Mediocritea
I’ve just returned from a whirlwind trip to China. I was sent a ticket by a Chinese corporation that is thinking about opening a chain of retail tea shops. Their plan is to create a ‘tea beverage’ and they want a trustworthy supplier…
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…
The Safety of Chinese Teas
Recently I sent out a newsletter that had a picture of puer being fermented. Someone sent me an email that said that the photo was not appropriate for people who were already afraid about the safety of Chinese products.I can understand why that might be a perception commonly held…
An Update on Fair Trade in Tea in China
I know that there is not a big fair trade movement in China, especially with tea, so when I hear that there is, I’m a bit puzzled.
Soon, Bloggers Must Give Full Disclosure
This is a ruling I’m glad to see. We have been on-line for 7 years, and we have seen a lot of things change. A lot of the changes have been great, but I haven’t seen an explosion in integrity. I have seen some awful things, like the websites that have been selling cheap oolong… // MORE
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 – 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
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
Gu Zhu Zi Sun and Our Visit to Tang Dynasty’s Tribute Factory
Welcome to our tea and tea culture video podcast with Andrea Serrano and Zhuping Hodge, tea master and owner of Seven Cups. This year we launched three very successful tea tours to China.
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
Tempest over tea: What is the true Puer?
Seven Cups is gearing up for another trip to Yunnan. The article “Tempest over tea: What is the true Puer?” from the China Daily seems especially relevant. It talks about the first fallout from China’s new tea export laws. We’re sure this is the beginning of many controversies to come since China is trying to… // MORE
Shi Feng Long Jing – Dragon Well country
We recently visited Hangzhou, which has become the modern national capital for trade groups and various governing bodies. Hangzhou is completely different than the bamboo forests we’ve been living in these past few days. It’s cosmopolitan and reminds us of France with tree-lined streets. In the morning, we watched Mr. Weng Shang Yi (Shi Feng… // MORE
Seven Cups Owner Awarded by Chinese International Tea Culture Institute
It’s been a week of big honors for Austin. So big, he had to ask me to write a blog entry about it, fearing if he made these announcements himself he’d lose his all-important façade of modesty. Jokes aside, we were proud to learn this week that our own Austin Hodge is the first American… // 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
EMBARGO: In Once-booming Tea Region, a Bitter Reality – International Herald Tribune
The puer bubble burst last year. By in large, the people that were hurt worse were the speculators. Not the big collectors, they didn’t buy during the bubble, and were wise buyers when they were. The people that really got burned were the Chinese wholesalers and small shop owners that fueled the bubble. The people… // MORE
National Standard of Puer Tea Put into Practice
On a Beijing Review article China has set a standard for Chinese puer production that limits the use of the word puer to it’s native growing areas. This standard includes Kunming even though tea is not grown in the Kunming area. I’m not sure how meaningful this standard is in relationship to the domestic market, but… // MORE
Midtown Tucson Shop Sells China’s Finest, Which Isn’t Always Easy to Find
An AZ Daily Star Article on Seven Cups Unfortunately, the article is only available to those who have a subscription to AZ Daily Star, so here’s the article in completion. Thanks to Dan Sorenson at the Arizona Daily Star… Keiko Naito, a manager at Seven Cups Tea House, heads out with a customer’s order.… // MORE
Article by Karen Attwood of The National Newspaper
Peacefulness through a bowl of tea Peacefulness through tea! This from Abu Dhabi. This is a great story. It is interesting to note that the Islamic countries consume 25% of the world’s tea. Below is the image and article by Karen Attwood taken directly from the website for The National Newspaper. ABU DHABI // When Hounsai… // MORE
Economic Times Reports on Darjeeling Tea Joining EU
Wouldn’t it be nice to see this applied to Long Jing green tea, or Taiwan High Mountain Oolong, or Bi Luo Chun, just to name a few. China does have Origin certifications, but they are ineffective and only are issued on packaged tea not bulk. It will be a long time coming if the tea… // MORE
News From China
Reporting from our Changxing Office in Zhejiang I’m writing from our recently opened office in Changxing, in Zhejiang. Changxing just a short drive away from Guzhu Mountain where Luyu supervised tea production for the Tang emperor, while he composed the first book about tea, while he lived and died in nearby Huzhou. This area is… // MORE
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
The Jun Shan Yin Zhen Yellow Tea Podcast with Zhuping | Part Two
This video continues where we left off in part one of this video cast series. Zhuping finishes her discussion of Jun Shan Yin Zhen as well as how to brew the tea. A Little More on Jun Shan Yin Zhen, its Tea Maker, and the Process for Making It Jun Shan Yin Zhen is… // MORE
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
Gong Fu Tea Ceremony with Keiko
Welcome to our weekly video podcast with Andrea Serrano and special guest Keiko Naito, manager of Seven Cups teahouse, demonstrating gong fu tea ceremony. Today’s topic: Gong Fu-Oolong Tea Ceremony (short version) Thank you all for your comments regarding our video podcasts. We would like to create future podcasts on topics you all are interested… // MORE
History of Matcha | How to Make Matcha
What’s In this Video We briefly cover the historical background of matcha, its qualities, and how to brew it. If you are seeking more in-depth instruction for making matcha, please visit the Brewing Guidelines section of our Shade-grown Matcha page. A Little On Matcha Matcha tea is finely ground or pulverized powder of processed green tea… // MORE
Dan Cong Oolong
The Unparalleled Fragrance, Taste & Tradition of Dan Cong Oolong
All About Black Tea
In this video, Zhuping reviews the different types of black tea as well as an overall historical background for the teas. Most black teas will break down into one of the following categories: Lapsang; Qimen or Keemun; or Yunnan. At the end of the 17th century in Tong Mu village located in the Wuyi Mountains… // MORE
All About Puer Tea Part II
All About Puer Tea
Defining the Category Puer Tea Puer tea is a category of tea signifying tea that has undergone microbial fermentation, although there is reason to believe that microbial ripening is a closer description for what is occurring. There are two types of puer tea. Green puer, also referred to as sheng puer, is considered raw fermented… // MORE