Welcome to the Digital Table where you are part of a global conversation with tea. Global Tea Hut is a Non-Profit Organization that sends out a sampling of tea, a gift and a special magazine. Everything is brought together by the community to spread the love of tea, Dao and Zen. Join us the last Wednesday of every month to discuss the current packet from Global Tea Hut.
This series was created because the message from Global Tea Hut touched me. It is of my own creation and I receive nothing from them ,but good karma of spreading their message and cause . All past posts can be found under "Digital Table" here.
This months tea came with a little story in which the members of Global Tea Hut all had a hand in. While the leaves themselves may not have been picked by them (it takes a long time to have the speed and precision to pink tea). They were processed by them, from start to finish!
The end result was a lovely Red Tea that they created on their visit to Yunnan. "Daughter of the Forest" or Qian Jia Zhai 2014 , made completely with leaves from a wild tree that is well over 200 - 700 years old in Ai Lao, Yunnan.
Each member created their own batch and every one was put together at the end. You might be asking "why would they do this?". The reason is that as they made their own batch they infused the tea with their energy at every stage, then when they mixed them together every ones energy became one. When drinking the tea you can feel the good intentions coming through because of this extra step.
"Daughter of the Forest" tasted smooth, with cooked fruit taste and a light baked bread like flavor (it reminded me of baked bread, the "proper" term would be brisk). The energy was definitely there as instantly it calmed every nerve and muscle in my body. My family had gone through a very stressful ordeal (water damage and a little drama, more on this latter), so having a cup of this truly helped me realize that the stress will pass. Basically I had begun to meditate with the tea.
Which brings me to my favorite article in the magazine "Eight Bowls: A Meditative Mind" by Shane Marrs. Here Shane explains how both tea and water respond to human emotions. They "suck it up" and it comes through when we make our tea. For example, if you have ever had tea made by someone who is having a truly bad day, that tea will have a differnt taste than from someone who is having a fantastic day. A better example would be the difference between tea from a tea ceremony to tea quickly made at home. They are night and day!
A great explanation is this zen quote, " If I'm not mindful then it isn't tea that we're drinking,, but rather my afflictions and delusions". For me this line explains that is important to focus on one thing at a time, in this case tea. If tea is not the focus then are you really "tasting" the truth of the tea itself?
Global Tea Hut is a digital community where tea drinkers enjoy the same tea(s) every month across the world. It is subscription based where all the proceeds go towards a non-profit tea center (Tea Sage Hut) in Taiwan that is open to all. For more information on Global Tea Hut and the center please visit them at:
**All opinions are my own and subscription is paid by me, as a donation to the tea center
I really liked Daughter of the Forest. Every tea they've sent has been really special. They are my monthly "me time" and I've grown to really look forward to them.
ReplyDeleteThey really are a great "me time" teas! lol. Augusts looks interesting, mine is still getting over its "jet lag". One week more then I get to try it! <3 How about you?
DeleteThis was my first month as a subscriber, and I must say that I was hooked the moment I received my envelope in the mail. The magazine was fantastic and such a great read, the trivet was really nice and I already use it on a daily basis... and the tea was just wonderful. Being able to read about where it came from, and about the people that put their hard work into sharing it with others made it even better. I love the idea behind the whole thing and how it brings tea lovers together!
ReplyDeleteI think my favourite part of this month, aside from the tea itself, was the little poem on the back of the magazine. I can definitely relate :)