Gong Fu Tea|chA - Episode 27 - Cha Qi (茶气), The Way Tea Makes You Feel

In this episode, So-Han explores the concept of Cha Qi. Cha Qi (茶气) literally means "Tea Breath," but we like to define it as "the way a tea makes you feel." This is a byproduct of a confluence of factors, but before So-Han explores what goes into the making of Cha Qi (The 5 P's), he briefly discusses the drug effects of tea. The 5 P's are a mnemonic that So-Han created to discuss where Cha Qi comes from. They are: 1.) The Plant - the tea plant itself. Is it seed propagated? Is it a clone? Is it wild or a very cultivated varietal? 2.) The Place - where is the plant grown? What's the climate/weather like there? What is the flavor of the soil? In French, when talking about wine, we say "the terroir of the wine," meaning the flavor of the earth. In Chinese, this is called Di Wei (地味), also "The flavor of the Earth." 3.) The People - who are the people growing the tea? Picking the tea? Processing the tea? Are they picking tea from a place of being exploited on a job? Or are they picking tea from a place of agency, able to do with the plants as they see fit? Do these people care for the plants? 4.) The Process - what processes go into creating the final product? Is this tea roasted? Is it smoked? Is it massaged? Is it straightened? Whatever processing goes into making a tea will have an effect on the Qi. 5.) The Pourer - the person pouring the tea brings their own Qi, each time they pour tea, to the experience of drinking that tea. So part of cultivating Gong Fu for pouring tea is cultivating a sense of communication between ourselves as pourers and the tea, so we can help each tea to express itself in the ways that each tea likes to be expressed, or feels like being expressed on any given day. Teas featured in this episode: Charcoal Roasted Silver Needle (https://westchinatea.com/30g-charcoal...) Music by: B. Glenn Copeland (www.SongCycles.com) Production Credits: Produced/Directed by: Echo Duemig Edited by: Henry Arrambide Cha Xi ("tea stage" - the tea "set up" for this episode) by: Montsho Thoth