Chinese Yunnan Black Teas, and Japanese Green Sencha Teas

Black teas of Yunnan Province

This week I'm extolling the virtues of the black teas of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. We stock three delicious varieties – they're all complex, rich and malty. Our newest listing is the Black Needle tea. It has a wonderful gold liquor and an intriguing buttery character. Don't miss out on these three teas.

Sencha Fukuya and a legendary Gyokuru Asahi

I've also been persuaded by two Japanese sisters, who buy Darjeeling teas from us, to list two of their favourite teas from back home. Guided and converted by them, we now stock a Sencha Fukuya and a legendary Gyokuru Asahi. A new experience for me, but that pronounced vegetal taste is now becoming essential, at least once a day in my life. I think you'll like them.

Pu-erh Teas: How to brew pu-erh tea

What is Pu-erh Tea?

Pu-erh tea has become really popular in the West, in all its forms. It is a tea lovers favourite and is often described with terms such as rich and earthy or ripe and mellow, some would even say old tasting in, a complimentary sense.

The fast growing interest in this wonderful product has persuaded us to put together a few really good examples for you to try. In time we will expand the representation of Pu-erh teas on the list.

Pu-erh is a tea that is purposely left to age, and like a fine wine the older it gets the more prized it becomes. It's not uncommon for Pu-erhs to be many years old, usually between 1 and 5 but much older is possible, and each year that passes will only fortify its character and further mellow its flavour.

The journey from unfermented leaf to Pu-erh Tea is a remarkable one as it bears no resemblance to the methods used for making Green Tea. The leaves are withered in a similar way to Green Tea, but before all the moisture has gone they are piled into heaps to allow bacterium to react. A thin layer of mould will often develop and this is wholeheartedly encouraged as it benefits the overall character and flavour of the tea.
Pu-erh is then formed into bricks or cakes, gently wrapped in paper, and stored outside on racks to age. The final stage ensures the Pu-erh bricks mature to the full as they are then stored underground, and this is where they can lay for many years to mellow and evolve.

The medicinal benefits of Pu-erh are not without substance either, as according to scientific research it helps reduce cholesterol, increase metabolism and aids in digestion, especially that of fatty foods. Pu-erh has been highly regarded in Traditional Chinese Medicine for many years, maybe the health benefits are in the abundant microbial activity, in which case it's similar to other living foods we hold in high regard, such as live yoghurt for example.

Pu-erh gets its name from its birthplace, therefore the small county of Pu-erh in China's Yunnan Province can be thought of as its true home, and to this day Yunnan Province is still a major producer of these exceptional teas.

Today Pu-erh teas can be purchased as loose tea, and as small and larger cakes and larger cakes of compressed teas.

Brewing pu-erh tea:

1. When the bricks are extremely tightly pressed it is best to use a strong knife to carefully pry out some leaves. The technique that works best is to insert the knife into the edge of the brick and then gently work it up and down until the tea loosens and falls off.
2. Add about 3-4 grams per serving of tea (the amount depends upon type of pu-erh) to your teapot.
3. Add hot boiling water at a full rolling boil.
4. Steep for 2-3 minutes. Once the tea seems ready, give it a stir and then pour and taste. If necessary, adjust the steeping time for a stronger taste.

New Pu-erh teas page You can find the best quality Pu-erh teas, selected for you by High Teas with the same passion for high quality teas, on our new Pu-erh teas page.

New Yixing Teapot and Chinese Porcelain Carp Design Teapot

Yixing Teapots

Good well-priced Yixing teapots are hard to find, but when I come across interesting items I'll advertise them on the site. Here's a little background on Yixing.

Yixing teapots are very special teapots made from zisha clay, a rare type of purplish clay made of iron, quartz and mica. It is found only in Yixing, China; a town located roughly 120 miles north west of Shanghai amidst rolling hills. Zisha clay is so unique in fact, that Yixing is the only place in the world where it can be found. This very rare material gives the Yixing teapot special properties that make it one of the most sought after teapots in the world, for both collectors and tea enthusiasts alike.

Besides the Yixing teapot's beauty, it is also considered to be one of the finest tea brewing pots in the world. It is said that if you pour hot water into an empty Yixing teapot that has been in use for many years, you can brew tea without any tea leaves. Zisha clay is extremely porous and will absorb the flavor of tea, making each brew better and more flavorful every time it is used. Another special quality of zisha clay is its ability to retain heat. It has a low shrinkage rate when the clay is fired in a kiln, and potters can create a tightly fitting lid that will decrease oxidization and further increase tea flavor. What's more, zisha clay comes free of any toxic materials like lead, arsenic and cadmium, which can found in some other types of clay.

Yixing teapots are arguably among the finest teapots in the world. When evaluating a teapot's brewing quality, four factors are taken into consideration: The color of the tea produced, and the levels of phenol, caffeine and aminophylline. The Yixing teapot's performance has been found to be superior to that of standard teapots in all four areas of testing.

Not only are Yixing teapots an important part of Asian culture and sought after by tea enthusiasts and collectors across the world, but they are unique and valuable works of art. Each one is a simplistically beautiful tribute to the Asian arts, and each one brews a healthier, superior, more flavorful cup of tea as well.

Chinese Porcelain Carp Design Teapot

Not only is the price exceptional but the quality is excellent too. It's obviously a highly subsidized product.

Top Five Finalists in 2008 World Tea Championships

Two of our Darjeelings were voted in Top Five Finalists in 2008 World Tea Championships

Lingia Estate was described as a small garden recognised for doing big things. The tea is a perfect combination of rich flavours and Muscatel overtones with customary briskness.

Avongrove Estate, quickly catapulted up the short list of Premier Estates. This Organic selection merits the description 'gentle Darjeeling character in an easy-going format with resounding fruit harmony and light astringency.

We're very excited by two new additions to our list

Ceylon – Uva Adwatte BOP

A bold-leaf selection from Uva, which produces a full-flavored, dark cup. The finish is sweet, with notes of raisin and ripe fruit. A superb tea.

In complete contrast:

Nepal – Kanchanjungha Estate First Flush FTGFOP1 Organic

Grown in the Ilam district of Nepal neighbouring Darjeeling. This is a delicate tea of excellent quality similar in style to a good Darjeeling tea. Would make a lovely afternoon tea.

New Assam and Darjeeling teas and more.

Since our decision to abandon Chinese teas and concentrate on Indian and Ceylon teas, we've had to redouble our efforts to seek out and offer only good quality, appealing and characterful teas.

Difficult to choose a good quality Assam tea

Assam has always been a difficult area with masses of indistinguishable mediocre offerings at all kinds of prices. Even some of the priciest teas not having a lot going for them, whereas there are many little treasures delivering beyond expectations at sensible prices. After several tastings with our panel , we've made a complete revision of our listings, and hope you agree that our hard work has paid off.
In spite of its price the Sewpur is our best selling Assam, closely followed by Halmari Estate. Personally, I love the Banaspaty, which really has the maltiness claimed by all good Assam teas but rarely found. Newly listed are Corramore and Borengajuli scoring very high with our tasting panel.

Darjeeling tea an everyday drink as well as something special?

For everyday drinking it's hard to beat Makaibari and Jogmaya. I carry large stocks of each and enjoy both daily. There's not a tea on our list I'm not enthusiastic about, but Avongrove 'Euphoria' and Tumsong are my choice to bring about a sense of calm and 'euphoria' after a busy day.

To brew a good cup use 3/5g per person steeped for 4/5 minutes in boiling water. No extras for the pot please.The stronger Assam teas will tolerate a little milk, but not the Darjeeling.

Teastick infuser

Our newly listed Teastick is a great way to brew tea for one person. It measures the amount of tea needed and creates little mess. A teapot with a built-in filter is ideal for making two cups or more, or a normal teapot using a large Teeli bag. What is your everyday tea? We welcome your comments, suggestions and feedback. :)