Inspired by one of our customers, I thought I would write a quick post to show how easy it is to make fantastic cold tea infusions using whole leaf teas.

First choose the tea you’d like to use, from previous experience we’d recommend Mango tea, Lychee Red, Jasmine Silver Needle, Ali Shan Oolong tea, Jade Sword Green tea

Use a large glass, pitcher, teapot, tea-iere or plastic bottle for on the go.

Add roughly double the  amount of tea as you would for a normal infusion when using hot water, 3-5g (1-2 teaspoons) per cup. Next add cold water and refrigerate overnight, or longer for a stronger taste.

In the morning you’ll have a refreshing infusion, perfect if you want a cup of tea but don’t fancy a hot drink. The above example is currently in the fridge. Unfortunately I don’t have a “here’s one I made earlier” photo to add today so I’ll add one tomorrow – looking forward to it already

Posted by: David

14th April

Next on the Darjeeling tour was a visit to Okayti Estate, a three hour drive from Goomtee. The Darjeeling area, bordering Nepal, is populated predominantly by Gorkhas of ethnic Nepali background. On the way, we passed through many villages, each plastered with flags which I didn’t recognise and slogans painted on walls. The Gorkhas have long been campaigning for a separate state from West Bengal, Gorkhaland, to be established in the Indian union so that they can control distribution of resources around the Darjeeling hills.

Okayti Estate Factory

Like Goomtee, Okayti Estate is renowned for top quality Darjeeling tea. Situated on the border with Nepal and ranging in elevation from 2700ft to 6800ft, it is a beautiful estate on steep and impeccably well tended hills. It was established in 1856, making it one of the oldest tea estates in Darjeeling.

Okayti Estate, Darjeeling

The estate employs 1000 permanent staff. All staff and dependants, totalling around 4000 people live on the estate, living almost entirely self sufficient lives. There are schools, hospitals, shops and markets located on the estate. Okayti Estate also boasts the oldest tea processing factory in Darjeeling, established in 1888, alongside one of the newest, established in 2004. The estate covers a total of 600 hectares, of which 550 acres are under plantation.

Okayti Estate, Darjeeling

Okayti Estate was originally known as Rangdoo Estate. The name Okayti orginates from the time when the most renowned tea gardens in India would send samples of their teas to Queen Victoria for first refusal. For a number of years, the Queen tasted tea from Rangdoo Estate and “gave it the ok”, indicating that she wanted to buy it. So Rangdoo Estate became known as the estate with the “OK Tea”. Now locals pronounce the name of the estate as “O kai tee”.

Okayti Tea Pickers

A huge range of teas is produced at Okayti, ranging from traditional first and second flush Darjeelings to white teas, green teas and even oolong teas. While I was visiting, first flush teas were being produced. At JING we are proud to stock three beautiful teas from Okayti, including two second flush black teas and a bright and refreshing white tea with delicious hints of muscatel.

After driving around the estate in a sturdy 4WD vehicle along some very steep roads, we visited the new factory for a quick tour and to taste a range of their very freshest first flush teas.

Okayti Tasting Table

The samples for tasting ranged from those produced 10 days previously to those produced on the day and day before I visited. 10 days after their production, the teas have reached maturity, the flavours are balanced and settled. Those manufactured on the day and day before I visited had a beautifully smooth, rounded and honeyed sweetness.These tastes were still present in the 10 day old sample, but had receded slightly, creating deliciously balanced tea which completely quenched my thirst.

The factory is located just metres from the border with Nepal, marked by a small river. Mainly just to be able to say I had done it, I had a quick walk over to Nepal, by crossing this bridge.

Nepal India Border - nice and relaxed

That afternoon I jumped in a taxi bound for New Jalpaiguri for the return train journey on the overnight Darjeeling Mail to Calcutta. It was a slightly hairy ride, as the light faded and it grew dark, it seemed that my driver, Dinesh, was actually a little short-sighted.

After a number of very near misses while trying to overtake slower vehicles, I managed to communicate that I wanted to arrive in NJP alive, rather than as a road traffic accident statistic. Luckily, we had picked up one of Dinesh’s friends on the way down the mountains. He was keen to drive so they switched places and we got to the train station with some time to spare.

After my experiences at Calcutta Sealdah station, it was quite a relief to be legitimately and safely installed on my first Indian train. I had however mistakenly thought that there would be a dining carriage on the train. Luckily, my compartment companions had brought some food along with them for their evening meal and were kind enough to share some of it with me.

We sat contentedly scoffing the food, a mixture of potato and cauliflower curries, with bread and rice, with our hands, as the train skipped across the countryside towards Calcutta.

The next morning we awoke in the outskirts of Calcutta, pulling slowly into the huge station along with many other local commuter trains, each with passengers clinging to the sides and leaning out of the gaps where doors used to be. Jumping down from the train, I readied myself for the attention I was bound to receive from local taxi drivers outside the station. I bagged myself a fairly good deal and we set out for the airport for my next flight to Coimbatore to visit the Nilgiris.

Next in the series – Part 5 – The Nilgiris

12th April
Another early start, I rolled out of bed at 5.30 into a taxi for the airport for my flight to Calcutta, the base for my next trip to Goomtee and Okayti tea estates in Darjeeling. Landing in Calcutta, I was met by Ashok Kumar, the owner of Goomtee Estate in Darjeeling who had kindly arranged for me to check in to a hotel for the afternoon until my train – the Darjeeling Mail from Kolkata Sealdah to New Jalpaiguri, in the plains below Darjeeling that evening.

The first thing I noticed about Calcutta was the sheer number of bright yellow Austin taxis in the city. The city teemed with them, honking and swerving down chaotic traffic choked roads.

My experiences in Calcutta taxis are best forgotten -I had to keep my wits about me, but it did add to the adventure of the trip and helped me to sharpen my haggling techniques!

Nevertheless, that afternoon one driver did get me to New Market, a huge market block opposite Curzon park, interspersed by crumbling old buildings for a reasonable fee.

The market block was packed with locals buying provisions for the forthcoming Bengali New Year – Poyela Boishakh. As a driver foolishly tried to navigate his way along a packed pedestrian street, he ran over a poor person’s foot, causing a huge scene as a shouting, remonstrating crowd descended on the car, banging on the windows and at one point rocking the car en masse.

Eventually, local policemen arrived on the scene to clear and calm the situation. Needless to say, I didn’t photograph any of this, fearing that the overflowing anger of the locals might find an outlet in abusing me instead of the driver.

After seeing this, I ducked into the market buildings themselves to poke around the stores. News quickly spread that there was a foreigner wondering around the market and I was passed seamlessly from one hawker to another in an operation so smooth that it must have been honed on many a tourist.

I was passed from saree stalls to silk stalls, tea stalls to hat stalls and many more, enjoying the banter with the stallholders who on seeing that I was adamant that I was not going buy anything this early in my trip, were happy to pass me onto the next stallholder for his pitch.

I finally escaped the basement stalls and emerged into the street, where I was pounced on by another stallholder, obviously not part of the same clique, but equally persistent. Eventually, after much back and forth, we agreed that if I could take his photo, I would visit his stall, with no obligation to buy. Here he is below, if you’re ever in New Market in Calcutta, I’m sure he’ll find you. He sells imported Nepalese Buddhist statues and silks which are really very beautiful.

That evening, I arrived at the enormous Sealdah station, ready to board my train, the Darjeeling Mail. When the train arrived I found my carriage and looked for my name on the lists, stuck to the side of the carriage at each end. I couldn’t see my name anywhere, began to panic and tracked down the Ticket inspector. In the meantime, sensing that something was amiss, I put my luggage on the train, thinking that even if I didn’t have a bunk reserved, I could at least find somewhere on the huge train to spend the night, paying whatever was demanded of me on inspection.

Calcutta Sealdah Station

Once installed on the train, I thought that the ticket inspector would be reluctant to eject me. I thought wrong. On discovering that there was no confirmation of my booking on the train, the ticket inspector sent along two railway employees who unceremoniously turfed me and my luggage out of the train onto the platform. It looked like I wasn’t travelling to Darjeeling by train after all!

13th April
The next morning I boarded a flight to Bagdogra, the nearest airport to Darjeeling, hastily arranged the previous night on the hotel computer.

My first stop in the Darjeeling hills was Goomtee Estate. In a taxi, driven by an extremely smiley Mongolian, climbed into the misty hills, around winding hairpin bends and up extremely steep gradients. As we drove through the villages approaching Goomtee Estate, the driver was greeted by practically everyone we passed, he was obviously something of a local hero. Local schoolchildren even held out their hands for high fives as we passed, all smiling and giggling as they received a resounding slap from the driver as we scooted by.

Misty Darjeeling Tea Fields

The tea estates had begun only a few miles from the airport but it wasn’t until we had climbed to 4800ft that we reached Goomtee Estate, perched high on very steep slopes, with an incredible view. After dumping my luggage in the estate bungalow, I jogged down the hill to make the most of the remaining light of the day to take some photos of the lush green hills.

That evening I met the manager of Goomtee Estate who gave me a little background on the estate. Established in 1899, Goomtee Estate has been producing some of the finest Darjeeling teas ever since. He told me that despite a long and painful drought that had reduced the amount of leaf available for production significantly, the tea that is being produced this year is of a higher quality than last year’s.

Production of tea in Darjeeling involves long nights working in the factories, so I left my host to head down to the factory to oversee production. We agreed to meet up the next morning for a tour of the factory.

I went to bed that evening hoping for a clear, sunny day the next day and set my alarm for 5am to make sure that I was down in the fields for sunrise.

14th April
When I woke, the mist that had shrouded the mountains had cleared. I walked down to the fields below the bungalows and strolled around the gardens while the sun rose above the mountains in the distance.

Sunrise over Goomtee Estate

It was a stunning sight and it was great to be able to see the tea bushes in clear light. Even though the drought had clearly affected some plants, the vast majority of the bushes were a lush and vibrant green colour with very healthy leaf and bud sets. After a hectic few days since my arrival in India, it was a very peaceful start to the day.

Goomtee Tea Pickers

At 7am a steady procession of tea pickers with baskets on their backs passed me on their way to the fields requiring picking that day.

Pickers walking to the fields at Goomtee Estate

After they’d passed I wandered up to the factory for a quick tour. The factory was spotlessly clean and equipped with extremely well cared for antique tea production machines. Each year, all the machines are given a fresh coat of paint ready for a long season of almost constant use. In the next post, I’ll be going through the production process of Darjeeling teas.

Next in the series – Part 4– Okayti Estate, Darjeeling

11th April
The next morning my alarm rang at 4.45am, ready for an extremely early start  – we had to get all the way back to Delhi in one day, as well as visit more producers on a different, longer route back to the city. We bumped along in the darkness before sunrise in silence, still wishing we were horizontal and in bed.

Sunrise in the Himalayas

Slowly, as we woke up, the sun woke up too and began to rise over the mountains giving views to which photos do not really do justice. The roads were practically empty so we were able to make very good progress. Even my guide, who suffered from carsickness and had to lie down on the backseat all the way up the mountains looked relatively serene and calm.

Sunrise in the Himalayas

On the way down the mountains we stopped off at Devprayag where the River Ganges begins properly with the meeting of the River Alaknanda and the River Bhagirathi. The scenery is spectacular, the calm brown water of the River Bhagirathi merges with the foaming blue water of the River Alakanda, forming the legend that is the Ganges which flows all the way from Devaprayag across the Gangetic plain into Bangladesh. Devprayag is an important pilgrimage destination for Hindus and the confluence of the two rivers is a sacred spot.

Confluence of the River Bhagirathi & River Alaknanda

On the way down the mountains we saw a salvage operation taking place of a crash in which a lorry had plunged off the side of the road, rolling down the mountainside about 300 meters. It was a very sobering sight and one which I think influenced the driving of our driver from thereon. After about 5 hours we were again at Dehradun, ready to see Chamomile, Lemongrass and Cornflower producers in neighboring towns. It was noticeably hotter in the plains than in the mountains, and the scenery, with the mountains in the background was very beautiful.

We use top quality cornflowers like those shown above for our Earl Grey black tea.

Cornflower Picker

We visited the home of one of our herbal producers, a really stunning place with a huge variety of herbs and flowers including thyme, cardamon, mint, onions, coriander, roses, flowers for garlands, cornflowers, chamomile and many more. He kindly took us to visit the larger fields of cornflowers, chamomile flowers and lemongrass where the majority of his crops are grown, all organically.

Even a small field like the one shown can produce a large volume of Chamomile flowers, with a good-sized group of pickers each able to pick more than 2kg each per day.

Chamomile Flowers

When the farm visits were over we piled back in the car for the long drive back to Delhi. As night fell, we were held up by traffic along roads so bumpy that one of the lenses popped out of my glasses. We finally arrived in Delhi at midnight, totally exhausted, having driven for about 15 hours that day.

Next in the series – Part 3 – From Calcutta to the Darjeeling Estates

9th April
I set out from Delhi early in the morning having arrived the previous evening. It had been 15 years since I had last been in India so I was expecting to see that some big changes had taken place over that time.

We made our way out of Delhi in the rush hour traffic of a Friday morning through some of the busiest roads I’ve seen.  Delhi seemed to spread for miles and miles but eventually we emerged into the plains of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with a population of over 190 million. Looking out of the car window, the land was totally flat, as far the eye could see were fields of sugar cane, barley and rice. We were heading north-east, with the Himalayas as our target.

Occasionally we would pass through incredibly busy market towns, packed with roadside stalls selling a massive range of goods ranging from fruit and vegetables to household goods, bicycle parts, car parts, cement and steel tubing.  The driver expertly negotiated his way through these towns, avoiding swerving trucks, cars, taxis, cyclists, moped riders, rickshaws, mating cows, lost goats, pariah dogs and wandering pedestrians.

It is fair to say that during this drive I was almost speechless with culture shock and jetlag having only been in London the previous morning. On many occasions I found myself rubbing my eyes, not only to ward off jetlag but to check that I was actually seeing clearly. The sights, sounds and smells of these towns are seared into my memory and it will be a long time before I forget the experience.

Kulfi Stall

As we drove further into Uttar Pradesh, the roads became very bumpy and the traffic became congested with rattling vehicles of every kind pushing on to the city of Dehradun. It was very rare to see a vehicle that was not full to the brim with people and animals and I felt rather spoilt in the front seat of a comfortable car.

It was interesting to see the religious diversity of the state change as we drove further and further into the plains of the state. Hindu temples and shrines were ever present in the market towns, but I noticed that mosques and a very noticeable and devout Muslim population became much more common the further we drove from Delhi. Around 18% of the population of Uttar Pradesh follow Islam.

Finally, after an 8.5 hour drive we came to the end of Uttar Pradesh, passed through Saharanpur, a busy market city and crossed the border into Uttarakhand (Uttaranchal), arriving in Dehradun late in the evening.  By this point I was feeling exhausted, ready for cold beer, some food and a good sleep.

10th April
Another early start saw us climbing into the lush, forested foothills of the Himalayas on the outskirts of Dehradun before arriving in Rishikesh for a brief stopover to pick up our guide for the rest of the trip north into the Himalayas proper. Small monkeys lined the road into Rishikesh, obviously hopeful of some scraps of food from the many tourists who visit here from Delhi.

Construction of a large highway to replace the country roads was underway when we passed, so I’m sure it won’t be long before Rishikesh is even more firmly established as a tourist hotspot.

Rishikesh

After a quick bite to eat in an Iskon temple (home to Hare Krishna followers), we jumped back in the car to begin the full day’s drive. Rishikesh is a holy city for Hindus and is famous for its yoga ashrams and schools, on the outskirts of the town. We passed many of these as we drove out of the town along the banks of the Ganges to head into the hills.

Iskcon Temple, Rishikesh

Rishikesh is also the beginning of the Char Dam pilgrimage route for pilgrims heading towards Badrinath, the end of the route a few hundred kilometres further into the Himalayas. Dressed in simple robes and carrying their bedding and necessities, they walk the entire distance, relying on the generosity of the residents of the mountain villages and towns that they pass through on their way up.

It was impossible not to feel humbled by their devotion, the mountain roads are tough and treacherous and the sun was high in the sky, beating down on the pilgrims as they trudged up the mountains.

Rishikesh

The roads rapidly became very bumpy as we reached the banks of the River Ganges. In the Himalayan foothills, the river is ideal for whitewater rafting trips so the road was lined with rafting companies and guesthouses for intrepid foreign and native backpackers and weekenders from Delhi.  As we climbed, the road became increasingly treacherous, with sheer drops of hundreds of feet, just inches away from the edges of the cliff roads.

Himalaya Foothills - River Ganges

The driver clearly had pretensions of rally driving fame, as we screeched around terrifyingly sharp corners and overtook lorries and trucks blindly, honking the horn all the way. I clung to the handle above the window and hoped for the best. On a number of our descents, the smell of burning brake pads filled the car, a smell that I’ll forever associate with this trip.

The signs painted on the rock walls of the roads provided some light relief to this white-knuckle ride – a particular favourite was “No race, no rally, enjoy the beauty of the valley” and the much used “better late than never” which took on a much more ominous meaning than usual in these surroundings.

Treacherous Roads

As the hills became steeper, the scenery became more and more breathtaking, the towns on the banks of the river clung to the mountainsides, as if only a small nudge would cause them to topple down like dominoes into the rushing river below. We took occasional breaks to fill ourselves with roti breads, rice and dahl and to make sure that the driver was fully energised for the drive ahead with strong sugary coffee and tea.

Eventually, at 10,000ft we reached one of the farms where our peppermint leaves are grown and farmed, on the banks of the River Alaknanda. The growing season for peppermint is slightly later in the year, planting had only just begun in the nursery but I was able to see the fields where the plants are grown.

Peppermint

The peppermint is first planted in a nursery and then transplanted to a proper field until it reaches maturity.

Peppermint Transplant Fields

I was able to visit a local smallholder who grows and sells her peppermint to our supplier, who, after a sweaty stomp up the hill to reach her house, gave us rose petal squash, made from roses grown in her garden. It was delicious and extremely refreshing. After another 8 hour drive, it was nice to just pause and take in the beauty of the surroundings.

Peppermint Smallholder

That night we stayed in a guest house right next to the roaring river Alaknanda. After all the fresh air and driving, and with the river bubbling in the background I slept soundly, ready for a full day the next day.

Next in the series – Part 2 – Back to the plains for Chamomile, Cornflowers and Lemongrass.

Gateway Teas - Tea Regions

We will select our favourite tasting notes and reviews in each main category of tea on the site and announce the winners at the end of April. Simply find your favourite teas on the site, click on the Reviews tab, login and write your review. The categories of tea are as follows:

Green Tea
White Tea
Jasmine Tea
Flowering Tea
Oolong Tea
Black Tea
Puerh Tea
Yellow Tea
Scented Tea

We will be judging the reviews based on your descriptions of the taste, how you like to infuse the tea, when you like to drink it, what food you like to eat with it and anything about the tea that inspires you. Please try to keep your reviews around 100-150 words. We are looking forward to reading all of your reviews. Good luck!

We will publish our favourite reviews in forthcoming JING Tea newsletters. To subscribe, visit the JING homepage and sign up with your email address.

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.

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

Filed under: puerh, yunnan ]]> http://jingtea.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/puerh-tea-series-part-4-compressed-puerh-tea-shapes/feed/ 0 jingtea 2007 Ancient Road Raw Puerh Round Cake Xiaguan Special Grade 2007 Tuo Cha (Bowl Shape) Melon Shaped Puerh Mushroom Puerh Shape 1990s Royal Cooked Puerh (Loose) | 1990s Jun Shu Puerh http://jingtea.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/making-our-teaware/ http://jingtea.wordpress.com/2010/01/27/making-our-teaware/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:57:56 +0000 jingtea http://jingtea.wordpress.com/?p=834 ]]> 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!

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.

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 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

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.

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 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

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.

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.

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.