Blue Willow pattern gaiwan
Serendipitea – a series of developments that leads, by chance, to the procurement of highly satisfactory teas and teaware.
Longjing tea leaves
Longjing, which means Dragon Well, is a pan-fired green tea, which comes from from the area around Longjing Village, near Hangzhou City in Zhejiang Province, China.
The village itself is named after a well, the legendary home to “The Dragon That Rules The Seas“, which produces superb quality spring water even in times of drought.
Best drink of the day…
Oolong tea packet
Ever since the back-end of summer, when the days suddenly started getting noticeably shorter and cooler, this has been one of my go-to teas, one I drink on a daily basis.
A pot full of Zen
I look at the pot and the cup in front of me.
Their usefulness, their purpose, depends upon an essential emptiness that lies at the very centre of their existence.
A gaiwan and associated teaware
A gaiwan (“lidded bowl”) is a traditional piece of Chinese teaware, consisting of a saucer, bowl, and lid, which some believe represents the earth, one’s body, and heaven.
If only cups could speak…
The kitchen is almost empty, and the light bulb shines down without so much as a shade around it, shockingly naked, giving the light it emits a hard, brittle feel.
The only things left are an electric kettle, a now empty water filtration jug, a small enamelled tin, and a Chinese lidded tea mug, that stand on a worktop counter, next to the sink.
Chai masala
Although it has to be said that my primary focus is on Chinese teas, I do occasionally drink teas from other parts of the world.
Chai Masala is an Indian spiced tea. “Chai” is the Hindi word for the tea itself, which refers back to the Chinese word for tea, “cha“, via the Persian “chay“.
Xuefeng Ti Kuan Yin
I was once told by an Italian that if I wanted decent olive oil and tomatoes then the last place I should be going was the local supermarket. The good stuff, she said, never left the Italosphere. Follow the Italians, she said, see where they are shopping.
Time to say goodbye…
One of the first books I bought when I began to take tea seriously was “The Tea Enthusiast’s Handbook“, by Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss.
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Northern Teaist 