大红袍:刚柔并济 Da Hong Pao: Strength and gentleness

Sweden is getting deeper into autumn, daylight gets shorter and night gets longer. For me it´s usually time for oolong teas, and this time I happily brewed the Da Hong Pao I bought from my latest visit to Hong Kong, and prepared my review of this wonderful tea to share with you.

Those who read my blog often may probably noticed that I digest more the spiritual part than any other attributes of teas and food that I review, but as Lin Yu Tang stated in one of his books, east asians rather admire the spriritual beauty of the nature than dissect it for theoretical study. In short: We rather enjoy life than investigate the meaning of it.

Anyway, I will compare this tea to the strength and gentleness of the water buffalo or ox. The photo above was taken by my daughter Naomi during a travel in India. Although a nature photographer Naomi also takes people´s portraits captured in their natural invironment, and many more of her photoes can be found on her facebook page. Thanks, Naomi, for allowing this powerful picture be featured in mom´s blog.

We probably do not noticed it always but we do seek to everything that symbolizes something meaningful to us. Since kid I have always been very fond of water buffalos. They have always given me some sort of strength and at the same time peace of mind.

I find this beautiful creature which sybolizes strength and gentleness very delightful to paint, and when still kid, I and some classmates would sometimes dispatch our ride to go without us, and walk instead, just to be able to pass those rice fields with buffalos covered with mud. I´d poke them and says " yak, pal, you´re so covered with mud" And they would look at me and says or do nothing.

Anyway, I find this Da Hong Pao as delightful to drink. It smells of plums once opened. However drinking it is another thing:

Brew 1: While its aroma is as gentle as plums, the taste is very reserved as if stating its strength through refraining.

Brew 2:  the second brewing gave a contrary result . It gave out lesser aroma, and more taste, and so did the third brewing. It tasted unextravagant but sensational with a bit of salt and mineral like earth, and just a touch of sweetness like fruit and flower of a plum.

Many might probably wonder how can one appreciate such sensation that remind one of earth and mineral, but then the wonderment might probably actually lies as on which dimension does ones understanding of tastes and happiness lies.

Anyway, what´s another thing particular with this tea is the TIME to drink it. Only in one particular moment do I always find it blooms generously with taste that one might call heaven. It´s when you drink it at exactly as soon as it´s in a temperature bearable to drink. Cooler than that and you risk missing the best of it: the taste and sensation of strength and gentleness, which I thought only buffalos can radiate at the same time otherwise.

Happy tea drinking everyone!

... for Chadao ...

黄琼丝 /Celina Huang

Buffalo Photo: Naomi Images
Tea pictures: En Kopp Zen Teahouse

双十节 Double Ten Tea Drinking

Last week on Oct. 10, I brewed some teas for The Taiwanese Double Ten Day. The day may probably have political origin, but for overseas chinese it really means more than just celebrating a national day.

For overseas chinese or Chinese schools which usually also serves as centers of chinese communities formed overseas, it is connecting to its origin, traditions and culture to preserve its identity. It is being home in a foreign land.

Anyway, all through childhood and grade schools we read books imported or influenced from Taiwan, sang and dance the Alishan as much as ( for their cultural survival among others, I supposed ) the chinese traditional dances which includes tea dancings of course, sang the taiwanese national song and hail for all taiwanese heroes.

- as in terms of chinese culture and traditions, I am very proud of Taiwan and how it is today. Cultures are meant to be able to go on and do their "travels" for further growth and development. Taiwan who has abled to freely undergo that cultural journey has understandably achieved such outcome brilliantly today - and can for instance be enjoyed in those wonderfully sophisticated Taiwanese oolongs.

Anyway, cheers to everyone´s day that day too .... please enjoy the following pictures and have some glimps of Formosa, that beautiful island! ... and as this is supposedly a tea and food blog, sorry but I just can´t resist the temptation of adding this revised version of the Taiwanese National Anthem, which I´ll rather positively take as actually only interpreting another cultural growth Taiwan has successfully achieved, which is - Ayaaa here we go ... FOOD! lol

Anyway, as a dear friend who has been to this beautiful island, came back and express amazement on taiwanese food culture said: ... impressive how even just sidewalk eateries, serves such fresh and delicious food!!

 Long live Taiwan ... go on being great!

Happy couples ...

Mr and Mrs Yeh

Binet and Amy Huang

Alishan

My brother and family

Aborigines´ Dance

My cousin Susan Sy Yeh ( left ) and friends

Artistic Taiwan

Chinese Traditional Dance

Traditional Tea Dance

Hsin-chu Hsien

Jia Yi

Island of Lotus

Nikki Huang

Kaya Huang

Land of the Cherry Blossoms

Maioli

Beaches and Resorts

 taken at Nantou

 Yang Ming Shan

And naturally, as mentioned earlier, never to forget those fantastic sidewalk eateries ...

... for Chadao ...

黄琼丝 /Celina Huang

Photoes: Courtesy of my cousin Susan Sy Yeh and brother Dr Huang Shu Fang

朱古力-单枞: Chocolate-Dancong Day!!

Although we´re still having fantastic summer weather in this area at this time of the year, autumn is on the air I know, because I start craving for chocolates. CHOCOLATES!!! Yes, it´s another thing I haven´t told in this blog yet maybe, aside from tea, ice cream and fried chicken, my other weakness is chocolate.

This one tastes really delicious, ... or rather surprisingly delicious. Although, the wrapper is already very inviting, but you see, first when you open the cover, the chocolate is just thinly made as if nothing much can be expected from it.

But mind you, once you have put it in your mouth and took a bite, ooooooh my! .... it´s really like taking a second look and not believing your own eyes sometimes. It tastes kind of bitter, dark, angry yet sweet and very generous with taste of berries.

And what tea did I chose for this chocolate? Well, it´s actually a very yang food which means food with high thermal energy and therefore should be neutralized with green or white tea which has low thermal energy, but at the same time I thought it´s a pity to wash all that great tastes away with such mild teas, so guess what .... I picked a Red Feng Huang Dancong.

Like I explained earlier about thermal energy of food and drinks, it seems a very premitive asian way of classifying food ands drinks, that I have difficulties finding references to this matter, except for another tea blog, Mattcha´s blog, who also posted similar subject in some of its posts.

Dancong is known for its ability to imitate various fragrance of flowers and fruits, and therefore I usually find it excellent in complementing the taste of the food I eat with it. Meaning: Dancong doesn´t taste much as it is, but a yin in taste, yet as soon as you drink it with any food, it starts to takes its magic, it´s power. What a fantastic tea! ... and this time to this fantastic chocolate!

... for Chadao ...

黄琼丝 /Celina Huang

Photoes: En Kopp Zen Teahouse