Crab's Claw

Out of my third big shipment from Yunnan Sourcing hid an unsuspecting gem. I've been enjoying some high quality teas here and there but nothing yet a revelation. This Crab's Claw attractively labeled the "Parasitic tea living on the thousands year old tea-tree in Menghai" brewed a cup so surprisingly refreshing, I was utterly frustrated to find almost no web gleanings on this tea. I brewed the tea lightly for fear of being overwhelmed by the reputed medicinal sour taste. I had chosen this tea for C's old man cough and thought I would tuck away this beeng until next winter's first cold. This puppy tastes little of a young sheng puerh. I can only liken the sensation to drinking from the most refreshing cool mountain stream one finds when hiking up to the remote monastaries in Korea. Koreans call such water "YakSu" and I am certain when Sof tries her first cup, she will undoubtedly bubble out "Wauooo. Yaksu, yaksu da."

To think a few leaves can transform ordinary Berkeley tap water into memory and longing. This tea has a dimension which cannot be pinned down to any flavor but of being soothed. I was afraid to drink this a second time, but now I brew myself a late night cup from leaves which should have been tired from being brewed all day long by C and I am happy. Sipping and closing my eyes.

Too much tea imbibed. Too few words recorded.

I called Suse on Sunday. Hadn't talked to the girl in ages as although we had talked about going to the Ozarks in May after she defends. I was going to make both of us some pioneer dresses to go to Laura Ingalls Wilder's farm. But time and plans are slipping away. We are both sharing the same behavioral mishap. Despite the pressure to button up her Ph.D., she finds herself surfing ebay for the most perfect and cheap oriental rug. This is not why she's postponed her defense she maintains. It's for lack of youthful energy. Despite pressure for all sorts of things, taxes, work, and against extreme fatigue, I find myself spending all my free night hours surfing for pu-erh knowledge which is vexingly difficult to come by. Such behavior must be pushing some sort of reward center otherwise our rat brains wouldn't lap it up.

2006 White Silver Needles Arrived.

China is a purveyor of a billion things but nothing is as desirable and worthwhile as Yunnan teas. I had a boatload shipped to me express so I can surprise Big J who would love these fuzzy white silver needles smelling of chestnuts and sweet potatoes once brewed.

Many pleasures tea brings and what more could one want than inhaling a subtle scent of mellow sweetness. Why do people love things which faintly remind them of other things? I use to scoff at wine drinkers with their "hints of this and that". Now I brewed tiny cups for my self and C and I happily went on and on about chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Is it not amazing how tea leaves share the scent of a tuber and a nut no?

While C is away to New York, I have been brewing delicate and fragrant cups of tea in the late evenings. I brew leaves of his favorite cakes of wild arbor pu-erh. Thus I have been enjoying quiet and intimate moments through these cups while C is soundly asleep so far away.

The green bitterness and mellowing sweetness. It must be the theme of my life. As I have to work the night shift and the days are long and hard, I could not do without such tea.

I've been endeavouring to start a decent collection of pu-erh by ordering teas directly from China. Ebay you know. You can see for your self here: http://geguri.net/v-web/gallery/puerh. No outrageous aged pu-erhs for me as I do not like too much taste of ripe shu earthy cave licking pond pu-erh. I appreciate most the fragrant green shengs of ancient trees as I enjoy just sniffing the tea cakes before offing to be bed.

Vintage Pu-erh 1950

A rainy Sunday night. Yesterday in celebration of C turning 32, I took the old man to Samovar Tea Lounge to drink an even older Pu-erh. A tea reputedly from 1950. The brew was like licking an ancient cave. What fortitude for a tea so aged. Even after eight or nine potfuls, the leaves were going strong. There is only so much pu-erh one can be forced to drink at one sitting.

Many serious Korean tea drinkers reserve pu-erh for the most special occasions. Indeed no other tea improves with the decades. Out of all the teas, I enjoy drinking pu-erh the least unless I've got a good pork dish on me. Anywhere we would go in Korea where a tea ceremony was involved, we would be served the extra special treat of aged pu-erh and certainly without any pork involved. Cup after cup. Numerous steepings we were served to prove the quality of the pu-erh. I was oft the recipient of such privileged torture.

It is often said pu-erh separates connoisseurs from dilattantes so I am quite happy to leave the earthy mustiness to those who treasure such pleasures. C apparently belongs to this category. I am also not much for truffles which reminds me too much of armpit smells of people who eat butter and other dairy foods. Despite all the fancy teas I've forced on friends over the years, I just like a good cup of cozy SleepyTime tea for myself- you know the one with a bear snoozing in front of the box.

C brought the leaves home with us and even today he brewed full strength cups off yesterday's leaves. None for me.