天娜茶語:祁門一地兩生花
我老媽很少提起她娘家，原來我的外曾祖父是廣東漕邦的頭頭。用今日的說話應該是河運上的保鑣。因為得罪了道上的人，我外公曾經被綁票了三四趟；結果嚇得連學也不敢上。因為日本侵華時入他們擁有龐大的船隊，結果給日本軍隊全部徵用了。為了生計我外祖父便去學做木匠。他很有型，六七十年前已經是夏里遜福在奪寶奇兵中的型像。永遠是牛仔帽牛仔褲牛仔褸。我們家裏很多家具都是出自他的手筆。有兩件經典的家具。一件是雙層床。以前的天花特別高，所以雙層床下面是儲物櫃上邊的一層還可以弄個小書桌。如今的寶寶坐鴨鴨，但外公卻設計了一個開孔的小板凳下面放小痰盂。
每次到茶樓他都點六安黑茶。平日他也只喝六安. 他說這茶太子也喝不壞。有時老人家嫌它淡，會放些陳皮在茶缸提香。普洱是上等貨不會放陳皮。如今卻人人都玩柑普、小青柑、還有陳皮屈普洱。
因為外祖父的影響，以為六安是粗茶，一直沒有很認真研究，直至遇上孫義順。二十年前一次茶聚中，文師兄贈我一手一百年孫義順六安袪感冒。只覺茶氣貫穿心肺，久積內感馬上發表，回家呼呼大睡。
第二次見識孫義順的厲害，是三零年代的老茶。湯色如紅棗湯，那醇滑的程度難以形容，口感如無物，像一縷青煙溜到喉裡。氣味是幽幽的檳榔花和淡淡的糯米，茶氣非常含蓄，細細的氣流靜悄悄流向指尖，然後眼皮慢慢地下垂。
第三次確認六安如我外公說太子也喝不壞是在2007年。一天到訪我茶藝老師的辦公室，嗅到一股春尖味，馬上追查“芳蹤”。 老師也揶揄我狗鼻子。原來那年國內打貪；有某高幹給雙規，訂了的春茶撻訂，一批上好的貨流落民間，是孫義順的春尖。老師有少量配額。一試之下，驚為天人，精緻的結構，細膩的棗香如在喝極品的紅棗水，還有蜜棗的甜香，十二泡有餘香。從來沒有想像過孫二順可以這麼美味、滋味！我二話不說，馬上買了一大籮。它的包裝有別於過去買過的。老孫二順多使用380克裝小竹籮。這春尖是用200克裝小竹籮。不久，一位朋友到我家海鮮香檳宴。朋友之前一晚加班到通霄，才喝了一口酒，馬上就過敏。身上皮膚都發紅。我馬上泡了這個2007孫義順春尖給她解酒。才喝了兩泡，原本都發紅的手，從指尖開始，紅疹開始退下，膚色從紅色一截一截變白，就是鄉玩魔術般，戴上一個白手套。
翻查網上資料有關六安茶的原產地，眾說紛紜，莫衷一是，尤其最近拍賣價達到港幣一百八十萬4公斤。一說是安徽大別山藿山，一說是祁門。喝過幾個年份的孫義順，春尖的香氣具有獨特的“祁門香”，與祁門紅茶十分相似。
祁門香是模仿不來的，她的結構嬌小玲瓏，香味精緻骨子，餘韻帶點兒冰糖與蜜糖的甜味，唯有那近乎隱形的單寧提醒你這是茶。印象難忘。祁門紅茶更被譽為中國三大名紅之一。祁門種的茶樹被引入世界各地；包括印度、斯里蘭卡、甚至遠達俄羅斯。想不到造了黑茶，祁門香卻有增無減。
六安茶曾經被一位姓戴的名醫用作藥引，祛除瘟疫，因此其藥用價值不脛而走。目睹“白手套”事件，我對六安的保健作用是深信不疑的。只是懷疑，近期飛升的價格，是否與新冠有關。
要品嚐孫義順六安， 不需要付百多萬，2022年8月18日，下午2:00-6:00， 歡迎親臨我們辦公室上環無限極廣場20樓，免費品嘗2007年孫義順貢尖。如果想嚐30年代孫義順老茶。歡迎參加我們8月27日在吉瑞酒店中菜館“潤”舉辦的“孫義順3年份垂直品鑑午宴”；可以一邊享受洪師傅的廚藝和細味老中青三代孫義順六安茶。
沒有黨，我也沒有機會體會用平易近人的價錢，享受到鼎鼎大名的孫義順！ 所以要感謝黨 ！
孫義順貢尖免費試飲
日期：2022年8月18日星期四
時間：下午2：00 至 6:00 歡迎預約
地點：上環德輔道中199號無限極廣場20樓
孫義順垂直品鑑午宴
日期：2022年8月27日星期六
時間：12:00 pm-15:00pm
地點：灣仔瑞吉酒店中菜廳 “ 潤 ”
費用：每位HKD998 + 10%
https://www.tinacellar.com/blogs/events/vertical-tasting-lunch-of-sun-yi-shun
Tina’s Tea Talk: Qi Men Duo
My mom seldom talked about her family. My great grandfather ran a fleet of cargo ship along the Pear River. In this trade, it was inevitable to have bad blood with pirates. My grandfather was kidnapped by pirates several times for ransoms. He was so scared to go to school. During the Japanese occupant, my great grandfather’s fleet was confiscated. Since then, grandpa was sent to a carpenter as apprentice. He was very stylish. He always dressed like Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones. Most of the furniture at home was made by him. The 2 very classic items are: a double layered bed, with a mini study on the upper layer, and a storage compartment at the lower layer, and a little stool with a whole on top as a baby training potty.
His Favorite tea is Liu An dark tea. Every time in a Dim Sum Restaurant, he ordered this tea and told us that even the weakest man would have no problem with it. The taste of this tea is very weak, he used to add mandarin peel to age with this tea to enhance the flavour. He said that Puer tea was premium and should be drunk straight. Nowadays people like putting tea in a small mandarin shell.
As influence by grandpa, I have a bias that Liu An is an everyday tea and I never study it seriously. Until one day 20 years ago, my senior tea classmate Mr. Man offered me a small handful of 100 years old Sun Yi Shun (the brand) Liu An to heal my flu. The tea “Qi “was powerful with fast penetration. I drank three cups, went home, and slept like a baby. The effect was amazing.
The second time I discovered the healing function was that I bought some back vintage Sun Yi Shun Liu An of the 1930’s. The tea juice was clear with red hue like red dates soup. The purity and smoothness was indescribable. On the palate, it was like nothing. Very light body and so silky that it slipped down my throat without notice. The aroma was very subtle like betel nut blossom and glutinous rice. Tea “Qi” was moderate and subtle as well. It quietly ran through my finger tips and my eyelids lowered.
The third time that I eye witnessed the healing function of Liu An was in 2007. One day I dropped by my tea mentor’s office and smelled spring flowers. It was typical aromas of spring first flush tea. I immediately asked my mentor the source of the aroma. My mentor teased me and called me doggy nose. There was an anti -corruption campaign in the Mainland China that year. A senior official of the Party was arrested and he declined his order of a batch of first flush Sun Yi Shun Liu An tea. My mentor managed to get some allocation. I tasted it and dropped my jaw! The structure was very refined and the aroma of red dates and Jujube was very delicate like drinking the juice of top quality of the kind. It was still very tasty after 12 infusions. Of course I bought it. The packaging is different from the Liu An I used to buy. Instead of 380g per basket, it was in 200g small basket. I have never imagined that Liu An can be this tasty! Later a very good friend visited me for Champagne and seafood feast. She worked overnight the night before and was very allergic to alcohol and shell fish. Her skin turned all red rash from head to toe after a bit of wine and dine. I brewed some 2007 Liu An for her and something magical happened! She drank 2 small cups and after a while, the rash subsided from finger tips to wrists as if she was wearing a pair of white gloves.
I then tried to study more about Liu An. There are too many theories about the origin, especially when the recent auction price of a 4 litre bamboo basket costs HKD 1.8 million. There are two relatively reliable theories about the origin of Liu An. Some believe that it is from Anhui, Huo Shan of Da Bie Mountain. Some think that it is from Qimen. It seems my 2007 first flush has the same aroma of the Qi Men Black Tea.
The Qi Men aroma cannot be copied. It is exactly like the terroir of wine that it represents the uniqueness of the soil. The structure is dainty, refined and classy. The nose is delicate and subtle. The after taste is like rock sugar and honey. Only the very hidden tannin reminds you the it is tea. Qi Men Black is regarded as one of the top three black tea of China. Qi Men Tea Tree is grown in many other countries such as India, Sri-Lanka, and as far as to Russia. It is out of my expectation that making Qi Men tea dark tea is even more aromatic than black tea.
It is believed that once up on a time, one herbalist name Dai used Liu An tea as a catalyzer in his herbal tea and successfully out bit a pandemic. The medical function of Liu An was then spread everywhere! I witnessed the “White Glove” incident and I never doubted its effectiveness. I am not sure if the recent sky-rocketing price of Liu An is related to the current Covid.
You do not have to spend a million to taste Sun Yi Shun Liu An. Please join us for tasting of 2007 Sun Yi Shun first flush on 18 Aug 2022 Thursday from 2:00 to 6:00pm. If you would like to taste the 1930’s Sun Yi Shun, please join our tasting lunch as “Run “ at St. Regis Hotel on 27 Aug 2022 Sat at 12:00pm. You can taste vertically 3 vintages of Sun Yi Shun and enjoy Chef Hong’s great food.
Free Tasting of Sun Yi Shun 2007 Imperial First Flush
Date: 18 Aug 2022 Thursday
Time: 2:00pm to 6:00pm (guests who book in advance will be prioritised )
Venue: 20/F Infinitus Plaza 199 Des Voeux Road Central
Vertical Tasting Lunch of Sun Yi Shun
Date: 27 Aug 2022 Saturday
Time: 12:00pm -15:00pm
Venue: Run at St Regis Hotel (limited seats of 7)
Price: HKD998 + 10% per head
https://www.tinacellar.com/blogs/events/vertical-tasting-lunch-of-sun-yi-shun