The Story of Tea
Page 32
Yellow Tea
MENGDING MOUNTAIN SNOW BUDS
Region: Sichuan Province, China
Manufacture: Pan-fired, rare yellow tea
Style: Sword-leaf/budset tea (often called sparrow-tongue)
Flavor: Toasty, brisk, but smooth
Aroma: Clean, fresh
Liquor: Clear tinged with pale green
Brewing: Brew two or three two-minute infusions at 170 to 180°F. Drink plain.
Mengding Mountain on the Tibetan Plateau in northwestern Sichuan Province is likely the birthplace of cultivated tea. The garden that grows Mengding Mountain Snow Buds is located just northwest of Mount Emei, one of the four sacred mountains in Chinese Buddhism. The tea is picked as a budset in the garden and gathered in small fabric bags rather than in baskets.
Green Tea
SUN-DRIED TEA FROM XISHUANGBANNA
Region: Yunnan Province, China
Manufacture: Sun-dried green tea
Style: Open budset and leaf
Flavor: Deep, rich
Aroma: Clean, earthy
Liquor: Straw to golden
Brewing: Brew two or three two-minute infusions at 170 to 180°F. Drink plain.
One of the most original and authentic teas manufactured anywhere, this sun-dried tea is from one of the birthplaces of tea, protected and harvested by the ethnic minorities who live in one of China’s last wild places, the Mekong River valley region of southwestern China that shares a border with Laos and Myanmar.
TAI PING HOU KUI
Region: Anhui Province, China
Manufacture: Both pan-fired and basket-fired green tea
Style: Flat, needle leaf
Flavor: Earthy, rich, vegetal
Aroma: Toasty
Liquor: Deep straw
Brewing: Brew two or three two-minute infusions at 170 to 180°F. Drink plain.
Tai Ping Hou Kui is one of the Ten Famous Teas of Chinese lore. Grown in a protected area bordering a pristine lake just north of the Huang Shan, this is one of very few teas that is both pan-fired and basket-fired, blotted in between firings with the rice paper made locally for scroll painting. The impression of this paper displays on authentic Tai Ping Hou Kui.
MING MEI
Region: Jiangxi Province, China
Manufacture: Basket-fired green tea
Style: Twisted-leaf
Flavor: Mineral, slightly grassy
Aroma: Pure, clean, grassy
Liquor: Bright straw tending toward silver
Brewing: Brew two or three two-minute infusions at 170 to 180°F. Drink plain.
Ming Mei, an “eyebrow” tea (so named for its distinctive shape), comes from Jiangxi Province, where all tea is possible! Although the tea artisans in this province produce many styles of tea, Ming Mei is their trademark tea and the one for which they have no equal.
DRAGON WELL (LONGJING)
Region: Zhejiang Province, China
Manufacture: Pan-fired green tea
Style: Flat-leaf or bird’s beak budsets
Flavor: Soft, rich, toasty
Aroma: Nutty, full
Liquor: Straw tending toward amber, with a tea-oil sheen
Brewing: Brew two or three two-minute infusions at 170 to 180°F. Drink plain.
One of the Ten Famous Teas, Dragon Well is one of the most beloved teas in China. Longjing has a toasty, yeasty flavor with chestnut overtones. It is pan-fired in wood charcoal–stoked woks, and the artisans who create this tea are masters of their craft. “Competition-grade” Longjing is traditionally manufactured from tiny dark budsets that form to the shape of bird beaks. High-quality, First Grade Longjing is comprised of flattened budsets that have a distinct straw-yellow tinge to the budset. Both are distinctive and often come in sealed boxes with provenance.
CURLED DRAGON SILVER TIPS (PAN LONG YIN HAO)
Region: Zhejiang Province, China
Manufacture: Pan-fired green tea
Style: Spiral-leaf showing significant tip
Flavor: Vegetal, assertive
Aroma: Clean, earthy
Liquor: Pale straw
Brewing: Brew two or three two-minute infusions at 170 to 180°F. Drink plain.
Curled Dragon Silver Tips is a magnificent green tea. Fairly tightly crimped spirals show tip that unfurls to sizable leaf. One of the smoothest but most highly flavored pan-fired teas that you will encounter, this is only produced in limited quantities each year. Be sure to seek out the authentic version.
GREEN SNAIL SPRING (BI LO CHUN)
Region: Jiangsu Province, China
Manufacture: Hot-air-fired (sometimes wok-fired) green tea
Style: Bi Lo Chun–spiral-leaf
Flavor: Assertive, thirst-quenching, and astringent
Aroma: Deceptively soft and mild, fresh
Liquor: Clear golden
Brewing: Brew two or three minutes at 175 to 185°F (a second infusion is usually possible). Drink plain.
This is a brisk green tea made famous by the tea artisans of Jiangsu Province, north of Shanghai. Prepared from a beautiful pluck of tiny budsets, this tea demands careful brewing and will reward with a marvelous cup. Properly fired Bi Lo Chun will have a tiny “tail” at the end of its spiral that is unique to the subvariety used for this tea.
In some ways Bi Lo Chun–style teas are the “Darjeelings” of green tea: finicky, quirky, demanding, and ever-changing. The resulting brew is worth the little bit of extra attention needed.
GUNPOWDER (IMPERIAL PINHEAD)
Region: Zhejiang Province, China
Manufacture: Tumble-fired green tea
Style: Rolled-leaf, ball, or pellet
Flavor: Robust, sweet
Aroma: Fresh, slightly nutty
Liquor: Clear green tinged with olive
Brewing: Brew three or four minutes at 175 to 185°F (a second infusion is usually possible). Drink plain.
Gunpowder tea is one of the best known and most liked of all the standard green teas. It is among the easiest and most forgiving of green teas to brew. Simple to measure, Gunpower tea tolerates a range of water temperatures and is fun to watch brew. It is also the base tea used most commonly for the minted tea of Morocco. It was originally shaped into its pellet form for quality and keeping purposes, as it shipped more compactly and retained its fresh flavor better with so little surface area exposed.
SENCHA
Region: Japan
Manufacture: Steamed and oven-fired green tea
Style: Flat-leaf
Flavor: Robust, vegetal
Aroma: Fresh, slightly vegetal, “green”
Liquor: Deep artichoke tinged with olive
Brewing: Brew a short infusion at 160 to 170°F (can be brewed again with cooler water). Drink plain.
Sencha needs to be brewed carefully, with water that is not too hot; it can be a fussy tea. It has the wonderful “green” flavor so highly regarded in Japan. Usually consumed in small cups, sencha should be sipped and is a fantastic accompaniment to snacks or savory bites.
GYOKURO (JADE DEW)
Region: Japan
Manufacture: Steamed and oven-fired green tea
Style: Twisted-needle shape
Flavor: Robust, vegetal
Aroma: Fresh, kelpy, “green”
Liquor: Pale emerald
Brewing: Brew at a maximum 165°F (a second infusion is possible using even cooler water). Drink plain.
Gyokuro is the connoisseur’s Japanese green tea. Its rich and full flavor really stimulates the palate. Gyokuro is the green tea that is the most highly revered in Japan, for purity of flavor, depth of the “green” taste, and the robust breadth of flavor that is so uniquely Japanese. It is one of the few Japanese teas that is still plucked by hand.
Oolong Tea
ROYAL RED ROBE WU YI MOUNTAIN (DA HONG PAO)
Region: Min-Bei region (north of Min River), Fujian Province, China
Manufacture: Oolong tea (80 percent oxidation)
Style: Open-crep
ey leaf
Flavor: Deep, rich
Aroma: Fresh, clean “tea”
Liquor: Golden amber
Brewing: Brew three or perhaps four times at 180 to 190°F (slightly higher than normal oolong-brewing temperature). Drink plain.
Royal Red Robe is as oxidized as oolong ever is. It looks like a black tea, only the leaves are huge, much larger than 98 percent of the black tea on the market. Oolong teas are generally plucked from particular cultivars that are favorable to the oolong being processed. Royal Red Robe oolong is a perfect example of this phenomenon.
FORMOSA FANCY SILVERTIPS
Region: Taiwan, China
Manufacture: Oolong tea (50–60 percent oxidation)
Style: Open folded-leaf
Flavor: Sweet, fresh, “stone fruit”
Aroma: Pure, clean, “stone fruit”
Liquor: Clear golden
Brewing: Brew numerous short infusions at 160 to 180°F. Drink plain.
Traditional-style Formosa oolongs have the stone-fruit flavor and aroma that make for an excellent cup of sipping tea, and uncomplicated ones can be enjoyed with food, especially sweet or slightly savory snacks. Formosa Fancy oolong tea can be infused several times but not the numerous times that the Fujian ball-rolled style oolongs should be steeped. Serve in small cups with a light-colored, clear interior. Formosa Fancy oolong tea brews with an unbelievable aroma and clean taste.
WILD-GROWN TIEGUANYIN
Region: Min-Nan region (south of the Min River), Fujian Province, China
Manufacture: Oolong tea (60–70 percent oxidation)
Style: Folded-leaf or ball-rolled (with many stems)
Flavor: Deep, richly sweet
Aroma: Very fresh, “stone fruit”
Liquor: Golden amber
Brewing: Brew with water slightly hotter than for other Tieguanyins, from 175 to 185°F, thus the temperature may only be increased slightly for subsequent infusions. Drink plain.
This type of oolong is often referred to as “monkey-picked oolong.” Wild-grown, traditional-style Tieguanyin is grown on rugged slopes near Anxi. Tieguanyin should be brewed many times, each for a short time. The infusions will vary, initially being light and clear, then very rich and mouth-filling, finally returning to an aromatic, clear brew. The leaves will swell and open gradually until the full leaf is exposed, showing off the lovely crimson-tinged edges of the leaf. This demonstrates the expertise of the tea artisan. Top-grade Tieguanyins may infuse twelve to fifteen times.
TUNG TING
Region: Taiwan, China
Manufacture: Oolong tea (40–50 percent oxidation)
Style: Folded-leaf or ball-rolled (with few stems)
Flavor: Smooth, sweet, soft
Aroma: Clean, floral
Liquor: Golden-green
Brewing: Brew numerous short infusions at 170 to 180°F. Drink plain.
Tung Ting oolong is often referred to as one of the “Orchid Oolongs” or “Jade Oolongs” from Nantou county, Taiwan’s premiere oolong-growing region. Tung Ting oolong offers complex aromatics, lush mouth-feel, and varying flavors throughout the multiple infusions that it yields. Authentic Tung Ting oolong is made only in the high mountains, where it is known as “frozen peak” tea. It is one of the most highly regarded oolongs, demanding a premium price because of high demand worldwide.
Black Tea
ASSAM KAMA BLACK
Region: Assam Valley, India
Manufacture: Fully oxidized black tea
Style: Huge, crepey single-leaf pluck
Flavor: Smooth, biscuity, robustly malty
Aroma: Nutty, herbaceous
Liquor: Burnt sienna tinged with copper
Brewing: Brew two to four minutes at 180 to 190°F (super-large-leaf black tea can often be short-brewed twice). Drink plain or with milk and/or sweetener.
This is the style of tea that true Assamese tea lovers drink. Huge intact leaves expertly picked and processed show off the difficult art of oxidizing this size leaf. Search out ultra-large leaf teas such as this for their complex flavor. This leaf really shows how the term “the agony of the leaves” developed!
YUNNAN GOLDEN BUDS
Region: Yunnan Province, China
Manufacture: Fully oxidized black tea
Style: Full budset in an open spiral
Flavor: Smooth, rich, mouth-filling
Aroma: Clean, nutty
Liquor: Clear, deep golden
Brewing: Brew two or three minutes at 180 to 190°F (budset black tea can often be short-brewed twice). Drink plain.
This tea is manufactured from older tea bushes of varietals indigenous to the subtropical area where southwestern China meets Myanmar. These full, long, and elegant budsets could be made into green tea, but instead they yield this fantastic black tea with incredible depth of flavor and style with subtle nuance. Yunnan Golden Buds must be tasted at least once in a tea lover’s lifetime.
CEYLON NUWARA ELIYA
Region: Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
Manufacture: Fully oxidized black tea
Style: Orange Pekoe or Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe, generally in twist or crimped form
Flavor: Brisk, colory, with point
Aroma: Clean, bright
Liquor: Bright copper
Brewing: Brew three to five minutes at 185 to 200°F. Drink plain or with milk, sweetener, or lemon.
Nuwara Eliya gardens at a little altitude yield a large share of the finest Ceylon teas. Potentially lighter and brisker than their better-known cousins the Dimbulas, Nuwara Eliya teas are renown for their polish and finesse, accompanied by a brisk astringency. The best are made with a fairly large leaf, evenly graded into an open crimp or twist.
CEYLON DIMBULA (FANCY SILVERTIPS FOP)
Region: Central Highlands of Sri Lanka
Manufacture: Fully oxidized black tea
Style: Flowery Orange Pekoe and Orange Pekoe, generally wiry or needle, very neat
Flavor: Brisk, coppery, with point
Aroma: Clean, pungent
Liquor: Bright copper
Brewing: Brew three to five minutes at 185 to 200°F. Drink plain or with milk, sweetener, or lemon.
First-rate Dimbulas are known for their polish, finesse, and purity of character, assuring a brisk astringency. The best are evenly graded into a perfect, wiry, classic Flowery Orange Pekoe or Orange Pekoe manufactured tea style. Dimbulas drink well, showing classic black tea disposition. Our customers often remark that this tea tastes as they expect a proper tea should taste.
DARJEELING CASTLETON GARDEN (FTGFOP)
Region: Darjeeling, India
Manufacture: Fully oxidized black tea
Style: Fine Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe to Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe, more often referenced by flush (first/second/autumnal)
Flavor: Brisk, astringent, “muscatel”
Aroma: Pungent, crisp
Liquor: Pale to medium golden
Brewing: Brew three to five minutes at 180 to 195°F (or cooler); check first-flush teas at two minutes. Drink plain.
Darjeeling, the “Champagne of teas,” is unusual in its briskness and has a peculiar flavor described as “muscatel.” We recommend tasting a Darjeeling every twenty to thirty seconds following the first two minutes of infusion, as a Darjeeling may “bolt” all of a sudden, which contributes a distinct sharpness of flavor that isn’t always pleasant. The modern European preference for finishing a Darjeeling is more “green” than the traditional firing. The gardens vary tremendously in style, finishing technique, and base tea subvariety, even those adjacent on a hillside.
DARJEELING AUTUMNAL (TGFOP)
Region: Darjeeling, India
Manufacture: Fully oxidized black tea
Style: Autumnal flush is often Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe
Flavor: Soft “muscatel” with some colory depth
Aroma: Clean, herbaceous
Liquor: Medium golden
Brewing: Brew three to five min
utes at 180 to 195°F (or cooler); check at two minutes. Drink plain.
Autumnals are definitely worth looking for, as they generally offer a smoother cup behind the big Darjeeling flavor profile. Maturing through the frequently unforgiving first and second flushes, the autumnals have a lot more body and heft than the early year plucks. We find that autumnals often unite the best features of the complex Darjeeling palate with body similar to that of a Nepalese or Yunnan black tea. There is rarely any “green” in the firing of an autumnal.
KEEMUN (HAO YA A)
Region: Keemun (Qimen), Anhui Province, China
Manufacture: Fully oxidized black tea
Style: Wiry, very small, neat
Flavor: Brisk, full-bodied, “winey”
Aroma: Penetrating floral, but clean
Liquor: Golden-red tinged with copper
Brewing: Brew three to five minutes at 185 to 200°F. Drink plain or with milk and/or sweetener.