Tea Chapter Taiwan Part Part 3: Tea Grading

Tea Tester may be an occupation we Singaporean have not heard of.

So as the name suggest. He/She is the tester for tea. 

The judge for the quality of tea. 

The person that upholds the quality and grading of tea.

Mr Liu Shao Yang (刘绍扬）is a highly regarded Tea Tester. 

He comes from a family of Tea Testers, passing on the 100 years tradition over 4 generations.

Mr Liu Shao Yang in red.

grading of the "scent of the tea" is part of the judging critera.

Mr Liu Shao Yang in action

The judging process for the teas are as follows:

Step 1: Data registration of Tea

Step 2: Random selection within Tea sample

Step 3: Brewing of Tea

Step 4: Pouring of Tea

 Step 5: Appearance of Tea leaves

Step 6: Colour of Tea 

Step 7: Scent of Tea

 Step 8: Tea tasting

Step 9: Appearance of Tea Residue

Step 10: Grading of Tea

Step 11: Packaging of Tea into their corresponding grades

Taiwan Trip Part 2: Up on the mountains.

We paid a visit to 冻顶山 Dong Ding Shan, which is famous for its Chinese tea.

the tea leaves grew on the plains that were 1000 feet above sea level.

Fresh air + fresh water = superb tea.

logical yea? haha.. =)

the cute botanics kept by the owners

the zen tea leaves before harvest

lines of tea trees under the clear sky =)

beautiful full tea leaves

its so high up, its getting misty! =)

clear blue skys. no wonder the tea leaves are so awesome =)

Some of the top teas that are harvested on Dong Ding Shan are: 

High Mountain Tea 高山茶

Jing Xuan Tea 金萱茶

Taiwan Red Tea 台湾红茶

So, of course, we bought these 3 selections back into Singapore, Tea Chapter.

So do drop by 9 Neil Road to have a taste of the ver best from Taiwan.

=)

cheers!

Tea Chapter Taiwan Trip Part 1: Tea House Experience

As part of the constant upgrading process, Tea Chapter went to Taiwan to do some cultural exchange with the tea houses in Taipei. 

We learn while we live. 

this is also to enable us to ensure our customers get the best possible experience at Tea Chapter, which is not inferior to others locally and overseas.

simple yet sincere set up at Xiu Lin Tea House.

tea pots at the retail store

We visited another tea house in Taipei which specializes in porcelain tea pots and tea cups 

love the tint of torquiest in the tea cup =)

The unique part about this tea house not only lies with the porcelain tea cups and tea pots.
This tea house has a collaboration with a bakery (sweets store as they term it in Taiwan), which allows customer to buy delightful cakes to along with their high quality chinese tea.

  

More posts from Taiwan will be put up! 

Hope to share this awesome Taiwan experience with everyone!

till then.

=)

QUEEN SEAT

Tea Chapter, established in 1989, is Singapore's largest and oldest traditional three-story teahouse. 

Tea Chapter has been credited as a key tourist attraction for tea culture heritage by the Singapore tourism Board. Among all the VVIPs Tea Chapters have received, which includes many ambassadors as well as Queen Elizabeth II. 

With that, Tea Chapter has kept the original layout of the particular section where the Queen has sat and the table is now named as the "Queen Seat". 

Want to feel like the Queen and drink the same tea selection as what she has drank? Drop by Tea Chapter at 9 Neil road, Singapore 088808.

Surprise Visit Teapot Artisan Gao Jian Jun (高建军)

Gao Jian Jun is a master YiXing Teapot Artist. His most famous tea pot can be priced as high as 1.2 million pounds.

Yixing teapots are meant for use with black and oolong teas, as well as aged pǔ’ěr tea. They can also be used for green or white tea, but the water must be allowed to cool to around 85 degrees Celsius before pouring the water into the pot. Yixing teapots absorb a tiny amount of tea into the pot during brewing. After prolonged use, the pot will develop a coating that retains the flavor and color of the tea. It is for this reason that soap should not be used to clean Yixing teapots. Instead, it should be rinsed with fresh water and allowed to air-dry. A studious tea connoisseur will only steep one type of tea in a particular pot, so as not to corrupt the flavor that has been absorbed.

Yixing teapots are smaller than their western counterparts as the tea is often brewed for only a few seconds before it is served to guests. Reusing the same tea leaves multiple times, the first brew of the tea leaf is usually used only to clean tea, teapot, and cups and is not to be consumed. Chinese people traditionally drink from cups that hold less than one ounce of liquid and are simply repeatedly filled so that they may cool rapidly but can be ingested before the tea becomes cold.

Yixing teacups meant for steeping tea directly in the cup are also available.

-wikipedia

Tea Chapter had the honor of hosting Mr Gao for a mini sharing session and also to exhibit some of his art pieces when he was in Singapore on 22 November 2012.

one of Mr Gao's teapot on display

love the different colour contrast on the teapot

new age teapot anyone? =)

The master himself at Teachapter

Do drop by Tea Chapter at 9 Neil Road, SIngapore 088808.

And do pop by our facebook page to know more about our future events =)

http://www.facebook.com/TeaChapter

Chinese Embroidery Art Exhibit

Tea Chapter is more than a place for tea appreciation.
Tea Chapter is a hub where the Chinese tradition culture is kept alive.
Hence, recently, Tea Chapter held a Chinese Embroidery Art Exhibit.

Chinese embroidery refers to embroidery created by any of the cultures located in the area that makes up modern China. It is some of the oldest extant needlework. The four major regional styles of Chinese embroidery are Suzhou embroidery (Su Xiu), Hunan embroidery (Xiang Xiu), Guangdong embroidery (Yue Xiu) and Sichuan embroidery (Shu Xiu). All of them are nominated as ChineseIntangible Cultural Heritage.
-wikipedia

What is so special about Chinese Embroidery is that it involves a technique in which stitching takes place on both sides of a single transparent silk fabric. The design shows on both sides (front and reverse). The embroidery artists skillfully hide all the loose threads and knots. Such a piece is normally mounted on a wooden frame as a screen. One really can't tell which side is the front or the back. 

Do drop by 9 Neil Road, Singapore 088808 soon for some tea =)

cheers!