Went to Hojo today. I browsed through their usual teawares that they show on their website, but they now have some 20 to 30 years old yixing zhuni which they acquired from a private collector. These were non display items but only shown to regulars. They said the performance of the clay is good. They even have 2 yixing zhuni which is by artist but is newly made. I didnt think about them cause I just bought 3 zhuni last week, but I nearly bought one of their Sado cause been wanting one for collection, too bad the one i like is used and brand new is not available in outlet but available in their office.

They have brought in 6 dan cong phoenix oolong. I tasted 3 of em. As usual Hojo taste and selection is good. I then tasted their 2 sencha and asahina gyokuro. I still prefer their gyokuro over sencha.

So what did I buy today? 2 of their chinese green tea. Yun Feng and Taiping Houkui. Took back a Lu Mei sample.

So what kind of tea do you mostly drink?

碧螺春 and 小龙珠 are some of my favorites

The taste reminds me of chewing gum...

This post has been edited by auhckw: Nov 18 2010, 09:04 AM

How Drinking More Black Tea Can Change Your Life
http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/health...11/16/id/377110

Tuesday, 16 Nov 2010 09:46 AM

The fragrant leaves of the camellia sinensis plant have been brewed since ancient times into a health drink for medicinal purposes. The best place to find this magical drink is in your local supermarket in the section marked "tea."

Tea whether black, green, or white has many health benefits, which include weight loss and prevention of heart disease.

Black tea leaves are processed differently from green and white (which are hardly processed), and are allowed to go through a process of oxidation.

Tea is rich in “antioxidant” properties.

Some of the well-known black tea benefits include:

--Black tea benefits the heart. Black tea causes the blood vessels to expand, thereby increasing the blood flow to the heart, which reduces the risks of heart attacks as well as “heart diseases.” Studies have shown that three cups of black tea can reduce the risk of stroke.

--Black tea helps fight cancer. It is thought that black tea can slow down the growth of cancerous cells without affecting the healthy cells.

--Black tea helps you look young. Studies have shown that black tea can retard the aging process and is currently being used in anti-aging creams and lotions.

--Black tea burns fat and speeds up metabolism. It is an ideal drink to have if you are looking to lose weight. Besides “weight loss,” black tea also reduces the bad “cholesterol,” and helps people whose “cholesterol” levels are high.

--Black tea is good for diabetics, as it decreases glucose levels and slows the absorption of blood sugar.

--Black tea has also been shown to relieve diarrhea because of the tannins that it contains. Drinking black tea slows down intestinal activity and reduces the pains associated with diarrhea. It has a soothing anti-inflammatory effect.

--Black tea contains low amounts of caffeine, which promotes blood flow to the brain, which in turn sharpens mental focus and ability to concentrate without overstimulating the heart.

--Black tea is beneficial in certain respiratory illnesses, especially asthma, and can provide relief in breathing difficulties.

Although the benefits of black tea far outweigh any side effects, some individuals have reported symptoms of anxiety, an increased heart rate, and worsening of ulcer symptoms after consuming tea. It is advisable to drink a moderate 3-5 cups or to consult a medical practitioner if you experience any side effects. The benefits of black tea are further enhanced, if it is drunk without milk and sugar.

Just got this Zini

Tacha Zini Teapot – Chuo Qiu Hu
Dedicated for Young Ripe Pu-erh
Size: 120ml







Info from the seller:-
-This is new production using 90s clay which is from Factory No. 1.
-It was made by one of the studio in Factory No. 1.
-This pot is Tiao Sha. Mixed of the same kind of clay from different batch (if i interpreted correctly) but is still considered pure.

This pot passed the:-
1) Tilt 90 degrees and cap won't fall off
2) While pouring, cover the hole on the cap and the water would stopped instantly
3) While holding the hole on the spout, turn the pot upside down and the cap would not fall off
4) Pouring the water out in less than 10 seconds (without leaves)

This post has been edited by auhckw: Nov 19 2010, 12:14 AM

~Lesson from TC~

I would like to summarized what I've learned about Yixing clay for the past 1 week from a teashop (TC). Previously I know nothing about Yixing clay, and I hope what I've learned is correct, so correct me if I've learned wrong

General Info

Yixing is the name of a place where it is famous for producing clays for teapots, there are other places which produces those similar clay out of Yixing such as Chao Zhou, Sado, etc. Place to mine clays are usually from Mountain or Mines.

Some of Yixing clay is getting depleted/extinct, where new teapots are made based on previous harvested clay which was mined and stored long ago. Government has even prevent some of the mining from certain area and not releasing new license to mine them.

Back then, there is this Factory No. 1. It is the main factory that produces Teapots. The Factory is no longer operational but there are many sub studios in it that is making teapots. There are also many artist and freelancer who are doing it too out of the studio.

Types of Clay

The word Zisha is the general word for the clay. There are 3 sub categories of Zisha:-
-Zini (Purple clay) - Also known as Zisha
-Hongni (Red Clay)
-Duanni (Green Clay)

There are many sub categories for the 3 types of clays too, Eg, Zini has a subcategory called Di Cao Cing, etc, Hongni has a subcategory called Zhuni, etc.

In general in order to make a teapot, the clay is mixed, cause by itself it is too soft to form the shape. It is a matter of what they mixed. Mixed with own kind of clay / cooked clay? Mixed with sand? Mixed with chemical to produce/mimic certain kind of clay? The level of mixture?

Firing method/temperature for baking the teapot will also differ the colour of the teapot of the same category. And for some kind of teapots, some chemical are purposely put in to make it become black, other colours and glossy.

So in terms of functionality how does it defers?

Zini:-
-Smoother feeling on the throat
-Reduces bitterness, astringency
-More porous
-Retain heat lesser

Hongni:-
-Produce lesser smooth feeling on the throat like Zini. The feeling is more on the tongue and mouth area
-It will beef up the aroma and flavor of the tea compared to Zini. Bringing the higher note of the tea
-Less porous
-Retain heat better

Duanni
-Not as smooth as Zini
-Not as aroma and flavor as Hongni
-Balance?

If the tea itself is bitter, Hongni will boost it up so it would be better to go for Zini that is able to absorb it better it is more porous. But if the tea itself is the kind of roasted (oolong) or has weaker aroma and flavor, using Hongni would be good as it improves it.

Choosing which clay for which tea can differ from one person to another depending on how the person likes his/her tea. So there is no rule for what can go in or not in the pot, or what is better or lesser good for the pot. So trial and error till you find yourself what you liked. But it is always best to dedicate the pot for a certain kind of tea and not mixing too much.

Modern vs Old clay

People usually say Old teapots are better as it is better/purer clay. It may be true, but workmanship and firing techniques used back then may be of lesser quality and consistency as Modern teapots. And clay no matter Modern or Old are still clay from thousands of years old from the ground. Clay did not come out of yesterday.

How to check a teapot?

-The front spout and the back handle should be aligned
-Look out for hairline cracks. This is usually more obvious after the teapot is rinsed with hot water and cooled down
-Pour some hot water in, let it sit for a while. Pour out the hot water. Smell the inner pot for any weird chemical smell
-Holding and pouring of the water should be smooth. There shouldn't be a lot of leakage from the cap
-The shorter the time for it to pour the water out, the better it is for not over steeping the tea leaves
-Tilt the teapot 90 degrees and cap should not fall off. Be very careful
-Depending on the design of the teapot, while pouring, cover the hole on the cap and the water would stopped instantly
-If the hole is not reachable, put in some water (3/4 full), while holding the hole on the spout, turn the pot upside down and the cap should not fall off. Be very careful

How to open a new teapot

Traditional method is to boil it, then put in some tea leaves you want for the pot to be dedicated, and cook it. But this method may be dangerous as it may clog the pores of the teapot and also may cause uneven glossiness next time.

This was recommended instead:-
-While washing the teapot with water, use something soft and wipe the inner and outer part of the teapot
-If it is dirty, you can use a toothbrush and gently scrub it
-Once done, fill up the teapot with normal temperature water and let it sit for a while
-Pour hot water on the outer side of the teapot
-Then pour hot water into the teapot which has the normal temperature water in it and let it overflow
-Pour out all the water, and fill it up with hot water on the inner to the max and wetting the outer pot. Repeat this step couple of times

Teapot Maintenance

While using the teapot for brewing, use a brush and brush away the leftover water on the outer teapot so that it will not be stained on the particular area

After cleaning the teapot (just remove the leaves, rinse with hot water, don't use soap), open up the lid and leave it to dry. Leave the lid open for couple of days. It may look dry on the outside, but inner side may be still wet.

Whether or not to polish the teapot, some say it is not advisable as it will make the teapot look too glossy or unnatural glossy.

Mouth Brewing
http://www.wikicha.com/index.php/Mouth_Brewing

my teapot

Nice carving. Both matching, set? Hongni and Zini?

This post has been edited by auhckw: Nov 21 2010, 08:24 PM

The Sixth South East Asia Puer Tea Trade Fair 2010

Took me 1 hour to enter the building. There are 2 other fair running same place and time. Chinese Book Fair and Retirement Fair (if i see correctly). I think this is my first time in a hall full of chinese books. Quite impressive and crowded.

I probably should have not put so high hope for this puer fair. The puer fair is at the corridor outside the book fair hall. I walked 3 rounds didn't find anything that interest me. There are some yixing artist (unknown faces to me) promoting their pots at expensive price tag. The crowd were most likely from the book fair.

Did I get anything? Nope.
Will I purposely go to the fair again? Nope.

2004 - Xia Guan Golden Ribbon - 16 Tou
First year of this product. I tried the 2007 and 2004 version of this. So much different. 2007 tea colour seems darker than 2004, but still has the smokiness, bitterness and astringency. 2004 is without it and is smoother and has some sweetness. 2007 is also good but I think few more years would make it better. Price wise, 2004 is nearly double the price of 2007.







2007 - Xia Guan Special Grade - 1 Tou = Free



This post has been edited by auhckw: Nov 21 2010, 11:01 PM

I think you should go there just to know the tea shop owners and also learn. If not mistaken, there are tea talk and forum where you can learn from the master. If you are in luck, someone will sponsor aged tea to brew and all can have a chance to drink. Last year at mid valley, one tea shop owner sponsored 1946 SongPin and I was there This tea will probably cost you RMxxxx for one teapot if you drink them in China.

I think those people are busy to be able to teach much. I think I would prefer to be spending time with them at their shops than the booth. No luck drinking any super expensive tea

Just noticed my 2004 - Xia Guan Golden Ribbon is Sept editions, and on the net I found May editions I wonder is May and Sept from the same batch but different printing dates, or is totally different batch

What you mean busy to teach? I can see from the schedule that there are such talks. One of speaker is Aaron Fisher who regularly writes on puer magazine. Last year I went and I learn quite number of things from him. Nice guy

Oh, you referring to the talks. I was thinking about those booths ppl

Ok, I think I finally found out what kind of worms I have seen in numerous Pu. May I introduce you...

Common Name: Silverfish, firebrat
Scientific Name: Lespisma sacchrina (Linnaeus)
Insect Order: Thysanura





More Photos: http://tinyurl.com/2ekcfp5

http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg2.html

Description: Silverfish are always wingless and are silvery to brown in color because their bodies are covered with fine scales. They are generally soft bodied. Adults are up to 3/4 inch long, flattened from top to bottom, elongated and oval in shape, have three long tail projections and two long antennae.

The firebrat, Thermobia domestica (Packard), is quite similar in habits but is generally darker in color. The firebrat prefers temperatures over 90 degrees F but has a similar high humidity requirement. It is common near heating pipes, fire places, ovens and other heat sources.

Life Cycle: Females lay eggs continuously after reaching the adult stage and may lay over 100 eggs during her life. Eggs are deposited singly or in small groups in cracks and crevices and hatch in 3 to weeks. Silverfish develop from egg to young to adult within 4 to 6 weeks and continue to molt throughout their life. Immature stages appear similar to adults except they are about 1/20 of an inch long when they first hatch and whitish in color, taking on the adults’ silver coloring as they grow. They are long-lived, surviving from two to eight years. Simple metamorphosis (egg, nymph, adult).

Habitat, Food Source(s): Silverfish are chewing insects and general feeders but prefer carbohydrates and protein, including flour, dried meat, rolled oats, paper and even glue. They and can survive long periods, sometimes over a year, without food but are sensitive to moisture and require a high humidity (75% to 90%) to survive. They also have a temperature preference between 70 and 80 degrees F. They are fast running and mostly active at night and generally prefer lower levels in homes, but may be found in attics.

Pest Status, Damage: Primarily a nuisance pest inside the home or buildings; can contaminate food, damage paper goods and stain clothing; medically harmless. Many of their habits are similar to cockroaches and they appear to be more common as household pests in drier parts of the state. Occasionally damage book bindings, curtains, wallpaper.

I just did an experiment on Zini (Purple) and Zhuni (Red) teapot. I brewed my Xiaguan 2004 Golden Ribbon Raw Pu in them using same parameters.

When I tried that pu yesterday at the shop using porcelain gaiwan, it does not have smokiness, bitterness and astringency. The result for both is the same. But there is slight enhancement...

In the Zini, it is smooth, felt warmer but the flavor and aroma was ok only. If I did not compare to Zhuni I would have said Zini is quite good.

But in the Zhuni it is also smooth (as I believe the pu itself is smooth), but the flavor and aroma is much stronger. The tea colour was darker too. It has the less warm feeling compared to Zini, but it is more refreshing as the taste was better.

So what is my preference for today's experiment? Feel warmer with Zini or more taste with Zhuni? I would go for Zhuni

I have a feeling that for good quality Pu, zhuni is going to be quite a good match. And for lower grade or tough young, Zini may help to reduce the smokiness, bitterness and astringency. I have to experiment further...

I was minding my own business driving, then I saw a road block. I was stopped by 2 young girls in nice outfit.

I wind down my windows, and one of them handed me...