Posts by andrea


Choosing Sheng Puer Cakes

In this episode we visit Austin at the Seven Cups Warehouse to talk about choosing green puer cakes. Learn the basics for evaluating a cake in relation to the quality of the mao cha and whether it is made from an old tree. Austin shows how the color changes over time, gives tasting notes and… // MORE


The Basics of Brewing Loose Leaf Tea

Instructions for Brewing Various Loose Leaf Teas in Different Vessels What’s in This Video In this video on tea brewing basics, Zhuping reviews how to brew scented, oolong, black, and puer tea. For each of these, she discusses the ideal temperature with which to brew each of these teas and what vessels to brew them… // MORE



Famous Tea Master Mr. Liu Explains How Wu Yi Rock Wulong is Made

Welcome to our tea and tea culture video podcast with Zhuping Hodge, tea master and owner of Seven Cups. Last year we launched three very successful tea tours to China. Many hours of video were taken and we want to share them with you. Follow Zhuping as she tours Mr. Liu’s rock oolong tea factory…


Traditional practice for Rock Wulong tea

Interviews on Rock Wulong Production

The Plucking & Zuo Qing Phase of Wulong Production This video was taken during a visit to Rock Wulong tea gardens. During the first part of the video, Zhuping is speaking with a tea picker who describes to her how the tea is picked and how the bushes are distinguished. The second portion of the… // MORE


Bai JI Guan Tea Garden

Bai Ji Guan – One of the Four Famous Rock Wulongs

What’s in This Video During this podcast, Zhuping Hodge, tea master and owner of Seven Cups, visits the Rock Wulong region in the Wu Yi Mountains of Fujian province. She happens to be standing by the Bai Ji Guan bushes, which are notorious for their coloring and their small yield. Bai Ji Guan, also known as… // MORE


The Anji Baicha mother bush

Anji Bai Cha – Famous Since the Tang dynasty

What’s in This Video In this video, Zhuping discusses the famous tea Anji Bai Cha. This has some history that spans several dynasties, although it is also rumored that some of its history can be attributed to marketing. The video introduces the portion of the tour done in 2009 where Seven Cups is given the… // MORE



Phoenix Mountain is the most famous place for producing Dan Cong wulong- Chaozhou City in Guangdong Province.

Zhuni Pots & A 4th Generation Chaozhou Potter

This video features Master Wu, a fourth generation potter from Chaozhou. In it, he makes a Zhuni Pot using the traditional pottery wheel. This type of pot is excellent from brewing tea especially the beloved Dan Cong from this region. We currently do not carry any Zhuni pots from this region online, but we do… // MORE


China’s Tea Regions-Video Podcast

Welcome to our first video podcast of the new year with Andrea Serrano and Zhuping Hodge, tea master and owner of Seven Cups. We are excited to resume our weekly podcast and are always looking for new topics. Over the next month we will bring you pictures and information about specific tea growing regions (ie… // MORE


How to Brew Tea Using a Gaiwan

Bi Luo Chun (Spring Green Spiral)

A Ming Dynasty Tribute Tea Name and Origin Bi Luo Chun began sometime around the end of the Ming dynasty about four to five hundred years ago. It is believed that it become a tribute tea closer to the beginning of the Qing dynasty. The earliest spring buds are chosen for this tea. These buds… // MORE



Cranes flying over reeds in a large lake.

The Jun Shan Yin Zhen Yellow Tea Podcast with Zhuping | Part One

On Jun Shan Yin Zhen Yellow Tea…in Two Parts Jun Shan Yin Zhen, not to be confused with the white tea Bai Hao Yen Zhen (Silver Needle), is considered one of the famous Chinese teas found on a list known as Zhong Guo Shi Da Ming Cha 中国十大名茶 due to its having been a tribute tea at… // MORE


The Business of Tea | How Seven Cups Buys Their Tea

Welcome to our weekly video podcast with Andrea Serrano and Austin Hodge, owner of Seven Cups. Look for more video podcasts with Austin entitled “The Business of Tea” Today’s topic: The Business of Tea- “How We Buy Our Tea” -organic, traditionally made and high quality Thank you all for your comments regarding our video podcasts.… // MORE


Naturally scenting jasmine tea

Scented Tea Video Podcast

Identifying Whether Your Scented Tea is the Real Thing or Not The most popular scented teas are those scented with jasmine (although we also carry a tea scented with orchid flowers). Teas can be scented through a natural means where the tea is scented for an extended period of time over multiple scentings or they… // MORE


Fu Xuan #9

How to Brew Your Tea Using a Gaiwan

In this video, we demonstrate the use of a gaiwan for brewing tea. We’ve chosen the category of yellow tea for our brewing–in particular, Meng Ding Huang Ya (Yellow Buds). This gives us an opportunity to discuss one of the rarest categories of tea that exist. Skip ahead to 5:40 if you prefer to observe… // MORE


Rock wulong Little Red Robe mao cha

General Information on Wu Yi Shan Rock Wulong

This slideshow covers general information about the original wulongs from Wuyi Mountain (Wuyi Yan Cha) located in Fujian province in Eastern China. These particular wulongs are known as Rock wulongs. Wuxi mountain is composed of 99 different rock formations, each with their own name and character! Over time, the weathering of these formations have created… // MORE