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Taiwanese Tea Farmers
The faces of farmers in the higher mountain ranges in central Taiwan tell a great deal about the culture of the tea industry. There is tremendous amount of warmth and hospitality served up with some of the best teas in the world.
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Bai Hao Up Close
The oxidation of the leaves used for Bai Hao starts before the leaves are plucked. A very ingenious method is used to encourage a certain small insect to nibble on the new leaves. Using no pesticides, the bugs break the surface and release the enzymes that give you the unique and wonderful flavors Bai Hao is famous for. Witness the evidence on the leaf.
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Bai Hao Leaves
These Bai Hao leaves are right before firing and have just finished their oxidation stage.
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Tea Plantation
Taken high in the mountains, this picture shows the depth of the mountain range. You can just start to see the haze building from the fog that descends everyday around noon.
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Covered in Fog
Covered in mist most of the day, the leaves grown in the higher mountain regions become plump with moisture.
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Drying the Leaves
The process for making oolong teas is extremely time consuming and labor intensive. These leaves are repeatedly placed inside the large "spinner". The temperature in the room is strictly monitored as the leaves very gradually and methodically have their moisture content reduced. The smell in this room was absolutely intoxicating.
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Oolong Processing
The leaves are placed on large drying racks where they sit for periods of approximately thirty minutes before they are fluffed and rotated back into the "spinner" for further drying. This process happens dozens of times before the leaves are just right.
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Rolling the Leaves
After the leaves have reached their ideal level of oxidation and moisture content, they are placed in sacks where they are tightly bound and put under the weight of this machine. After many times, the rolling action will form the tea into tightly rolled balls that keep the flavor of the tea intact. This is done for both our Ti Kuan Yin teas and our Green Jade.
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Tea Flower and Seed
In the palm of Sachiko's hand you can see the small tea flower and seed of the tea plant. The seeds are used to produce a tea oil and soap.
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Tea Market in Japan
In the heart of Shizuoka, Japan there is a large market where buyers gather to inspect and grade the quality of the new crops. In Japan there is a restriction that prohibits tea farmers from also being tea sellers.
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Tea Cupping
When comparing tea quality it is critical to ensure that every variable in the process is exactly the same for each tea. This is a picture of a Sencha "cupping" we did in Shizuoka, Japan.
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Tea Room
Tea rooms reflect a deep sense of culture regarding tea in Japan. This photo is of a new structure that was completed only one year ago - showing that the tradition is still very real. Notice the extremely small entrance that is designed to force guests to humble themselves upon entry.
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Inside a Tea Room
"Refined poverty" is an interesting way to describe the beauty of a Japanese tea room - purposefully using simple and available materials and leaving something unfinished for the imagination.
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Sencha Farm
Ninety-nine percent of Sencha in Japan is harvested by machinery. The clean rows show the precise nature of the unique machines that roll over the tea bushes cutting off the new growth. It is from these cuttings that the tea leaves are separated for quality.
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West Lake
The West Lake in Hangzhou, China is the birth place of Lung Ching tea. As we walked around the lake, we saw people enjoying Lung Ching tea in glass jars that they carry around with them. It is a beautiful lake that attracts young newly married couples and is sorrounded by wonderful teahouses. We got drenched on this particular day.
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