Mountain teas

[Gerard]

Let's start with the wonderful Taiwan high-mountain oolongs:

 

In his book Vital Breath of the Tao, Master Xhongxian Wu notes that the Chinese art of tea "is a way of classical Chinese spiritual cultivation, which we call cha dao (the 'dao of tea'). One may become enlightened by drinking tea." This is not an overstatement. Chinese tê lore abounds with stories of Buddhist monks and Taoist hermits who suddenly "awakened to the Dao" (wu dao) while savoring a cup of tea, and it was customary for spiritual adepts in China to gather together and "discuss the Dao while tasting tea" (pin ming lun dao). Indeed, the proper preparation of tea was highly regarded as a form of esoteric alchemy in which the fundamental elements of nature--fire, water, earth, air, and herbage--were correctly combined to produce an elixir with subtle metaphysical properties and rarefied energies that could purify the vital fluids of the body, boost vitality, and enhance awareness.

 

Gaoshan tea refers to Oolong tea grown in the alpine tea zones of Taiwan. It is grown at altitudes higher than 1000 metres above sea level up to 2800 metres, where the air is clear. Taiwan's unique island geography with high mountain ranges at its center, where there is high humidity and natural precipitation, makes it a most suitable environment for growing tea.

 

Like China's Wuyi shan oolongs, Taiwan's Ali shan and related gaoshan oolongs are a result of

its terroir, with the soil's mineral content, cool, misty mountain air, and other natural and geological factors combining to producing their unique teas.

 

Alishan is plucked twice a year and quantities are relatively small, so you're buying quality as

well as quantity.

Because of the steep terrain making harvesting difficult, along with the lengthy, arduous processing Alishan, Lishan, Da Yu Ling, Shan Lin Xi, etc., are expensive, no two ways about it. But once you try one of these sublime teas, nce you've sampled the result of the hard, tedious work that goes into making them, I think you'll agree that they're worth every penny.

 

Main varieties:

 

1. Alishan

 

Tea grown from Alishan Mountain. Alishan tea is the most common high-mountain oolong. The area itself is broad and teas can range anywhere from 1000 to 2300 m in height. This is a good starter tea (at the lower-elevations) for anyone interesting in higher-quality of Taiwan. As is typical of high-mountain oolongs, good Alishan tea is hand picked, rolled and is characterized by a creamy, rich taste, with a nice body.

 

2. Lishan (Pear mountain)

 

Another staple of the high-mountain teas, grown on the Lishan mountain. At 1600 to 2600 m, Lishan is a taller mountain than Alishan and commands a somewhat higher price. A key element to the terroir of Lishan tea is the consistently cool temperature in the mountains, a condition highly conducive to growing very good tea. Along with Shan Li Xi and Da Yu Ling tea (technically a Lishan), it is typically classified as one of the best high-mountain oolongs. Hand-picked and rolled, Lishan displays many of the same characteristics as other high-mountain teas including Alishan (lightly floral, savory, and creamy) but is especially notable for it’s fruity notes.

 

 

3. Shan Lin Xi

 

A popular high-mountain tea, Shan Li Xi tea is also named after it’s growing area. Shan Li Xi is grown between 1200-1900 metres in a forested area with rainfall throughout the year. Shan Li Xi is hand-picked and rolled with a clean taste and very little astringency. Particularly in-demand are Longfengxia teas from Shan Li Xi. Longfengxia is a term used to designate the highest peaks in the growing region (1900 m).

 

4. Da Yu Ling

 

Da Yu Ling is the premium Taiwanese high-mountain oolong. Grown from an extremely high elevation (2400-2500 metres), Da Yu Ling is usually grown in the greenest way possible with very minimal processing and commands some of the most intimidating prices of any teas. Grown at the top of Lishan mountain, Da Yu Ling tea usually exhibits a sweet, clean, but complex flavor. 95k and 102k are commonly attached to this tea, standing for the highway markers within the growing region.

 

5. Jin Xuan (Golden Lily or milk oolong)

 

One of the most popular Taiwanese teas for casual drinkers and newcomers due to it’s fragrance and affordable price. The Jin Xuan cultivar was developed by TRES (Taiwan Research and Extension Station). Often referred to as milk oolong for it’s taste, Jin Xuan tea is often flavored to even further the rich, creamy taste. Jin Xuan is usually grown in lower altitudes but can be processed as a high-mountain tea (typically Alishan).

 

 

 

Alishan mountain tea plantation

 

 

Resources:

 

1. Taiwanese Oolong Compendium

 

2. High Mountain Oolong and the Chinese Art of Tea

 

[Rara]

Tea threads are not appreciated enough on this forum.

[C T]

dbl post sry

Edited February 2, 2015 by C T

[KoHsuan]

Thanks Gerard!!

[松永道]

High mountain oolongs are amazing. My favorite to drink in the summer along with spring harvested Tieguanyin.

[Gerard]

Good to see there are "seekers" in this site that value and appreciate the benefits of drinking Chinese tea, namely mountain teas.

 

Wu Dong mountain Dan Cong (Guangdong Province, China)

 

The doppelganger of teas, Dancong teas are noted for their ability to naturally imitate the flavours and fragrances of various flowers and fruits that grow nearby, such as orange blossom, orchid, grapefruit, almond, ginger flower, etc

 

Yu Lan Xiang - Magnolia Flower Fragrance

Xing Ren Xiang - Almond Fragrance

Zhi Lan Xiang - Orchid Fragrance

Po Tou Xiang - Ginger Flower Fragrance

Huang Zhi Xiang - Orange Blossom Fragrance

You Hua Xiang - Pomelo Flower Fragrance

Mi Lan Xiang - Honey Orchid Fragrance

Rou Gui Xiang - Cinnamon Fragrance

Gui Hua Xiang - Osmanthus Fragrance

 

The main characteristic of this family of oolongs is that it gives unimaginably fresh fruity flavor. For many teas, we often describe it as giving "flowery" or "fruity" note. But for Dan Cong oolong, its flavor is unerringly fruity; having a cup of Phoenix Dan Cong oolong is just like drinking fresh fruit juice. Its up-coming aroma and flavour lingers for a long time reminiscent of garden-fresh fruit. Good Dan Cong oolong makes water very soft and smooth. It tastes sweet and no astringency or bitterness at all. As far as I know, children often enjoy this tea. When you drink good quality Dan Cong oolong, your body feels warm, your face becomes red or pink and you feel very relaxed. It is believed that good tea improves blood circulation.

 

A fine classic style from high altitude, whether from Wu Dong or neighbouring apexes, has a distinct and slightly different “yan yun” (i.e. note of the large rock, translate: character of high altitude grown; a special note of a certain mineral character that is difficult to imitate because it harmonises with the rest of the taste and aroma; and it happens both in the mouth and as an aftertaste).

 

 

Dan Cong tree bushes

 

 

Resources:

 

1. http://www.teaguardian.com/quality-varieties/tea-varieties/phoenix-oolong-classic-styles/

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolong

3. http://hojotea.com/item_e/phoenix_e.htm

Edited February 4, 2015 by Gerard

[Rara]

Good to see there are "seekers" in this site that value and appreciate the benefits of drinking Chinese tea, namely mountain teas.

 

Where can I get mountain teas from? I have Oolong at my house but I don't know if this is quite what you mean. It's loose-leaf from the Chinese store...

[Kongming]

I am a tea lover, but am uninitiated into high mountain oolongs. What is the particular benefit of these teas over any other? I ask because my experience is mostly limited to greens, which is what I predominately drink.

 

Drinking tea, I find I am attracted to the relaxed and calm state of mind tea produces, and I will often drink my tea after a meditation session. Since I've read that theanine is what is responsible for this relaxed state, I sought out which green teas contained the most theanine. Gyokuro was often cited, but this is quite expensive for daily drinking, so I discovered kukicha or Japanese twig tea which was a cheaper source of high-theanine tea (also apparently has many health benefits.) Hence this has become my primary tea, but being a tea lover am curious to explore more. Any recommendations?

 

Finally, know of any further reading on tea as a spiritual cultivation?

[Gerard]

Where can I get mountain teas from? I have Oolong at my house but I don't know if this is quite what you mean. It's loose-leaf from the Chinese store...

Taiwan: zen8tea (various types) & Teahome (da yu ling) both on eBay; Tea Masters.

Dan Cong: Tea Hong, jkteashop, yunnan sourcing, tea habitat, jing tea shop.

 

You can brew your tea using a porcelain gaiwan. Never use a metal vessel.

 

Oolong teas are more yin/yang balanced that straight greens which can be too cooling. Taiwan and Dan Cong teas are amazing teas to drink due to the many underlying tones they reveal during the brewing process and therefore induce a meditative experience (your awareness will be heightened). For instance I vividly remember drinking a Qing Jing farm Taiwan oolong a few months ago and picked up a sea salt tone! Teas are grown at high altitude and the moisture contains evaporated salt from the ocean nearby. For a moment I felt the energy of that particular mountain and the view from the ocean below..the tea shared with me its Qi...I was very grateful to it for letting me share such special moment.

Edited February 20, 2015 by Gerard

[Gerard]

The last of the mountain teas:

 

Puerh, the tea that ages like wine (Yunnan, China)

 

According to historical records of China, the ethnic Pu people in Yunnan began to grow tea and served it as tribute to the emperors as early as in the Chinese Shang and Zhou Dynasties (1066 B.C.- 221 B.C.). In the West and East Han Dynasties (206 B.C.- 220 A.D.), tea was grown in river valleys and by the mountains trails of Yizhou. In the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280), the Nanzhong tea-seed was widely popularized. In the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), tea produced in Xishuangbanna was marketed to Dali area and became the favorite drink of the noblemen of the Nanzhao Kingdom. In the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279), Puerh County became a famous market for trading tea and horses. In the Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368), tea had become the most important commodity in the transactions undertaken by people of all ethnic groups. In the former part of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), reputation  of the Puerh tea reached its climax.

 

In accordance with  historical documents on Xishuangbanna, Dai people living there planted tea trees some 1,700 years ago. Tea trees in Yunnan are primarily cultivated, tended and harvested by the Chinese ethnic minority groups called Bulang, Dai and Hani tribal groups.A tea tree planted 800 years ago is still growing on Mountain Nannuo in Menghai county of Xishuangbanna. In 1961, a large wild tea tree was discovered in the primeval forest on Mountain Dahei of Menghai county. That tea tree is 32.1 m high with a diameter of 1.03 m, and its age is over 1,700 years old. Exuberant and verdant, it still can yield quality tea leaves.

 

Most the tea-growing areas here are located at elevations of 2000 meters or so. The annual mean temperature ranges from 12ºC to 23 ºC, effective annual  cumulative temperature is between 4,500ºC and 7,000 ºC, and annual rainfall is 1,000 to 1,900 mm. The monsoon season is concentrated in May through October, during which the rainfall constitutes about 85% of that of the whole year. The monsoon coincides with the hottest months, and there is a very high value of effective rainfall. In the dry season, which starts in November and ends in April, there are sufficient sunny days. There is adequate sunshine, and the tea trees have a long growth period. Under normal conditions, the tea leaf-plucking period may last for 8 to 9 months.

 

These tea trees are of a broad leaf version of the tea plant (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) native to the southwest region of Yunnan China (Yunnan Dayeh). Because of the inherent qualities of these leaves, the tea does not lose its flavor with time like other teas. Instead, like wine, puerh tea's taste improves with each passing year, becoming more flavourful, more complex and more mellow. It is perhaps because of this singular feature, the capacity to improve with age, that puerh is also called "a drinkable antique." High quality puerh is in short supply as it is coveted and hoarded by tea connoisseurs in China and Asia. Relatively small amounts of good puerh are left for shipment to tea lovers in the West. Indeed, puerh is a secret treasure yet to be discovered for many outsiders of Asia.

 

While most teas, by and large, are best consumed soon after production to retain both their aroma and flavor, Pu-erh can be aged and refined like wine. It undergoes a fermentation process (either naturally or artificially) where microbes act on the tea leaves over time, causing the leaves to darken and the flavor to change to become smoother and more complex. Depending on the conditions and the environment of aging, the taste can transform through various stages, from being fruity, floral, grassy, to being earthy, woody and nutty.

There are two major types of Pu-erh tea: "raw (sheng) puerh" and "ripe (shou) puerh". These two types are distinguished by their respective fermentation processes. Both are made from the same raw materials (maocha) - freshly harvested leaves that have been wilted, either fried manually or tumbled through a heated rotating cylinder, kneaded and sun dried in open air. The term "raw puerh" refers to loose leaves, tea cakes or bricks made from raw materials without additional processing. Raw puerh can be consumed immediately to enjoy its fresh, floral or fruity flavors, or it can be left to age in a natural environment to achieve a mellower, smoother and more complex flavor. Naturally aged raw puerh teas, particularly those made from premium raw materials, are the most sought-after by tea connoisseurs.

"Ripe puerh" offers an alternative to having to wait ten to thirty years (or more depending on the level of aging sought) for the raw puerh to mature and achieve the aged flavour that is popular among many Chinese. In the 1970's, the industry developed a method to artificially accelerate the aging process by "cooking" puerh tea. This "cooking" process, called "wo dui", involves incubating the tea in a moisture-rich environment where microbial activity causes the temperature to rise, drastically intensifying the fermentation process. This process typically takes a few months to complete; however the ripe puerh tea lacks the level of complexity of raw puer tea kept in long-term storage.

 

 

You Le Mountain, Yunnan

 

 

 

 

 

Typical puerh tea cake

 

 

 

 

Raw puerh portion ready for brewing

 

 

 

Ripe puerh sample

 

 

 

Sources:

 

1. pu-erhtea.com

 

2. banateacompany.com

 

 

Where to buy puerh from?

 

YunnanSourcing.com is a good starting point for young raw puerh and also ripe puerh.

 

 

***Note: How to avoid fake puerh scams

  Edited February 20, 2015 by Gerard

[Dainin]

FYI, Daniel Reid wrote a book about tea a few years ago, "The Art and Alchemy of Chinese Tea." According to one of the reviews on Amazon, it is "a book that tries to make you hate all tea but high-mountain oolongs."

[Gerard]

Hahaha. Daniel Reid lives now between Dali, Yunnan and Byron Bay, Australia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Reid). He probably has a great deal of the magic delivered by quality Puerh tea.

 

Anyway, all these mountain teas are excellent and will do good to you. Their qualities in terms of general Yin and Yang differ: Taiwan high mountain are very balanced (yin and yang), raw puerh is yang and becomes more yin with increased age. Dan cong teas vary, they can be yang (roasted types) and more balanced (greener types).

 

Enjoy any of these wonderful teas!

[doc benway]

Where can I get mountain teas from? I have Oolong at my house but I don't know if this is quite what you mean. It's loose-leaf from the Chinese store...

 

www.teafromtaiwan.com is a good source.

[Rara]

Another gift from above! XD

 

My girlfriend stumbled upon a tea shop in Leeds (UK) called "Teapot" shortly after I began participating in this thread.

 

"You will have to come to this shop, you will love it"

 

So I did and found a wide selection of imported, organic, loose leaf teas! I don't know if they are quite the quality spoken about here bit I thought I would list what I bought below. If anyone wants to look further, his website is www.tea-or-coffee.co.uk

 

Oolong - Tie Guan Yin Wangjia Organic: "Iron Goddess of Mercy" Has the smell of honey amd orchids.

 

Darjeeling - Green tea with high mountains province of Darjeeling, India.

 

Snow Dragon BIO - First grade Dongzhai (White tea) - Picked in spring, with the youngest tea plant growth. It has a distinctive large, silver-white leaf buds, covered with dense fluff. Again, grown on organic farms.

 

I would like to know what your opinion is on the above too

[Gerard]

Hi again,

 

Please stick to the online shops I have linked in this thread. I have been buying tea regularly from those vendors, namely zen8tea, teahome, jing tea shop and yunnan sourcing for the past four years and no complaints with the quality of the teas being purchased.

 

If you like good quality green tea at a very reasonable price, try TeaSpring (first choice) and Dragon Tea House (eBay).

 

Kind regards.

[mostly_empty]

Thank you again for posting this. I am slowly brewing my way through your advice!

[Gerard]

Not a problem

 

Here's a little video guide about brewing tea easily:

 

 

 

[dawei]

Pictures provided by Shanlung [ thread ]

 

So here is the photo of Taiwanese tea pluckers after their morning work.  At Alishan mountain, on the way to LungYen (Dragon Eye Pavilion)

 

[Gerard]

Here's a wonderful tea to tonify the liver, kidney yin, nourish blood and Jing.

 

Radix Polygoni Multiflori (He Shou Wu)...........18 g
Pine needles  (Song Zhen)..........................  30 g
Oolong Tea (Oolong Cha)............................... 5 g

 

 

 

 

Method:

 

*Boil the fist two ingredients with purified water for 30 minutes and remove the dregs.

*Use this boiled medicinal liquid to brew oolong tea.

*Steep it for 5 minutes each time (you may decrease the time to reduce the astringency, vary this according to your personal taste)

 

In this instance I have used a Lishan tea from Taiwan. Any other high mountain oolongs, Tie Guan Yin or Phoenix Mountain work great too.

 

The greener the pine needles the better Give them a good rinse before boiling the tea with He Shou Wu.

 

Cover He Shou Wu in a muslin bag to avoid the metal of the saucepan damage the wood element of the herb, unless a ceramic or clay pot is used to prepare the brew.

 

A very basic Taoist herbal tea that works wonders especially on late spring and during full moon time (3 days before, on full moon and 3 days after). The Wood element at this time before giving way to the Heart phase of the 5 energetic system. Wind and rain are signs of a fast moving Wood phase.

Edited December 26, 2015 by Gerard

[idquest]

Out of curiosity, how different is the taste of dried tea leaves as compared to freshly picked and immediately after that brewed leaves? Not that I anticipate trying the fresh leaves any time in soon...

[Gerard]

Another wonderful herbal tea:

 

Eight Treasures Tea (Ba Bao Cha)

 

Background:

 

Herbal remedies have been used in China for millennia with each dynasty classifying and documenting new treatments as they were discovered.

 

Shennong (Divine Farmer) lived 5,000 years ago and taught the ancient Chinese agriculture and how to use herbs to treat their ailments. He is credited with inventing the hoe, axe, and plow, and understanding the importance of taking a patient’s pulse to diagnose their condition. He also began compiling a book called “Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica” which discussed agriculture and the properties of 365 medicinal herbs.

 

Later, in the Tang Dynasty (618–906) there were 114 more herbs added, and then during the Song Dynasty (960–1279) another 120 were added.

 

It wasn’t until the Ming Dynasty (1518–1593) when one of China’s most famous doctors, Li Shizhen, completely rewrote the book.

 

Li thought the categories were too complicated, the names were not properly assigned, and that the herbs were not properly documented. After devoting 30 years of his life to consultation of more than 800 books and writing three revised versions, Li compiled the most comprehensive medical book and called it the “Bencao Gangmu” (The Great Compendium of Herbs).

 

It has over 52 volumes and includes 1,892 herbs with over 100 illustrations and 10,000 prescriptions.

 

To this day, the “Bencao Gangmu” is regarded as the most complete and comprehensive medical book ever written in the history of TCM.

 

Of all the herbal tonics in China, none is as well known as the medicinal tea called the “Eight Treasures Tea” (Ba Bao Cha), the base of which was created during the Tang dynasty. However, it wasn’t until Li changed some of the ingredients and added a few more, that it really became one of the most traditional tonics in Chinese history.

 

“Eight Treasures Tea” is popular in part because of its many health benefits. It is known as an elixir in China because it helps improve blood circulation, raise energy levels, boost the immune system, clear lightheadedness, aid liver function and breathing, help remove dark under-eye circles, hydrate dry skin, fight fatigue, and can help women maintain a regular menstrual cycle.

 

There are many different varieties of “Eight Treasures” with different recipes made in different dynasties and depending on the availability of ingredients. The more common ingredients according to Li are:

 

*Green tea: Jasmine green tea brings out a more floral flavor.
Dried chrysanthemum flowers (ju hua): 1-2 tbsp

Dried rosebuds (mei gui hua): 1 tbsp
Dried lycium(goji) berries (gou qi zi): 1 tsp berries
Dried Chinese red dates (da zao): 2 pieces
Dried longan fruit (long yan rou): 2 pieces
Dried licorice root (gancao): 1-2 pieces
Dried ginseng root (ren shen) [or alternatively codonopsis root (dang shen), double the amount]: 1-2 roots
*Unsweetened raisins (or any other dried fruit of your liking): 4 pieces
 

*I prefer to use aged or cooked puerh tea when drinking a Yin time brew. In Yang time (midnight to noon) raw puerh or green tea

*Careful when buying dried fruit in the supermarket as most dried comes "criminally" sweetened and you don't want to upset your hardworking spleen with artificial sweeteners (and God knows what else the food industry uses in this instance).

 

Preparation:

 

Add all the ingredients in a large ceramic or clay pot (300-400cc). Pour enough boiling water and steep for 3 minutes approx. (you can descrease this a bit according to your personal preference). Increase the duration of each steep afterwards.

 

 

Happy brew!

 

 

 

Reference: Eight Treasures Tea: An Elixir From Ancient China

Edited January 24, 2016 by Gerard

[Gerard]

Another tea combo: Taiju Kunlun wild chrysanthemum flowers + wolfberries.

 

The action of these two wonderful herbs will benefit your kidney, liver and lung elements.

 

Just add 1/2 tablespoons of the wild flowers and a few berries to a glass, ceramic or clay pot, let it infuse for a few minutes and

there you have a lovely brew you'll surely enjoy.

 

Best!

[Junko]

Dark brown tea,Oolong tea it cleans up 'fat' in the body.

[9thousandthings]

Howdy folks, new to TDB....Glad to see a thread about tea - very surprised there are so few (half dozen, mostly very old)!  

 

Gerard, you seem to be the resident tea master then if thread searches are to be believed, so I just wanted to say hello.  I'm a tea lover and tea drinker - all types, but especially fond of puerh.  I find tea one of my main vehicles as I stumble upon this path....

 

Any other Dao Bums hang out on Steepster / Instagram with your tea journey?  If you're interested, you can find me there under the same name...

 

Glad to be here, hope to hear more tea talk!

[Gerard]

Thanks for chiming in and saying hello. I wish I were a teamaster

 

Yes, puerh is a very special tea, but so is dancong also a great favourite of mine. There are pretty amazing offerings out there with a lot of complexity and subtlety but unfortunately I can't afford any of them at the moment. If you are interested I can provide a link from a HK based company.

 

 

Edited November 7, 2018 by Gerard