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news.library.ualberta.ca
  • BLOG HOME
  • About
    • Author Profiles
    • Five Things You Need to Know About the Library
    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
  • Collections
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    • Cinq choses à savoir sur la bibliothèque
Author

Junelle Mah

Junelle Mah

Junelle (she/her) holds a BSc in Human Ecology from the University of Alberta and a MA in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University. She is deeply rooted in lessons passed on to her from the matriarchs of her family, which includes a love of kitties & quilting.

    Celebrating Chinese Culture | Honouring Tea, Part I

    by Junelle Mah August 13, 2021
    written by Junelle Mah
    📸: A cup of oolong tea, artfully & traditionally prepared by my favourite Tea Master in Vancouver

    As the University of Alberta Library highlights China and Chinese culture in this month’s blog, I feel very fortunate to write a two-part special on Chinese tea. Not only do I get to venture into my favourite section of Rutherford’s stacks (fourth floor, call range GV 2907), but I get to transfer a piece of my personal history into written word. Part One will introduce Chinese tea, as well as some of my go-to reads from our Library collection. Part Two will showcase different kinds of Chinese tea and the teaware used to get the most out of the delicate brews.

    Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that I do not consider myself an expert in Chinese tea. I am an aficionado who was inspired to connect with my paternal culture on a family trip to Hong Kong and mainland China in 2010. Tea Masters take years to build up their knowledge base and palate, much as a sommelier grows their knowledge of wine. There are subtleties and histories beyond the limitations of this blog and I hope that this series will inspire you to learn more.

    Tea is said to originate in the Yunnan province of China, discovered around 2737 BC by Shen Nung who was known as a sage of agriculture and herbal medicine (Reid, Tong). Also known as Yan Di, Shen Nung researched plants for their medicinal and restorative qualities; he eventually placed tea leaves in hot water, drank the resulting liquid, and reported feeling a sense of physical purification afterwards (Wang).

    📸: Loose white tea leaves from Fukien Tea Company in Hong Kong, 2010.

    As the years and dynasties progressed, Tong noted, “…the function of tea to refresh the body and clear the mind had gradually replaced its function as medicine.” (2012). Drying and processing leaves became important for preservation, and tea leaves began to express their natural qualities through methods such as cooking, fermenting, and roasting, and [depending on the tea] became available in various physical forms such as whole leaf, whole flower, powder, bricks, or cakes (Reid, Tong, Wang).

    Whether enjoyed for healthful purposes, religious ceremony, or simply for taste, brewing Chinese tea in a traditional method acts as a grounding ritual, almost meditative and calming. Every book on Chinese tea that I have referenced refers to the essay written by Lu Yü (733-804) during the Tang Dynasty (Reid, Tong, Wang); the Book of Tea, also known as the Classic of Tea.

    Lu Yü’s essay is referred to as the first definitive and all-encompassing guide to Chinese tea and it’s preparation, which further cemented the importance of Chinese tea as a commodity and luxury for centuries to come (Reid).

    In 2010, I travelled to Hong Kong and China with my dad (who was born in Hong Kong) and members of my Ai Bok’s* family (Dad’s oldest brother’s family). Immediately after landing in Hong Kong, one of my cousins left the group to visit a tea shop that is well-frequented by the family when they visit. He needed pu erh tea to help ease his nausea after the long plane ride. Pu erh is a fermented black tea that, when stored properly, oxidizes as it ages to become richer in flavour, fragrance and healthful properties (Reid). It is also non-caffeinated, which makes it a perfect cures-what-ails-you-at-any-time-of-day sort of brew, in my humble opinion.

    We stayed in Hong Kong for a few days, travelled to mainland China, and then returned to Hong Kong. Throughout the trip, as a few of us were afflicted by a temporary ailment that bag of pu erh made its way to each of us (except my iron-stomached father). Our family lovingly referred to pu erh as tummy tea, and I’ve been hooked on it ever since.

    • 📸: Loose pu erh leaves
    • 📸: Pu erh brewed in a terracotta pot, poured into a fair share vessel

    If your interest is piqued in the subject of Chinese tea and you would like to learn more, simply turn to our library catalogue! These books are amongst my favourites, and they were also used in the creation of this blog series (I promise to return them as soon as I finish Part Two):

    • Lü, Y. (1974). The classic of tea (F. R. Carpenter, Trans.). Ecco Press. (Original work published 804)
    • Reid, D. (2011). The art & alchemy of Chinese tea. Singing Dragon.
    • Tong, L. (2012). Chinese tea. Cambridge University Press.
    • Wang, L. (2005). Tea and Chinese culture. Long River Press.

    Thanks for reading, and I invite you to join me for the forthcoming Part II of this series. I will delve into the properties and characteristics of pu erh, jasmine and oolong teas, as well as the properties of the water used to get the best brew result and the various teawares and methods used to coax out the unique qualities of each tea.

    Like our blog posts? We invite you to subscribe to our newsletter (scroll down to the bottom right side of this page). Love us on the blog? Then you’ll love us on social media! Check us out at @uofalibrary on Instagram, & Twitter!

    *In Chinese culture, birth order plays a big part in how someone is addressed. My dad is the youngest son in a family of six boys, so Ai Bok, is the title of first or eldest uncle as given by the children of the younger siblings in the family. Dad is called Lok Sok, or sixth uncle, by all of his nieces and nephews because their fathers are all older than him.

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  • A Nod to Our Literary Friends on International Friendship Day

    by Junelle Mah July 30, 2021
    by Junelle Mah July 30, 2021

    It seems that every other day or week or so while cruising our social media feeds, we see that the current date is now dubbed the ‘International Day of [insert celebration]‘.  Have you ever stopped to wonder why these days exist? While gathering information ahead of July 30th’s International Day of Friendship, I came across an explanation through the United Nations (UN) “International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of…

  • Staff Recommend Reads for those Dog Days of Summer

    by Junelle Mah June 11, 2021
    by Junelle Mah June 11, 2021

    Are you like Monty & Ainsley and need a break from textbooks, papers, and Zoom calls? It could be time set aside the academia (for a wee scootch) and delve into some other reads that the University of Alberta Library (UAL) has to offer. Additionally, you could also explore the wonderful partnership our library has with our friends at Edmonton Public Library (EPL) through our L-Pass. The L-Pass allows current U of…

  • Asian Heritage Month | Appreciating Masala Chai

    by Junelle Mah May 20, 2021
    by Junelle Mah May 20, 2021

    One of the aspects of living in Canada that I appreciate the most is my exposure to a wide variety of cultural practices, experiences and people. Living in BC’s Lower Mainland for a number of years gave me a huge appreciation of the scale of community and connections embodied by my colleagues of South Asian descent. I was in awe of the talent shown by local musicians and Bhangra dancers. I was…

  • Asian Heritage Month | How Dim Sum Truly Dots My Heart

    by Junelle Mah May 13, 2021
    by Junelle Mah May 13, 2021

    For a Chinese-Polish-Ukrainian kid growing up in rural Alberta, dumplings were the cornerstone of comfort food as far back as I can remember; no matter if they were potato/cottage cheese-filled (see our 2020 Virtual Heritage Days blog for my family’s perogie recipe), or pork/shrimp/water chestnut-filled. In recognition of Asian Heritage Month, it was important for me to honour my Chinese ancestry with one of the few aspects of it that I am…

  • Staff Call-Out | What have I learned while working remotely?

    by Junelle Mah April 30, 2021
    by Junelle Mah April 30, 2021

    As we see another remote semester come to a close, it is sometimes surreal to think of how long we have been providing support for our U of A community from afar. We were curious to find out what kind of hacks, tips, or pearls of wisdom our colleagues had discovered after working from home, so we asked, What have you learned while working remotely? Doris Wagner, Librarian (Law, Sociology, MLCS, History,…

  • What Brings You Joy? | Part II

    by Junelle Mah March 19, 2021
    by Junelle Mah March 19, 2021

    In honour of International World Happiness Day (Saturday, March 20th), we asked our colleagues to share in words and images, “What brings you joy?“. Thanks to the generous responses from our colleagues we published Part I of this series yesterday, which yielded an array of hobbies, past-times and a gorgeous doggo. Today’s Part II shares beautiful views, tasty treats and a kitty watching RuPaul! Jamie Spivak, Information Services Specialist I look forward…

  • World Happiness Day is almost here | What Brings You Joy? – Part I

    by Junelle Mah March 18, 2021
    by Junelle Mah March 18, 2021

    As we reflect on the past 365+ days, it can sometimes feel surreal that the world has endured a full year of unprecedented change. In the spirit of International World Happiness Day, on Saturday, March 20th, our library communications and engagement team wanted to bring a bit of reflection to our community. A call-out to our spectacular library staffers has yielded a two-part plethora of positivity when they were asked, “What brings…

  • Audible Delights: Our Staff Recommended Podcasts | PART II

    by Junelle Mah January 29, 2021
    by Junelle Mah January 29, 2021

    Welcome back to our simply spectacular staff-sourced series on scintillatingly stupendous stories…sorry. I mean, Welcome to the second instalment of our staff-recommended podcasts intended to brighten up your 2021 playlists. We are lucky to have such great suggestions from our folks; and some have offered up more than one podcast! If you need to catch up on Part I from last week, we have it here. Doris Wagner, Librarian (Law, Sociology, MLCS,…

  • Audible Delights: Our Staff Recommended Podcasts | Part I

    by Junelle Mah January 22, 2021
    by Junelle Mah January 22, 2021

    The dawn of a new year may be a good time to change up your audio repertoire and try something new! I am beyond ecstatic to report that a call-out to our Library Staffers for their podcast recommendations resulted in a veritable treasure trove of speaker and headphone-worthy goodness. So many goodies, in fact, that this series is a two-parter (so happy, so proud). Jessica Thorlakson, Public Services Librarian and 3D Printing…

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The University of Alberta is situated on traditional Treaty 6 territory and homeland of the Métis peoples. Amiskwaciwâskahikan / ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᕀᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ / Edmonton


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