How to make tea

I love tea - I was spoiled during my Qigong training by enjoying fresh Chinese teas every day. Did you know that according to Chinese tradition, there are 5 different ways to prepare the water for your tea? Here's the lowdown:

The 5 Different Stages of Boiling Water and How the Chinese Use Them for Tea
by Marcus Stout

1) Shrimp Eyes

 Shrimp eyes are how the tiny, pinhead sized bubbles are described. It is the point where you first start seeing bubbles in the water. This mean that the water is around 160 degrees, making it perfect for some really delicate green teas such as Japanese Senchas and Gyokuros.


2) Crab Eyes

 Crab eyes are slightly larger bubbles. The important thing to note is that small wisps of steam will start to rise at this point in time. This means the temperature is roughly 175 degrees and it is well suited for Chinese Green Teas, Green Oolongs and White Tea.



3) Fish Eyes

In this stage, the water bubbles will be the size of small pearls or fish eyes. The rising steam will be stronger and if you are using a kettle it will just barely make some noise. This water is roughly 180 degrees and is good for some heartier Green Teas and White Teas, such as Gunpowder and Bai Mu Dan.


4) Rope of Pearls

This water is around 200 - 205 degrees. The bubbles should be streaming to the top and it should almost be boiling. This water is ideal for Darjeelings, Black Teas and Dark Oolongs.



 

5) Raging Torrent

This water looks like rapids in a raging river. It is bubbling violently with swirling and rolling bubbles. At this stage you have to be careful of de-oxygenating the water, according to the Chinese. This is the temperature that Puerh should be steeped with.




So there they are, the 5 stages of boiling water that the Chinese use to make tea.

Health tip: substitute iced tea for soda, and you will lose weight and live longer and stronger.

A note from my teacher, Master Zhongxian Wu

According to ancient Chinese cosmology, this autumn season will start on August 7th.
This nature pattern indicates that the hot weather of the summer will shift to cooling weather soon after August 7th. In late August and September, there will be some big storms that will bring the cold energy to the nature.
Please keep yourself warm and continue your Qigong practice to strengthen your kidney and heart to balance yourself with this natural energy influence during the autumn season, especially in September and October.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my new blog! I hope you visit frequently as  I will be posting many tips and information about healthy living - some from me, some from what I have learned from others.

Again, welcome to a new and healthier you!


Tom Pasley, LMT, NCTMB