Fresh off the press: The Leaf Issue 5
And again, my good friend Aaron Fisher (Wu De) has managed to put together a stunning collection of articles on tea and a life in tea, cha dao.
The Leaf’s fifth issue continues in the same direction that the publication has taken in the last few issues: presenting knowledge about tea, but also inspiring a personal development in tea that is deeply rooted in spirituality. And the latter aspect is the one that makes The Leaf stand out amongst all other available tea-related publications in English.
In the last few years, more and more information about tea has become available in English, be it in the form of magazines, books or websites/blogs. There’s a wealth of information available, waiting to be discovered. But most of this information is just that: information, knowledge, facts. Very little material about the philosophical and spiritual side of tea is available in English. This is where The Leaf comes in and fills that gap most brilliantly. Don’t get me wrong, the information about tea in The Leaf is second to none (I place it right next to fantastic ‘The Art of Tea’ magazines in this regard), but it takes a step further, showing the (possible) way ahead.
Many people who have been drinking tea for a period of time eventually get to a point where tea becomes more than a nicely flavoured drink. It develops into a ritual, and integral part on one’s life, and possibly a meditation. People start experiencing the flow of Qi that tea is so good at stimulating. They get a glimpse of cha dao (the way of tea). The Leaf offers support on this path with personal accounts, the sharing of experiences and advice. It might even inspire you to travel to Asia to search for your own tea master.
The latest issue of The Leaf contains 2 thought-provoking articles related to cha dao. The first one deals with the relativity of tea quality. It is a very interesting read and tries to open the reader’s perspective, moving away from a purely academic (knowledge- and fact-based) approach to a more intuitive and sense-based approach to tea. The second article is the perfect complement the first one, in that it deals with tea snobbery, which can easily result from an academic approach to tea. In both articles, the authors share their personal experiences, mistakes and lessons learnt with the reader. I appreciate that.
But issue 5 of The Leaf also contains a number of highly educational, fact- and knowledge-focused articles. There wouldn’t be an issue of The Leaf without an article on pu-erh. This time, it focuses on one of the most debated pu-erh productions: Banzhang tea. The price for Bhanzang tea is astronomical, which has created a wide range of schemes to cash in on the ‘flavour of the day’ (about 1000 times the amount of legitimate spring production is sold as Bhanzang tea in the major tea markets!). The author investigates, what the characteristics of ‘true’ Banzhang tea are and helps to shed light on this much obscured subject by debunking some well-established misconceptions.
The article on tetsubins includes photos of some fantastically beautiful kettles will be of interest to quite a few of you, especially the ones who’ve been involved in the discussion about these cast-iron kettles after my blog post on using one to bring out the best from our Ba Xian Dancong. Further articles include a portrait of Taiwanese bamboo artist Weng Ming Chuan and a very good introductory article on Yixing tea wares.
The Leaf is created out of a love for tea and a desire to share. It is a free online publication and as good or better than any commercial publication. The contributors and editors freely offer their time and knowledge to make this publication possible. To show your appreciation, you can either leave a comment in the comment sections of the issue or make a donation (which will not only increase your Karma substantially, but will also give you a small selection of fine teas AND a black and white copy of the latest issue* if your donation exceeds US$25).
All previous editions are available through the website of The Leaf.
* the online version is available as non-printable pdf-documents to avoid unnecessary waste of paper