Gongfu Cha (工夫茶) Demonstration Video!

Hi Tea Friends! It's been a whole year since I popped into this space. I still drink lots of loose leaf tea but my main gig at this point in my life has been playing and teaching Ukulele and Guitar. My other passion these day is supporting my brilliant wife Alanna's emerging career as an Author!

Today I'm bringing you a video that combines my 3 passions! 

1. It's a Gongfu Cha demonstration video!

2.  It supports my wife's new book Within Every Flame!

3.  It features my original tune Tiger Relay! 

Within Every Flame is book 3 of her AMAZING Call of the Crow Quartet. If you've been "sleeping" on her first two books, When We Vanished (#1) and Where Shadows Grow (#2)... what are you waiting for!? These books are so so good. So good, that they make my heart ache... but in a good way somehow! :) All of Alanna's books are so rich with darkness, light, emotion, plot, intrigue, and many amazing characters. I've read them a few times now and each time I make new connections and discover fascinating new details. 

You can buy Alanna Peterson's printed books or ebooks from our indie publishing company Rootcity Press (US customers only) or order them from your favorite bookstore (available in many countries)! 

Where Shadows Grow Music Video!

Hi Tea Friends. I hope you're all doing OK and drinking lots of awesome tea.

Big News! My favorite author Alanna Peterson just released her second novel Where Shadows Grow TODAY! 

Where Shadows Grow is book 2 of Alanna's epic Call of the Crow Quartet. 

You can now buy When We Vanished (book 1), and Where Shadows Grow at Rootcity Press or your favorite bookstore. If you're an ebook reader When We Vanished is currently on sale for just $0.99!

Alanna and I made this music video inspired by the book to help celebrate it's launch! (There's tea in this video so it works for this blog ;) Please check it out and let me know what you think!

If you're looking for a great YA eco-thriller with rich characters and an incredible, intriguing plot... check this series out! 

You Should Read My Wife's Amazing First Novel!

My brilliant wife Alanna has been hard at work for over 7 years writing an incredible, thrilling, young adult fiction Quartet! (that's 4 amazing books ya'll !). This series has something for everyone. I've read them all (at least 4 times now :), I love them beyond reason, and I can't wait to talk with other people about them.

Alanna is releasing book one, "When We Vanished" in June 2020!!!

                                                

For details visit her website alannapeterson.com .

If you use Goodreads please put When We Vanished on your "Want to Read" shelf and give it a review after you read it! Here's a link to the book on Goodreads!

Thank you So Much!
Brett Boynton, Tea Lover, Uke Player and Alanna Peterson Fanboy

Mauna Kea Tea's 2015 Green Tea

Last week I received a half ounce of fresh green tea from Mauna Kea Tea Company on the big island of Hawaii! Since my first post about this wonderful family farm five years ago, I've only tasted their teas a couple times, but I often think about them and enjoy following them on facebook and reading about Hawaiian tea production on their blog. Today I will share my review of their new 2015 Premium First Flush Green Tea.

The dry leaf of this green tea is really beautiful. It is made up entirely of long, twisted, leaf-and-bud sets with flecks of jade green, forest green, and silver. It smells fresh and sweet. A nice toasty aroma remains from the pan firing. 

For this cupping I used a large pinch of dry leaf, 165º F spring water, and a 1 minute steep in my glass gaiwan (steep time increased slightly with later infusions). The tea liquor is pineapple-yellow with a thick body and grassy fragrance.

I poured eight awesome infusions of this green tea. My notes bounced all around including herbaceous, floral, buttery and vegetal notes. This is my kind of green tea, it's complex and refreshing with a smooth and substantial mouth-feel. If you've never tasted Hawaiian grown tea I can think of no better place to start than this green from Mauna Kea Tea company.   

Around the World in 8 Teas

Phoenix Tea and Eat Local are working together to present a tea event at Eat Local's Burien, Washington store on Saturday, August 3rd.

Our event is called Around the World in 8 Teas. It will be a fun and educational tea tasting featuring teas from China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea and Kenya. I will discuss international tea traditions while offering freshly brewed tea samples.  I will also explain how tea is a healthy beverage as well as a sustainable agricultural product when grown and sourced responsibly. 

Eat Local will offer several samples of food to complement some teas. 

After the event guests are invited to visit Phoenix Tea (less than one block away Eat Local Burien) where they will receive a 10% discount on any tea or tea ware purchased that afternoon. 

This event is $20 per guest and space is limited. Please RSVP yes on the facebook event page if you will come. You may also call 206-495-7330 or email info@phoenix-teashop.com to RSVP.

A Flight of Rare Teas at Phoenix Tea

Saturday, June 15, 2013 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Limited to 12 participants @ $25.00 each

Photo by Cinnabar

Join Phoenix Tea on a tasting flight through six exquisite and unusual teas, carefully chosen from our extensive selection of fine loose-leaf pure teas and sourced specifically for this event. The selection will include teas from at least four distinctly different growing regions, and will present a wide range of tasting experiences. We intend to introduce you to teas you are unlikely to encounter anywhere else.

Each guest will be given a porcelain cup to use during the tasting and to keep. Attendees will also have the opportunity to choose one sample to take home, from among a selection of all six of the teas in the tasting.

This will be our second year presenting this event in collaboration with the Northwest Tea Festival's World of Tea Series. For more information, and to register for this event please click here.

New Taiwanese Tea at Phoenix Tea

Lately we have been in Taiwanese tea heaven at Cinnabar's and my tea shop Phoenix Tea. Please allow me to take you on a little tour of my current favorites.

Shan Lin Xi Long Feng Xia (杉林溪龍鳳峽) - This winter oolong is very complex. It blends wild herbaceous tasting notes such as cedar, pine, and rosemary with clean winter snow and dynamic floral bouquets. A pleasant long-lasting tingly sensation lingers in the back of my throat after a long session with this fine tea.

High Mountain Jin Xuan (高山金萱) - This winter tea uses the golden lily cultivar and produces a luscious, sweet and buttery cup of oolong tea. It is floral with little hints of popcorn. The broth is very smooth and substantial.

Lishan (梨山) - This winter Lishan is beyond compare. We've already restocked it once because so many tea lovers have fallen for its charms. Tasting notes of sugarcane and crisp tart fruits are balanced with buttery, wild honeysuckle aromas. The sweetness lingers for hours.

Dong Fang Mei Ren (東方美人) -  This Pinglin (坪林) grown Dong Fang Mei Ren may taste a little lighter, brisker and smoother to you if you're more used to drinking Hsinchu grown Dong Fang Mei Ren. I think this tea is incredible and balanced with big honey and ripe peach notes in most infusions. It has a long-lasting sweet, brisk aftertaste.

Meishan Hongcha (梅山紅茶) - This fully oxidized high mountain tea is flat out amazing. It blends brisk and malty classic black tea flavors with alluring aromas like rose and cocoa.

 

Jin Xuan Hong Cha (金萱紅茶) - A heavily oxidized tea that expertly combines all the goodness of a black tea, gently roasted oolong, and a buttery caramel. The resulting delicious-ness has made this tea very popular among many of our in store customers.

 

Herbal Blends from Birds Eye Tea

Recently I received an email from Birds Eye Tea company asking if I'd be willing to review some of their products on my blog. I get similar emails fairly often but in the past I have always declined. Not this time though. I was intrigued, which was strange because they are an herbal tea company and my focus has always been on traditional tea made from the tea plant. That being said, I am interested in herbal beverages. Beyond the culinary realm, I really don't know much about plants and their many uses but I have been on a recent quest to learn more so Bird Eye's solicitation came at a good time for me.

After reading the email, I did some online research to see if I really wanted to review this company's blends. The first three things that attracted me to Birds Eye Tea were their logo, website and blog. The artwork has a smart, natural, d.i.y. feeling that appeals to me and their little bird logo makes me smile. From the blog, I learned that the proprietress, Sarah Farr, is a local Seattle herbalist who is extremely knowledgeable about plants. She uses both local ingredients (sometimes even forages for wild herbs herself) as well as more exotic ingredients such as Chinese herbs, real tea, and chocolate. I also like Birds Eye's business model which currently utilizes farmers markets, tasting events, etsy and a monthly subscription service to generate sales. Businesses such as this are almost always true labors-of-love and deserving of growth. For these reasons I agreed to review some of their blends.

One week later a box of goodness arrived at my house.

The box contained five blends and a tiny jar of DELICIOUS chai spiced honey. I've now tried all of the blends and offer the following humble reviews:

Floral Focus (Lightly oxidized Taiwanese oolong + Codonopsis + Osmanthus flowers)
The oolong tea base is actually high quality stuff. It's almost a shame to see it blended with the other ingredients. Fortunately its buttery, floral, refreshing goodness really shines through. The codonopsis adds a little earthiness to the flavor. I like!

Honeybush Spice (Honeybush + Cinnamon + Star Anis + Ginger + Cardamom + Orange zest + Licorice)
This blend is great. It was fine on its own but I'd probably only ever drink it with some soymilk and a touch of sweetener on a cold evening.

Slumbering Slope (Chamomile + Skullcap + Catnip + Spearmint + Rose + Licorice)
Sweet with fruity and grassy notes. Hippy bedtime tea. I like it. 

Awake (Yerba Mate + Tulsi + Bacopa + Spearmint + Currant)
Earthy and minty with a taste that reminded me somewhat of a chewable multi-vitamin. Not bad.

Xocolatl (Raw Cacao + Rose Petal + Chamomile + Spearmint + Ginger + Cinnamon + Star Anise + Chipotle powder + Roasted Cacao Nibs)
Yum! I liked this both straight and with soymilk and sweetener. The heat and spice from the ginger and chipotle are just right. Of the five, I see myself finishing this sample the fastest.

If you're into drinking herbal beverages or looking for a gift for a friend or family member who is, I would definitely recommend checking out Bird's Eye Tea.

2013 Tea Calendar

A few days ago, I received a beautiful 2013 tea calendar put together by the esteemed tea writer and photographer Lindsey Goodwin. I first saw it advertised on our mutual friend Steph's tea blog and after checking it out on Lindsey's Copy and Taste Blog I knew I needed one.

This calendar is unique in that it features many major and minor holidays from all over the world. That alone would have been enough for me... but Lindsey's calendar goes much further by including lots of tea-related dates every month. For example, February 4th is the Chanoyu Celebration of Dawn in Winter, and April 18th kicks off the Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival. Who knew?! Another cool thing about this calendar is that every month features a recommended tea. I'm going to make a point of drinking at least one cup of these recommended teas throughout 2013!

Northwest Tea Festival

I'm very excited that the Northwest Tea Festival is coming up in just one week. My tea business will have a booth and I'll be teaching a Tea 101 class and leading a session in the tea tasting booths. I really hope to see you there!

Time
October 1st - 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
October 2nd - 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Location
Fisher Pavilion at the Seattle Center

Website
http://www.nwteafestival.com/

Phoenix Tea Announcement

Last year my friend Cinnabar started an exciting new tea business called Phoenix Tea. During her first year she has worked hard to grow the business. I've watched as she sourced some incredible teas and served them to friends and clients at local tea clubs and festivals.

Soon after I lost my job at Teacup, Cinnabar emailed me about possibly working together on our own tea business. After several wonderful meetings with Cinnabar, I am now excited and honored to join Phoenix Tea as an owner/partner!

Continuing what Cinnabar has started, our focus will be on selling superb tea and tea ware from all over the world as well as building community, fostering sustainability and promoting tea education and tea culture. We currently have lots of exciting plans bouncing around in our heads and look forward to keeping you all up to date on any new teas and new developments.

CommuniTea Kombucha

Today is a beautiful, sunny day here in Seattle (Happy 4th of July btw!) and my beverage of choice is CommuniTea Kombucha. It is a fizzy, crisp, refreshing, local micro-brew made with organic green tea.

I've enjoyed this Kombucha many times over the last few years but yesterday evening I finally met Chris J. (the man behind the brew). We drank some Makabari estate Darjeeling green tea together and talked for quite a while about running a sustainable, community based small business, biodynamic farming and several other shared interests.

I'm happy to announce that this Saturday and next I'll be helping Chris sell his Kombucha at the University District Farmers Market!

Lavender Garden Restaurant

Exactly one year ago today, I was treated to an unforgettable meal at Taipei's 天母古道森林花園. This beautiful vegetarian restaurant is located in Taipei's Tian Mu (天母) neighborhood and uses the English name Lavender Garden.

It was pretty dark when my hosts and I stopped in for dinner, so we were not able to see much of the lush green hills that stand mostly undeveloped in the background of the restaurant. I was also told that, as its Chinese name suggests, this restaurant marks the entrance to a lovely hiking trail around Yang Ming Shan (陽明山).

With its spacious and arty interior and its focus on healthy upscale cuisine, Lavender Garden reminded me a little bit of Seattle's own little veggie treasure "Cafe Flora."

I would without a doubt recommend this place to any travelers who want to splurge on a delicious and innovative meat-free meal while in Taipei.

Check out pictures #6 (vegetarian black tea jello) through #12 (the only raw salad I've ever had in Taiwan) on my post Vegan Taiwan Gallery #2 to see all of the things I ate at Lavender Garden.

Floating Leaves' Winter 2010 Lishan

Last week I treated myself to a belated Christmas gift. I bought a couple ounces each of Floating Leaves' new Winter 2010 Lishan High Mountain Oolong (梨山高山烏龍) and Winter 2010 Honorable Mention Wenshan Baozhong (文山包種). This was the first time I'd purchased some tea just for myself in a very long time. Today I'm going to review the Lishan.

I covered the bottom of a small gaiwan with dry leaf and then whipped it up into a "tea cyclone" with boiling hot water. I did not rinse the leaves. After about 50 seconds I decanted my first infusion.

the first infusion

The liquor poured thick and yellow with a delicate floral aroma. My mouth began to water. I haven't had great high mountain oolong in over 6 months.

the third infusion

I really love this tea and I feel like its price ($15 per ounce) is just fantastic for its level of quality in the current North American retail market for seasonal Taiwanese oolong.

My tasting notes during the first 6 infusions included: sugarcane, crisp tart pear, nectar, substantial broth, delicate sulfur aroma, buttery, honeysuckle, and dandelion. My notes for the final two infusions were: thinner broth with delicate pine and rosemary notes.

the spent leaves

The aftertaste lingered all day and I am now one happy oolong drinker. Thanks Shiuwen!

Uncle's Aiyu Shop

Aiyu jelly (愛玉冰) is a vegetarian jello-like treat made from the seeds of a certain Asian fig. It is common in central Taiwan where I'm pretty sure it originated. I first tried Aiyu at an adorable cafe in Fenchihu (奋起湖) called 愛玉伯ㄟ厝 which I believe translates closest to "Uncle's Aiyu Shop."

Uncle's provides a very inviting and relaxing open-air cafe that serves homemade Aiyu jelly in many different flavors. I've tried lemon, berry and passionfruit. They also serve cakes, pies and fresh juice. I really appreciate their use of natural elements in the decor and their great views of the lush green mountains surrounding Fenchihu.

This is where you order...

...and here is their seating area.

The view.

Uncle's Aiyu shop displays a cute little cloth hanging on clothespins with a few photos to help illustrate the complex process of making Aiyu jelly.

The cloth.


It starts like this...

... and ends like this!

So, if you ever find yourself in Fenchihu and you're in need of a short rest after hiking through the beautiful bamboo forests, stop by Uncle's Aiyu Shop to try this refreshing regional specialty.

Da Hong Pao for Sale

Last week I received a couple kilos of high quality Da Hong Pao (大紅袍) (big red robe) oolong from my vendor/online-tea-friend Mr. Daniel Hong (of Yun Xiang Tea Company).

Mr. Hong told me that the tea was produced May 1st to 3rd, 2010. He described the farmer as: "...not rich but looks very happy every day, has too many kids, maybe because he is not good at business so although his tea is very good he still doesn't get rich. His price is very fair, more fair than others I know. I'll visit him few days later. As he said 'keep simple, keep happy'."

Currently that is all I know about this particular tea but I'm sure that if you have some other specific question about it, Mr. Hong will be able to answer them for us.

Here is my review of this tea:

The dry leaves are mainly dark brown but when you look at them closely you can also see flecks of light brown and gold. To me these long twisted leaves have a "happy-making" aroma with notes of charcoal, coffee and baked sugar.

The liquor is full bodied and redolent. It has a smooth baked tea flavor that teased notes of cookies, maple syrup, blueberries and whole wheat raisin bread. A ten infusion session left me feeling peaceful, mellow and pleasantly hungry.

I am very happy with this tea and plan to serve (and sell) it at my Chinese Tea Party on October 17th. I also hope to sell some of it to any online tea friends who are currently hunting for some really satisfying Wuyi Mountain (武夷山) oolong tea. My cost is $15 per ounce and shipping is $5 to the continental US (more for other places). A small free sample is available for certain people who ask very nicely. Payments can me made via cash, check or paypal. Please email me at blackdragontea@gmail.com for more information. 謝謝您! Thank you!

A Message from the Guguan Tourism Board

Guguan (谷關) is a hotspring (溫泉) resort village located in Taichung county, Taiwan (台中縣, 台灣). Every year, this peaceful little town attracts thousands of hotspring-loving tourists from all over the world. But even with all of those visitors, you can still find some pretty posh places to soak your bones without spending a lot of money. In the last five years, I have enjoyed two very relaxing overnight visits to Guguan, and each time I've only spent about US $50 (including all meals and lodging).

The town clings to two sides of a deep ravine that have been stitched together by a few rad suspension bridges. Resort hotels are all over the place. Don't stay at them unless you have a few hundred dollars budgeted... but do hit them up for a good soak. Some resorts, like the Four Seasons Spa Hotel, will open their pools to non-guests for around $10 to $20 depending on the time of year. But if that's still too steep... you can also find some wonderful pools in the $5 range.

I really love the Chinese verb "pao" (泡) meaning "to steep" (as in tea leaves). It is the same word used for soaking one's self in a hotspring. So if you would like to have a dip, just say "wǒ yào pào wēnquán (我要泡溫泉)." Which means: "I would like to steep myself in the hotspring."

Here is one of several pools in which I've soaked:

The tea scene in Guguan is decent... there are a few little cafes that serve good tea, fresh juice and snacks to the health-conscious visitors. But the best tea in Guguan can be for found for free in the parks and pagodas. If you see some folks sitting in the shade and relaxing with a portable stove and teapot go right up to them and say "nihao" (你好). Tea lovers from any culture love to meet one another, so ask them what type of tea they are drinking and if you can taste a little bit. Chances are they will share a little and you'll spend all afternoon sipping oolong and chatting.

The trails around town are very beautiful and offer some short, rewarding hikes. As you power your way up a flight of stairs to the next scenic look-out you may hear some other hikers yell "jia you" (加油) as they huff and puff. This literally means "add oil" but is often translated as "step on the gas" or "make more of an effort."

Strolling along the Shaolai footpath (捎來步道).

In addition to the many beautiful hotsprings and hiking trails around Guguan, the travel map that I picked up for free in the hotspring museum (also free) stated the following: "There are other natural wonders in the Guguan Scenic Area as well--a thousand year old sacred Chinese white pine tree and a Pig of Destiny."

I've got to go back and find that Pig!

Teacup Classes Are Going Great!

It has been such an honor to host different tea classes several times a month at the Teacup! I have met so many wonderful people and received some great feedback. One gentleman (who came as a part of Seattle's coffee meet up group from meetup.com) told me that "I was charging too little for my classes" (I only charge $3) because he "got so much out of it." I live for hearing stuff like that, and for seeing the happy look on people's faces when they experience really good tea for the first time!

My first class back in May of 2009 was Green Tea 101, since then I have presented all of these classes too (some of them more than once): A World of Tea, Advanced Tea Brewing, Exotic Tea Tasting, Green and White Tea Brewing Workshop, Gongfu Tea Brewing Workshop, Herbal Tea Tasting Party, Iced Tea Class, Black Tea Tasting, Intro to Oolongs, Taiwanese Oolongs, Tea Tour of China, Tea Tour of India and Tea Tour of Japan! I am always brainstorming new class ideas and welcome any suggestions you may have.

I'll continue to announce my tea classes in the first few days of each month via blog, facebook, twitter, and email list and I hope to see you soon at a class!

Below are seven photos* from my March 25th Gongfu Tea Brewing Workshop:

*The first three were taken by my friend Michael, the next two by my friend Denise and the last two by me.

Taiwanese Tea Sale!

This morning I picked up my tea from US customs at Sea-Tac airport. Needless to say, I am so happy to finally have my tea back!

isn't it lovely?

The following is a quick rundown of what I got, how much it costs and where you can buy it. More detailed information and descriptions of some of these tea will be posted in the next couple weeks but in the meantime, feel free to ask me any questions via email (blackdragontea@gmail.com) or leave them as comments on this blog post.

茶 茶 茶

These 3 teas are available immediately from Black Dragon Tea Bar (aka me)*:

1. Lishan Ming Gang Tea Garden (梨山明岡茶園) Winter 2009 High Mountain Oolong
An unopened 150 gram bag in a cool green tin = $45 (or you can pay $9 per ounce).

2. Mei Shan Bei Huo (梅山焙火) Winter 2009 High Mountain Oolong -SOLD OUT-
An unopened 300 gram bag = $80 (or you can pay $8 per ounce).

3. Da Yu Ling (大禹嶺) Winter 2009 High Mountain Oolong
An unopened 150 gram bag = $45 (or you can pay $9 per ounce).

茶 茶 茶

These 3 teas are available starting Friday, January 29, 2010 at Teacup**:

1. Shan Lin Xi (杉林溪) Winter 2009 High Mountain Oolong = $160 per pound

2. Alishan Zhang Shu Hu (阿里山樟樹湖) Winter 2009 High Mountain Oolong = $160 per pound

3. Lishan (梨山) Winter 2009 High Mountain Oolong - $160 per pound

茶 茶 茶

These 2 teas will be available at Teacup in 2 to 3 weeks**:

1. Wenshan Baozhong (文山包種) - This is same tea I blogged about here.

2. Wenshan Baozhong Hong Bei (文山包種烘焙) - A medium roasted Baozhong tea from Pinglin.

*Please email me at blackdragontea@gmail.com if you're interested in buying one of these first three teas. Payments can be made via cash, Paypal or check. The tea can be shipped (add $5), delivered or picked up depending on your individual needs. All orders over $40 will include a free gift. 謝謝您!

**Please call Teacup at 206-283-5931 (or stop by) in Seattle if you want to buy any of these teas.

Cang Yuan Wa Mountain Ripe Puer Brick

I would like you to meet the Cang Yuan Wa Mountain Tea Factory's 2006 Ripe Puer Brick (滄源佤山茶廠熟普洱茶磚).

Hello. 你好.


Pleased to meet you!

These bricks were imported by my friends at Tacoma Trading Co. and have been floating around various Northwest tea shops for the last few years. Teacup has been selling them off and on for the last three years and they have been given the nickname "those sweet and smooth bricks" by several of my regular puer customers.

According to T.T.C. these bricks were crafted by a talented female puer master name Tanmei who used to work for the Kunming tea factory. Now she is independent and works with her husband to market her tea.

I recently scored 10 of these bricks from T.T.C. with the hope of making a little extra tea buying money before I head off to Taiwan in mid-January 2010 (more about that soon).

This puer is long lasting and dark with a smooth and silky mouth-feel. I tried to over-brew it but I failed. It can get very dark and pour like thick black oil, but it will stay sweet and smooth. My tasting notes for this morning's session included: fresh soy milk, walnuts, and amaretto. To me this ripe puer is not smoky but it does have a hint of a rosy, fruity, some-might-say-smoky, Keemun* note in the finish.

Infusion #2
(but infusions 1 to 5 pretty much looked like this)

Updated 2-1-12 = Cinnabar's and my tea shop Phoenix Tea in Burien may have these in stock. Please email us for details.

*Keemun (Qimen) (祁門) is a popular Chinese tea. We call it black tea but the Chinese call it red tea (hongcha) (紅茶).