DA HONG PAO

Dear Readers,

I have tried "Da Hong Pao" teas several times, but I can't recall which type they  belong to. I ONLY begin to realise lately that there are two main types, that is either from Upton or TeaSource. However, there are other couples Wuyi Rock teas from Jing [drums fingers impatiently]. To have a better understanding of the potential of these teas, I'd really like to hear from some of you how you feel in terms of quintessential example of a Big Red Robe or other Wuyi rock tea.

Any other recommendations?  I must admit that price is a consideration factor, but I willing to try even fairly pricey teas like the "Exquisite" or "Tribute" DHPs. Thanks in advance!

I have tried one of the rock tea, tasting like wine. I can feel the heat all over my body and my faces too turn into red as well. That was my first experience which my contact had told me that it is a rare tea, which found only in a very old trees at one of moutains in China. May some of you share out your experience on rock tea.

I also made to understand lately that there are 4 famous wuyi teas, namely Si Da Ming Cong, Da Hong Pao, Tie Luo Han, Shui Jin Gui and Bei Ji Guan. Especially Bai Ji Guan, rarest of them and very unique flavor. Whereas Rou Gui and Shui Xian which are reminiscent of Da Hong Pao somehow. Can anyone tells us more.

For your easy reading, append below, please find a short briefing from 

Wikipedia
 

Dà Hóng Páo (大红袍) is an important Wuyi Oolong tea. Legend has it that the mother of a Ming Dynasty emperor was cured of an illness by a certain tea, and that emperor sent great red robes to clothe the four bushes from which that tea originated. Three of these original bushes, growing on a rock on Mount Wuyi and reportedly dates back to the Song Dynasty, still survive today and are highly venerated. At one point, less than one kilogram of tea was harvested from these plants each year, of which a portion was retained by the Chinese government. In 2005, the remainder of this original and real Da Hong Pao was auctioned, with an initial asking price of 4000 RMB/100 g, but often reaching tens of thousands to millions of dollars per kilogram^[1][2]

In recent years, a number of companies have invested in preserving the interest in this tea and other so-called "artisan" teas, which typically are of very high quality and have rich histories as is true with Da Hong Pao. These have an initially high cost of production (and typically are only considered authentic when grown in their place of origin), but, as they have quickly become popular in Western countries, prized selections of the tea are available each year, with quality being consistent due to the increased popularity of tea.

Cuttings taken from the original plants have been used to produce similar grades of tea from genetically identical plants. Taste variations produced by processing, differences in the soil, and location of these later generation plants is used to grade the quality of various Da Hong Pao teas. Some online tea shops have marketed Da Hong Pao as an oolong—it is unclear whether their varieties are not fully fermented as traditional Da Hong Pao tea is or they have errors on their sites.

Xiao Hong Pao, or Small Red Robe refers to Da Hong Pao grown from plants of fourth or greater generation, but the term is rarely used. In some cases Xiao Hong Pao is simply sold as Hong Pao, presumably for marketing purposes.

Due to its high quality, Da Hong Pao tea is usually reserved for honored guests in China.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18

 

TEA - SEVEN LAYERS IN A GLASS

Hi! friend,


I read about the article, One Glass, Seven Layers of Tea, in Wall Street Wall Journal, dated June 7, 2011 with so much delight and excitement. Thereafter I decided to blog it with the hope that you will like it.


No surprise to me that many Bangladeshis travel hours to the sleepy town of Srimongol, in Bangladesh’s northeast, just for a cup of Romesh Ram Gour’s famous tea. I have occassionally done so especially for famous food.


In a country of avid tea drinkers, Mr. Gour is the inventor behind the seven-layer tea which, he claims that no one else has been able to replicate. Copycats in the region have succeeded in creating at the most the five-layer teas, but none have been able to discover Mr. Gour’s rainbow brew secret.


It was reported that Mr. Gour invented his colorful layered teas 10 years ago, when he was selling tea from a bamboo shack. By the time he realized that teas from different leaves have different densities, he then begun to embark on his experiment. After a year of experimenting, he could sell teas with more than two layers. Over the years, he learned to expand to seven.


As such, the kind of layer tea Mr. Gour makes is unique to the Srimongol area. An iced three-layer tea has become popular in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, but those drinks include one type of tea and are typically layered with palm sugar on the bottom, evaporated milk in the middle and tea on the top. What makes Srimongol’s special are the discrete layers of tea blends.


Here, I must admit that this is the first time I heard about it and I have not tried it before. For those who have tried it, Please tell us more about it, its taste and so on. I will definitely give it a try if I have a chance to be there.


Append below please find its inventor and the seven layers tea for your viewing pleasure.

Christopher Shay for The Wall Street Journal






Mr. Gour and his layered tea

ROCK TEA

Hi! Folks,

ROCK TEA may be for some of you, your favorite tea. As far as I am concern, I still recall my experience in one of those times, that nearly made me feel like tasting wine. However, I cannot recall this rock tea that make me believe that the effect exactly like wine, not only turned my face red, but also warmed my body. Thus enhanced the blood circulation around my body.



Lately, I read about Wuyi Yan Cha (Wuyi Rock Tea) that claimed to have a distinctive taste of sunburned mountain rocks, it was also reported that numerous types of tea are produced around Mount Wuyi, which is the origin of the real Da Hong Pao tea (most expensive tea in China) and Lapsang souchong, further described in Wuyi tea.


Wu Yi Tea also claimed to be the most powerful natural weight loss solution. For those who have used this weight reduction program please come forward to share your experiences. I was told that it is a unique combination of ingredients working synergistically for efficient weight reduction when combined with healthy diet.


This famous tea, also known as a type of "oolong tea" from Fujian province is found in the gaps of rocks on Wuyi Mountain, making its cultivation difficult. As a result, it is also very pricey due to its rarity. The leaves are usually hand-rolled and pan-fired at their aromatic peak. Thereafter they are charcoal-fired in small batches to produce deep green color and rich flavors. When brewed this tea tend to produce a smooth aroma with a deliciously sweet, roasted taste. This tea will continue to taste great even after many infusions.


For those who have not tried it before, I suggest that you give it a try and share with us your experience. Who knows you will love it after your discovery.


James Oh






Skype me at james.oh18

TEA IS EVERYTHING

Dear Folks,

I intend to do it differently and I plan to play a funny game with you on TEA, which I need your kind participation so as to generate the vibration to this blog. I named this game as TEA game, which reflects well the nature of this game. It is simple, just think what tea can do for you and add it to the list, to form a poem of it.

TITLE OF THIS POEM - TEA is everything.

Tea not only quenches your thirst,

Tea also keeps you warm,

Tea nourishes your bodies,

Tea keeps you awake,

Tea gives you energy,

Tea keeps you healthy and fit,

In short, Tea is more than a drink.

Tea gives you a good companion,
Tea glues you with others,
Tea helps you to build bridges,
Tea helps you to tear down walls,
Tea keeps you calm and courageous,
Tea fulfills every need of yours,
In short, Tea is a relationship.

Tea creates lots of economical activities,
Tea is used as hedging tools against inflation,
Tea was used as currency,
Tea fulfills your financial needs,
Tea creates business opportunities,
Tea is gold,
In short, Tea is wealth,

Thank you Tea,
Tea fulfills every parts of our lives,
Tea is health, wealth and relationship,
In short, tea is everything

Please keep adding to the above and make the list going and create a vibration TEA truly deserved.

Thanks and look forward to receiving your feedback.

James Oh

Skype me at james.oh18