An Unexpected Shop. An Unexpected Tea
From the outside it looks like a phone shop with a tea table. The awning is for a phone store and one wall as well as the back of the store is filled with usb cables, old phones, and other gadgets. The other side of the small store was clean and well lit. There was a tea table and behind it a shelf filled with gift boxes of tea. From the outside it feels less like a tea shop and more like a phone store with an owner who likes to drink tea, not uncommon for this area. This is a shop that I would otherwise walk past except for a sign hanging in the middle of the store. In the middle of the store is a wooden sign with the inscriptions “茶王” meaning tea king.
Tea kind (cha wang) is an award given to makers in recognition of their tea making at a competition. It’s the highest award given at an event. While not super rare, it’s enough to make a tea maker stand out. So far in Zhe Rong I’ve seen three. The other two being the maker of the Red Tie Guan Yin and the charcoal baked silver needle. It was strange to see a shop that barely looked like a shop have the Cha Wang award. I passed this shop many times, always hesitant to go in but curious. One day I gave into curiosity.
I decided to “buy a cable”, but this was an excuse to check out his shop. Upon entering I saw that this shop may have previously been a phone shop, but did not look so anymore. Most of the racks were empty and items he had had thing layer of dust. The phone repair desk in the back was cluttered and it looked as though no one had used it in a while. But before I could second guess my decision and turn back the owner, sitting at the tea table, looked up at me and his face lit up. “Come, come, sit, sit.” He said (in chinese) enthusiastically inviting me to sit down. This level of excitement caught me off guard and felt like we had met before. I sat down, scanning my brain trying to remember where I knew him from. It was only after we talked for a bit and he asked me where I was from that I realized we had never met before he was just this friendly.
“What would you like to drink?” He asked me excitedly. “Oh I don't care, you choose.” I smiled back. “No no you choose” returned with a laugh. “No you” I said also with a laugh. We went back and forth like this for a while until I finally asked for a silver needle.
The Silver Needle was simple and a little dull, even the boss admitted so. Still it was nice enough to drink as we chatted away. We talked about life in Zhe Rong and the struggles of living in a place with very little job opportunities, this was the reason there were so few young people. “It must be a nice place to raise kids though.” I suggested. He shook his head. “It’s hard to earn enough money to raise kids.” He replied looking down at the brewing tea.
We continued to talk for a while before I had to leave, but before I did I asked him what his favorite tea was. “I have an old tree gong mei.” He said. I laughed “Why didnt we start with that?” “I dont know what kind of flavors you like.” He shrugged. We agreed to try it next time I came in and I went on my way. It was a few weeks till I went back.
Just like last time I went in he greeted me with the same very friendly energy as if we hung out all the time. When I sat down he immediately threw a leafy white into the pot and started brewing. I assumed it was the old tree, but it wasn't. We then switched to another tea that was lighter and quite good. This, while tasty, still wasn't the old tree. (But it may be on the website soon). Once again we chatted away and it was time for me to leave and I asked about the old tree gong mei. He reached behind him and brought out avery stylish box. Without tasting it I ended up buying half a pound of it and went on my way.
The next day I tasted it at home.
When I opened the package I found that the teas were tied together in little bundles. They ranged in weight but averaged about 3 grams. The leaves were large and had very little buds. Most tea drinkers would consider this low quality. I may have too if I didn’t already have the idea that gong mei, white teas without a specific cultivar, tended to be leaf heavy.
The aroma was simple but sweet with a bit of a soft note in there. There was something familiar about how the flavors all came together but I couldn't put my finger on it. I started to get hopeful. 6 grams of boiling water I brewed the first brew.
The Flavor was light and fresh with a honey sweetness. It was light but also bold at the same time. There was another flavor in there that reminded me of woods but it wasnt woodsy. “What is that flavor?” I asked myself as I brewed the second steep.
The flavors were still light and clean but a little more clear here. All the same notes but just a touch stronger. I sat there trying to put a finger on the flavor…and then it came to me. Chamomile! Suddenly the whole flavor profile made sense. This tea tasted like whole leaf egyptian chamomile. (not the cheap tea bag stuff) It was soft but with a nice round flavor similar to woodsy but not. There was a honey sweetness and some floral aromas.
Needless to say, I love this tea.
https://sweetestdew.com/products/old-tree-gong-mei
This is a story of pleasant surprises. From the minute I walked into the store I was pleasantly surprised. The surprises kept coming tea after tea and even followed me home. It’s also a story of deepening understanding of tea and region. This experience taught me a little about white tea. I learned that very leafy white can have a richness and fullness that more tender whites can’t, just like how a mature steak can have flavors that veal cant. I also gained a deeper understanding of the area and the struggles of living here. This is the reason I choose to live in small tea regions instead of nearby big cities. (and cause of the dog of course) I want to understand the nuances of tea. To understand the general rules, but also the exceptions. Generally leaf heavy tea will have a stronger flavor, but its possible for that flavor to still be light and fresh with a touch of honey. It’s looking more and more like I will spend another year here. That’s another year of small experiences that piece by piece will start to form a full picture of Fu Ding and it’s tea.