Cha Qi 茶气

[lordsbm]

Came across this article which explain what cha qi is. It's basicly used to describe taste or used in TCM.
http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_458decfb0101ix3z.html

I think it's more realistic than how some sellers use to market their premium tea. But u are free to think otherwise

edit: actually that blog has a lot of valuable (one man treasure might be another man junk ) infos.

[futurebird]

Do you find there is agreement on Chinese tea forums about the meaning of “茶气” which teas have strong “茶气” etc? Or is there a fair about of debate about what it really means?

Here I've seen people try to debate if it even exists.

This article seems to suggest debate as well, but I'm illiterate so I can't really tell if I've understood it properly.

If I say "this tea has a very strong 茶气" is this a matter of how the tea interacts with my own body, and so it's subjective... or would other people be able to verify what I'm saying?

[lordsbm]

This is my understanding and observations. (Don't need to prove my understanding and observations, as it's just mine and you'll be wasting ur precious time. It doesn't mean you have to agree, as it's ok to disagree) Have to make that clear before it becomes crazy^^;

Older generations of Chinese tend to be more forgiving on the term 茶气. Most likely they can accept you are speaking in term of taste or the out of normal experience. (I fall into this, I don't mind how you use Chaqi as long as I get what you means. )

The Chinese forum have a lot of after 80s netizens, some tend to be too serious and technical over things. Most just want to prove what they believe in is right. Then the debate begins and ended sour with no real answer

From my POV, it's just what type of marketing/education a person is exposed to. People who grew up with it, just assumed that is the correct standard. How many times do we buy things that people we need/must have and end up discovering we don't need that

The article is more realistic to me as it's more transparent. We use words to describe our taste and experience. Since tea is for drinking, it's closer to say it's part of taste description. So if the tea have good taste properties like good aroma, good flavor, good consistency, you can say the tea has good chaqi.

The other use of chaqi is as mentioned in that article which is in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) properties. If the tea aids in circulation of the qi or energy in your body resulting to inner body heat increase, and/or perspiration, and/or gas begin forced out of your body. That tea is know to have strong chaqi.

So if you stand at only at the taste point, then you'll think the TCM is voodoo. If you believe too much in the value of a tea, you may think only good tea have strong chaqi because it can give you additional experience that's beyond taste.

So it really depends on the believe of the person, if the person is more open to things, you can use however you want. If the person is overzealous, just avoid the word chaqi. Unless you want a long winded "lecture" on his/her believes. Something like what I'm writing now

[theredbaron]

because it can give you additional experience that's beyond taste.

There is a possibility of what you describe as additional experience. I have had that with some teas, but not all the time.
There is of course a difference between "tea drunk", which is basically an overload of caffeine, and what could be termed "Cha Qi", which i have experienced as a strange and almost electric sensation, varying in strength and nature.

But i try stay away from using this term. I don't want to sound like a loony , and it's just to random, and depending on mood and situation at least as much as on the tea.

[lordsbm]

Oh ya forgotten to say that blog belongs to a seller on Taobao. He seems sincere in his product description, like telling you details on the tea he sells.

He gather his own pu erh from farmers (or what he claims.) Been around for a few years, seems to have a group of followers especially for his gu shu sheng. I try search in China forums and groups for his shop. Not much info given, expect his lower end tea which is less than 50RMB are drinkable. So not very sure if he sells tuition tea or a "hidden secret"

Was going to order some from him to try, but found another seller who was offering laka/naka. Bought 1 ti This order I'll likely have over 10kg of tea again, mostly kouliang from Wuliang (TL/XG).

[lordsbm]

But i try stay away from using this term. I don't want to sound like a loony , and it's just to random, and depending on mood and situation at least as much as on the tea.

As loony as redbull/lipovitan give you power But the companies do a good job "educating" people to accept that marketing

edit: To TCM there is such a thing. Like if you take too much chocolate you get sore throat. You take certain drugs your blood floods faster. Just that people who aren't exposed to the Chinese culture, thinks it's loony I guess.