All things Chinese tea, food and culture.
An authentic magazine about all things tea, food and Chinese culture.
“In June we launched a new jasmine soap. Now every day can sell 200-300 pieces.” says Chen Feng Jiao who’s a owner of a perfume factory. The demand is now picking up quickly in South Korea and the Middle East region. Feng Jiao’s company is located […]
The past Jiu’an Township is a typical coal-producing township. When the coal economy was booming, the town had as many as 400 mines. More than 80% of rural revenue came from coal production and more than 3,000 people worked in the coal for a living […]
It’s the most popular tea in China and perhaps also abroad: the longjing tea (dragon well). It’s a green tea from the south of Hangzhou. Xinhua, China’s state news site reports today that severe drought this summer will result in a lower harvest next Spring, as expected by the city’s tea management office.
Less output means higher prices. If you’re a longjing fan, we recommend to stock up and refrigerate a part of your stock for long-term use! China has lots of other tea regions that produce excellent green tea though. So perhaps next year is the time to start experimenting with new teas!
“Tea Pets” is a movie made by Gary Wang, who also directed “The Guardian Brothers”. The term “tea pets” refers to Chinese lucky charms, which are loved and collected by tea drinkers in China. Tea lovers who brew their tea in a traditional way, always […]
Hawthorn tea has been used for many centuries as a heart tonic in Europe. While in China, hawthorn berries has always been used for indigestion and calming the nerves. Rose bud has been widely used worldwide for centuries for its therapeutic power – now we […]
Each tea has its own grading standard based on its quality and condition. Pu erh is the same. Due to the quality of raw material (mao cha / 毛茶) and the difference in process, Pu erh is sorted into ten grades. From the highest grade to the lowest, there is Gong Ting Pu erh (宫廷普洱 / the Imperial Grade), the Gift Tea Grade, the Special Grade, 1st Grade, 3rd Grade, 5th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th grade and 10th Grade.
Generally, the higher grades of Pu erh have more buds, while the lower grades contain larger and less tender leaves. Let’s check out the grading standard:
| Grade | Dry Leaves | Liquor | Taste & Aroma | Brewed Leaves |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Grade | Tightly rolled, straight, fine golden buds | Red and dense with rich fragrance | Heavy and mellow, 10+ steeps | Thin and tender |
| Gift Tea Grade | Tightly rolled, straight, relatively fine golden buds | Red and dense with rich fragrance | Heavy and mellow, 10+ steeps | Thin and tender |
| Special Grade | Tightly rolled, straight, relatively fine golden buds | Red and dense with rich fragrance | Heavy and mellow, 8+ steeps | Relatively thin and tender |
| 1st Grade | Tightly rolled, tender with some buds | Red and dense with rich fragrance | Mellow, 8+ steeps | Tender |
| 3rd Grade | Tightly rolled, tender with some buds | Red with rich fragrance | Mellow, 6+ steeps | Tender |
| 5th Grade | Tightly rolled, tender with few buds | Red with rich fragrance | Mellow, 6+ steeps | Uneven in size |
| 7th Grade | Tightly rolled with few buds | Dark red with pure fragrance | Mild, <6 steeps | Uneven in size |
| 8th Grade | Loosely rolled with few buds | Dark red with pure fragrance | Mild, <6 steeps | Rough, uneven in size |
| 9th Grade | Loosely rolled with no buds | Dark red | Mild, <6 steeps | Rough, uneven in size |
| 10th Grade | Loosely rolled with no buds | Dark red | Mild, <6 steeps | Thick and rough, uneven in size |
Please note that the above grading doesn’t apply for wild pu erh teas (gu shu). The leaves of those teas are generally larger and they’re classified based on mountain of origin and the age of the tree.
Lower grades of pu erh doesn’t necessarily mean that the tea isn’t good. It’s just that the material used is less fine and more uneven. However, good processing is as important and can still compensate for less quality raw material. Preference for tea is very personal. Regardless of the grading, hope you’ll find your favourite Pu erh!
Do you want to try pu erh yourself? See the curated offerings of pu erh teas by Teasenz.com.
Traditional pu erh tea can take years to age, but this changed when the ‘wet piling’ or ‘wet storage’ method was discovered. Wet piling, in China known as ‘wo dui’ (渥堆) is a fermentation process used for the production of ripe pu erh. This technique […]
During the early ages, we humans don’t really worry about mental disorders and memory loss. Yet, when we grow older some of us see that our loved grand parents suffer dementia. In extreme situations, this results even in personality changes or impaired reasoning. That’s about the […]
Drinking green tea comes with lots of benefits, but did you know that you can re-use green tea bags for on your eyes? In this article you’ll discover the benefits and we’ll present some before and after videos to see if it really works!
When your eyes are inflammed (Conjunctivitis), also known as having ‘pink eyes’, it will result in a tired look. Pink eye can be due to a viral or bacterial infection or due to an allergy.
Though it can be due to different causes, the symptoms of conjunctivitis can be easily eased with green tea. Green tea has a calming effect due to the high antioxidant content.
Dark circles on the eyes are caused by lack of sleep, dehydration, hangovers, unhealthy food or a lack of vitamin. It can also be caused by stress or simply genetics.
Green tea can help to reduce dark circles, though to completely get rich of dark circles, you also will need a life style change.
Antioxidants in green tea can perfectly treat dark circles and reduce puffiness. The caffeine content shrinks blood vessels and minimise fluid retention. The tannins stimulates blood circulation. At last, the alkaloids promote healthy skin growth while ECGC in tea reduces inflammation!
As with many health tips, it’s hard to generalise whether certain tips work for everyone. Often times, what works for others doesn’t necessary work for you.
As with green tea bags, we think it can be really effective, if the underlying cause of pink eye and dark circles is due to inflammation.
Below some videos from other vloggers on YouTube, we’ve tried out green tea bags on eyes. Learn about there experience.
If there was a competition for weird tea names, “Ya Shi Xiang” or “Ya Shi” (literally means “duck shit fragrance” or “duck shit”) would probably rank at least in the top three. You must be curious when you hear this name: Does it look like […]
