The first step when making tea is to wash the leaves and throw out the water, says Li Haozi Shu, or Crystal, as she is fondly known among those she converts into tea aficionados at the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort and Spa. As a tea sommelier, this is part of Crystal’s multi-step process to getting the brew just right.
On her journey to be a sommelier, she started out by picking fresh tea leaves at a plantation. But for others, she says, the process starts at buying. “When you buy tea, remember that you can drink it for a long time. You can smell to see whether it is good. You need to keep it in a dry place, not humid. When you make it, wash the leaves to refresh them — if you want to have green salad, won’t you wash it first? It’s the same thing,” she says.
Flavoured infusions
Today, the word tea not only represents black tea; it stands for a variety of infusions from green to floral and complex oolong, white tea, pu-erh and herbal infusions. When you infuse black, white or green teas, Crystal says, wait for three minutes and try to keep the temperature at 56 degree Celsius. “While it is being infused, you must warm the tea cup,” she says, sharing a few trade secrets with GN Focus.
The best way to drink this brew is without a sweetener. However, if a guest does want it sweetened, Crystal says, “I would recommend honey. It is much better.”
When guests ask her for tea, they get a cuppa of their choice, of course. However, she can also prescribe tea befitting the season and occasion. Peppermint, for instance, she says, “is good just now, when the season is changing. Peppermint reduces heat inside [the body] and prevents flu”.
Peppermint is a refreshing option suitable for most times of the day. “Different types of tea — camomile, rose, fruity — have different benefits. Lemon and ginger can help you relax. In the morning, you may want a breakfast tea or a very basic smooth green tea. Everyone likes Moroccan mint tea in the morning, or at around 3pm if you have slept and want something fresh,” she says.
Subtle differences
You need a receptive palate to appreciate the subtle differences in teas — the Westin serves Jing Tea — with poetic variations such as Jasmine Silver Needle, Organic Jade Sword, Flowering Dragon Eye, Iron Buddha and Big Red Rose Supreme. Teas by Jing are served in restaurants all over the world, including those owned by Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay, Pierre Gagnaire and Joel Robuchon and in the finest luxury hotels including select Mandarin Oriental outlets, Rocco Forte Collection and Ritz-Carlton properties.
Crystal herself is steeped in the culture of tea. The tea ceremony in her homeland, China, is intricate and detailed. Pouring a cup of tea or accepting one can mean anything from regret and submission to acceptance into a family and good luck. The seven-step ceremony has defined etiquette. Done right, the movement that involves placing tea cups upside down on top of the snifter cups, called the dragon and phoenix in auspicious union, promises prosperity and happiness. “Tea is important and we make it in front of the guests. We have our own tradition — it is kung fu tea,” Crystal says.
