Kneaded Incense – Japanese Nerikoh

 

Pine and Sandalwood Nerikoh - 03/2017

Raw Material for Incense - Collecting Red Pine Resin

This split log of red pine has been kept in storage for approx. 10 years. Since that time the aroma of the resin has become more concentrated developing deep spicy notes.

The Power of Natural Incense

 

Pine wood heated over charcoal. The aroma from the natural resin is sweet and full of complexity. Inhaling deeply awakens the senses and infuses you with life.

Visiting an Ancient Salt Mine

During man’s early years salt was a vital ingredient for survival. It meant food could be preserved and thus made available during lean times. This importance made salt highly prized and the salt trade brought immense riches to merchants who would coin the saying “salt was more valuable than gold”.

Natural Fermentation – Local Black Mushrooms (Hed Tup Tal)

In Thailand these mushrooms are locally known as Hed Tup Tal (aka เห็ดตับเต่า) and if there was to be a mushroom version of puerh tea this local delicacy would be hard to beat. Very much in line with ripe puerh tea, Hed Tup Tal possesses an intensely dark color that varies from brown to black and despite their strong appearances both have gentle and mild characteristics. The mushroom tastes mildly earthy with a deep mushroom flavor.

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.

Local Bananas in Thailand – A Rare Find

Little (lady) and large (elephant) the size of both easily differentiates each from the other. 

Natural Fermentation w/ 1970s Fuzhuan Brick – Part 2

i) The above photo shows the result of 2 months of fermentation at room temperature. The color of the tea brine has lightened considerably from the first day in mid Nov 2015. ii) To stabilize the batch the jar was refrigerated. The reduced state in the follow up photo shows that I have been actively testing the results for the past month.

The Silver Teapot

 

Out from the cupboard and in need of cleaning.

2016 New Year’s Resolution – Good Health

 

It is that time of year whereby we strive to make improvements to ourselves, our lives and perhaps to even influence those around us. It is a highly commendable goal and with the right intentions that change can be for the betterment of ourselves and those close to us. My goal for the last 5 years has been to improve my own health, spread the word on healthier living as well as to gain more well rounded knowledge on health issues. It is a gradual and progressive course of action. However this should not sway you my dear readers into thinking that I am a health freak. I have my cravings for a good burger, pizza and sweet desserts like anybody else of which I periodically indulge. I simply do not believe in living to extremes and it is more about finding a healthy balance that accommodates diversity for making life enjoyable and fun.

Natural Fermentation w/ 1970s Fuzhuan Brick Part 1

 

A new batch of fermentation using tea brewed from the1970s Fuzhuan Brick (People’s Unification Tea)

Tea and Consent

The Thames Valley Police (UK) recently uploaded this creative animated video to tackle the issue of sexual consent by comparing it to the well known British pastime of drinking tea. The video is cleverly made, being entertaining and both funny and clear in its message.

A Word of Caution – Tea Samples

In the previous entry “It's Good to Sample” I touched on the benefits of tea samples. To ensure that both sides are covered and a more complete picture is presented, in this entry I will offer some of the drawbacks and the negative aspect of samples.

Some of the really bad tea samples I have encountered have been quite horrendous. Tea can easily absorb odors and I have encountered foreign smells of plastic, chemicals and a variety of unpleasantness in the dried leaves. I have stopped getting surprised by what I find in my tea samples. The list including insects, hair, cigarette butts have all made their appearances. – This is not to say these problems won’t surface when placing a larger order of teacakes and tongs but it should be noted that many shops have separate first and secondary storage. The higher risk associated with samples is that some shops can be rather careless when it comes to their secondary storage of tea and this can compromise their tea samples.

It's Good to Sample

 

A collection of samples from a time when I was exploring some online offerings.

Samples can be used to serve many purposes with the most common function being to judge the quality of a tea for determining a purchase. To take this further, for puerh enthusiasts who are interested in the study and exploration of puerh tea sampling provides a cost effective and logistically astute way to widen your experiences and scout the vast puerh landscape. Sampling allows the avid tea drinker to probe the different categories of puerh tea and survey how the landscape can change over time without having to allocate substantial investment to acquire tea in a larger quantity.

Natural Fermentation – Amla in a Tea Brine Solution Part 2

 

Cured meat with pickled Amla and some crackers.

I am happy and relieved to report that the outcome of the pickled Amla did not go down the drain. The process of natural fermentation progressed very smoothly without any UFOs (unidentified floating objects) appearing and igniting my imagination for the worst. The jarringly sour, bitter and astringent character present in the fresh fruit has been totally transformed. These little pickled fruits remind me a lot of traditional salted olives and this is how I have been eating them.

Natural Fermentation – Amla in a Tea Brine Solution Part I

Embarking on a new adventure can bring new thrills and excitement. This is how I feel about this particular fermentation project. It is the first time that I will be attempting to use freshly brewed tea to naturally ferment food and perhaps create a healthy probiotic tonic as a bonus. Unlike kombucha I will be attempting to ferment freshly brewed tea with only salt combined with a vegetable or fruit. If you have done something similar I would dearly love to hear from you. It is not only to share in the experience but to have the comfort of knowing that there are others perfectly sane, normal and intuitive people who commonly carry out this activity :)

Amla packs a strong punch in taste. The fruit is jarringly sour, bitter and astringent to the point of bringing puckered faces to the newly initiated.

Bomb Blast in Bangkok, Thailand

Front page, Thai newspaper Daily News

A sad beginning to the week as a bomb exploded late Monday evening at 1900pm (local time) on 17 August 2015 in front of the Erawan Shrine at Ratchaprasong intersection. The blast left at least 20 dead and more than 125 injured.

Natural Fermentation – The Pickled Cucumber

For many people I know including myself at times “maintaining health” is one of the most overlooked aspects in everyday life. We live in a fast paced world, the demands are many and the distractions are endless. We are simply too busy that good health is habitually taken for granted and undervalued. It is only when under painful or extreme adversity caused by terrible illness that the true value of good health emerges. It is during those dark days that all the wealth in the world will appear insignificant by comparison to simply alleviating relief and regaining the freedom of our physical and mental normalcy. Good health allows us to better appreciate all the things around us including the tea we drink. Good health provides us with the capacity to live a fuller life adding color and joy to our journey through life. With more research pointing to the importance of maintaining a healthy gut flora (Ref 80% of our immune system is in our gastrointestinal (GI) tract), this is where I will begin with the humble pickled cucumber.

In my books what you see before you is a superfood awaiting transformation (... think Clark Kent and Superman). The above picture show freshly prepared cucumbers  (w/ dill and red peppers) immersed in a salt brine solution awaiting natural fermentation to take place. By selecting the most natural ingredients available, you create an environment for natural bacteria and beneficial microbes to thrive. Natural fermentation does not require heating or pasteurization and is kept free from artificial preservatives in order to maximize the benefits. In this case only salt, water and fresh cucumbers make up the essential ingredients.

Learning to (Re)Wrap a Teacake

Tea for All Occasions - Tea for Life