Versatile Blogger Award

I was nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by pjdonna even though I haven’t had the time to blog here in a long, long time. Thanks hor! Dang, I feel bad. So ok ok, let me write down 7 tea-related things about myself:

1. Sometimes, I really wonder why I like tea so much. It’s just a drink, right? But it’s probably the healthiest consumable I like so I am still keeping at it (even if I haven’t been very good with this blog).
2. My personality is more like a jittery coffee person who talks extremely fast and freaks out at the slightest of things. But that is why all the more I need tea in my life.
3. The nicest – and most horrible – people I’ve met are from the tea industry. For such a mellow drink, it has brought about many polarising experiences.
4. I am looking for a nice wooden retro teaware display cupboard to put my teaware. Does anyone know where I can get this?
5. I don’t like it when people dismiss tea without even trying the good stuff. I don’t like it when people who only try the good stuff get snooty and dismiss the more “plebian” tea drinkers. Yes, I’m a conflicted chick.
6. I would like to write a tea book one day – but I’m still mulling over what kind of tea book should it be: swinging from a dummy’s guide resource to a history book to speculative fiction.Decisions, decisions!
7. I would very much like to go to Taiwan soon for a tea pilgrimage.

And here are the bloggers I nominate for this award (mostly tea bloggers of course!) – sorry I don’t quite know 15 yet unforunately!

Black Dragon Tea Bar

Steph’s Cup of Tea

Peonyts’ Blog 

Miss Tea Delight 

Faerie Tales 

Teahouse Stirrings 

Tea Pages 

 How The Versatile Blogger Award Works: 

If you are nominated, you’ve been awarded the Versatile Blogger award.

•  Thank the person who gave you this award. That’s common courtesy.
•  Include a link to their blog. That’s also common courtesy — if you can figure out how to do it.
•  Next, select 15 blogs/bloggers that you’ve recently discovered or follow regularly. ( I would add, pick blogs or bloggers that are excellent!)
•  Nominate those 15 bloggers for the Versatile Blogger Award — you might include a link to this site.
•  Finally, tell the person who nominated you 7 things about yourself.

 

An Unintentional Tea Spokesperson

Because of this blog, some journalists have contacted me to provide quotes/information about tea for their articles.

Here’s one article from TimeOut Singapore:

http://www.timeoutsingapore.com/aroundtown/feature/2012-singapores-best-teas

And here’s another from Longitude, an in-house magazine for a marina club (see pg 21 – 23):
http://www.one15marina.com/one15cms/upload/17122012_110608_Longitude%20Jan-Feb%202013%20(1).pdf

I find it rather surreal to be on the other side of the table (usually, I’m the one bugging people to tell me more about tea). Don’t get me wrong however, I’m always happy to share tea trivia and experiences!

Tea Loves: Liz Steel

I love how the Internet connects me with fellow tea lovers whose paths I may never have crossed in my everyday life. Today, I’d like you to meet Liz Steel, an architect from Sydney who is an awesome sketcher and of course, loves tea!

Here’s just a sampling of some of her lovely tea sketches – she says she likes to drink tea and sketch at the same time – I think that is a great combination! There’s just something about her sketches that make me very happy when I see them, and don’t you think her love for tea just radiates in these drawings? It makes for such a lovely record too….*suddenly wishes Harry Potter could wave a wand and give me a dose of artsiness*

Liz also shared with me some of her favourite teas and tea haunts:

What are your favourite teas at the moment?

Well, I have to say Earl Grey. This is my long time favourite tea. I have tried well over 50 varieties of it, but the brand I buy by the kilo bag is Taylors of Harrogate’s Earl Grey.

I drink all kinds of tea – white, green, oolong, pu-erh, herbals…you name it, I will try it. But my other big favourite tea is a green oolong – I am particularly partial to those from Taiwan. I have a Da Yu Mountain tea at the moment which I love. So I have a very varied tea drinking taste and mix both western and eastern tea cultures. In fact I don’t think that there is a tea culture that I would not enjoy.

What are you favourite tea spots in Sydney?

For me, the most important ingredient of a tea spot is not only good tea but its variety! As it is all about the whole experience, I like variety in the selection of tea, the teaware, the food to eat alongside the tea and the views/ variety of sitting positions. All these things are highly sketchable and keep me inspired on repeat visits.

Well, the best teahouse I have ever been to (and I have created my own rating system to compare them) is actually my local one- how special is that? It is the T2 teahouse at Macquarie Centre in North Ryde Sydney. They have an enormous selection of tea – over 150 – and I am working my way through them all…down to the last 50 now! Each time I visit I have a different teacup, saucer, and pot. The staff are amazing, as are the raspberry scones and the interior is so interesting and sketchable! The full selection of my sketches in this tearoom is here.

Another favourite tearoom, is The Tea Cosy by The Rocks (near Harbour Bridge). They have a smaller range of tea but a neverending supply of hand-knitted tea cosies and amazing scones as well…as you can see, it is not just about the tea for me!

There are many teahouses in Sydney that I haven’t explored – I don’t seem to have the time at home to get out and about exploring them as much as when I am travelling…but in terms of quality tea, Dragon Well Chinese Teahouse in Pyrmont is great. Only a small selection of tea, but Lisa, the owner goes to China each season to choose the best tea (that is where I got my Da Yu, which I am now drinking)!

Right now, I am in Port Macquarie having a holiday by the beach. However, just nearby is another tearoom called Tea and Treasures and it has the most amazing selection of china. It is a teacup museum! I get so excited on every visit as the staff and owners choose something special to serve my tea in and then bring me other cups to draw! The cakes are great as well.

Thanks so much for these recommendations, Liz! Will be sure to check them out when it’s my turn to visit your hometown  

Images courtesy of Liz Steel 

Ten Days

Taken outside a T2 store along Chapel Street, Melbourne.

There’s ten days left till 2013! And what a tea journey I’ve been on this year:

- Got to know more lovely tea lovers in Singapore through this blog and tea classes at The Time of Tea!

- Got to write about tea beyond this blog for T Ching, Yahoo Singapore and InSing!

- Got myself “proper” pieces of teaware, but still not quite enough to serve more than 4 people

- Introduced a few good friends to some great tea!

- Received some great tea from more well-versed, tea-loving friends!

- Wrote and read more Chinese characters than I ever have since I was 17.

Tea has been a sometimes neglected but ever loyal companion to what has been an absolutely hectic but amazing year. Because of this, I still very much want to keep this blog, even if I am so infrequent with entries these days. It’s the least I can do for a drink that has brought me much sanity, solitude, companionship and comfort. Here’s to tea!

Christmas at the House of Twinings

Twinings Christmas pop-up store outside Mandarin Gallery.

As mentioned before, I’m a bit of a Christmas Grinch. However, I’m always excited about new tea spaces (even if temporary), so when a long lost friend whom I haven’t spoken to for 15 years contacted me out of the blue to tell me that he was helping Twinings put together a pop-up Christmas store in Singapore, I was more than happy to check it out.

During its launch, a Twinings’ Tea Master from Thailand conducted a cosy tasting session of its classic and specialty Christmas blends. His name is Khun Theerasak Phangmuangdee (or Dew for short). He is gentle, friendly and very professional and I learned quite a bit about tea cupping from him. For example, do you know that when it comes to tasting the tea, you only add 2.5g/cup for consumers but 5g/cup for the suppliers/distributors so they can truly get the flavours of the tea?

Here are the loose teas I sampled:
- Gunpowder Green Tea: I’d say that this is a pretty good tea (sweet and grassy), even for “Chinese Chinatown tea standards”. I’ll keep you posted as to what my tea teacher says about this
- Vintage Darjeeling: Lovely muscat notes and a gorgeous golden colour.
- Prince of Whales: A velvety blend of Chinese black teas including Keemun – for me, I needed the 5g version of the tea to really get its earthy, smoky notes.
- The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Blend: A cross-cultural blend of 2nd flush Assam and Yunnan black tea. I am absolutely in love with its pastel tin packaging.
- Lady Grey: I really love this – it’s a lighter, more citrusy version of Early Grey. What’s really interesting is that the black tea base is from Anhui Province (as opposed to the stronger Assam black tea); making this a perfect drink for afternoon tea.
- Christmas Tea:  Malty Assam with cinnamon and clove – spicy punch! I’d think it’d go well with some condensed milk.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas – limited edition Twinings gift sets and a reunion with an old friend!

This specialty store is the perfect place to pop by after frantic Christmas shopping at Orchard Road. Trained Twinings Tea Ambassadors will be more than happy to let you sample their blends and you could pick up some gifts at the same time. Also, for those of you who have been hunting high and low for quaint tea boxes (I’ve had a few queries on this of late), you’ll find that some of their gift sets come in these gorgeous wooden boxes with a soft velvet inner lining.

Twinings is also organising a Facebook photo contest for visitors to this festive pop-up tea store – just snap some pictures at the House of Twinings and upload your photos here and you stand to win a trip to Bangkok for two and have tea at the new Twinings Tea Boutique there (where apparently, Dew and his other tea master colleague will even be able to make bespoke tea blends for you)!

House of Twinings Tea Parlour
Just in front of Mandarin Gallery (333A Orchard Road)
Opening hours: 12pm – 8pm (till 26 Dec 2012)

A Jazz Soundtrack for Tea

Besides tea, I also enjoy listening to jazz. Given that fancy hotel tearooms seem to pipe in a lot of Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra, there must be something about the tea and jazz combination that works.

For me, tea and jazz share many common traits – both take you on unexpected journeys, both thrive on that sense of freedom and open-endedness, and yet both good jazz and good tea are derived from much dedication, hard work and passion.

Given that my tea drinking has become more serious in recent years, I decided that I needed a well-curated jazz soundtrack to go with my favourite teas. This is where my friend, Kerong Chok (see above), came to help me in this. He is an amazing jazz musician who took my tea-jazz pairing request very seriously. Here is his list of suggested jazz tracks that I’m absolutely stoked to share with you all:

Silver Needle + Ahmad Jamal Trio’s “Darn that Dream”

The trio swings gently but it is a powerful performance – just like white tea, which may taste light but leaves a lasting impression.

 Gyokuro Pearl Dew + Erroll Garner’s “Where or When”

The fresh, grassy intensity of the Gyokuro pairs perfectly with Erroll Garner’s brilliant piano playing, which always commands immediate attention.

Iron Goddess of Mercy + Bill Evans’ “Waltz for Debby”

The depth of this classic oolong makes the ideal companion with the bittersweet intensity of Bill Evans’ playing.

Darjeeling Black Tea + Fred Hersch’s “So In Love”

Like the delicate sweetness of Darjeeling, Fred Hersch is able to get beautiful, subtle tones out of any piano he plays.

Lapsang Soucong + Art Tatum’s “Yesterdays”

Lapsang Soucong’s rich smokiness meets its match with jazz piano heavyweight Art Tatum who effortlessly executes dense harmonies.

What do you think of these pairings? Do you have your own tea-jazz pairings to suggest? I would love to hear about your experiences and suggestions in the comment box!

This article has also been published in T Ching.

Guest Post: A Comprehensive Argument for the Masculinity of Tea

Finally! This tea blog get a a bit of life in the form of an absolutely awesome tea post from a TeaMan (rhymes with He-Man!), Derek. He makes a strong case for manly tea.

In some circles, tea has a bit of a bum rap, especially if you’re a man.

“Oh you drink tea? Do you like to drink it while reading Confessions of a Shopaholic or Twilight Saga?”

“Tea’s your favorite beverage? Is netball your favorite sport then?”

Prepare yourself for an onslaught of snide remarks challenging your machismo. Well, the mark of a true man is not violence but restraint; and intelligent rebuttals.

The next time your manliness is called into question because you enjoy the beverage of intellectuals and royalty down the centuries, you have a ready comeback on hand. In fact, from anyway you spin it- real men drink tea.

A Historical Perspective- Tea Drinkers Rule

From Emperor Tang Dai Zong to Emperor Qian Long to Chairman Mao- all these dudes helmed the nation of China at some point or another. Few things scream ‘manliness’ as much as power and that was something these guys didn’t lack.

Another commodity they had abundance of was tea, of course they did- the best teas were earmarked for their private consumption. Tribute tea or 贡茶 （yup, I think many of you can pick up the reference） was the generic term for the best teas reserved for those who rule, literally.

A Cultural Perspective- A Manly Grip

How many drinks differentiate between a man’s way of drinking and a lady’s?

I know mine does. A man grips firmly with his thumb, index and middle while the ring and little finger are curled into place to show he’s in control.

The stance even has a manly name- 三龙护鼎 or literally ‘3 dragons protecting the cauldron’. How much more masculine can you get than that?

For the sake of completeness, a lady’s grip has the last 2 fingers in a more relaxed posture, to signify elegance. As for a photo of that- ask the Tea Lady, I’m not going demonstrate that- it damages my credibility as I’m arguing this case!

A Scientific Perspective- Testosterone Charged (Literally)

As most of us are aware, estrogens are the primary female hormone and testosterones are the primary male hormones. Ergo the most scientific way of proving your masculinity is through your testosterone level, no?

Here’s an extract from a Newscientist.com article on this subject:

“Large quantities (of tea) might even provide a legal performance boost by raising levels of testosterone in the blood.”

If you are so inclined, you can read the rest of the article here but here’s the skinny- gulping tea boosts you testosterone levels (and hence your masculinity). So you can shove that scientific factoid down the throats of those sissy doubters with lower testosterone levels!

*With the usual wishy-washy scientific disclaimers of course*

A Social Perspective- Slurping

Slurping your soup may seem immensely gratifying but it’s the surest way of ensuring you’ll never be invited back again.

Well, it is not only socially acceptable to slurp tea, it is encouraged. Slurping tea helps aerate the tea and spread it evenly on your tongue so you can better differentiate the subtle nuances of the tea.

For good measure, it is also perfectly acceptable to ‘chew’ your tea. How’s that for masculinity, you can slurp and move your jaw as you drink, unleash your inner Viking without alienating your entire social circle?

Conclusion:

So any way you spin it, real men drink tea. Now if you excuse me, I am returning to my Big Red Robe (what a masculine name eh)?

When he is not busy proclaiming his masculinity, Derek owns and operates Peony Tea S.- an online tea shop based in Singapore and hopes to make tea converts out of everyone he meets.