An Aha Moment -- So That's Tea!

 A week ago I was in San Francisco to expand my tea knowledge and Experiences (That is, Experience with a capital “E”) by attending Level 4 STI (Specialty Tea Institute) class while sampling the many tea cultures of the City. STI and the Level 4 instructors surprised us with providing fresh Hawaiian tea leaves to process into white, green, oolong, and black teas. Absolutely an outstanding opportunity for those of us who have not had the opportunity to visit a country of origin – yet!!! Being a participant in the processing of these tea-leaves provided me an “Aha Moment.”

All of a sudden, all I had learned and read about the where’s, what’s, and how’s of tea made sense. To actually witness the oxidation of the leaves is miraculous. We have all witnessed the oxidation of an apple or banana and perhaps a leaf but I actually watched a leaf oxidize while knowing that the degree of this process determined the level of the tea’s essence. Interestingly, my most favorite part of tea is watching the “agony of the leaf” where the tea gently opens releasing its stored oils and flavors. Being an active participant in the leaf becoming tea was a natural happening that complimented my awe of the “agony of the leaf.”

Join me while I return to this process through photos. I hope you will be as amazed as I was with the transformation from leaf to tea. These pictures are a sampling of the stages of the tea producing process and should not be considered to reflect the stages of the entire process.

This photo is fresh tea leaves as they arrived from Hawaii. At this stage the leaves are still stiff with very little, if any, oxidation. The browning you see on some of leaves is the beginning of oxidation. These leaves were plucked several days before we received them in San Francisco so oxidation had begun. The withering (softening and reduction of moisture) process is beginning.

The following photos prThis tea is processed to be a green tea. Heat is being applied to stop oxidation.ovide a sampling of the changes the leaves experience as they go from fresh leaves to tea. Each step reflects a greater reduction of the moisture content of the leaf.

 The leaves are continuously stirred to avoid burning while reducing the moisture content.

These leaves have been rolled to encourage oxidation. This became an oolong tea.Oolong tea is rolled and pan fired several times to create the desired taste.

Some of My Favorite Tea Things!

At a Red Hat event last week, I was asked about the Tea cozy basket that had appeared on my facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/theteaandhatlad) several months ago. Of course, given the opportunity, I was more than happy to provide Karen (and anyone else that would listen) with all the details about my Taiwan Tea Cozy Basket. Then I thought perhaps this would be a good topic to revisit on my "Tea Blog." Thanks, Karen for providing me with a topic.

Here we go . . . While at the World Tea East in Philadelphia in September, I saw this magnificent Tea Cozy at ABC Tea's  exhibit (http://www.abctea.com). I just knew it would be an excellent addition to my collection -- a "Tea Accessory" that would open many tea discussions among my guests. So I made an iPhone note -- my version a "to do" list -- to contact ABC Teas. Fortunately, my tea travels has provided me the pleasure of having met Thomas and Josephine Shu, the owners of ABC Teas as well as gracious ambassadors of Taiwan tea. People, like Thomas and Josephine, are among the very best of the Tea World. Tea people are the very best!!

The Cozy is a piece of handcrafted art that is admired by all. It is made of hand woven straw with a colorful design throughout the weaving. The cushioned lining is a brilliant red background with white flowers that does keep my tea warm. I have found the Cozy especially appropriate to use while enjoying ABC Tea's Ruby 18 -- a phenomenal Oolong Tea. Ruby 18 is my Oolong Tea of choice for very special occasions.

Thursday (January 12, 2012) will be an outstanding Tea day!! I am meeting two of my favorite Tea "aficionados" in San Francisco to discover the city's Tea -- we all know that you cannot find another American city that has more Tea history than San Francisco. Darlene (http://www.theteaenthusiastsscrapbook.com), Julia (http://bingleysteas.com), and I began our tea journey to becoming "Certified Tea Specialists" in Charleston, SC, several years ago. Since then, we have completed Level I, Level II, and Level III of the STI classes. Level IV is what brings us back to San Francisco in 2012. Well, that and wanting a reason for us to meet in San Francisco -- do we really need a reason? I don't think so since our Tea journey has taken us to visit New York, Vegas, and Charleston -- most of these cities several times. So to quote Darlene, "San Francisco, here we come!" If we just didn't have two days of classes as well. Instead of leaving our hearts in San Francisco, we will Leave our Teacups in San Francisco -- to initiate a return visit.

Until we share a cuppa again . . . Love, Laugh, Live, and drink lots of tea!

The Tea and Hat Lady