What does Eco-Cha 一口茶 mean?

Hey Steepster,

We’ve been getting some questions recently about our name. Eco-Cha or in Chinese, 一口茶.

We just put together a blog post explaining the origins and the meaning of the name.

Here’s a link, with the post copied below.

http://eco-cha.com/blogs/tea-culture/10226181-the-origins-and-meaning-of-our-name-eco-cha

Name & Eco-Cha Mission:
Eco-Cha is pronounced the same way in English and Chinese and carries meaning in both languages. Eco-Cha in Chinese means ‘A Sip of Tea’.

Created out of our dedication to artisan tea culture and the realization of how small, family-run farms in Taiwan are progressively employing eco-friendly methods of tea cultivation, this name is testimony of our commitment to the preservation of traditional artisan tea production and the promotion of sustainable agriculture in the tea industry.

No matter which language or culture Eco-Cha is spoken or heard in, it carries meaning. In English ‘Eco-Cha’ represents our commitment to sustainably produced teas and the artisan tea industry in Taiwan. In Chinese it is a reminder to stop, breathe, take a sip of tea and be in the present moment.

Name & Language:
The English pronunciation of Eco-Cha is almost the same as the Chinese pronunciation of 一口茶. The only difference being that Chinese is a tonal language, and must be spoken with certain intonation.

一 (Yi) means ‘One’ and is pronounced like the ‘ee’ in ‘bee’

口 (Kou) means ‘Mouth’ and is pronounced like the ‘co’ in ‘co-op’

茶 (Cha) means ‘Tea’ and is pronounced like the ‘Cha’ in the dance ‘Cha-Cha’

When Chinese words are combined in a phrase, they often take on a different meaning from individual words. 一口 means ‘One Sip’ while 茶 means ‘Tea’.

一口茶 means ‘A Sip of Tea’.

Name & Personal Connection:
When Andy (Eco-Cha co-founder) initially shared this idea for the English name Eco-Cha with his tea mentor and friend Tony Lin, Tony instantly responded by uttering the words written in Tony’s own calligraphy brushwork, the Chinese words for 一口茶 or “A Sip of Tea”. Andy spoke the words in English, Tony heard them in Chinese. This profound simplicity resonated deeply, and Andy was at once convinced that it was meant to be.