Did ageing tea begin in Hong Kong?

Tang Lusun published a book about chinese food in 1976. In the book he details a journey in Yunnan where he drank tea. He described the encounter with a local official with whom he drank a Puer tea that was believed to be 100 years old. This contradicts the idea of Yunnanese people not ageing teas. He was also explained that the tea fragrance would improve with time. Although tea ageing was indeed much more widespread in Hong Kong, some people were also doing it in Yunnan. How interesting.

Above you can find Tongqinghe in the Guoyoulin area of Yiwu. Quite an isolated area except during the Spring of course. The farmers will bring freshly picked tea leaves for their potential buyers to process the way they see fit. Our Tongqinghe was processed by a farmer whose work we absolutely love. The oldest tea we offer from this farmer is the 2021 Tongqinghe which has been ageing wonderfully.

The last decade in China has seen a revival of Chinese traditions and this has been expressed in many ways. It is quite common to see young people in traditional clothing styling from earlier dynasties. That’s wonderful. We’ve also been enjoying an exceptional music group, Zi De guqin Studio, that we feel represents part of this revival. Their ‘Guizhixiang’ is particularly touching. Check them out if you enjoy traditional music.

Wishing you happy tea experiences,

Yuan & Tiago