Of all the Taiwanese oolongs, Oriental Beauty seems to have the most prestigious image as the popular legend tells the story how the Queen of England was so awed by the appearance and quality of the tea to give it such name.  The tea farmers originally call it Pon Hong Cha 膨風茶; Pon Hong meaning to boast in the Taiwanese dialect.  The birth of this name actually had little to do with the popularity it achieved in England.  Rather, it is a playful folk tale with, perhaps, some truth.

This tale tells the story of a tea farmer whose tea trees suffered damage from a particular type of tiny insects feeding on the leaves.  This caused the leaves to wither prematurely, while still on the trees.  As the whole crop was damaged, the farmer had no alternative source of fresh leaves and was forced to make whatever he can with his damaged lot.  The quantity was vastly reduced than what he normally would have achieved and the quality took on a different characteristic from the usual oolong produced.  As he prepared his tea to take to the market, his fellow farmers teased him that he would never sell all those teas, even give them away as nobody would take any.

The tea farmer took his tea to an exporter who immediately fell in love with this medium fermented oolong that exhibited distinctive aroma and flavor, such that he bought the whole lot at a premium price.  After the tea farmer went back home, he told his fellow farmers that not only did he sell all the teas, he sold them at a price their good tea could never fetch.  The other tea farmers did not believe him and said he was just boasting; pon hong.  Of course, they soon realized the tea was highly sought after and started producing the same type of tea.

Regardless of the story’s authenticity, it is a reflection of the unintended yet beautiful mistake mother nature often grants us.  The name Pon Hong Cha is still being used in Taiwan today.

I admit there really is no comparison in using an artisan handmade teapot in an exquisite tea experience, but sometimes I just want to have a good cup of tea to satisfy that craving.  It would be the time when I use my little glass teapot, which to an artisan one, is analogous to that of an automatic coffee machine to a manually adjusted espresso apparatus.  The glass teapot is easy to manipulate, impossible to err, and most importantly of all, friendly to all types of oolong.

Although the glass teapot comes with a mesh strainer, I hardly use it as whole-leaf oolong comes in, obviously, whole-leaf and will usually stay in the pot when you pour.  It is also fun to observe how the leaves unfurl.  For this 16 oz teapot, I use 0.2 oz of leaves.  A very simple way to always have the right amount without using a scale is to get a measuring teaspoon from the kitchen.  Then put two level teaspoons for ball-shaped or 4 heaping teaspoons for twig-shaped dry leaves.  You will always have close to, if not exactly as, 0.2 oz.

Since I use the glass teapot mainly for convenience, there is also an easy way to control the temperature for different types of oolong without using a thermometer.  I understand connoisseurs and enthusiasts are very precise about the right temperature to steep a perfect cup of tea and my suggestion is to simply provide a solution that is effortless even to those who are steeping tea for the first time.  Basically, I let boiling water come to a complete rest for 2 minutes.  Then I slowly pour the water in, regardless of oolong type.  For ball-shaped oolongs, I will put the lid back on; whereas for twig-shaped, I leave the lid off.  The reason is that the twig-shaped oolongs usually require lower temperature, which can be achieved by allowing heat to escape quickly through the open top.  The tea will not be “over-cooked”.

Because I am not using strainer, the leaves have the space to completely unfurl as if coming back to life.  It is a joy to see this transformation while observing the change in color from clear to tea color.  If you have a timer to monitor the steeping time, allow at least 5 minutes and add additional minutes for stronger steep preference.  Or you can simply watch until the color reaches the desired hue you are looking for.  Place the lid back on if you have not done so already and serve the tea!

I use either a mug if I am the only one to enjoy this pot of tea, or in this case, two cups for me and my wife.  We will be able to enjoy 3 cups of tea each.  We do not worry about the leaves being steeped for a longer period of time because a high quality tea will only have more intense flavor, not overly bitter or astringent taste.  Try preparing tea with a glass pot and enjoy!

Over the Chinese New Year weekend, I visited my family in Southern California.  While taking a stroll in their backyard, I came upon four tall osmanthus trees, Guei Hua 桂花 in Chinese,  emanating delicate, sweet fragrance in the cooling afternoon air.  I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least, for I did not notice these trees before when the flowers were not blooming.

Osmanthus, also known as sweet olive, has long enjoyed an intellectual prestige in Chinese culture.  In mythology, it is regarded as the tree of the immortals; whereas in popular symbolism, it represents outstanding achievement and unwavering integrity.  The flowers are used extensively in traditional medicine, such as soothing stomach and toothache, improving lung and liver functions, etc.  In addition to the health benefits, the fragrance of the flowers, a mixture of jasmine and fruit, makes osmanthus a much sought after ingredient in a wide range of uses, such as soap, honey, vinegar, pastry, wine, and tea.

 Osmanthus or Guei Hua Oolong 桂花烏龍 is one of the most popular infused oolong in Taiwan.  The sweet scent and taste of the flowers add a warming complexity to the refined elegance of oolong.  As osmanthus is an evergreen that is capable to bloom throughout the year, the tea can also be enjoyed all year round; hot in winter and iced in summer, with a bit of sugar.

A new year has begun, offering us a sense of a new beginning.  During the winter holiday, my family and I decided to take a short ski trip at Lake Tahoe area, which is about 3-hour drive  from San Francisco.  Usually around this time, a thick layer of snow would have already blanketed the entire area, a white winter wonderland with little dots of colors peeking through.

However, the anomaly in weather caused extremely dry condition.  Without humidity in the air, not a single snow flake was falling down from above.  We could see some snow capped peaks high up on the mountain range, but those snow probably fell during the storm a couple of months ago.  In the ski area we stayed at, there is a prairie encircled with thick wooden fence, as shown in the picture above.  If we had normal winter weather, the prairie would look like a giant coat of frosting, instead of a warm autumn scenery.

On top the mountain, my kids were happy to see a small mound of snow to play on.  All around us, we saw mostly dirt and gravel with a few patches of white.  Naturally, there were not too many people; who would want to go to a ski resort when there was no snow to ski on?  This place should have been crowded with visitors, skiing, snowboarding, and enjoying themselves in winter sports.

We still had fun on this trip for the kids learned snowboard for the first time on slopes with man-made snow and my wife and I spent a couple of relaxing days reading.  However, to see the effects of atypical weather only confirms that whether one believes in global warming or not, nature will not forgive us if we are not more mindful to our behaviors that might cause drastic change in environment.  Earth will still be here long after we are gone; let us all strive to keep it as breathtaking, if not better, for each new year.

December 22 or 23 of every year is the winter solstice.  Being the day with the shortest daytime hour, its significance is celebrated in most cultures around the world.  In the West, we are all joyful in the celebration of Christmas, which is closely associated with the day.  As a prelude to the holiday festivities, going to the Christmas tree  farm and looking for the perfect one for Santa to leave the presents under marks a most memorable day in December; perhaps only  overshadowed by Christmas day when we are allowed to open the presents.  It definitely is a wonderfully merry occasion to end the year.

For Chinese, winter solstice signifies a turning point.  Days will become longer and nights shorter, implying the resurgence of light over darkness.  This recurring and inevitable natural phenomenon embodies the essence of life: balance.  There will always be changes that can turn things around at either the zenith or nadir.  We should never delude ourselves that we will always be on top and more importantly, never ever give up hope when all seems lost.

In uncertain times like what we have now,  I would like to encourage everybody with the cliche, yet inspiring truth: tomorrow will be a new day.  Remind ourselves everyday: forever forward.  Happy Winter Solstice!