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November Tea Term of the month: Hui Gan
Many artisanally crafted oolongs are notable for their
ability to produce the ‘Hui Gan’ experience. The word ‘gan’ belongs solely to
the repertoire of tea terms and is strongly linked to ones that are abundantly
complex. No translation really does it justice. Not quite the same as the
bitter-sweet experience of a good dark chocolate, ‘gan’ rather grasps that
subtle note found at the border where bitterness trails away and a gentle
sweetness begins to emerge. ‘Hui’ on the other hand is a straightforward term
and simply means ‘to return.’
Coupled up, the two words capture a remarkable experience in
the aftertaste of a tea. ‘Hui Gan’ means the return of sweetness to the
drinker’s throat right after a final, slightly bitter note reaches its peak.
Philosophically, this whimsical note is highly prized by the
Chinese who view the experience as analogous to the way a life should run its
course: first bitter labor, then long lasting sweetness resulting from the
fruits of one’s labor.
October 2008 Tea Term of the Month: Gao Shan
Gao is "high" and Shan is "mountain". You will see the word Shan appear in many teas that originate in China and Taiwan, though the Taiwanese were the first to note that the higher the elevation, generally the better the tea. In Taiwan, Gao Shan is marker of quality, afforded to teas that grow at a height of 800 meters or higher. Most teas are not considered premium unless grown in Gao Shan, or High Mountain, areas, because these elevations bring the best growing conditions: cool temperatures and dense fog cover punctuated by adequate noon sunshine. It is also helpful that at such high elevations, pests typically cannot survive long enough to attack the tea plants.
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