South Americans have been drinking yerba mate for years (how else did they manage the stamina to build the Inca Empire!) Now, a recent study by the University of Illinois suggests that yerba mate tea could help prevent colon cancer. Their research appears to show that human colon cancer cells die when exposed to the bioactive compounds (caffeine derivatives) present in a cup of this herbal tea. The scientists also note that it may have a positive impact on other inflammatory diseases.

For more details on the research click here http://www.ideals.illinois.edu/handle/2142/29589. To find out more about eteaket’s Yerba Mate and the recommended Bombilla & Gourd for brewing it in click here.

During our recent buying trip to China we were fortunate enough to be able to explore Hua’an County in Fujian Province. We discovered the most wonderful oolongs and wanted to share a little about them with you.

Our oolongs (Yellow Gold Oolong and Oriental Oolong) are both from Fujian. It takes a tremendous amount of skill to make good oolongs and the knowledge is passed down through the generations. 

We had a hairy ride from Xiamen deep into the mountains in Hua’an where we met with a very inspiring family who had opened a farm and tea garden in 2003 and worked very hard to cultivate the land, bring the tea bushes to prime condition, build roads, constructed terrace fields and laid out irrigation systems. They are very committed to protecting the environment and have adopted a unique way of planting special trees to avoid insect attack at the tea garden. The irrigation system also used spring water without any pollution, which is drawn into each corner of the garden assisted by special solar panels.

We spent many hours exploring the tea “garden”, which actually involved a fair bit of hiking up a mountain (again!) Then we had lunch with Master Lei and his family before exploring the factory and tasting the teas.

To make Yellow Gold Oolong you start by having well cared for tea bushes and a Tea Master like Master Lei who is committed to high standards and ethical practices. Next, many hours are spent in the field plucking the three leaves and the bud required. The leaves are then withered in the sun and rolled three times on a bamboo roller with a two hour rest in between. It’s important to control the temperature and humidity at this stage or you risk losing the special fragrance of the leaves. Next, the leaves are baked for a few minutes and then rolled in a muslin like bag to achieve the desired shape. The tea is then put back in the oven at 60 degrees to dry and stop any further oxidation. It’s then alternately hand-rolled and fired for a number of times to bring the moisture from the inside of the leaf to the outside and to give the leaf its unique flavour and character.

Finally any remaining twigs are removed (they use static rollers for this just as we’ve seen in India and Sri Lanka previously). I learnt that they leave the twigs in during processing otherwise the tea wouldn’t ferment properly and the liquor would be bitter.

At last the oolong is finished and ready for tasting. Oolongs like Yellow Gold are sometimes referred to as “desert island tea”, as they cannot be lived without. I have a particular soft spot for oolongs as they can have the best bits of black and green teas but with a whole special depth of their own. They are a contradiction of flavours that blend together perfectly; light yet full of flavour, fresh yet mature taste, orchid-like fragrance but with an unmistakable earthy taste. Yellow Gold is a well twisted leaf that looks like emerald green knots and the liquor is golden yellow with a bouquet of floral flavours. To discover more about eteaket’s oolongs please click here or pop into our Tea Boutique in Edinburgh.

More on our Chinese adventures, including the mystery of Pu-Erh soon.

We were lucky enough to taste lots of jasmine tea during our recent trip to China, including our very own Jasmine Pearls. Produced in East Fujian Province, our Jasmine Pearls are pearl-like with white downy hairs. The liquor is bright yellowish-green with a high and lasting mixed fragrance of jasmine and green tea.

The jasmine flower truly has the most beautiful scent in the world. Originally grown in ancient India, it was transplanted into China 1,700 years ago. First planted in Yunnan, it was widely distributed throughout China. Today the flowers are mainly used for scenting jasmine tea. The flowers are carefully laid out over the delicate green tea leaves overnight so the tea naturally absorbs the scent of the jasmine. In the morning the flowers are removed and the process is repeated for the next two nights. Although the green tea is harvested around April/May, it has to wait for the best quality jasmine flowers (Midsummer flowers), which are harvested from mid July to end August. It’s worth the wait.

Jasmine Pearls really are a labour of love and the resulting cup is one of life’s great pleasures. Click here to check out our Jasmine Pearls.

Much has been written about the increasing influence China has in world affairs. From trade surplus and currency reserves (whatever they mean) to overseas investments in natural resources and key trade infrastructure, China’s place as a key player on the global stage is assured. Everybody wants to be China’s new BFF but you can’t help shake the feeling that’s fuelled by, if not quite fear, at least a certain amount of nervousness. Simple playground philosophy tells us that it always makes sense to keep on the right side of the biggest kid in the class.
So, if the reality is that we should all expect to be speaking Chinese within a generation (or two), does the China of today offer an insight into our own future? Will we be wearing jet-packs or instead travelling by rickshaw?
After almost a week into our trip to China that will take us from Shanghai province to Hunan province via Zheijang and Fujian provinces (in essence a loop of the south eastern seaboard with a hop into the interior) I’ve inevitably started to form an impression of the place.
It’s often the ironies and anomalies within a country’s culture that give an insight into the national psyche. Take for example the UK’s obsession with the weather when in fact we really only have one season; grey. Everyday can in fact be defined by different shades of the one colour.
“What shade of grey is it today, darling?”
“Dark grey”
“Better take my umbrella then”
Or
“What shade of grey is it today, darling?”
“Light grey”
“OK, I may wear my short sleeved shirt then………………but better take the umbrella too, just in case”.
I think that captures a distinctly British sense of optimism and pessimism. Alternatively, and without getting overly political, take the USA’s obsession with freedom and the rights of the individual. Contrast that with orange jump-suits and “rendition”, the most benign sounding of human rights abuse. I think that similarly captures a certain hypocrisy and irony with a distinct American accent.
And so it is with China, where the clash of tradition and progress seem to be currently shaping the national identity. A country where the bullet trains connecting towns regularly reach speeds of nearly 300km/h but where what constitutes a public toilet often still consists of nothing more than a hole in the ground, and where row upon row of skyscraper flats are literally rocketing up to create a futuristic cityscape, but it’s hard to imagine these are the types of homes that suit Chinese family life. Perhaps though the greatest anomaly we have experienced so far is the fact that tea is more expensive than coffee. That’s like going to the North Pole and being charged more for ice in your drink than the entrance fee to an artificial beach full of sand air lifted in from the Sahara.
So what else can we expect? Well, if Michael Jackson was correct and children really are our future then Chinese children will surely lead the way. The big news in Chinese childwear is the trouser bum split; literally the seam of the child’s trousers from crotch round the back is open to allow easy passage of, well, whatever needs to be passed. Can’t see that trend catching on with the yummy mummy set. How about shoes for dogs then? Don’t believe me? Witnessed on more than one occasion and I have the photographic proof to back up such claims.
Don’t get me wrong, China is certainly flirting with Western pop-culture. The proliferation of Starbucks coffee shops is testament to that; Hangzhou even has a café which is an exact replica of the Central Perk coffee house from the Friends TV series with dishes such as the Joey Pizza and Jen’s Super Salad. However, the overwhelming sense I get is that, unlike in many other countries, Western culture and brands are not subsuming indigenous business or culture. And why should it? On every level China is outwardly demonstrating it is doing just fine without Western democratisation. The pace of change is so rapid that there are inevitable tensions between the pace of progress and traditional culture and values. These might flippantly and patronisingly be termed “growing pains” but like a body builder on steroids China is very obviously bulking up and likes showing off its new physique.
So, will we be wearing jet-packs or travelling in rickshaws? My guess is that it will be jet-powered rickshaws.

I knew there was a lot of people in China but wow… not quite this many. It doesn’t help that we (my husband Stewart and I) landed slap bang in the middle of the Tombstone Sweeping Holiday. Despite (or because of) that, we’re having a very successful and exciting tea trip so far.

We had the pleasure to meet a lovely tea master and his family who specialise in Bi Luo Chun green tea which is grown close to lake Tai Hu in Jiangsu province. We were lucky enough to be able to climb a mountain to get to the tea bushes (bit of a shock to the system as it’s the most exercise I’ve done since having my baby!) We spent some time plucking the tea bushes – being careful to only select the very best leaves. I thought I’d done quite well till the tea master took a look at my efforts…. “ah… enough for one cup. A small cup!”

After a rather steep descent down the mountain we helped sort the tea leaves with the rest of the family (as well as some neighbours who had come to visit). It was quite therapeutic but takes a long time to select the bud and one leaf required for this very special tea. The most complicated step came next with the firing and rolling in a big outside wok – very hot work indeed and one that requires years of experience. The fresh aromas from the leaves as they were being fired were amazing and the little downy hairs of the young buds fly everywhere.

Eventually we got the chance to sit down and sample a cup of our efforts. It was delightfully refreshing and exceedingly delicate with a lightly fruity finish. The little spirals of tea took a long time to reach the bottom of the cup as they were so fresh. It is said to be infused with the vapours of Tai Hu Lake as it is grown close to it. With around 150,000 leaves needed for every kg of Bi Luo Chun there really is a tremendous amount of work and skill needed to make this quality tea.

We ate some traditional dinner with the tea master and helped sort some more tea before heading back into the throng of Chinese people heading for our next stop, Hangzhou and the famous Dragonwell Village – home of Longjing tea. More on that adventure soon. To check out our current green teas click here (we’ll be adding a few other special ones over the next few months).

Unfortunately Sanctuary at the Suites has had to cancel the Pamper Night tonight… but fear not we will be rescheduling for very very soon!

In the mean time we are warming up with some of our lovely new Tutti Frutti Tea, and a slice of carrot cake to cheer us up on this miserable day!

xx

Special Brew – an exhibition by Nineteen Eighty Five at Eteaket Tea Boutique and Café

Special Brew is a playful concoction of tea, cake, animals and good times by Lindsey Brown and Martin Baillie of Nineteen Eighty Five – an Edinburgh-based design collective that specialises in making and selling fun things.
Join us on from 6pm 02.02.12 for a cheeky tea cocktail and a first look at this fantastic work.

Both Lindsey and Martin graduated from Edinburgh College of Art, studying illustration and graphic design respectively. The pair’s previous work under the Nineteen Eighty Five moniker ranges from sausage dog cushions and stationery sets, to greetings cards and clothing.

Need to get rid of those Christmas jumpers? Too many panic buys at Edinburgh’s new Primark? Fear not we are having another clothes swap! Join us from 6.30 on Wednesday 25th of January to swap your fasion faux pas for next seasons big thing!

Wednesday 25th January – 6.30pm

Entry just £2

Front page of the Evening News!! We are all very very excited!!

http://tinyurl.com/88kdh6s