Finest Estate

The first cup kisses away my thirst, and my loneliness is quelled by the second. The third gives insight worthy of ancient scrolls, and the fourth exiles my troubles. My body becomes lighter with the fifth, and the sixth sends word from immortals. But the seventh - oh the seventh cup - if I drink you, a wind will hurry my wings toward the sacred island.

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Lao Cong Shui Xian Wu Yi Yan Cha

This is a nice Wu Yi oolong tea. The group of teas grown in the region near Wuyi Mountains in the Fujian province is also called Yan Cha - “Rock Teas” or “Rock Oolongs”.

Shui Xian means “Water Sprite” and it is very similar to Da Hong Pao (”The Big Red Robe”), the most famous Wu Yi Yan Cha.

The tea has very nice honey-like aroma with wooden tones and fresh green undertones. The taste and fragrance are both well balanced, it's neither too bitter nor too astringent.

Wu Yi oolong teas are usually oxidized between 40-50% and baked. However, the baked aromas should not be very dominant in high quality sorts.

I got this one from the Slovak teahouse Božský oráč. I would recommend their teas, I think they have a nice choice, they offer some famous teas as well as some fresh “specialties”. Especially their selection of pu-erh teas is worth a consideration.

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This is my entry to celebrate TeaVivre's 5th anniversary. Since I am a big TeaVivre fan, I decided to collect not only zip bags but everything that has the name TeaVivre on it.

Thanks to TeaVivre for being an excellent distributor of good and affordable tea and also for having free international shipping:) Happy anniversary!

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Organic Tian Mu Mao Feng from TeaVivre

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Liu An Gua Pian Green Tea from TeaVivre.

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Red tea from Yunnan, bought from Čajovňa Dobrých ľudí, Nitra, Slovakia

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The exquisite Nonpareil Anxi Qing Xiang Tie Guan Yin from Teavivre.

[highqueenseleni]

I took a nap, now I want fuzzy goodness from @nannuoshan their #baihaoyinzhen is so yummy. #tea #teaofinstagram #gongfucha #fuzzy #whitetea #silverneedle

[chaxicollective]

Old Ways. Simple Living

Many of us gravitate towards tea as a way to slow down. If we are moving too quickly and not aware, we can often lose sight of the our state of home, relationships and health.  Tea can help reign that in as we need to take care while making tea. 

In addition to the mindfulness Tea brings out in us, it also serves as a reminder to what can be created the “old-fashioned way” by hand. A teapot made by hand, a scoop carved and finished by a single person with a single chisel or even a tea that is picked and finished many miles away from the nearest machine, all remind us. Here in Vermont, there are still many things done entirely by hand. From syrup, cheese and bread, to beer, pottery and especially gardens. 

Being able to grow and create from scratch is not only self sufficient but also more rewarding. Your hard work pays off in a more immediate sense then say getting a paycheck 2 weeks after you did the work, then driving to the store to spend the money on food and gas. 

When I look through books about tea history or really any long standing culture, I don’t necessarily look at it through nostalgic eyes. I don’t feel that far removed from it. I think, yep that makes sense, “we could do that” or “that seems like a good tool to use” Building the “Setting Sun Teahut” with my dad using wood from our land and minimal tools feels better than paying someone to build from a kit and coming back from working somewhere to see the daily progress. 

Going to the orchard, garden or blueberry bushes to pick and eat food feels better than being in place without land and garden space, having little money or no transportation and not knowing where your next meal is coming from. 

That’s not to say modern amenities aren’t useful. I am writing this on a computer and you are no doubt reading this on a similar computation machine. These things are great but not necessary to live a fulfilling life. Most people still have heroes and role models that grew up and survived without these things. 

If tea reminds us that we are capable of learning another culture, another way, then perhaps it really does mean we can learn to cook new foods, learn to grow vegetables and learn to paint or make pottery. 

Think about that the next time you sit down with some leaves and your teapot.  

-Your humble tea-hermit Ben

*all photos by Sarah Delia*

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Hong Xi Tie Guan Yin, Čajovna u Probuzeného slona, Brno, Czech Republic

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Tie Guan Yin Monkey Picked from TeaVivre.

Dry leaf had some promising aroma. The tea itself was of a standard or lower quality with roasted and mineral notes. Thanks TeaVivre for the sample!

[purplebuddhaproject]

Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future.

 Thích Nhất Hạnh (via purplebuddhaproject)

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Hi! So I saw your post (post/56226556316/teas-and-flowers-i-love-my-tea-cloth-in) and I fell ABSOLUTELY in love with the last teacup and saucer in the set! The grey/silver/marbled one. Would you by any chance remember where you got it or what brand it is? Thanks!!

Hi there! Thank you very much for your message, I'm glad you liked my picture :) Yes I can remember very well where I got the cup, actually it is a whole (pretty huge) tea set. I got it several years ago in Berlin on the “Flohmarkt am Mauerpark” from some guys selling ceramics, it is some kind of a polish brand. I loved the design just as much as you. However, I might upset you a little bit when I reveal that the quality of the cups is very, very poor. I drank tea out of them a few times and that seemed devastating for the pattern so now I'm using it just as decoration. Well, as goes the saying, not everything that glitters is gold :)

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I've seen your post that gushes about the peacock teacloth you bought in Schloss Sanssouci and just want to tell you that I bought the exact same item when I was there! It was love at first sight! I have no one else to share my enthusiasm with so imagine my excitement when I saw your post:D Have a nice day!

Hey thank you so much for the lovely message! Yes the cloth is absolutely stunning and I'm so glad someone liked it too! Enjoy the day, my friend :-)