août 31, 2012
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Feng Huang Shan mountains, China

Have you ever tasted a Dan Cong tea? These famous wu longs are produced in Guangdong province (China), in the Feng Huang Shan mountains where I took this photo, facing in the direction of the sea.


Posted in Country : China by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : , , ,
août 28, 2012
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A good reason to use a tea boat

When you make tea according to the Gong Fu method, you fill your teapot right to the top, even letting the water spill over to get rid of the scum. Hence the use of the tea boat, the recipient on which the teapot is placed here, which serves as a receptacle.


Posted in Country : China by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : , ,
août 24, 2012
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A show detailling how to prepare tea

Many of you would probably say that you make your tea perfectly well. But can you imagine yourself up on stage, performing under the spotlights while a commentator stands beside you with a microphone, detailing your every graceful move to an attentive audience?
This is exactly what is happening at the moment at the Hong Kong Tea Fair.


Posted in Country : China by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : ,
août 21, 2012
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Price hike at the Hong Kong tea fair

The Hong Kong tea fair is taking place at the moment, and the context is particularly difficult for western buyers. For the past few years, erratic weather conditions have affected harvests, and the quantities produced have fallen sharply. In addition, production costs, whether in India or China, have risen considerably, as has the cost of sea freight. What is more, the very low value of the euro is pushing up the price of tea, which is generally traded in dollars. On top of all this, in China and India, the world’s two biggest tea producers, the middle classes, which did not exist in the recent past, now represent several hundreds of millions of people, many of whom enjoy drinking good quality teas. They aspired for so long, and now they have the means at their disposal. So in these two countries the domestic markets have expanded massively, and there are plenty of Indian and Chinese tea connoisseurs who are now buying the best teas that used to be reserved for export only. We can understand them, even if it is costly for us.


Posted in Country : China by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : , ,
août 17, 2012
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Swapping the kyusu for the tea boat

As I am leaving Japan for China, I am also swapping the “kyusu” for the tea boat. You pour the tea into the first cup, which is quite narrow. You then empty this cup into the wider one. The smelling cup retains the fragrances of the liquor for a long time and allows you to explore the tea’s bouquet. You drink from the second cup, the tasting cup.


Posted in Country : China, Country : Japan by François-Xavier Delmas | Tags : , , , ,
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The author

François-Xavier Delmas is a passionate globetrotter. He’s been touring the world’s tea plantations for more than 20 years in search of the finest teas. As the founder of Le Palais des Thés, he believes that travelling is all about discovering world cultures. From Darjeeling to Shizuoka, from Taiwan to the Golden Triangle, he invites you to follow his trips as well as share his experiences and emotions.

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