Thailand Green Tea

At the end of the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalist Party or Kuomintang (KMT) and the Chinese Communist Party in 1949,  thousands and thousands of KMT soldiers and their families retreated from mainland China to Taiwan while some evacuated  from Yunnan Province to Burma and Northern Thailand, where opium fields dotted the landscape.   Half a century on, commercial tea plantations established by the former Yunnan soldiers and Chinese immigrants have replaced poppy cultivation as the cash crop.

This green tea is made by Choui Fong (Green Peak) Tea Co., in Chiang Rai area of Northern Thailand.   It was produced from the type of tea trees that are usually used for Assam black teas.   Surprisingly, such big and bold leaves brew a pale and plain tea.   The tea's flavor profile is different from that of Chinese or Japanese green teas.  This tea is not for making Thai iced tea, which uses a special blend of spices, black tea and sometimes food coloring.

Thailand Choui Fong

Type:  Green     Producing Country: Thailand   Preparation:  85°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The large twisted olive green leaves have the aromas of stewed fruits and strawberries.
Wet Leaf:  The large leaves are strongly vegetal.
Liquor:      The tea is pale yellow in color.   It is lightly floral, earthy and astringent.  It is unique but not very memorable.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Bi Luo Chun

Bi Luo Chun or Green Snail Spring is one of China's top 10 famous teas.  According to an old anecdote, centuries ago a tea picker shrieked with surprise when she was startled by the intense fragrance emitting from the leaves that she transiently put aside under her clothes.  The tea then was called 'Shocking Fragrance'.   In the 17th century, Emperor Kang Xi renamed it to Bi Luo Chun after he was served the tea.  

Genuine Bi Luo Chun is grown and produced around Taifu Lake in JiangSu Province.  The leaves (one leave and a bud) are plucked in early Spring before April and skillfully crafted.   There are several grades of Bi Luo Chun.  This particular tea is not a supreme grade but is still delightful.

The best method to prepare delicate Bi Luo Chun is to fill a glass with 80°C water and add leaves instead of pouring hot water over leaves.   As Bi Luo Chun tea trees are grown alongside fruit trees, the tea tends to be fruity and floral but not grassy.  Some chefs in China use Bi Luo Chun to enhance their dishes (e.g., stir fry Bi Luo Chun shrimps).

Bi Luo Chun

Type:  Green     Producing Country: China   Preparation:  80°C 3 Min

Dry Leaf:  The silver and green young twisted leaves are spiral.  They are fruity and toasty.
Wet Leaf:  The olive green tiny young buds and leaves are savory (cooked bok choy).
Liquor:      The tea is yellow in color.   It is mellow and silky.  It is neither astringent nor grassy.  It is a bit like having a light pastry.   Note:  a supreme grade would produce a very pale tea.

Tee Score: 4+ out of 5

Matcha

Tea is to Buddhism as wine is to Catholicism.   Tea was introduced to Japan in the 12th century by Monk Eisai who returned from his pilgrimage to China.   The tea preparation in China during that time was brewing ground leaves.  This tradition of green powder tea was later abandoned by Chinese but preserved by Japanese who codified it into Cha-no-yu (water for tea) or the elaborate Japanese Tea Ceremony.

To produce authentic Matcha, tea trees are shaded under canopies from the sun for 20 to 30 days before the leaves are hand-picked.  Another Japanese shaded tea is Gyokuro. Shading causes leaves to develop more chlorophyll and amino acids.  The deep green leaves are harvested, steamed, dried, sorted, de-stemmed and de-veined.  At this stage, the tea is called Tencha, which is then fed into stone grinders.  It takes one grinder an hour to deliver 30 to 40 grams of Matcha.  The price of Matcha is an indication of the time and labor involved.

There are two categories of Matcha:  Koicha (thick) and Usucha (thin).  It is said that Koicha is made from the leaves of over 30-year old tea trees and is brewed with less water or more tea.  It is typically used in tea ceremonies.  Usucha is from younger tea trees and brewed with more water.  It is for regular tea appreciation.  There are also different grades, according to the type and the processing of leaves, of Matcha.  For making smoothies, baking and cooking, less expensive grades work well.  For drinking, premium Matcha is ideal.  But even the best Matcha loses its luster (i.e., darkens), nutrients and flavors when it is old.

Left: 3-year old tea (olive color) from hibiki-an    Right: fresh tea (bright green color) from ito-en

To simply enjoy fine Matcha at home, a chawan (tea bowl) and chasen (tea whisk) are essential.   It is also worthwhile to have a chashaku (tea scoop) and a tea strainer.

Tea bowl, whisk, spoon and strainer

To brew:
Step 1 - sift a couple tea scoops of Matcha through a strainer into a bowl to remove any lumps.
Step 2 - add 1/3 cup 80C water to the bowl.
Step 3 - whisk tea in a zigzag or V motion to blend and to froth.
Optionally, add warm milk to make a delicious latte.

matcha

matcha latte

Type:  Green Tea     Producing Country: Japan      Preparation:  80°C 30 seconds

Dry Leaf:  Bright green powder has a fresh roasted seaweed aroma.   It is a thin kind of matcha.  

Liquor:      The emerald green matcha tea is smooth and sweet.   It is mildly grassy, mellow and light.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5

Japanese Pu'er

This tea may not be officially called Pu'er because it was neither grown nor produced in Yunnan, China.   Japanese Dark Tea is a good moniker for this fermented tea.  Hailing from Shizuoka prefecture in Japan,  it was produced using rice culture/yeast for fermentation for several days.  Kombucha is also a fermented 'tea' but is a different animal.   Kombucha tea, a sweet and sour beverage, is made by incubating the culture of bacteria and yeast in sugary tea.

Japanese Dark Tea does not look, smell or taste like Chinese Pu'er.  It does have a pleasant flavor profile akin to lightly roasted coffee or cacao.   Its leaves exude rich soy sauce aromas.   Similar to other 'cultured' food (e.g., yogurt and sour kraut), the tea is probably good for the digestive system.

Japanese fermented  tea (pu'er)

Type:  Pu'er/Fermented     Producing Country: Japan     Preparation:  95°C 2 Min

Dry Leaf:  The dark cut leaves with a few twigs have the aromas of fermented black beans and thick soy sauce.
Wet Leaf:  Notes of roasted Japanese green tea (Hojicha) and light soy sauce can be detected.
Liquor:      The liquor is coppery and a bit cloudy with sediments.  It is only slightly astringent and spicy.   The flavor is coffee-like but not as flavorful.

Tee Score: 3 out of 5

Pu'er vs Pu'er

Pu'er tea was named after Pu'er, a historical tea trading town in Yunnan Province, China, and its production could be traced back to many centuries ago.  Pu'er, a fermented tea, requires aging to achieve its supreme flavor.  Conversely, oxidized teas, such as black and oolong, are best when they are fresh.  Oxidation occurs when oxygen interacts with substances, whereas fermentation is the result of microbial activities.  Browning of apple slices is oxidation and wines are fermented grapes.

The Devil's Dictionary defines patience as "a minor form of despair, disguised as a virtue."  Who has the virtue to wait five to 10 years for Pu'er to mature when the demand for it is high?  During the 1970's, Chinese tea industry developed a process that facilitates rapid fermentation and aging of Pu'er, and thus created two types of Pu'er. 

1. Sheng (raw) Pu'er teas are manufactured by the traditional/natural fermentation method.   They require 5 - 10 years aging.  They get better and their values also increase over time.  Many prized 50-year old cakes fetched handsome amounts during the Pu'er Bubble a few years ago.  
2. Shou (ripe or cooked) Pu'er teas are manufactured by the accelerated fermentation process.  They are meant to be consumed right away and their flavors only improve slightly with aging.   

Pu'er is considered a 'dark' tea in China.  Dark teas are also produced in other provinces in China, but only dark teas from Yunnan can be called Pu'er.  In fact, the Pu'er appellation stipulates that Pu'er must be manufactured according to a defined process, and from Da Ye (big leaf) tea varietals that grow in 11 designated areas of Yunnan.  

Pu'er comes in many shapes: cake, brick, cube, mushroom, nest, loose leaf, etc.   Some are flavored: jasmine scented,  wrapped inside an orange or stuffed in a bamboo tube.   One of the latest modern tea conveniences is instant Pu'er essence granules.   Sprinkle instant Pu'er over yogurt?  Double healthiness!

Pu'er varieties

Instant Pu'er, Mini Tuo Cha, Orange Pu'er, Pu'er Cake, Jasmine flavored and Loose leaf.  

Sheng Pu'er 2007 Vintage