Secretive Birthplace of Black Tea - TONG MU PARADISE
Visiting China every year to source Tea means that we are blessed by exploring tea mountains across the country. There are a few villages of Earth that are on the bucket list for any self-respecting tea pilgrim. Tong Mu Guan in Fujian is on the top of my list, not only because of its fame for being the birthplace of Black Tea but because, to this day, Tong Mu produces some of my favourite teas anywhere.
TASTE TONG MU BLACK TEA
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⭐️ GLEAMING BROW (JIN JUN MEI): meileaf.com/p/tea-gbrc
It's in stock after 3 years of searching. One of the most expensive teas in the world and often overhyped - this batch hits all the buttons. Over 13,000 hand-picked buds per 100g. Turkish delight, dark chocolate, sandalwood, lychee and rosehip.
⭐️ LITTLE TONG MU: meileaf.com/p/tea-tonc
The fruitiest and most floral of all the Tong Mu teas. Muscatel grapes, lychees, rose, lilac and fresh-cut wet oak.
⭐️ SOUCHONG LIQUOR: meileaf.com/p/tea-slqc
Pure chocolatey goodness. An unsmoked Lapsang that shows the true depth of flavour of this famous tea. Dark cocoa, charred bourbon casks and rambutan.
⭐️ LONGAN LAPSANG: meileaf.com/p/tea-lslc
The original Black Tea was smoked in Tong Mu and has since become mass-produced with horrible acrid aroma in other places. But Tong Mu does it properly with deep notes of dried pears, milk chocolate, allspice and smoked banana.
Tong Mu village itself is in a heritage protected area high up in a secluded mountain valley pass and they forbid anyone entering without prior permission. They are particularly wary of foreigners, especially since recently some British were caught stealing protected vegetation from Tong Mu. Historically, this is the area from where Robert Fortune stole tea cuttings to send to India hundreds of years ago, so there is a deep desire for secretiveness and protection in this heartland of Wuyi mountains.
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Пікірлер: 100
I have really fallen in love with your content the passion and authenticity that you bring to sharing your tea journey with others, thank you!
I had so many feelings during this video... much gratitude for the work you do to bring the tea world to us, fascination with these ancient tea farmsteads and then finally... a yearning to leave the world behind and just sit by that rushing river and sip tea.
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
Sitting at that river felt like sitting at the centre of a tea circle. The world of tea spins around the globe but in Tong Mu it feels quiet, observant and timeless.
@galinageorgieva8554
7 ай бұрын
Tied on a chain puppies, though... too sad
Black tea is a tea that most people leave behind when they get into the tea world. Unfortunate.
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
Agree
Watching videos of Wuyi always gives me such a strong sense of nostalgia. I used to live 30 minutes (by train) away. I didn't go as often as I could have and now I regret it. I'm only 90 seconds into the video and already getting flashbacks of looking up at the buildings and exploring the streets. Moral of the story: enjoy your surroundings and go to nearby points of interest when you can
what a joy to watch - such a beautiful world of tea and mountains majesty
I absolutely love these videos! Just what I needed today it transported me to the mountains. Great job folks! ♥️
This is so inspiring! I am in awe of these people and their tea. thank you!
Fascinating video,Tong Mu is a birthplace of black tea,such piligrimage trip is really interesting,thank you for video.
Tea documentary education at its best
One of your best videos ever! Thank you for showing this!
I just want to follow those river and go wherever they lead!
WOW 😯 Don, your job is Amazing!!! Thank you 🙏🏾 so much for a glimpse into this precious culture. ☺️ Thank you! I hope you never stop selling tea, because I would have nowhere else to turn to! Keep rocking it man!
That was wonderful! The tongmu Lapsang Souchong is absolutely amazing. Reminded me a little of my time in Tahiti with the local pineapple farmers and fishermen
Such a beautiful place! And such an informative video.. thank you for sharing!
Oh just when I needed a Mei Leaf video the notification pop up hehe. And about black tea that I don't drink much anymore, and a trip that I love 😍 too much perfection here( not my English though) haha thank you
Hey Dom, thanks. I really enjoyed this video. Safe travels.
The scenery in the mountains is breathtaking, really! I'm so glad to see a video about the rich heritage of black tea. Even though I drink more green tea of late, black tea was my first tea-love and I always gravitate back to it every so often. :-)
the river and mountains look so beautiful!
What a special place on this earth. I will drink Tong Mu teas with a new appreciation.
Stunning !!
Maaaaagical video. Thank you for taking us with you💓
Wow, so incredibly beautiful and special. Thank you for sharing this with us
Love the scenery, what an amazing view, always pleased with the videos you put out.
so beautiful love it!
the scenery is amazing!! looks unreal
What a great video. Love seeing the families and lifestyles of the villagers.
I love the experience of drinking teas so much more because of your tea trip videos like these
So cool!
The best video of all meileaf.
What a WONDERFUL video!!!!! Thank you!!!! I will pick these gems up on my next visit !!!!
i love watching you describe things
Loistavia Videoita. Kiitos😀
Thank you for sharing your adventure with us. I loved the video and enjoyed the cultural aspects so much. I drink black tea and appreciated learning about this area and how it impacts the flavor profile.
Thank you for such a beautiful video
Thrilled to see my hometown in your tea series !!! Wuyi mountain in Fujian.
This one is Special! Your Little Tong Mu is my favorite Tea of all time- simple, black and refreshing! Jin jun mei is pretty good-also.
this is absolutely amazing! The culture, the love of tea, and the innovation, and the PASSION is so outstanding!
Such a great video
Beautiful. WIsh I could visit this place.
Looks like heaven to me.
thanks 🙏
I hope this village is protected. People coming in to steal the treasured tea plants and the tea making process should be ashamed of themselves! These farmers work tirelessly to perfect their craft and make it profitable. Let's all enjoy the fruits of their labor without endangering their livelihoods.
After waiting for 2 years finally i will get jin jun mei!
Don: “hey locals look, it’s Yao Ming on a tricycle! (Flys drone revealing Jurassic park) Oh I guess it was nothing” 😂 Brave man indeed! Thank you sir you’re the real MVP
my fave black tea.
I feel like the tea in this area is the same as Southern BBQ it's so individualistic nobody really knows what they're doing except they know exactly what they're doing, almost 100% instinctually, sometimes the best things are just done by feel.
Nice to meet you from Thailand
Hi! I subscribed your channel a week ago. I was searching in youtube for channels about tea only. Yours by far is the is the most lengthy (which is good :)), informative, and fun to watch. Tho, I am hoping you guys could add some links or a list of documents, books, or articles that are used as references from the video content. I want to read more about it and I know just a video alone isn't enough. Nevertheless, cheers!
A thought Dom. How about a gong Fu story system the size of a lunch box. Good for taking tea supplies with you for work or storing in a locker.
quality content
Stunning, I wonder if we customers will enjoy Mr Xi's (sp?) amazing tea.
Ufff you make me want to go there!
I am now aware of how different language GPS is and im now enlightened about how different the world around me can become tyvm
What beauty, would love to go there. Have been on a laoshan black tea, kukicha, and your GABA oolong ruby kick lately. I guess because of wintertime... but the aroma of the GABA oolong ruby from the jianshui is like ohhhhhhhhh hello true tea. It's an aroma that will get you every time I think. . . and that is the revelation of true tea. What do you have on the site to try from this visit? It seems both cruel and fitting that we are united online yet so distanced around the world as teaheads. It would be nice to come visit one day in person
WOW this made me think of my trip in vietnam a few years ago. Went very far into the mountains where no one goes type of thing meeting the tribes with their traditionnal way of living. Thank you for this it felt incredible watching it!
Fantastic video ! The area looks very similar to Ticino the southern part of Switzerland ! May we should try to grow tea ? Where can I buy tea-seeds ?
@steventan385
2 жыл бұрын
Ticino too cold
Oh, I really liked this video, so inspiring!
Oh! I thought this was going to be about hei cha. Oh well, I've got a red tea on the go at the moment, so I guess it's quite appropriate :)
3:30 It's like those videos where people capture footage of North-Korea.
As promised, I've already subscribed and watched the first few videos. Great work and very informative as well as entertaining! Love it so far! It was nice to meet you! Keep up the good work and - how did you say? - stay away from those tea bags. :-D Greetings from Switzerland
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for coming in and I hope that you enjoy browsing through videos while sipping on your tea.
A chance to see, how tea is growing.
It might be a logistical challenge, but I would try and get distilled water for initial tea evaluation sessions, in order to rule out the local water quality as a factor. Also, traveling with 2-3 "calibration" teas (which you know very well) and drinking them beforehand might be a good idea as well. This would help eliminate the factors of area, elevation and your state of body/mind from the new tea assessment.
0:47 Seeing suitcases on the rear shelf always makes me a bit nervous...
Thanks for another great video that was shot where the tea is grown. Yes, production techniques are important, but so is terroir.
I never knew how beautiful China was. How open is China for hikers?
Did you bring a drone or was that stock footage? Gutsy.
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
Drone whenever we felt brave enough!
Save me some tea 5g would make me so happy !!! Always showing the best of teas in there environment... 😥
instinct rather than accuracy
Always bet on black
what an amazing video. i feel like ive seen something very special. would that all people find a way to relate to the earth like this.
RED TEA! ;)
Would you also recommend to drink our black teas within a year or two like Green tea?
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
Black teas maintain flavour for longer and in some cases improve with age.
Here's more info on the origin of Lapsang Souchong: kzread.info/dash/bejne/gIubzKSynaa_j5s.html
Don, do u have online tea classes with certificate?
I never really felt interest for black (red) tea.. maybe i should give it a try. Im a hei cha teahead, which blackteas do you think would suit me the best
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
Souchong Liquor, Little Tong Mu - anything from Tong Mu!
Video full of information, as always. You should iron your shirt though.
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
The problem with living out of a suitcase!
@TomasSliz
4 жыл бұрын
Mei Leaf what is the brand of shirt please?
@TomasSliz
4 жыл бұрын
Oh I found it, it’s Farah
I fall in love with this place instantly. And I’m wondering what exactly means the expression “te chua” 😅 Don, can you explain it please?
@ayw481
4 жыл бұрын
Do you mean terroir? From Wikipedia: Terroir (/tɛˈrwɑːr/, French: [tɛʁwaʁ]; from terre, "land") is a French term used to describe the environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype, including unique environment contexts, farming practices and a crop's specific growth habitat.
What does Jin Jun Mei mean in Chinese?
Who is the woman to your left? I see her in a few of your videos.
@MeiLeaf
4 жыл бұрын
One of our Tea Scouts in Fujian.
Very beautiful. However imo Darjeeling is the Champagne of Black Teas.
What I wanna know is how much racism do you have to deal with when you go to china, cuz Ive been hearing a lot of things and I wanna know if you've seen it yourself.
@vgamedude12
2 жыл бұрын
Anywhere that is more traditional has more of that than in the modernistic globalized west.
I think this video was a little bit irresponsible. If it was more popular it would likely more tourists to the region and that doesn't seem like what the locals want and probably for good reason.
@alextilson9741
3 жыл бұрын
Great video otherwise though
The birth place of Black Tea is in India. Green tea was culturally the drink of choice in China not black tea. I am sure you would disagree but I am not going to write an essay but recommend research the first black tea in India & it will lead you to India.
Indian black tea is always my favourite. Assam above all