I apologize for the late nature of this post, considering that the first week of my challenge ended several days ago; I must admit to having plenty of things occupying my time! I am now, however, completely ready to debrief and let you all in on the nature of my first week and its discoveries.
I'll begin by discussing what I'd planned to do. I wanted to successfully:
-Start the blog
-Begin Keeping a tea journal
-Purchase my books on tea
-Purchase the equipment I would need to brew tea more properly
I'm very pleased to say that I accomplished all these goals! I began this blog and now have 3 posts, I set aside one of my many blank notebooks to be used as a journal for documenting all the teas I drink on a daily basis, I purchased (and read most of!) 3 widely acclaimed books on the study and art of tea tasting/culture, and I purchased an electric kettle with variable temperature settings, a small glass teapot, a scale for weighing out loose-leaf tea, and a tea tasting set which includes a porcelain Gaiwan, Cha hai, and 4 tasting cups (more on all these another time)!
This was all wonderful and I enjoyed accomplishing these goals immensely, but that wasn't what ended up making this week most special. After reading a good deal about small, but esteemed tea companies scattered around the world and their products, I decided (on something of a whim) to reach out to the owners of some of these tea shops via email, asking them a few questions about how they got started in the tea industry and what advice they could give me as I begin my journey; additionally, I asked a few questions about the philosophy of tea and how it might impact our daily lives for the better.
The response I got from these simple emails was astounding; tea lovers living in a disparate group of places answered my call and gave me more than I ever could have wished for! As to my technical questions about the tea industry and tips on tasting, I was bombarded by a wave of advice on how to approach tea from the most pure, environmentally friendly way possible. I learned about the ins and outs of the tea industry from passionate people with amazing stories about passion and joy, as well as frustration and heartbreak. I learned about the importance of buying tea from companies which value small, family-run tea farms, and about the dangers of factory farming in relation to tea. I never knew how many lives relied upon the way we, as consumers, spend our money. I feel more than ever a commitment to doing research before I buy not only tea, but all manner of products. Beginning with the messages of a few tea lovers, I dove deep into the world of tea production, processing, sourcing, buying, and selling, being shocked by the current state of the tea industry in many parts of the world; for every small farmer devoted to sustainable and traditional methods of production there are a hundred large-scale tea corporations who care most about the bottom line and not the individuals who their work impacts most. I promise that over the course of my tea exploration the next 8 weeks I will only buy tea from companies which can prove that they are personally involved with small farmers and which care genuinely about time-proven methods of tea production; not only is this the morally right thing to do, but these teas are also always of a higher quality than their factory-farmed counterparts.
While the technical part of the answers to my questions have changed my entire outlook on consumerism, the answers on the philosophy of tea are the true masterpieces of this project so far. Having always appreciated tea as a comforting beverage in times of stress as well as a key part of the British tea ceremony, I was shocked to learn that the way I've always approached tea misses so much of what actually matters. The tea experts to which I spoke have all sat in rural Chinese kitchens, listening to dedicated farmers explain what makes tea so special, and not one of them told me that the taste of the tea is the most important thing. Each of them discussed how setting aside time for tea is like putting the rest of the world on pause and grounding themselves in a single moment. They explained that the complex Chinese tea ceremony known as Gong Fu has nothing to do with improving the taste of the tea (or, at least, very little) and that it's actually all about making it impossible to do anything but practice mindfulness. Further, they discussed how tea is not only meant as a solitary practice, but is also the ideal way to reach out to other people. In fact, the Chinese term "white tea" has nothing to do with the least processed variety of tea using exclusively the bud and/or first two leaves of a tea plant (what my tea books taught me 'white tea' is), but is rather a reference to the custom of preparing only hot water via the traditional Gong Fu ceremony when one is too poor to afford tea to give guests; guests are meant to accept this as if it was the finest tea ever offered to them. Tea isn't about steep time or leaf weight or liquor color or aroma or terroir (though I'm still dedicated to learning about all these things from a technical perspective for the remainder of my journey); tea is about sharing what you have with those around you, whether it be a simple, tranquil moment of your time or a fine cup of Bai Mu Dan ('White Peony'). I titled the first week of my tea challenge (and the entire process) "communiTEA" not knowing how important and fitting such a name would end up being to the direction my discoveries took. This purely philosophical outlook on tea and its meaning is termed "Cha Dao", or "the way of tea", and I am planning to devote an entire post to discussing it soon. For now, rest assured that every cup of tea I will ever drink again will mean far more to me than it did before, making the coming weeks all the more exciting!
In the pursuit of proper supplies and a good start to my learning challenge, I found ways of exploring tea in a way I had never intended. For this, I would especially like to thank Lily and David Duckler from Verdant Tea for contributing the vast bulk of information and insights I shared with all of you today and I invite you to visit their online store; Verdant Tea is unusual (wonderfully so!) in that rather than shopping by tea type, they allow you to shop by the individual families they work with across China! They completely changed my outlook on community, responsibility, and love of what you commit your life to.
Look out for posts soon about "Cha Dao" and the History of tea production/consumption, as well as for more information about proper tea tasting and tea journaling!