Wang Zhaojun was indubitably an intelligent woman, and it was said that she was skilled in many arts, such as the…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 02:20 PM on Tuesday, August 05, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related Teapots
7 Bowls of Tea
“A message of thanks to Meng Jianyi for the gift of new tea” 《走筆謝孟諫議寄新茶》was written by Lú Tóng 盧仝 in the middle of the Tang Dynasty (around 1200 years ago).…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:08 PM on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Sable and Cicada
Of the four beauties, there is one who is arguably a fictional character. While she plays in important role in the…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:42 PM on Monday, July 28, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related Teapots
Tea Joy
There is a tea shop in Singapore, at North Bridge Centre, opposite the National Library. Their name in English is “Tea Joy”, and their name in Chinese is Cháyuè 茶樂.…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:02 PM on Wednesday, July 23, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Her Cloudlike Clothes, Her Flowerlike Face
One of my favourite teapots, the Yang Guifei pot is based on a poem by Li Bai, who…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 11:00 PM on Monday, July 21, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related Teapots
Savour
Green tea has more recently become popular in the West because of its high anti-oxidant content (polyphenols), which is reputed to protect against a variety of ills, including heart disease…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:38 PM on Friday, July 18, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Green
Beauties
As I mentioned before, Lu Yu makes limited edition teapots, some of them themed. One of my favourites was the four Sacred Beasts set, which were very…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:31 PM on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related Teapots
Tea Good or Bad
I realise that I sometimes sound like an elitist, talking about good and lousy tea. But to be honest, I drink almost any kind of tea in a pinch. I’m…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 11:24 PM on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Black Tea Related
Teabags
Tea ought not to be infused too long in hot water, and ought therefore to be removed after the appropriate amount of time has passed. For this reason, convenient infusers…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:15 PM on Wednesday, July 09, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Tea Related
All Over The World
I readily admit that I simply do not know that much about tea, especially its history and where it is grown. I knew it is grown in China, Japan and…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:53 PM on Monday, July 07, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea
More Science
For most varieties of tea (but not all), the ideal “pick” is the topmost two leaves and a bud (一芯二葉 yīxīn èryè), because this is the part of the tea…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:31 PM on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Chance Encounter
While meeting up with some friends a few evenings ago, we stumbled upon a small stall where an earnest, pleasant-looking man was showing off his tea. He had tiny little…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:36 PM on Monday, June 30, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Wulong
EGCG
A wide number of health benefits have been claimed for tea, in particular, it is claimed that tea (particularly green tea) has beneficial effects on high blood pressure and on…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:08 PM on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Sainthood
To be worthy of the title of “saint”, a person must of course display qualities well beyond the average human. Although Lu Yu was not called the Tea Saint during…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:48 PM on Monday, June 23, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Intermission
Miss Neddy is suffering from a brief (hopefully) bout of illness, and will be back soon. Watch this space!
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:08 PM on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Notices And News
Resurrecting Tea
A friend came to me in some distress recently, as she had bought a batch of white tea some months before, deposited it in a cupboard and promptly forgot about…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 11:15 PM on Friday, June 06, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Other uses
Wenshan Baozhong
Wenshan baozhong (文山包種) is a Taiwanese oolong, and was developed more than 150 years ago by Wang Yicheng (王義程) in imitation of the famous teas of Mount Wuyi (武夷巖) in…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 12:36 AM on Thursday, June 05, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Wulong
Pu’er Variety
Pu’er 普洱, being a unique tea entirely in its own category, also has its own body of knowledge and expertise quite distinct from other teas. There may be many common…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 12:28 AM on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Pu'er
Eye of the Beholder
The latest batch of Dongfang Meiren (东方美人 Beauty of the East) from the teahouse is nothing to shout about, in terms…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:32 PM on Friday, May 30, 2008 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Wulong
Adversity
It is a trope repeated throughout East Asia that sages live on mountain tops, accessible only via an arduous climb. The arid conditions and simple living are said to cleanse…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 11:01 PM on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea
Spring Gaoshan
Low grade 高山 Gaoshan can make me nauseous quite rapidly, as the effort to make lower grade leaves…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 12:30 AM on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Gao Shan
Ginseng and Orange
My father’s Croatian friend recently visited us with his wife, and brought some very interesting presents. One was a pair of traditional Croatian gold earrings for my mother; another was…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:15 PM on Friday, May 23, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Green
Death
There are moments when words just seem too trite, where nothing you say is right. What do you say to someone who has just lost a loved one? “Is there…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:33 PM on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
A Gift
[Miss Neddy says: es el queso has taken time from his blog What I Had For Dinner Tonight to do another entry for…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:17 PM on
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
| Comments (1) | Permalink
Categories: Tea
Black
A Tea For Every Occasion
It is a common Chinese medical belief that tea “leeches” away certain medicines, so tea-drinking soon after taking medication is frowned upon. However, tea doesn’t always counteract medication. In fact,…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:38 PM on Friday, May 16, 2008 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Other uses
Friends
A recent wine tasting I attended in Bangkok reminded me that I have never been good at large parties and I especially hate weddings or social events where the majority…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:11 PM on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Too Much Of a Good Thing?
While talking to some friends yesterday, they divulged that they had friends who relied on “slimming teas” to retain their figure, drinking it every day. Slimming teas, if they are…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 04:56 PM on Saturday, May 10, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Black Other uses Tea Related
Iced Tea
Within the realm of traditional Chinese medicine, cold or iced tea is an abomination. It is said to harm the stomach (傷胃 shāngwèi) and to be injurious to the health.…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:31 PM on Wednesday, May 07, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Other uses
Precious
Tea for so long has been the beverage of the upper class and good quality tea was priced beyond the reach of most hoi polloi. The last few decades have…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:38 PM on Monday, May 05, 2008 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
More on Puer
Pu’er 暜洱 doesn’t always come in cakes. Loose Pu’er has become more popular, after reports have come out about the many health benefits of drinking the thick black tea, which…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:27 PM on Friday, May 02, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Black
Tasting
When presented with a perfectly prepared cup of tea, this…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:38 PM on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Fragrance of Flowers
Tie Kuan Yin is famous for its 官韵 (guān yùn); the phrase is a pun, as “官” in…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:12 PM on Monday, April 28, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Wulong Tea Related
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma (also known in Chinese as 达摩 Dá Mó) is traditionally acknowledged to have brought 禅 Chán Buddhism (more commonly…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 11:21 PM on Friday, April 25, 2008 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related Teapots
Catherine of Braganza
Tea was not widely available in England in the first half of the 17th century. In the diary of Samuel Pepys, there is an entry dated 25 Sep 1660, in…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:34 PM on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Last of the Lishan Tea
[Miss Neddy was unwell last week and has fallen behind on her updating. She humbly begs the forgiveness of her gentle reader(s)]
I recently made the last of…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:22 PM on Monday, April 21, 2008 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Wulong
Empire
In the 18th century, the wealth of the British Empire was underpinned by a small number of commodities: among them, sugar and tea. The triangular trade saw British ships carrying…
Posted by 醉茶生 at 10:50 PM on Wednesday, April 16, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
A Trip To Chinatown
[Miss Neddy: Today another good friend of mine es el queso has kindly agreed to do an entry for me, about his trip to San Fransisco’s Chinatown. He also runs…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 09:27 PM on
Monday, April 14, 2008
| Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea
Green
Jasmine
Tea Related
A Cup of Tie Kuan Yin
As the taste of Tie Kuan Yin is very distinctive, even overpowering, I don’t as yet have a dedicated zisha teapot for it. So, usually I would use a porcelain…
Posted by Miss Neddy at 11:57 PM on Friday, April 11, 2008 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Wulong Tea Related
Small
This is my own Yixing teapot sitting on my computer keyboard [a Macbook]. This teapot pours just enough tea for two cups.
Read this entry...
Posted by 醉茶生 at 09:51 PM on
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
| Comments (0) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Related
Teapots