文/桑國(guó)亞 （天普大學(xué)法學(xué)院） 譯/楊天一

我的中國(guó)茶之旅

文/桑國(guó)亞 （天普大學(xué)法學(xué)院） 譯/楊天一

桑國(guó)亞（中）在湖北長(zhǎng)陽(yáng)縣與當(dāng)?shù)夭柁r(nóng)合影

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本刊邀請(qǐng)?jiān)谌A的外國(guó)朋友回顧他們?cè)谥袊?guó)過(guò)去五年的工作與生活，分享他們的工作進(jìn)展和他們關(guān)注的中國(guó)現(xiàn)象。本期特刊登美國(guó)天普大學(xué)法學(xué)院教授，“清華—天普法學(xué)碩士項(xiàng)目”美方主任桑國(guó)亞（John Smagula）的文章。

我過(guò)去經(jīng)常喝咖啡。從大學(xué)開(kāi)始，到我在華爾街工作，再到我從事教育行業(yè)，咖啡一直就像是我前進(jìn)的燃料。

我從來(lái)沒(méi)有考慮過(guò)關(guān)于茶的事。童年時(shí)，我的父親每天早晨都會(huì)煮立頓茶，他喜歡茶甚于咖啡。我的母親也會(huì)在一天中的晚些時(shí)候喝茶，然而對(duì)于她而言，茶永遠(yuǎn)也不能代替早晨的咖啡。那時(shí)，我們從來(lái)不會(huì)單純地只喝茶，總是要加一些牛奶、糖、檸檬或者蜂蜜來(lái)調(diào)節(jié)口味。

中美兩國(guó)的茶文化差異很大。中國(guó)生產(chǎn)的茶中70%以上都是綠茶，然而在美國(guó)消費(fèi)綠茶的比例只有不到20%。大部分美國(guó)人只喝紅茶、袋裝茶或者冰茶，且大多數(shù)茶都是從印度、斯里蘭卡和肯尼亞進(jìn)口的。當(dāng)然，這些滋味濃的茶與中國(guó)云南和福建生產(chǎn)的精致、芳香的I used to drink coffee. Lots of it. From college to Wall Street to teaching law, coffee was the fuel that kept me going. I wasn’t different from those around me, as most Americans drink coffee every day.I never thought much about tea. When I was growing up,my father brewed Lipton tea every morning, as he preferred tea to coffee. My mother had tea later in the day, but it never substituted morning coffee. We didn’t drink tea plain, and we always added milk, sugar, lemon, or honey.Chinese tea culture is very different from U.S. tea culture.Over 70% of tea produced in China is green tea, although less than 20% of tea consumed in the United States is green. Most Americans drink black tea, bagged or iced, and the strong tea blends we drink are imported from India, Sri Lanka, and Kenya.紅茶是無(wú)法相提并論的。

當(dāng)時(shí)我還是個(gè)孩子，我并不知道茶與茶之間還有這么多的區(qū)別。我從不泡茶喝，除非我生病的時(shí)候——因?yàn)槲蚁嘈挪杈哂幸欢ǖ闹委熥饔?。偶爾我?huì)在點(diǎn)食物時(shí)要一些冰茶，或者在便利店買(mǎi)瓶裝茶飲料來(lái)喝。不管怎樣，在我年少的時(shí)候，茶對(duì)于我來(lái)說(shuō)一直都不是最優(yōu)選擇，而僅僅是眾多飲料中的一種罷了。

后來(lái)，我來(lái)到了中國(guó)。1991年我在南京大學(xué)求學(xué)，2000年后我因?yàn)楣ぷ髟蛞?guī)律性地來(lái)中國(guó)出差。我現(xiàn)在任美國(guó)天普大學(xué)法學(xué)院法治項(xiàng)目的主任、副教授。從2012年開(kāi)始，我便長(zhǎng)期居住在北京，與清華大學(xué)合作，擔(dān)任“清華－天普法學(xué)碩士項(xiàng)目”的美方主任。隨著我在這里的時(shí)間越來(lái)越長(zhǎng)，我對(duì)茶的喜愛(ài)也變得越來(lái)越深。

茶之初體驗(yàn)

起初剛到中國(guó)時(shí)，我還是對(duì)咖啡情有獨(dú)鐘。那時(shí)，中國(guó)的咖啡店還沒(méi)有像如今這樣普及，所以我常喝速溶咖啡。其實(shí)我并不真的喜歡速溶咖啡，我在美國(guó)時(shí)從來(lái)沒(méi)有喝過(guò)速溶咖啡。記得有一次，我要去相對(duì)偏遠(yuǎn)的地方徒步旅行，于是我買(mǎi)了許多速溶咖啡以備不時(shí)之需——我擔(dān)心出了大城市可能連速溶咖啡都買(mǎi)不到了。

隨著時(shí)間的推移，我逐漸感受到茶如何成為日常生活的一部分。有一次我拜訪(fǎng)了一個(gè)福建的家庭，他們每天晚飯后都會(huì)在家里自己泡鐵觀音，這早已成為他們家每天必不可少的一件事情；我還拜訪(fǎng)過(guò)一家廣州的茶樓，那里的茶藝師用各式各樣的茶具為我表演了工夫茶；此外，當(dāng)我拜訪(fǎng)我在成都的朋友時(shí)，我們會(huì)在茶館相聚并一起品嘗竹葉青，看著茶杯里的茶葉垂直地立著浮在水面上，我常常感嘆茶的神奇。

這些經(jīng)歷使我對(duì)茶越來(lái)越好奇，漸漸地也讓我開(kāi)始學(xué)著了解茶文化。我開(kāi)始問(wèn)自己：既然身邊有如此神奇的茶，我為什么還要喝咖啡呢？于是我決定體會(huì)一下這充滿(mǎn)神秘色彩的茶。

當(dāng)我終于走進(jìn)了北京一家茶葉店時(shí)，我立刻被眼前如此豐富的選擇湮沒(méi)了。各種瓶瓶罐罐上寫(xiě)著我不理解的茶葉名字，比如“銀針”和“毛尖”。售貨員接二連三地問(wèn)了我很多問(wèn)題，“綠茶，烏龍茶，花茶還是紅茶？”那一刻我真的感到非常震驚。

我最終選擇了一個(gè)我相對(duì)更為熟悉的茶——龍井。然后售貨員問(wèn)我要什么等級(jí)的，我只是簡(jiǎn)單地選擇了最便宜的那一種，因?yàn)槲耶?dāng)時(shí)并不清楚不同等級(jí)的茶葉之間有什么區(qū)別。我又買(mǎi)來(lái)了一些干檸檬用來(lái)一起煮茶，

These earthy black teas are quite different from the delicate,fragrant black teas from Fujian and Yunnan.

As a child, I didn’t know there were different kinds of teas. I never brewed tea unless I was sick, as I somehow believed it had healing properties. Occasionally, I’d order iced tea with meals or get a bottle at the convenience store. In any event, tea was always an afterthought for me. It was one of many available beverage options.

Then I started coming to China. I was a student at Nanjing University in 1991, and I later started traveling to China on a regular basis in 2000 for work. I now am the Director/Associate Professor for Temple University’s China Rule of Law Program.Since 2012, I have been based in Beijing, directing Temple University law school’s Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree program in collaboration with Tsinghua University. My appreciation of tea grew as I spent more time here.

first impression

On my earlier trips to China, I was still a coffee drinker. I drank instant coffee, as coffee shops weren’t as plentiful then as they are now. I didn’t really like instant coffee, which I never drank in the United States. I remember once getting ready to go backpacking in a remote area of China, and I brought my own instant coffee with me, fearing that I’d find no coffee outside of the large cities.

Over time, I learned more about how tea forms a part of daily life. I had visited a family in Fujian who brewed Iron Goddess(Tie Guan Yin) after dinner at their home that evening,something they did every day as a matter of course. I had visited a tea house in Guangzhou where the server performed the Gongfu tea ceremony using a large assortment of tea ware.When visiting with friends in Chengdu, we would meet at tea houses and brew Zhu Ye Qing (known figuratively in English as green bamboo leaf tea), watching the leaves float vertically in the glasses, something I had always found very mysterious.

These experiences came together and formed a great curiosity within me, gradually raising my awareness of tea culture. With all this tea around me, why was I still drinking coffee? I decided to experiment more myself.

I stepped into a tea shop in Beijing, and I was instantly overwhelmed with the options. I looked at the canisters with names I didn’t understand, like “Yinzhen” (Silver Needle) and“Maojian” (Green Tip). The seller asked me many questions,one after the other in quick succession, “Green? Oolong? Floral?Dark?” I was overwhelmed.

I opted for the more familiar-sounding Longjing (Dragon Well)tea, and then the vendor asked, “Which grade?” I just chose the least expensive one, not knowing that there were different grades of each tea. I also bought some dried lemons to brew with it, not knowing any better.除此之外我也不知道有什么更好的方法。

說(shuō)到泡茶，我也只是簡(jiǎn)單地把一勺茶葉放進(jìn)咖啡杯中，然后倒入開(kāi)水泡制。后來(lái)茶葉開(kāi)始慢慢沉入杯底，我又一直加水直到茶葉失去了味道。

雖然這只是一個(gè)嘗試性的開(kāi)始，但我下定決心要多了解一些有關(guān)茶的知識(shí)。2009年我去了一趟杭州的西湖，在那里花了一整天的時(shí)間與當(dāng)?shù)匾粋€(gè)茶農(nóng)家庭待在一起。他們向我介紹了許多制茶的過(guò)程，用了一些我從來(lái)沒(méi)有聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)的專(zhuān)業(yè)術(shù)語(yǔ)，比如“殺青”和“回甘”。那一刻我徹底被吸引了，這次經(jīng)歷打開(kāi)了我想要了解中國(guó)茶文化的大門(mén)。從那以后我便進(jìn)入了一個(gè)全新的世界，一直在學(xué)習(xí)，學(xué)而知不足。

學(xué)習(xí)茶藝 研究中國(guó)茶

于是我便開(kāi)始了正式的茶藝培訓(xùn)，先是在美國(guó)，后來(lái)在中國(guó)。功夫不負(fù)有心人，2010年我獲得了美國(guó)的注冊(cè)茶藝師資格，2013年又在東方國(guó)藝獲得中國(guó)的注冊(cè)評(píng)茶員資格認(rèn)證。雖然那段時(shí)間課程緊張，考試難度也不小，但現(xiàn)在回過(guò)頭來(lái)看，這一切付出都是值得的。隨著我對(duì)茶的了解逐漸加深，我意識(shí)到茶藝與法律有著非常相似的地方：在法律學(xué)習(xí)中，書(shū)本中的知識(shí)是基礎(chǔ)，只有實(shí)務(wù)經(jīng)驗(yàn)才能造就優(yōu)秀的法律人；在茶藝的領(lǐng)域，書(shū)本上的知識(shí)同樣是基礎(chǔ)，通過(guò)在實(shí)踐經(jīng)驗(yàn)之中培養(yǎng)的感官能力才是成為一名茶藝大師的關(guān)鍵。

在我學(xué)習(xí)茶的旅途中，實(shí)踐經(jīng)歷也占了很大的比重。我經(jīng)常會(huì)去全國(guó)各地的茶園并與當(dāng)?shù)氐牟柁r(nóng)進(jìn)行深入交流，汲取知識(shí)。在這些年中，我的足跡踏遍了中國(guó)的各個(gè)省，包括福建的武夷山和安溪，安徽黃山市的祁門(mén)縣和太平縣，江蘇的無(wú)錫，湖北宜昌的長(zhǎng)陽(yáng)和五峰以及四川的峨眉山等。值得一提的是，在宜昌，我和當(dāng)?shù)氐牟柁r(nóng)成為很好的朋友，我不僅在茶葉的生長(zhǎng)季節(jié)去當(dāng)?shù)乜疾鞂W(xué)習(xí)，我還會(huì)在過(guò)年時(shí)前去專(zhuān)門(mén)拜訪(fǎng)。

茶帶給我的一切對(duì)我來(lái)說(shuō)意義非凡。當(dāng)我遇到了茶，便自然而然地放棄了陪伴我已久的咖啡。作出這樣的轉(zhuǎn)換其實(shí)并不難，尤其是當(dāng)新的選擇遠(yuǎn)比舊的選擇好得多的時(shí)候。如今的我已經(jīng)不會(huì)在前往偏遠(yuǎn)的外地旅行時(shí)攜帶速溶咖啡了，恰恰相反，現(xiàn)在的我反而會(huì)從遙遠(yuǎn)的地方買(mǎi)些茶帶回北京或美國(guó)，這是我的個(gè)人專(zhuān)供。毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)，因?yàn)椴瑁业纳畎l(fā)生了改變。

我對(duì)于茶的研究始于我了解到所有的茶葉都產(chǎn)自茶樹(shù)。白茶、綠茶、黃茶、烏龍茶、紅茶以及黑茶都是

To brew the tea, I simply put a scoop of tea leaves into a coffee mug and poured hot water over them. Eventually, the leaves dropped to the bottom of the cup, and I kept adding hot water until the tea lost its flavor.

Despite this tentative beginning, I thought I should learn more.In 2009, I took a trip to Xihu (West Lake) in Hangzhou and spent a day with a family of tea farmers there. The tea master explained tea processing to me, using terms I had never heard,like “shaqing” (kill the green) and “huigan” (come back sweet).I was instantly intrigued, as the visit to a tea farm opened my mind to a whole new world of Chinese culture and society. The more I learned, the more I wanted to learn.

tea training and research

I then went for formal tea training, first in the United States,and then in China. I became a certified tea specialist with the U.S. Specialty Tea Institute in 2010, and then in China through the Oriental Arts Tea School in 2013. The instruction was intense, and the exams difficult, but well worth the effort. In studying law, book knowledge forms the basics, but experiential education creates a legal practitioner. With tea, book knowledge sets the foundation, but developing an acute sensory perception through practice is crucial for a tea master.

As part of my tea study, I have visited tea fields and spent time with tea farmers throughout the country, including Wuyishan and Anxi in Fujian; Qimen and Taiping in Huangshan, Anhui;Wuxi in Jiangsu, Changyang and Wufeng counties in Yichang,Hubei, and Emeishan in Sichuan. I have become friends with some of the Yichang farmers, having visited them during the tea growing season, but also during Chinese New Year.

All this tea and travel had an impact on me. Once I discovered tea, I stopped drinking coffee. It wasn’t hard to make the switch, as it’s always easier to give something up when you have something better to switch to. Rather than pack coffee with me when I travel to remote parts of China, I now bring tea from remote parts of China back with me—both to Beijing and the United States—to make sure I have my own personal supply.Life sure has changed.

My study of tea began with learning that tea is produced from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis. White, green, yellow,oolong, black, and dark teas are all produced from the tea bush. The key difference lies in oxidation of the tea leaf during processing. For example, green tea is not oxidized, and black tea is more fully oxidized. Different processing methods, such as withering, rolling, and fermenting, also create different varieties of tea.

Tea shops became easier to understand once I learned how to classify tea. Bai Mudan (White Peony) is a white tea, and despite its name, does not have peonies in it. Longjing and Bi Luo Chun are both green teas, grown in different regions with different從茶樹(shù)中來(lái)。然而不同種類(lèi)的茶葉之間最關(guān)鍵的不同之處實(shí)際上在于茶葉加工過(guò)程中的氧化程度不同：綠茶完全未氧化，但紅茶往往是充分氧化的。除此之外，如萎凋、揉捻和發(fā)酵等不同的加工技術(shù)和生產(chǎn)工序也會(huì)對(duì)茶葉的種類(lèi)產(chǎn)生影響。

在我學(xué)會(huì)如何辨別茶葉的種類(lèi)后，茶葉店中的各種“未知”變得容易理解了。比如白牡丹是一種白茶，雖然它的名字中帶有“牡丹”二字，而實(shí)際上并不是由牡丹制成的；龍井和碧螺春是兩種典型的綠茶，卻有著不同的產(chǎn)地和生產(chǎn)工序；由于氧化程度比白茶和綠茶都要高，所以鐵觀音和大紅袍都屬于烏龍茶，它們的生產(chǎn)過(guò)程也需要更加復(fù)雜的工序；金駿眉和正山小種是兩種紅茶，它們的氧化程度比其他種類(lèi)的茶葉要高些，但一個(gè)來(lái)源于芽而另一個(gè)來(lái)源于葉……關(guān)于茶的知識(shí)很多很多，我提到的也僅僅只是冰山一角，正是這種不斷探索的過(guò)程讓茶顯得更有味道。

漸漸地，我開(kāi)始了解了茶葉店中各種茶葉的名字。比如，茉莉花茶并不是茉莉花的“茶”，而是茉莉花窨制的綠茶；人參烏龍是一種摻雜著少量人參和甘草根的烏龍茶；而菊花茶其實(shí)并不是茶，而是一種湯藥或者草藥。茶葉的品種、香味和氣味各式各樣，有著無(wú)窮無(wú)盡的拼配方式。

茶葉的分級(jí)同樣也是一個(gè)非常復(fù)雜的過(guò)程。在課堂中我學(xué)習(xí)了根據(jù)茶葉的外形、色澤、香氣、湯色、滋味、葉底來(lái)給它們打分。舉個(gè)例子，對(duì)于龍井茶來(lái)說(shuō)，茶葉外形均勻的龍井就要比有著不同樣式的龍井高級(jí)一些——盡管它們嘗起來(lái)可能沒(méi)有太大差別。

除了為茶葉評(píng)級(jí)，我還要學(xué)習(xí)各種不同的泡茶方式。綠茶最好的泡制方法就是用高玻璃杯來(lái)泡制，烏龍茶可以在蓋碗中泡制，對(duì)于普洱茶來(lái)說(shuō)紫砂壺則是個(gè)更好的選擇。選擇使用礦泉水、蒸餾水還是自來(lái)水在一定程度上會(huì)影響著茶的香味；不同的茶葉也會(huì)對(duì)應(yīng)著不同的最佳水溫——泡制白茶和綠茶以80攝氏度為最佳，而紅茶則需要100攝氏度的開(kāi)水。

“我”的茶

盡管有這些復(fù)雜的茶葉分類(lèi)和規(guī)則，在泡茶時(shí)考慮具體情況也十分重要，要看茶泡茶。比如葉子較大的綠茶在泡制時(shí)可能會(huì)需要更熱的水溫，老白茶可能更適宜在紫砂壺中泡制。實(shí)際上，盡管有這么多標(biāo)準(zhǔn)化的條條框框，但喝茶其實(shí)是一個(gè)非常主觀的過(guò)程。我經(jīng)常向我身邊的朋友建議在挑選茶葉種類(lèi)和泡制方式時(shí)要遵從自

在黃山，桑國(guó)亞體驗(yàn)制茶

processing methods. Iron Goddess (Tie Guan Yin) and Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao) are both oolong teas, as they are oxidized more than white and green teas, and they also need more complex processing.Beautiful Golden Eyebrows (Jin Jun Mei)and Lapsang Souchong (Zhengshan Xiaozhong) are both black teas, with one made from buds and the other from leaves, yet both are more oxidized than other teas.

Little by little, I started to make more sense about the names I saw at tea stores. For example, jasmine tea is not its own tea,but rather, green tea scented with jasmine flowers. Ginseng oolong is an oolong tea sprinkled with ginseng and licorice root. Chrysanthemum tea is not tea at all, but rather a tisane or herbal infusion. The varieties, flavors, and scent combinations are endless.

Grading tea is a complicated process. In class, we learned to score the dry leaf, color, aroma, liquor, and wet leaves. With Longjing, for example, if all the leaves are the same size and have a similar appearance, it will have a higher grade than a Longjing with leaves of different sizes, even though it may have a similar taste.

I also had to learn the different methods for brewing tea. Green tea is often best brewed in a tall glass. Oolongs can be brewed in a covered bowl (gaiwan). Pu’erh teas can be brewed in purple clay (zisha) pots. The use of spring water, distilled water, and tap water can affect the flavor of the infusion. Different water temperatures suit different teas, with white and green teas best infused at 80 degrees Celsius, and black teas brewed at 100 degrees.己的內(nèi)心，選擇他們所喜歡的。

我個(gè)人更喜歡在早晨喝紅茶，經(jīng)常用一個(gè)帶不銹鋼過(guò)濾網(wǎng)的玻璃杯來(lái)泡正山小種，我之所以喜歡正山小種是因?yàn)樗兄厶呛图t薯的香氣。中午，我喜歡喝綠茶，比如產(chǎn)自湖北的采花毛尖帶有一絲板栗的香味，這對(duì)于喜歡吃板栗的我來(lái)說(shuō)簡(jiǎn)直就是享受。在寒冷的冬天，普洱就是我的最佳選擇，無(wú)論是生的還是熟的都可以讓身體暖起來(lái)，就像寒冷和潮濕中的一個(gè)溫暖的火爐。

對(duì)于招待客人時(shí)的工夫茶，我則會(huì)選擇烏龍。先從帶有蘭花香氣的鐵觀音開(kāi)始，然后沖泡大紅袍，那濃郁的甘甜和烤桃子的芬芳讓人陶醉。這兩種烏龍茶很耐泡，在幾次沖泡之后看著烏龍茶的葉子在水中慢慢舒展開(kāi)，這樣的過(guò)程簡(jiǎn)直是一種享受。

對(duì)于中國(guó)茶文化的研究與學(xué)習(xí)，讓我的生活變得更加豐富多彩。我去過(guò)茶園實(shí)地考察，也曾與茶農(nóng)們談天說(shuō)地，在結(jié)識(shí)了許多茶友的同時(shí)也讓我對(duì)中國(guó)的生活與文化有了進(jìn)一步的了解。今年早些時(shí)候，我寫(xiě)了一篇題為《茶之旅》的散文詩(shī)，并在一年一度的清華大學(xué)法學(xué)院學(xué)生節(jié)中配上音樂(lè)和視頻，進(jìn)行了詩(shī)朗誦表演。茶的藝術(shù)，遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)比茶葉本身要更富有內(nèi)涵。

對(duì)茶的熱愛(ài)讓我開(kāi)始向他人傳授與茶有關(guān)的知識(shí)。我曾在天普大學(xué)以及南佛羅里達(dá)大學(xué)孔子學(xué)院舉辦關(guān)于茶的講座，題目為《綠茶或紅茶？了解中國(guó)茶》。在這些講座中，我向美國(guó)的觀眾們分享了中國(guó)茶文化的博大精深以及茶的種種益處。

同時(shí)，我還在北京的東方國(guó)藝學(xué)校授課，在那里我與學(xué)生們分享中國(guó)和西方不同的茶的文化和習(xí)俗。這不僅能夠促進(jìn)茶文化的傳播與發(fā)展，而且能通過(guò)茶來(lái)讓我們加強(qiáng)相互的溝通，促進(jìn)彼此了解。

最后，我創(chuàng)建了一個(gè)叫作“老桑說(shuō)”（laosangshuo）的公益勵(lì)志微信公眾號(hào)，在那里我也會(huì)與讀者們分享茶文化的方方面面。每一天我都會(huì)學(xué)習(xí)到一些新的與茶有關(guān)的知識(shí)，我也十分樂(lè)于將這些有趣的知識(shí)分享給世界各地的朋友們。俗話(huà)說(shuō)得好，學(xué)無(wú)止境。我學(xué)到的越多，就越渴望繼續(xù)探索。通過(guò)我的公眾號(hào)，許多粉絲會(huì)和我互動(dòng)，與我交流他們自己的想法與感受，這也令我獲益匪淺。

茶的價(jià)值體現(xiàn)在中國(guó)文化的各個(gè)方面，我們也能在不同領(lǐng)域、不同層次感受到茶文化的魅力所在。我的茶之旅為我?guī)?lái)這一切影響是我始料未及的，之所以與你分享我的這段旅程，是因?yàn)槲蚁Ｍ材軌蚣?lì)你，鼓勵(lì)你繼續(xù)探索和感受博大精深的中國(guó)文化。

my personal tea

Despite these classifications and rules, it’s important to consider each tea independently when brewing. For example, a green tea with a larger leaf many need a hotter brewing temperature, and an aged white tea may brew better in a clay pot. Drinking tea can be very subjective, and I always tell friends to buy teas they like and brew as they prefer.

For example, I prefer to drink black tea in the morning. I brew my Lapsang Souchong in a glass tea mug with a stainless-steel infuser. I like Lapsang because it has hints of honey and sweet potatoes. In the afternoon, I prefer green tea. I often brew Caihua Maojian from Hubei province, as it has chestnut taste to it, and I have always liked roasted chestnuts. On very cold days in the winter, I enjoy brewing Pu’erh, either cooked or raw, as the Pu’erh seems to warm me up, especially on a damp, cold day.

When entertaining guests with the Gongfu tea ceremony, I brew oolongs. We’ll start with Iron Goddess (Tie Guan Yin), with its characteristic orchid scent, and then switch to Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao), with its rich aroma with hints of grilled peaches.These oolong teas unfold their leaves slowly and can withstand several infusions.

All this study about Chinese tea culture has enriched my life. I have explored tea fields, spent time with tea farmers, made many tea friends, and learned more about Chinese life and culture.Earlier this year, I wrote a story called “My Tea Journey,” which I set to a music video and recited at the Tsinghua law school annual student festival. The art of tea goes far beyond the leaf.

My passion for tea has also caused me to teach about it. I have spoken at Temple University and University of South Florida’s Confucius Institutes on tea, giving a presentation called, “Green or Black? Understanding Chinese Tea.” In these talks, I have shared with Americans the richness and diversity of Chinese tea, as well as history and health benefits.

I also teach a course on tea at the Oriental Arts Tea School in Beijing, where I share with students the difference between Chinese and Western tea customs, helping us understand each other better through tea.

Finally, I have created a WeChat Subscription Account, Lao Sang Shuo (WeChat ID: laosangshuo), where I blog about various aspects of tea culture. I learn something new about tea every day, and I enjoy sharing these findings with audiences in China and abroad. The more I learn, the more I know that I need to learn. Many readers of my blog share their thoughts with me, and this exchange has been very enriching.

Tea embodies many different aspects of Chinese culture, and it can be experienced on many different levels. I would never have guessed that my tea journey would have such an impact on me, and I hope my journey will inspire you, too, to explore the wonders of Chinese tea.

「責(zé)任編輯：張曉」

My Tea Journey

By John Smagula （Temple University School of Law）