If levels of tea drinking had ranks, then “a spring murmuring beneath the tongue” would be “ninth degree,” like a black belt in taekwondo. At the ninth degree, a hand blade can break a wooden board.<\/p>\n
When tea drinking reaches “ninth degree,” one arrives at what we call “a spring murmuring beneath the tongue” (she di ming quan).<\/p>\n
So what is “a spring murmuring beneath the tongue”?<\/p>\n
It refers to vigorous qi and blood movement beneath the base of the tongue, producing a sound like a spring surging forth. After swallowing the tea liquor, the oral cavity naturally contracts, pressing the tea liquor beneath the tongue and creating tiny bubbles that make a gurgling sound. This is a sign of abundant qi and blood, vigorous vitality, and the highest realm of salivation.<\/p>\n
“Sheng jin” (generating fluid) refers to the glycoside compounds in the tea liquor that adhere to the oral cavity and, through decomposition, produce gallic acid. Gallic acid is a polyphenolic organic compound with wide applications in food, biology, medicine, and chemistry. The gallic acid content in tea leaves varies due to cultivar, season, growing environment, processing methods, and other factors.<\/p>\n
Different teas contain varying amounts of gallic acid. Generally, gallic acid content in tea leaves ranges from 0.1% to 0.5%. Gallic acid possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-tumor biological activities that are beneficial to health.<\/p>\n
When the gallic acid in tea stimulates the salivary glands to continuously produce saliva, you can feel the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands flowing like springs, producing saliva. This is the process of “generating fluid.” Depending on the area involved, salivation is classified as: salivation on the tongue surface, salivation at the gum line, salivation on the inner cheeks, and “a spring murmuring beneath the tongue.”<\/p>\n
The appearance of “a spring murmuring beneath the tongue” indicates that qi and blood flow smoothly within the body, with sufficient nourishment and moisture supply, keeping the oral mucosa moist and the tongue coating lustrous.<\/p>\n
The character “ming” (murmuring) in this phrase is a key element, indicating that the spring-like qi beneath the tongue emerges rhythmically, continuously, from within outward. The syllable of this murmuring spring is produced by inhalation. It is a symbol of vigorous qi and blood and a sign of good health. In traditional Chinese medicine, this is called “the spring within the tongue,” and it plays an important regulatory role in tongue-surface salivation. Stimulating this point beneath the tongue can activate the salivary glands, increasing saliva production.<\/p>\n
The more saliva produced, the stronger the salivation capacity of the tongue surface. This enhanced salivation is very important for oral health, as it keeps the mouth moist, reduces the opportunity for bacterial growth, and maintains oral health. At the same time, stimulation of the “spring beneath the tongue” can also help regulate the body’s balance of yin and yang.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, a tea’s raw materials, production methods, and storage conditions all affect its taste and effect. However, to produce the effect of “a spring murmuring beneath the tongue,” certain specific conditions may be required. “A spring murmuring beneath the tongue” is a tea-tasting sensation describing the wonderful sounds and feelings produced in the mouth.<\/p>\n
To experience this sensation, certain requirements apply to the tea: select high-quality tea leaves, preferably fresh and tender; the brewing water should be clear and free of impurities to ensure the taste and aroma of the liquor; use appropriate tea vessels, such as ceramic or glass, clean and odor-free. Pay attention to water temperature, steeping time, and leaf quantity. The water temperature should be appropriate, steeping time not too long, and leaf quantity moderate. The liquor temperature should be moderate, neither too hot nor too cold. Appropriate temperature fully releases the tea’s aroma and flavor. The liquor should be mellow, sweet in aftertaste, with adequate concentration and fullness, free from bitterness, off-flavors, or foreign tastes. The tea leaves should be well-formed, free of impurities or damage, as leaf form can affect the liquor’s taste and aroma.<\/p>\n
“A spring murmuring beneath the tongue” demands extremely refined and comprehensive requirements of the tea. One must select teas of outstanding quality, pay attention to brewing technique and vessel choice, to ensure the color, aroma, mouthfeel, flavor, and texture of the liquor all reach a certain level, allowing one to fully experience the wonderful sensations of tea.<\/p>\n
Originally published in “Pu-erh” Magazine, September 2023 issue<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author: Old Tea Head · Lin Shen (LamSam) If levels of tea drinking had ranks, then “a spring murmuring beneath the tongue” would be “ninth degree,” like a black belt in taekwondo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[96],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lamsam-tea-notes-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6146","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6146"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6146\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6515,"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6146\/revisions\/6515"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zanteamanor.zeabur.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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