Tea of the week: Bai Mudan

I've recently realized that I'm lost in life, and that, in order to find my center, I need to refocus and put everything into perspective.  For this reason, I've become a Taoist.  Taoism is based on the philosophy of Lao Tsu, a Chinese hermit from very long ago who wrote a book called the Tao Te Ching.  I don't really understand the Tao Te Ching, but it's so calming, and it helps me find peace in this crazy hustle and bustle LA world.

 

Lao Tsu is always talking about something called the Tao, but he won't ever explain it.  Whatever it is, it's something very nice and and soothing: something like Bai Mudan Tea.  Also known as White Peony, Bai Mudan is one of the two most famous varieties of White Tea (the other one being the legendary Silver Needles).  White tea is the subtlest of the teas; at first taste it may seem a little bit bland, but once you discover its intricacies you're in for a magical ride.  It's a bit like oolong without the woodiness, a bit like green without the bitterness, a bit like water without the wateriness.  It's an a rich and delicate drink, fit for both a king and a Zen master: the perfect embodiement of the Tao. 

Bai Mudan comes from the Fujian Province of Southern China.  It lacks the almost incomprehensible complexity of Silver Needles, but it makes up for it with raw flavor and punch.  It's the perfect after-dinner tea for powering through a heavy workload.  It's energizing, but simultaneously soothing; a little flowerly, a little earthy, a little enlightened.  It relieves stress without making you too sleepy to keep working, and it wakes you up without making you feel too frenetic.  When I drink Bai Mundan, I feel as if I'm one with my studies.  I can accept my responsibilities and move forward in peace and contentment.

As the Tao Te Ching says:

Music or the smell of good cooking

may make people stop and enjoy.

But words that point to the Tao

seem monotonous and without flavour.

When you look for it, there is nothing to see.

When you listen for it, there is nothing to hear.

When you use it, it is inexhuastible.

Wow, it looks I need to do some meditating. . .and you can bet that I'm going to do it with a warm cup of Bai Mudan!

I got my White Peony from TeaSource, but you should be able to find it at most good tea shops (including FJ HOUSE'S new LA favorite, Chado Tea Room).