Oh! My PonFonCha! (Hakka Tea Song)

"Shouldering Buckets" is a popular Taiwan Hakka folk song, often to be happily sung while Hakka friends are working very hard...a typical Taiwan Hakka spirit!

I am shouldering buckets (Hey! Hey!)
with a bamboo pole (Ho He Hey!)
Carrying the bamboo pole from the middle (Hey! Hey!)
and both ends drop.
==================================

Just about two weeks ago at our Hakka Toastmasters Meeting, I changed the lyrics and use it to appreciate my favorite tea - "Oriental Beauty".
Here it is:

"Oh! My PonFonCha!"

It is tea time (Hey! Hey!)
I will like to have a cup of PonFonCha (Ho He Hey!)
One sprout and two tender leaves are floating...
Oh! I am fond of its unique taste!

Green leaf hoppers (Hey! Hey!)
visited our tea garden (Ho He Hey!)
Provided the natural honey touch in the cup,
so no other teas can compare to it.
It is my favorite...PonFonCha.

(sing in Hakka Taiwanese)
飲茶要飲囉 (Hey! Hey!)
膨風茶 呐 (Ho He Hey!)
一心兩葉來漂漂
飲落喉囉 介 著一驚 吶

綠色介浮塵子 (Hey! Hey!)
來訪問 吶 (Ho He Hey!)
留下特殊介蜜香
無得比啊 介 膨風茶 吶

Click on this youtube by TeaGuy on 2011 World Tea Expo

Taiwan Oolong Tea Songs

Over a very easy weekend (*which is indeed hard to get for us...), I have re-edited some of the following tea songs' lyrics.

1.) Wenshan Pouchong:

             ( Youtube link )

2.) Jade Oolong:

 

3.) Classic Tung-Ting:

           ( Youtube Link )

4.) Amber Oolong: TieGuanYin:

            ( Youtube Link  )

5.) Oriental Beauty:

            ( Youtube Link )

6.) Taitung Oolong:

           ( Youtube Link  )

7.) Formosa Bonita:

              ( Youtube Link )

'Ceremonial Oolong Service' presented by Josephine Pan in 2015 World Tea Expo

We have a stage event during the show hours in 2015 World Tea Expo.
Ceremonial Oolong Service 
This is a new topic, instead of having the Tea Ceremony on the stage, Josephine and I decide to have this program to practically help our tea rooms owners or tea retailers to open up a new avenue for their tea sales.  Working closely with Wedding Planners, Party Coordinators, Event Organizers...to include Ceremonial Oolong Service in their programs.  With the Spectrum of Taiwan Oolong complex in color, aroma, flavor... we believe it is so easy to find perfect Oolong to fulfill these important moments in many's lives.  

Before the presentation, I have this Delightful Rain  to cheer up our audience.

Enjoy the slideshow:

A tea song dedicated to the young couple...

"Where does one find good tea?
Unbroken sweat from the pores of their skin;
Gardening, plucking, withering, fluffing, panning,
rolling and baking;  
The graceful look, charming aroma, distinguished taste, lingering finish... all shown in their tea."

The following story to share with you...while you enjoy a cup of Taiwan Oolong.

Although it is often said, Good Oolong is to be encountered, not to be made as desired. Yet, we have met one couple in Reili, Alishan... A typical young tea farmer in Taiwan, who seems to have different approach.

With their endless efforts to follow the wisdom and discipline from their father, step by step... from Gardening, Leaf Plucking, Solar and Indoor Withering, Fluffing and Tumbling to manage the oxidation, Panning, Rolling, Baking...They do it all with their hearts and enormous efforts ...Every season, anxiously to present the tea they made with graceful look, charming aroma, distinguished taste and lingering finish for each cup infused.

They have tried to improve their tea garden with modern dripping irrigation system and adding new cultivars; got ISO22000 certified for their tea factory; and attend seminars in TRES to learn new techniques for making new Brandy Oolong and Classic Tung-Ting. They also are generous to open their facility for our TOST members to hands on study. I was speechless while Hung-Cheng calmly told me in our scouting trip back on March 2011, right at his tea garden with heavy spring rain pouring ... "How much rain we will get... is up to mother nature, but the sweat...all depends on how much effort I want to devote..." He did inspire me to write down that "兩人汗水滴落間" in my lyrics.

It is easy to say, yet definitely not easy to accomplish what they have done. I truly respect the young couple and will like to dedicate this song to them, Mr. & Mrs. Wang.

Please enjoy a YouTube film of this song...

Taiwan, the Paradise of Camellia sinensis !

(Tea bushes grow happily and vigorously in n Meishan, Jiayi)

(Jin Shuan, Gin Suan)

(Si-Ji-Chun, Evergreen, Four Season Spring)

(Ruby 18)

(Chin Sin Oolong)

(Chin Sin Dah Pan)

(Tsui Yu)

Opening Ceremony of 2010 TOST at TTMA office back on 10/17/2010, there were 6 plants set on display to greet our tea professionals from Northern America. These are the major Cultivars that flourish happily in tea gardens around the country. What many may not realize is that these cultivars work with Terroir to provide the unique aroma, fragrance, flavor as the backbone of each fine Taiwan Oolong.

A few members asked me whether there is any easy way to tell the difference among these bushes. I just smiled...and replied, "...be their friends, and you will get to know them well, and very soon you will be able to identify each of these cultivars..."

Guess what? Our members did spend a good whole week to hands on study Taiwan teas on the tea fields, at the tea plants, in the tea shops,...they have heard so much about these cultivars in different occasions along the trip, and they learned about why farmers prefer to select one over another for particular reason; or tea masters insist to use the leaf plucked from one specific cultivar to make a specialty tea... Oh yes, cultivars play such an important role in Taiwan tea's quality. And the air, the water, the soils,...the unique environment in Taiwan's mountains and hills that offer our tea bushes to posses the unsurpassed "terroir".

We should also not forget our Senbai (TeaCha, teachers) in Taiwan tea industry,... their experience, knowledge, craftsmanship and wisdom passed on generation to generation.

Over the Christmas and New Year breaks, I thought of having all these key ingredients that make Taiwan tea so marvelous, to be included in my new Hakka lyrics for this tea song to praise for the nature's best plants that grow in Taiwan --

Taiwan, the Paradise of Camellia sinensis !

台灣--茶樹介天堂 (用 鄧雨賢「望春風」曲)

台灣實在好地方 茶樹介天堂
好山好水好氣候 好茶滿山頭
紅茶綠茶烏龍茶 各有老茶客
代代茶人恁打拼 台茶基礎正

青心烏龍好種草 茶甘香氣高
金萱翠玉四季春 滿奈多人種
紅玉十八新品種 滋味當出眾
青心大冇若著涎 膨風茶盡展

台灣實在好地方 茶樹介天堂
好山好水好氣候 好茶出風頭
包種半球老凍頂 東方美人夯
代代茶人愛煞猛 保住好名聲

(*You will have to wait for the video of actual singing...

coming soon in World Tea Expo 2011 at Las Vegas!)

Tea Mountain Love Song (Hakka Tea Song)

Back on September/2005, I was invited to Big Island, Hawaii for the Mealani Tea Conference. There were so many tea enthusiasts meeting there to learn with passion to develop their new tea business in Big Island's west coast at Hilo side, while at the east coast of the island has enjoyed a great success of Kona Coffee. On my way back to Los Angeles, looked out from the plane just took off from Hilo airport to Honululu...I made a wish to hope in a few years, there will be successfully planted and very beautiful tea gardens there...and I humming this song happily....
It is a "Tea Mountain Love Song" originally from Guizhou, China. I use Hakka Taiwanese to change the lyrics and dedicate this song to my friends in Big Island, Hawaii.

==============================

I thought about it and I whisper to myself:
Hawaii will soon to have the beautiful tea gardens...
There will be many beautiful young girls plucking the tea leaves in the tea gardens...
Maybe there will be many great love stories on going...

茶山情歌 (用 中國貴州「 茶山情歌」)

捱惦惦介想啊 輕輕介問

Hawaii 有啊冇 恁樣介茶園
茶園肚 有啊冇 採茶介細妹
細妹肚 有啊冇 捱中意介人

(獻給 Hawaii Tea Society)

Gaoshancha in Taiwan (Mandarin Tea Song)

Incredibly, there are more than 150 mountains over 3000 meters high in Taiwan!
I remember at our Taiwan's Geography class in elementary school, our teacher told us with a little bit sadness, 1/3 of Taiwan is covered with high mountains, and 1/3 is hills and terrrace, so it limits our agriculture industry...who will imagine, after a few decades, we will tell our kids that Taiwan is so lucky to have so many remarkable high mountains and the huge Central Mountain Range is truly a big jewel of Taiwan.

Used to be "Tung Ting Oolong" signs posted every where in Taiwan's retails districts...but thing changed...There are many new tea estates have been developed in higher mountains over 1000 meters high since early 80's. These teas earn their fans, especially from the domestic market. Gaoshan Cha are jokingly set prices by the height of the tea garden located. Naturally, the leaf plucked from the Gaoshan tea gardens can be made into all sorts of teas...however, due to the market driven, almost all Goashan Cha in Taiwan are Jade Oolongs and the most popular cultivars are Chinsin, Ginsuan, Tsui-Yu, and Evergreen. Farmers invest all sorts of advanced equipments to handle the solar/indoor withering and oxidation to overcome the disadvantage of shorter sunshine, changing weather and limited flat land on the high altitude.

I have selected this popular aboriginal old song in Mardarin Taiwanese, to praise for Gaoshan Cha, with a sincere wish, which might be shared anong many Gaoshan tea lovers --

Please keep our mountains green and rivers clean,

while we can continue to enjoy wonderful, wonderful Taiwan Gaoshan Oolongs.
======================
Taiwan Gaoshan Cha
Taiwan is indeed a paradise!
There are so many remarkable high mountains and big rivers…

Alishan’s Tsui-Yu Oolong is rolled like green pearl,
and Shan-Lin-Si’s Evergreen Oolong is just super.
Ah…Ah…Ah…Ah…
Ah…Ah…Ah…Ah…
There are plenty Ginsuan Oolong grown in Meishan,
and Chinsin Oolong tops the Lishan mountain.

We sincerely hope our farmers can preserve these great cultivars
and also make sure to keep our mountains green and river clean!
Salute! Taiwan Gaoshan Oolongs.
You are truly green gold!

高山茶頌 (用 台灣邵族「高山青」)

高山青 澗水藍
阿里山的翠玉 圓又圓 啊
杉林溪的四季春 沒得比 哟

啊 ---啊 --- 啊--- --- 啊---
啊 ---啊 --- 啊--- --- 啊---

梅山的金萱 梨山的青心
台灣的高山 高又多.....

品種要保存 水土要維護
高山的烏龍茶 寶----中----寶

Classic Tung Ting Oolong (Holo Tea Song)

Hence Mr. Feng-Chi Lin brought the Chinsin Oolong bushes to be planted on the Tungting Mountain in Lugu back in 1855, we are so lucky to be able to enjoy TungTing Oolong.
In 1976, the first Tea Contest organized by Lugu Farmers’ Association did enrich the craftsmanship of TungTing tea’s growing and manufacturing.
The solar wither, indoor wither and oxidation control is typically Pouchong technique, however, the skillful canvas wrapped rolling and lightly baking to stabilize its aroma and taste, makes Tung Ting Oolong so outstanding.
Sip by sip, cup after cup, fine Tung Ting seems never enough for the market.

凍頂烏龍頌 Holo Taiwanese (台灣“農村曲”)

鹿谷凍頂山 青心烏龍湠
比賽眾人來 工夫磨真利
日頭晒啊晒 生葉走水香
急火炒 布球用力揉啊揉
凍頂烏龍茶 滋味”好特別”
一杯又一杯 好茶是 不 夠 賣

Applauses to Taiwan Tea Industry (Hakka tea song)

My deepest respect and appreciation to my fellow Specialist, Researchers, Tea Masters and Tea Farmers... in their meticulous and diligent devotion to Taiwan Tea.
I was born in a Taiwan tea family. I was brought up in a tea factory. Over the years, I have seen my father, my brothers and many many more Taiwan tea farmers, tea makers, tea merchants have been working so hard together to try to adapt themselves through different eras of historical changes. There is an important Association, TTMA, has guided all makers all along, and there are Tea merchants Association, Tea Exporters Association for helping out the Domestic sells and Export business. We are proud that there are so many researchers and engineers in TRES are helping the industry to move on. Everytime, when I have my Taiwan Oolong workshop, I remind myself, a million thanks to all these tea professionals in Taiwan for a wonderful cup of tea they have contributed. I dedicated this tea song (in Hakka Taiwanese) to my fellow Taiwan tea men. (*of ocourse, there is not gender limited...)
===========================
Applause to my fellow Taiwan tea men
Oh! Oolong Teas, my beloved Oolong Teas!
Taiwan produces several kinds of fine Oolong Teas.
Pouchong has such a pure and clean taste, yet with luscious aroma,
Gaoshan Oolong is extremely charming, just like morning mountain dew,
Oriental Beauty’s natural honey touch and fruity taste leaves no comparison.
With research and development of excellent cultivars for better plantation,
continuous improvement of the equipment and tea processing techniques,
my fellow Taiwan tea men’s efforts truly deserve a big applause.
Over the years, we have seen Taiwan Oolongs earn their fans from
around the World and I tip my hat off to these tea pros in Taiwan!

台灣茶人頌 (用Hakka 改編 黃令先「台灣介心靈日」)

烏龍茶 烏龍茶 台灣特色烏龍茶
包種清 高山醇 東方美人韻味佳
品種改良 作工出眾 茶人用心值得誇
世 界 茶葉舞台 台灣茶展風采

The classic Taiwan Tie-Guan-Yin

Tie-Guan-Yin has an interesting story, that shows how "market driven" has changed tea's production.

In Taiwan, you still find Tie-Guan-Yin with heavier oxidation and baking. The semi-ball shape appears to be larger in size. Not all Tie-Guan-Yin in Taiwan is made of the leaf that plucked from Tie-Guan-Yin cultivars. Usually, tea farmers will select certain tea cultivars, such as: Buddha Palms, Yinjeehonsin Oolong, Ginsuan...besides the genuine TieGuanYin bushes, as long as they are suitable for heavy-rolling and baking to enhance the flavor and taste. Tea pros will definitely avoid Chinsin Oolong or certain tea plants.

On the contrary, nowadays in the origin of Tie-Guan-Yin, Fujien Anxi in China, you often get Tie-Guan-Yin in tiny semi-ball with a lot more greenish finished, which is similar to average Taiwan Gaoshancha. During the last two decades, Taiwan's Jade Oolong has earned its popularity all over the World, including China. Many Chinese tea makers are adjusting to produce their own Jade Oolong as close as Taiwan's version to meet the strong demand. Many will grow the new tea bushes they got from Taiwan (we are not sure HOW?) but also many will use the tea leaves from their current Tie-Guan-Yin tea gardens. Well, not to be surprised that sometimes you get served with a cup of Green Tie-Guan-Yin, and you simply cannot swallow it... Nothing wrong with the tea, just an old wisdom: You can use any leaf to make any kind of tea. However, you have to study the right cultivar and its integrity, use the right leaf and follow the right procedure to make good tea. Tea making is actually a high disciplined practice.

I like to share with you how a classic Tie-Guan-Yin is processed in Taiwan.

I change the Lyrics of a popular Hakka Taiwanese riddle, with new lyrics to describe it:

=========================

Tie-Guan-Yin, what a unique name for a tea!

Iron Buddha of Mercy, Goddess Tea...with all sorts of legends.

In 1896, Mr. Chang Nai-Miao brought the first bush from Anxi, China to Muja, Taiwan., together with the craftsmanship from its hometown.

Since then, Taiwan lauched its own Tie-Guan-Yin production.

Just like other Oolong teas: solar withering, indoor withering...

but with heavier oxidation before rolling repeatedly wrapped in canvas cloth till the leaves are semi-ball shaped...

Place the leaves in a bamboo basket and skillfully bake with selected charcoals...

in pursuit of the amazing aroma and its lingering finish.

We are proud to present to you this classic Taiwan Tie-Guan-Yin, and share its legendary story.

======================

鐵觀音 (用 謝宇威 改編 客家唸謠 「月光光」)

鐵觀音 盡傳神
佇台灣 生了根
布球包 揉成型
竹籠裝 炭火炡
焙出 陣陣 茶葉香
入喉 轉甘 韻味長

好茶 拿 來 請 人 飲
讚歎 台 灣 鐵 觀 音

Bravo! Bunsan Pouchong (Holo Tea Song)

鄧雨賢 is one of the most famous Taiwan composers. I have picked one of his popular piece: 四季紅 to have the new lyrics to desccribe Bunsan Pouchong. This was done just in time for the Annual Meeting of TUF on 12/12/2009 at San Gabriel Hilton.
=======================

Bravo! Bunsan Pouchong

Oh! Pouchong Tea, your luscious fragrance enchants me.
Best Pouchong produced in Taiwan’s Bunsan,
and you are World famous!
Step by step, Pouchong is processed with unique craftsmanship.
Fluffing lightly with patience till the leaf is
properly withered and oxidized.
The whole village is filled with heavenly aroma
while Pouchong is fired.
Sip by sip, I am amazed with your pure and clean taste,
and then you leave a lingering sweet finish…
Oh! Bunsan Pouchong, you are simply the best!

(sing in Holo Taiwanese)
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
包種頌 (四季紅/作曲:鄧雨賢)


包種茶 正清香 乎人聞著會輕鬆
台灣文山e特產 名聲響啊真響
照起工 輕輕手來浪
葉邊紅 著花香
包種 氣味 真 迷 人

Click on this youtube film by TeaGuy at 2011 World Tea Expo

Delightful Rain

"Oh, heavenly God, it is raining ..."

There is a very popular Hakka folk song: Delightful Rain (天公落水).

The melody is very cheerful and your feet will tap along as soon as you hear the music. Back on 2005 Los Angeles Hakka Concert, Lynn and Josephine tried to work on adding new spirit to this old Hakka folk song. They did a marvelous touch-up, and this song appeals to me a lot more sense and it is one of my favorite.

天 公 啊....... 落 水 啊....

阿妹啊 戴著笠媽 來到坑水邊
坑水啊 清又清 魚兒在水中介泅來泅去

Oh, heavenly God, it is raining!!
The young girl wearing a bamboo hat, arrives at the creek side.
The creek is clear that fish are swimming happily.

April 5, 2006, I was back to Taiwan for our family's annual tomb cleaning.

That afternoon, my brother Jackson invited me to visit a friend of his at Pinlin Pouchong tea district. There's a slightly shower right upon our arrival...the farmer was extremely excited. No time to sit down to have a cup of tea...he simply invited us to visit his tea garden right on the hill behind his house...and his wife joined with us to the tea garden half hour later with some nice delicacies…

It triggered me to have the idea to re-write the lyrics for this Hakka folk song. I hope you will appreciate it as much as I do.

茶園情真 (用 客家歌謠「天公落水」)天 公 吶... 落 水 啊...
天公吶 落水啊 阿哥啊 戴著笠媽 來到茶園唇
茶樹啊 青又青 茶枝生満嫩芽新葉
天公吶 落水啊 阿妹啊 摜著點心 來到茶園唇
看哥啊 笑咪咪 期望好茶啊 賣出好價
天 公 吶..... 落 水 啊 ......

Oh, heavenly God, it is raining!!
A young man wearing bamboo hat strolls to the tea garden.
The tea bushes are green, and the branches are full of young buds and new tender leaves.
A young girl carrying a bucket of snacks strolls to the tea garden.
Looking at her lover with big sweet smiles,
they both are hoping:

We will have a good crop, and our fine tea will bring us a fortune!!

Oh, Heavenly God, it is raining!!

How true it is! These farmers are waiting anxiously for the delightful rain in the Spring time.

A cup of fine tea is indeed filled with love and gratitude.

Salute to these diligent tea farmers!

I found one video of the play from the YouYube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc7szrhPwnc
In 2015 World Tea Expo - on the Special Events Stage  5/7/2015 -  I have this one to cheer up our audience.   Delightfufl Rain

Formosa Oolong

Formosa Oolong (東方美人)

(用 鄭智仁「台灣百合」in Hakka Taiwanese)

Formosa 烏龍茶 實在讚 蓬萊寶島介特產

作茶介功夫 第一流 一年一季來膨風

綠色介茶蟬 六月來訪問 留下特殊天然蜜香

風行全世界 人人都誇讚 東方美人名聲最響

作茶介功夫 第一流 一年一季來膨風

Formosa Oolong truly is amazing,

the famous and unique product of Taiwan.

It takes great craftsmanship to produce this tea,

and merely one short crop every year.

Those green leaf-hoppers are angels from the heaven,

arrive in June with their natural fragrance.

The beloved Formosa Oolong is known as

"Oriental Beauty" throughout the world.

It takes great craftsmanship to produce this tea,

and merely one short crop a long year.

========================================

"Formosa Lily", composed by Dr. J.Z. Cheng. This song won him the second place award in 2003 Panama World Folksong Contest. In our Hakka Concert 2005 and 2006, we have used several pieces that composed by Dr. Cheng, and I helped to convert the original Holo lyrics in Hakka Taiwanese for those concerts. Since then, we become good friends. After the concerts, oneday I got the idea, why not use this beautiful melody to promote my beloved Formosa Oolong...I got his permission, and this "Formosa Lily" has another new lyrics to introduce "Formosa Oolong - the Oriental Beauty" !

I thought this will be a great tool, and I always enjoy this song while I am doing my Oolong Tea Class. The audience can share my passion in this tea and appreciate its uniqueness. STI's first Oolong 3 class back on Jan 21,2007 at San Francisco is my virgin performance.

(The following video was filmed while I had a tea workshop with a bunch of students at UC Irvine, back on 11/19/2009.)





Another video available:
https://www.facebook.com/teafestivalla/videos/854335634584