JohnHou's Chinese Tea Life

Q: What is YiYuanSu(益原素, called TAETEA Prebiotea officially)? A:  Prebiotea is the general designation of tea ingredient, transformed tea ingredients, others produced by microbes during metabolism and others have close relationships with nutrition during fermentation by microbes.  Especially micro molecule fermented Polyphenols like Teadenol series, GA and derivatives of it,  Puerh Catechin 401 series and Fermented polysaccharide are the representative characters of fermented tea. Q: What is the meaning of " TAETEA Prebiotea "? A: This is a customized definition by DaYi and registered as trademark already. " Prebiotea " is the abbreviation of  " TAETEA Prebiotea " which means the prebiotics during tea of DaYi. Q: How about the R&D (research & development ) process on "Prebiotea"? A:  This process of  "Prebiotea" started from 8 years ago by 7th institution of DaYi. They take the bacterium groups during fermentation po

Puerh tea needs breath like human. The surrounding moisture and oxygen and even microbes etc. will help it age well. Some factors affecting the taste of puerh tea are as below: ( ever to raw tea or ripe tea) 1) Humidity: Around 60-70RH is recommended. 2) Temperature: Around 20-25 Celsius degrees is suitable. 3) Sunshine: Must be avoided. 4) Air flow: Should be avoided. But if you can , the air in the storage container should be changed once a week. Meanwhile, please check the condition of the tea like smell or touch feeling. Then try to move every tea to the opposite position like upside to downside, left to right. If you can't remember to do that, please at least try to keep that in dry condition, then there won't be mold. 5) Cleanness of storage condition: When you prepare the container, please make sure it is clean and dry enough. Also every one  you put into including tea packaging materials are in good condition. Then even you may forget it and leave that there

Though a heavy rain day, because I am under the path of Typhoon Ewiniar, but when I take this tea out, there is amazing fragrance, thick and natural mixed with flavor uniquely appears on charcoal roasted tea. LaoCong written as 老枞 which means old tree. Ages of these trees are around 70 years old. The length of tea threads are not so extraordinary along with other factors of appearance. But the aroma from dry leaf is something special. Tea liquid has obvious viscousness and richness. Sweetness from aftertaste comes fast with momentum. Tea flavor spreads in whole mouth and deep into throat and surrounding teeth. Spicy feeling is minor even you may ignore it. But when sniff the brewed tea leaves, you can feel it easily. After some infusions, tea leaves opened widely and there comes out more greenish color with dark red or brown edges surrounded. Most tea leaves are thick and soft. Brewing way: 5g tea materials 70ml GaiWan with full capacity of 120ml Filtered r

BaiMuDan written as 白牡丹 also called PaiMuDan. In mandarin, BaiMuDan is the only pronunciation. The name means "White Peony" because of the silver white bud embraced by the green leaf  looks like blossoming bud in green leaves especially after brewed. After 3 years' storage, the tea leaf turns to grayish green color but because of dry storage, it has not so significant evolving on color, though the difference on taste is another topic and I think even new comer to white tea can separate old tea from new tea. Fragrance is like some flower, light but attractive enough. Particularly to tea lovers. After brewed, there is some brewed vegetable mixed flavor comes out. Compared to new tea BaiMuDan, this 3 year old tea has deeper color on liquid more like orange yellow. The taste is mellower and more like sleek silk on smoothness. The sweetness is like on the middle way of turning from sugar cane to caramel. Viscous and mouth feeling is more abundant. The g

Naturally Light fragrance.  Some freshness because of new leaves.  Light and bright tea liquor with few greenish.  Refreshed mountain spring water like sweetness.  Lingering floral mouth feeling.  No bitterness at all.  I tried to steep it heavily during middle session, the tea liquor appears on orange like yellow color, and tastes some astringent though very different from puerh raw tea.  Brewed tea leaves become fatter and fatter after absorbed water and the flavor turns to like ripe rice mixed with flower like fragrance.  . Brewing method: Tea leaf: 6g GaiWan: Porcelain 70ml (with full capacity of 120ml) Filtered running water. Water temperature: 96-98 Celsius degrees. Infusion time: 3-5s during front half session. Then with 1-2s extended in each infusion.

周亮工（1612—1672）called Zhou LiangGong lived in the middle of Qing dynasty has created some poems related with WuYi YanCha. One of them is below: . 雨前虽好但嫌新，火气难除莫近唇。 (Spring new tea is good but little hurtful,  internal heat keeps mouth from nearing. ) 藏得深红三倍价，家家卖弄隔年陈。 (When well preserved old tea is worth 3 times price than new one, every home shows off their tea from last year. ) I tried this JinGuanYin, a kind of WuYi YanCha from last spring this morning. It has been roasted more than twice since picking up and the last time is in last winter. Now the condition is near medium-heavy roasted tea. Charcoal flavor from dark tea leaf with some reddish appearance. Fruity fragrance is apparent when sniff the cold cap of GaiWan. Spicy and mellow. Some sweetness from aftertaste.  Toad skin like air bubble appears on most tea leaves.  If the tea leaves can be thicker and softer, I think my supplier will ask me for much higher price. 

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DaHongPao belongs to WuYi YanCha also called Cliff Tea or Rock Tea. . Dry tea leaf: Heavily Roasted. Dark color with some reddish appearance.  Charcoal like flavor from dry tea leaf. Floral mixed with caramel aroma.  . Tea liquid: At first 1-3 infusions, the color is brownish yellow color, then it turns to golden color from then on.  Caramel like sweetness can be felt at the first sipping. Mellower than lightly or medium roasted tea, also less irritation to stomach. Viscous. Mouth feelings varies along with infusions. Soothing mind feeling.  . Brewed tea leaf: Greenish color appears more apparent during the end of session. *Toad skin seems like on every leaf especially these with greenish color. Toad skin hears like unpleasant as description right now, but definitely it is always used to describe these tea leaves roasted better and well approves the skill and ability of the tea master who processes tea. No bad quality tea leaf.  . Brewing method: 4g tea leaf. 70ml GaiW

Just tasted a puerh tea made from BangDong(邦东) tea region in 2009 year.  Floral, honey and herb like aroma from the dry tea leaves.  It has impact on each sip, bitter and retreats fast.  Astringency is weak from the beginning to the end.  Thick tea liquid is rich with density.  Tea flavor in mouth lasts long and varies with time neither too fast nor too slow.  HuiGan comes soon and from wide place in front side of mouth and tongue. Salivation is always on a satisfying level and lasts very long even after the session.  Long lasting steeping times.  Fragrant tea flavor even like comes from inner nose.  Very energizing especially in this stifling hot afternoon in Guangzhou. According to the tea flavor from dry leaf and cold cup along with brewed tea leaf, guessing it was blended with GuShu tea material on a high ratio even with some wild tea leaves blended in.  Well aged till now, and it is still can be highly expected on evolution in coming years in GuangZhou.  .