My Tea Break

Rediscovering Tea around the world

Monthly Archives: April 2011


by 3 Comments

Green T. House: A New style Tea Art House

Teahouses have long been a part of the Chinese people’s life.
It is generally believed that during the Tang Dynasty the Tea peddlers who carried buckets of Tea and the city mobile tea booths were the first signs of what we call now a Teahouse.
Nowadays, they are more than just a place where you can go and drink Tea. They have become an important part of the social and culture life in China and often associated with art, often called “Tea art houses”.In recent years, Chinese Tea culture has gained unprecedent momentum. The number of teahouses and the new style Tea art houses keep growing. They are characterised by a serene inner space, where people can enjoy a quiet moment to rest their minds and body and take a break from the busy city life.

While in China this month I was looking to check what were the coolest tea houses and found Green T. House. Green T. House is more than just a Tea House. It’s a concept…The Green T. House restaurant in central Beijing (6 Gontjixilu Chaoyang 100027 Beijing) combines modern cuisine with Tea. Their dishes and drinks bring the culinary use of Tea into life. The menu is extensive and include dishes like green Tea roasted seabass, fragranced white Tea rice, Roasted Lamb nestled  among coriander and high mountain Oolong Tea,   Green Tea prawns and lobster,  goats cheese and walnut salad with green Tea pesto, jasmine duck among others… You can also enjoy some great drinks like green tea mojito, cold oolong with apple juice, bitter lemon with oolong cocktail, beijing whisky sour and even oolong or jasmine beer.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

If you have time you can also visit the Green T. House Living (318, cuigezhuang Xiang Hegezhuang Cun Chaoyang, Beijing 100015). This is closer to the airport so a good way to relax before catching your flight… You leave the crowded centre of Beijing and suddenly get into a Tea paradise. A place where it is impossible not to relax and enjoy the Green T. Living environment. The pavillion, the centre of the Green T. Living, is a space of serenity where you can enjoy the birds singing and also the nice T. music. and it´s open daily for lunch, dinner or Tea with T. Snacks.  Everything is carefully placed in detail including the staff dress code which changes from winter to summer and is composed of a Kimono. The Tea is served in proper Chinese style and they perform the gongfu cha ceremony when serving your Tea. The T. snacks are also delicious!

You also have the bath house residence, a spa retreat, with a giant indoor Green Tea bath, inspired in the Tang Dynasty bath houses. Overnight stays at the Bath House Residence can be arranged but you need to book in advance. Green T. House Living has been awarded several wallpaper and other design awards and is home for several top events including fashion shows, product launches, Tea tastings and art exhibitions.

Drinking Tea in such a relaxed environment felt like a whole day at a spa. I was very relaxed, peaceful and with an amazing state of mind. These are the kinds of experiences that stay in your memory forever and I will definitely start trying some homemade dishes with Tea.

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


by 1 Comment

Interview with John Kennedy from TeaSmith

As you know our passion for Tea started a long time ago but our journey started at the TeaSmith when we had our masterclass back in 2008. John Kennedy, owner of this amazing Teahouse in the heart of Spitafields Market, and  his Japanese wife Tomoko Kawase, created the TeaSmith -  a unique Tea bar where you have a great selection of exceptional Teas paired with indulging fine chocolates and patisseries from  William Curley.

Today we had the pleasure to interview John while tasting some amazing Teas. During this interview John told us more about the complex and exceptional world of Tea.

M&T. What is the concept behind TeaSmith?

J. Our idea is to modernise drinkers attitude towards Tea, particularly British. Most of the Teas available are fairly out of style and the approach to Tea is often stuck in the past. We want to help people appreciate a wider variety of Tea in a very accessible and modernised way while demystifying what is a very complicated subject: Tea. Even our name – TeaSmith is a very down to earth name and it makes it more available to everyone.

M&T. How do you explain the path to your success.

J.  I first got into Tea in 1991. My wife is Japanese so I already knew quite a bit about Japanese green Tea, but it was when I was working in San Francisco for a Technology company that I discovered the world of Chinese Tea in China town. My motivation started when I found that the Tea that I was drinking in my daily work commute was not as good as the ones I tried in China Town. I started to explore and discovering a whole new world. There is just another dimension further to the taste and aroma, which is the power and effect of Tea in your body. You don’t find that in other drinks. I spent a lot of time talking to people in China town, reading a lot about Tea and tasting a lot of different Teas. When I decided I wanted to do more with Tea, I looked for someone who could teach me more. I had tried these amazing Teas that were being sold at Selfridges and contacted the person who made them. I met Leo Kwan, a world-class expert in Tea and founder of the Tea Guardian website, and not only worked in his Teahouse but also had some formal training in China during the summer of 2004 and 2005. When I felt ready, I opened TeaSmith in November 2006.

M&T. How do you balance the blend between tradition and innovation?

J. We make Tea in a very traditional way, using the small pots, cups and serving Tea using the Gong Fu Cha methodology, in a modern and familiar environment. The shop design is quite modern and, for example, the music we listen to is different from the traditional Tea House music. We also wanted to reflect the East London style. People come to East London looking for a different experience, to discover new things and therefore the way we present Tea is not a shock to them. I regularly go to Tokyo and use it as a source of inspiration. The Japanese have an appetite for reinvention and innovation and so it is very refreshing to go there.

M&T. What are the most common mistakes that people do when making Tea?

J. Good Tea leaves always taste good (unless you do something really wrong…). I would say, don´t let the process get in the way of enjoying your Tea. In practical ways, people should feel the Tea and experiment to see what is the best flavour for them. A good cup of Tea can become a moment of immortality and we should let those moments happen. The same Tea can taste different every time you drink it, it depends on the water you use, the temperature you brew your Tea, your mind frame, your body…  Once you become sensitive to the effects of Tea in your body, some Teas can get you amazing experiences so just enjoy drinking Tea and enjoy these great moments of immortality.

M&T. Finally, what do you want people to feel when they go to the TeaSmith?

J. I want people to feel inspired, rejuvenated, educated and entertained.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

For more information please visit:

TeaSmith
6 Lamb Street
London E1 6EA, England
WEB: http://www.teasmith.co.uk/
TEL: 020 7247 1333
EMAIL info@teasmith.co.uk


by 6 Comments

@ Teasmith

Hey everyone,

This afternoon we went to one of our favourite Tea places in London – Teasmith! We have had amazing experiences here, like the Tea masterclass and the Tea and fine food tasting back in 2008.

We love coming here, as you can drink excellent Tea and relax! You can also try their delicious chocolates and patisserie by award winning William Curley! We highly recommend it.

Check out their website for more information - http://www.teasmith.co.uk/

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Happy Tea time!


by 4 Comments

Blooming Teas

Hey everyone,

Today we are going to talk about these amazing hand crafted flowering Teas. The Tea leaves are carefully sort it and hand-sewn, with cotton thread, to the fresh flowers – imagine the amount of work! These Teas are originally from Yunnan region in China. Blooming Tea is usually made with green tea (although you also can find it with white and oloong Teas) and different aromatic  flowers like globe amaranth, chrysanthemum, jasmine, lily, hibiscus and osmanthus.

How to prepare:

1. You should serve these Teas in a glass pot, so that you experience the beautiful flower blossoming! 2. Use just 1 tea bulb for 300ml (10oz) of water;  3. The water should be heated 85°C (180°F); 4. Do not serve the Tea until the flower has opened (about 3 minutes); 4. You can use the same bulb up to 3 infusions.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnH3EAES8_8&NR=1&feature=fvwp

These Teas are great gifts – each tea bulb costs between £0.80 and £1,5.

You can find these Teas in different shops, like the The Chinese Tea Company, in Portobello rd, London; or buy it online - http://jingtea.com/tea/flowering-tea,

- http://www.cantonteaco.com/flowering-tea.html?gclid=CPPChvWGsKgCFQRP4QodQREMHg

Have a great long weekend, Mariana!


by 5 Comments

Tea in Hangzhou

Hangzhou is the provincial capital and largest city of the Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. This city is not only famous for the natural beauty of the the West Lake and many historic and cultural landmarks including the Leifeng Pagoda where you can enjoy an amazing sunset view over the lake, the six harmony Pagoda, Ling Yin Temple but also it´s  home to the China Tea Museum and the Longjing Village, one of the birthplaces to Chinese Green Tea. Also very representative of the local Tea culture are the  Teahouses that line West Lake and where you see all the locals playing cards and drinking Green Tea.

If you visit Hangzhou and the Longjing village between the end of March and mid May you get the first harvesting season. The Tea leaves are picked from late March to early May,  when the new leaves appear. Tea cultivation is a labor intensive business, as all picking is done by hand so that the young leaves are not damaged.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The National Tea Musem, the only one in China with the Tea theme, is surronded by a Tea plantation and is comprised by four buildings where you can learn about the history of Tea, the growing and cultivation process, properties of Tea,  the different kinds of Tea (they show you 300 kinds of Tea including the six basic types and some reprocessed and scented varities), Tea sets  and the impact of Tea in the Chinese Culture.

To get there from Shanghai you need to take the Train from the Shanghai Hongqiao railway station to Hangzhou Railway Station. The bullet G trains take around 45 minutes. From Hangzhou railway station you can take the bus n. 27 or Y3 or alternatively get a cab however make sure that you either have a map where you can point on where you want to go or go with someone local as I had to leave the first taxi due to communication problems. Despite my best efforts and gestures he could´t understand where I wanted to go.

Some tips that I learned from my experience: Don´t go on sundays as it is a very popular destination for locals so the buses get completely packed,  taxis are all taken and there is a lot of traffic. I had to walk to a hotel and request a car from there. Also, don´t buy Tea from the street vendors around the lake as this is usually the lowest grade quality so if you want to make sure you get good quality Tea you can either try and go to a farm or to the Longjing town. A famous shop is number 216 Longjing Road. Anyway, always make sure that you try the Tea that you buy. I have tried several different varities of Longjing Tea and they the quality vary substantially and all have different characteristics.

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


by 2 Comments

Chinese Tea Provinces

When researching where to find and buy Tea in China one can get quite lost. In China, Tea is mainly produced in 17 regions: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi Zhuang, Guizhou, Hainan, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, Szechwan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang.

The most famous Green Teas in China include Longjing tea produced in the  Zhejiang Province, Maofeng from the Anhui Province and Biluochun produced in Jiangsu.

Some known types of  black Tea (named Red Tea in China ) are Qihong of Anhui , Dianhong of Yunnan, Suhong of Jiangsu, Chuanhong of Sichuan and Huhong of Hunan.

Oolong Tea is a specialty from the provinces on China’s southeast coast: Fujian and Guangdong.

Each Region also developed their own Tea drinking habits. In Northern China you fill find

Scented Tea with rose petals

that scented Tea, the process of infusing Tea with flowers is very popular but Green Tea is still the nation´s number one choice.

I visited Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang, home to the Longjing (Dragon Well) Tea Plantations and to the National Museum of Tea. . The first harvesting season goes from Mid March to early May so I was lucky to see the Tea harvesters manually picking the leaves. The whole journey was quite an experience and an adventure which I will share with you in detail in the next post.

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


by 2 Comments

Maliandao Tea Street – Beijing Tea City Market

If you´re a Tea lover in Beijing you will probably stop at the Maliandao Tea street, also known as the “Tea City”, one of the most famous and biggest Tea markets in China. It is located in southwestern part of Xuanwu District.

Maliandao Tea street has 1.5 Km of around 1,000 Tea shops and 8 different large malls. In China, Tea is more than just a drink but a way of life and you can feel that vibe when you enter Maliandao street. You can find all kinds of  Tea from all the different Chinese regions here. Every vendor have different characteristics but they all have a Tea table and invite you for a Tea tasting where they perform the GongFu Cha. Despite the language barrier which is not always easy to overcome, everyone is very friendly and available to help and answer your questions. Sometimes we have to use other resouces such as drawing or gesturing but that´s also part of this whole experience.

For those that are planning a visit, shops are usually open between 7am and 10pm. Prices vary from really cheap to extremely expensive depending on the quality of the Tea but bargaining is a must if you want to get a good deal. It is also a good place to buy Tea ware.

Today, after sleeping only 3 hours, I woke up early and went there just before getting my flight to Shanghai. Despite being very tired, this Tea experience made me feel more energised and relaxed at the same time. Chinese say that Tea refreshes the body, energises the mind and purify the spirit. I agree!  :)

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


by 5 Comments

Seven Bowls of Tea by Lu Tong

In China, Tea is not only an important part of the daily life but also an essense of the Chinese culture and history.  As Wang Anshi (1021-1086) a famous political reformer and literate of the Song Dynasty once said: “Tea is as indispensable in daily life as rice and salt“. Chinese Tea is also closely linked with Chinese Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

As I am in China during this week I will be sharing everything that I learn about the Chinese Tea culture but I would like to start today by sharing a poem from Lu Tong, a poet during the Chinese Tang Dynasty who studied the Tea culture and wrote several poems about Tea.

Chinese Tea tasting party during the Tang dynasty

“The first cup caresses my dry lips and throat.
The second shatters the walls of my lonely sadness.
The third searches the dry rivulets of my soul to find the stories of five thousand scrolls.
With the fourth the pain of life’s grievances evaporates through my pores.
The fifth relaxes my muscles and bones become light.
With the sixth I find the path that leads to the immortal ancestors.
Oh the seventh cup! Better not take it! If I had it the only feeling
Is the fresh wind blowing through my wings,
As I make my way to Penglai.”

Lu Tong, Seven Bowls of Tea

Happy Tea Break.

Tania


by 5 Comments

Tea at the Ritz Hotel!

We just had an amazing experience! Everything was excellent – the room, the environment, the music, the staff, the food and of course the quality of the Tea.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

We were booked for 7.30pm. We arrived a bit earlier and there was already a queue! Everyone was dressed accordingly. The staff was exceptionally nice and professional. We were given a table quite quickly and as soon as we sat we were given a tray of yummy sandwiches and pastries.

My husband chose the Darjeeling first flush Tea, which he found to be very good. He has a sweet tooth and usually adds sugar, but as he said looking quite suprised, “there´s no need for sugar!”. He described the Tea as being light and sweet.

I had the Lapsong Souchong Imperiale. This is a black Tea from Fujien in China. I found this Tea to be amazing. I did not enjoy the first sip very much as I was not expecting the intense flavour. However, the taste of the Tea increased as time went by. This is a strong smoky Tea. I felt the wonderful after taste in my mouth for a very long time.

This was a wonderful experience, I highly recommend it!

Mariana!


by 2 Comments

Afternoon Tea

It was not until the end of the 18th century that the tradition of the Afternoon Tea was introduced by the Duchess of Bedford. The duchess found it hard not to eat between lunch and dinner and therefore started drinking tea and eating some snacks between four and five o clock, making it what it is today!

Nowadays, we are too busy for such a relaxed lifestyle so we treat ourselves, on special occassions, to Afternoon Tea in places like hotels and tea rooms.

Afternoon Tea is mostly composed of scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, sandwiches (smoked salmon, ham, cucumber, chicken) and Tea pastries and cakes like Victoria sponge.

I am having Afternoon Tea at the Ritz Hotel next Sunday with my husband! I will let you know how it goes! Stay tuned!!

Mariana!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 42 other followers