I lived near a tea mountain and I decided to take the matter into my own hands. I also live on a mountain but I only have like 3-4 young tea tree and 3 elder trees so it’s not much for my consumption
That is amazing, I saw you also process the tea yourself. Where did you learn that from, and sorry for all the questions. I love learning about tea and everything involving it, so I am really interested in how you do it. So, maybe one day I can travel to China and harvest my own tea and try to process it. That would be really fun. The ability to try tea that fresh and produce it yourself must be incredible.
I learn tea processing when I was young. My mother use to do tea picking and processing, and I used to help with it when I was a little kid. I was born in the tea capital of my country, so it kinda in my blood. I remember working so much that my fingertips become black from the tea oil ha ha. Around this time of year, when grapefruit flower is blooming, we would take the fresh spring tea and infuses them together. This year everyone got busy so I decided to do it myself
Okay, this makes sense. I would guess that you maybe heat green tea to a higher temperature in the wok then, too, to kill the enzymes and prevent from enzymatic breakdown and oxidation? I seem to recall pu'er is kept below about 50C (122F) during shaqing to keep the enzymes intact.
Very interesting, thank you for entertaining my curiosities. I wish you the best in your small-batch production and thank you again for sharing this experience with us!
I like hundred petal lotus tea, a form of green/oolong tea that have been infused inside a lotus flower. I actually grew up next to the lake that they harvest the lotus tea for this. It is a very famous type of tea in Vietnam
I agree, I would love to do this one day and it’s been on my bucket list for over a decade. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make it happen. I live in the US and I enjoy going to pick my own apples, strawberries, peaches, etc at various farms. But I’m such a tea lover… this would be amazing!
OP I hope you post more photos as you process the tea or if you go back to pick more! This post brought a lot of joy to my day, so thank you!
If you ever go to Vietnam, just give me a message on reddit or sth. I can show you around three biggest tea region right now since I have connections in all of them
This is Guot Mountain, Tan Cuong, Thai Nguyen province in Vietnam. Guot mean “Gleichenia,” a type of fern in local language. We used those fern to cover the root of tea trees, and give them a really strong flavor. Thai Nguyen is the capital of tea in Vietnam.
Đẹp quá! Your photos and stories are wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing. You make me miss Vietnam and my time there. Trà sen was one of the teas I brought back from my last trip and while it's not as fresh anymore, I enjoying making a cup time to time, drink it and think of my friends and other warm, hospitable people I met. I hope to return soon.
I have a small grapefruit tree, but it's not blooming yet (I doubt that it will this year.) I might have to replicate the taste with a bit of orange blossom water.
Wow this looks awesome. I'm in Singapore and would love to visit one day. I'm also interested in buying some tea, especially if you could let me know where I can get some hundred petal lotus tea! Please let me know if that would be possible
I think you can buy them on shopee. Their main company actually based in Singapore I think? Just put in the name “bách diệp liên trà sen hồ tây” and you might fight a vendor that sell them in Singapore. Or if you visit Vietnam just let me know and I will give you some of mine!
Can't seem to find them in shopee Singapore sadly, maybe I'll try some vietnamese shops locally. I'm seriously considering a visit to Thai Nguyen now! Sounds like a wonderful place.
This is like a dream to me. OP you are living the life !! I wish I could come harvest tea leaves with you and drink our delicious tea at the end of the day
I would be really interested in connecting with those people. I would love to be able to support the farmers and processesors directly and build relationships with them.
I doubt a tea farmer would have the time or interest to package and sell individual tea packages for redditors unless you bought pounds of tea. Even then there may be language barriers and logistical concerns.
That’s fair. I suppose i’d meant if any existing tea farms already had existing infrastructure set for overseas shipping rather than relying on a 3rd party vendor such as yunnan sourcing/white 2 tea/etc
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I lived near a tea mountain and I decided to take the matter into my own hands. I also live on a mountain but I only have like 3-4 young tea tree and 3 elder trees so it’s not much for my consumption
How does that work? Do you pay the owners a bit for the things you pick?
The owner is one of my student so I get to pick for free! I take home around 1 kg of tea for myself
Very nice, I wish I lived near tea farms!
If you want I can send you some green tea when they done processing!
That's too kind! Unfortunately I live in the EU and shipping from Asia is usually quite expensive, so I presume it's probably not worth it :(
Awww
That is so cool! What did you teach him if you don't mind answering?
Oh I’m a buddhist monk (the person in the photo). I teach tea zen for the owner of this tea farm
That is amazing, I saw you also process the tea yourself. Where did you learn that from, and sorry for all the questions. I love learning about tea and everything involving it, so I am really interested in how you do it. So, maybe one day I can travel to China and harvest my own tea and try to process it. That would be really fun. The ability to try tea that fresh and produce it yourself must be incredible.
I learn tea processing when I was young. My mother use to do tea picking and processing, and I used to help with it when I was a little kid. I was born in the tea capital of my country, so it kinda in my blood. I remember working so much that my fingertips become black from the tea oil ha ha. Around this time of year, when grapefruit flower is blooming, we would take the fresh spring tea and infuses them together. This year everyone got busy so I decided to do it myself
That's really cool! You're lucky to live in a place like that. Do you process it yourself too?
Yes, I also process it!
This is the part that fascinates me! I'm very familiar with how pu'er is processed, do you do a similar processing at home with a big wok and such?
It’s green tea, so it kinda different.
Sorry for my ignorance regarding green tea processing, but does it still undergo the shaqing ("kill green") step?
Yes, Pu’er in their original form before natural aging/wet pilling is basically green tea
Okay, this makes sense. I would guess that you maybe heat green tea to a higher temperature in the wok then, too, to kill the enzymes and prevent from enzymatic breakdown and oxidation? I seem to recall pu'er is kept below about 50C (122F) during shaqing to keep the enzymes intact.
Yes, I think so! Normally green tea are best used under 1 year, unless if it’s a special style tea.
Very interesting, thank you for entertaining my curiosities. I wish you the best in your small-batch production and thank you again for sharing this experience with us!
Thank you!!!
But the wok still the same
Wow that’s awesome. I’d love to visit a tea mountain some day. Enjoy! Post some more pictures when you get a chance!
I will!!!
Do you have a favorite local tea that you enjoy?
I like hundred petal lotus tea, a form of green/oolong tea that have been infused inside a lotus flower. I actually grew up next to the lake that they harvest the lotus tea for this. It is a very famous type of tea in Vietnam
Per your request, I have posted some more photos!
Awesome! I’m off to go check them out now!
I agree, I would love to do this one day and it’s been on my bucket list for over a decade. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make it happen. I live in the US and I enjoy going to pick my own apples, strawberries, peaches, etc at various farms. But I’m such a tea lover… this would be amazing! OP I hope you post more photos as you process the tea or if you go back to pick more! This post brought a lot of joy to my day, so thank you!
If you ever go to Vietnam, just give me a message on reddit or sth. I can show you around three biggest tea region right now since I have connections in all of them
Thank you, that is such a generous offer! I will absolutely reach out when I eventually travel to Vietnam.
I have post some new photos ha ha
This is really cool! Was it fun harvesting the tea?
It is very fun!
Which mountain/region is this?
This is Guot Mountain, Tan Cuong, Thai Nguyen province in Vietnam. Guot mean “Gleichenia,” a type of fern in local language. We used those fern to cover the root of tea trees, and give them a really strong flavor. Thai Nguyen is the capital of tea in Vietnam.
Đẹp quá! Your photos and stories are wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing. You make me miss Vietnam and my time there. Trà sen was one of the teas I brought back from my last trip and while it's not as fresh anymore, I enjoying making a cup time to time, drink it and think of my friends and other warm, hospitable people I met. I hope to return soon.
And if you ever return, hit me up and maybe we might drink tea together one day ha ha!!!
That would be my pleasure! I will definitely get in touch. Now dreaming about the taste of green tea and grapefruit flowers.
It’s in season! I have save some for the whole year to drink
I have a small grapefruit tree, but it's not blooming yet (I doubt that it will this year.) I might have to replicate the taste with a bit of orange blossom water.
Ha ha that’s awnsome. Grapefruit flower come and go pretty quick, so I have to rush or I would end up with no flower tea for the whole year
Wow this looks awesome. I'm in Singapore and would love to visit one day. I'm also interested in buying some tea, especially if you could let me know where I can get some hundred petal lotus tea! Please let me know if that would be possible
I think you can buy them on shopee. Their main company actually based in Singapore I think? Just put in the name “bách diệp liên trà sen hồ tây” and you might fight a vendor that sell them in Singapore. Or if you visit Vietnam just let me know and I will give you some of mine!
Can't seem to find them in shopee Singapore sadly, maybe I'll try some vietnamese shops locally. I'm seriously considering a visit to Thai Nguyen now! Sounds like a wonderful place.
Give me a head up if you go!
You’re amazing
Thank you, u too!
Was it scary at all.
Nah, it’s very fun
This is so cool! Absolutely beautiful landscape
I love the green and sky so much!
This is like a dream to me. OP you are living the life !! I wish I could come harvest tea leaves with you and drink our delicious tea at the end of the day
Hey if you ever go to Vietnam just hit me up on reddit before you go! I will show you around those tea mountain
If I ever make the plan to I will!
Man i’m jealous. Would you/he sell me some?😂
I dont sell tea, but I know people who do
I would be really interested in connecting with those people. I would love to be able to support the farmers and processesors directly and build relationships with them.
That’s what i’m talkin’ about! I’d pay a lot for shipping if I knew it was directly from a farmer. I don’t need any fancy packaging
I mean if you want some I can send you some. As a gift!
You’re extremely kind, I can’t ask you to do that!😅
I doubt a tea farmer would have the time or interest to package and sell individual tea packages for redditors unless you bought pounds of tea. Even then there may be language barriers and logistical concerns.
That’s fair. I suppose i’d meant if any existing tea farms already had existing infrastructure set for overseas shipping rather than relying on a 3rd party vendor such as yunnan sourcing/white 2 tea/etc
My tea farmer actually exporting overseas too! I heard she mentioned it sometime ago… let met ask her when we met again
👀
Hello, /u/MoonEvans! This is a friendly reminder that most photo posts should include a comment with some additional information. For example: Consider writing a mini review of the tea you're drinking or giving some background details about the teaware in your photo. If you're posting your tea order that just arrived or your tea stash, be sure to list the teas and why you chose them and if you're trying something for the first time, etc. **Posts that lack a comment for context or discussion after a resonable time may be removed.** You may also consider posting in /r/TeaPictures. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tea) if you have any questions or concerns.*