Puerh Tea Series – Part 5 – Puerh Tea Vintages

The last post in our Puerh Tea Series – Puerh Tea Vintages

Due to political instability in China in the 20th century, many of the records and information on old puerh has been lost.  Traditionally, only a small quantity of the puerh tea produced each year was considered special enough to find its way to rich merchants and connoisseurs who would ensure long storage and maturation.

These cakes would be bought in cases of 84 stacks of seven cakes (tong).  By the 1970’s, each case was labelled with the year of production though use of a specific code system.

No coding system existed before this because the relatively few specialist connoisseurs who bought high quality puerh, did not request systematised labelling as they intended keep the tea for their own consumption rather than using it as a source of income through trading.

The political changes in China in the 20th century meant that many wealthy families lost their stores of tea.  Today, very old cakes are so rare and expensive that they are almost never sold in complete cases and so the year of production which would have been marked on the case is also lost.

However, experts have found that it is possible to determine the time of production of old teas through identification of packaging and marking styles which emerged at specific times in the last century,

These stages can be split into four main eras:

Antique Puerh Cakes

1 Antique puerh

These were produced before the formation of the People’s Republic of China by private family-owned factories which traded in other commodities to ensure stable income.  Puerh cakes of this vintage were not wrapped in paper.

One ticket featuring the logo of the specific factory was embedded into the surface of each cake during compression and one ‘stack ticket’ was placed inside the bamboo wrapping used to hold together a stack of seven cakes.

A mark was branded onto the outside of the bamboo wrapping.   The main market for these teas was Hong Kong.  After 1949, all private factories became owned by the state and this style of packing was no longer seen.  Examples include the famous Song Ping cakes produced from 1910-1920.  A recent auction in 2005, saw a small collection of 23 cakes sell for $25,000.  Their value has increased enormously since 2005.

2 Masterpiece puerh

In 1950, the ‘China Tea Corporation Yunnan Province-level company’ (Zhongguo, Chaye Gongsi Yunnan Shenggongsi) was established to manage all tea business and production in Yunnan.  A logo for this state -owned tea corporation was registered in 1951 although it was first used in the 1940’s.  Eight red Chinese characters, ‘Zhong’ (China) surround a central character ‘Cha’, which means tea.  In Chinese it is called the ‘Eight-Zhong tea logo.’  The trademark ticket embedded in each cake is called the ‘Eight zhong tea ticket.’

Red Seal Puerh Cake

Red Seal Puerh Cakes

The most prized cakes produced in this period are called Hong Yin Yuancha or Red Seal.  Today, this tea is considered to be exceptional because of its age of more than 50 years, and the quality of the tea blend which was from Xisuangbanna in southern Yunnan province.

These cakes had outstanding ageing potential and today offer arguably the best puerh flavour available today.  Current market value is approximately £8-12,000 per 357g cake.  The tea produces a rich, deep ruby liquor, with smooth and highly complex, believed by some experts to present the palate with more than 400 different flavours.

All cakes from the ‘Masterpiece period’ were wrapped in paper with printed characters on them.  The Eight Zhong ticket is embedded in each cake.  The name ‘China Tea Corporation Yunnan Province-level company’ and ‘Zhongcha brand tea cake’ printed on the bottom of each cake wrapping read from right to left.  Each stack was wrapped in bamboo and tied with bamboo twine.

The complete collection of the Masterpiece Puerh Vintage include the following teas:
Red Seal Round Tea Cake
Red Seal Disk Tea Cake
Blue Seal Round Tea Cake – Grade A and B
Artistic Seal Disk Tea Cake
Green Seal Round Tea Cake
Yellow Seal Round Tea Cake
Large Seven-Son Yellow Seal Tea Cake
Small Seven-Son Yellow Seal Tea Cake
Seventy-three Raw Tea Cake
Red Ribbon Aged Raw Tea Cake

3 Seven-sons puerh

云南七子饼茶 – Yun Nan Qi Zi Bing Cha 7582 – Menghai 1970s Cake (Green Seal) 七十年代厚纸绿印 – Qi Shi Nian Dai Hou Zhi Lu Ying

This era began in 1972 when puerh tea business was shifted to the control of China National Native Produce and Animal By-products Import and Export Corporation (CNNP).  As a result of the change, the packaging style also changed:

-The term ‘Round puerh cake’ was changed to ‘Yunnan Seven-sons Tea Cake’ (Yunnan chi  tse beeng cha’).

-Pinyin (Romanised Chinese) and English descriptions were provided on the wrapping and tickets except in the case of cakes produced by Kunming and Xiaguan tea Factories.

-The words ‘Products of Menghai Tea Factory of Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xisuangbanna’ were printed under the Eight Zhong logo on the tickets except in the case of cakes produced by Kunming and Xiaguan tea Factories which did not embed any tickets into the cakes.

-Description tickets were also embedded in the cakes except in the case of cakes produced by Kunming and Xiaguan tea Factories.

-‘Yunnan Chi Tse Beeng Cha’ and ‘China National Native Produce & Animal By-products Import and Export Corporation Yunnan Tea Branch’ in both Chinese and Pinyin was written on every cake wrapped except in the case of disk cakes produced by Kunming and Xiaguan Factories which bear no Pinyin text.

-The Chinese characters read from left to right instead of right to left to match the Pinyin text.

-In the case of Yellow Seal Seven-son tea cakes, and Snow Seal Tea cakes, bamboo wrapping for stacks of seven cakes was substituted for paper bags.  In the case of Seven Son cakes produced by Kunming factory were always wrapped in paper bags.

-The bamboo wrapping around stacks of seven cakes was tied with metal wire.

-Trading codes were introduced.  These four digit codes represent the tea blend components used to make the tea.  The first two digits represent the year in which the blend was first conceived.  The third digit represents the grade of leaf used with 1 representing the highest grade.  The fourth digit is number allocated to the tea factory where the tea was made: 1 is Kunming Tea Factory; 2 is Menghai Tea Factory; 3 is Xiaguan Tea Factory.

Since the trading code does not represent the year of production, in some cases, three digits were added.  E.g. 7542-506 – 5 represents the 5th year of a decade (1985 or 1975 etc).  The last two digits denote the batch – 01 means the first batch of a particular product, 02 the second etc.  These last three digits were often only displayed on the Batch Tickets which were attached to the cases of tea.  Today, it’s rare to find a full case of the oldest teas from this era and so the batch tickets will also not be found.

4 New Era Puerh

In 1997 private label teas emerged with private logo’s and tickets.  In addition, there have been changes to the types of tea leaf selected; the standard weight of cakes; compression methods; blend formulas; manufacturing techniques; wrapping materials; packing designs and styles.

It is important to remember each of these four periods did not begin with an overnight complete change from the practices of the previous period.

As with all teas, the best way to learn what flavours you like in puerh is to try to drink as much as you can get your hands on from as many different age ranges as you can.

Puerh Tea Series – Part 4 – Compressed Puerh Tea Shapes

Continuing our series on Puerh – the many and varied shapes and forms of puerh tea.

There are a total of six different compressed puerh tea shapes.

1    Round – usually 357g disk with hollow on underside and packed into a stack of seven cakes which are wrapped in bamboo leaves.  When the loose leaves are steamed and transferred into a linen bag, the end of the bag is twisted to ensure that no leaves fall out of the bag during compression.  This twisted end presses the leaves during compression and creates the hollow.  Production is controlled by hand. (Shown below)

2007 Ancient Road Raw Puerh Round Cake

2    Disk – this is similar to the round shape but does not have the hollow.  It is compressed in an enclosed metal mould through which steam is passed, making a very compressed cake with a sharp edge.  Production is fast.

Xiaguan Special Grade 2007 Tuo Cha (Bowl Shape)

3    Bowl – this is a round ball with a deep hollow in weights of 100g, 150g, 250g, 500g and 1kg or in 3g or 5g mini bowls.  This hollow ensure that water absorbed during steaming is able to evaporate without being trapped in the centre of the bowl. (Shown above)

Melon Shaped Puerh

4    Melon/pumpkin shape – pumpkin shaped ball which symbolises good fortune and wealth.

5   Brick – a thick, rectangular block of tea, used for cooked and raw puerh, usually 250g but occasionally 500g or 1000g.  These are very space efficient.

Mushroom Puerh Shape

6    Mushroom / heart – traditionally 238g and packed into a stack of seven wrapped in bamboo.  The design ensures that no moisture is trapped in the centre of the compressed tea. (Shown above)

1990s Royal Cooked Puerh (Loose) | 1990s Jun Shu Puerh

Finally -  Loose leaf – usually only for cooked puerh. In this case the tea is not compressed. Raw puerh should be compressed before the leaves are five years old, otherwise flavour will be lost.  (Shown above)

Next in the Puerh Tea Series – Puerh Vintages

Making our Teaware

Posted by: Wendy

While at home over the Christmas holidays, I visited some of our teaware production sites.  The majority of the teaware we sell is designed with our input and produced specifically for JING.

Taking the elements of traditional teaware design which contribute to great tasting tea, each piece is designed to make tea-making as simple and enjoyable as possible. They’re also tested to make sure that they are robust enough to withstand extended daily use.

Our glass teaware is all made using borosilicate glass, renowned for its superior durability, chemical and heat resistance. It’s also remarkably clear and doesn’t have the green/creamy coloured tint around the rim often found in lower quality glassware.

In our factory, all our glass teaware is heated over a flame to test the heat durability of the glass as shown below. The bases of all our glass teaware pieces is also made to the perfect thickness (3-4mm) for maintaining heat and durability.

Testing the 400ml Glass Tea-iere

At the porcelain production site, I saw our Blue Pearl Gaiwan and Crackle Glaze tasting cups being produced. From modelling to the final baking and cooling, each piece takes approximately five days to produce.  The crackle glaze cups are first baked at 900°C for a few hours after which the glaze is applied as shown in the photo, before being baked in the kiln for the second time for sixteen hours at around 1200°C.

Crackle Glaze Cups

The final stage before packing is to cool down the teaware. The baked pieces are then passed through a long conveyor belt which gradually cools them down from 1000°C to around 80°C.

Porcelain waiting for Second Kiln Baking

The resulting teaware looks beautiful and is a delight to use.

Crackle Glaze Tasting Cup

I also went to the Tea Research Institute to see a permanent exhibition on the history of tea production in Taiwan.  The most fascinating exhibit was the tea rolling machine shown below; it was imported by the Japanese and was the first tea rolling machine used in Taiwan in the early 20th century.

The First Tea Rolling Machine in Taiwan

The trip really opened my eyes to the great care and skill that goes into producing our teawares and to the rich and noble history of tea and teaware production in Taiwan. Of course, I also got to taste a lot of samples of fantastic high mountain oolong teas such as Ali Shan and Li Shan!

Puerh Tea Series – Part 3 – Cooked Puerh

Cooked Puerh Mini Tuo

Continuing our Puerh Tea Series – we’re now moving onto cooked puerh.

Cooked puerh which is produced through a method created in the 1970’s.  This method artificially speeds-up fermentation to achieve a flavour which is not the same as well matured raw puerh but does posses some of its richness of flavour.  The best examples are excellent although they very rarely match up to top quality raw puerh in terms of complexity and refinement.

Processing involves:

1    laying the dried, loose raw puerh in cotton wrapping
2    addition of controlled amount of water to promote speedy fermentation
3    leaving the tea to mature for up to 90 days (depending of level of fermentation required) in humid and warm conditions.
4    Drying followed by sorting and grading
5    Leaving the tea in loose form for sale or compression into disks, bowls or bricks
6    Storage and maturation is necessary to allow aromas associated with artificial fermentation to dissipate.  Good storage conditions (mentioned above) have a very positive effect on cooked puerh, making it more refined with dry, clean and sweet with mineral flavours.

Next week, the many and varied shapes of puerh.

Puerh Tea Series – Part 2 – Raw Puerh – Production and Storage

Welcome to Part 2 off our Puerh Tea Series – an introduction to Raw Puerh. This post follows on from Part 1, so just to recap a little before launching into how Raw Puerh is produced, here’s an overview of how all good quality puerh is produced:

1. Picking

2. Natural withering

3. Hand firing in a hot wok to kill enzymes in the leaf

4. Hand rolling of the leaf (shaping) to achieve specified shape and squeeze moisture to the leaf surface

5. Sun drying of rolled and shaped leaf

For Raw Puerh, production then runs as follows:

The sun dried loose tea may be immediately compressed into cakes by weighing the leaf into correct portion, placing it into a metal mould through which steam is passed to soften the leaf and make it pliable for compressing it into a cake of desired shape – either flat disk (bing in mandarin; often of 357g which are then packed into a ‘tong’ of seven cakes, then packed into a case of 84 or 42 tongs, the latter being more standard today), bowl (tuocha in mandarin; 100g, 250g or even 3g and 5g mini bowls), mushroom shape (called Panchen Tuo after Tibet’s Panchen Lama), or bricks.

A Raw Puerh Cake

The best Raw puerh cakes are composed of a blend of a variety of teas of different ages.  These will be perhaps of 3 years, 2 years and 1 year of age.  Before compressing, loose leaf will have been allowed to mature in an uncompressed state for a years.

The tea will ferment faster in loose form, due to the high surface area.  Where there is a blend of older and younger tea, the older tea aids faster fermentation of the younger tea and continues to aid fermentation after compression.

Compressed tea ages more slowly than loose tea but compressing the tea ensures that the flavour and essential life of the tea (cha qi) is preserved even if the cake is aged for 50 years or more.  Its compact form also allows space-efficient storage.

Many connoisseurs consider Puerh tea to be sufficiently aged after ten years of maturation, by which time the flavour develops and the nature of the tea changes from a slightly astringent and cooling drink to one of  more soothing and harmoniously character.

Some insist that only after 20 years is raw puerh ready for drinking and that optimum age is 30-50 years.  These connoisseurs are prepared to devote the time or money (or both) to ensure supply of tea of this age.

A 1993 Menghai Raw Puerh Cake 云南七子饼茶 – Yun Nan Qi Zi Bing Cha 勐海九三年- Meng Hai Jiu San Nian 水蓝印- Blue Water Mark

Storage conditions are crucial to quality of the matured tea – the combination of high humidity, warmth and excellent air circulation and ventilation is of utmost importance.  The presence of high quality old tea, greatly contributes to ambient aroma in the warehouse and aids maturation of the younger teas.  Warehouses of this quality smell rich and heady, a little like the inside of a cigar case.  Such conditions are rarely achieved, usually resulting in musty tea of poor quality.

Puerh tea should never taste musty or wet – but due to poor management of every part of production and storage, most puerh teas available today have this quality.  Many consumers actually expect this musty quality, as it has become so commonplace and as a result puerh tea is greatly misunderstood.   Much of the puerh consumed in Hong Kong (Bolei in Cantonese) has this very wet and musty flavour.

Next in the series – Part 3 – Cooked Puerh Processing and Storage

Puerh Tea Series – An Introduction – Part 1

Over the next days and weeks we will be writing a series of blog posts on Puerh tea, a fascinating and enjoyable area of tea to explore.

Puerh tea is the only tea type whose processing involves maturation, analogous to the élevage of fine wine. Like fine wine, too, the greatest cakes of puerh can be aged for many years after sale, and fifty- or sixty-year-old examples command a very high price. Authentic puerh is grown exclusively in Yunnan province, with the best picked from ancient wild trees.

2003 Yi Wu Wild Arbour Raw Puerh

Puerh tea was first produced in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and became famous throughout China by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Emperor Qiang Long particularly appreciated Puerh from Yi Wu.

Puerh is not a word describing the colour or nature of the tea, nor is it named after a place where the tea is produced. Rather, it’s named after Puerh city which has never been a production centre for tea but rather a trading centre. It found one of its first major markets in Tibet, especially along the Old Horse Road, a network of roads through Yunnan to Sichuan (and onto Tibet), neighbouring Guangxi and Guizhou Provinces, Vietnam, Burma and Laos.

There are disagreements in the tea world about what puerh tea is – but most agree that it is a fermented tea made from the Big Leaf (Da Ye) cultivar of tea tree grown and picked in Yunnan Province. Yunnan soils are perfect for growing these tea cultivars as this province contains acidic (pH 4.5-5.5), laterite and crimsons soil types. The climate is also constant throughout the year, although there are huge fluctuations in temperature throughout the day. Tropical Southern Yunnan is particularly suited to the Big Leaf tea cultivar, as it has high rain fall and richly red, fertile areas, with high variation in fauna.

Puerh has broken the traditions of other tea types since its first production.  It is not consumed when fresh; and historically, it was not just sold in the local area where it is produced but was transported far and wide; it was transported in a unique way -  being compressed and packed into bamboo baskets to aid transportation rather than being packed loose in chests.

There are two types of puerh tea:
1) Naturally fermented puerh tea (also known as raw puerh or sheng cha in mandarin)
2) Purposely fermented puerh tea (also know as cooked puerh or shu cha in mandarin)

Processing
Processing of all good quality puerh begins with the following steps:

1. Picking
2. Natural withering
3. Hand firing in a hot wok to kill enzymes in the leaf
4. Hand rolling of the leaf (shaping) to achieve specified shape and squeeze moisture to the leaf surface
5. Sun drying of rolled and shaped leaf

In addition to this, raw and cooked puerh undergo further distinct processing.

In the coming months we will be looking to expand our range of puerh teas so keep an eye on the puerh tea section of the site.

Coming up: Part 2 – Raw Puerh – Production and Storage

Tea Focus – Jun Shan Silver Needle (Jun Shan Yin Zhen) Yellow Tea

Jun Shan Yin Zhen

Juan Shan Yin Zhen is generally held to be the finest yellow tea around. The freshness the buds used, the care taken in production, and of course its exquisitely refreshing flavour are second to none. Since the sixties it has been consistently awarded innumerable prizes in China.

There is documentary evidence of Yellow teas being made in this way dating to as early as 1597, during the Ming Dynasty. Throughout this period it was used as a tribute offering to the Chinese Emperors. Hundreds of years later, it was still favoured among a new breed of ruling elite: Mao Tse Tung professed it to be his tea of choice.

The traditional production techniques for this tea require particular attention and skill, which is why some producers are resorting to simpler methods similar to those used for green tea. The tea is only grown in one place, Jun Shan island in Dong Ting, a lake in the province of Hunan. The lake is only one kilometre in width, which means production volumes are extremely low.

They are further limited in that the tea can only be picked very soon after the Qing Ming festival at the very latest; all JING’s Jun Shan Yin Zhen is harvested before the festival to ensure idea weather conditions for the plumpest, most tender buds. The greatest care is taking during the harvesting process – single buds are carefully twisted from the stem with the tips of the finger and thumb, making sure that they are not torn or scratched with the fingernails, and frost-damaged or discoloured buds are avoided.

Tea harvests are never undertaken in the rain, ensuring none of the flavour is lost in the time between picking and final storage of the finished product. The test for a good Jun Shan Yin Zhen is said to be that the strong, fat buds should stand up on end on infusion.

To prepare the tea, it is first wok-fried to ‘kill green’, preventing it from oxidizing further. It is then lightly baked to give the leaves their characteristic withered yellow appearance. It is then wrapped in thick paper in 1.5kg parcels and placed in out of the light for about 48 hours. This is what gives yellow tea the infusion colour from which it takes its name. The temperature inside the parcels will rise gradually, and when the temperature reaches 30°C they are opened and the contents mixed around to evenly distribute this heat. They are then repacked to ensure homogenous withering throughout the crop.

The tea is then baked again at 50°C for one hour to reduce water content, removed from the flame when the leaves have taken on a slight golden sheen. The wrapping process is repeated for another twenty hours, and finally the tea is fully fired to remove all remaining water from the leaves. In total, the process takes about 70 consecutive hours, and roughly fifty to sixty thousand buds are used to make just one kilogram of tea.

It is easy to see how this tea has held on to its legendary status for hundreds of years. We hope the hard work that went into making it will be paid off in every cup.

Last year we were only able to secure 7kg of this tea which has now sold out. The new crop will be available in June 2010.

Tea Focus – Keemun Gong Fu Black Tea (Keemun Gong Fu Hong Cha)

Keemun Gong Fu

Keemun Gong Fu is widely considered to be one of the finest black teas in the world. It was so highly regarded that the Chinese sometimes referred to it as ‘the prince of tea’, such was the reputation of its exquisite flavour and rich fragrance, along with the fact that it is one of the most valuable black teas produced in China. Although this tea is perhaps not so well known in the West as many Indian black teas, many of us have probably been drinking it without being aware of it, as it is often used in combination with other varieties in English Breakfast Tea blends.

The story of Keemun Gong Fu can be traced back to just one man, a businessman and Civil servant from Keemun county in the the Anhui province in the second half of the nineteenth century. While travelling in Fujian, he observed the black tea production techniques used in that province, and was inspired to try to recreate them in his home town, where only green tea had been cultivated previously. He used local tea bushes, so creating a completely new and unique tea, and the success of the project is testified to by the tea’s popularity today. This popularity is in part down to Yuan Long Hu, who in 1916 cultivated a wild tea crop in Keemun, and transplanted many Keemun bushes to different parts of the province. He visited each plantation regularly to teach producers the techniques developed in his hometown in the 19^th century and to ensure that the highest standards were maintained in the production of any crop bearing his town’s name. He also sold the tea throughout the country and beyond, and Keemun Gong Fu began to make a name for itself outside of China for the first time.

The Anhui province where the tea is grown is temperate, with abundant rainfall. The region is home to the famous and stunning Huang Shan mountain range, which shelters the tea producing areas in a moist microcosm of swirling mists and gentle showers. A network of small streams and fresh springs criss-cross web-like throughout the region, which nourishes the soil with a unique complex of minerals, creating an incredibly lush and fertile terroir.

The picking season for the tea begins in spring, and harvests continue periodically for several months, rather than picking the tea all at once. In each successive round of picking, less tea is harvested, and the harvests themselves become less frequent and tend to tail off some time in late summer or early autumn. The tea is prepared by rolling whole tea leaves into thin strips, taking care they do not crumble or break. In fact, it is from this procedure that the tea takes its name, since Gong fu can be translated as ‘careful skill’.

Keemun Gong Fu is ideal as an invigorating breakfast tea, and if feeling particularly English is even appropriate for drinking with milk – although it would never be dreamt of in China!

Yunnan Gold – Tea Focus

Posted by: Bennet

Yunnan Gold is a newcomer among Chinese black teas, first produced in 1938. But despite its relative infancy, Yunnan Gold has already developed a reputation for opulence – it was a favourite of the young Queen Elizabeth, who was said to proudly display it in a glass cabinet. When it was first introduced, the rare tea could fetch nearly £900 per 500g. Today, although now produced in much larger quantities, it still retains some of that sense of luxury and indulgence.

Yunnan Gold was originally grown specifically for export to Great Britain through Hong Kong, rather than for the Chinese domestic market. Despite this, its popularity was such that it soon began to spread throughout mainland China.

Yunnan Gold

The tea got off to a false start, however, since production was halted by the Civil War that led to the establishment of the People’s Republic, and due to further ensuing unrest it was not recommenced until as late as the nineteen-eighties, at which time the original production techniques were faithfully revived.

The tea is grown in gardens with an altitude of between one-thousand and two thousand metres, which ensures a mild average annual temperature. This means that the tea harvest can begin in spring and continue right until the end of autumn.

The spring crop is always considered to be the finest, the characteristic golden colour is at its most light and delicate and the leaves are plump and tender. During the harsher seasons of summer and autumn, the temperature tends to cause the stems of the leaves to harden and the leaves to become less supple.

The golden tinge of the leaves varies in intensity depending on the region in which the tea is grown as well as the time of year at which it is picked. The crops grown in the west of Yunnan province are known to carry a more orangey-gold colour, whereas those produced in the south of the province tend to be tinged with a purer bright gold.

Yunnan Province, China

The leaves become darker throughout the year, the darkest tea leaves will be those harvested in autumn. The tea from the western region of the province is generally thought to be of highest quality, Yunnan Gold harvested in the south is usually slightly more astringent.

The deep, rich flavour of this tea, with hints of winter spice, can be enjoyed equally in the morning or the afternoon

Matcha Supreme Infusion Guide Video

Our new Matcha Infusion Guide video shows you how to make your own perfect bowl of Matcha.

JING Tea – Testing our Teas for Antioxidants

We receive so many questions regarding the antioxidant levels in our teas.  In order to provide accurate information to our customers, we decided to commission tests on our teas by an independent and certified laboratory.

We will be commissioning further research across a much larger range of our teas in the near future.

Jun Shan Silver Needle Yellow Tea - A top performer in our antioxidant tests

The tests we commissioned assessed the levels of Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is the most abundant and commonly found catechin/flavonoid found in tea.  Flavonoids are the polyphenolic compounds contained in vegetables, fruits and plant which have been the subject of extensive research into their antioxidant effects.

Pre-Rain Dragon Well Supreme Green Tea - the highest green tea in our results

Below we have included a list of the results, showing the amounts of EGCG found in each of the teas we tested. We’ve then given this in the form of mg/250ml serving.

1. Pre-Rain Jun Shan Silver Needle Yellow Tea – 75.25mg EGCG/250ml serving

2. Pre-Rain Organic Dragon Well Supreme Green Tea – 64.5mg EGCG/250ml serving

3. Organic Gunpowder Supreme Green Tea – 61mg EGCG/250ml serving

4. Organic White Peony Supreme White Tea – 50.75mg EGCG/250ml serving

5. Silver Needle White Tea – 39.25mg EGCG/250ml serving

6. Big Red Robe Supreme Oolong Tea – 26.5mg EGCG/250ml serving

7. Yellow Gold Oolong Tea – 14.5mg EGCG/250ml serving

8. Assam Breakfast Black Tea – 6mg EGCG/250ml serving

On our website, next to each tea, you will also be able to see the total levels of antioxidants for each tea. These figures include results for the less abundant antioxidants – Epicatechine, ECG and EGC.

A Beijing Teahouse – Puerh Tasting

Posted by: David

As many of you will know, our 2003 Wild Yi Wu Raw Puerh has been a real office favourite over the last couple of months.  So it was with great excitement that last week, while on holiday in China, I paid a visit to a lovely Beijing teahouse specialising in fine puerh.

On my second day in Beijing, still jet-lagged and in need of a good, relaxing morning of drinking great tea, I set out from my hostel looking forward to the morning ahead.

Hidden away off a busy, restaurant packed street, the teahouse was a welcome respite from the sometimes overwhelming heat and pace of a Beijing summer. I was welcomed into the teahouse and taken up to a gallery level past many cases of puerh cakes from some of the most famous factories in China.

中国茶叶公司云南省公司- Zhong Guo Cha Ye Gong Si Yun Nan Sheng Gong Si 1950s Zhongcha Red Seal - Grade A Cake 中茶牌圆茶 - Zhong Cha Pai Yuan Cha

There’s something about rare and old puerh cakes that brings about a great sense of anticipation in me. It’s not that I get to drink them often by any means, it’s just that the way they are wrapped and how visibly old they are adds to the sense of a special occasion.

The above cake was the oldest on display, a 1950s Red Seal cake from Menghai Factory. Walking past these cakes, upto a table surrounded by large comfortable chairs definitely put me in the right mood to enjoy the tea I was about to drink.

云南七子饼茶 – Yun Nan Qi Zi Bing Cha 7582 – Menghai 1970s Cake (Green Seal) 七十年代厚纸绿印 – Qi Shi Nian Dai Hou Zhi Lu Ying

The cakes shown in these photos are rarely brought out to drink but I was lucky enough to be able to try a 1980s Menghai Cake which had a beautifully deeply coloured infusion and a very active mouthfeel. The flavour was long and smooth with some delicate sweetness and rich, almost leathery notes.

1980s Menghai Infusion

It also had a lovely calming effect which allowed to overcome my initial awe and to begin chatting in Mandarin with the owner of the teahouse and other customers around the table. For most of the morning, we enjoyed the multiple infusions that a tea like this can handle, taking breaks to try other cakes from the 1990s from both Xiaguan and Menghai factories.

I was also able to enjoy a nice long lunch in the teahouse during which, as the only foreigner, I was jostled into drinking numerous shots of 15 year old Mao Tai and 10 year old baijiu, a strong Chinese spirit distilled from sorghum. My plate was also stacked with ribs and wild mushrooms and was refilled frequently.

After some more tea to restore myself before venturing back into the busy Beijing streets, I took a closer look at some of the display cabinets and found some teaware gems – 1950s teacups and Yixing teapots, some of which are shown above.

云南七子饼茶 – Yun Nan Qi Zi Bing Cha 勐海九三年- Meng Hai Jiu San Nian 水蓝印-Shui Lan Yin Menghai 1993 Blue Seal Cake

I’ve loved puerh for as long as I have loved great tea and had been drinking a lot of it in the office before I left for China, but this teahouse experience gave me even more enthusiasm for puerh history and the tastes and feelings brought about by well aged teas. I left the teahouse feeling invigorated, ready to take on the 12 hour overnight train to Xi’an which I had booked for later that day.

Preparing Matcha

Posted by: David

We’re very happy to have just launched our first Matcha green tea on the website. It’s a high grade, made using top quality tencha leaves. It has a delicious flavour balancing sweetness and savouriness, a lovely thick texture and a vibrant bright green colour.

Preparing Matcha is intimidating at first but very easy if you follow a few basic and easy steps.  Below is a quick guide which will help you to make your own delicious matcha at home. All of the tools that you need to make this tea are available in our Matcha Set.

Matcha Powder in Bowl

First, add about 2g or 2 (chashaku) spoons of matcha into the bowl. If you don’t have a traditional chashaku matcha spoon then about two thirds of a teaspoon will equal a similar amount to that shown in the photo above. Notice the vibrant green colour of the powder – this is a hallmark of top quality matcha.

Whisk and Paste

You will notice that the powdered matcha has a few lumps in it. In order to make really smooth matcha you will need to get rid of these lumps. You can do this by adding a very small amount of cold water to the bowl.

Using hot water to do this will not remove the lumps so it is important that the water is cold. Next, use your whisk to gently make a paste and to remove any lumps.

Hot Water Added

You are now ready to add the hot water, 80 degrees celsius is best. Add about 60-70ml of the water.

Whisking the Matcha

Now to the whisking. Firmly grip the bamboo handle of the whisk with your index, middle and ring finger. Use your other hand to hold and support the bowl. Whisk using rapid wrist movements and try not to let the tip of the whisk touch the bottom of the bowl.

If you move the whisk through the bowl as if you were writing the letter ‘m’ you will be whisking the matcha correctly. 30 seconds to 1 minute is often enough to achieve the desired result.

Finished Matcha in Bowl

When there are no large bubbles left in the match and the resulting bowl looks thick and frothy with many tiny bubbles, as in the picture above, then your matcha is ready to drink.

A Visit to Guangxi for Jasmine Tea

Posted by: Bethan

Despite living in China for 2 years in the past, I had never visited Guangxi province before my recent visit to see JING’s jasmine tea production.  Given the size of China, this might not seem that strange, but every single person visiting me whilst I worked in the Middle Kingdom went to the famous city of Guilin or the travellers mecca of Yangshuo to see the mountainous karste peaks and the Lijiang river that have made Guangxi famous.

Jasmine Flower Picker

I travelled to Nanning, the capital of Guangxi, rather than Guilin, to begin my journey to our tea farmers, and it was obvious that I was not taking the standard travellers route.  Virtually all major cities in China have considerable numbers of foreigners now that China welcomes tourism to the country, but it appeared that Nanning was not going to be the same as I found myself to be the only westerner boarding the large flight.

It is always amusing to travel in China if you can speak Mandarin but are a ‘laowai’ (foreigner) as discussions immediately begin about you with the reasonable expectation that you can’t understand what is being said.  As I boarded a bus at the airport to go to the plane, my fellow passengers began considerably long conversations about how I must be a student going to university in Nanning, wasn’t my skin really white and my eyes terribly blue?  The chatter soon stopped when I recieved a phone call from a Chinese friend in Shanghai wanting to make sure I was ok and I answered in Mandarin!

I spent no time in Nanning itself but travelled straight to the jasmine producing region several hours drive away from the city.  The country side was certainly not what I was expecting, as it has none of the impressive peaks of Guilin, but a more gentile, rolling countryside passed by my window.  There were few large towns in between Nanning and my destination which made a refreshing change from Shanghai and the lush green scenery captivated me for the entire journey.

Inspecting the Jasmine Flowers

The first thing that struck me as we travelled was that the traditional Chinese hats that many people wear in the countryside were made from metallic foil.  I have never seen this before, and found out very quickly that it was specific to Guangxi.  It certainly seems sensible too, as the sun was exceptionally strong (our car overheated twice on the long journey!).

Guangxi is a province that relies heavily on agriculture in its economy, producing huge amounts of jasmine, rice, sweet potatoes, sweet corn and 85% of the world’s star anise.  As a result, the food in the province is fantastic and extremely varied.  Warm sweet corn juice was given to us at every meal and it was delicious.  We also ate large numbers of ‘zongzi’ a rice cake dish that is traditionally eaten only at the dragon boat festival, but is a local delicacy of Guangxi.

I had dinner with the head of the agriculture in the region one evening, and he explained to me that for many agricultural goods, Guangxi produces the majority of the world’s crops, but that the people in the area do not make a lot of money from this, as most trade is done through agents and many Western companies never go to Guangxi direct, preferring to buy from companies in Hong Kong or the southern coastal cities.  This has meant that Guangxi’s economy has suffered greatly since the ‘opening up’ of China, and in comparison to her neighbouring industrial province Guangdong, she is extremely poor.  I was certainly pleased that JING works direct with the farmers in the area and proud that I can now sit and write about the experience.

Having come from Shanghai and leaving for Shenzhen immediately afterwards, Guangxi was a fantastic break from the often overwhelming pace of life in these urban centres.  The people were exceptionally friendly and the food was fantastic.  I feel very priveleged to have been to Nanning rather than Guilin, although every time I see the spectacular peaks of that region, I think I should probably head back there next year!

Jasmine Tea Discovery

Posted by Bethan.

I have never knowingly seen jasmine plants or blossoms, and going to see our jasmine pearls and jasmine silver needle be scented was an eye opening experience.

Much of the jasmine tea that I drank growing up was unbeknownst to me scented with flavourings and oils. However, JING’s jasmine teas are all scented with fresh flowers. Jasmine flowers are found in Guanxi province in the far south of China, where along with sugar cane and sweetcorn they make up the main export commodities of the region.

Jasmine Flower pickers in the fields of Guanxi province, China

The countryside in Guanxi is scattered with vividly green jasmine fields. Unlike tea bushes the plants don’t require a slope to grow on and are found at low altitude. Small buds of jasmine are scattered across the bushes, and men and women with metallic wide brimmed hats hand pick the buds from branches, placing them into bags attached to their belts.

Picking jasmine flowers in Guanxi province

An open jasmine flower can not be used to scent tea leaves, and a small yellow bud will not flavour the tea either. The workers carefully pick only the large white buds which once plucked will open a few hours later in the evening and release their scent. Over 3 kilograms of fresh flowers are needed to scent 1 kilogram of tea.

Jasmine buds ready to be picked to scent JING's jasmine teas

I had expected the fields to smell overpoweringly of jasmine, but the fragrance was subtle as the majority of buds had been picked before they blossomed. In stark contrast, the factory where the green and white tea is scented had a beautifully strong jasmine aroma once we arrived at dusk.

JING's jasmine pearl green tea being scented with fresh jasmine flowers

Our jasmine pearls and silver needle white tea leaves were laid out at 7 o’clock in the evening once the fresh flowers, picked earlier that morning, had reached the building. The evening is the best time for scenting as the temperature drops slightly and the flowers open. As flowers were placed on top of the tea leaves, they slowly disappeared under a snow like layer of buds and jasmine scent filled the room.

Jasmine Silver Needle being scented with fresh jasmine flowers

Each of our jasmine teas are scented with fresh flowers for 5 consecutive nights, but when the flowers are first placed on the leaf they are left for 3 days. The tea leaves are incredibly dry compared to the flowers and over the 3 days they absorb the moisture from the flowers and absorb the jasmine flavour more effectively on the following 4 nights.

I tentatively placed my hand into the middle of the tea and flower mix and was shocked by the heat contained within. Our farmer explained to me that the tea leaves will reach 40 degrees after 6 hours of scenting and must be turned by hand to cool them down and ensure that all the leaves are scented equally by the flowers.

Fresh jasmine flowers were tossed onto the tea leaves, and the mix was turned to ensure scenting was even.

As the temperature reached 30 degrees in the scenting room, strong men came to turn the leaves, straining with effort. The smell was incredible and putting the leaves to my nose it was amazing how effectively the flavour had already been absorbed.

My hands smelt of jasmine as I washed them that evening, such great aroma coming from the tiny buds, and it seemed a shame to wash it away!

The fresh jasmine flowers were removed from the tea leaf the morning after scenting, ready for a new batch of flowers to be placed onto them again

The next morning I returned to the factory to see the sorting of the tea leaves. You’ll notice that there are virtually no flower petals in our jasmine pearls or jasmine silver needle, and this is because each morning after a night of scenting, the flowers are separated from the tea leaves and the leaves and dried to help them to retain the jasmine aroma.

A beautiful whole silver needle bud after scenting with jasmine

The tea in front of me was only being scented for the first time, but a batch had been made before I arrived and I drank this with my hosts in the cool breeze of a fan next to the scenting room. The silver needle leaves created a beautifully clear infusion and the soft yet full jasmine aroma came through with each sip. It is certainly easy to see that the painstaking effort of picking, scenting and drying the leaves was worth it! It was incomparable to the jasmine teas of my childhood, which smelt faintly of jasmine but tasted of water with a hint of tannic green tea. It is truly a piece of artisan skill to produce such beautiful flavour.

Experiencing China

Posted by Thomas.

When I moved from Germany to London about 8 months ago I would have never guessed that I would be visiting China this year. At the end of April I had the chance to accompany Edward on his spring tea buying trip documenting the journey with my camera. During the course of one week we filmed about 7 hours of video footage which you will see on the website after editing during the next weeks.

As it was my first time in Asia there were so many new impressions and things to see and explore. I was hugely impressed by the gorgeous scenery of the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian where some of our fantastic Oolong teas are produced. We  spent two whole days in a tea factory to produce our own very special Tie Guan Yin. We were involved in every step of the production process, from the picking through different steps of withering, firing and baking. Finally we had the chance to taste the tea we made. As we worked directly with the farmers it was stunning to listen to their experiences and feel their years of knowledge while producing the tea.

Wuyi Mountains

There was also a very warm connection with the farmers as we spent a lot of time together experiencing the chinese culture and hospitality. I really appreciated the chinese food. During this week I had some of the most delicious food I have ever tried. I was delighted by the homemade dishes and enjoyed having lunch and dinner with a whole group of people. For the Chinese people it was very important to sit down in company, enjoying food and chatting about tea and life in general.

Chinese homemade dishes

Though the farmers in the countryside live a quite simple life they seem very happy and satisfied. We received a warm welcome and a smile everywhere we went. I’ll definitely go back to China to explore more parts of the country and the people with the liveliest culture I have ever seen. Until then I’ll hang onto my memories of this fantastic experience and have a cup of Wuyi Oolong tea.

JING Tea Wallpaper

Wide 1440×900 | 1680×1050 | 1920×1200 | 2560×1600

Full 800×600 | 1024×768 | 1280×960 | 1280×1024 | 1600×1200

A lot of people have commented on our photography so we thought we would give you all a wallpaper to download so you can enjoy the sight of fresh spring tea leaves all day everyday.

The tea trees in the photo are Iron Arhat used to make oolong tea. To download please choose the correct size for your display, right click and then select “Save as”.

Dragon Well Green Tea Video

We’ve been hard at work on a number of videos for the website over recent weeks. Above is our latest effort, on our Dragon Well green tea. The video contains information on the garden from which the tea is picked, the picking, and the firing of the tea and explains how each of these affect the end result in the cup.

Our Dragon Well has an extremely thick and full taste and we believe this is due to the fact that the land on which it is grown has been organic for over ten years. The land not been overfarmed so it is still rich in nutrients and this quality comes out in the thick, juicy buds and leaves on the tea bushes.

Making Videos

Posted by: David.

Wendy and Thomas making the videos

If you have spent some time on our website recently you’ll have noticed that we have been producing a number of videos in the last few weeks. So far we have published two videos showing the scenery, production and infusion of both our Hand-made Gyokuro Supreme green tea and our Silver Needle white tea.  We spent two afternoons last week shooting for three more videos which Thomas is now editing. The next video which we will add to the website will be on our Dragon Well green tea, featuring the firing by renowned expert Mr Chen.

We have had some great feedback on the videos already. We think they work well and really help to bring each tea to life, from the scenery where the tea is picked, to the production methods and the final result in the cup. It’s great to be able to put the hours and hours of footage we have to proper use and we are glad you’re all enjoying them. If there are any teas you want to see covered, please let us know.

The Importance of Storage and Packing – Anji Bai Cha

Pre Rain Organic Anji Bai Cha

We were recently given a pack of Anji Bai Cha from another tea supplier. It really highlighted for us a problem that we see as regrettably widespread, the issue of packing and correct storage. When packed and stored correctly, teas retain their flavour, colour and quality for longer. When care is not taken to package and store tea well, it’s immediately clear from the look and taste of the end product – what ends up in your cup.

When it comes to taste, poorly stored tea will taste flat. There will be hints of the flavours that the fresh leaf contained but they will be muted. The liveliness and freshness of taste of properly stored tea will be in contrast to the flatness of badly stored tea. When it comes to the appearance of the dry leaf, it will be very clear, especially with green teas, that badly stored tea has deteriorated in terms of freshness.

Anji Bai Cha Storage

The photo above shows a poorly stored Anji Bai Cha on the left and our Anji Bai Cha green tea on the right. Both teas were picked in the same year and there has been no photoshopping on the colouring of these leaves. The effect on the colour and freshness of the leaves of bad storage really is that visible in the dry leaf. The left hand sample has lost almost all the fresh spring green leaf colours it must have had at some point.

We package our teas at source as soon after production as possible and wherever possible we use vacuum packing to ensure the tea is kept at its best for longest.

With care and proper storage, tea can be kept as fresh as possible for a long time. Our customers will testify that the Anji Bai Cha they order, receive and drink really does have the same bright colour as the above photos. It’s definitely something to keep an eye out for when buying loose leaf teas.