From Deseret News archives:
Taiwan tea masters share tasting techniques
Plant's growth is art form in hometown of Asian couple
Taiwanese tea master Hsien-Tang Lin and his wife, Mei-Yen Lin, shared their knowledge of tea at The Tea Grotto on Thursday as part of an ongoing Taiwan Cultural Festival, which ends Saturday.
"We like to get the local people out to get exposed to a little bit of a different flavor, a different lifestyle," says Ming Chen, member of the Taiwanese Association of Greater Salt Lake.
Thursday's event brought two tea masters to Salt Lake to showcase the Dong Ding Oolong tea, which is grown in Taiwan at 600 to 1,000 meters above sea level.
Tea growing is not only an art form but also a serious business in the town of Lugu, where twice each year some 5,000 teas are judged by their quality of leaves, fragrance and taste, says Hsien-Tang Lin.
"Each team will judge 300 different samples each day," he says. "So we do not swallow. We just sip, then spit it out."
Formally, however, there is a process involved in tea tasting, says Hsien-Tang Lin, who grew up on a tea farm and now helps farmers perfect their tea growing and processing through the Lugu Farmers' Association. He explains the process as Mei-Yen Lin demonstrates.
It's important, he adds, to brew the right amount of tea. Rolled tea should take up no more than one-fifth the capacity of the teapot. Timing is also critical, he says, noting that tea should be steeped for only about a minute, at Utah's altitude, for the first brew.
The serving technique involves a teapot, a serving cup, tea cups and whiffing cups, explains Hsien-Tang Lin.
The teapot should be filled with hot water, which is then poured into tea cups to warm them. Then, for the warming brew, the leaves should be placed in the teapot. Water should be added, and then the water immediately should be poured into the serving cup, then to whiffing cups.
It is then, Hsien-Tang Lin says, that it's time for the first brew. Water from the whiffing cups should be poured over the teapot, he says, adding, "We rinse the teapot to cure the teapot."
Then, after water is again added to the teapot, the tea should be brewed, and the tea cups should be emptied of water and placed with whiffing cups on a tray.
The tea should be served into the whiffing cups. Once served, the tea should be poured from that cup, into the tea cup. The taster then sniffs the aroma in the empty whiffing cup before drinking the tea.
"That's for the tea ceremony," he says. "We like to enjoy with our family or some kind of party, like this."
Another, easier way to enjoy tea, he says, is a cold-brewed tea, steeped in a water bottle for about two hours. He adds with a smile, "This is not the formal way."
E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com
Comments
- 3A: Hurricane 24, Park City 19 2:29 a.m.
- GameDay back in the MWC 2:19 a.m.
- Westminster campus briefs 1:49 a.m.
- SUU campus briefs 1:48 a.m.
- Dixie campus briefs 1:47 a.m.
- Real Salt Lake gameday 1:33 a.m.
- 5A: Bingham rolls to title game 12:59 a.m.
- Aggies hope for Spartan cure 12:57 a.m.
- 5A: Miners pull tricks to win 12:56 a.m.
- 5A: Davis runs over Hunter 12:54 a.m.
- Williams leaves, won't play tonight
- Unga family is making its mark
- Selfishness to blame for Jazz woes?
- Study: Divorce likely when wife ill
- ESPN suddenly loves MWC
- Trial begins in toddler death
- Historically, Utes have owned TCU
- Two killed in Iron County crash
- Man killed during 3rd I-15 crash
- 4A: Thunderbirds dynasty lives on
- SLC council OKs gay rights policies
348 - Editorial: Mormons and gay rights
199 - Senators want food tax restored
162 - Will state consider gay rights law?
145 - Letters: Strange breed in Utah
129 - Utes remain silent about BCS
120 - S.L. vote pending on gay protections
113 - Celtics crush Jazz
103 - Pratt pleads not guilty to sex charges
102 - Hatch empathizes with Muslims
88
If you are looking for a bird on the cheap, the following specials from...
How do you handle kids and contests? Our oldest daughter, 7, is of the...
True. It's not terribly funny and if it has any effect on society, it won't...
What else would you expect to find in a book called "The Founders on Religion"?
Ok not to be rude here, but check the stats, Hinds isnt first in yards and...
t-hinds = best player in utah
Anonymous: Was that English? I though conservatives believed if you are in...
Wow! Glad the Lord kept you safe. Separate comment: That was a horrible...
I have never been to a Utah high school game before as I am not from the...
It would behoove the above commenters to recall that religion, including our...
Only 8000 attendance? BYU had 16,000+ tonight. What is wrong with Ute fans?...
ian you are the 3A MVP If you win next week so just do it that would be nice....


You can be the first to comment on this story.