Holiday feasts should be celebrated with deep, rich foods. And that means fermented teas from Yunnan are just the thing for the Winter months ahead. Farleaves Oakland Blend starts with a bold puer base and adds barley for nourishment, candied ginger for a sweet energy charge, and a pinch of cayenne pepper to make this tea really sing out. This is such a good dessert tea to share when returning from a nice after dinner walk. Puer Cakes are excellent holiday treats. When time is available to enjoy the full tea experience what better way than to find a cake, decipher the origin and the processing from the carefully applied packaging, and then break off pieces of leaves from...
In the backstreet alleys of Taipei sometimes you will find hidden treasures of unexpected value tucked away in the modest stalls and shops that serve their community with dry goods, hot foods, hardware, and whatever else you may need. Such a thing was our recent discovery when Donna found a few dozen bundles of two great aged puer cakes. The Horse & Dragon Celebrating puer cakes were pressed in 1999 by one of the oldest most reputable merchants in Yunnan; the name TongQing is synonymous with best quality and the liquor produced from the flaky fragments of this well cooked cake is rich with a depth that only comes from the bacteriological progression from compressed circles of leaves into concentrated disks of restorative power. This...
We sat down with Brad to learn about Puer Cake and loose leaf Puer Gold tea. We hear about the sublime joys of the great feel of a puer knife, the pleasure of having tea with friends, and the spiritual nourishment that leaves can impart.
Having tea is a simple way to practice mindful behavior.
Mindful behavior allows us to react to adversity without lashing out at those around us.
Waiting for the water to boil trains us to appreciate the passage of time.
Hearing the water, the fire, and the metal begin their boiling dance grounds our thoughts in the here and now.
Pouring the water to the pot, the pot to pitcher, the pitcher to cups is not strenuous but can be a sublime movement practice to work towards mastery of.
Smell sip taste.
Connect with the lizard brain and recall childhood smells from the fragrances soaring up from the cup
Breath
Enjoy tea daily
