Long live leaves

In the lead-up to Book Lovers Day on 9th August, Adeline Teoh peeks between the covers to reveal the long relationship between tea and books.

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." So said tea drinker and avid reader CS Lewis, best known as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia series.

Tea has enjoyed a number of literary fans throughout the ages, from London diarist Samuel Pepys, whose initial taste of the beverage was one of the first mentions of tea arriving in English society, to mystery writer Agatha Christie and political satirist George Orwell, who famously wrote an essay* on how to prepare the perfect cuppa.

And that's just from the English literary tradition. Head to the home of tea and there's a longer, richer lineage of tea appreciation in books and poems. Agricultural icon Emperor Shennong, who is said to have discovered tea, has the first book on the subject The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic attributed to him. 

But if you had to pick one writer who has had the greatest influence on Chinese tea, it would have to be Lu Yu, who wrote the 10-chapter, three-volume work The Classic of Tea around 760CE. Lu Yu's tome covers the horticultural origins of tea, right through to tea equipment and brewing method. He was also the first to record the importance of the water source for tea, citing flowing spring water as the best, river water in a pinch and water from a well as 'ugh'. 

His tutor Zou Fuzi was inspired by Lu Yu's findings and dug a well around the fountainhead of a spring in Jingling (now Tianmen) in Hubei province. More than a millennium later, when the city fell into drought, citizens discovered it was still flowing. There is now a monument there called Lu Yu Hut and the outpouring is called Literature Spring (文学泉).

It was not until the turn of the 20th century, however, that we received a true classic in English. The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura was the Japanese-born US resident's long essay on how tea intertwined with Japanese culture, from its architecture to its art and yes, poetry too. It remains a touchstone text to this day.

Today there are plenty more books to read on tea, from primers introducing newcomers to the world of tea (Tea: History, Terroirs, Varieties by The Camellia Sinensis Tea House), to historical accounts of events (All the Tea in China by Sarah Rose, on the British stealing tea from China) and places (Darjeeling by Jeff Koehler). 

Since The Book of Tea, however, texts on culture have become harder to come by, which is all the more reason we need organisations like AUSTCS to foster tea culture, but I do recommend The Story of Tea by Mary Lou and Robert Heiss and Puer Tea: Ancient Caravans and Urban Chic by Jinghong Zhang, who'll join us in Melbourne as an AUSTCS delegate this September. 

So next time you want to escape with a book, drink some tea because, as Okakura writes: "Teaism is a cult founded on the adoration of the beautiful among the sordid facts of everyday existence." And that's escapism I can get behind.

* All I'll say is: "He did his best."

FAQs

Who is an AUSTCS member?

AUSTCS members are those delegates who attended the seminar in 2017 and/or have bought a ticket to AUSTCS 2018, as well as anyone who has signed up and paid for membership since then on our website.

Membership expires after one calendar year. The expiry date for AUSTCS 2017 delegates who do not renew their membership, either by attending AUSTCS 2018 or via our website, is November 2018 as last year's seminar was held in November.

What benefits do members receive?
Members receive 10% off seminar tickets. You must be signed in first to activate this discount. Members also have access to our forums and can participate in our Volunteer Working Groups to drive tea culture in Australia.

What happens at the AUSTCS Annual General Meeting?
All members can vote on organisational matters, including electing directors and voting on the host locations for 2019 and 2020. If you are a current member, you will receive further information on voting, digital voting and proxy voting in a separate email.

(The makings of a Champion Tea; Image credit: The Steepery)

Tea takes Tasmania

Fine foods took a back seat to Australia's first standalone tea category at the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania's Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards.

Drinking tea has always been a big part of Australian life but has never quite received the recognition it deserves. Even one of Australia’s oldest institutions, the Royal Agricultural Society, has always had tea merged into the general beverage category in their awards. 

The AUSTCS Volunteer Working Group – Education, sought to change this and petitioned the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania (RAST), in charge of Australia’s oldest agricultural expo, the Royal Hobart Show, to include tea as a discrete category in its Fine Food Awards. 

The Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards are some of the most respected in the country, awarding Gold, Silver and Bronze to suitable produce, plus Reserve Champion and Champion Awards to the stars within their class. If no product in the category is deemed worthy of a medal, none is awarded.

Australians know and trust these awards and are guided by them when choosing a product, from wine to chocolate, coffee to cheese, basing decisions on the medals awarded by an experienced judge. It was therefore a great honour to run a distinct tea category this year and a huge step towards boosting the profile of tea in the general public arena.

The RAST judges for tea this year recognised two Champions, both Queensland businesses. Brisbane-based brand The Steepery won Champion in Class for its Jin Jun Mei Honey, a black tea crafted in Fujian, China, by producer Cindy Chen.

"It is a beautiful tea and we look forward to sharing more about the craft and skill required to produce this tea," said Kym Cooper, founder of The Steepery and AUSTCS Queensland Regional Ambassador. 

"We were impressed by the overall scoring and transparency of this competition with all tea entries and results being published. There was not one gold medal awarded for this category, so it makes me excited to work towards this in future years."

The judges awarded Reserve Champion to Arakai Tea Estate in Bellthorpe, which is owned by the Collins family. Its Australian-grown tea opened the eyes of many of the judges from other classes, who were not aware of an Australian tea farming industry.

The ripples that this discrete category has started to make was evident in the speeches given at the RAST Trophy Luncheon. CEO Scott Gadd and Chair Annette Emmett both emphasised the significance of tea at this year's show. 

The Australian tea industry shocked the RAST members with 91 entries being submitted for competition. But for AUSTCS, this is just the beginning – our hope is to have tea recognised as a standalone category at all Royal Agricultural Society awards in Australia. 

Which society committee will be next to include a tea category in their schedule?

If you would like to be involved in developing strategies like this, helping to promote tea through education, culture, health and wellbeing, then come along to the Australian Tea Cultural Seminar 2018 on 8-9 September in Melbourne.

Upcoming events

5 August: Chai and Vegan Street Snacks, Brisbane

11 August: Tea Appreciation 101, Melbourne

18 August: Famous Five of Fujian, Sydney

19 August: Sydney Tea Festival, Sydney

Do you have an event to promote? Let events liaison Kym Cooper know!