Tiny Tea Tales: The day I met Cha Gao
Once I had that first sip, I knew this tea will go down in the memory as one of my absolute favourites
“That’s definitely not chocolate. What the hell is it?”
What I’d just licked had looked like a piece of fancy chocolate but tasted anything but.
It was thin, brick-shaped, wrapped in a gold foil and about the size of a thimble. I’d pulled it out of a no-frills brown bag that was placed on my desk. It was from a friend at work. And I’d just returned from a short trip to Texas.
Outside, it was any other mid-spring morning. Nothing else about the day seemed out of place except for that small, nondescript paper bag sitting on my desk, containing a couple dozen golden cubes.
Assuming my friend had left me a welcome-back gift, I happily zeroed in on this loot.
Could they be chocolate?
Immediately, my curiosity and craving were activated. I peeled the gold foil off one and went in for a sniff.
No hints of chocolate. Strange.
And then I leaned in for the taste.
Turns out it was tea. A concentrated Puerh. ‘Puerh Cha Gao, to be exact,’ my friend informed me later that day when I ran into him.
Curious, moments later I sat across him, patiently watching my friend prep this novelty. In a typical ‘let me teach you’ fashion, he grabbed his electric kettle which he has always kept on his side of our workspace and put it to boil. Then, he peeled the gold foil off of one of the teas, plopped the brown morsel inside a strainer and placed the whole thing inside a gaiwan (teapot). By then the water had gotten steamy enough to make the tea. Rather, soak the tea in our case.
In my cup, a few minutes later, my friend poured a luscious dark amber liquid - syrupy almost - with a distinct moist earth aroma. The reflection of office lights danced on the tea's surface. Mesmerized, I took the tea with me to sip in silence.
A potent elixir, a special flavour, and a taste of rich history. It was a rush of experiences. For a first date, the tea sure revealed a lot. But it’s hard not to love that kind of openness. I was hooked, and my palate in love.
Two whole cups later, a gentle energy washed over me. It was much quieter than the abruptness of espresso, more elevating and lasting.
It’s been years since that first ‘date’ with Cha Gao. But I do think about it and wonder if it’s time to pursue it some more.
- Gaelan Andrade Booker, USA
Energy healer, wellness advocate, multidisciplinary creative.
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