chen Junda often hears from his true flavor comes out; by the third and it meant taking on all sorts of jobs to elders: “If you stick to planting tea fourth brews the flavor keeps getting help bring in money. this way, the current generation cer- better… But if you entered this slow- As Nantou’s first pioneer of organ- tainly won’t get to enjoy the results— ly-developing tea in a competition, it ic farming, over the last twenty years but your children and grandchildren would certainly be wiped out in the Zhang Hengcheng led the way for a will!” Isn’t this exactly what he aims to first round.” We’re sitting in Zhang group of local organic farmers, plant- do—build a dream that will stay alive Haoyan’s living room in Zhushan ing nearly fifty-six hectares of organic through the generations? Township, Nantou County; the walls tea. Unfortunately, because of his vig- Leaving a clean piece of earth for are covered with his grandfather’s cal- orous dedication to his job, he suffered future generations, and a stirring cup ligraphy and paintings. We are tast- a serious stroke from overexertion. His of tea just like the tea Lu Tong drank in ing several organic teas, all made with son, who had been working in Taipei, his poem: who could say these dreams different methods, and discussing the had no choice but to leave the excite- are anything but admirable? importance of a balanced ecosystem ment of the big city behind and return for creating truly organic produce. We home to take up the baton. Despite his conclude that in the era of the poet, initial reluctance, four years on, Zhang Lu Tong (who lived during the Tang Haoyan is enthusiastically working to Dynasty, 618–907), the environment bring together his fellow farmers to would certainly have been pure and establish a model for organic farming. harmonious, which is why the tea had His past resentment has given way to this kind of flavor and effect. Only a gratitude to his father for leaving him great terroir could make such a tea. this small piece of paradise.

“Seven Bowls of Tea” A poem passed down through history

The first cup moistens the throat; The second shatters all feelings of solitude; The third cup purifies the digestion, re-opening the 5000 volumes I’ve studied and bringing them to mind fresh; The fourth induces perspiration, evaporating all of life’s trials and tribulations; With the fifth cup, the body sharpens, crisp; And the sixth cup is the first step on the road to enlightenment; The seventh cup sits steaming—it needn’t be drunk, as one is lifted to the Abode of the Immortals.

—From the poem “Seven Bowls of Tea (七碗茶诗)” by Lu Tong (卢同), abridged; translated by Wu De

55/ People Among Plants: Reflections on Taiwan’s Organic Tea

Living Tea 安溪鐵觀音

茶人: Connor Goss

t is time that we explore an incred- bowls of even a very simple living tea, er that be plantation-grown tea with ibly important topic for anyone perhaps a few leaves of a wild puerh conventional chemicals and pesticides, who has a connection with Tea, from deep in the mountains, will tes- organic farming methods, or living tea, Iand that is living tea. Many of you tify wholeheartedly to these words. It etc. who have read this magazine for some is ultimately something that can only time, or even perhaps followed from be understood experientially, by ac- afar, will know that we are passionate tually drinking the tea—as with all I. Seed-Propagated supporters of organic or better yet, liv- things really. If we do not know from ing tea! our own experience, then, there are no The first characteristic is that it is Living tea represents something true roots within our soul to speak of seed-propagated. Tea is a sexual plant. beyond organic. In Chinese it is called these things. Luckily this month you It has evolved over vast stretches of “real tea (zhen cha, 禪茶)” or “ecolog- will have the opportunity to try a truly time, over millennia, to develop sexual ical tea (shang tai cha, 生態茶).” We fine example of a living tea! cross-fertilization. It requires an im- choose “living tea” instead, as we feel The Leaf is the tree’s expression of mense amount of energy for the tree it captures the essence of what this tea its environment. It is the terroir, the to reproduce through sexual cross-fer- is in English. There are many levels soil, water, air and sunshine that make tilization. As with all beings who re- of purity in tea. On each level, there up a place. It is the meeting of all of produce this way, there is a great ocean are different criteria for what it means these. Living tea is the convergence of diversity and uniqueness which aris- to be “clean.” On the level of organic and transformation of them into this es, with two tea seeds not being alike, plantation tea, this means that the tea magical Leaf that we receive as med- even on the same mountain. Even if is free of agrochemicals. But there are icine. they both inhabit the same environ- levels above that as well. Living tea is There are six main characteristics ment, they will differ. This allows for what we seek as Chajin. The medicine that define living tea. Each of these Tea’s incredible ability to adapt to new of tea shines through living tea. This characteristics cannot be undervalued environments with each tea being an doesn’t mean we don’t support organ- over the others; they are inseparable expression of that particular environ- ic plantation tea, however. There is a from each other, and all of vast impor- ment. place for all kinds of tea, from healthy tance. We have written about living tea It is unfortunate that now, as more beverage to self-cultivation. quite a number of times over the years and more tea is grown in plantations, There is a magic found in the leaves of Global Tea Hut; however, as this is that we humans have sacrificed such of a living tea that stretches farther our first issue fully and wholehearted- vast diversity and unknowing in favor than language, farther than any form ly dedicated to pure tea and organic of greater control of production, ful- of communication or expression. It is farming practices, what better a way to filling quotas through taking cuttings a magic that is steeped in the unknow- brush up on our understanding of the of tea and in essence cloning them able. Anyone who has sat for a few different ways of defining tea, wheth- to yield greater uniformity in what

57 is grown and offered to the consum- mony with their environment. Nature tions rise and fall and the stars spin er. In growing tea that is no longer has been doing this for countless eons. around their skies countless times over seed-propagated, the cloned tea trees She knows experientially within her the span of their lives. live shorter lives, sometimes for less bones and marrow what is needed. The Whereas with plantation tea, es- than twenty years, though usually more that we attempt to tinker with pecially more commercially oriented between thirty to fifty years. This is the process, the more the process goes plantations, the tea trees are pressed incredibly saddening when one then off in the wrong direction. Though, ul- into neat rows, into uniformity that learns that seed-propagated trees can timately it will correct itself one way or allows for greater yield and efficiency live for hundreds of years if they are another—that simply requires humans in picking the leaves. They are pruned small-leaf tea trees, or thousands of to step back for a moment and recog- regularly into shapes from which years if they are large-leaf tea trees! The nize the inherent wisdom in the trees, leaves are easier to pick. With limited contrast between seed-propagated and in the mountains, in the earth. That resources, each one competes with the cloned is undeniably clear. can only occur when we surrender to others for survival in this soulless ap- our own spheres of influence. proach to farming. What do you think In journals of his travels, Robert the end result is? Simply drinking two II. Space to Grow Fortune was asked to evaluate the new teas, one from trees that has freedom to plantations the British had created in grow and the other from plantation tea The second characteristic of liv- the Himalayas. He criticized the lo- trees, will offer all the understanding ing tea is that the tea trees have space cal plantations based on his travels you need. There is no need for words, to grow. How can anyone grow up through China, arguing that the Chi- then, as experiential understanding properly and be healthy if there is not nese always leave several feet between blossoms. enough space to unfold fully? Tea trees trees. require sufficient space to grow, spread- Tea trees require space to grow up- ing their roots deep into the earth. If wards too, reaching their trunks and III. Biodiversity allowed to grow untended by humans, branches up to the sun, extending tea trees know which soil is best for op- their crown to meet the sky. The larger The third characteristic of living timal growth, where are the most nu- the crown, the deeper and farther the tea is biodiversity. It is often over- trients for them, and where the earth roots will stretch beneath the earth, whelming, in the most wonderful of is depleted of nutrients. They will then absorbing nutrients and energy from ways, to realize the infinite and im- grow where is best for them, which is deep within the mountains where the measurable connections between all not in neat rows, but rather sparsely tree grows, and those carry with them living beings. Each place has its own or densely scattered around their envi- a powerful magic that can be experi- tapestry of aliveness, of living con- ronment depending on what exists for enced when drinking an old-growth nections between everything found them to live and prosper from in har- tea from trees that have seen civiliza- within that unique environment.

58 Pure & Clean Tea

And if even one thing is changed, if own talents for survival. Tea trees that times that are abundant. And the times one being falls into sickness and de- are irrigated will never grow strong where there is less? There are great joys cline, then the entire environment roots deep into the earth; instead they and lessons to be found in those as suffers. Tea helps us to understand this will remain shallow, just beneath the well. fundamental truth, that we are insepa- topmost layer of soil, sometimes even rable from Nature, and that everything exposed completely to the sky above. we do influences Nature as a whole— When tea trees are not irrigated, they which includes us, whether that be are forced into digging into the moun- A World of Compromise experienced directly in this moment tain where they live, deep into the bed- in time, or by future generations who rock for nourishment. Some will die. Now that we have touched briefly inherit our mistakes in tinkering with And those who survive will grow to be upon each of the six characteristics of something beyond our fathoming. strong and resilient, drawing rich min- living tea, I am sure many have ques- We must ultimately ask ourselves: erals, water and energy from the earth, tions of what can one do now then? Why do we want to try controlling creating within their lives powerful There exists the inescapable truth something that is already functioning medicine for humans. that if we were to only grow and pro- perfectly? As we surrender more to In Robert Fortune’s nineteenth duce living tea, then there would not what exists beyond our control, Tea century journals, when once again be enough tea for millions of people shows up more, doing what She does criticizing the Indian plantations, he around the world. So many people best and has for countless centuries. also mentions that the Chinese “nev- would not experience the beauty and er irrigate their tea.” This suggests that joy found in tea. We must then com- irrigation was known to create weaker promise, in this time when sacrifices IV. No Agrochemicals tea trees that live shorter lives and cre- must be made so that all beings may ate less vibrant leaves. enjoy tea. When compromising, it The fourth characteristic of living is important to understand where to tea is that it must be grown without draw the line, knowing what it means the use of any agrochemicals. The use to make these compromises. For us, of pesticides, herbicides and chemi- VI. Dialogue with compromising means that there will cal fertilizers that are inundating the the Farmer be plantation tea alongside living tea. world today only bring with them suf- Many of the characteristics of living fering. They affect the health of every- The sixth and final characteristic tea are sacrificed in compromising for one, from the tea trees, to the farmers, of living tea relates to the dialogue be- some plantation tea: there will be less to the consumers and the planet as a tween humans and Tea. Over the pass- space for the trees to grow, some prun- whole. In using various cocktails of ing of time, the changing and evolu- ing, less biodiversity, irrigation where chemical fertilizers for tea trees, they tion of this magazine, we have spoken necessary, and likely some cloning. then do not receive any of the rich many times about how Tea was made This is as far as we will compromise. nutrients of their environment. They to be human. Tea listens and responds There is nothing more than this that grow to become completely dependent to humans. This is a timeless conver- we are willing to sacrifice. That means upon humans for their survival, as sation that stretches far back into the no agrochemicals, pesticides or chem- they do not know anything other than history of this world. It is a conver- ical fertilizers. The tea grown in plan- this reality. And, as the tea is grown sation between humans and Nature, tations must be organic! In making on mountains, the chemicals will be finding a way of living in harmony these compromises, we are allowing washed down into lower lying areas, together. The ways we orient ourselves the possibility to exist that there will getting into the water that then affects to tea influence how the tea grows or be enough tea for everyone now, and the health and well-being of countless does not grow. Long before humans also helping to preserve tea for future beings. Not only does the use of agro- began to cultivate tea in plantations, generations. Of course, we want our chemicals negate Tea as being a plant replacing true dialogue with numbers descendants to be able to enjoy living medicine, it also harms the farmers and analyses of soil to determine what tea, just as we want them to be able who are in direct contact with these fertilizers to give the tea, humans were to enjoy Nature, to feel comfortable in poisoned environments. making offerings to the tea trees. I dis- holding their heads up high in Nature, tinctly remember on my first Global knowing that their ancestors made the Tea Hut trip to China, visiting Yun- right choice in shifting their orienta- V. No Irrigation nan, and seeing firsthand the ways tion towards balance. humans make altars beneath the old The fifth characteristic of living tea trees, making offerings and paying tea is that it must not be irrigated by respect to these wise elders. It left me humans. This one is incredibly easy to profoundly changed. And those were understand, both intellectually and ex- just the practices that have survived perientially. Of course, no being who the rampant growth of the mechanical is nourished completely by external worldview. Ultimately, the amount of We have a whole podcast devot- sources will grow to be healthy and tea we receive is decided by Nature. All ed to this topic. Our podcasts are on resilient, rather than relying on their we should do is offer gratitude for the Soundcloud and other sites.

59/ Living Tea

有 O機rganic Changes 轉 An Interview with Xie Yuan Zai 型人在草木間 Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在) is a very important part of the scenery at our Center, and will be very important for many of you as well, because so many of our visitors come here with a curiosity about how tea is processed. It is very important to experience just how difficult it is to make tea, so that in your own soreness you will develop a tremendous respect for the Leaf. This respect isn’t just in the billions of years of evolution, the wind and rain, sunshine, mountain and water; it is also in the blood, sweat and tears of generation after generation of farmers.

茶人: Wu De (無的)

here comes a deep reverence in hobby and deep medicine. Each of tea on this earth, so we need to under- seeing just how much mastery, these has a different orientation. stand how to create it in a way that is skill and art goes into the craft- Mr. Xie is a plantation farmer in healthy for the Earth, for farmers and Ting of the Leaf. And so, with great joy, Mingjian. Mingjian is lower altitude, for us the consumers. In the realm of we take as many of our guests as possi- in the foothills of the central mountain plantation tea—Mr. Xie’s area of ex- ble to a few different farms to try their range. In the last few decades, such pertise—the defining concept for any hands at tea processing. It is amazing lower altitude tea has been adumbrat- discussion of sustainability and “clean to make your own tea and then take ed by the popularity of the teas grown tea” is “organic.” it home with you. If you didn’t have higher up. Though areas like Hsinchu After sharing some tea, we started enough reasons to come stay with us, and Miao Li counties—where Eastern our conversation with Mr. Xie. We here’s another: Mr. Xie has formally Beauty is grown—have struggled since wanted to know about what, specif- invited each and every one of you to high mountain oolongs have come to ically, are the detrimental effects of come to his farm and make tea, eat a dominate the market, Mingjian has inorganic farming on the Earth, for nice lunch and take the tea you picked prospered by providing lower-priced farmers and us. We also wanted to and crafted home with you! Every teas for export, or large-scale produc- discuss what changes occur when a ten-day course at the Tea Sage Hut tion for the bottled tea market (often farmer switches to organic methods, includes a day-long visit to Mr. Xie’s called “Ready to Drink” or “RTD”). and how they would go about making farm to meet this amazing member of Mr. Xie’s family has grown small scale that change. We asked him to describe the Hut and his tea! productions of oolong tea through the changes in fields over time, since Since we knew we would be sit- three lifetimes, since before the higher he has witnessed many fields change ting down for this long tea session to teas even existed. from inorganic to organic. And per- discuss organics and other topics sur- Mingjian has six harvests a year, haps most importantly, we wanted to rounding sustainable tea, we knew we due to its low altitude and temper- discuss what we as consumers can do had to interview Mr. Xie. We wanted ate weather, and almost all the tea is to help. This article is a record of that to explore the topic in greater depth machine-harvested and also machine- interview. But before we pour some than ever before, so we packed the processed, which makes it much more bowls of these topics, we should first car full of photography gear, grabbed affordable than other Taiwanese teas. introduce Mr. Xie for those who hav- a notebook and filled our thermoses Each level of tea has its own defini- en’t met him before. with red tea, and drove to Mingjian to tion of clean and sustainable. At the sit down with Mr. Xie for the day. Of highest end, we have wild, living tea, course, we did so knowing we would which we will discuss later in this issue. Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在) be bringing you all along with us. Then there are ecological farms (shang We wanted to discuss some very tai, 生態) that are somewhere in be- Mr. Xie is a third-generation farm- specific things with Mr. Xie, deepening tween wild and plantation tea, but er in Mingjian, Nantou, Central Tai- our understanding of organics from still fit into what we call “living tea.” wan. When we discuss organic farm- a more industrial perspective. Not Finally, there is plantation tea, which ing and the need to make changes in all tea can be living tea, grown from is intended to increase yield. Mr. Xie tea farming (as well as other kinds of seed-propagated trees deep in forests. is a shining example of the latter. This agriculture) it’s important to remem- If all tea was made in that way, there means his perspective on healthy tea is ber that the farmers are always the wouldn’t be enough tea for everyone in healthy plantation tea. This is a very im- first victims. It is they who handle the the world. We need sustainable, clean portant perspective, as this will most agrochemicals in large amounts, and tea produced on all levels, as beverage, likely always represent the majority of most directly, affecting their health.

62 Organics

Mr. Xie loves the Earth and loves making simple, healthy tea. Every guest at our ten-day courses visits his farm to make tea and learn to respect tea farmers, understanding fully how much work goes into the production of all the tea we drink. To the left and above, Mr. Xie shows us a really cool bug that builds a home out of various bits of plant matter and carries its home with it on its back wherever it goes. To the right, you can see how healthy the soil is on Mr. Xie’s organic farm. Though this is not living tea, and certainly compromises to increase yield and decrease cost, it is still sustainable and healthy for the farmers who make and for us who drink it. You can see the vibrancy all around: in the soil, the undergrowth, the plentiful insects all over the place and the thick, juicy tea leaves that flush much more fully and with thicker bud sets than nearby conventional farms.

Furthermore, it is only by humaniz- From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Xie and creating new and better teas, and help ing and befriending them that we can his family struggled to maintain their show his neighbors the value of organ- bring about change. We must include principles. His tea was sub-par and ic farming, especially since their land rather than exclude, educate rather he lost most all his customers. His fa- and his are close enough to influence than ostracize. ther, who had been worried when his each other. He formed a co-op with Like so many other farmers, Mr. son suggested upsetting the status quo other farmers and began teaching lo- Xie started to get the coughing-wheez- in the first place, was very critical of cals to shift to organic methods, of- ing feeling that these chemicals were his decisions. Organic farming is dif- fering them equal shares in their com- harmful to his family, his community ficult, and it requires a radical change bined enterprise. As more people have and his land. When his wife almost in farming and processing methodolo- joined this local group, the incentive to miscarried their second child in 1997, gy—changes that would take time to do so has also increased. To date, sev- he had had enough. We find it interest- learn. Rather than give up, as many eral farmers in the Mingjian region are ing that the doctors in rural, tea-grow- would have done, Mr. Xie got a part- organic, including Mr. Xie’s immedi- ing areas are able to recognize when time job as a painter and carpenter, ate neighbors. miscarriages are caused by exposure working day and night—either paint- Mr. Xie’s kind heart shows in his to agrochemicals. Mr. Xie assured us ing or farming—to keep his family teas. He cares deeply about tea and the that they can, especially when it hap- afloat. Finally, in the early 2000s, his Earth. He produces green tea, large pens more than once. But this also acumen for organic farming improved and small leaf red tea, as well as several implies that misuse of these chemicals, to the point that he was able to take his kinds of oolong, and all with great skill. improper safety measures and perhaps teas to market again. Since then he has He’s generous with his tea, supporting overuse are causing such health prob- gone on to win awards, been featured our efforts selflessly. To us, he is an in- lems regularly. Despite opposition on television and has even heard his fa- spiration and a kind of hero—the kind from friends and family, Mr. Xie made ther, now a sprightly eighty years old, not talked about enough these days. a commitment to become an organic bragging to others about how his tea is It’s easy to follow the crowd, main- tea farmer, no matter the cost. His first organic and good for the environment. tain the status quo, or to say: “I am course of action was to attend some or- Mr. Xie’s work hasn’t stopped with just one person. What can I do?” It is ganic farming classes held by the MOA his own farm. He knew that he would difficult to face criticism from family organization. have to keep improving his skills, and friends and stand up for what you

63/ Organic Changes: An Interview with Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在) believe to be right. The problem is that days are “sustainable” versus “unsus- producing leaves more slowly, though it is too easy for farmers to make more tainable” agriculture. Will the use of they are thicker and more vibrant. But money with agrochemicals, and to do fertilizers, pesticides and/or weed-kill- there is also the need to increase yield it with less work. And that’s also why ers prevent a farmer from growing tea to satisfy the demand of the modern so many of them are over-using the fer- in future generations? Mr. Xie told us world and population. tilizers and pesticides, reducing the av- that he honestly has no idea. “Agro- We have to compromise in this day erage life of a tea bush to fifteen years, chemicals are frankly not old enough and age for everyone to have food/tea. all in the name of personal gain. Many for us to really understand their long- In the case of tea, that means using of them get cancer from improper ex- term effects. Research into the creation cuttings in rows that are fertilized to posure to such chemicals, themselves of pesticides began in the middle of increase yield. Cuttings reach a height victims as we mentioned above. Mr. the last century, and mainstream use of from thirty centimeters to a meter and Xie is a man who has seen a different them didn’t really reach Taiwan until flush more often, with shallower roots. way, and more inspiringly lived that the 1970s. What will happen after a This means that grafts are taken from way and taught others to do so. And century or two of use is really hard to previous trees and sprouted when the that is the spirit of tea. say.” He did say that there was one dis- yield of the “old” bushes decreases be- turbing trend that farmers in Taiwan low what the farmer considers to be have noticed, which is the rate of yield acceptable. This may be measured in- Sustainability for tea trees. dividually, tree-to-tree, or by the over- Within traditional tea production, all output of the entire field. Mr. Xie Mr. Xie is very down to earth, tea is seed-propagated and the trees are said that “tea trees were living thirty and orientated towards a scientific ap- left to grow up. This is, in fact, one of to forty years on average with a high- proach to producing clean, healthy tea the criteria of what we call “living tea.” yield during the 1970s and 1980s. In that doesn’t involve dangerous chem- True agriculture is not based upon de- recent times, that time has decreased to icals that could potentially harm his manding something from Nature, but ten or fifteen years.” This means that family or customers. But we wanted rather accepting whatever is given with the trees are living shorter lives. The to know about the long-term effects gratitude. Seed-propagated tea trees yield is half or less of what it was thir- agrochemicals are having on the land, will grow deeper roots, require more ty years ago. He believes that this may especially since the catchy terms these room and have a much lower yield, be due to the use of agrochemicals.

64 Organics “This may be the beginning of a down- highest, pesticides don’t really work. time frame. Letting the ecology find ward cycle, because it means changing The small katydids that eat tea (cha harmony takes time, but it does a way over the whole field much more often. xiao lu ye chan, 茶小綠葉蟬) develop better job than we can, if we have pa- Leaving a field alone for thirty years in resistance to a certain pesticide over tience and let it find its own rhythm balance is much better than replacing just a few generations, forcing farmers and balance. all the tea trees every ten years because to increase levels beyond dangerous, their output has decreased enough to which Mr. Xie said very few farmers warrant doing so. Will this upset cause do these days. “They may have done The Changes an even quicker turnover, and so on?” that in past, but the dangers of in- We wonder if the fields will one creasing residue are now well-known. The topic we spent the longest day be fallow, incapable of producing These days, they just switch pesticides time talking about was the changes in a any tea at all. To us, this overturns any every two to three years as the insects farm as it switches from traditional, or- desire we, as tea lovers, should have for grow resistant.” We laughed, finding ganic farming to the use of agrochem- compromise. After all, the only justi- this perspective of a battle with “pests,” icals, and vice versa—when a so-called fiable reason for compromising is to which requires new weapons every few “conventional” farm returns to organic increase yield so that more people can years, to be quite absurd. methods. We started by laughing at have food/tea. If we increase yield for After we both laughed and drank the modern practice of calling indus- a few decades only to drastically ruin a few more cups of tea, Mr. Xie said trial farming with agrochemicals “con- our ability to make tea—meaning that that in Mingjian, which is low altitude ventional,” while the way that farmers future tea lovers don’t have any—we and prone to insect infestation, the use grew things for ten thousand years pri- aren’t really compromising for a real of pesticides is less effective over time or to the invention of agrochemicals benefit. than organic farming. Yes, you heard is now the exception. Humans can be This argument also doesn’t apply that right: pesticides are less effective very myopic! With a bit of perspective, equally for tea as it does for food. In than organic tea! Mr. Xie explained one can easily argue that the less-sus- ancient times, tea was regarded by Chi- that he has not done extensive research tainable modern industrial agricultural nese people as one of the “seven neces- collecting data from the entire region, practices should really bear the burden sities,” including oil, salt, rice, wood, but that his experience, coupled with of being “unconventional.” vinegar and soy sauce. These days, the experience of other farmers in his After switching teas and drinking however, it is hard to argue that tea is co-op, proved that yield increased after some more cups, Mr. Xie spoke to us a “necessity,” no matter how much we around five years of organic farming. about the four big changes that occur love it; it is more of a luxury. And if He wanted to be clear that this is only when moving in either direction—to- there ever was a time when we could in relation to these katydids, which do wards or away from—natural farming: afford luxuries that harm the earth not affect high-altitude farms as much. ecological vibrancy, the earth/soil, the in any way, this is not that time. If He said that the best defense against leaves and the tea quality. Each of these ever there was a time to take a stance the katydids is a healthy ecology, which is worth exploring in detail. against environmental destruction, for allows for balance over time as there the sake of all future generations of hu- are plenty of organisms that eat the The Ecology:This is the most obvi- manity, now is that time. katydids, reducing their population ous change. When you stop spraying Politicians want us to argue about to a manageable size. “They are quite pesticides, insects return. This attracts “climate change” and “global warm- small, and so long as there are not too the larger insects and other organisms ing,” but these topics aren’t the point. many of them, they will not destroy a that feed on those smaller insects, and No matter how you feel about “climate tree or decrease yield significantly. But so on. Mr. Xie said it takes a few years change,” the fact that our industrial when the ecology is unbalanced, they for the ecology to return. “Spiders are processes are having a detrimental ef- infest and farmers are forced to keep a good sign that the change is taking fect on the earth, ecologies and other switching pesticides as they develop re- hold, as they only come when the ecol- species is obvious, and so is the very sistance.” Therefore, for these species, ogy is healthy.” The effects of a vibrant real fact that this will bite us later on. organic farming will result in a greater ecology are profound and difficult to The details aren’t as important as the yield over time. “People use pesticides measure. acceptance of the problem, and the because they are following a trend and The infinite web of life is far more consciousness that caused it, as well as are unaware of this fact. Of course, ag- delicate than we can possibly measure. solutions. rochemicals are also marketed to them, As time goes on, we begin to discover Mr. Xie told us that industrial advertised like any other product,” Mr. subtler and subtler ways in which var- companies are constantly struggling Xie said. ious lifeforms are connected. There is to innovate new agro-products that One topic that comes up a lot in evidence, for example, that birdsong solve problems caused by previous ag- our conversations with farmers pro- may, in fact, influence the vibrancy of rochemicals, which made us think of ducing clean tea, as it did with Master plants, which is a very minute factor. the pharmaceutical industry, which Gu in our Tea of the Month article, We cannot really understand every as- follows a similar trend, creating med- is balance over time, as opposed to pect of every connection in any given icine to heal side-effects of previous achieving desired results in terms of ecology, other than to know for certain medicines. He said that in lowlands weight within any given year. Nature that no organism exists in that ecology like Mingjian, where the tea yield is balances itself, but does so in its own without playing an important role that

65/ Organic Changes: An Interview with Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在) will influence every other organism. in a valley and all the mountains sur- Mr. Xie said that “conventional farms The ripples of any given organism’s in- rounding it have conventional farms. produce around double what natural fluence may be very faint or very great. Since the soil cannot absorb the water, trees can produce. Some of that can The higher up the food chain, the it runs off at a high velocity, sometimes be mitigated through organic fertilizer, greater the influence tends to be. causing mudslides, which are danger- but the leaves themselves will still be Scientists use the word “tropism” ous. Also, since the run-off contains thicker, juicier and more vibrant the to define the change of all or part of such a high amount of agrochemicals, less flushes there are.” an organism in a particular direction in the water treatment plants can no lon- response to an external stimulus. The ger clean it safely and are forced to Tea Quality: With the vibrancy of the reintroduction of wolves into Yellow- dump their supply, meaning that the ecology and thicker leaves, it is obvi- stone National Park, for example, had area has no water for some period. This ous that the tea will be more patient, a huge impact on every species and even happens in Taipei, actually.” Mr. which means more steepings than the even affected the geology when the Xie said, shaking his head. He later conventional alternative. Mr. Xie said grazing habits of deer were altered by showed us how powdery soil on a con- that as far as local Mingjian tea goes, he the wolves; that, in turn, caused new ventional farm is, without any depth, feels that organic, healthy farms pro- forest growth, which moved the banks loamy quality or any of the life we as- duce tea that is at least one-third more of the rivers. sociate with healthy soil. Rubbing it patient. “In Mingjian, the presence of The changes that having a vibrant between his hands, it appeared to be the green leafhoppers means that or- ecology introduces may each one be dust and had no aroma at all. ganic tea here often has a sweet, honey too small to notice, record or study, but the overall influence of many organisms living in balance versus almost The rate of growth of organic tea is, of course, none, save tea, is extremely apparent! “ As I often say, the leaf is the tree’s ex- slower than those that are fertilized chemically. pression of its relationship to its envi- Even organic fertilizer isn’t as effective. The slow- ronment. If the environment is rich, so 茶 will the tree be, which means the leaf er growth rate means that the leaves are thicker will also be vibrant. and juicier. An experienced farmer can tell or- The Earth/Soil: Mr. Xie told us that the use of agrochemicals will always 道ganic plants by the thickness of the leaves. change the soil composition, pH and ” even appearance. Tea grows better in lower pH soils, which tend to be grave- The Leaves: “The rate of growth of flavor and fragrance due to the chem- ly and yellowish or reddish in color. In organic tea is, of course, slower than ical changes caused by their bites.” He Mingjian, for example, the soil is high those that are fertilized chemically. said that this adds depth and complex- in iron and therefore reddish. With the Even organic fertilizer isn’t as effective. ity to organic tea, which he prefers. We use of agrochemicals, the earth gets The slower growth rate means that the tasted some teas and also felt that the harder and more powdery.. This means leaves are thicker and juicier. An expe- fragrance was deeper, bolder and more that when it rains, less water can enter rienced farmer can tell organic plants full-bodied. We felt that the fragrance the soil, and the roots of the trees often by the thickness of the leaves.” and the flavor of the organic tea was grow up out of the ground over time, Organic tea flushes less in a year. longer-lasting and that the mouthfeel seeking water to drink. The excess wa- Naturally, most tea only flushes in the (co gan, 口感) was also better in all ter on the surface means that moss of- spring. There are exceptions to this, the ways covered in the Ten Qualities ten grows all over the ground on con- like in some areas of Yunnan which of a Fine Tea. For us, the difference in ventional farms. This blue-green moss also have a vibrant autumn harvest due quality is obvious. For Mr. Xie, who is usually a good sign that the owner is to the climate, or other areas that have has worked with both conventional using agrochemicals, especially if there summer harvests. Most of the time, and organic leaves, he said that at ev- is also a lack of vibrancy in the ecology, however, harvests outside of spring are ery stage in the processing he can smell i.e., insects and other plants growing due to fertilization. Having a single and feel the difference in the leaves’ around or in between the tea bushes. harvest every year will always be bet- juiciness and vibrancy. When he said The moss also takes away nutrients and ter, as this means that the tree will have that, we were reminded of a spring in moisture. In natural ecologies, as part absorbed a whole year’s worth of nutri- Wuyi Mountain when the day’s batch of a balanced system, moss can play ents to unfurl in the leaves. The more of tea came in and was withering out- a vital role in healthy ecology. But in the tree gives, the less the leaves have in doors. We noticed a lot of bug bites in a conventional tea farm, this type of them. Since organic tea flushes far less them and asked the old master about moss is a sign of imbalance. than conventional tea, a farmer can this. He said, “It will be a good year, Mr. Xie continued: “When there have more tea through conventional indeed!” and smiled. Later, his son ex- are very heavy rains in some areas of farming, which is, of course, the reason plained that the insect bites signified a Taiwan, the water company sometimes why farmers make this choice. But the thriving ecology, which means that the has to shut off the water, as the city is increase in quantity decreases quality. leaves would also be effervescent.

66 Organics The Process of Change

When we turned our discussion now to two later on. They would pre- where it may not sell at all and, final- to the process of change, Mr. Xie first fer a bigger profit now that results in ly, organic farming is more work. “Of spoke about the heart (there is no word less over time, in other words, than course, they will have to be motivated for “mind” in Chinese, only “heart, thinking long-term and the amount to make such a change and work hard- (心).” He said that the first thing to of income that will result slowly over er. Take weeding, for example: even change is the psychology of why. He time—even if it is more. with a weed-wacker, it will take a half said that most farmers think in terms Assuming that a farmer does want a day to a full day to weed a tea field. of weight. They measure success in to make the shift, Mr. Xie assures us With chemicals, this can be done in an quantity. Their heart isn’t in their tea that there are plenty of resources and hour.” Indeed, the argument that cer- production and the final quality, but training options available, and many tification is abused as a marketing tool rather, always in the bottom line. This are free. He said that many farmers, only really holds up if it is corrupt. For reminded us of Buddhist practice, unfortunately, turn around even if if the tea is truly organic, it takes time, which always starts with what is often they get to this stage, because they will patience and a tremendous effort to get translated as “arousing the mind” or most likely not be able to sell their tea it to that state, let alone to keep it there “the will to truth,” which means that for around three years, waiting for cer- and create nice tea that can actually sell we must first orient towards change. tification. In the meantime, the tea is for more than the “conventional” alter- True change must first start with a neither here nor there and it won’t be native—more because there is less of it, willingness to change, in other words. very good quality. “They have to have a so it has to cost more for the farmer to “When farmers stop thinking in terms savings or alternative income to make maintain a similar quality of life. of what weighs the most, the quality of it through this time. I worked as a “The first step is to examine the tea will improve greatly, and, of course, painter, actually.” farm,” Mr. Xie went on. “We have to its environmental impact will decrease Mr. Xie said that some kind of check the health of the soil and the as well.” He also mentioned that most motivation is necessary to make the trees.” If the soil and trees are healthy, farmers are too short-sighted, and will change since yield will decrease, the the farmer can just stop spraying prefer the proverbial handful of leaves tea will pass through an awkward stage cold turkey and go one year without

Looking above, we asked Mr. Xie to grab a handful of soil from beneath his tea trees (left) and he came up with leaves, organic debris and loamy, rich soil that smelled of earth. Lat- er, at a conventional farm, we asked him to do the same, and there was only dusty, pebbly powder. His hands were covered in it like chalk after he dropped the handful of dry earth. To the right is a look between the rows of a conventional tea farm. Compare this with the photograph on the previous page, and you can see which one is more vibrant. You can see the roots coming up out of the ground, as the plants cannot drink from the powdery soil. The sterility was obvious, and when standing in both gardens the same day, we feel there is little argument that can be made in favor of so-called “conventional” farming. The differences really are that obvious when you are there.

67/ Organic Changes: An Interview with Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在) 轉型過程 harvesting any leaves at all, allowing around three years, until the ecology a tropism—when species change even the ecology to balance a bit. If the starts to balance and the trees find their the geology of a place. Energetically, trees and/or soil are not healthy, then stability. “The soil starts shifting and even with eyes closed, hands to the the process has to happen more slow- absorbing more nutrients. Water also trees, everything felt much more alive ly—over the course of two to three passes through it better, so the roots of and vibrant. “Sterile” was the adjective years—with a slow reduction of spray- the trees anchor themselves better. All we all agreed upon when it came to the ing from two to three times the first kinds of wildlife start returning, start- two “conventional” farms. year, one the second and then stopping ing of course with the smallest insects, Interestingly, we passed down a completely the final year. (You aren’t but then those bugs attract spiders, road where water runoff came down alone; this does sound like chemical lizards, snakes, etc. Eventually, farm- into a ditch from two farms, one or- dependency and rehab to us as well.) ers may decide to let some of the other ganic and one not. The telltale moss Fermented milk is sprayed around the plant life return as well, watching how grew around the “conventional” farm, unhealthy trees to fertilize them and this influences their tea trees and over- on the stones of the wall. The water be- help them through the transition. It all yield.” neath the inorganic farm was full of al- is also common to cover the ground Mr. Xie took us to three farms af- gae, whereas the organic runoff wasn’t. between rows with an organic, black ter we were done with the interview: a Curiously, all the human litter from mesh that looks a bit like plastic. This “conventional” farm; one that he pur- the road had also collected beneath prevents weeds and other undergrowth chased six months ago that is in the the “dirtier” farm, as if it had been at- that the tea cannot compete with in process of switching to organic; and, tracted there. It was as if the human this unbalanced state. Otherwise, con- finally, his fully organic plantation. garbage and chemical pollution were stant weeding will be necessary. All of us were certainly able to feel the attracted to each other. Of course, this Basically, the process is based on difference. Amazingly, the trees, other might just be a coincidence, but it did decreasing pesticide use and slowly plant life and wildlife (flora and fau- seem to be sign that represented over- switching to organic fertilizers and na) even changed the humidity and all the lessons we had learned about harvesting the field much less often for freshness of the air, which is certainly change on this day.

Side by side, you can see which leaves are organic and which are “conventional,” especially when they are twisted like above. The leaves flushed at the same time, as they came from within a kilometer of each other, but the organic leaves are bigger, thicker and juicier. We tasted both as well. The organic leaves were much more full-bodied, coating the mouth. The astringency and bitterness also transformed into a sweet aftertaste, whereas the conventionally-grown leaves stayed tart, astringent and bitter and left the mouth dry and uncomfortable after chewing.

68 Organics What Can We Do to Help?

For us, the most important ques- For thousands of years now, since tion—which should be commensurate tion of the day came last. It was the the stratification of society and division to other jobs, not less—then do we re- one starred and underlined in our of labor that large-scale agriculture al- ally have the right to tell them how to notebook, even before we arrived: lowed for, farming has steadily become farm? If they aren’t making ends meet What can we do to help? It is import- a menial job, valued beneath others. as it is, how do we ask them to farm ant to explore the philosophy of en- It is now unconsciously assumed that in the way we want them to? Shouldn’t vironmental sustainability and clean, farming is for the less-educated and is we honor them first, and only then healthy agricultural practices, but a not a desirable career. But actually, one make demands of them in terms of lot of this is day-to-day economics could make a strong argument that sustainability? and affects the real lives of real farm- farming should be the most-valued, We shared all this with Mr. Xie, ers around the world. Armchair ideas highest job. After all, without farmers and he said these ideas are indeed true. only go so far. How can we make a real there could be no other jobs. A doc- He also agrees that farmers should be difference, other than publishing mag- tor or tea magazine author couldn’t taken care of. In an ideal society, farm- azines about organic tea? (Global Tea do their work if they also had to grow ers would be paid not for the weight of Hut is printed on 100% recycled paper all their own food. We all survive due their produce, but as stewards of the using non-GMO soy-based inks!) We to the hard work of farmers. And its land. As long as they work honestly are sure that many of you feel like we seems disrespectful to tell them how and keep the land healthy and produc- do. We were curious about what Mr. to do their job unless we value them ing, they could be paid a salary to do Xie would say. First, we shared with in the first place. If farmers are not so, no matter what the land produces him one of our ideas, concerning how respected in terms of their esteem in any given year. Though Mr. Xie agreed farmers are treated. society and their financial compensa- with us, and in an ideal world where

69/ Organic Changes: An Interview with Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在) 我們可以幫忙什麼 everyone had a great work ethic this of ways that the government can get the whole problem down to one issue: would be possible, he said that realisti- involved in making change a reality, so-called “climate change.” Actually, cally there are only two ways for things from outright ending agrochemicals, our environmental impact is manifold, to change on a large scale: the govern- which is highly unlikely, to incentiviz- and we are damaging many ecologies ment or the market. ing change, which many governments in many different ways. So, whether or The first way that farming could are doing these days.” not global warming is real, the fact that go organic is if laws were passed Mr. Xie told us in a conspiratorial human industry is destroying the earth making agrochemicals illegal. “That tone that he believes the government in terrible ways that will eventually im- would be that,” Mr. Xie said with a knows a lot more about the negative pact our quality of life, if not our very gesture of washing his hands free of impact of agrochemicals, and that in survival, is so obvious. pesticides. Alternatively, governments Taiwan at least, they prevent research We guess that what Mr. Xie was could follow Denmark and invest on its environmental impact as well as implying as the first thing we can do funds in supporting organic farmers. the influence consuming such products is actively pursue governmental change Some provinces in China are offering has on human health because they are in various ways: voting for politicians a tax-exempt period to farmers who afraid of social unrest. He reminded us who care about environmental issues, switch to organic, which incentivizes of how politicians in the West murky writing the government, speaking change. In Taiwan, the certification fee the waters of environmental change one’s mind and/or influencing policy each year is subsidized by the govern- with debating research about climate in whatever ways are open to you in ment, so the entire cost of certification change. First of all, that casts doubt the place where you live. Also, Mr. Xie is returned to farmers each year once on whether global warming is hap- told us that it is important to stay pos- they pass their tests. “There are a lot pening at all; and secondly, it distills itive and not get discouraged!

There was a vibrant ecology at Mr. Xie’s farm. We saw worms in the soil, bumblebees and wasps, various beetles and all sorts of other insects. Mr. Xie said there are also predatory insects like praying mantises, as well as frogs and the occasional snake or lizard. The caterpillar above and directly left, makes a cocoon that is made of sticks and leaves to camou- flage itself as it gestates. Almost all the leaves have bug bites, which Mr. Xie says lends his tea a fruity, honey fragrance. Traditional tea-processing methods were designed to work with bug-bitten leaves. In fact, oolong processing evolved out of leaves that had begun to oxidize, as they were halfway or fully open and therefore exposed to insects longer. Green, white and yellow teas traditionally used fresh and nascent buds, and therefore avoided this. Since oolong was a processing method that evolved to suit varietals that have richer bud sets when half- or fully-opened, and, of course, bug-bitten, these insects also played a role in the development of oolong tea. The best teas are always made from the cooperation of Heaven, Earth and Human—every tea farmer repeats that.

70 Organics

Mr. Xie said that the more obvious Do it louder and more often!” Mr. Xie make that choice, and do so loudly, way of making large-scale and mean- said that the world works on supply the more the market will shift in that ingful impact is happening right now. and demand. We vote with our dollars. direction. As demand shifts that way, He smiled and said: “You are already When people start demanding organ- so will supply. “Magazines and other doing it! This is why I support you as ic tea, and stop supporting farmers forms of positive media like you are much as you support me!” We were that use agrochemicals, farmers will the solution, not farmers like me,” he blown away by this, but confused. He change, and quickly. “They will have said with gratitude. “You take my tea explained, “It is great to respect farm- to in order to make a living. Farmers and my voice and amplify it. Through ers, and create programs to do so. It is are resilient. They will put in the work you, more people can realize that their also wonderful if the government takes and make the change when the market choices impact the lives of others, action against agrochemicals, perhaps demands it.” sometimes even far away.” fining farmers who use or abuse them, Mr. Xie paused for a few cups of We were deeply humbled by Mr. or maybe incentivizing natural farm- tea and told us that the more educat- Xie’s words and spent a few cups ab- ing in various ways; all that is great, ed the consumer is about the effects sorbing them. What he said made us but we shouldn’t count on that. There agrochemicals have on the environ- feel both inspired and empowered, but is an easier and faster way to change. ment, locally and in general, as well also, we felt the weight of a great re- Don’t worry about the farmers or the as their influence on farmers’ lives sponsibility. It was actually at this very government—educate the market! The and health and, of course, their own moment that I made the decision to market is where real change can hap- bodies, the more they will make the shift this year’s Extended Edition from pen. And you are already doing that. obvious choice. The more people who a topic I had previously chosen to the

71/ Organic Changes: An Interview with Xie Yuan Zai (謝元在) one you now hold, feeling like Mr. Xie your loved one’s food? Can you sit at As the rains approaches, there had deputized us to speak on behalf of peace in a beautiful tearoom with nice is a strong sensation of shifting the insects, birds and water; to speak teaware when pesticides are causing a weather and a growing sense of be- on behalf of the people among those quarter of a million deaths a year? If ing a part of the environment. You the World Health Organization says Nature and human life is lost in the can breathe and feel how the sun, that “worldwide, an estimated three pursuit of tea, is it a peaceful pastime sky, weather, soil, animals, insects, million cases of pesticide poisoning oc- anymore? Aren’t our pieces of teaware tea and humans all share this in- cur every year, resulting in an excess of then weapons? Hasn’t our love of tea ter-connected world. The rain will 250,000 deaths.” In turn, we pass the turned sour if it impacts the earth or soon be part of the tea, which will baton on to you now. The interview, our fellow man in a negative way? And soon be part of us. This sensation Mr. Xie agreed, should turn in your most important of all, how do you love begs us to be responsible and up- direction now. a leaf without loving the forest? How right in our choices. We must work If tea is to be a peaceful activity, do love the forest without loving the to create a world we are proud of, to encourage harmony with self, oth- Earth? where we can hold our heads up ers and Nature, the instrument of that high and walk in dignity, a world practice cannot be made in a way that where our descendants look back is violent to Nature. Even if you con- on us with honor for what we have nected to Nature through such tea, left them. We are the beginning of a what would the message be? Help? new future! Be the change you want What is a tolerable level of poison in to see in the world!

72 Slow Is the Way An Interview with Gao Dingshi 慢工出細活 Gao Dingshi (高定石) is a hero in Taiwan. After his father passed away as a result of pesticide poisoning, he became one of the world’s greatest advocates for clean, pure tea—taking “organic” beyond the confines of the usual definition, allowing his gardens to grow wild and untouched by human intervention. His tea and way of life are incredibly inspiring. In this rare interview, Ci Ting (Steve Kokker) allows us a window to look into the life of one of the greatest living tea masters, inspiring us all to be more of an instrument of guardianship.

茶人: Ci Ting (慈聽)

curious thing happened as I Curious, however, was what hap- ture, or so it felt. This is the wisdom of sat in front of my computer, pened to me while drinking the tea. plant teachers, and in all the thousands preparing notes for this article Something which has occurred but of cups I have been honored enough to Aand transcribing my recent interview three or four times while drinking tea. experience, this sort of overwhelming with Gao Dingshi. In order to be as At some point after an hour of drink- (inter)connection has happened but a deeply inspired as possible, I had pre- ing, my body started to spontaneously few times. pared myself some of his tea. (Yes, I’m move rhythmically, seemingly of its This article is about the man who lucky enough to have the remnants of own accord. At first, some gentle un- nurtures this kind of powerful tea, a four bags of his teas.) These are some dulations of the hips began, as if I were man who lives the tea life in a full and of Taiwan’s hardest to access teas, and trying to draw circles on my chair with beautiful way. It’s about a man I am I shook my head slightly in disbelief my sit bones. They began before I be- happy to call a role model and friend at my lucky life circumstances, which came conscious of them, still concen- of mine. found me with a selection to choose trating on transcribing the interview. It is also not an exaggeration to call from. They are incredibly rare in a And as I was alone with no need to him Taiwan’s most famous tea farm- myriad of ways: only a few dozen kilos control motions that would be deemed er, and he has recently also become are produced per year; they are out odd by onlookers (even the super chill among Mainland China’s most recog- of almost anyone’s price range; they and open-minded tribe I hang out nized Chajin. He first coined the term are not on sale anywhere other than with), I gently kept this observing self “wild tea (ye cha, 野茶)” in 1992 to through Master Dingshi himself and in the background and let the body do describe the kind of tea he wanted to now they are often bought up by afflu- what it seemed to “want” to do on its produce; beyond just organic, beyond ent Chinese mainlanders. They are also own. clean and pesticide-free, but truly wild, among the most “living” of all the liv- As soon as I allowed the process to untouched. At the time, and even to ing teas I have ever experienced. continue, the movements started get- some degree today, this concept was Yet, as I gently reached into a bag ting wider and wider until my torso odd, strange, and at best, most certain- of Hong Mei (紅玫), his red tea, and and neck were also involved in a snake- ly impractical. pulled out the fine strands of robust like stretch-dance which felt marvel- Now, he has become a sort of am- yet delicately, almost aesthetically ous, releasing stiff holding positions bassador for wild tea. He is invited to twisted leaves, I reminded myself that I had kept myself in while sitting, all give lectures, workshops and trainings they are also rare for the integrity that the while remaining seated. It felt like in China, and he has students both stands behind them. A firm yet effort- there was a life force moving through there and in Taiwan. He trains farm- less (effortless, that is, after many years me that was temporarily stronger than ers in the difficult adaptation towards of hard work and endurance) integrity any willful restrictions my mind could an approach of letting go, and trust- with regards to the environment, ecol- impose on it, and it was bringing me ing Nature—as well as tips at how to ogy and to that vast space where the to a place of balance and harmony, al- handle the inevitable meager, difficult very edges of the Self brush up against lowing the body to do what it felt most years of transition where yearly out- the borders of the Infinite; the integri- right doing. put might dramatically drop. For Gao ty which comes with a firm resolve to Such is the power of the purest of Dingshi, this meant a decade of strug- orient the self towards mastery: This is, teas—the tea plant in its most unbri- gle and near bankruptcy. Strength is perhaps, what Cha Dao is about. dled, direct connection to Great Na- forged in adversity, though.

74 Pure & Clean Tea

This kind of eco-tea might repre- topic has touched a heart (or nerve) of his birth, and where he cares for his sent something less than 1% of Tai- in even mainstream China speaks vol- tea gardens and hand processes their wan’s total output at the moment, umes about what they feel they have leaves, some 30km away in the Shi but interest in it from consumers, and lost, yearning for something purer. Ding Mountains (石碇山). It was from therefore producers alike, is growing this house that the young Gao used to year by year. walk through forest trails (there were Gao Dingshi is not just well known We Meet in Taipei no paved roads at that time) two hours in the tea community. Thanks to tele- to school every morning, and two vision interviews and articles in online For our interview, we meet at Wis- hours back in the afternoon. In the magazines, he is a distinctive figure to taria, Taipei’s premier tea salon, and winter, he had to light his way home mainstream tea lovers as well. An in- likely the only place where people with fire on the end of a stick. These terview with him published on Chayu, with no personal connection to Mas- walks gave him much time to become China’s largest online tea-related site, ter Dingshi can enjoy his tea (there are deeply enchanted with Nature, to have has attracted 1.5 million readers, mas- two to choose from on their regular conversations with snakes and birds sive even by China’s standards, to be- menu). We sit in a sectioned-off room, and bees, and to feel that the forest was come the site’s most-viewed article. after sharing some time with the salon’s his protector, his friend, his home. It has been reprinted in other main- owner who rather casually invited us Though Dingshi has an apartment stream Chinese sites as well. In it, he to join in sampling a Tong Qing Hao in Taipei where his wife and children speaks of his life and dedication to puerh from the 1930s. (I know! That live, he spends most of his time in Shi Nature and natural living, of bugs and was exactly my reaction.) Ding. He cares not only for his family’s worms and topsoil, of his quiet and The previous time we met, a year ancestral tea gardens (his predecessors clean life of the last few years. That this earlier, we met at his home, the place were from Anxi, Fujian, and moved to

75/ Slow Is the Way: An Interview with Gao Dingshi (高定石) Taiwan around 1800, setting up small That top floor of his house is also “These words to me reflect a move tea gardens with seeds and saplings his sanctuary, where he chants Tibetan to balance my emotions,” he says, “and they brought with them), but also for mantras (usually the Heart Sutra) al- to balance my body with a more spir- his aging mother and disabled brother most every morning as part of a prac- itual aspect of being.” Although he’s a who live there. On the top floor of the tice he has dedicated himself to more practical and organized person, those simple concrete structure, he is halfway and more in the last several years. It near him do tease him for his slow- through building a Zen temple-like is where he refines his tea preparation paced approach and for how long it space to enjoy tea in while looking out skills. His close friend, Lin Pinghui, takes him to do what others get done at the lush mountain range in which founder of the paradisiacal Zen-styled more quickly. He simply prefers to al- he is nestled. restaurant Shi Yang Shan Fang (食養 low actions to unfold at a pace natural Dingshi wears only natural fabrics. 山房), has been helping him build this and respectful to them. “When I slow When he moves, actions happen with space. down my pace in making tea, for ex- a certain grace of being that is at once ample, every step I take offers a space humble and quiet, yet proud—like to open up a dialogue with Tea. In my watching meditation in motion. De- The Four Principles life, this pace opens up a dialogue with spite a gentleness of being, he is also life itself. But yes,” he laughs, “I can a man of action, and a laugh is never Dingshi lives by four principles: be a bit too slow sometimes for others’ far away. He does not take life too se- Qing, Jing, Ding and Man (清, 靜, 定 liking!” He wasn’t always like this. riously (always a good sign). He’s been & 慢: roughly, “Clean, Quiet, Still and “Have I changed?” He asks me this vegetarian for a few years, and tries to Slow”). He tries to infuse every action each time we have met in the last three be as conscious as he can in everything in his life with these four qualities, and or four years, slightly anxious to hear he does. uses them as guiding principles. the reply.

76 Pure & Clean Tea

While I tend to notice and savor supported my family for generations, tea leaves (he employs no one, not even the changes and developments in peo- something even commercial. But over to pick the leaves, preferring to keep ple over time, I also see the continuing the last decade I have let tea deep- this process an intimate family affair; evolution of a being as one naturally er into my heart and soul, and wish either he or another family member flowing gesture, no part in particular only to give thanks to Nature for this picks leaves). He found himself com- vastly different or disconnected from gift-giving and deeply spiritual teacher. pletely alone, with his mom almost another. Many times, then, I don’t reg- My approach to life has gelled slowly dying and needing hospital treatment ister such changes as surprising. De- over the years, and I’ve been lucky to twice a week, with two young children, spite that, in Dingshi’s case, the chang- be able to allow it to do so.” and his brothers needing constant at- es are remarkable. I recall that when we His friend Pinghui introduced tention. While difficult to navigate first met on a stormy afternoon in his him to some Buddhist teachings and this period, it pushed him to change mountain tea sanctuary in 2011, he mantras at the right time. They grew his orientation to life. He had always was slightly fidgety, skittish, not easily on him slowly. “I went to some meet- been self-reliant, but here he realized sitting still. He made tea with the rev- ings, listened, but it was a very slow with no further doubt that there is no erence and heart of someone handling process. I never joined any association, relying on anyone else. The keys to his young baby, but not with the par- just educated myself bit by bit. And af- self-mastery lay in his hands alone. ticular elegance or focus of someone ter years of incorporating this way of “I never thought I’d be a meditator who studies tea as a Dao. The inner life and thinking of my four guiding or a vegetarian,” he smiles. “And now seas of silence and calm were evident words, I forged this way of life. I had I begin most mornings chanting along in his eyes, but they had not yet spilled some guidance, but mostly I tried to with the Heart Sutra. At first, I was fully out onto the canvas of his every- follow the signs of life and recognize overly enthusiastic and played it very day life. Every photo I took of him was the need to change myself.” loudly; now I play it as softly as I can. slightly blurry as he would rarely hold The signs were not always easy go- While I pluck tea leaves, I also hum himself still. ing. A turning point came one spring chants. This helps me to keep focused.” “Even tea was at some point some- right before harvest when his sister de- His very name, “Dingshi (定石),” thing more superficial for me, even ten cided to go abroad for work. She had means something like “solid rock” years ago, more a way of life which has been his one and only help to pick his or “settled rock.” Gao is solid rock

77/ Slow Is the Way: An Interview with Gao Dingshi (高定石) on high. Over these last few years, thought and certainly a death wish ical-laden to pure. At one point, he through diligent work, perseverance, for your business. Even now, the ma- needed to sell his father’s homes just practice and patience, he has stepped jority of farmers still use chemicals to to stay afloat and keep his vision alive. into his own name, his own destiny. ensure steady, voluminous production. Many a time, he felt alone and strug- He lives out the prophecy of his own The young Dingshi had tried to con- gled with self-doubt, but an inner fire name. When I suggest this thought, he vince his father to stop using pesticides fueling a certainty that he was doing just says humbly, “Whatever I have re- through his years of declining health, what was needed kept him going. ceived from my parents is natural and but to no avail. Watching all this, and “It took me a long time to get this good.” seeing the impact of toxic chemicals on structure into place, to get my finances health, as well as their destruction of in order. Only then was I able to also the environment, all strengthened his build myself more solidly as a person Wild Tea Is Born growing resolve to do things different- in terms of my philosophy and life- ly. style, in a way to attain a balance.” Despite the impact on his life from He announced that he would stop While you are invited to read the the huge responsibility he has assumed using chemicals, and grow “wild tea.” interview I did previously with Gao in taking care of family members, the He would try a different business Dingshi (which appeared in the Sep- single biggest life event which marked model: instead of producing high vol- tember 2016 issue of Global Tea Hut), him and changed the course of his life ume which would be cheaply sold, he where I delve more into his philosophy and approach to tea forever was the would live more humbly with produc- and farming methods, a brief recap illness and then death of his father. ing less but at a higher cost. This was is in order. What then is “wild tea?” Dingshi was twenty-six then. His fa- 1992. He became the object of ridicule Wild tea is seed-propagated, living tea, ther contracted cancer from exposure in his family and in his community. cultivated with as little human inter- to the chemicals and pesticides he had For many years, it seemed that vention as possible, leaving the trees to been using all his life on his tea fields. his detractors were correct. He lost themselves. Ideally, wild tea also refers In his father’s generation, the idea most of his harvests in the early years to the fact that some or most of the of having a tea business without ag- to pests during the slow healing and trees propagated themselves naturally, rochemicals was unheard of—a crazy conversion of the garden from chem- as opposed to being planted.

We spent a full day with Master Gao, from the wild garden to his simple home, watching him process and prepare tea for us as we waited for the leaves to wither. It really took the whole day, with the final steps done as the sun was setting, In all that he does, from harvest to roast, and from leaf to teapot, he moves slowly, deliberately and with a grace that transcends the ordinary. His tea reflects this. It is lush and vibrant, with a fragrance that lasts well beyond the table.

78 Pure & Clean Tea

“Basically, if the weeds in the gar- of each steeping together so that his “When my children were young, den are not higher than the tea tree guest’s final cup is this mix of all the they’d play around with tea leaves in itself, I ignore them,” he says. “As long steepings together. Little remains of the their cups, and I used to be so strict, as a weed is not starving a tree of all former serving style of the farmer with so serious. I’d stop them and scold nutrition, I leave it alone. These differ- beautiful, calloused hands, hunched them. Only later I remembered that I ent plants and ferns and moss all live shoulders and an even sweetly casual, too as a child, of course, played around in symbiosis. And if bugs and animals lightly awkward approach who first with tea leaves with my grandfather, and insects wish to live in the trees, I served me tea seven years ago—only and that he never scolded me for it; he welcome them! Please, come live here!” the gentle fire behind the eyes. just let me discover my own pleasure During a recent trip with Master “You have transformed yourself in- in them. Now my kids are grown up, Dingshi through the dense canapes of wardly and outwardly so thoroughly in and I hope I didn’t stifle their interest tea, pine, fern, wild azalea, wild peo- the last years,” I offer. “Do you feel that in tea by stopping them from being ny and acacia trees which inhabit his this has affected your tea at all?” natural with their tea. Perhaps in the jungle-like garden, he points up to a He takes a moment to reflect, while future they will come into some under- bee’s nest, and down to where snakes pouring hot (not boiling) spring water standing or interest in tea themselves, and bugs and worms crawl, and then over his Baozhong leaves for perhaps at their own pace, if it happens at all.” towards the undersides of leaves where their ninth steep. He smiles and tilts bugs of various colors live as unhur- his head. Bites his lip too. It’s a habit riedly as Dingshi himself. He is gen- he has when feeling suddenly self-con- uinely delighted when he sees other scious, upon hearing a compliment or Any advice for a younger living creatures among the tea trees. receiving sudden attention. An endear- person seeking balance? ing moment floats in the air. “I feel…” he begins, “that the tea has more tran- “Become excellent in whatever you Enjoy life! And more quility in it. There’s more balance and do. Just focus on what you do, become “important than anything harmony in it.” He speaks of his tea as excellent in it and then see how the rest 茶of himself. For the two, in essence, are of life falls in line with this. Whatev- else which helps you to en- one. “I changed myself, and then the er level you are at now in any field is joy life is the temperature tea changed from that, it always starts okay; just keep at it and make progress of your heart! with the self.” on your own pace. Make whatever you ” He adds that with each passing sea- do your Dao.” 道son that the land has had to bask in its He also emphasizes that above all it All the tea he makes is processed fully natural state, the more “natural” is important to understand that things completely by hand. All the leaves are the tea tastes and feels. “And I change take the time they need. There is no sun-dried only, then charcoal-baked, all the time too. I cannot stay in the use to force or insist—the self or oth- some up to six times. He goes out to same place. Actually, I need to catch ers. Yet it is important to keep making the gardens every day, to just be with up to my tea. I see and taste that the slight adjustments for the better all the the trees; in this sense, it’s somewhat tea trees are improving year after year, time. of an oversimplification to say that he and so I know I must match this im- As we get ready to leave after our “just” does nothing to his trees. The provement. Tea whispers to me: ‘I am six heavenly hours at Wistaria, we depth of nurturing and care he show- improving; I’m healing; come on, you stretch, laugh, slightly tea drunk and ers them with looks much like a form too must.’ The tea offers me a gentle filled with Nature-goodness. I ask if of silent, direct communication from reminder to always become a better there is anything else he would like to the side. Gao Dingshi has a deeply in- person.” tell people. His eyes light up yet again. timate connection with his tea. One outlet Dingshi has found for A flash of that smile. “Enjoy life! And this process is becoming a teacher. He more important than anything else teaches tea processing in a trade school which helps you to enjoy life is the in Taipei, instructs farmers in both temperature of your heart!” Inner Transformation China and Taiwan on how to convert Transforms the Tea their fields and business to organic or totally wild gardens, and hosts some And in their steeping, too, this workshops in China. intimacy continues. Watching him Though not old, he is already prepare his own tea is like watching thinking of the future beyond himself, a sensual dance. Rarely has tea prepa- especially as his own children are not ration looked so beautiful and re- so interested so far in the tea life, being fined, the body angles during pouring more city-oriented. He tried to strad- oh-so-symmetrical. His style looks well dle both worlds, living in the city and practiced, yet not florid nor showy, no returning to the mountains for tea. The human, also, is natural—as move extraneous. He uses his own “But I cannot make the same tea if I natural as any other creature. We can porcelain set, uses a fairness cup, and am living in the city. The city life has live in harmony with our ecology. Such has a habit of pouring a small amount never called me.” harmony is part of our make-up.

79/ Slow Is the Way: An Interview with Gao Dingshi (高定石)

D正iscussions of 茶 Pure Tea

Four Expert Views on Organics & Clean Tea

We asked four of Master Tsai’s students—two Mainland Chinese and 討 two Taiwanese tea experts—for their opinions on organics and clean tea: Li Xingyao (李星瑤), Snow Yang (楊雪花), Chen Yuting (陳鬱婷) and Luo Huaikang (羅懷慷) all share their experience in the tea world, the negative effects of so-called “conventional farming” and solutions towards a better and brighter future for tea farmers and 論 the tea lovers who drink their products.

For a Cup of Clean Tea 茶人: Li Xingyao (李星瑤), Yunnan

hasing profit and neglecting the Yi and Hani peoples. Every family rained, the rice terraces acted as vessels to take care of the tea itself drank fresh water drawn directly from to contain the water all year long; they is extremely dangerous for the mountain streams, and the forests were of great importance in conserving Cthe long-term development of the flourished with lush green vegetation. the mountains’ water supply. These tea industry. Growing up on a tea This idyllic picture of life has already days, however, even the smallest bit of mountain, I have personally experi- long since ceased to exist. The way of rain flows away down the rivers, car- enced every change the land has been life that people had established deep in rying the mountain’s earth and stones through. As I write this article, my the mountains at Mount Ailao, where with it as it goes. heart is heavy, because I know better humans existed in harmony with Na- On one hand, I’ve noticed that than anyone the problems that the tea ture, was already destroyed long ago by since the “farmland reforestation” pol- mountains we rely upon for survival the utilitarianism of the outside world. icy was put in place many years ago, are now facing. Yunnan has suffered Because Qianjia Village is situated the mountains are indeed greener than heavy droughts for many years, and at in a high, cold mountainous region, before, and it’s now rare to see the present there still hasn’t been any real the rice crops that grew there produced yellow soil exposed by deforestation relief. a meager harvest and weren’t very good for new farmland. But on the oth- Once, the area surrounding Qian- to eat, and therefore weren’t economi- er hand, many of the trees that have jia Village (千家寨, “Thousand Fami- cally efficient. Many of the rice paddies been planted are actually fast-grow- lies”) was covered, from the foot of the were consequently replaced with oth- ing timber varieties such as pine mountain to halfway up its slopes, with er crops like corn, flue-cured tobacco and eucalyptus. In this type of for- distinctive terraced fields belonging to and walnuts. In the past, whenever it est, which lacks other species of tree,

Pure & Clean Tea the sun shines directly down onto the place more and more value on tea as such as extensive planting of shade yellow soil and causes the moisture in a cash crop, so terrace tea plantations trees, lower-density tea planting and the forest to evaporate quickly, making emerged as a way to increase output forest-floor crop cultivation. Ecologi- this type of forest very ineffective for and manage production more easily. cally diverse tea plantations help pre- retaining water or fixing the soil. The Entire forests were hewed down and serve water resources, maintain soil residents of the mountain still don’t replaced with a single variety of tree. fertility and reduce disease and pest have a sufficient supply of water, even Add to this the abuse of herbicides damage. I have faith that the better though there are forests everywhere. and chemical fertilizers, and over time, the environment our tea trees have to In order to preserve a water source, a “terrace tea” became synonymous with grow in, the more abundant a return forest needs symbiosis between many “poor quality.” The direction the tea they will be able to give back to hu- different species of plant. Only the industry was developing in was clearly mankind. combined presence of trees, bushes at odds with the market demand for a In my fourth year on my journey and herbaceous plants is enough to de- “good, clean cup of tea.” Fortunately, of tea practice, you could say I grew crease surface runoff and prevent the some tea growers, merchants and en- up alongside the tea leaves of Qian- layer of decaying plant material that thusiasts, through their own motiva- jia Village. Together, we experienced has accumulated over many years from tion or prompted by others, have start- the good and the bad along the road being washed away. ed to do the work of preserving the tea to maturity. It’s very fortunate that I When the surrounding environ- mountains. chose to return to the place of origin of ment is damaged, the old-growth tea The approach of single-mindedly Tea; I have been able to listen careful- trees and terrace tea plants cannot pursuing output volume is on its way ly to information from many people, help but be influenced. For thousands out, and admiration for old-growth from many perspectives and on many of years, our ancestors planted their tea plantations, with their complete levels, and to absorb from this all the tea around their houses, intermingled ecosystems, is growing. Because of “nutrients” I need to grow. I hope that with fruit trees; on the ground below, this, many terrace tea plantations I can share these nutrients with the tea they planted crops such as soybeans or are being transformed according to trees of Qianjia Village, so that every corn. In this way, the tea trees formed various criteria to make them eco- cup we receive is a cup of clean tea! part of a natural ecosystem with the friendlier. Many of the terrace planta- other trees, bushes and grains. But in tions at Qianjia Village are regaining more recent times, people began to their biodiversity through measures

Qianjia Village (千家寨) is gorgeous, with lush green mountains, waterfalls and old- growth tea forests, with many ancient trees like the one shown above. We must make efforts to protect this gorgeous landscape for future generations of tea lovers. Above, the author poses with Auntie Ai, a true environmental guardian, creating some of the purest puerh tea we have ever tried. Our visits to her home and mountain have always been deeply inspirational, leaving us with a hope for a better future where people and Nature live in balance, and every cup or bowl of tea is a clean, healthy one!

83/ Discussions of Pure Tea 睡 Spring Buds Oversleep 春过头茶人: Snow Yang (楊雪花), Yunnan 芽

n the tea mountains of Yun- the private collection of the tea mak- in recent years—even the ability to nan, March and April are an er and only shared with a lucky few. breathe freely outdoors has become important time of year for (There are exceptions, of course.) a luxury, which is probably why they Oharvesting and processing. Within less When I returned to Kunming for fell in love with Yunnan and its puerh than two months, the highest-quality the Spring Festival, I began prepar- tea. We’d really only spent a little time spring puerh will set out from Yunnan ing myself to head up the mountain drinking tea together, given that Bei- and make its way all over China and for the tea processing season. I went jing and Kunming are some 2000 ki- to many other corners of the world. As to bed early and got up early, ran and lometers apart, but they would come most puerh tea enthusiasts probably exercised to improve my strength and and drink tea with me every time they know, there are two general categories stamina; all of these were important visited Kunming, and I was very hap- of puerh: “raw” sheng (生) puerh; and tasks to maintain an optimal physi- py to share the old-growth forest tea “cooked” or “ripe” shou (熟) puerh. Put cal condition. I took out several old- I had made with them. For digestive simply, shou puerh leaf undergoes fer- growth teas that I’d tried in the last reasons, they only drank red tea and mentation in piles, while sheng puerh year, which had been grown in good shou puerh. I’m completely the oppo- is not artificially fermented, but rather ecological conditions, and tasted them site: I seldom drink shou puerh. Living naturally over time. In terms of color, again one by one, comparing the tea in the birthplace of puerh, I am very dry sheng puerh leaf tends to be a dark liquor in terms of aroma, flavor, densi- aware that truly great shou puerh teas green or greenish-black, and its liquor ty, sweet aftertaste and the effect it had are few and far between; my main cri- is a clear, delicate yellow. Shou puerh on saliva production. I also compared terion for choosing a tea is the qual- leaf is reddish-brown with a clear, rich the color, luster and pliability of the ity of the environment it was grown red liquor. I particularly love sheng brewed leaves. From these features I in. So I did my best to steer them to- puerh, especially if it comes from old determined which teas were superior, wards old-growth sheng puerh. A clean trees growing in a healthy ecosystem. in order to re-confirm which teas from sheng puerh grown in a good natural Due to environmental degradation, which specific mountains I’d want to environment will bring the drinker in recent years more and more people buy this year. a feeling of good cheer and physical have begun seeking out old-growth In Yunnan’s tea regions, the old- comfort, and isn’t liable to irritate the tea. Many puerh drinkers love old- growth tea from each mountain and digestive system. It seems they trusted growth sheng puerh. each village has its own unique charm. me, because they tried my old-growth As one of the world’s major tea-pro- To an extent, perhaps this is exactly sheng puerh and were surprised to dis- ducing regions, Yunnan is abundant in where the charm of puerh lies! Many cover that it left a very pleasant feeling old-growth tea trees and has more tea well-known teas are named after the in their mouths, and their stomachs trees aged over a hundred years than places they come from, including Ban- weren’t irritated at all, but felt quite anywhere else in China. Despite this, zhang (班章), Yiwu (易武), Jingmai warm instead. This experience changed old-growth tea only makes up a very (景邁), Bingdao (冰島) and Xigui their understanding of sheng puerh, small portion of the tea market as a (昔歸). The puerh teas produced in and they became very interested in my whole. Tea vendors are wont to use these places each have their own dis- forested tea mountain. phrases such as “hundred-year-old tinct characteristics: a certain tea It’s a pity that none of us could trees,” “thousand-year-old king of tea might be particularly rich and robust, have predicted the old-growth spring trees” and the like; in reality, many of or go down very smoothly, or have a tea shoots would be so late this year— these are simply fake—the puerh tea sweet mellow liquor or an outstanding from the state of the shoots, it looked market is vast, and real old-growth fragrance. like the harvesting season for my tea makes up less than 10% of annual This year, right at the beginning of Mount Wuliang high mountain old- production. The commonly encoun- March, I got a phone call from some growth tea wouldn’t arrive for another tered genuine old-growth puerh teas tea friends in Beijing to arrange a time half month. By the time their vacation on today’s market come from trees that for us to meet at the tea mountain. was coming to an end, the old-growth are between one hundred and three to Based on previous years’ experience, trees had only put forth little pointed four hundred years old, with the ma- we decided on late March through to shoots one or two centimeters long, jority around two hundred years old. early April. These friends are a tea-lov- so all the Xings could do was pack up Anything older than that is not readily ing Beijing couple by the name of their disappointment and obediently available on the market; it is most like- Xing whom I met quite by chance up head back home to their jobs. It was ly to be made into very expensive sin- in the tea mountains last year. Bei- really sad to see them go, but such is gle-tree tea, or else kept as a treasure in jing’s air quality has been worsening life. They’ll be more tea later.

84 Pure & Clean Tea

Come March, the old-growth tea tains, the local families are often con- Out of habit, I picked a couple of fresh in Xishuangbanna is always harvested tracted to tend several old-growth tea tea buds and chewed them. The flavor the earliest, and the tea in other re- mountains in the village area with very was fresh and clean, quickly making gions, like Lincang and Puerh, is usual- good ecological conditions, so this al- my mouth water and leaving a sweet ly ready about a week later; the wait in lows them to make some extra income. aftertaste. Based on all the tea samples between goes by very slowly. On April The tea grower and his family have a tea I had tried before, I was full of hope 7th, I got a phone call from one of the plantation of about three or four thou- and confidence that we could make a tea growers up on the mountain to tell sand square meters on the outskirts of good batch of tea from these leaves. me that the old-growth tea shoots were the village, where tea and walnut trees The character of a tea comes from coming along very well and would be grow mingled together. The branches, the care that goes into every step of ready to harvest in two or three days. leaves and roots of walnut trees secrete making it. Much of the good-quali- It felt like every cell in my body had a kind of chemical called “juglone” ty leaf grows deep in the mountains, suddenly been activated. I jumped on which is poisonous to all the other in hard-to-reach places. After the a bus first thing the next morning, trees, bushes and herbaceous plants fresh leaves are harvested, they are of- and after a winding journey of eight that grow around it. The bigger the ten left sitting at the garden for long hours, I arrived at Wenlong Village walnut tree, the more it secretes. The enough that they are already oxidizing in the Puerh City District. Far off in tea that grows in this environment is and turning red by the time they are the distance, I could see the tea farmer worth less the older the trees get and is transported out. The tea farmers I was with his motorbike parked at the en- not at all what I wanted. The tea farm- working with have a big, united ex- trance to the bus station, waiting for er told me, “Don’t worry, I know what tended family; no sooner had we fin- me. His home is in Bangwai Village you’re looking for. I’ve put aside that ished our morning of observing the tea (邦崴), which would be a forty- stretch of tea on the Mount Wuliang mountain than all the relatives arrived minute ride on a motorbike. Nature Reserve for you,” he said. at midday to help with the harvesting. They all went by the picking standard of “one bud, two leaves” or “one bud, What do we mean by ecological? In terms of tea plants, three leaves;” each one was a seasoned “ picker. Their hands flew up and down, it means the tea grows in natural soil, in a natural envi- and in less than an hour they had al- ronment, and according to its natural process, without ready harvested two big bags of tea. 茶Without delay, the tea farmer and his too much human interference and without the use of any family took the tea back home. They chemical fertilizers, pesticides or growth regulators. This were fast walkers; a journey that would also means respecting and adapting to Nature’s changes, take me an hour on foot only took them half an hour, and they made sev- and bringing out the innate power of the soil. 道eral trips back and forth. ” I was in charge of separating the leaves and spreading them out to air To tell the truth, I was a little ap- “The environment over there is great.” dry. After that came the kill-green prehensive; it was the first time I had We set out first thing the next morning stage, which uses high temperatures collaborated with this tea farmer, and to look at the tea mountain. The going to deactivate the oxidizing enzymes in I was arriving by myself. Since there wasn’t easy—after riding the motor- the leaf, as well as to evaporate some weren’t any guesthouses in the area, bike for a while we had to get off and of the moisture and soften the leaves, I would have to stay at his family’s continue on foot. As we entered the preparing them for rolling and shap- house, and none of us knew each oth- forest, our eyes were met on all sides ing. At present, many tea regions and er very well. I’m not really sure where by jade-green trees. We had to watch mass-production tea factories have be- I got the courage to come here: I had our feet on the steep mountain path; gun using kill-green machines with re- drunk the tea the family made, and the in some places it was only wide enough volving cylinders. Naturally, I like the quality and growing environment were for one person, and we had to turn traditional kill-green method, which is both pretty good; I’d looked at photos sideways to pass through. done using a large iron wok. You heat of the tea trees and the mountain, and The tea trees grew on a slope half- the wok over a wood stove, and when decided to come. way up the mountain, surrounded by it’s hot enough you pour in the fresh tea The Bangwai township is com- forest; it looked to be at least three or leaves. Because the buds and leaves are posed of twelve small villages, with a four thousand square meters in area. In big and plump, they have a high water population of about 300. Here, every the distance, I could see a light-green content, so it’s important to shake the household has a mountain, and every tree with a thick, sturdy trunk, full of leaves around to distribute the mois- family grows tea. Walnuts and tea are life and surrounded by lots of natural- ture, heat them thoroughly and evenly, the main sources of income in the area; ly growing weeds and ferns. I sniffed and avoid scorching any leaves. This is on average, each family makes about gently, smelling the scent of grass and easier said than done, and requires a 40,000 to 60,000 yuan per year from earth in the air. At that moment, the lot of skill to do well. When the leaves walnuts and 10,000 to 20,000 from cells in my body were already telling no longer smell grassy, the kill-green is tea. Apart from their own tea moun- me that they liked this environment. complete.

85/ Discussions of Pure Tea I always thought of kill-green as a ing leaves from the old-growth trees; ing to Nature’s changes, and bring- technical task, but after having tack- it’s not as simple as that. The import- ing out the innate power of the soil. led it myself, I realized that it is more ant factors that determine the quality During these few years that I have a matter of physical strength. I was of the tea are the ecological conditions, spent on the tea mountains, I have originally planning not to take on the the processing technique and the age become deeply aware of the true rarity challenge of kill-green, partly because of the tea trees. of clean, flavorful old-growth tea. For I thought that such specialized tasks So, what do we mean by ecolog- this experience, my heart is filled with were best left to the professionals, and ical? In terms of tea plants, it means gratitude. partly because it involves very high the tea grows in natural soil, in a temperatures, and I didn’t want to natural environment, and according end up serving tea to my guests with to its natural process, without too a pair of scalded hands. However, my much human interference and with- specialty is knowing exactly how much out the use of any chemical fertiliz- kill-green will give the best result, ers, pesticides or growth regulators. how long is long enough for air-dry- This also means respecting and adapt- Snow in the forests of Yunnan. ing, how much rolling is optimal for the leaf. So when the tea farmer had burned three pans of leaf in a row, yet the tea stems still weren’t done, and no matter how many reminders I gave him from the sidelines he still hurried- ly flung the leaves around in the way he was used to… well, at that point, I had no choice but to join in myself— we couldn’t waste such good tea leaf like this. The pan was extremely hot, and every so often my gloves would fill up with steam. I let my palms gradually get used to the temperature and tried my best not to touch the bottom of the pan. Slowly, I found my own rhythm. When we took the leaf out of the pan, it had some little burnt spots, but it was much better than the first three batches. From the second panful, things began to go more smoothly. The tea farmer was very surprised: was this really my first time doing kill-green? I remember my teacher, Master Tsai, repeatedly practicing this process; it seems it infused itself into my thoughts and feelings in a way that routine tasks do not. It must be said that from an objective point of view, my tea-firing technique was not particularly good and couldn’t compare to that of a seasoned tea maker, but it was our best option given the circumstances. The volume of finished tea was less than half of what we had expected, only around thirty-five kilograms. Looking at this sheng puerh maocha that I had pan-fired myself, I gained a new appre- ciation of the difficulty of tea making. Many people who go to the tea mountains to buy tea have no idea how to distinguish its quality; they really just go so that they can tell other people: “I went to the tea mountains.” Making good tea takes more than just showing up at the mountain or pick-

86 Pure & Clean Tea Organic & Ecological Tea 茶人: Chen Yuting (陳鬱婷), Taiwan

come from a small village. Most a good flavor. It wasn’t until I met and body absorbs it, I prefer ecological tea of my friends and neighbors from began to study with Master Tsai Yizhe (living tea), which is grown without the village grow fruit and vegeta- (蔡奕哲), who was a great proponent even using organic fertilizer, nor pher- Ibles for a living. In my earlier years I of organic tea, that I stepped foot onto omones for biological pest control. used to help them spray pesticide on the path toward clean tea, under his Since I began studying the concepts their vegetable gardens, never once guidance. Because I was studying the of organic and ecological farming, my thinking there was anything wrong concept of organic farming, I even be- body has become more sensitive, and I with it. Although everyone knew gan choosing to eat organic foods on can recognize which foods are not good pesticides were toxic and was unclear a daily basis; I no longer simply chose as soon as I put them in my mouth. about the harmful effects of weed kill- produce based on its appearance. Aside from becoming more selective ers, consumers were used to choosing If we count carefully, my journey about what foods and drinks I put into the best-looking fruit and vegetables from when I first started studying tea my body, it has also made me sharper when they did their grocery shopping. under Master Tsai to becoming a tea in my other studies, particularly since If everyone stopped using pesticides, art specialist myself, as I now am, has I specialize in a field that involves the then the fruit and vegetables would all taken more than eighteen years. I have senses of taste and smell. I can sense become pitted and lumpy and very ugly gone from admiring tea from the side- the differences between flavors and the indeed; then there would be no chance lines to helping promote organic tea; subtle changes in my body even more of anyone choosing them and they I have seen farmers and consumers acutely, and my physical sensations are would be impossible to sell. So each go from knowing nothing about or- heightened. Sometimes I also deliber- farming household simply kept aside ganic farming to actively resisting it, ately switch to a vegetarian diet for a a small plot of produce for their own then slowly beginning to accept it and while, and during those periods I can family to eat, and didn’t use pesticides change their thinking. This journey has feel even more strongly the adverse ef- on it; for any produce they were going been a very difficult one. Having pro- fect that drinking non-organic tea has to sell and not eat themselves, there moted organic tea all these years, we on my body. was never any question of whether or are now witnessing a period of flour- Sometimes, I meditate while not to use pesticides. They thought ishing growth. Although the world of drinking tea, keeping my whole body that as long as their family didn’t eat organics is not yet completely mature, relaxed. At these times, I can feel the produce which had been sprayed with the general public is now able to accept effects of the organic tea in my body pesticides, they wouldn’t suffer any and engage with the concept. Even the even more clearly, I can feel how it is ill effects on their health. They didn’t well-known bottled iced tea brands all circulating inside me. At these times, give any consideration to the harm- prominently emphasize the word “or- it’s clear to me that tea is more than ful effects that these chemicals might ganic” in their advertising. All of this just a drink. have on the environment, because in makes me very happy. In the ancient practice of Tradi- the past, people believed that “illness From the point of view of a tea tional Chinese Medicine, tea is consid- enters through the mouth.” According art teacher, there are many advantag- ered a medicinal drink whose most im- to this mindset, if the earth or the envi- es to using organic tea that has not portant function is to “detoxify.” But if ronment fell ill, this was of no concern been grown using chemical pesticides, tea is grown using industrial pesticides to humans. It didn’t occur to them that herbicides or fertilizers. Aside from and fertilizers, how can this toxic tea human health could be affected by the lasting through more steepings than possibly help us to detoxify? So, when destruction of the surrounding envi- tea cultivated using standard farm- we drink tea, we should at least choose ronment. As long as they were care- ing methods (patience), organic tea organic tea grown without these pesti- ful about what their family ate, they can also withstand higher brewing cides, herbicides and fertilizers. And if would be all right. Now, I understand temperatures and is less likely to re- we can go one step further and choose that this way of thinking is a mistake, lease any substances that might cause completely ecological, living tea, then because humans and the environment physical discomfort or harmful effects naturally, this is even better, both for are inseparable. to one’s health after drinking it. How- our health and for the environment. Later on, I moved to the city for ever, I personally know that organic work and began to study tea. In those tea cannot compare to the even more days, not just the students, but even environmentally-friendly, or “ecolog- the tea master, had no concept of “or- ical tea.” This is because ordinary organic farming.” Everyone was just fo- ganic tea still requires a lot of human cused on surface-level techniques, like influence and management, so in how to brew tea elegantly and achieve terms of the feeling you get when your Yuting visits an organic farm.

87/ Discussions of Pure Tea

Pure & Clean Tea Organic Tea Discovers Me 茶人: Luo Huaikang (羅懷慷), Taiwan

o say that tea was a turning gunpowder in the atmosphere, took the rice paddies, the orchards rendered point in my life would not be out a tea with tiny little leaves, cuter me silent in response. A grand cho- an exaggeration in the slightest. than a springtime tree frog, with a li- rus of singing birds, chirping insects TFlipping through my old photos, my quor as clear as pale ice jade and a fra- and croaking frogs is what Nature eyes light on my fluffy, languid curls, grance reminiscent of new tea shoots should truly sound like; the bagworm my face a perfectly made-up mask; at in a fine mist. When the tea permeated moths should be able to hide under each party I am clustered in an inti- my senses, that faint ache in my chest, their leaves for as long as they want, mate group, arms around each other, that feeling of anxiety, all disappeared. attempting negotiations with the cat- smiling sweetly for the photo. Being Once I discovered that tea like this ex- erpillars in hopes of convincing them part of the fashion world is something isted, I wanted to know more, to taste not to eat up all the new shoots. Real that many young women dream of; by more, to experience more of that calm soil is soft and moist, mingled with the some fortune I had found myself right feeling. So it was that I was admitted scent of roots; real tea is grown without in the middle of it, working as a fash- to the Long Cui Fang tea studio and fertilizer to hasten its sweetness, nor ion editor for the Chinese edition of an became a student of Master Tsai Yizhe the over-protection of pesticides. This international magazine. I wore all the (蔡奕哲). kind of tea, with its clean flavor that big icons; I drank the latest trends; at One of Master Tsai’s teachings is emerges from the right production every turn I soaked up the endless lux- “from the inside out,” which he teach- methods, is the only kind that doesn’t ury. I clinked glasses with artists and es each student according to their ex- harm the human body or ruin the soil; celebrities, reveling in the feeling that I isting progress. This phrase instructs what it does have is the power to truly had made it to the top. Little by little, us how to live according to the saying touch people’s hearts. I forgot my true self. that “a noble person practices self-re- It turns out that neither people nor Gradually, this whirlwind left be- straint, even in private.” To me, this tea need all these additives; what we do hind it a hollow wormhole that sucked doesn’t just mean good behavior and need is to rely on our own strong roots up my feelings and left an empty, moral conduct, but rather how to be- and shared kindness, care and empa- meaningless void. The feelings of frus- come aware of your own true nature thy toward other beings, both human tration, the disputes at work, all built throughout the course of a tea session and non-human. In the process of up until this great mudslide of emo- and to eliminate unprovoked distract- filtering out impurities, we gradually tions finally broke down its dam. All ing thoughts. I found I no longer need- discover the natural cycle of our own I could do to hide it from people was ed makeup or excessive amounts of conscience. This path may be filled to put on a cheery mask and contin- perfume and accessories, and instead with conflict and doubt; it may feel ue playing the part. I went on living I turned my energy toward exploring like a never-ending journey; and yet, like this for quite some years. Then, in the world of others who were different two dots can always find each other 2010, since my mother was up north from myself. The biggest shock I got in and form a line. With true kindness, visiting and I didn’t want to leave her this process was when I learned about we can keep drawing until those lines with nothing to do except wander tea mountain conservation. form a plane, keep stacking until those round the shops, I made a reservation Getting up early to go and visit a planes transform into a solid shape— to visit a tea house with her on the rec- tea mountain was torture enough for all we must do is keep going, and never ommendation of a friend. Little did I a night-owl such as myself; but for the give up. suspect that I would fall in love with city girl that I was, who shrieked when the tranquility of this place, with the she spotted a spider and felt faint upon feeling of ease radiating from the tea seeing a moth or a slimy amphibian, master. helping pull up weeds on an organic Not long afterwards, my mother tea plantation, grimacing as my hands wanted to buy some tea, so we visit- got covered in mud, was truly a test ed again. That day, there was another of my limits. But at some point (I’m guest there for tea who seemed quite not sure exactly when), I began to be agitated, repeatedly singing to himself able to distinguish the smells of the a line from a pop song that was big at soil. I grieved over the stink of tradi- the time: “If I had an AK right now, tionally-farmed soil and the harden- I’d send you to join your ancestors.” ing of the topsoil; the deathly, inaus- The host, perhaps sensing this hint of picious silence of the tea plantations,

How to Taste Clean Tea 如何品嘗乾淨的茶

ne of the questions we get asked the most is if you can learn to taste the difference between clean, chemical-free tea and tea with agrochemicals. The answer is yes, though there are some caveats. Some teas use low-residue pesticides in very low amounts, and so learning to taste them can be very difficult, requiring a Ohigh degree of sensitivity. In most cases, however, you can learn to tell the difference, especially when you have an organic version to compare. It is therefore best to start with side-by-side comparisons of two teas that you can be sure are clean and not, organic and with pesticides. This is a very important skill to have in the arsenal of any tea lover committed to environmentally-friendly tea, which we hope you are (or become after reading this issue). Unfortunately, there is a lot of dishonesty and misla- beled tea in the world. Sometimes vendors just repeat what they were told (innocently), but what they were told was dishonest. You have to be skilled to make healthy choices. You have to know the difference to some degree, in cleanliness and quality. Also (if that wasn’t bad enough) for now, lab tests for small batches of tea are still too expensive for the average consumer. If more technology companies were devoted to the environment, someone could probably create a machine for us to test our own food and tea on the spot, which would be awesome. In the meantime, we will have to rely on our own skills. You can develop the ability to taste unclean tea within some margin of error that will be good enough to navigate your tea purchasing. As with gongfu experiments, it is helpful to not eat anything too flavorful within a couple hours of your test, and nothing spicy that whole day. Start with some clean, clear water, ideally from a spring, but nice bottled water will do. Use the same water you are planning to use for the taste, and gently rinse the mouth out. Good waters do not have any flavor, so pay attention to the sensations in the mouth. See how it coats the mouth and throat. Move it around the mouth and see how the water stays together, is smooth and milky or oily. See how it travels to the back of the mouth on its own and swallows easily without any kind of pinching sensation in the throat. Notice how it causes saliva after it is swallowed. Also, pay close attention to how long the mouth feels coated and wet after swallowing (you can even use a timer). A fine water will last a long time. And even after the water is gone, swallowing your saliva should also be comfortable, without any pinching sensation. With your water as a reference, you can now move into trying to distinguish the two teas. Pure & Clean Tea Learning to Tell the Difference 學習辨別不同

Dry Leaves: We have found that in some cases, inorganic been near a farm spraying, is very intense; it is not an odor tea tends to mold when left out wet, whereas clean teas just you soon forget: pungent and deathly, the stink of pesticides dry out. There are some exceptions to this. We do not know really makes you cringe. Learning to sense whether a tea is the science behind this, but find it curious because Mr. Xie clean, or whether it is high or low-quality using aroma is told us that the soil under trees that are sprayed is often very subtle, but the practice is well worth it. moldy, since the earth becomes more powdery, can’t drain properly and then becomes too moist. You can actually already start with the dry leaves, by Tea Liquor: Normally, in gongfu experiments, we use tea learning to smell the difference between various teas in terms we are familiar with and brew it light so that the flavor and of quality and, of course, whether they are clean or not. To aroma won’t distract us from the physical sensations, which do this, you need to practice focusing on the physical touch are more important for such experiments. This is similar to and sensations of the inhalation, as opposed to the fragrance the focus on the touch and quality of the aroma we men- itself. This is just like the way we need to learn to focus on tioned above. However, for this experiment, you may want mouthfeel rather than flavor as we do gongfu experiments. to brew the two teas a bit stronger than usual to make the It may help to smell the two teas a few times back and forth sensations more pronounced. (Don’t go overboard or the as- with a blank mind, not labeling or judging. This helps us get tringency and flavor will be overwhelming.) used to the aromas in the tea and focus on the touch of the Try drinking the two teas back and forth, with a cup in breath—the physical sensation. each hand. You may also want to do this blind after you have First of all, do not shake the tea. This is a bad habit that done so while looking. Pay attention to the physical sensa- way too many tea lovers indulge in. Shaking tea so that you tions of the liquor, especially compared to the high-quality can smell it breaks the leaves, knocks fragrant oils and crys- water you used as a baseline before brewing—the same wa- tals off the tea leaves and disturbs them energetically. It also ter in the two cups. (You may want to leave a cup of the hot means that the tea will become less and less aromatic each water next to the two with tea as a reference.) time it is shaken. Worst of all, shaking the tea is an attempt Many people experience a numbing on the tongue when to make the tea’s aroma stronger so that you can smell it drinking unclean teas, or if it is strong, maybe all through- more easily. This means that you are in essence bringing the out the mouth. This may even feel like the tongue has been aroma up to your level, which means you aren’t learning to burnt. For most teas, however, this is a sign of agrochemi- grow more sensitive and go down to its level. You won’t in- cals. Other times there is a rough scratchiness when drink- crease your sensitivity in this way. Instead, take a few deep ing unclean tea, especially compared to the water. The li- breaths, calm down, center yourself and only then approach quor crashes apart and scratches the mouth. Oftentimes, it the tea. Learn to increase your sensitivity and go down to also dries the mouth and throat, cutting off saliva flow and the tea’s quieter frequency as opposed to shaking it up to leaving us parched. The most common sensation, though, is your speed. a pinching sensation in the throat when swallowing, often Inhale very gently and slowly. It is very important that accompanied by a tightness or even pain as it goes down. you breathe very slow and as deeply as you can! Pay attention Some people again have a sense of rejection when drinking to the sensation of the air in your nose as well as the depth unclean tea. of the breath. A clean tea will cause no discomfort, entering Clean tea, on the other hand, should coat the mouth and smoothly and finely. It will travel further down into you, throat, as the fine water did, cause salivation and go down towards the center of your diaphragm. Very fine teas will smoothly, without any pinching sensation. It will cause sa- fill you up quick and smooth, almost pushing the breath liva flow, which will also be comfortable in the mouth and down to the diaphragm (dan tian, 丹田), leaving you with a upon swallowing. The throat will feel coated and eased by feeling that you could have inhaled much more if you could the tea, as opposed to scratchy and uncomfortable. Fine tea only hold more breath. This is akin to the feeling of smelling should make you relaxed and comfortable. In fact, if the tea a spring forest, in which there are way more aromas than is fine enough, it will even help you to sleep better, even if you can possibly take in (even your dog cannot smell them you drink it in the evening! all, and she can smell way more than you can). Many of these criteria can also be caused by other fac- A tea with pesticides, on the other hand, may cause a tors, especially when it comes to puerh tea. You have to be slight pinching sensation in the nostrils. The breath will also careful with the numbness, for example, as there are certain stutter, and you will have to push it onwards. You won’t be old-growth sheng puerh teas that also numb the mouth, able to fill your lungs, let alone reach the diaphragm (dan whether they are grown with agrochemicals or not. Tea from tian, 丹田). It is not uncommon for people to feel a slight Mengkku, for example, often has this effect. Also, pinch- headache, discomfort or a general sense that the body is re- ing in the throat and dryness can also be caused by unclean jecting the pesticide-laden smell. We have even encountered storage, in which case the effects would wear off in later teas that were sprayed heavily enough that you could actu- steepings. There is still merit in learning to experience these ally smell the pesticides themselves, which, if you have ever differences.

93/ Living Tea

Pure & Clean Tea The Body: From the body to the subtle body (energy, Qi, Pay attention to your body after drinking the unclean 氣), many can tell the difference between clean and unclean tea. Learn to listen to your body’s wisdom. If you can, pay tea after it is ingested. The effects in the body often differ attention to the subtle body as well, and the flow of energy greatly from person to person, with varying degrees of sen- through your core and extremities. Often, the Qi will stutter sitivity. Some people feel a headache or a stomach, often and flow in an irregular way. The grosser version of this is growing over time. Other times the sensations in the mouth a fluttery heart, anxiousness or even nausea—all of which or throat we discussed above linger, even for hours after. Wu we have experienced drinking unclean teas. Some sensitive De says that he always notices stronger pesticides in the tem- people may feel energetic disruption all throughout the day. ples, as a kind of pulsing. We have met some other tea lovers When a tea is particularly “dirty,” we often feel uncomfort- who report similar sensations. You may feel the tea in your able until we get something to eat. (This may also be caused Qi channels, if you are sensitive to the subtle body. Other- by pairing the wrong kinds of teas together in a single ses- wise, you may only feel grosser effects of the chemicals. sion, resulting in nausea.)

品味正茶大師充滿存在喝茶

Organic Conclusions

Once you have experience drinking clean teas for some Meditation is also a wonderful tool for increasing sensi- time, these sensations do become easier and easier to sense. tivity. Actually, this is more to do with quieting the internal Wu De often says that since all puerh was clean when he be- noise. The noisier our thoughts, the more our mind wan- gan drinking puerh in the early 1990s, the chemicals are like ders, and the less sensitive we will be to a subtle experience. someone adding a synthesizer track to your favorite song— The quieter you are, the more Tea rewards you: you begin to the one you have listened to thousands of times. He means taste more, smell more and, ultimately, enjoy more. Learn- that the added frequency is obvious. As you drink more and ing to quiet the mind increases our sensitivity to pesticides, more clean tea, and you become more familiar with teas of high- and low-quality teas and also increases the dimensions various kinds and qualities, you will find that smelling, tast- of our experience drinking tea. We begin to notice aromas ing and feeling pesticides will become easier and easier. and flavors in teas we thought we knew well, because we are Many people report that in the beginning they were paying more attention. skeptical of these qualities we have discussed here. Way too Just as we have found that many people start out skepti- many people in the modern world are far too used to having cal, if you do continue to experiment with side-by-side tests chemicals in their body from junk food, soda, etc. There- of clean versus unclean tea, we also have found that most ev- fore, a healthy diet and proper exercise will certainly increase eryone shifts from healthy skepticism, without experiencing your sensitivity to unclean tea. Obviously, the purer your any of these effects, to slowly experiencing one or two and body is, the more easily recognizable toxins will be. This is eventually finding that it is easy to spot tea with pesticides. a challenge in this world of readily-accessible tasty treats, We have members in this community who have even veri- and in general we prefer the “middle way.” But it is always fied their experience with lab reports, and the results were worthwhile to make goals and strive towards more optimal consistent, even when done blind. It is, therefore, very pos- health in diet and movement (one of the Eight Bowls in our sible to learn to discriminate between clean and unclean teas tradition). The healthier you are, the easier it will be to sense yourself, within some margin of error that is good enough to unhealthy things, like a non-smoker smelling smoke. make wise purchasing decisions.

96 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 wonderful 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 Kristina Clark.

sit to write this, the story of how tea found me, on the summer solstice, on the anniversary of when my Tea Journey began. One I year ago, I was sitting under a big tree in Prospect Park, Brook- lyn with thirty other people drinking “Enlightenment” served from Wu De’s magical twig-handled pot. I first found Wu De through the Rich Roll Podcast, which a friend had recently turned me on to. For the first time I thought, “hmm, maybe there’s more to tea than it being what non-coffee drinkers have to settle for,” and I felt intrigued by the reverence he held for the Leaf. I subscribed to Global Tea Hut, but felt the tea was too special for me to brew without more basic knowledge. By the time Wu De arrived to New York, my life had utterly fallen apart. It had become necessary for me to leave the dance I had dedicated my life to. Not only was I leaving behind something that had once been incredibly important to me, something I had invested my time and effort and sweat into, I was departing from my tribe, my community, my friends. I was hurting from the things that led to my departure, and I was hurting from leaving. To top it all off, my boyfriend left quite suddenly. While in retrospect I can say that was a good thing, at the time the timing was horrendous, and I felt abandoned and drowning in a well of depression. At the solstice, I began my “homework,” three bowls of Tea in the morning, in silence, every day, for a week. What happens? Prob- 茶人: Kristina Clark ably the most major immediate change was that I actually gave up drinking coffee. There were slower and subtler, and more profound I returned home from Taiwan, I boarded a plane to Asia again. The changes as well. trip was an educational, culture-crossing field trip. We became am- At this time I was still in a dark place, and I felt very isolated. bassadors for Tea as much as our hosts were, sharing with them that There was a lot of hurt, there was anger, there was heartache and there are people all over the world who love Tea, while they shared heartbreak, there was doubt, there was loss, and I was lost. I found more technical information with us. no joy in anything. My intuition had been eroded. I had no self- I felt a precious connection with nature, quite clearly, in ways I esteem. haven’t been able to here in NYC. The mountains were calling to me, Yet, there was a slender silver thread that I was able to cling to. I the ferns were begging me to get lost among them, just for a little inquired of myself: what did I want to do, what did I feel like doing, while—they had secrets to tell me. I shared a profound moment with was there anything at all? The only thing I wanted to do, that I began an old wild Tea tree, on a misty mountain in Anxi. I asked Her if She to look forward to in the morning, was to drink those three bowls recognized Herself in me, and She replied, “Do you not recognize of Tea. In this way, Tea saved my life. Little by little, bowl by bowl, yourself in me?” I shared this with our host Master Chen, and he the darkness lifted. understood the depth of this silent conversation, and he wept as well. After Wu De’s class, I felt I had more of a base of understanding I felt bound to him in a way, and to our trip. and I began to read the magazine, and try some of those Tea tins At home now, after both of these back-to-back journeys, I am out. I wrote to Shen, who was knowledgeable, generous, and helpful piecing together my new life, as a Chajin. I feel such gratitude for answering my beginner questions. I couldn’t remember how long it my new Tea brothers and sisters, for the friendships we’re forging, had been since I had been around people who openly shared their and for the lessons I’m learning from this community and from Tea knowledge, and answered questions in a way that didn’t make me Herself, the great healer. I am maintaining an hour-long meditation feel stupid or put in place, and it touched me deeply. practice every morning, followed by Tea ceremony. Mornings are I knew I needed to go to the Tea Sage Hut, but I had to wait for reserved for this cultivation. After seeing all the farmers who work the universe to open the doors of the wait-list. In the meantime, I so hard to pick and process the tea we drink, I feel the enormous re- went to “Tea School” every day by myself, even if I couldn’t be at the sponsibility of being human. How can I best honor all the sacrifices Hut yet. I watched Global Tea Hut videos online. I read articles. I and work that brought this Tea liquor to my lips? My life must be was thrilled to go through all the discussions on the newly released my answer. How can I honor that which saved my life? I serve Her. App, even if I felt too shy and too new to interact yet myself. I made My soul signed a contract with a mountain when I wasn’t look- personal Tea ceremony a daily practice. ing. I am being called back to nature, back to the threshold of the While I was there, Shen and Wu De invited me to join the an- two trees. I’ll find you there. And we’ll share some tea, with peace, nual trip to China. My higher self said “YES! Go!” Three weeks after joy and grace.

97/ TeaWayfarer Inside the Hut

Coming Soon to Global Tea Hut Magazine

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

We have a tremendous amount of content be- Our third annual Zen & Tea Retreat in Spain yond this issue you hold now. All of our past issues are is coming up from October 1st through the 9th. For available in .pdf or .html on our website. We also have those of you who have never attended, this is a superb monthly live broadcasts, dozens of videos on all things chance to cultivate yourself, deepen your meditation tea, a blog and a podcast called “Life of Tea,” which is and grow your tea practice, all in the gorgeous Pyr- on Soundcloud and iTunes. As all of these are for you, enees Mountains. We practice silent walking medita- our beloved tea brothers and sisters, please let us know tion down the trails every day and do a day-long hike via email or social media about the topics you would in silence in the middle of the retreat. You can read like us to cover in our videos, writings or podcasts. We about previous retreats in the Feb. 2018 and Feb. 2017 would love to create for you! issues, or learn more at: www.casacuadrau.org

Check out our new “Brewing Tea” video series on our YouTube channel, where we explore the philosophy, history, practicalities and experiments involved in improving your tea practice. Center News Before you visit, check out the Center’s The 2018 Annual Photography Contest is un- website (www.teasagehut.org) to read about the schedule, food, what you should bring, etc. derway. Submissions are not limited to Global Tea Make sure you apply early for courses as they Hut members, so tell your friends. The winners will be fill up fast. This is why we need a bigger, more published and receive gifts of tea and teaware. awesome Center.

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

The first-ever Old Student Course was amazing. This will be taught once a year in four- year cycles, creating teacher training for mem- September Affirmation bers of this tradition to help tea lovers around the world. It was a magical time of deep connec- I feel my influence tion with these teachings. Do I connect the dots? Do I make decisions that encourage happiness in the lives of others? Do I We are saving up to buy or lease a van to purchase products that are good for the Earth and drive you around during service periods and to for my fellow humans? Am I compromising con- take you to the tea farm and mountain to fetch sciously or unconsciously? water during courses. 天地人

www.globalteahut.org GLOBAL EA HUT The purest, cleanest Tea magazine in the world! Tea & Tao Magazine Sharing rare organic teas, a magazine full of tea history, 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.

國際茶亭 September 2018 Extended Edition Pure禪 茶tea

國際茶亭 September 2018 Extended Edition Pure禪茶tea