Theme - China

„Yunnan Provincial Government has stipulated that for tea to qualify as Pu er it must be:

i) of the Broad Leaf variety (Sinensis Assamica)
ii) grown in the Lancang (Mekong) River region
iii) sun dried. The third point is important as there is much tea grown in the Lancang River area that is not sun dried.

There are also increasing amounts of Small Leaf Variety (Xiao Ye Zhong /小叶种) being grown in the Lancang River area.“

„tai di; 台地 - Literally mesa or plateau.台地茶 tai di cha refers to tea bushes that have been planted and are still young. They are also the broad leaf varietal and have generally been grown from the seeds of old trees. They are not inherently bad, but the use of chemicals in their cultivation is pervasive.“

„cha pan (zi); 茶盘(子) - Tea tray. The tray with a drainage system - normally a simple pipe- that is used when making tea. Usually made from bamboo, wood or stone.“