Chris is really into his Gongfu tea ceremony which is the art of skillfully brewing and enjoying high quality teas. Today we were very lucky to visit Ben Discoes’ tea farm in Ahualoa. I always wanted to meet and talk story with Ben because I used to follow his farming blog in the early 2010s before moving to the Big Island.
We sat down outside and enjoyed three different types of oolong while talking story about tea farming. There were two teas that Chris brought and one was from Ben’s farm that he grew and hand rolled himself. We sipped on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th pours and enjoyed how each stage of the brew unfolded.
The flavor development of tea is determined by many factors like the environment, rainfall, varietal. Also fermentation and oxidation plays a key role very similar to chocolate flavor development. From sweet, fruity flavors and honey aromas to woody, earthy flavors and roasted aromas. The complexity of Oolong tea can be infinite and it’s best to enjoy it while it’s fresh unless you know how to age it properly .
When we got back we planted a tea plant in the shade of a tree fern. Maybe one day we’ll have enough to process our own matcha powder to use for confections.
Originally posted on 2021-08-11, part of the daily planting journal behind Ha’a Chocolate’s food forest on Hawai’i Island.