It's All About Tea — tea processing

Anji Bai Cha is a comparatively young tea with a long history. Its cultivar was first re-discovered in 1982. As the name suggests, Anji Bai Cha comes from Anji County in Zhejiang province. It is still predominantly produced in Anji County, although there are a few other farms in other parts of Zhejiang province producing the tea.

Anji Bai Cha translates as Anji white tea, although it is actually a green tea. Why? Let's follow its long history to find out! (Read more)

Mid May in Japan. Right about now is when tea farmers are busy packing and shipping out the very first green tea harvest of the year. Many wait an entire year to try this first flush tea — shincha. How could they not? The lack of any bitter notes, the undeniable umami, and all the nutrients that the tea bushes have been storing up all winter long. Shincha is well worth the wait! (Read more)

In China, fermentation is a vital part of the food culture. Sauces and condiments, tofu, pickles, wine, and even nuts. You will find at least one fermented ingredient on every dinner table in China. It is no wonder that fermentation made its way into China's extensive and well-developed tea culture. (Read more)

Tea brews can have so many beautiful color schemes: oak brown, amber orange, jade green, honey yellow… and the list goes on. 

As we’ve already learned, the color of the tea doesn’t always correspond with the tea category. In the west, we are mostly used to ordering a black tea and receiving a dark brown, almost black tea brew. When it comes to Chinese black teas (red teas), the color of the brew can vary from a darkish umber brown to a light golden liquid. 

So what are some of the things that influence the resulting color of the tea brew? (Read more)

Green tea is the most enjoyed tea in China, Japan and Korea. It was such an important part of the culture in China that the New Year was marked by the emperor drinking his first cup of first flush green tea. While it is one of the least processed of all tea types, it still requires precise technique and knowledge to make. Huang Shan Mao Feng is one of those green teas that wonderfully portrays to us the skills of the tea masters. If made correctly, it is a sweet, refreshing tea, with notes of chestnuts and spring florals, possessing plenty of cha qi. (Read more)