Ah, jasmine tea. Who has not enjoyed savoring the sweet floral notes of a nice green jasmine tea; perhaps while sitting in a Spring garden. But have you tried the osmanthus flower? Grown on shrubs that grow into large trees, these flowers have bright peachy notes that are used for tea pairing as well as in rice wine that is traditionally consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Jasmine flowers straddle the long rolled silver tip green tea in a delicious and predictable way. Osmanthus flowers on rich green oolong give a nice veggie body with sweet floral notes swirling above. Guihua and puer is a luxurious combination like raspberries and chocolate or like Springtime in Autumn. A great thing to bring to your...
One the most favored types of tea in China is Mao Jian (毛尖 - hairy tip) style. It's similar to Mao Feng (毛峰 - hairy peak) style* but uses only the tips and buds of the tea plant rather than all the leaves to give a lighter more floral character.Yunnan province in southern China is the ancient home of the tea plant, and the rich red hills are filled with old, large tea trees with thick and hearty leaves, most of which get turned into various cakes, bricks, and nuggets in the traditional manner of Puer Teas.So it was a delightful surprise to find Yunnan leaves being made in the more delicate Mao Jian style. The light tippy floral notes...
Holiday feasts should be celebrated with deep, rich foods. And that means fermented teas from Yunnan are just the thing for the Winter months ahead. Farleaves Oakland Blend starts with a bold puer base and adds barley for nourishment, candied ginger for a sweet energy charge, and a pinch of cayenne pepper to make this tea really sing out. This is such a good dessert tea to share when returning from a nice after dinner walk. Puer Cakes are excellent holiday treats. When time is available to enjoy the full tea experience what better way than to find a cake, decipher the origin and the processing from the carefully applied packaging, and then break off pieces of leaves from...
In the backstreet alleys of Taipei sometimes you will find hidden treasures of unexpected value tucked away in the modest stalls and shops that serve their community with dry goods, hot foods, hardware, and whatever else you may need. Such a thing was our recent discovery when Donna found a few dozen bundles of two great aged puer cakes. The Horse & Dragon Celebrating puer cakes were pressed in 1999 by one of the oldest most reputable merchants in Yunnan; the name TongQing is synonymous with best quality and the liquor produced from the flaky fragments of this well cooked cake is rich with a depth that only comes from the bacteriological progression from compressed circles of leaves into concentrated disks of restorative power. This...
