Yunnan: The Chinese Tea Game Created by Ruth Paget

Yunnan: The Chinese Tea Game Created by Ruth Paget 

This is a game for tea drinkers, people who would like to learn more about China, and food and beverage industry workers who would like to advance in their careers.

Items Needed to Organize Yunnan: 

-The book Tea: History Terroirs Varieties by Kevin Gascoyne, François Marchand, Jasmin Desharnais, and Hugo Américi 

-Index cards – large and small 

-notebook paper 

-pens 

-boxes of Chinese tea to be used as a prize for mastering all information 

Yunnan Game Objectives: 

1-Know the families of different teas and their characteristics 

2-Know the main cultivars or cultivated varieties of tea grown in China 

3-Know the process steps for the tea families that give them their final characteristics 

4-Know the terroirs where tea is grown in China and be able to locate the region on a map 

5-Know the most famous teas from the different regions 

Game 1 – Tea Families Definition 

All tea begins as a green leaf, but different processing methods produce teas with specific characteristic for flavor and medicinal value. 

For this game, you will place the tea family name on the front of an index card and the definition of the tea family written in your own words on the back. 

If you are unsure of a word’s pronunciation, use Google’s pronunciation feature (type the word followed by the word “pronunciation” in the Google search bar. A speaker icon will appear that you can tap to hear the pronunciation.) 

Use the tea book mentioned in the materials section to look up the following tea families:  

-white teas

 -green teas 

-yellow teas 

-wulong teas 

-black teas 

-aged teas (learn the names of the specific teas they list as examples) 

Game 2: China’s Main Cultivars or Cultivated Varieties of Tea Leaf 

Cultivars or cultivated varieties are similar to varietals or grape varieties in wine making. 

There are four main cultivars or tea varieties grown in China. For these cultivars, write the name on the front of an index card and 5 to 10 facts on the back to memorize about it, especially the terroirs or areas where it is grown in China. 

The following four cultivars are the main ones grown in China: 

-Fuding Da Bai 

-Long Jing 43 

-Tie Guan Yin 

-Zhu Ye 

Game 3: Know the Process Steps that Create the Different Tea Families 

This game will require notebook paper to play.

First, note the tea family on the front of the notebook paper. Use the tea book in the materials section to note the number of process steps for each tea family. The number of steps differs to create the characteristics of each tea family.  

Memorize the tea family and the number of process steps to make it. Then, use the tea book to list the tea family name of the front of a sheet of notebook paper. Next, list each process step name and a description of the process in your own words. 

Finally, memorize the tea family name and the definition of each step used to make it. 

Game 4: Know China’s Main Tea Terroirs 

Use the map on page 42 of the print edition of the Tea book in the materials section to locate China’s main tea terroirs. Write the following regions down on index cards. On the back, note the main province and large cities in each region: 

-Southwest Region 

-Southeast Region 

-South of the Yangzi Jiang River Region 

-North of the Yangzi Jiang River Region 

Game 5: Chinese Tea Types 

Tea types are similar to different kinds of wine like Burgundy and Bordeaux. 

For this game, you will need large index cards and a pen. On the front of the index card, note the tea type and on the back note the characteristics listed in the tea book. Learn a tea type and one characteristic at a time. Learn three tea types as a group before moving on to the next three. 

Note the following characteristics for each tea type:  

-tea family 

-name translation 

-alternative names 

-harvest season 

-cultivar 

There are 12 tea types listed with 5 pieces of information for each tea. 5 x 12 makes 60 pieces of information to learn. 

Game 6: Reward Drink some Chinese tea for mastering this game. 

For cultural information, the following books provide a good introduction to Chinese food: 

-Tea: History Terroirs Varieties by Kevin Gascoyne, Francois Marchand, Jasmin Deshaun’s, and Hugo Americi

-The Food of China by E.N. Anderson 

-Invitation to a Banquet by Fuchsia Dunlop 

-Complete Chinese Cookbook by Ken Hom 

I have written three blogs on Hong Kong’s tea lunch or dim sum that show one way that tea is used in Chinese culture: 

Chicago Dim Sum

Chicago Dim Sum 

Millbrae Dim Sum (San Francisco Suburb) Dim Sum 

Millbrae Dim Sum

Salinas, California Dim Sum 

Salinas Dim Sum

Have fun learning about Chinese culture! 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Cabbage Harvest: More than Sauerkraut by Ruth Paget

Cabbage Harvest:  More than Sauerkraut by Ruth Paget

I would drive my family bonkers every winter when we lived in Wisconsin by making brats loaded with warm sauerkraut and brown German mustard for dinner on University of Wisconsin football game days and walk around wearing my UW cheesehead.

Laurent and Florence opted for Culver’s cheeseburgers.

If you really want to make sauerkraut at home, this video show the two-ingredient method with cabbage and salt.  I would store sauerkraut in the refrigerator, but this video presents conditions where you can store sauerkraut out of the refrigerator:

Sauerkraut Video

There is actually a lot you can do with cabbage that is not sour like Dijon roast pork with apples and cabbage.  

I wrote a blog on cabbage that details great recipes and cookbook resources for cabbage noted below:

Cabbage Recipes for Winter

Cabbage is full of Vitamin C, a great antioxidant.  That fact makes me like it even with brats.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Art at the Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Art at the Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

On my family’s weekly outing to buy pie (strawberry - rhubarb this time) at The Farm in Salinas, California, I focused on finding country art.

The garden furniture art at The Farm is welcoming and rather regal with its armrests:

The large painting of squash and flowers on the entrance sliding door almost qualifies as a mural: To enlarge the image, place your fingers on the image and spread them apart.

Artist Diane Grindol, who has studied art in France, sells notecards at The Farm with samples of her artwork on them.  I love notecards with artwork.  I have some notecards by Big Sur artist Erin Gafill that I have sent to my family in Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Georgia.  Notecards help with cash flow and publicity.  Grindol’s notecard we bought follows:

A trip to the farm would not be complete without food decorative art like the squash beauties below:

The goats have the art of leisure down as they lazily wake up in the morning sun:

My daughter Florence Paget, husband Laurent Paget, and I  enjoyed our morning at The Farm and came home with heirloom tomatoes and a strawberry-rhubarb pie (rhubarb has a large amount of Vitamin K, which is important for healing wounds and blood clotting).

The Farm is a local country outing that young families might enjoy as well.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Reading Steinbeck for Banned Books Week October 5 - 11, 2025 posted by Ruth Paget

For Banned Books Week 2025, my family went to the John Steinbeck House Gift Shop and purchased several books including Grapes of Wrath, which has been banned at different times of history as well as Of Mice and Men.

The store has Penguin versions of the books as well as collector first editions of our local Nobel Prize winner.

You can combine a book shopping outing with lunch upstairs in Steinbeck’s home.  The restaurant menu features seasonal  

Free parking is available on the street on a first come-first served basis.  I have  listed their website below:

https://steinbeckhouse.com/

Back in the 2000s, I reviewed the Steinbeck House Restaurant for the Monterey County Weekly (Curculation: 200,000).

https://ruthpaget.blogspot.com/2018/02/lunching-at-steinbecks-childhood-home.html?m=1

The National Steinbeck Center houses a museum devoted to the works of John Steinbeck.  There is a large parking garage next to the Steinbeck Center. For information, their website follows:

https://steinbeck.org/

Agata Popcada at the Monterey County Weekly wrote a nice online article about Henry Miller, a Big Sur resident, whose books have also been banned:

https://mail.google.com/mail/mu/mp/465/#cv/priority/%5Esmartlabel_personal/199d0945fb6cbee9

Information about the Henry Miller Library and its events follows:

https://www.henrymiller.org/ https://www.henrymiller.org/

Carmel Valley author Jane Smiley has had her book A Thousand Acres banned in several school districts despite being a Pulitzer Prize winner.  Book information about A Thousand Acres follows:

A Thousand Acres Book Information

Information about Banned Book Week follows:

https://www.ala.org/bbooks/banned

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Breton Crepes for a few days by Ruth Paget

The magic mix of eggs, milk, flour, salt, and oil makes delicious crepes you can fill with butter and cheese or a salad with chèvre goat cheese.  This little pile will last for two or three days.

My husband Laurent made these beauties! A bottle of homeopathic Elderberry gummies full of Vitamin C sits by the crepes.

My recipe for crepes follows:

California Crepes Recipe

Text and photo by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Squash Harvest is in at The Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Squash Harvest is in The Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Now is the time to buy squash for decorating and eating, bringing children out to jump on haystacks and ride mini tractors, and buy a homemade pie.

Look at the squash beauties below!  Orange colored squash has vitamin A, which is important for vision.

Even the too cool to care goats were checking out the squash.

My husband Laurent and I bought a berry pie. Starting in November, the bakery will be the only department open at The Farm till spring.

Another fun marketing day in Salinas, California.

Photos and text by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Seagull Munching on Guano at Pebble Beach, California video by Ruth Paget

While waiting to film brown pelicans at Pebble Beach, California, I saw a seagull eating guano on a rock with waves crashing behind it and brown pelicans doing fly-bys  behind it.  

The sound of the waves crashing is excellent on the video below:

Guano is bird feces.  It is highly sought as a fertilizer and wars have been fought over it.

Video and text by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Oktoberfest at Asilomar on October 11, 2025 in Pacific Grove, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Oktoberfest is being celebrated on October 11, 2025 at Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California.

For information about tickets, I have reposted the Monterey County Weekly calendar posting below:

Oktoberfest at Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Shipwrecks of the Monterey Peninsula Talk on October 18, 2025 in Monterey, California reposted by Ruth Paget

There will be a talk on Shipwrecks of the Monterey Peninsula on October 18, 2025 in Monterey, California at California’s First Theatre.

For details about this event, I have reposted information from The Monterey County Weekly:

Shipwrecks of the Monterey Peninsula

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France 

Brown Pelican Soaring Home at Nightfall in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Brown Pelicans Soaring Home at Nightfall Photo in Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

Patient Ruth catches a brown pelican on an updraft of wind on the way home at nightfall:

Photo and text by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Salade a la Tourangelle in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

My husband Laurent’s French grandfather from Tours, France served what he called a Salade a la Tourangelle, Tours salad, made up of lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and chèvre goat cheese with vinaigrette at its most basic.

Laurent’s grandfather was a wine merchant and his grandmother ran an epicerie in the country.  An epicerie is like an upscale convenience store.  Mamie’s epicerie most definitely sold wine vinegar, which is used in the vinaigrette for salad a la Tourangelle.

I went to The Farm in Salinas, California and bought organic lettuce and an heirloom tomato for my salad.  I went down Main Street to Star Market and bought Humboldt Fog goat cheese.  Nob Hill makes a store brand chèvre goat cheese, which helps pay employee salaries that I also buy.

Today, I put those ingredients together to make Salade a la Tourangelle at home, which is pictured below:

This salad is super easy to make.  We ate slices of apple caramel crisp pie for dessert from The Farm as well, which is open year-round for bakery purchases.

Wine vinegar is also a no-food waste product par excellence.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Free E-Book UChicago Press October Reposted by Ruth Paget

The University of Chicago Press Free E-Book for October is The New Promethius: Faith Science, and the Supernatural Mind in the Victorian Fin de Siecle by Courtenay Raia.

People interested in Victorian England might like this nonfiction book about the era.

Information about the book follows:

The New Promethius Free-Book

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Salinas, California Cheese and Pie Lunch by Ruth Paget

Salinas, California Cheese and Pie Lunch by Ruth Paget

My husband Laurent and I did our recycling of tin cans, plastic bottles, and glass bottles at Star Market in Salinas, California this morning.

We used our recycling money as a coupon towards buying Wisconsin cheddar cheese and Cypress Grove California Humboldt Fog cheese, similar to Saint Maure Chèvre from Tours, France.  (Cypress Grove is located in Humboldt County California).

.

American cheese selections at Star Market in Salinas, California

Cheese, chocolate, and apple caramel crisp pie from The Far.m. We drank Joffrey’s Tatiana Bayou Beignet coffee with milk along with “lunch.”

We ate sourdough flatbread and baguette with the cheese.

The apple caramel crisp takes about two minutes to warm up and oozes caramel for this pie from The Farm.

Salinas, California has the ingredients for a fall lunch when cool weather comes back.

(Note: My relatives in Wisconsin of English descent ate cheddar with apple pie and coffee or Darjeeling tea.  I am continuing the family tradition with local ingredients in Salinas, California.)

(Note: The bakery at The Farm is open year round.)

By Ruth Paget author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Organic Salad Lunch from Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Organic Salad Lunch from Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

I made a delicious organic salad with items I bought at Nob Hill Supermarket. 

I used mini red leaf and green leaf lettuce from Tanimura and Antle in Salinas Valley, Roma tomatoes, and California avocados from Southern California. 

Gathered ingredients - the walnut and olive oil come from California, top.

Salad made with organic radishes and grapes to complete the meal.

Walnut oil and Napa Valley Red Wine Vinegar

Salad gone with Pount Reyes Rosemary, Thyme, and Basil cheese and slices of Sopprasetta sausage made by Columbus, a California company.

Photos and text by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

New Life in Fall at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

New Life Popping Up Among the Old at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

White and yellow native plants buds in the sagebrush but off from a hot spell.  The cool ocean breezes are most welcome.

Native Plant Volunteers keep Pebble Beach looking good!

Native Plant Volunteers Information

Photo and text by Ruth Paget

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Sagebrush on the Beach at Pebble Beach, California by Ruth Paget

We have had a succession of hot days that has dried the sagebrush plants by the shore at Pebble Beach, California:

Even dry the sagebrush is photogenic.

The Native Plant Volunteers keep Pebble Beach looking good:

Native Plant Volunteers Information

Photos and text by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Wing Wednesdays at Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Wing Wednesdays is a great no-food waste initiative at Alvarado Street Brewery in  Monterey, California.  They offer a variety of sauces and….beers.  If you arrive early enough, the wings are half price. 

Details on pricing and dates follow:

Wing Wednesdays at Alvarado Street Brewery

Many neighborhoods also have Wing Stop Restaurants for wings every day of the week.  

Black Bear Diner in Salinas has an 8-wing plus fries basket that I like.  The garlic-Parmesan dipping sauce is pretty awesome for the wings.  I also liked the huckleberry cobbler, because it was not too sweet.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Bug Walk at Earthbound Farm Stand in Carmel Valley, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Find out about good bugs used in organic farming at the Earthbound Farm Stand in Carmel Valley, California on September 27, 2025.  Tickets are $10.  Information about the event and tickets follow:

Bug Walk at Earthbound Farm

This would be a cute monthly program, if there is interest.

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Goats, Kiddy Tractors, and Organic Produce at The Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Goats, Kiddy Tractors, and Organic Produce at The Farm in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Harvest 2025 is here at The Farm in Salinas, California, but everyone knows the real reasons kids want to visit are the goats and kiddy tractors they can spend time with while their parents shop for organic produce.

The windmill below is what you can see from Highway 68 going into Salinas lets you pinpoint the farm as you navigate your way there from the Spreckels Exit:

Once you are headed toward The Farm on the 1 1/2 paved lane paved service road, you will drive right into The Farm with its logo sign mounted on an old pickup truck:

The first thing you will see especially if you have children is the kiddy tractors play area.  This area is rich in photo opportunities:

Another great photo opportunity area is by the goat pen.  The Farm is not a petting zoo, so you cannot feed the animals but talking to them is fine if you are sweet like Dr. Doolittle.

The Farm’s organic produce is coming in everyday including flowers for u-pick purchase.  When my husband Laurent and I visited, the following crops were on sale:

One of my favorite bumper crop items is the apple.  I think one of the best ways to eat apples is in pie, which they sell at thyme Farm year-round.

The Farm will close in November and will reopen next year for Farm School classes and tractor rides.  The Farm’s website has details on these activities, which I have listed below:

The Farm in Salinas, California

For a fun country outing, The Farm in Salinas, California has something for everyone.

Strawberry earrings for $6 are a nice farm souvenir.

Row of vitamin C and antioxidant rich cilantro.  Cilantro is so good for you I think a security camera on it to prevent theft. 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

Risotto alla Milanese at Pub's (Growers Pub) in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Risotto alla Milanese at Pub’s (Growers Pub) in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

After a succession of hot days in the high 80s, my daughter Florence Paget, husband Laurent Paget, and I went out for an iodine-rich dinner at Pub’s (Growers Pub) in Salinas, California.

Salt depletion caused by sweating in high heat reduces iodine in the body.  Iodine depletion has been linked to several health disorders including thyroid cancer by the National Institutes of Health.  I have provided a hyperlink to the NIH site: NIH site regarding iodine depletion.  This text does not substitute for a doctor, but it might help guide dining choices for people who work outside all day or who do not have air conditioning and provide a discussion topic for doctor appointments.

With this grim information about iodine on my mind, I ordered a meal that a rich Milan, Italy dweller might order to deal with a hot days.

I started with fried calamari (squid) rings that I could dip in piquant sauce with fresh lemon squeezed on the calamari.  The crunchy, salty breading was delicious.  The squid itself has protein and selenium, which helps the thyroid produce hormones and is an antioxidant according to WebMD.com.

After the calamari, I ate iodine-rich salad with blue cheese dressing.  The blue cheese was very creamy and made me think it had been made with Gorgonzola or cheese made in the Gorgonzola style.  The crispy and cold romaine lettuce tasted great after a succession of hot days.

My main dish was an excellent risotto alla Milanese made with carnaroli rice from the app River Valley in Northern Italy.

Risotto is easy to make if you can patiently stand at the stove and add in a little chicken broth at a time to be absorbed by the rice before the next addition of broth.

I used the risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto) recipe from the Mediterranean dish.combwebsite to guide me.  For this recipe, you heat chicken broth and pour some on saffron threads to steep before cooking.  The saffron makes the risotto a golden yellow.

After you do this, you soften chopped onion in olive oil.  Once this is done, you add in the pudgy carnaroli rice and coat it with hot rice for several minutes.

Next, you add dry white wine and broth followed by dissolved saffron.  After this, you keep turning the rice till it becomes al dente, adding broth along the way. When the rice is creamy, remove it from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or grains pedant along with butter.  Serve warm and enjoy the salty Parmesan cheese.

This meal does taste wonderful when the weather cools down at night after a hot day at Pub’s in Salinas, California.

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France