Only Pure & Authentic Quality Tea

Author: Mei Lan Hsiao Page 1 of 31

Even though her family has nothing to do with tea, but she learnt the importance of consuming tea correctly in daily healthy diet based on the Chinese traditional medicine principles in Yin-Yang and 5 elements from her family when she was very young.
She entered the tea learning in Taiwan since 1985, left her root because of marriage in 1991 helped her to expand her learning from original inward-out views to 360 degree. She started to promote the authentic knowledge about tea and wisdom in Chinese tea culture in Belgium since 1995.
Tea has always been and will continue be her best teacher. In front of Nature and Tea, she remains as an innocent child, a life-time learning student.

The Tast of Tea

茶游于嘴

In the most well known Chinese web media, they mentioned the taste of tea is bitter, however it won’t stay on the bitterness. But, is it correct for Chinese fine quality teas? Perhaps the text written in the ShenNong BenCao Jing about tea – “the basic character of tea is bitter” – has been misunderstood that many people think the taste of tea should be bitter. Let’s face it, who in the world like bitterness in food or drink by knowing it can be bitter?

As matter of fact, the taste of fine quality tea provides you a sensual tasting experience:

Once it enters the mouth, the tip of tongue will be charmed by its gentle smoothness and mild sweetness, it tranvels further to the middle on the tonque and gradually spreading to both sides, glidely simulate the water in mouth at the side end, then turns back to the front to enjoy the mild astringency and sweetness under the tonque. In other word, tea polyphenols, amino acid, tea tannin, tea polysaccarides and natural frangrance substances will play around by turning in the mouth before swallowing. The taste of fine quality teas will not lock our throat because excessive bitterness or strong astringency that the body dislikes.

The first impression of excessive bitterness in taste could prevail several problems:

  1. Problem in the tea production process due to one who make tea fail to produce tea by knowing tea
  2. One who brew tea fail to brew tea by acknowleding tea that fail to bring out the best characters that we can appreicate from the tea taste, often the tea has excessively brewed in the brewing process.
  3. Gushu has very rich biochemical compounds in tea leaves, brewer does need to pay attention on the brewing process.

看到国内媒体提到茶是先苦,但并不会停留在苦上。 但是中国好茶是真的应该先苦吗? 其实神农本草经中提到”茶性本苦”这一句或许误导许多人以为茶必须苦才好。试问,世上谁明知苦而爱吃苦?

其实好茶一入口它的微甜滑顺立刻会让我们舌动,微涩在舌中间逐渐转化散开,刺激两翼生风,再转回; 换句话讲茶多酚、茶氨酸、茶碱、茶多糖与芬香物质在我们还没吞下去前先在我们的嘴裡会转化,游玩了一圈后再入胃。而不是锁喉让我们喉咙不舒服,身体会排斥的苦涩。

茶一入嘴就会有苦味显现的问题原因可能有三:

  1. 制茶者未能知茶制茶,在制茶工艺中出现的品质问题。
  2. 泡茶者未能识茶泡茶,未能好好掌控泡茶过程而未能让茶展现茶汤之美。
  3. 茶叶内涵物非常丰富,而被泡茶者忽视,把茶泡的太浓了。


copyrighted Mei Lan Hsiao, 萧美兰

Difference in Living Tea vs. Cha Dao

茶有道俗之分吗?

LuYu said

Tea, the essence for health cultivation, it helps to unthirst, release stressful energy, ease headache, brighten vision, calming worries, good for joints, cast way tireness; regularly drinking tea for a longer period of time helps to bring joy to mind, improve and refreshing thinking…..Besides those basic health benefits, tea lovers who truly into tea would also appreciate 5 (five) beauties in life, which are:

  • The beauty in Taste
  • The beauty in Tea Ware
  • The beauty in Fire
  • The beauty in Drinking
  • The beauty in Mind

Mental state in tea actually is not that differ from the daoist mind in poem or other arts. Only those who respect tea and consciously embrace the calm, peaceful energy can bring out the taste of harmony !

陆羽说:“茶,乃养生之精,可以解热渴、驱凝闷、缓脑痛、明眼目、息烦恼、舒关节、荡昏寐,长期饮用可以有利悦志、增益思考……这些对身体健康的益处还在其次,善茶之人必有五美,即
味之美、
器之美、
火之美、
饮之美、
境之美。

茶的境界与诗情道心并无分别,境界高的人才能泡出天人合一的滋味!

手工茶好还是机械制造的茶好?

不管是在大中国地区,东北/东南亚或是其他产茶的国家都面对劳工费用不断提升,良好的技术工越来越难找的问题。至于“手工制茶好还是机器制茶好”这个问题,我们要深究的问题不仅仅局限于手工或是机器。

在过去三十多年发展出来许多功能很好的制茶机械,而机械的使用也谨是辅助提升制茶工作的效率,过程合理标准化与品质稳定的掌控。但是, 每一个过程依然需要有经验的制茶师傅不时地亲自观察与掌控。而不是鲜叶进成品出的一条工业化的生产作业而已。

比如说, 对经典好茶如武夷岩茶我们必须纠结的是:

  • 自然地理与生态平衡,远离污染.

对于讲求【岩韵】的武夷岩茶来说,地质环境对香与口感会有的基本影响。 如果漠视茶树生长的地质与茶树基因,我们怎么能奢谈“岩骨花香”呢?

  • 茶树基因和种植技术
  • 制茶工艺

对于任何好茶,每一个环节都重要; 而对岩茶﹑功夫红茶或是传统乌龙来说,初制工艺和炭焙精制工艺更对茶叶经由香与口感展现的品质扮有极重要的角色。

非常感谢广东茶科所黄华林教授今日再一次提醒好茶必要的综合要件:

好茶综合因素

1。 优良的茶树品种

2。 干净的种植环境,早晚温差大

3。 良好的茶园管理,包括茶园有机投入品,绿色防控,保证健康安全

4。 精湛的加工工艺,品质稳定,综合口感好

对任何茶叶来说最重要的重点还是在茶叶是否能透过香与口感呈现的品质体验。而这一步则挑战负责泡茶的侍茶师 (Tea Sommelier)的识茶、知茶、敬人与泡茶的经验与能力了。

萧美兰,12/01/2024 安特卫普,比利时

Critical 3 Minds learning

In life we will experience a lot ups and downs, regardless age, there are 3 major learnings we all have to encounter in life:

  • What and how to maintain innocence in mind – the most easiest way is to give self sometime to embrace it through reflection
  • Do best with devotion – we don’t always get what we want or have hoped for, and no complaints or signs can help but do our best as we can everyday.
  • Learn to let go before it’s too late – Indeed happy moments can bring smiles on our face but eventually will fade away in time when we get old; however, learnings from painful experience open more windows of learning that eventually turn into strenths that stay for life.

https://youtube.com/shorts/vhweeEYwKiA

What is 意境 (Yi Jing)

What is 意境, Chinese PinYin is yì jìng. What does it mean?  It is not difficult to understand the meaning by the direct translation of each character:

  • 意 (yi) means intention, meaning;
  • 境 (jing) means state, condition, level

However, when you put these two Chinese characters together, even Chinese will puzzle and reply “it’s about the holistic description of inspiration or feeling”.  When even Chinese have problem to give a very analytical explanation, you can then imaging the difficulty for foreigners who would like to learn the meaning of these two words without straight forwards and clear explanation?

Chinese is a inspirational graphic language, there are lot of expressions imply inspirational thinking or imagination which require repeatedly non-stop reflections from daily living.

Simple Head Massage

Autumn is a beautiful, romantic yet unpredictable season in a year because in Autumn we will experience a ‘long-planned’ energy mobilization and we never know what will happen later in a day. However, we will live through the energy change that drivves the dispersal of wind and clouds, the day is getting shorter, the discoloration of plants and trees while fruitfulness in the fields. The migratory birds to the warm south and fly high, great changes happen in the Nature that sweeps across the land with the change of energy in the heaven and the earth to cold.

The change of Yin – energy in heaven, earth and environment would stimulate the retaliated Yang – energy to rise in our body. People with low immunity resistance or sensitive to the change of energy might experience lots of discomfort, i.e. lungs infection, caughing, dehydration, headache in this season.

How to enhance the immunity system and tosolve the cause of headache , frankly speaking we need to hand these medical matters to more professional medical experts for their facts-based dignosis and suggestions. However,we do can consider to practice some easy and cost-free steps in actions to improve our daily health.

copyrighted Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association, info@chinesetea.be Tel: +32494506899

I am, for who I am and how I am

To my husband and children, same as many friends know me for being “stubborness with dignity” but not necessary know how my upbringing has influenced who I am and how I am.

I was the only child in the family for the first six years in my life. At that time, even though as a military family in the 60’s, we had a pretty earthy and rough life and I could only see my Dad 2 max. 3 times a year. But I really had a very fine memories from the wild childhood and love from my parents. I stayed with the best friend of my parents for nearly 8 months before I saw my younger brother for the first time. Immediately I loved the idea to take care of him by being a ‘elder sister’. When Nian Yong was young, he often got sick; so it’s normal that he got all the attention and care from my parents and accepted Mom has no extra energy for me.

Dad used to lead soldiers, so it’s ‘normal’ that I have to take the responsibility based on joint and several ‘liability’ for my brother; I learned to accept it without argument.

One night I had a very strang dream when I was 9-10 years old, when I woke up I started to question whether I was adopted, but I did not dare to ask but kept quiet. The real question rose when I had my first blood test at the age of 12, because I am the only one in the family with A blood type while Dad and brother are O and Mom is B. But again, I dared not to ask, simply put this question in the drawer in heart. That year we went to Taichung for uncle Chen’s wedding, I was so exciting because it was the first time I wore stockings with a beautiful dress and new shoes. In the middle of wedding feest, Mom and Dad decided to leave earlier after meeting a full-sized woman with a little boy, who were them? I dared not ask until when I was 16 years old that little boy sent me a letter to my school, then I realized they were my biological family. After the visit to my bio-sister in the nearby university, when I saw how she and I were so alike as twin, instantly I knew there’s no question about the adoption. Immediately I made the decision not to ask the ‘why’ question to either side, simply quietly accepted the reality submissively because I did not want to make both side parents felt scare of losing me or felt quilty for giving me away for adoption. Without knowing, underconsciousely since then I start to avoid and not to talk about my feeling deep inside on how I dream for love but do not dare to ask for love from others. Since made the decision of accepting not to ask for love from others, I then realized the importance in life is to love self by holding integrity and enhancing self disciplines strongly. Time passed, the level of stubborness deepened.

(…..to continue……)

The Circle of Life

Here are some basic traditional interpretations for the change of seasons in the Nature which is same as change in life according to the Daoism philosophy:

Spring : before welcoming the warm breeze, we still need to pay attention to the coldest time of the year; the first thunder awakens the Yin energy in the Nature, all lives start to whistle with cheerful melody

Summer: definitely is the time to enjoy the heart bumping meanwhile should  remain calm, to avoid wild fire burning

Autumn: the wind changes from warm to cold, the nature can be uneased, some extreme can still happen, it’s time we need to learn what and how to adapt to the change; certainly on how the heating Yang energy could rise when encountering the cold Yin energy. When facing the change of energy, it’s time to prepare, to repair and to restore before winter comes

Winter: Even though the sky is dark but still there is light behind darkness, so it’s not completely hopeless; even if little grass are forced to bend down by snow, but they will rise their heads higher in the coming spring. Winter is the time to rest with ease and prepare self for the next awakening of life circle.

The change of four seasons means the change in life, two constract energies rotate but are not disappearing when we are able to keep the warmth and hopeful energy from within.

mei lan hsiao
There is time to awaken, time to joy, time to adapt and time to rest; needless for surprise or stress out. The taller and stronger you want to become, then grow your roots deeeper and enhance the strength from within.

What can we learn from tea?

What can we learn from tea?

Tea leaf has limit in size, tea cup has limit in capacity

the learning through tea in life is unlimited

Mei Lan hsiao

What we can learn are more than various types of tea drinking or performing of various tea arts or tea ceremonies.

Tea leaf.has limit in size, tea cup has limit in capacity per cup, but the learning through tea in life is unlimited.

When we are willing to open our minds and taking actions to implement basic morals in life through tea, it’s not difficult to enhance the learning by doing to improve the living quality:

  • learn to respect to the Nature, community and the planet
  • learn to respect and accept the own responsibilities with clear consciousness
  • learn the values of humanity with respect to those hard working nameless people
  • learn what and how to practice of equality without preconceived judgement
  • learn to appreciate from heart to self, learn to show earnest respect to others and to the world
  • learn when and how to lay down egoism, enjoy and appreciate the simplicity and tranquility from the moment
  • learn to put priority right by recognizing own responsibilities to the Nature, people, cultures and the world.

Of course there are more than the list, perhaps you can add on some based on your learning journey with tea. Let the carpet of tea full of kindness, love, respect and harmony.

#lifetimelearning #love #respect #people #kindness #learning #culture #quality #equality #ecobalance #earnest #tranquality #purification

©Mei Lan Hsiao, Belgium Chinese Tea Culture Association, Antwerp, Belgium 13/8/2022

Tea Tree & Environment Determine Tea Quality

Among 6+1 tea types, oolong tea only has about 1000 years of history, it is not same as fine quality green/white/yellow or golden tippy black tea that mainly from small sized tea leaf and it does not rushing out for tea picking in the early spring. Oolong tea does have specific requirements for quality from fully opened mid-sized tea leaves that picked in the early May.

The health of tea Tree and Eco Blanced biological growing environment determine the basic quality in flavour/s and taste of tea.

Mei Lan hsiao, chinese tea master

The long lasting and complex multiple layers of aroma probably is the most unique charachter you will notice from Oolong tea, and the aroma is varied from region to region. If you drink a bubble of oolong tea, the first few flushes have obvious floral and fruity aromas and other natural tea aromas, but the next few flushes suddenly lose the aroma, then pay attention, you may buy tea with added.

If the oolong tea you drink only in the first 1 or 2 flushes has obvious floral or fruity aroma, afterwards aroma note drops sharply and the taste become flat and dull, thenn the chance that Oolong tea you bought probably with additive aroma substance is big.

The production for traditional roasted Oolong takes few months to complete after the picking. And, it is suggested to have patience for at least 6 months till the firing Yang energy cools down。

Few unique points to bear in mind for Eco quality traditional roasted oolong:

  • Tea garden is located in a protected Nature, far from any human and/or industrial pollution sources
  • Adapt nature fertilization, remove grass manually (preferrably tea farmers also respect and allow grass completes its life cycle), free from pesticides.
  • In the region there are traces of wild live stock and insects that follow the nature laws of biological balance
  • Only pick once in Spring per year, tea trees are allowed to have well recovery after picking
  • The mao cha (tea after the basic production) will go through several times repeatedly roasting by experienced fire master.
  • The yearly harvest quantity is limited

There is no word to describe the emotional touch inside when standing in a tea garden. There is no better way to make a fine closure for a day with extraordinary taste of eco tea in this hot summer day.

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