At this juncture, Father moved closer, intensifying and gesturing to the cha hu (teapot). A tea’s essence and character was extracted from the earth and the environs in which it lived and an Oolong’s particular character came out only in a perfect pot. The famed Yixing teapots of Dingshu, China, are made of clay and sandstone. Its porous qualities absorb the oils and properties of a particular tea. Thus one pot is used for one tea. Pots of many colors lined the wall to my left and awaited their commands.

"[The] leaves slowly unfurled, letting off aromatic vapors into the damp air..."  (Jeff Fuchs)

Tea was then poured into another container, the open topped cha hai or pouring pot. With a flourish, Wing poured the contents into tall cylindrical cups. These ‘smelling’ cups only held the tea long enough to capture a little aroma. We jutted our noses in to capture the first genuine smells of this Gow Shan (High Mountain) Oolong. These were in turn poured into our tiny white drinking cups (or Cha Bei). The time had come to savor.

Our slurps allowed oxygen into the mouth, as with wine and scotch. Two healthy inhalations and we were ready for the second round. The smallness of the pot and cups allowed specific portions to be drunk without the temperature or consistency altering. For committed tea drinker’s consumption is an all day, everyday affair so the amounts are significantly less per serving. Drinking here with the tea plants so close in this little abode, one could appreciate coming to the ‘source’ seeing directly the unpretentiousness and vital nature of this custom.

Wing looked up from her kettle and pronounced that the second upcoming pot was the best. Repeating the process with Father speaking, my taste glands detected smoky and sweet simultaneously, while swallowing left sweetness trailing into my throat. I mentioned this and father let out an “Aaaahhhhh! That is exactly the beauty of Oolongs. Their finish.”

"[H]e led me into the fog-lined hills where rows of green ascended the slopes."

After successive pots and no perceptible change in strength, the second lesson was learned: True vintage teas can be used for multiple infusions without losing potency, needing only slightly longer to infuse each consecutive pot. One of the wonderful contradictions with tea is that the lighter (e.g. green tea) the color, the higher the stimulant or ‘caffeine’ effect, whereas the darker the color (e.g. black tea), the lower the ‘kick’.

Father decided that it was time to introduce the plant origins of this elixir. Finally grabbing a shirt he led me into the fog-lined hills where rows of green ascended the slopes. I noticed his face was set in a gentle smile. These were his children. Taiwan’s volcanic origins and misty altitudes provide perfect nourishment for Oolongs.

Walking along a damp path he recounted the days when he still aided in the picking himself, staying up for two or three days in the hills, only picking in the mornings after the moisture has evaporated from the leaves but before the humidity of midday. After three to five years, the tealeaves are ready to be picked, and while up to six harvests a year are possible in Taiwan, the spring and winter harvests are superior.

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