Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Cleaning & Sorting the Oolong Tea Cabinet

Cleaning and sorting through things is not a particularly fun task so it helps to that there are interesting items that act as motivation for the process. Bringing these oolong teas out from the dark was definitely an incentive.

As time passes by it can be amazing how stuff simply builds up … and even more amazing at what turns up. Regularly cleaning and sorting through your things and storage space helps maintain an optimal environment for storing your tea. The main objective is to prevent contamination by ensuring sanitary conditions where no unexpected insect infestation and mold have taken hold. My designated oolong tea cabinet has more than a few interesting items that goes beyond oolong tea. There are Darjeeling and Ceylon tea picked up from trips to India and Sri Lanka. Additionally I am reminded of some tea accessories, Chinese herbs and old bottles of whisky that have slipped from memory.

The oolongs consist of Chinese, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Thai produced tea. Some of the tea was bought over 10 years ago and have yet to be opened. The increase in market demand for old medium and high roasted oolongs in recent years implies that more people are noticing and appreciating the value in these age teas. Personally I have been enjoying age oolongs for some time now which motivated me to put aside a few into the cabinet periodically. Having a collection of oolong tea provides an opportunity to observe and experience the aging and transformation of this category of tea. The journey of tea teaches us patience and I intend to hold on to these teas for a while longer so that they can be assessed and appreciated at a more advanced maturity.

Other tea items consisting of Darjeeling and Ceylon tea.

Tinctures consisting of Chinese herbs and rice wine (Moutai) and old bottles of whisky. Special mention is made to the fantastic Brora and the empty bottle is kept in loving memory of the many great sessions enjoyed.

The consequence of too much moving around is that things break. The honey and banana preserve didn’t make it.