TeaChat

I see many references to Huigan and Qi but no definitions when I do a search. What are Huigan and Qi, I am sure I would understand the English translation?

Huigan is explained in the forum a couple of times hidden mostly in Pu-Erh topics.
For more detailed explanations, I recommend reading http://listeningtoleaves.blogspot.co.uk ... i-gan.html and http://articles.bannacha.com/index.php? ... pu-erh-tea

A short overview or other commonly used tea related terms is available here http://chineseteas101.com/jargon.htm.

It is dangerous to ask "what is qi?" because people have been debating the answer to that question for over 2,000 years.

If you ask an academician, you will hear something dry and cryptic, like "cosmic energy".

If you ask any serious practitioner of Eastern religion, you will likely be told that it is only something that can be felt, not described.

So what is qi? Your guess is as good as mine.

However, in the context of tea, qi seems to be fairly well-described... though I better not attempt to enumerate the feeling one gets from consuming tea with potent levels of qi, since I've yet to experience it myself. Tea with high qi seems to be associated with a rush of blood to the head and stomach, heightened mental clarity, and lifted spirits. But that's just my vague, nebulous conception.

It's also largely subjective, which complicates matters.

M.

Well, qi is a difficult subject, but I can pretty safely say that not every tea has qi - in fact out of maybe 20 teas I sample, one would have some reasonable qi. This includes stuff labeled as gushu, big tree, etc etc. but which have no qi. It's something you feel, and unfortunately not much more can be said. Different people seem to have different reactions.

You can even call it life force or energy--and your energy will interact with different qi in its own way. Cryptic enough?

I wrote a post on hui gan, which cites discussion and definition from a few places, including here.

The subject came up related to mentioning a bablecarp definition in a FB group, and a Chinese-Malaysian friend sent a long message correcting the explanation of "gan" in that. I recently ran across the article "Going, Going, Gan" explaining gan in the Cleaver Quarterly so I combined some of the ideas into a longish post:

http://teaintheancientworld.blogspot.co ... i-gan.html

I really don't have strong feelings or deep understanding of what the concept or experience means, although I've been exposed to lots of versions, and I guess to some extent must have crossed paths with some degree of the experience as well. The point of the post was mainly to pass on some opinions from others about it.

I've always understood Qi to be that intense meditative clarity of mind-body that follows certain tea sessions. It's something I've experienced most often with Fenghuang oolong, as I'm not a Puerh drinker.

In my experience, Qi can manifest in several different ways. On a basic level, you have teas that are warming, and teas that are cooling. I think a lot has to do with how a tea effects your mood and energy level as well: some teas get you energized and talkative (beyond just the normal effects of caffeine), other teas can calm and focus your mind and body. The teas I search out, and are pretty hard to find, are those that bring a calm euphoria to your mood. I would most compare it to the feeling I get when taking a hike through a gorgeous forest or other amazing natural landscape. You just want to breathe deeply, feel comfortable in your body, and grin. Kind of a deeper connection to the world around you.

I agree though, many teas simply don't possess any worthwhile energy to speak of.

Qi is a difficult, ambiguous term whereas Huigan is more clarifying.

You will find there are different undertanding of Qi among tea drinkers...so experienced ones tend not to use the term too often when they describe the flavor. My understanding, as Marshal stated, not every tea has 'Qi' in it..like LBZ would have a good Qi but Lao Man'E doesn't (it's just what they are saying). It's not rushing stimulation from wild Gushus nor astringent taste from mass cultivars.

And, of course, one must be ready for qi. A quick cup of tea between activities probably could not do much no matter what is in the brew.

But you’ll notice it no matter what if you drink tea with qi before going to bed – active dreams and restless sleep!

Bok wrote: But you’ll notice it no matter what if you drink tea with qi before going to bed – active dreams and restless sleep!

Definitely I can vouch for that as last night I could not fall asleep for two hours. It was well past my bedtime before I managed to fall asleep.

to add a bit of western mansplaining - I feel qi is not necessarily in the tea all by itself, but more of how it interacts with your body (chemistry) at a particular time.

Every day has a sunrise, but some are far more memorable than others based on that particular sunrise for you. Who you were with, how you managed to be up for sunrise, the time of year, the geography, etc.

Some teas might have a better propensity to produce an effect than others, like watching the sunrise in Maui, and compared to Spencer Iowa in March. Many people would recommend Maui.

So even if you buy a tea supposed to be so full of Qi, Tang warriors do the watusi, you might feel flat. But then a cup of tea takes you somewhere else, you might wish you could just turn it on at will, but I don't think it is so simple.

Bok wrote: But you’ll notice it no matter what if you drink tea with qi before going to bed – active dreams and restless sleep!

its just some of the "psychoactives" in tea. i crudely classify them as psychoactives but they are just substances that neurologically affect us. different people have different sensitivity and metabolism of these compounds, to some, they are more sensitive, and to some, less sensitive.

teas with "qi" may probably contain higher levels neurostimulatory components than others "without", and we probably cannot say without, just that the levels are not stimulating enough for that individual