Weekly Elevenses!
- Catrin Abrahamsson-Beynon
- Feb 9
- 4 min read
Who changes the seasons?
In the Northern Hemisphere, we usually think of having four main seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn. When we begin to look deeper into the seasonal changes, we come to realize that the transition from one season to the next happens very subtly and in a flowing manner.
In China, which is considered to be the first country in the world to cultivate tea, the year is divided into 24 solar terms or seasons. Each main season is divided into 6 subseasons. So from the time where we are right now, February 9th, we would have about 6 seasons before reaching the beginning of the summer.
So what does this have to do with tea? Of course, the changing seasons influence everything that lives on this planet: nature, animals, and us humans. The seasonal changes influence our growth, development, and well-being. By being aware of the seasonal changes, we can adjust accordingly and feel more balanced as we go about our life. What we eat, how we exercise, and the type of tea we choose can help increase our qi/energy levels.
Right now, we are in the season of winter, the great cold, usually the coldest time of the year. Even if spring is not yet here, we already feel the warmth of the sun when it shines, we recognize that the smell of the earth is coming through stronger, and we hear the birds singing new tunes.
Winter is the most yin-influenced time of the year
And springtime is strongly yang. Tea is yang, and it needs water to be prepared; water is yin. The life force energy or qi is comprised of the Yin aspect that corresponds to earth, femaleness, darkness, inward moving, passivity, and absorption. The Yang aspect corresponds to the outward moving, expansive, active, bright, and masculine. The balance between these two aspects is ever flowing and evolving. Yin needs yang and vice versa. As Lao Tze expressed it: "All is embedded in Yin, and embraces Yang".
In the transition from winter to the warmer springtime (this is the time from the end of January until approximately mid to end of March), it's a good idea to enjoy the lovely white teas. During this time, both nature and we need lots of water to prepare for the expansion and growth that will come as the temperatures rise.
The white teas are delicate, fruity, often with honey notes in the finish, and belong to the element of water. They are the least processed of all tea types. You can choose the earliest unopened buds. - called silver needles or different types of white teas depending on your preference. Below is a list of commonly used ways to characterise white teas. The moonlight white teas can be stored as a pu-erh / post fermented tea.
White teas originate in the Fujian province of China
-Bai Hao Yin Zhen – white hair silver needle, the buds should be even and without stems, grey/silvery in color, and some types are covered in white down/hair. Fine grades are harvested very early in spring and are very expensive.
-White Peony – Bai Mu Dan – should consist of a bud set (meaning one unopened bud, surrounded by two tender leaves). It’s hard to find a true Bai Mu Dan outside China. It’s a very fine tea that brews into a stronger cup than the silver needle.
- Gong Mei – tribute eyebrows - buds and leaves but rarely complete bud sets
- Shou Mei – longevity eyebrows, darker (more oxidized) leaves and no buds, more uneven leaves. The difference between Gong Mei and Shou Mei is that Gong Mei has more buds, and the leaves are of a higher grade than Shou Mei.
-New craft white teas from Fujian, Fuding County. This tea is withered, slightly rolled, oxidized, and dried. Still a very mild tea, but with green/grey/brownish larger leaves mixed with broken leaves.
-White teas from other countries – can range from silver needle to variations of Mu Dan/Gong and Shou Mei. Quality can be very high or less so, and these teas can consist of buds, leaves, and broken leaves of white tea.
-Moonlight White (can sometimes be harvested from Ancient trees like these rare ones from WildTeaQi). Moonlight White originate in the Yunnan province and is made from large leaves and buds. Some people characterise the Moonlight white as a pu-erh white.
This is a tea to enjoy on special occasions when you have time to sit, enjoy, and reflect. It's extremely refreshing and energizing, yet calming.
Prepare your tea utensils by heating them up and cleansing them in hot water.
Take out your tea; in this case, carefully break a piece of the tea cake with a thin knife, 6 g of tea to ca 180 ml of water. Rinse the tea once (water temp 96°C) by pouring hot water over the leaves, wait for 3 seconds, and then pour out the water.
Begin your first steep: pour water (96°C) over the tea in your brewing vessel, put the lid on, and wait 30 seconds. Pour the tea into the pitcher and from there into the cups. Enjoy as the tea has cooled down a bit.
Repeat as many times as you like. This Wild Artisan Moonlight White Tea will give you many steeps, just keep going. You can increase the steeping time by about 15-30 seconds each round. The final steep you can do as a cold tea (i.e., put the tea and the water in the fridge and let it steep until the next day).
Welcome to contact me to purchase Limited Leaves. For teas from WildTeaQi buy them here.
And by the way, who changes the seasons? What do you think? Let's contemplate and talk about it over a good cup of tea! Hope to see you soon.
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