Tasting Green Puer

Origins Tea Tour 2012: Youle Tea Tasting

By , on June 7, 2012 in: Seven Cups Tours

Today on the Origins Tea Tour we were treated to a tea tasting with tea master Mr. Yang. After hiking in Youle Shan there was nothing better than to sample yummy green puer. I’m a big fan of black puer, but this trip has opened my eyes to the rich and complex flavors of green… // MORE

Andrea in Youle

Origins Tea Tour 2012: Youle

By , on May 25, 2012 in: Seven Cups Tours

Our Origins Tea Tour is underway and I am receiving updates daily in the form of short videos. The first is from Youle, one of the ‘Famous Mountains’ In the Xishuanbanna region of Yunnan. Andrea, our famous interviewer is on the tour and is sending stuff via Zhuping’s iPad

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Tea trends in 2012

By , on March 23, 2012 in: Tea Industry News

When I think about tea trends, I am thinking over a ten year period and extending what I see going ten years into the future. Things have changed a lot in the past ten years from when we began our business. Twenty years ago getting any good Chinese tea was virtually impossible in the US. I had to get mine from a Chinese friend whose family was from a tea-growing region in China.

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Choosing Green Puer Cakes

By , on February 2, 2012 in: Videocasts

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

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Tea Brewing Basics

By , on January 9, 2012 in: Videocasts

In this episode Zhuping talks about tea brewing basics for scented, black, puer and wulong tea. Check out the tea brewed in this podcast-Bai Long Zhu (Silver Dragon Pearls) Scented Tea, Sheng Tai Chen Xiang (Premium) Loose Leaf Puer,and Ma Liu Mi (Monkey Picked) Anxi Wulong Today’s topic: Tea Brewing Basics Thank you all for… // MORE

Rosy Faced Tea Pickers

Fair Trade Tea In China

By , on October 20, 2011 in: Tea Industry News

Fair trade certification has always been pretty meaningless when it comes to China. With the new split between Fair Trade USA and the European FLO as reported by Dan Bolton in the World Tea News, Fair Trade USA has increased the gap between the original core values of the founders of the Fair Trade movement, and the marketing focused business that fair trade certifying has become…

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Yunnan Black Tea and the Middle East

By , on September 14, 2011 in: Seven Cups News

I first came to Yunxian in 2005 after a trip to Dubai. I was invited to Dubai to become a member in the newly formed Dubai Tea Trading Center. Dubai wanted to become the hub of tea distribution and was providing remarkable incentives for companies to set up business there.

Freshly picked Shifeng Longjing

Plagiarism and Tea Ecommerce

By , on August 22, 2011 in: Seven Cups News

Last week a fellow tea entrepreneur emailed us with a question.  We had never spoken before, so he wasn’t sure how to approach us about a very sensitive issue. He had been searching for a map of Shi Feng Mountain and noticed that some of our photos and content appeared to have been lifted from… // MORE

Lu Yu Tea's first leadership

Leadership in the tea industry?

By , on July 27, 2011 in: Tea Industry News

Since it has been a few years since I have attended the World Tea Expo, I was curious about any changes that the expo might have undergone, so I briefly interviewed several of the attendees that I happen to know. I know I would have been better informed if I had just gone myself, but… // MORE

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Why am I writing this blog?

By , on June 23, 2011 in: Seven Cups News

I was looking at our archives, and I have been writing something on a pretty regular basis since 2003. Of course it hasn’t been all me; there have been others that have contributed. In the beginning it was just monthly emails, and the actual blog didn’t come into existence until around 2005. Still, that is… // MORE

Tradition-Puer-Making

Seven Cups Yunnan Tea Tour Day 6 & 7

By , on May 29, 2011 in: Seven Cups Tours

Day 6 our Yunnan Tea Tour  packed up our little bus and took off for Jinggu. The Jinggu area is the largest forested area in Yunnan, and rich with many unknown mountains peaks with older trees. I have spent a lot of time in Jinggu and it always seems like I could stay there year… // MORE

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Seven Cups Yunnan Tea Tour Days 4 & 5

By , on May 29, 2011 in: Seven Cups Tours

I got an email yesterday from a friend who asked me what had happened to the rest of the Yunnan Tea Tour’s blog postings.  Well, I have  been home just for a couple of days and am just starting to get back in the swing of things after recovering from killer jet lag. Better to… // MORE

Ancient Purple Puer Tree

Seven Cups 2011 Yunnan Tea Tour Day One

By , on May 23, 2011 in: Seven Cups Tours

I have a special love for Yunnan.  It is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and one of the most interesting, especially if you are a tea lover, and it is filled with very friendly people who really enjoy life, and feel it is even more enjoyable if they have some guests to… // MORE

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Does All Tea Really Come From The Same Plant?

By , on May 19, 2011 in: Tea Industry News

One axiom that is typically taught to new tea students is that “all tea comes from the same plant.” If these students continue to learn about tea and study Chinese tea in any depth, they will discover that this statement is almost as wrong as the old belief that black tea and green tea come… // MORE