Making “Senses”: The qualia of Pu’er tea and sensorial encounters between tea producers and traders in southwest China

2Citations
Citations of this article
8Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

This article analyses how Han buyers’ perception of and desire for the qualia—sensuous qualities—of Pu’er tea affects how ethnic minority producers perceive and make the tea. As a defining aspect of the consumers' experiences with ancient Pu’er tea, these qualia were invented and emphasised as part of the elite Chinese tea culture by Han traders and consumers. While the Bulang people's traditional way of making and using Pu’er tea related more to its economic and symbolic values than to its perceived effects on the body, in response to China's rapid marketisation they had to learn to sense the qualia rooted in a Han lexicon and philosophy and then acquire new skills to produce them. The paper argues that sensorial experience as a cultural dimension of tea has created new layers within Bulang people's encounters with the modern market.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Ma, Z. (2023). Making “Senses”: The qualia of Pu’er tea and sensorial encounters between tea producers and traders in southwest China. Journal of Material Culture, 28(1), 40–62. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591835211066811

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free