A Time for Tea

At the Tea Farm Cafe in Moili’ili, you’re greeted simultaneously by the person behind the counter and a rather imposing wall of teas. A few dozen black, green, white and oolong teas and several tisanes stare down from their orderly shelves, samples that showcase how different each one really is. Pick up a canister that intrigues you, shake it around, smell it. Pick up another… and somehow eventually decide which one will fill your cup. 

I like popping off all the lids and looking at the leaves. So many different colors and textures. Fuzzy white tea needles; large, crinkly oolong leaves; the uniquely-colored Golden Monkey tea. Each would brew up a completely different tasting liquor. Which way should we go today?

Brooke wanted to try a green tea, so I scanned the shelves, looking for a good one. Ooh, they have Dragon Well! I grab the canister and just as I start singing its praises to her, the owner, too far away to hear me, suggests she try the same tea. I knew I liked this place…. Brooke’s sold, so he starts preparing her cup.

I’ve always been fascinated by Dragon Well (Longjing, in Chinese). First of all, it’s a visually beautiful tea, both before and during infusion. Its leaves are pan-fired flat, looking almost as if they’d been ironed, all neat and tidy. While brewing, they open up and seem to regain their pre-plucked freshness. (Indeed, Brooke’s leaves looked vibrant, as if they were dancing in her cup.) And its liquor? Rich, nutty, gorgeous.

I actually had wanted to visit Hangzhou, the land of Longjing, while I was in China. The thought of wandering along the banks of its West Lake enchanted me. And drinking a steaming cup of Longjing tea at its source? What could be better? Here are a couple of Wikimedia Commons photos to show you just how lovely this corner of China really is.

This one’s by Jakub Hałun

And this one’s by Louisa Salazar

Okay, back to Honolulu now….

As for me, I decided to go the pu-erh route. Hey, if Brooke was going to have a magical tea, so was I. After hearing my pick, the owner asked if I wanted the loose-leaf pu-erh or some from the cake he had in the back. I only ever had pu-erh in the solid form, whether chipped from a large cake by a friend of a friend at his Oakland apartment or the cute, individually-wrapped mini cakes from Peet’s. So yes, cake please!

Pu-erh’s an amazing tea with a deep, earthy taste that, unlike most teas, actually improves with age. It also seems to have an acquired taste, as Brooke wasn’t nearly as fond of it as she was her Dragon Well. Okay, I’m fairly certain she hated it. But in my digging around the Internet, I’ve found some passionate pro pu-erh folks, including the man who created this amazing homage to the dark tea.

While Brooke’s tea leaves were sprightly and alive, mine were a bit lethargic, choosing instead to sit there and quietly steep. It didn't brew up as darkly as it could have, but was still nice.

To make things fair for my tea after posting those lovely Hangzhou pics, here’s a shot of a tea field in Yunnan Province in China, where pu-erh is grown, taken by a Flickr user called inyucho. Check out his “Sets” but be prepared to experience major travel-envy….

And here’s a shot of the pu-erh and plum bubble tea that I had at Chamate (一茶一坐) in Shanghai. So good!

 

As my tea continued to brew, the café slowly started filling up with people. But instead of being energized by this patron infusion, the atmosphere remained calm and quiet, with most seats filled with college kids studying. Silent cafés seem to be a Moili’ili thing, in my experience. Still, it was a pleasant setting to catch up in, so we were happy.

Being a thoughtful wife, Brooke decided to grab an iced green tea latte for her husband before we left. She also had a bunch of tea questions for the man behind the counter, which gave me a chance to shoot them without being noticed….

Coffee or tea? Given the name of this blog, I’m sure you’ve figured out that I usually opt for the former. Every so often, though, my taste shifts teaward. It’s nice to know there’s a spot out here to sit and watch the leaves brew.

The Tea Farm Cafe

2600 South King Street, Suite 106, Honolulu, HI 96826

(808) 945-2679 theteafarm.com/cafe.asp