Having Tea at the Highest Point in Massachusetts: A Visit to Mount Greylock
By Rebecca Emken
I was a tea master at the summit of Mount Greylock, the highest point in Massachusetts at 3,491 feet (1,064 meters) above sea level. Our group started with three people, and we ended with six, because we made three new tea friends.
I served a 20 year old raw pu er tea cake (生普洱茶, shēng pǔ ěr chá), and we enjoyed 20 year old tea at the peak of the mountain! We had a gorgeous view of the town of Adams sprawled out below, against a backdrop of the mountains.
I brought along my travel tea set, complete with a gaiwan, a fairness pitcher, little teacups, and even a small tea box! For water, I had boiled it beforehand and stored it in insulated metal bottles that kept it near boiling temperature.
Because the metal water bottles didn't have a narrow spout, pouring directly from them would have been unwieldy and splashed water everywhere. To solve this, I brought another pitcher from a different tea set. The pitcher looked similar to a gravy boat, with a narrow, pointed spout. I poured the thick stream of boiling water into the pitcher first, then poured the refined, gooseneck like stream from the pitcher into the gaiwan. Having that controlled stream allowed me to brew the tea precisely using the Millet Labeling Tea Making Method, which I make YouTube videos about. You can watch one of them here.
The tea I served was a raw pu er tea (生普洱茶, shēng pǔ'ěr chá). It was harvested in 2006, twenty years ago. The texture was exceptionally smooth and refined, while the flavor was fruity, sweet, and elegant.
The pu er teas I usually drink are a deep brown-black color with a richer, maltier taste. This tea, by contrast, brewed into a lighter reddish liquor with brighter fruity notes. Someone gifted me this tea cake, making it especially meaningful. It's not like a supermarket tea that I can simply rebuy and expect the same flavor. This tea cake is likely the only one of its kind that I'll ever have the opportunity to taste. I save this tea for special occasions. Every time I brew it, I make sure to slow down, savor every sip, and truly appreciate the unique experience while it lasts.
Our tea gathering began with three people, and ended with six. As the original three of us enjoyed tea in the traditional Gongfu Tea Ceremony, three curious tea lovers wandered over to see what we were doing. Fortunately, my travel tea set had exactly six cups, so everyone was able to join us. We all enjoyed tea together!
Serving tea can bring strangers together, transforming us into friends. We had never met before, yet we all gravitated toward the tea set, shared tea together, and learned about one another.
I made friends with Irene Chang, a National Board Certified Health & Wellness coach. She’s certified in Functional Medicine, and is a certified ReCODE health coach. She’s based in the Berkshires, previously based in the Boston area, and originally from Seoul, South Korea. Her website is http://www.3hcoaching.net.
I love how Irene’s practice incorporates food into healing. It reminds me of how my Master Dr. Wu says “Food is medicine.” Dr. Wu’s quote translates simply that you are what you eat. Your diet and specific kinds of food you eat, can greatly support and improve your health and quality of life. Dr. Wu and Irene focus on helping people live healthier lifestyles, such as choosing what to eat and learning how food can help or aggravate one’s body-specific needs.
I also made friends with an anonymous bird lover, who kindly translated the Chinese tea packaging into English. I greatly appreciated hearing her explain the meaning of the Chinese characters.
I also met Lulu, who is originally from China and now works as an engineer at Amazon. She has an adorable, lively, happy-go-lucky dog named Cookie!
Below is a photo of all of us standing together at the summit, with the beautiful Berkshire Mountains stretching across the background, and us holding little cups of tea in our hands.
From left to right:
I'm on the far left, wearing the bright pink shirt.
Next to me is my boyfriend, Jeffrey, wearing a green shirt and carrying a gourd-shaped water bottle.
On the other side of Jeffrey is the bird lover, dressed all in black with a bird icon over her face.
Next is Irene, with a black bob haircut, wearing a white shirt and black pants.
Beside Irene is Lulu, wearing a hat and holding Cookie's leash.
On the far right is Maddie, a longtime friend of Jeffrey and I. She's wearing a blue tie-dye shirt, with Cookie happily standing at her feet.
Being at the summit was wonderful, sharing tea and time with friends. We enjoyed the gorgeous view, the refreshing mountain air, and a rejuvenating tea ceremony together at the highest point in Massachusetts.
About the Author
Rebecca is a Fengyang Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. She is a disciple of Dr. Ming Wu, a master of Chinese medicine. She hosts tea ceremonies and provides tui na bodywork treatments at the Wu Healing Center in Maynard MA, and at Healing Body Solutions in Palmer MA.
Rebecca posts videos about tea, tea brewing, and tea culture on her YouTube Channel, RebeccaHealing.
You can reach Rebecca at rebecca.tuina.healing@gmail.com, or at 508-281-9068 (text preferred).