tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54986807057420381652024-03-14T04:48:55.519-07:00miro tearavennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254118728186704918noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-2908275481013114752011-06-07T10:44:00.000-07:002012-06-06T22:51:20.516-07:0017-Year-Old Gong Ting Pu-erh<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOOdzZoqfGVKn6-dRcfpVc-Lv3-VO87oecV9gZ5o6XwUrU9h_9YxIk7JBvRs5-8mcv2x-SnZMzqoV3BOXq1lS7ogQq3IX69DI7N8J-4JPSIi6Ohna7f04PRP9zMoutrJ2_f91B3Mnf3VE/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOOdzZoqfGVKn6-dRcfpVc-Lv3-VO87oecV9gZ5o6XwUrU9h_9YxIk7JBvRs5-8mcv2x-SnZMzqoV3BOXq1lS7ogQq3IX69DI7N8J-4JPSIi6Ohna7f04PRP9zMoutrJ2_f91B3Mnf3VE/s640/IMG_2296.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our final "new" pu-erh is even older--it's a loose pu-erh sold to us as "17-year-old Menghai Dayi Gong Ting Pu-erh." Like our unwrapped 2003 brick, this tea comes to us without formal packaging or pedigree, so we've got to take its provenance with a grain of salt and pay attention to our senses to determine its quality. "Gong Ting" refers to the erstwhile tradition of the best teas being gifted to the Chinese imperial court. Today, it's often used to describe loose cooked pu-erh of the smallest grade. One look at the leaves of this tea and it seems to be a fair appellation--they're tiny! The tea seems to be almost entirely composed of buds, too, which range from dark brown to golden in color. I can see this grade being included in a blended cake, but it's hard to imagine a cake made of leaves this small--it seems like it wouldn't manage to stay together!</div>
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As might be expected, the high number of tea buds included in this tea indicate above-average sweetness. When it comes to pu-erh, though, tons of buds also seem to inevitably bring high notes in aroma as well as the strength and occasional harshness that improves significantly with age. Luckily for us, this tea's already had its fair share of storage and the flavors are blending pretty well. Compared to our other new teas, the mouthfeel is surprisingly dry--I wouldn't say astringent, but it doesn't leave a thick or oily texture in the mouth after swallowing. There's also a considerable amount of <i>strength</i> to this tea--what would most likely come across as intense bitterness in a raw pu-erh is here a slight sharpness that develops into musty sweetness in the finish. It's pretty amazing to me that a tea can undergo ripened pu-erh processing as well as aging and retain as much of an edge as teas like this have. To me, these kinds of characteristics are indication that the tea will only continue to mellow with further aging. As it stands today, this is a great ripened pu-erh option if you're interested in a tea with a bit of a kick. It's not the supremely mellow experience of our 2003 brick, but it's also a better choice for <i>gong fu</i>, with quite a bit of development and stamina over multiple steepings, developing deeper flavors as the infusions wear on. I wouldn't rule out mixing a bit of this with the 2003 brick for a broad-ranging blend, either!</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-66450599574075814582011-06-04T09:45:00.000-07:002011-06-04T09:45:00.594-07:002003 Menghai Ripened Brick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhPe1y3yzrK70sNN42ec8PHu9Jcx1gdoyrjxx-kJWIRvWzjSySHHLOmwhRrtNvQrGTjdx7bGWc0Pjzw-j53srLXoMH9zX1Dlqx8zwcK_YokxURZnL2hklQ9WWVh3Yl0TWnxPKGAhak3dj/s1600/IMG_1951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifhPe1y3yzrK70sNN42ec8PHu9Jcx1gdoyrjxx-kJWIRvWzjSySHHLOmwhRrtNvQrGTjdx7bGWc0Pjzw-j53srLXoMH9zX1Dlqx8zwcK_YokxURZnL2hklQ9WWVh3Yl0TWnxPKGAhak3dj/s640/IMG_1951.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next "new" pu-erh has actually got some age on it--it's a 250 gram brick from 2003. Like our <a href="http://mirotea.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-pu-erh-2009-menghai-factory-7452.html">'09 7452 cake</a> it's hard to start talking about this one without raising some common confusing aspects of the pu-erh experience. For starters, the brick is called "Menghai," and as the last notes mentioned, this tea was created in Menghai county, Yunnan province, but <i>not</i> at Menghai Tea Factory. Secondly, you can see that this cake is a different shape--indeed, it's not the standard 357 gram <i>bing</i> (disc-shaped cake) into which the majority of pu-erh is pressed; it's a 250 gram rectangular brick. Though this shape is not the #1 norm, it's relatively common and 250g is the standard brick weight. You may also notice that these bricks have no wrappers (aside from the bamboo wrapper that holds multiple bricks).</div><a name='more'></a> As is sometimes the case with aged pu-erh, this cake was either never wrapped or was removed from its wrappers some time in its eight years of storage. Although this <i>does </i>mean that there is much less information to verify a cake's age, origin and authenticity (no wrapper, no <i>nei fei</i> pressed into the cake), it usually means that the cake will sell for much less. In other words, you can get a better deal on an unwrapped aged cake than a wrapped one, and just because it's unwrapped doesn't mean it's not good! Rather than relying on information provided on a wrapper, though, we have to use our senses to decide whether a tea's a worthy investment.<br />
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This brick's relatively dry Yunnan storage means that the leaves flake pretty easily off the cake surface--in fact, the brick itself is a bit flexible in hand. What has struck me most about this cake during tasting is its mouthfeel--it's by far the smoothest and roundest of our three new teas, and there's nary a hint of astringency to be found from start to finish. The tea liquor is also the darkest of the three--it's a barely penetrable black, even in our glass cups. While I described our 7452 as the best choice for <i>gong fu</i> brewing, my recommendation for this tea is "Western"-style brewing in a mug or pot--like we serve most of our teas at Miro. While it does stand up to a few repeated steeps, the body is fullest and most impressive when it's allowed a nice long 5+ minute steep. Additionally, the flavor more fully develops given some extra steeping time. The tea isn't quite as complex as the Menghai Factory blend, but it's a brilliant example of ideal mouthfeel for any pu-erh. The eight years of aging have definitely contributed to this characteristic, as well as the mellowing of the flavor. There aren't as many high notes up front, and there's little to no remnants of the flavor that freshly-processed ripened pu-erh exhibits. Some teas seem designed for careful connoisseur attention over the course of numerous steeps. This one, however, seems best drunk casually on a relaxing afternoon, as it exemplifies the calming, mellowing characteristics to which all pu-erh should aspire.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-41611166925607238432011-06-01T17:21:00.000-07:002011-06-01T17:21:42.482-07:00New Pu-erh! 2009 Menghai Factory 7452 Recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEulrVdGFlZe6NS2O_KxJ4TuUp3ECG7LrtfmL_FV00B2EGOg1MBVm4TSImgKAZV8qSCznGvpQkfZUuL7zlMI04KmbxXIbQ8qVeHax7yChHn9ORSIP_2Jse2u9JhDCdeAcFfdk2FUNagd1G/s1600/IMG_1960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEulrVdGFlZe6NS2O_KxJ4TuUp3ECG7LrtfmL_FV00B2EGOg1MBVm4TSImgKAZV8qSCznGvpQkfZUuL7zlMI04KmbxXIbQ8qVeHax7yChHn9ORSIP_2Jse2u9JhDCdeAcFfdk2FUNagd1G/s640/IMG_1960.JPG" width="640" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's been quite a while since we've had new ripened (cooked) pu-erh offerings at Miro Tea; a few months ago we sold out of the last of our 2007 Chang Tai Red Crane cakes, and shortly after our 2006 International Tea Expo Memorial cakes disappeared--a lot of customers have asked after the teas, wondering when we'll be restocking them. Sometimes the unfortunate thing about the aged pu-erh world is that once something is gone, it's really gone--our supplier sold out close to a year ago, so all we have of those two cakes is memories! Fortunately, though, it's also an opportunity to try some new teas, thanks to our new partnership with Yunnan Sourcing! We have three new (to us) ripened/cooked pu-erh cakes that are already available at Miro for your tasting pleasure--Jeannie has introduced a couple of them at our weekly tea tastings (Saturdays at 1 pm) and they've gone over quite well.</div><a name='more'></a><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Before I launch into notes about one of our new cakes, it might be helpful to reference the <a href="http://mirotea.blogspot.com/2008/05/pu-erh-tea-introduction.html">introductory article</a> that's been on this blog a few years already. We get a fair number of customers inquiring about this strange pu-erh tea they've had once or only heard about, but in most cases it turns out that they're more specifically looking for ripened or cooked pu-erh. It's the one that looks extremely dark in the cup (sometimes almost black) and is usually extremely smooth in the mouth, with full body, earthy flavor and often times a nice round sweetness. Raw/green pu-erh, on the other hand, looks much lighter in the cup, has more of a straw-like flavor, is often bitter and astringent, and only develops rich smoothness after many years (often decades) of careful storage. If you don't care to reference the lengthy article, here's the main thing that separates ripened pu-erh from raw: ripened pu-erh is <i>artificially aged</i> over a short period of time using a special process not unlike composting wherein the leaves are heaped, sprayed with water and change physically and chemically due to the autothermal generation of heat. The piles are shifted by knowledgeable tea masters to ensure their even processing, and when they're ready, the leaves are usually compressed into large cakes (just like raw pu-erh).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdxZDnR8n_z_TW6dQKhF2DyAFSnXJZ3glRtS8EfFMrloW86piVGWEfl8EMQCkKUMEDKl_qoh-5RLVJaACMbO4sNoEgQmVw0mENBSiydL90k3Nxvgg4T-kTM8xDTSr4jWOjsuulbQcJCF_/s1600/IMG_1962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdxZDnR8n_z_TW6dQKhF2DyAFSnXJZ3glRtS8EfFMrloW86piVGWEfl8EMQCkKUMEDKl_qoh-5RLVJaACMbO4sNoEgQmVw0mENBSiydL90k3Nxvgg4T-kTM8xDTSr4jWOjsuulbQcJCF_/s400/IMG_1962.JPG" width="400" /></a>This, the first of our new offerings, is a 2009 example of Menghai Factory's 7452 recipe. One sentence in, and I've already mentioned some of the classic confusing pu-erh details. What's <i>Menghai</i>? Well, Menghai (pronounced <i>mung-high</i>) is both a county in China's Yunnan province (where all pu-erh comes from) <i>and</i> the name of the most famous pu-erh producing factory. Therefore, it's possible to describe a tea as "from" Menghai without it being from Menghai factory (as you'll see with our next tea). Menghai Factory is widely believed to be the first factory to have perfected the processing whereby ripened pu-erh is created, though there's some disagreement as to whether it was back in the 1950's or later around the 1970's that this was accomplished. Either way, their recipes are tried-and-true in the pu-erh world and we're happy to be able to share with you an example of "industry standard" pu-erh. Speaking of recipes, the final confusing issue is that of recipe number--<i>7452</i> is read as "seventy-four five two." "Seventy-four" refers to the year the recipe was created (1974), "five" refers to the average grade (size, corresponding from low to high) of leaves used, and "two" is Menghai Factory's "code"--any recipe tea purchased from Menghai Factory will always end with a "2." </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Many Menghai recipes are made every year. This one, in fact, isn't--there's a red ribbon embedded in each 357 gram cake denoting its status as a special release. Unlike raw pu-erh, which takes decades to mature, ripened pu-erh is ready to drink immediately. This doesn't mean, however, that it won't improve with age--the fact that this tea's already a couple of years old means that any sharpness or "fermented" taste from its processing has had some time to mellow and the flavors are well-blended. The reasonable percentage of buds visible in the cake indicate that it'll have some sweetness or at least some nice higher notes in the flavor. It doesn't disappoint in that regard--the first thing to come out in tasting was a nice malty sweetness. The body of this tea is also somewhat light for a cooked pu-erh, which can be a nice change of pace from what is often a rather heavy tea genre. Of our three new pu-erh teas, this is my pick for gong fu brewing--you might need to use a few more leaves than usual (I'd recommend at least 7 grams for 100ml), but the blend of leaves produces a nice session that really gets going after the first two infusions--full of changes on the palate, varying degrees of mouthfeel and a welcome bit of complexity. Brewed long in a mug or pot, the tea is quite flavorful, packed on numerous different levels. There are more "boutique" brands of ripened pu-erh, but Menghai Factory continues to deliver quality tea at extremely affordable prices--this 7452 cake is a solid stand-by and a good reference to which our customers can compare other teas.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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Marching right along, it's my sensory pleasure to introduce one of my personal favorite tea types--Charcoal Roasted Dong-Ding. Charcoal roasted Dong-Ding has become about as crucial to my everyday survival as Wuyi Yan Cha oolongs, and that's saying something! Although we've recently had some really nice "contemporary"-style Dong Ding oolongs, I've still been hoping to get hold of some more traditionally roasted (with charcoal, rather than a baking machine) tea. Though both methods will caramelize a tea's sweetness, a well-done charcoal roast adds both a note of roast as well as a dynamic connection with the earth that just isn't there when a machine is used--surely traditional Chinese medicine would favor traditional charcoal roasting because it adds the element of fire to the tea processing, which contributes balance. Unfortunately even machine roasting isn't very fashionable right now and judges are choosing greener and greener teas as competition winners. Combine this with the fact that charcoal roasting is a difficult skill that is being passed down to fewer and fewer tea masters and you can see how a good traditional Dong Ding is becoming harder to find and more expensive. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Let me tell you--it's worth it. This tea is an excellent example of a lighter charcoal-roasted Dong-Ding: the charcoal note is present in the tea flavor, but it doesn't dominate. The tea's natural floral notes are still preserved but are made slightly acidic by the roast--the lively acidity is evident in the cup where the tea liquor starts out light orange but darkens quickly as it cools down and interacts with the air. The brewed leaves don't quite pop open as completely as green oolong, which is another sign of a healthy charcoal roast. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>It's too bad that charcoal roasted Taiwanese oolongs are becoming more difficult to find abroad--it's hard to understand how both green oolong and traditional oolong can't just coexist equally on their respective merits, but popularity ultimately determines the availability of a tea. For now, at least, we can appreciate the best of both worlds!<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-60974750368236393862011-03-02T07:50:00.000-08:002011-03-07T16:53:08.107-08:00Experimental Taiwanese "Da Hong Pao"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Here we have an even more unusual tea to continue with our selection of new Taiwanese oolongs. Yes, you read the title correctly--this tea is billed as Taiwanese Big Red Robe. But just how close is this tea to Fujian's most famous rock oolong?<br />
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My first question encountering this tea was "Which tea plant cultivar was used?" After all, even in mainland China, there's quite a bit of disagreement as to which plant actually constitutes Da Hong Pao. Our tea source revealed that the Taiwanese farmer who produced this tea actually used Buddha Hand leaves but processed them in the Da Hong Pao style. I'm not exactly sure what this means, since I can't call to mind any other examples of Da Hong Pao coming from Taiwan, so it might be that the producer chose the mother of all marketing buzzwords to get people interested in her experimental tea.<br />
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Despite its tenuous claims to the title of "Da Hong Pao" this tea is certainly an exceptional experiment. Though its name conjures ideas of roasted rock oolong, in reality it's closer to the Red Jinxuan we last featured. I'd describe this tea as even closer to a black tea--the liquor is a deep crimson color and the leaves are even darker green with much more red present. Compared with the Jinxuan, the liquor has a more present astringency in the finish, toward the back of the mouth. What really surprised me in comparison with the Jinxuan was this tea's up-front fruity note. Now knowing it's from the Buddha Hand cultivar, it's easier to understand, but even for Buddha Hand this is almost a punch-like fruitiness. Apparently the processing includes organic treatment like our Oriental Beauty and Red Jinxuan, so perhaps there is also some leaf hopper effect happening as well.<br />
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This is an extremely interesting tea unlike any I've tasted before--we have a very limited quantity, so please stop by soon if you're interested in trying it out.<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-24889984340064016732011-02-27T09:24:00.000-08:002011-02-27T18:27:20.043-08:00Red Jinxuan Oolong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our next two teas are major departures from what's become the Taiwanese oolong norm. First is this Red Jinxuan...oolong? It's probably accurate to call it an oolong--probably more accurate is the appellation "Hong Shui" which refers to an older style of oolong processing that emphasizes high oxidation and lower roasting. The party line is that this type of oolong processing has fallen out of fashion, but over the past couple of years I've been seeing more and more hong shui oolongs showing up online and at domestic Taiwan oolong suppliers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you hang around Miro Tea, you've probably already seen or tried a Jinxuan oolong or two--it's become a popular cultivar in Taiwan for its yield and robust, creamy body. This one's very different from the pellet-rolled, green examples we've had so far. The leaf shape is almost like Baozhong, but it's pretty clear that the oxidation level is much higher. The large, twisted leaves are almost black with a bit of light frost on the edges. </div><br />
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According to our source, Drew, this tea is completely organically grown, like Oriental Beauty, and the leaf hopper insects' bites impart a sweetness into the end flavor. Tasting the tea, I found it to be unlike the other Hong Shui oolongs I've tried. It has an astounding mellowness--there is really no astringency to speak of, and the thick body coats the mouth almost immediately. The flavor develops more after swallowing--it's not as up front as some teas. The wet leaves are full of grainy notes and, when inspected, are fairly uniformly dark green (as opposed to our Oriental Beauty, which has that iridescence to it). Still, there is a bit of redness on the stems and leaf edges that show the very high oxidation that this tea underwent. With its mellowness and closeness in characteristics to black teas, I think this is a tea that might go down well with fans of our <a href="http://mirotea.blogspot.com/2010/12/china-vintage-special-black-tea.html">China Vintage Special</a> black tea.<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-65174706909664277342011-02-26T17:47:00.000-08:002011-02-28T07:46:55.940-08:00Three Other New(ish)-longsBefore we continue with the final three new-new-longs, it's time for a quick introduction of three we've been remiss in mentioning. These teas, also supplied by <a href="http://bit.ly/hycg0g">Drew</a>, have been enjoyed by Miro customers since mid-November. They include two <b>Dong-Ding oolongs </b>and a High Mountain <b>Baozhong.</b><br />
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The first Dong-Ding is called "<i>Xiao Ban Tian</i>," and it's the greener of the two. This tea is an excellent option for those interested in branching out from our <i>Lishan</i> and<i> <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_305475535">Alishan</a></i><a href="http://bit.ly/fJbs3y"> oolongs</a>; it's floral and full-bodied with less of a vegetal note than the <i>Alishan</i> and a bit more of a light fruity note than the <i>Lishan</i>. As you can see in the above picture, the tightly-balled leaves have a nice coat of down, indicating they were plucked quite young. As processing fashions change, I'm hard-pressed to identify what exactly defines a Dong-Ding as a Dong-Ding--I usually expect them to be more oxidized and roasted, but this is a solid high mountain oolong. According to Drew, "Dong-Ding" can be fairly applied to any teas from the Lugu region, which clears up the confusion on the appellation but still leaves us unsure what to expect a Dong-Ding to taste like until we actually try it!<br />
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The second Dong-Ding is from a mountain called <i>Shan Lin Xi</i>, one of the three most famous Taiwanese mountains. Its processing is more what I'd expect for a Dong-Ding--the leaves have received a light machine roast, visibly darkening their color just a tad. The liquor is still pure like the <i>Xiao Ban Tian</i>, but the roast accentuates the fruity note. Since we've been serving it, this tea has become even more exciting--it won the gold medal in the bi-annual Lugu Tea Competition. Lucky for us, we got ahold of our stock before the competition--gold medal winners increase drastically in price and supply becomes instantly scarce!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally there's our new High Mountain Baozhong. Baozhong is a classic Taiwanese tea--famed for both its loose, stripe-rolled appearance and its unparalleled floral notes. This organic Baozhong is totally <i>au natural</i>--it's quite stemmy, which adds a little rustic element to its appeal. </div>The flavor, though, is classic Baozhong; lighter than pellet-rolled high mountain oolong, but with a floral nose that goes on and on. Baozhong is another great alternative to the standard high mountain teas, and it's also quite enjoyable iced.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Join us next time for another of our brand new teas--a traditional Charcoal-Roasted Dong-Ding!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Elliot</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-4777515519047106892011-02-22T20:29:00.000-08:002011-03-07T16:55:59.382-08:00A Man and his Bike, in the Land of Oolong<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMez8nczmk2vc5ZrUugKQFCD-0Mg34RM32kFPfPZCJB1p0IrPJhtPvAEcnWwShRF5HrFuQ1WcdOvPZf-Xah3pQwQxdkeZSeE0QTsFJ2H8B2o1YE831Qsr9QGGRUZyH9nrkMIZVEIJ2DvXk/s1600/061120101808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMez8nczmk2vc5ZrUugKQFCD-0Mg34RM32kFPfPZCJB1p0IrPJhtPvAEcnWwShRF5HrFuQ1WcdOvPZf-Xah3pQwQxdkeZSeE0QTsFJ2H8B2o1YE831Qsr9QGGRUZyH9nrkMIZVEIJ2DvXk/s640/061120101808.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea farm at the base of Alishan Mountain</td></tr>
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Next in our series on Taiwanese winter oolongs at Miro Tea, we are going to introduce you to the man behind the teas, my good friend Drew. It is Drew who helps me locate the best oolongs of each season and makes sure we are always well-stocked with the highest quality Taiwanese oolongs that are most representative of each category. I met Drew on my first day in college and to this day, he's the friend who doesn't let me live down certain events in my life that he had the fortune/misfortune to witness. We should all be so lucky to have such a good friend. In <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4quad89">my first post</a>, I had mentioned how a good friend was responsible for introducing me to what great tea was all about. Well, that good friend was Drew. He had already been studying and learning about teas long before I even met him and by the time we met, he demonstrated to me the variety of teas that existed outside of my limited knowledge of tea, at time, and introduced to me the concept of artisan teas, direct farmer sourcing and gung fu tea preparation. In my mind, the idea of Miro Tea was born the moment he served me that first cup of gorgeous delicious tea.<br />
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Since our college days, Drew left Seattle for warmer climates and settled down in Taiwan with his lovely wife Joyce, where they've established an envious life of teaching, exploring, and writing, as well as lots and lots of biking across the Taiwanese countryside.<br />
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I never considered how conducive the terrain and landscape of Taiwan was for cycling until I learned of Drew's cycling endeavors and from reading his blog, <a href="http://taiwanincycles.blogspot.com/">Taiwan in Cycles</a>. There, he chronicles all his excursions and the very rich cycling culture in Taiwan, all the while taking lots of photos of the people, locales, bikes and of course, tea! Some of the tea related rides that he's written about are his <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4ekz8qa">Nantou</a> trip, <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4tkte22">Ali Mountain</a>, and my favorite piece on the<a href="http://tinyurl.com/2faul5c"> Lugu tea district</a> and it's prestigious bi-annual tea competition. <br />
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And so it is during these bike rides that Drew ventures out to the Taiwanese mountainsides and discovers some of the obscure but talented tea growers whose teas we enjoy at Miro Tea. We're so lucky to have him as our exclusive liason to help us insure that our customers have access to some of the most exceptional teas that Taiwan has to offer. He's been generous by allowing us to access his long developed relationships with the tea farmers and has become our "feet on the street" or in this case, "wheels on the mountain" for premium quality, yet reasonably priced Taiwanese Oolongs. With his friendly disposition, sense of curiosity, and utmost respect for the farmers, he's been able to establish great relationships with many of the local tea growers from each of the major tea growing regions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyCC6_lpyByl_6OnMG8xJ8cwslb2gfAiQKOPinyFPUMHhNfvI9CFHIwESYQHCXsl5kJ3U0lqlX2DE7Ru5ePyKXV_edoMEWYKDUcXc28jMb8EvB8wUFcAmNLLzDL_yTxwSWt3d3fDrK6eq/s1600/4629284380_12e419ed23_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeyCC6_lpyByl_6OnMG8xJ8cwslb2gfAiQKOPinyFPUMHhNfvI9CFHIwESYQHCXsl5kJ3U0lqlX2DE7Ru5ePyKXV_edoMEWYKDUcXc28jMb8EvB8wUFcAmNLLzDL_yTxwSWt3d3fDrK6eq/s400/4629284380_12e419ed23_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade Tea Baskets</td></tr>
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One thing that people often misunderstand is the process of gaining access to teas grown by small tea farmers. It's not as simple as picking up a phone or knocking on a door. Cultural rules dictate and respect for the farmers must be acknowledged. Relationships based on personal interactions and trust are established over time. Thankfully, Drew is the person that we trust to develop that special relationship for us in Taiwan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teas in Taiwan are usually hand plucked by the family members who own and cultivate the tea farms</td></tr>
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When selecting teas, Drew knows the characteristics of a truly premium oolong and starts by looking for only hand-made, organically-grown Oolongs that are typically cultivated at a high elevation. This ensures that care was taken in making the tea and it further increases the chances that the cultivated oolong tea will be delicious. Also, Drew and I share a very similar palate for oolong teas, which allows me to put my full trust in his selections, enabling us to get premium oolong teas to our store and customers in very short order.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaeLWZ9Is5F2b0IU7hoD3F5aNi2amP_2nJngdoo2U1qtmSXQ6xAFm1kQNE0qTIPD3e84poktx-HaOL94iUvSBKtELB5ub_2sFiqLk3Aaz117tkqwb8Bd1UXw-rtu_1zoNkt0ZnSwPo6wI/s1600/5150309293_6bd04b360a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlaeLWZ9Is5F2b0IU7hoD3F5aNi2amP_2nJngdoo2U1qtmSXQ6xAFm1kQNE0qTIPD3e84poktx-HaOL94iUvSBKtELB5ub_2sFiqLk3Aaz117tkqwb8Bd1UXw-rtu_1zoNkt0ZnSwPo6wI/s640/5150309293_6bd04b360a_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh tea leaves being spread out to wilt in the sun before the bruising and rolling process.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The photos shown on this post were all taken by Drew this winter on Ali and Dong Ding Mountain. We'll be sure to post more photos of the tea farms as we get them from Drew. Be sure to check our blog again for the final three oolong tasting posts, which will be posted in the coming weeks. Cheers! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06074855975583224209noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-3927306362575575822011-02-15T08:32:00.000-08:002011-02-22T20:37:32.193-08:00Oriental Beauty<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Certain teas are almost always identified by one easy-to-remember umbrella name, like Dragonwell or Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess of Mercy). There may be a more specific appellation to describe the tea plant cultivar or specific growing location, but the common name is always there. Today's tea definitely doesn't fall into that category--alternately known as Bai Hao, Dongfang Mei Ren, Oriental Beauty and Fancy Formosa, it can be tough to tell just which name is "correct."</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What's indisputable, though, is that Oriental Beauty (we're using its most common English handle) is a Taiwanese oolong like very few others. Looking at the tea's close-up portrait above, you might even mistake it for a Darjeeling with its silvery tips and the leaves' rusty hue. Indeed, the resemblance is remarkable (though a true tea sleuth would likely point to the presence of stems and the by-and-large unbroken condition of the leaves as evidence that it's not Darjeeling). Still, the comparison rings true in some ways--the reddish color of the leaves gives away this tea's high oxidation--it's sometimes as high as 80%, which is treading mighty close to black tea territory. It's also often unroasted and dried using an extended withering process. Perhaps most interestingly, Oriental Beauty producers actually encourage a parasitic "leaf hopper" insect to bite the tea leaves--the insects' saliva produces a chemical response in the leaves that is absolutely crucial to achieving its hallmark flavor characteristics. <br />
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Like out High Mt. Alishan, it's been quite a while since we've had a new Oriental Beauty oolong. Compared to other years' harvests, I think this tea is on the lighter side--it's more delicate and subtle rather than robust or verging on malty. This subtlety allows the tea's floral aspects to come out more than usual--the aroma has much more of a flowery scent, though the primary flavor is still fruity/honey notes. Drinking my first cup, I was immediately struck by some astringency at the front of my mouth, which actually complemented the tea's sweet finish quite well. This tea's special processing makes for really interesting-looking wet leaves, with an almost iridescent quality to the oxidized patches, which often cover most of an entire leaf. We recommend a slightly longer (4 minutes for a large pot or mug) steeping to fully develop this oolong's body.<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-82961307628522845682011-02-08T09:53:00.000-08:002011-02-25T07:11:38.704-08:00Winter High Mt. Alishan Oolong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscuiGUHzxNj0Zhko_9Xf9_Dk2JsDk9BJqtICcSEc8wKX3y1S4xlX64BFusk8D6XR79aaRaDAdgEie5nTkVCg0mN57Sm_cxDwka644TUjNxLvN1gPqUMEfPYJxJavc3AoqIrxhkW1_CPru/s1600/alishan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiscuiGUHzxNj0Zhko_9Xf9_Dk2JsDk9BJqtICcSEc8wKX3y1S4xlX64BFusk8D6XR79aaRaDAdgEie5nTkVCg0mN57Sm_cxDwka644TUjNxLvN1gPqUMEfPYJxJavc3AoqIrxhkW1_CPru/s640/alishan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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Introducing our next "new"-long, this is a High Mountain Alishan oolong. It's been a while since we've had a fresh Alishan (our last one was the darker "Snowy" Alishan). It's nice to have another option for those seeking a classic green high mountain alternative to our popular Lishan.<br />
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What's the difference? Well, for starters the teas come from different mountains--Mt. Li in North/Central Taiwan, and Mt. Ali in Southwestern Taiwan, respectively. If push comes to shove, Lishan is probably the most famous tea-producing mountain in Taiwan (at least, the teas grown in the Da Yu Ling area of Lishan command some of the highest prices to be found on the island), but both mountains have distinctive characters. To my palate, Alishan oolongs tend to be just a bit bolder in flavor--bright and forthright but occasionally finicky when it comes to brewing without making a slightly bitter cup.<br />
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This fresh batch exhibits typical Alishan characteristics--it's nice and floral and even has a tiny bit of a vegetal note, which may appeal to some green oolong aficionados. Despite its exceedingly green profile, it's easy to see the standard level of edge-of-the-leaf high mountain oolong oxidation. The leaves open up nicely during steeping to reveal just how well-treated a truly hand-harvested tea can be. Try it side-by-side with our Lishan to see how they compare!<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-55117620748238564412011-02-02T19:15:00.000-08:002011-04-12T17:15:57.637-07:00Oxidized Buddha Hand OolongAlthough we've been quiet on the blogosphere, there are a lot of things happening at Miro Tea, not least of which include a lot of cool events and fun changes around the store. On the tea end, things have been exciting. Our source in Taiwan has supplied us with a clutch of really impressive teas--both classic Taiwan oolongs as well as some very interesting and more unusual teas, some of which I've never even heard of before! As we introduce the new teas to the staff, first impressions are as important as ever--to one of our more poetic team members, the fresh oolongs have become known as "new-longs!" Over the next few weeks we'll be featuring these on the blog with tasting notes and descriptions. Of course, they'll be available in the store by the cup and pot on our enduringly-popular seasonal oolong menu, and if you get in early enough you might be able to snag a few ounces to take home!<br />
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For starters, our Oxidized Buddha Hand oolong has been restocked, and this time it's a winter harvest. This was probably my favorite of the last batch of oolongs we received from Taiwan. Buddha Hand (pinyin Fo Shou) oolong has personally intrigued me for quite a while with its enormous leaves and inimitable fruity notes. This tea is quite a pleasure to drink because the higher oxidation (which tends to bring out fruity or generally sweet notes) has amplified the Buddha Palm cultivar's natural flavor profile into a rich autumnal (forgive the strange word choice, but it just seems to fit the way this tea tastes) fruity-floral combination. Compared with our "Green" Buddha Hand oolong (which, at the time of this writing, is still in stock), the body is a fair bit thicker. Although this tea may not develop quite as much over repeated brews, the oxidized taste is endearing and so unlike most Taiwanese oolongs that it doesn't really matter--it's nice to just bask in the unique flavor.<br />
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Some tea leaves are called "big" because of their length, but the immensity of this cultivar's leaves is really noticeable in the astounding breadth as shown by the gargantuan example above. You can also see the bruised edges that have contributed to the oxidized nature of this oolong. I'm excited that we get to prolong the magic of this tea by carrying another season's harvest--we too often have to say "goodbye" to interesting teas too soon!<br />
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Stay tuned--we've got even more noteworthy teas on the horizon. We'll be continuing next post with our first green High Mountain Alishan Oolong in over a year.<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-31697093923668920622010-12-11T20:31:00.000-08:002011-02-22T20:39:14.291-08:00China Vintage Special Black TeaToday it's my pleasure to introduce a very special tea we've recently begun serving at the store. Jeannie purchased this Chinese black tea at the end of 2007--three years ago! Until now it's sat sealed in a faraway corner of Miro's storage. Jeannie recently remembered the tea and upon trying some was pleasantly surprised. Not only had the quality of the tea not degraded during its storage, the astringency had mellowed considerably and the tea was actually much more pleasant to drink than it had been three years ago!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVM2hmspBEY5YPxN6R678yV9SJTcE9pB6WdBrgg1ChRTnmWmcEawa662JNn2RctH2B6T30OUiuoTXvLpY6Zc5HLtDj86bRhzcp5cze_thekq5NOJ2p9Nr-AhNj7DPDV7U9oBOwUzLoUDk/s1600/P1030499.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="384" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549660568762908530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVM2hmspBEY5YPxN6R678yV9SJTcE9pB6WdBrgg1ChRTnmWmcEawa662JNn2RctH2B6T30OUiuoTXvLpY6Zc5HLtDj86bRhzcp5cze_thekq5NOJ2p9Nr-AhNj7DPDV7U9oBOwUzLoUDk/s640/P1030499.JPG" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
Unfortunately because of the time that's elapsed we know little about this tea other than the fact that it's a high-grade Chinese black--the large bags it was stored in have only generic tea labels and the words "Special Grade" handwritten by our wholesaler. So, in absence of a more accurate name, we're calling it "China Vintage Special." I recently took the opportunity to give this tea a try and was quite pleasantly surprised. I don't drink a lot of black tea but always appreciate a complex tea no matter what genre it belongs to. As you can see above, this tea's leaves are quite long and though there are some golden buds present, it's nowhere near as tippy as our Yunnan Gold Fancy. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD7cp4n8VCmN8LApMQj-Ou3qLDZBlbTV6l-0Xndqd9YHnGpUYqRPRWNgCgDtfxcfvakuM_6bIfib9E7U0FMeUORq8UBJ5CVHoh5sNgoqkWP2bwGIT6KbfQkZuwETjW0KRn9lLW2eAb1yK/s1600/P1030505.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549660579932329554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD7cp4n8VCmN8LApMQj-Ou3qLDZBlbTV6l-0Xndqd9YHnGpUYqRPRWNgCgDtfxcfvakuM_6bIfib9E7U0FMeUORq8UBJ5CVHoh5sNgoqkWP2bwGIT6KbfQkZuwETjW0KRn9lLW2eAb1yK/s400/P1030505.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 390px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
When you see this tea in the cup, it's easy to understand why the Chinese call black tea "red" tea; they're going off of the liquor color not the dry leaf color! Indeed, this tea is a deep amber red with a nice surface sheen but great clarity, to be expected from the leaf profile. The word that kept ringing in my head while tasting this tea was "clean;" there certainly is no excessive astringency, nor is there any muddiness or harshness of flavor that can often plague cheap black tea. The flavor is a balanced mix of both high, sweet notes and a lower, maltier, medium-bodied base. Compared with our other Chinese blacks, this tea's certainly unique. The range of flavor and mouth sensation is much wider than that of our bassy Keemun; compared with Yunnan Gold, it's a bit drier, less pungently sweet, and purer. Additionally, there's a definite vibrant energy to this tea's mouthfeel and finish that really reminded me of the experience of drinking fresh Chinese green tea.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jccCBgYn_3NKeXUBXnJQc1I9oj5UvUtdWCov7BFfMnAzQ9GI5ddSJcfiHwisdvSj2pli9JNaM4aWTDxda1AhKEOgkR6YNtAjJanL5RPsvjkV_EMoz2rBlmlLb4EZUAyOwsV21z6443da/s1600/P1030510.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" height="438" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5549660581182134418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jccCBgYn_3NKeXUBXnJQc1I9oj5UvUtdWCov7BFfMnAzQ9GI5ddSJcfiHwisdvSj2pli9JNaM4aWTDxda1AhKEOgkR6YNtAjJanL5RPsvjkV_EMoz2rBlmlLb4EZUAyOwsV21z6443da/s640/P1030510.JPG" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a>Because it's been aged a couple of years, I recommend brewing this tea just a little bit stronger to reawaken its complexity. As shown above, the leaves don't open fully even after a full steeping--a sign that this tea will actually be good for a few tries or maybe even steeped gong fu style. Stop by and try this special tea soon--we've only got a limited quantity and it's already proven popular with our more discriminating black tea drinkers!<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-77288482824652452152010-11-03T21:19:00.000-07:002010-11-04T14:33:41.994-07:00More on Da Hong PaoCheck out this <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2010/09/23/chinas-latest-investment-craze/">recent Wall Street Journal article</a> regarding the famous Wuyi Yan Cha Da Hong Pao. The gist is that Da Hong Pao prices have recently skyrocketed in China because shops and individual people have been speculating with the tea--purchasing it for the purposes of investment. This article is illuminating for a number of reasons; some are obvious and some are not so obvious.<br />
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For starters, it reminds us Western tea fans that tea really isn't "our" beverage--when it comes to Chinese tea, domestic demand almost always trumps exportability. In this case, the market has (rather unrealistically) decided that there's enough demand for Da Hong Pao that 1000% price increases accurately value the tea. As the article makes clear, though, this price is unsustainable and vendors aren't able to sell much of the oolong at current inflated prices. Moreover, it's pretty interesting to see how integral tea is to Chinese culture. What do you invest in when real estate and stocks are unstable and high-risk? How about a rare tea? It's funny to think about as an American, but this sort of thing (including the 2007 pu-erh market bubble) indicates that some Chinese view tea as a viable form of investment--however, the pacing of this surge also seems to suggest that any potential profit has already been made and that the late-comers are stuck with some (hopefully delicious) unsellably expensive tea.<br />
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From another angle, this article is a good reminder that no matter how fun a hobby tea can be, it's still ultimately a commodity and is subject to even the most basic economic principles of supply and demand. For those of us who don't reside in China, it's easy to feel toyed-with when the price increases are piled onto our already marked-up tea prices. Additionally, when a tea's value achieves such a status, on come the fakes--you can bet there are hundreds of kilos of cheap Shui Xian being sold as "real" Da Hong Pao. Another bad sign for us consumers. What to do? It's still the best policy to buy from vendors you trust who have as long a history as possible and a close relationship with their tea producers--one of the reasons we count ourselves lucky to partner with <a href="http://www.sevencups.com/">Seven Cups</a>, who I've just now seen has <a href="http://www.sevencups.com/2010/10/dahongpao-a-new-chinese-tea-bubble/">its own article</a> on the same subject! <br />
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Finally, this article provides yet more evidence that there's a lot more going into your tea cup than just a few leaves from a bush somewhere in the far East. It can be pretty interesting and bewildering to dive down the rabbit hole and find out just how much is going on before the hot water hits the leaves in front of you.<br />
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ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-59282414909831103872010-10-30T16:53:00.000-07:002010-10-30T20:59:02.181-07:00Try This! Tea Infused Vodka with Mokalbari Assam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn6duk3tbIPjSekak8t5dVPzwKi0j49KKfC749c-6rZ-sD0pS9GS6Q5_meoOqaHga0PeNSbTQy2GPPzSjXYhS7UuWKDnsQR8O8Uh8o6N1uknEm73xjurAo9IWyHwkCzI1CXAA_Mok3_yU/s1600/P1030014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtn6duk3tbIPjSekak8t5dVPzwKi0j49KKfC749c-6rZ-sD0pS9GS6Q5_meoOqaHga0PeNSbTQy2GPPzSjXYhS7UuWKDnsQR8O8Uh8o6N1uknEm73xjurAo9IWyHwkCzI1CXAA_Mok3_yU/s640/P1030014.jpg" width="425" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"What is the best tea to infuse with vodka?" a friendly customer asks me one day. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With a store of over 200 teas, meeting customers looking for specific teas for very specific purposes, becomes a game of "Stump the Chump" on a very regular basis. Luckily, I love a good challenge. To me, it adds variety to our work and it's also one of the reasons why we provide such a vast variety of teas to begin with. You can never get the type of customized service, advice and variety of product from a grocery store or even online, than from a brick and mortar tea shop. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a>"No problem." I tell him. But honestly, I was a little in over my head because I'm not much of an alcohol drinker and my least favorite liquor was certainly, vodka. While I did not want to be the cause of a failed experiment, I remained confident. I knew my teas and I knew what I IMAGINED a good tea-infused vodka would taste like.</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We quickly decided that black teas were the best tea to play around with an experiment like this. Black teas have robust yet accessible flavors, and their amber coloration when steeped always make them ideal teas for infusions in beverages, cooking and baking. I picked out three contenders. New Vithana Ceylon, a gorgeous flowery ceylon with tightly rolled golden tips. It's best drunk alone to enjoy it's mellow honey-like flavors. Meleng Assame, a good everyday tea that represents all the qualities of a typical assam -- hearty, robust and clean, brisk flavor.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And finally, Mokalbari Assam, my go to tea for anyone looking for a strong, malty yet smooth tea. It has a lot of complex flavors that can grab a hold of a tea drinker's attention and the flavor doesn't fade away as quickly when combined with milk or other additives. After sampling each of the teas, he settled on my favorite, Mokalbari Assam, believing the strong woodsy and almost sweet flavor of the tea would compliment and stand up well infused in a vodka. It proved to be a wise choice.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A couple of months later, while sipping tea outside the store on a warm and pleasant day, the same customer came back, greeting me with a generous bottle of freshly infused tea vodka! The experiment was a success! He encourages me to "serve it with some tonic with a spritz of lemon and it will taste just like a real iced tea." Well, I'm sipping this vodka now (straight) as I write this post and I have to say that the results are surprisingly good. The vodka used in this experiment was Svedka vodka, an affordable wheat grain vodka that's strong with an unexpected smoothness. The Mokalbari Assam did the job beautifully, as the distinct flavors of the black assam lingers in gradually, blending very easily with the vodka and providing hints of fruit at the end of a tasting. As the mouth salivate and puckers in the finish, a clear taste of ripe green grapes can be detected. Who would of thought!</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_8MIUxjMxA_kL3It2QNNx4SgTX_e3PXaQbwbMcaKqQj7Hgr3UiHqdGs2pb9JiTuFGhC3Qxto8hpFRALgjFFDQS2Jvcir5uiSMrzf_oMsrqJm0_vvUcvCM__-QyR02TIUKOkNrDMiwdct/s1600/P1030022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_8MIUxjMxA_kL3It2QNNx4SgTX_e3PXaQbwbMcaKqQj7Hgr3UiHqdGs2pb9JiTuFGhC3Qxto8hpFRALgjFFDQS2Jvcir5uiSMrzf_oMsrqJm0_vvUcvCM__-QyR02TIUKOkNrDMiwdct/s400/P1030022.jpg" width="266" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To make tea infused vodka at home, it's as simple as adding tea leaves to vodka and forgetting about it. Choose a tea that's strong enough to hold it's own while complimenting the base flavor of the liquor. Black teas are always a good choice but a Japanese green tea (like a Sencha or Gyokuro) may be interesting as well. Use at least 1-2 ounces of tea per bottle and leave it in the liquor for at least 2 days, either in the refrigerator or in room temperature. Then strain out the tea and enjoy!</span></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now that my mind has been opened to the possibilities of infusing alcohol with tea, I'm really looking forward to playing around with other tea and vodka combinations. Readers, if you happen to have any experience in this (or decide to embark upon some experimenting on your own), please share with us interesting results you have discovered. I'd love to read more about the possiblities. Cheers!</span></div>Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06074855975583224209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-21124902909502242782010-10-13T15:49:00.000-07:002011-01-14T10:41:14.323-08:00A Change of Seasons (Wuyi Oolongs Return!)There's no denying that fall is now upon us--as we say goodbye to those hot summer days (or in our case here in Seattle, give up on this year's summer ever actually happening), it's natural for our tea tastes to shift a little bit. Those vegetal green teas and light, floral oolongs that were thirst-quenching during summer months may not seem quite as comforting when the weather starts cooling off and daylight hours wane. <a href="http://mirotea.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-wuyi-yen-cha-oolongs-introduction.html">Wuyi oolongs</a> to the rescue! These oolongs are traditionally higher-oxidized and much more roasted than your typical green Tieguanyin and High Mountain Taiwanese oolongs, which means their pure floral notes are rounded--a bit fruitier and accompanied by a robust roasted note, which makes them perfect for cold weather! Coincidentally, these teas are traditionally given a period of several months to rest after processing to allow the flavors to blend successfully, which means they're drinkable right when fall comes around!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDL9dpv1bbPm5bve5mC0ZMwyDPPb0uKQvZIkf2dcTt5Ni4cLMpqc8k2SrdX6UZEzIq6rpQNjXHb7w1CM9dslfvx2orfJZgho9NVvj4P0NMGDgge2GvFK1CiZ6gbiu0IDJiei1EizSGk5n/s1600/P1020734.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527680599977802546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDL9dpv1bbPm5bve5mC0ZMwyDPPb0uKQvZIkf2dcTt5Ni4cLMpqc8k2SrdX6UZEzIq6rpQNjXHb7w1CM9dslfvx2orfJZgho9NVvj4P0NMGDgge2GvFK1CiZ6gbiu0IDJiei1EizSGk5n/s640/P1020734.jpg" style="display: block; height: 400px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 267px;" width="427" /></a>We've just received this year's harvest of five different Wuyi rock oolongs--Da Hong Pao, Tie Luo Han, Rou Gui, Old Bush Shui Xian and Shui Jin Gui. Like <a href="http://mirotea.blogspot.com/2009/12/special-winter-menu-wuyi-oolongs.html">last year</a>, we sourced these teas with a whole lot of help and legwork from our good friends at <a href="http://www.sevencups.com/">Seven Cups</a> tea. It's exciting to get these teas because of the change in season, but also because it gives us a chance to compare a second season of tea with last year's harvest. The above shot (photos by Jeannie) of our new Da Hong Pao's luscious leaves tells the story pretty well--the leaves are dark brown with a few rusty edges, a sign of plenty of careful oxidation and roasting. In the cup it's dark reddish amber, which is another great sign. Tasting these teas, I was really excited to notice plenty of fire taste--the roasting is still pretty apparent, and that's the way I like my Wuyi rock oolongs. With a heavier roast, the tea's quality is less susceptible to deterioration (if it's well-stored, of course), and its characteristics will continue to develop as time passes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztW_G6WkOjmb4QAsk0W1_bv_3rsXnpG9Mo5AgaRyoto4th2BSOk334yZSzCUHGKi7LjwFM8TgdoeG3NwRUjLbqa6EUeAKSceMLmY9KObbh57KECQkHNzJGC_hCyuRCwA5bCHLNdTBuUk/s1600/P1020756.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" height="427" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527682275481693698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvztW_G6WkOjmb4QAsk0W1_bv_3rsXnpG9Mo5AgaRyoto4th2BSOk334yZSzCUHGKi7LjwFM8TgdoeG3NwRUjLbqa6EUeAKSceMLmY9KObbh57KECQkHNzJGC_hCyuRCwA5bCHLNdTBuUk/s640/P1020756.jpg" style="display: block; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dZ9u1oV4njTrNavZxPqsIdPrHTaKP54yUgrdKVb5F4lcqGcRsTkn9Msid_WqQ6GUd79W67J6-ACHebu966RNL0vR_CUO-ws6rHFCyS-czUZphmP6tKlaDzEIcwIc92gbnylQaFd1E9HJ/s1600/P1020758.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527684022103839922" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7dZ9u1oV4njTrNavZxPqsIdPrHTaKP54yUgrdKVb5F4lcqGcRsTkn9Msid_WqQ6GUd79W67J6-ACHebu966RNL0vR_CUO-ws6rHFCyS-czUZphmP6tKlaDzEIcwIc92gbnylQaFd1E9HJ/s200/P1020758.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 89px;" /></a>Since we still have a small quantity of a few of last year's Wuyi oolongs, we've also had an opportunity to compare what a year does to a similar tea. Tasting last year's Old Bush Shui Xian, I was really surprised how much the roasting flavor has mellowed in a year's time (considering we haven't stored the tea specifically for aging). The gentle floral notes and mineral aftertaste are more prominent and the roast lingers in the background. The 2010 counterpart, on the other hand, is quite robust with up-front roasting and floral notes that are more apparent in the nose after swallowing. Most interesting, though, is that it's possible (even easy) to draw a clear connection between this year's tea and last year's, despite the obvious differences. Likewise, the Da Hong Pao's incomparable high acidic notes, Tie Luo Han's rich broadness, and Rou Gui's fruity/spiciness all are apparent, there's just more of an element of fire in the mix. <br />
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Everyone has their own tastes for oolong. Right now, these teas taste perfect to me. They've been in my cup almost every day since they arrived (a very good sign!). As they mellow out in the next few months, though, I think they'll become even more accessible and balanced, which is one of my favorite things about Wuyi oolongs--they're always drinkable, but they're also always changing.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-10057215933252936472010-10-06T23:46:00.000-07:002010-10-07T02:20:20.407-07:00Autumnal Landscapes: Kathleen Wolfe - Oct. Artist of the Month<div class="separator" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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One of the greatest perks for me of owning and running my own business has been the freedom to customize what we do, so I can dabble in other interests that are also meaningful to me, one of which is art. Mind you, as much as I wish, I don't have a lick of skill, talent or drive to be an artist myself but it doesn't lessen the fact that I love art. As an entrepreneur, I empathize with the process of having an idea or vision and then to brave the process of extracting that idea out of our heads and into the real world, where it is made tangible and experienced by others. There is very little in this world that is more satisfying to me than the process of creation. But unlike business, the enjoyment of art, similar to tea, has the ability to calm and focus my thoughts, forcing me to be in touch with my senses while being honest with myself, to be refective. What do I see? What are my reactions? How do I feel about what I see? What do I know or don't know that would help me understand what I see? In tasting tea, I ask these same questions but in context of smell and taste as well.<br />
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Finding a space with over 15 feet tall ceilings and almost enless amounts of wall space for artwork, has given me the opportunity to combine my love of art and tea. I have so thoroughly enjoyed working with all the artists that have shown at Miro over the last several years. Witnessing how each month, our store is morphed and injected with new style and energy with each new artist. And this month, we welcome the month of October with the beautifully painted oil landscapes of <a href="http://kathleenwolfe.blogspot.com/">Kathleen Wolfe.</a><br />
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There is something special about oil landscapes that warms a space and makes you want to curl up in your favorite corner with a good book and a cup of tea. They transport you to another place and time, make you nostalgic for old libraries and simpler times. This month, Miro Tea has been transformed again with dreamy scenes of places forgotten and unseen. The store feels warm and cozy and in some ways, more intimate.<br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As with most artist's works, Kathleens' paintings are best viewed in person. My photography fails to capture all the depth and variegation of colors as well as the heavy textures from her loaded brush that brings great dimension and mood to the each of the paintings. You can see more close up photos of her work on her blog, <a href="http://kathleenwolfe.blogspot.com/">here</a>, but they truly are worth seeing in person. My favorite one is in the top photo, in the bottom left corner. When viewed up close, the blossoms of the cherry trees glisten as the sun shines through and fragments onto the grassy slope. Everytime I look at that painting, I want to dive in and sit under that very tree and stare up at the pretty white flowers and just be lost for awhile. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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If you would like to learn more about the Kathleen and her work, I invite you to join us Oct. 9th from 6pm - 9pm, for the monthly <a href="http://inballard.com/detail.php?id=secondsaturdayartwalk">Ballard Artwalk</a>. You can view the paintings in person and speak with the artist herself. Hope you can come!Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06074855975583224209noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-24151845934047724462010-10-05T23:23:00.000-07:002010-10-06T01:20:52.697-07:00A new year, a new blog and a very belated introduction...Hmm . . . where to start? It's been almost a year since our last entry; the blog looks very different now, and I am not Elliot. So I guess that means an introduction would be in order :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRojsLJeh6v6AitVS0Icwv7ll3rBl_6lWn5d95L9OprQbKY24jMkBetpOKoNytHBkmFqP3MugnKQjgqgSmUkxoXUtvrSfSQdMhrwrgExrlWgzTTM_HhBZSeYwzDQXAOrZO-PUAR8o9PzPk/s1600/DSC04295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRojsLJeh6v6AitVS0Icwv7ll3rBl_6lWn5d95L9OprQbKY24jMkBetpOKoNytHBkmFqP3MugnKQjgqgSmUkxoXUtvrSfSQdMhrwrgExrlWgzTTM_HhBZSeYwzDQXAOrZO-PUAR8o9PzPk/s200/DSC04295.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tea break at the Pearl River<br />
Mart in NYC</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My name is Jeannie and I'm the founder of Miro Tea. I was awakened to "real" tea when I was in college in one of those 'a-ha!' moments when you discover something the way that it was truly meant to be. Before that, my knowledge was limited to strong, bitter cups of Chinese green tea, prepared by my parents who believed that the more bitter the tea, the better it was, and that drinking tea was done more for medicinal reasons than for pleasure. However, when coffee failed to give me the steadiness and concentration I needed to finish my college papers at 3:00 am, I was re-introduced to tea by a good friend, who showed me that good tea, when prepared properly, enables you to discover and appreciate its full, beautiful and nuanced flavors. Flavors that one did not even know existed in this world. And so with that, my future changed. I decided early in my life that I wanted to own my own business, and I also believed deeply in the Buddhist ethic of not profitting from another's suffering or misfortune. I also felt that the American public--and specifically coffee-buzzed Seattlites--was ready to re-discover an alternative to their caffeine habit. And so the idea of Miro Tea was born.<br />
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Our mission with Miro Tea is simple. Encourage more people to drink and love tea. There's no snobbery or pretense at Miro Tea. We just love talking about and drinking teas of all varieties, and we believe strongly that the best way to encourage people to explore and ultimately adopt a new product is by appealing to ALL of their senses (sight, smell, taste, touch and even sound) in an environment that is as warm and approachable as the people serving and educating you about the product.<br />
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Our blog re-launch parallels our increased efforts to source even better teas (and talk more about them), and to recount the day-to-day activities of our store (which includes our beloved customers and staff) that is ultimately the heart and soul of Miro Tea. In the coming weeks and months, we will have a total of three different TEAm members who will be contributing regularly to this blog. Elliot (whom you have previously met via his eloquent tea tasting entries) will delve deeper into the details of specific teas than one would think is even possible. Rachael, our arts and events coordinator, will be sharing more information about upcoming art and music events, as well as the tea workshops that we have been busy pulling together. And finally me, to talk about everything else that Rachael and Elliot don't cover!<br />
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Since it's been 20 years since my last diary entry (and this being my first blog entry), please bear with me as I spend the coming months getting accustomed to the notion of sharing my opinions, experiences and passion for tea with you through this online medium rather than doing it with you in person at our store. Please feel free to comment or email us if you have any feedback or have any questions about tea, what you see on this site, or about Miro Tea in general. I look forward to hearing from you. Gan bei!Jeanniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06074855975583224209noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-84227537386973043622009-12-08T10:45:00.000-08:002009-12-31T18:35:19.006-08:00Special Winter Menu: Wuyi Oolongs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtdZz-EKzyJSGpxWscfIJl1YXRFdRkEMu2yX6RNPEFMI12ViGJWRaTmwWRFb5jGoM7xDr0uyHf-dHJmEQshS693PL06trfzcVPw6Rw__K8URqgaK8aX_-_d26MNmeF2sIs4Jn8lubBOzt/s1600-h/tlh.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAtdZz-EKzyJSGpxWscfIJl1YXRFdRkEMu2yX6RNPEFMI12ViGJWRaTmwWRFb5jGoM7xDr0uyHf-dHJmEQshS693PL06trfzcVPw6Rw__K8URqgaK8aX_-_d26MNmeF2sIs4Jn8lubBOzt/s400/tlh.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412691621662888466" border="0" /></a><br />Greetings, patient readers! I've had precious little tea news to report for a long stretch; unfortunately, managing day-to-day store operations takes precedence over fun blogging projects, and we've been quite busy in the store preparing for the holidays and attending to our loyal customers. This news, though, is too tasty to keep under wraps: With the help of <a href="http://www.sevencups.com/">Seven Cups</a> we've recently acquired a selection of five top-quality Chinese Wuyi oolongs, which we are now featuring in a special seasonal menu in the store--and just in time for this spate of extremely cold days!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT5O9IiPJOhTc46EXuAwpA6DPbq9kVBAdpFij24yYv9gk3Y6tVv_7PNPkzvSnPKqkCauSM82RtfbAdZpY-FFfHarA6LVjdr8YaHzTbaINyunCtcEHs1KIIKGXjZtq5cID5jPs3MAyBmB6/s1600-h/SourcedBy7C.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 95px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT5O9IiPJOhTc46EXuAwpA6DPbq9kVBAdpFij24yYv9gk3Y6tVv_7PNPkzvSnPKqkCauSM82RtfbAdZpY-FFfHarA6LVjdr8YaHzTbaINyunCtcEHs1KIIKGXjZtq5cID5jPs3MAyBmB6/s200/SourcedBy7C.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412692415023188722" border="0" /></a>High-quality and authentic Wuyi oolongs can be difficult to come by, which is why Seven Cups' sourcing skills (they literally personally source all of the teas they carry, traveling to each province of origin and purchasing teas from the tea masters who produce them) are much appreciated--these are great teas.<br /><br />If you're not familiar with Wuyi oolongs, here's a <a href="http://mirotea.blogspot.com/2008/12/new-wuyi-yen-cha-oolongs-introduction.html">brief introduction </a>from way-back. Generally, these are stripe-rolled, roasted Chinese oolongs. Most are named after the cultivar, or genetic "type" of tea plant that they come from. My goals with bringing our customers these teas are first to replace our out-of-stock Wuyi offerings, and second to offer a broad range of teas that exhibit the potential quality Wuyi oolongs can aspire to, as well as the differences between different tea cultivars and processing, with special emphasis on roast level. So, without further ado, here are some brief impressions on our new teas.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe)</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">pronounced DAH hung POW</span><br />The most widely-acclaimed Wuyi oolong is also the most often-faked. Because of its international popularity, authentic Da Hong Pao is almost always one of the most expensive Wuyi teas, but its popularity is earned. This Da Hong Pao blends the tea's unique acidity with a really smooth body, making it a little less bright but more balanced than some other examples. The roasting is on the lighter side of medium, with plenty of room for the tea's floral and buttery aspects to shine, and the rich mouthfeel marches along nicely through the infusions. Da Hong Pao is the standard by which all other Wuyi oolongs are measured, so trying a good one like this is "required tasting," both so you can understand the ideal characteristics of these teas, but also so you can understand what makes the other cultivars different. Most importantly, though, if your only Wuyi experience has been low-grade, over-roasted generic Wuyi oolong with the words "Da Hong Pao" slapped on the box for the purposes of extra profit, get ready to have your eyes opened!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lao Cong Shui Xian (Old Bush Water Sprite) </span><span><span style="font-style: italic;">pronounced LAOW CHONG SHWAY see-en</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>Shui Xian is the most widely-cultivated Wuyi oolong (not sure why, but I assume it's because of the plant's hardiness and yield); it's even popular enough that it's also cultivated in Taiwan and Feng Huang in Guangdong province. This particular Shui Xian is grown toward the center of the Wuyi reserve and it comes from plants that are over 30 years old. This means the roots have had plenty of time to penetrate the rich soil and receive a well-rounded nutrient supply. This tea offers one of the higher roast levels of the five, but I'd still say it occupies the "medium" range of the spectrum. Shui Xian offers a really balanced flavor with equal measures of flowers, fruits and a wee bit of spice. On first tasting, this is near the top of my list for favorites, and it's one of the better values of the five. I really enjoyed the thick mouthfeel, and there were some interesting changes from infusion to infusion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rou Gui (Cinnamon/Cassia Aroma) </span><span><span style="font-style: italic;">pronounced ROW GWAY</span><br /></span>Rou Gui is another very popular cultivar, and one of the most distinct-tasting ones at that. Like the name implies, this tea tends to be spicy. I was really impressed by this tea's medium roasting; many Rou Gui I've tried tend to be heavily roasted. To my tastes, a medium roast compliments the dark spice notes more elegantly, although I do have to say I'd prefer heavy roasting to a light roast. This tea has a good, strong tea base, and is honestly probably my favorite Rou Gui I've ever tried. <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Shui Jin Gui (Golden Marine Turtle)</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">pronounced SHWAY jin GWAY</span><br />Shui Jin Gui is one of my favorite Wuyi cultivars; in my experience it tends to be medium-light roasted, silky smooth, with a pure flavor that makes me want to keep drinking and drinking. In the past week, this tea has already become a favorite with some of our regulars--it's complex, mellow, and the lightly toasty aroma is remarkably chocolatey. In the cup, it's one of the lighter of the teas, but I think a lighter roasting is appropriate for a tea with such a nice, darkly floral character.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tie Luo Han (Iron Warrior Monk) </span><span style="font-style: italic;">pronounced TEE-eh luh-wo HAHN</span><br />Finally, we have this light-roast Tie Luo Han. Although the roasting level is denoted as "light," after tasting this tea a few times I'd place it more on the medium level, although it's certainly not as heavy a roast as this tea traditionally receives. I've been really surprised by this tea's flavor, which strongly reminds me of the sort of spiced apple desserts that are a hallmark of fall and winter American cuisine. The lighter roasting really showcases this fruitiness, whereas a high roasting would probably obscure this element and completely alter the character of the tea. This tea might win the award for most complex of the selection as well.<br /><br />I hope you'll take the opportunity to stop in and try a few of these teas--In China, winter is traditionally viewed as the best time to drink these warming, roasty teas, and I find myself agreeing more and more with every sip!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-23344217020384780512009-10-09T09:04:00.000-07:002009-10-09T09:34:33.327-07:00Live Music: Brian Sterkovsky 10/10 7pm<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdc81QUj7vFqvfGt3b5r_vxg1ci1NTVNX3kVziySXymnWm4VHNHEfjaVSli2Agc8QHlLkimWpRjdWv_RMvZ8lLcUHj89c3I8QUfZlffPT6QG0HLs9e5rXnmdnEll-xmBV-lM2_8isEJckz/s1600-h/l_783956e1066e4e198ce595259edab605.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdc81QUj7vFqvfGt3b5r_vxg1ci1NTVNX3kVziySXymnWm4VHNHEfjaVSli2Agc8QHlLkimWpRjdWv_RMvZ8lLcUHj89c3I8QUfZlffPT6QG0HLs9e5rXnmdnEll-xmBV-lM2_8isEJckz/s400/l_783956e1066e4e198ce595259edab605.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5390634394103876050" border="0" /></a><br />Tomorrow night we're hosting a very special guest for the October Artwalk: Brian Sterkovsky.<br /><br />Not only does Brian play and build harps, he also plays electric banjo and writes and sings his own words and poetry. Not only does he do all this, he's one of our favorite regular customers at Miro Tea! Tomorrow night at 7pm Brian will be performing on harp as well as doing some spoken word performance for the Artwalk opening of Maryam Tohidi. For a taste of Brian's work, you can visit his MySpace (http://www.myspace.com/briansterkovsky)--you'll get a sampling of his eerie harp originals, as well as his spoken word and gitjo songs. He's also got two albums worth of material (one of harp and one of gitjo/singing) available for purchase digitally or on CD.<br /><br />Brian is extremely talented and a great friend of Miro Tea, so come on down tomorrow night, grab a roasted apple fig and walnut crepe (with ice cream) and a cup of Irish Breakfast tea, and show your support!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-11494584731898628512009-09-18T17:06:00.001-07:002009-09-18T17:09:06.453-07:00Guardian Ear - Live Music Saturday 9-19As some of you out there know, we occasionally have live music at Miro Tea. Tomorrow (Saturday) at 8 pm we'll be hosting Guardian Ear, a local Seattle band. They play a pretty interesting blend of experimental acoustic chamber music--guitar, oboe, percussion and cello--definitely different from your average coffee house strummers, and it should be a great energy and fit for Miro's space. See you tomorrow night...<br /><br />http://www.myspace.com/guardianearUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-70838479794522842902009-07-23T17:36:00.000-07:002009-07-23T17:50:39.466-07:00July Artwalk: Aba DialloThe busy summer months haven't left much time for blogging here at Miro Tea, so I'm here to quickly introduce this month's artist and mention that this hot (for Seattle) weather is perfect for enjoying iced tea...feel free to stop by, check out Aba's art, and try one of our Green Tea Mojitos or an iced tea latté or chai!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41hL_cWyHWfkQoFPAZEyU9CxiYFh5tT8M59jZH3hRNLQRBkaErV5dw9drU4Yd5x8CluGIcJ_os4KbIKKFsJBq60CnDidGX1yggEtTk6PY7xg02oQXUuRfNF_7LRhZfTq0K_Nr33yNtWG9/s1600-h/art_106.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 296px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh41hL_cWyHWfkQoFPAZEyU9CxiYFh5tT8M59jZH3hRNLQRBkaErV5dw9drU4Yd5x8CluGIcJ_os4KbIKKFsJBq60CnDidGX1yggEtTk6PY7xg02oQXUuRfNF_7LRhZfTq0K_Nr33yNtWG9/s400/art_106.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361821292681279202" border="0" /></a><br />Aba Diallo was born in Dakar, Senegal, a busy, international port on<br />the Atlantic Coast of Africa. In school he studied philosophy and<br />literature as well as the French language. After high school, he<br />moved to Goree Island (World Heritage Site), a tourist and historic<br />destination 20 minutes west of downtown Dakar. There he bagan to work<br />for his uncle who owns an art gallery selling sculptures, paintings,<br />jewelery and other handicrafts made by local artists. After a year of<br />this type of work he soon took interest in the origins of the art<br />pieces at the boutique. He became friends with veteran painters on<br />the island and began an apprenticeship, learning many things about the<br />art scene and business on the island. He started to create his own<br />style of painting using collage and a technique of sewing canvases<br />together to make “patch-work” paintings. This type of work is truly<br />his passion in life, second only to God, it is a way to express<br />himself and show the way of life he has grown up with, while<br />supporting himself and his family.<br /><br />It's been a great pleasure looking at Aba's art for the last few weeks. Not only do the bright colors fill our space with energy, the tapestry-style hangings really make the works stand out and grab attention in a really unique way! He's already sold several pieces, so stop by and check them out before they're all gone! The art will be up for a couple more weeks, but you can check it out on Aba's website any time: <a href="http://www.abadiallo.com/">http://www.abadiallo.com</a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-7hBLBMzJteJMI9hBUbARgYCPiByhhipAkhkj8w-CZ_SszRQRqxXN-GzKM5AfZVA2czm4-wGXOFAmwXXjKE_99e9XMTK8ejEkUYy4d295Gha1dFuyOS6GmEAMABwyc_WU-UeqjCmPnWv/s1600-h/art_111.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe-7hBLBMzJteJMI9hBUbARgYCPiByhhipAkhkj8w-CZ_SszRQRqxXN-GzKM5AfZVA2czm4-wGXOFAmwXXjKE_99e9XMTK8ejEkUYy4d295Gha1dFuyOS6GmEAMABwyc_WU-UeqjCmPnWv/s400/art_111.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5361822645876112450" border="0" /></a><br />Happy summer!<br /><br />ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-41843208009854937052009-06-08T18:16:00.000-07:002009-06-08T19:09:58.166-07:00June Artwalk: Courtney Morgan...Music by Elliot Knapp<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHTfLAgdZ80sKDvtjRuPn7wvgONKSbyqxn6EUqDIhGG0fZGWF475pq2tIlwZ08OhrG4yygRwzwytjRxfDHakV3g_04oC0rAa5VbzFKXUKJRoljcm1TiX-KJ1x3MonitEZ9ThcwYOdCMHu/s1600-h/love+birds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHTfLAgdZ80sKDvtjRuPn7wvgONKSbyqxn6EUqDIhGG0fZGWF475pq2tIlwZ08OhrG4yygRwzwytjRxfDHakV3g_04oC0rAa5VbzFKXUKJRoljcm1TiX-KJ1x3MonitEZ9ThcwYOdCMHu/s400/love+birds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345132214331967938" border="0" /></a><br />June is already upon us, which means we're showing new art! It's a real pleasure for me to introduce our June artist because she's a close personal friend. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Courtney Morgan</span> is a Walla Walla native. She majored in art at Whitman College and recently received an MA in design studies at Central St. Martin's College of Art and Design in London. Her show, titled <span style="font-weight: bold;">"Please Clap Your Hands,"</span> is a collection of oil paintings inspired by a visit to a friend's farm house in Denmark, the colors in a display case at a Florence gelateria, and <a href="http://ohwellowell.blogspot.com/2009/02/this-stretch-of-road.html">song lyrics</a>. She describes her paintings as clean, bright, hopeful and poignant. The bright, lively colors are looking great in Miro Tea's space, and I'd add that Courtney's inimitable sense of humor is also evident in spades. <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5o8X1RNTHGmYxHmWfFqJE2nHhE1uhph7H4OVDYdvfw20HkpEdAPn6epDo59nFzwXoU-1zPIRejs6SGivFh61ZDvLvJISMQfpW0zu0fKPnyadfkekCkTu3RMbGmdJVhMKAs91X7d2j_-pg/s1600-h/watermelon+smear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5o8X1RNTHGmYxHmWfFqJE2nHhE1uhph7H4OVDYdvfw20HkpEdAPn6epDo59nFzwXoU-1zPIRejs6SGivFh61ZDvLvJISMQfpW0zu0fKPnyadfkekCkTu3RMbGmdJVhMKAs91X7d2j_-pg/s400/watermelon+smear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345132226151246290" border="0" /></a></div><div>As usual, the Artwalk event opens the second Saturday of the month--many Ballard businesses will be showing art as well. In celebration of Courtney's opening, we'll also be featuring some live music at the event. Performing this Saturday night will be...well, er, me. Since my lyrics are integrated into some of Courtney's paintings, I agreed to emerge from self-imposed exile to perform. I'll be joined on"stage" for a few songs by another Miro employee, Nick Arthur. I hate to have to describe my own music, so I'll say that I write and sing songs, accompanying myself on acoustic guitar. The songs I write are sometimes difficult to box into tidy genre categories, but things that are important to me as a songwriter are <a href="http://ohwellowell.blogspot.com/">lyrics</a>, interesting guitar parts, and experimentation. I've been making music for about 8 years and performed quite a bit in college but have lately been sidelined due to some health issues with my vocal cords.</div><div> Courtney's opening is a special event for me, though, so I'm ecstatic to be able to participate. I've got a song sample on my <a href="http://www.myspace.com/elliotknapp">Myspace</a> for anyone interested. The art opening and music will go from 7-9 pm and should be a really fun time. </div><div><br /></div><div>Courtney's paintings will be up all month--please feel free to stop by for a look if you can't make it to the opening! I'll be back soon to discuss some tea news...<br /><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHTfLAgdZ80sKDvtjRuPn7wvgONKSbyqxn6EUqDIhGG0fZGWF475pq2tIlwZ08OhrG4yygRwzwytjRxfDHakV3g_04oC0rAa5VbzFKXUKJRoljcm1TiX-KJ1x3MonitEZ9ThcwYOdCMHu/s1600-h/love+birds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTX_w_i26m5ed38NTDBX_gy_lMbZl0BUOtLHf5K7nC2orttbJl4BndvhnAPgaMN5CTrklo82E5G-IRSYprbh6OqBkYGllwlnlrqUPdQGW7H5X3n6XZ3J677mLJYwkSBCE05W-AbGpTW2Ho/s400/Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345141856448233682" border="0" /></a>Elliot<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE1Z-9squpf-UAOB2E3o3jN664uk8HXfagKfYqXIorxCrosGCSCcHU_cupxBz-UEnnGMt2AFMn8VrlI1QImvj5hrEZW7wZYgHEz-3g2n4C4Y6whzRnmv5zdZu1wSRIaboBUK1fB2-Ikua/s1600-h/rainbow+bright.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 312px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkE1Z-9squpf-UAOB2E3o3jN664uk8HXfagKfYqXIorxCrosGCSCcHU_cupxBz-UEnnGMt2AFMn8VrlI1QImvj5hrEZW7wZYgHEz-3g2n4C4Y6whzRnmv5zdZu1wSRIaboBUK1fB2-Ikua/s400/rainbow+bright.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345132220197863778" border="0" /></a></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5o8X1RNTHGmYxHmWfFqJE2nHhE1uhph7H4OVDYdvfw20HkpEdAPn6epDo59nFzwXoU-1zPIRejs6SGivFh61ZDvLvJISMQfpW0zu0fKPnyadfkekCkTu3RMbGmdJVhMKAs91X7d2j_-pg/s1600-h/watermelon+smear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4qCb4cDrudCVkBGpVUPybO2Jn3Kla1ZCnO0ExkSNyZCbpKDAiW5ylm9gPn5BVIhcqwOS6TNZd-mBBV_Vvm15tZ4vQmgbF1PLQz_Fvd0XWqEwB63YRu2sCKmzkpyosBgvqOQCnvayyMUK/s400/green+bird.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5345132209276927714" border="0" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-29925395924298241052009-04-07T08:39:00.000-07:002009-04-07T18:20:15.617-07:00An interesting news articleTea drinkers who get their news online may have already seen <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7965380.stm">this recent article</a>, which describes a scientific study that linked regular steaming hot tea drinking with an increase of esophageal cancer. The study took place in Iran, where black tea drinking is widespread in its popularity. Interestingly, the study found that drinking tea at 'steaming hot' temperature (between 149º and 159º F) doubles the risk of cancer, and drinking tea at temperatures above 159º F increases the risk eightfold!<br /><br />Of course, once I read this, I broke out the thermometer and quickly started experimenting with drinking water at different temperatures. Personally, I find that the temperature at which I like to drink tea is generally below 150º; I tried 160º water and, not surprisingly (I don't have an especially high tolerance for hot drinks) it was a little too hot for my tastes. The study also notes that most cultures that prefer to add milk to their tea don't have an especially high instance of esophageal cancer, most likely because the milk cools the tea to a lower temperature. Of course, this is only one study, so we should probably wait for more evidence before taking it as scientific law, but it does raise a few interesting points.<br /><br />I think it's a good reminder that, ideally, tea can be an opportunity to relax and make a concentrated effort to take a short break in the day to sit and enjoy the intricacies of a delicious beverage--waiting a couple of extra minutes for your tea to cool can be an opportunity to get your thoughts together and focus on what you need to get done for the day, or it could just be a chance to anticipate the tea you're about to experience. I know some people feel like "the hotter the better," but I find that a really complex tea's flavor is usually much easier to appreciate if it's had a chance to cool down a little. Finally, I think this study exhibits one of the most difficult aspects of scientific tea studies--the tea drinkers in the study all consumed black tea. It seems to me that with the effects that different processing techniques have on the composition of tea leaves, combined with the different methods used to prepare the teas, it must be a bit difficult to generalize anything about tea without meticulously including all different tea types in a study. That is to say, for example, does drinking steaming hot <em>oolong</em> affect cancer risk in the same way? Studies that focus on the health benefits of tea have returned some pretty solid evidence that the different tea types at least have different strengths when it comes to health benefits, so I think it stands to reason that they might show slight physiological differences in other studies. Reading tea studies is always exciting, since each study is another link in a growing chain of evidence that helps us make more confident claims about how tea affects the human body. Unfortunately, because of the variables involved, tea is such a complicated, multifaceted subject that it will probably be quite a while before we've mastered it as a subject.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgmkPU0Vd1VE5N61fb333g-3iueAW2xumLayCEO8xjF0Tlpt2sR5yttwjvWI0AeZNn3P4wZjHF3SH2wx7mDbjx6WFr366gpmLUVv3f9IHMV_cj8izYZF-QYk_YrGvh1GkHjgW8tJz4DnY/s1600-h/Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgmkPU0Vd1VE5N61fb333g-3iueAW2xumLayCEO8xjF0Tlpt2sR5yttwjvWI0AeZNn3P4wZjHF3SH2wx7mDbjx6WFr366gpmLUVv3f9IHMV_cj8izYZF-QYk_YrGvh1GkHjgW8tJz4DnY/s400/Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5322124172482603314" border="0" /></a>ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-19556378334722175582009-03-25T08:35:00.000-07:002009-03-25T13:39:13.297-07:00The C-word: CaffeineOne subject that never fails to arise during a day of serving tea is that of caffeine. Common questions we hear include: "Can you help me find a tea with lower caffeine?" "How much caffeine does this tea have?" "Green [white, oolong] tea has lower caffeine than black tea, right?" or "Is it true that if you steep a tea for 30 seconds, most of the caffeine is removed?"<br /><br /><br /><p>The one thing we can be sure of is this: <strong>Tea</strong>--the <em>Camellia sinensis </em>plant--<strong>always contains caffeine</strong>. Even decaffeinated teas still contain some caffeine (though it's usually less than 3% of the original amount). In reality, caffeine testing is an extremely expensive, technology-intensive process, and most tea producers, distributors and especially independently-owned tea shops like Miro Tea couldn't dream of affording this costly sort of testing. In fact, the volume and range of scientific studies on caffeine content in different tea types, caffeine extraction over time and temperature, and the way different processing steps affect caffeine content is actually quite limited, meaning that there isn't really a significant body of evidence to make claims about these subjects ironclad in any way. The unfortunate reality is that many tea-related businesses deal with these ambiguities by taking shortcuts and liberties with the facts that are often blatantly inaccurate and misleading, not to mention the fact that they perpetuate misinformation in such a way that incorrect assertions like "white tea is low in caffeine" have become common "knowledge."</p><p>There are, however, a few general items that seem reasonable to say regarding caffeine content. Factors that seem to indicate high caffeine content in tea include: <strong>Higher quality leaves </strong>(generally the buds and first leaves), <strong>large amounts of nitrogen fertilizers</strong>, <strong>species of tea plant </strong>(<em>assamica </em>plants have shown higher caffeine content than <em>sinensis)</em>, the <strong>condition of the leaves </strong>(broken leaves expose more surface area to the water), <strong>longer steeping time</strong>, and <strong>higher water temperature</strong>. However, it's not even as simple as tallying these variables--high quality leaves usually contain more theanine, a compound which has been shown to act in a way that is physiologically contrary to caffeine, for example. Another factor that I think is often overlooked is that many people report that the caffeine in different tea types (green, white, etc.) affect them differently. Combining these physiological factors with the dearth of scientific evidence on the numerous other factors, if we were to claim that, say, our Meleng Assam has more caffeine than our Sencha, it would be an almost laughable proposition (if it weren't so irresponsible).</p><p>So, what is the best way to approach this complex subject when customers ask questions? I honestly feel sympathetic for the tea companies who take the easy but inaccurate way out when spreading inaccurate information about caffeine--it's tough to provide ambiguous answers in a customer service situation--but honesty and transparency are key principles in good customer service relationships, so I can't condone oversimplification for the sake of brevity. I prefer to concisely explain that tea's caffeine content is much more complicated than popular sources let on, and that the number of contributing factors and the cost of testing make determination of caffeine content very difficult. If a customer is extremely concerned with avoiding caffeine, I recommend botanicals or rooibos--complete abstinence from caffeine is a sure thing. Otherwise, I'll recommend that the customer try whichever tea they're interested in the morning and take note of how effective the caffeine is for future reference. The one situation in which I feel confident describing a tea as "lower in caffeine" is when the tea is a blend with a significant amount of botanicals. Since we measure our tea by weight for each serving, teas like Genmaicha and Masala Mint Green contain, gram-by-gram, less tea leaves than pure tea blends do, so there will obviously be a lower caffeine content. These are about the most concise answers I can think of that sacrifice the least accuracy. Luckily, we also have this blog as another medium for a slightly more suitably detailed (though still not really scientific) description. If your scientific appetite has been piqued at all, I encourage you to check out the venerable Cha Dao Blog's past posting <a href="http://chadao.blogspot.com/2008/02/caffeine-and-tea-myth-and-reality.html">Caffeine and Tea: Myth and Reality</a>, to which I've made general reference a couple of times in this posting. The article is pretty academically rigorous and it includes citations of the existing relevant studies and figures from their findings. Also of note is the ensuing discussion in the entry's comment section, which continues the myth-busting spirit of the article in several meaningful ways.</p><p>I hope this posting has been at least a little illuminating about this difficult subject--hopefully the next few years will see the publication of some more relevant scientific studies so the "mystery" aspect will diminish a bit.</p><p>Elliot</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5498680705742038165.post-44748588217879867112009-02-24T21:03:00.000-08:002009-02-24T22:19:08.271-08:00Join us for Complimentary Tea Tastings Every Sunday<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlPsO7JabRv86R3oxGFBe66zIjwODzV1pEkIF9ntwIriJJwWlBEwYGedQuyFXOk4D6gI2ULYjMAneulquhK5PgoZNbI5C34QzBPEidRg6h-9Lr-h2cDf1XeIlPu5BIzRG5s482uorO_sc/s1600-h/tasting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 203px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivlPsO7JabRv86R3oxGFBe66zIjwODzV1pEkIF9ntwIriJJwWlBEwYGedQuyFXOk4D6gI2ULYjMAneulquhK5PgoZNbI5C34QzBPEidRg6h-9Lr-h2cDf1XeIlPu5BIzRG5s482uorO_sc/s400/tasting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306596655596319746" border="0" /></a><br />I've been conducting guided tea tastings off and on for the past few months--now I think I've got the kinks worked out and am ready to advertise the tea tastings as a regular event, so here goes:<br /><br />Please join me at Miro Tea <span style="font-weight: bold;">every Sunday from 1-3 pm</span> for <span style="font-weight: bold;">complimentary guided tea tasting</span>. During the two-hour period I will be sampling any number of our 200+ teas--what we taste is up to those who are participating in the tasting, so it's a great opportunity to learn about the differences between the major tea types, compare the small differences between very similar teas, or learn to appreciate the process behind <a href="http://mirotea.blogspot.com/2008/05/gong-fu-tea.html">gong fu</a> tea brewing. These tea tastings are also a nice chance to learn a bit more background on the history and processing of some of your favorite teas.<br /><br />Sundays are a great day to drop by Miro Tea--the year-round farmer's market is bustling on Ballard Avenue right outside our front door and the entire neighborhood is very lively and busy. Please take a relaxing stroll through the market and stop by Miro afterward--I'd be delighted to share a cup of tea with you!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDI3Zlg1HjjwMUW6v-7HBJr0_4fA_587gEY_1OnJhtFeauObMjLBf9kRidpJmRbQbt5NYBSBysnW9llsHDEZbvFyXfDZMun4YQnfrbGRmDcFOeRlDJukXflqYQlwuvZJgFPwo078UeJ3b/s1600-h/Logo.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 78px; height: 96px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghDI3Zlg1HjjwMUW6v-7HBJr0_4fA_587gEY_1OnJhtFeauObMjLBf9kRidpJmRbQbt5NYBSBysnW9llsHDEZbvFyXfDZMun4YQnfrbGRmDcFOeRlDJukXflqYQlwuvZJgFPwo078UeJ3b/s400/Logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306615631822116706" border="0" /></a>ElliotUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1