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History of Hu-Kwa Tea |
One of Mark T. Wendell Tea Company’s first imported teas was a
unique tea from China, known by locals as “la” (pine) “sang”
(wood) or Lapsang Souchong. The term Souchong refers to the
larger leaf size. Unlike other Chinese teas, this black, full
leaf tea was allowed to oxidize over burning pine fires in
specially constructed sheds. The end result was a superb tea
that had a taste all its own. Its mellow smoky overtones with a
hint of caramel yield a great cup anytime of the day. Like most
types of teas, there is a great story to be told. It is a story
that is as old as our company and one that is rooted in an era
that is long gone.
From the late 1700s to about the mid 1800s the Chinese seaport
of Canton was the center of the China tea trade. Any foreign
traders arriving to this area to conduct business were required
to sail up the Pearl River to an anchorage in Whampoa. At this
point, they were assigned a Hong merchant. Assigned by the
Emperor, Hong merchants were responsible for overseeing the
unloading of the western goods arriving in China and then
re-loading the ships with the Chinese goods (tea, silk,
porcelain) for delivery to the West. But most importantly, the
Hong merchants needed to make sure that the “foreign devils” did
not stray from the port and into China.
History records that the most famous of these Hong merchants was
Wu Ping-Chien, whom the Western traders called Houqua
(pronounced who-kwaa). He was an intelligent and powerful Hong
merchant whose business sense and understanding of foreigners
allowed him to create a considerable fortune. During this era,
his wealth was only rivaled by a handful worldwide. During the
initial dealings with foreigners, the Chinese were uneasy and
treated their trading partners with disdain. Houqua saw this as
an unfair and unprofitable practice and quickly developed a
reputation as true and gracious. Over time his name was know by
all American importers. Goods bearing his stamp commanded higher
prices because the quality was indisputable.
Mark T. Wendell Tea Company’s roots originally date back to the
height of the China trade during the 1850's. It was at this time
that Mark T. Wendell's uncle, Richard Devens, established an
importing company in Boston. His imported products included
port, sherry, coffee, olive oil, porcelain, snuff and Chinese
teas. He had the means to own and maintain several sailing
ships. These Clipper ships made frequent trips to China each
year. Upon returning to Boston, they were loaded with the finest
China tea, a true luxury for the upper class Bostonians. It is
written that Mr. Devens met with and personally purchased his
tea directly from Houqua. He noted that Houqua was “a warm
friend of Americans and his barter with them is characterized by
an ingenuous confidence and an unbusiness-like generosity.” In
all his dealings, written agreements were unknown. He was a man
of honor and distinction.
For many years, the smoky black tea that was imported by Clipper
ship from China was simply labeled as “XXX”. This was a common
symbol of excellence and high quality from this era. In the
1910's, Mark T. Wendell changed the name of his unusual tea, as
the old name “did not seem to carry with it the atmosphere and
distinction merited by so rare a tea as ours.” He appropriately
began calling it Hu-Kwa (a more Americanized version of Houqua)
as a tribute to the famous Hong merchant with whom his uncle had
traded. During this time, many Americans were still familiar
with Houqua and his famous reputation. By re-naming his tea
after Houqua, he was telling his customers that he too was
willing to guarantee the integrity of his tea and that he felt
it was the finest available.
Since the Korean War era, when the established Lapsang Souchong
growers were forced out of China, Hu-Kwa tea has been cultivated
in the island country of Formosa (Taiwan). During that time,
they were able to salvage their machinery and found the climate
to be a perfect match for continuing their production of Hu-Kwa
tea. To this day, Hu-Kwa tea is grown and processed in a small
part of Formosa and shipped to us once a year.
“Hu-Kwa tea has been a symbol of hospitality in the home for
many years. Generation after generation have continued to drink
Hu-Kwa tea and serve it to their guests with great pride.” -Mark
T. Wendell , 4/15/54
To view excerpts from the vintage booklet,
“The Story of Hu-Kwa”, please
click here. |
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