‘Just a good thing’

‘Tea is just a good thing we have here on our mountain.’ This phrase, told to me years ago by a small producer from Anhua County has always stuck with me.

What I personally like in this remark is its conscious understatement. I have spent several days with this person, tasting, comparing and contrasting teas until late in the evening. I know that tea matters a lot to him, both as a way of life and as his way of making a living.

By downplaying the role that tea plays for him, he voluntarily pushed back against opposite views, which put tea front and center as a ceremonial performance, a chic tasting experience, or even as conduit to wisdom and illumination.

Or whatever you make of it …

Tea is what you make of it. There is no absolute right or wrong, when it comes to the meaning of tea. Personally, I like the more relaxed and down-to-earth approach of my friend, but this is just a subjective opinion.

It is, however, certainly not a coincidence that this way of looking at tea has led me to a preference for Anhua Dark Tea. It is an old tea that has managed to maintain a low profile, while so many others have had their period of being trendy (Let’s keep it like that!).

There are hundreds of tea sorts, originating from many different regions, each having their own character, lending to a specific way of appreciating and understanding them. While some teas are fragrant like flowers, Anhua Dark Tea’s grounded notes of pine resin appeal to those looking for a more reflective, less spectacular appreciation of tea.