To continue our week long 1st birthday celebration by highlighting some of my all-time favorite teas, today I give you China Wuyan Jasmine. China Wuyan Jasmine is produced in Jiangxi Province, which is fairly unique when it comes to Chinese tea. The makeup of the tea however isn’t necessarily all that unheard of: a simple combination of a Chun Mee base with a bouquet of Jasmine blossoms. Although I generally can’t have this much Jasmine, I make an exception for this tea. It’s not “Jasmine Pearls” (sorry if you’re a fan, it’s unlikely I’ll be reviewing that) so no compressed Jasmine explosion during brewing. Rather China Wuyan Jasmine offers almost the same amount of caffeine and fragrance of Jasmine Pearls in a more traditional form. I’ve always enjoyed Chun Mee (meaning “precious eyebrows” which refers to the shape and texture of the raw tea), too, though I’m not sure I necessarily have a favorite at this point. It’s just an all-around terrific Chinese Green.
The Jasmine aroma China Wuyan Jasmine emits is highly floral without being over the top the way some Jasmine teas tend to be. I’ve always wanted to drink this tea in U of M’s own Matthaei Botanical Gardens and see if the aroma complements being surrounded by exotic plants, since that’s what I’m often reminded of when I brew it. There is a goodly amount of caffeine to be found in China Wuyan Jasmine, and the texture of Chun Mee and Jasmine together makes for a lovely “thick” Green. Imagine your favorite Chinese restaurant’s Jasmine tea, and then imagine them brewing a slightly more refined batch just for you and you’ll have some idea what China Wuyan Jasmine tastes like. ;)
Apparently I’m not the only one who enjoys China Wuyan Jasmine as it’s still available locally at TeaHaus (I implore you to stop in for a cup the next time you’re tooling about Kerrytown!) as well as internationally through its genius creator, TeaGschwendner.
選別 parting.gifts 