Reading the Tea Leaves

Or, more accurately, in my kitchen cabinet and in the refrigerator.

Three Green teas are in the refrigerator, stored in resealable foil bags.  There is a Special Grade Dragonwell Green that was a gift from a supplier with whom I had worked for many years; we still correspond from time to time and I stop by at his office whenever I am in Hangzhou.  The tea is from spring 2008, and refrigeration has maintained the tea’s quality and color.  The other Green is a Curled Dragon Silver Tip, so named for the curled leaves with fine downy hairs.  This has long been a personal favorite and is a well known Zhejiang tea.  I just realized the third Green is also from Zhejiang, but this is a more modest tea, a Green Maofeng, which I consider an everyday type of Green.  Fine leaves have a slight curl or twist, and what I like best about this one is its chestnuty finish.

Curled Dragon Silver Tip Green

There are two lightly oxidized Oolongs from Taiwan, a Pouchong and a Tung Ting.  I never tire of the natural floral notes of these teas.

Tung Ting

I alternate between two styles of Ti Kuan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy), the Light/Fragrant style and the traditional one that is a bit more fired.

Rounding out the Oolong category are a Single Trunk Oolong (Dan Cong), which I would name as a favorite if I had to pick just one.  This is a great after dinner tea, and my supply is running low. Dark and long straight leaves brew a cup bursting with what I describe as fresh lichee or tropical fruit flavor– to me, a really remarkable tea. There is a Rock Oolong, a Shui Hsien, which I like for its softer character.  I recall one tea manager’s claim that many people start out with a Ti Kuan Yin, but as they discover Shui Hsien, they stick with that for many years.  I had a Gardenia scented Oolong but that’s almost gone.  More of a novelty than the familiar Jasmine, the clean fragrance evokes the flowers I saw near Oolong gardens in Fujian.

A small amount of Japanese Kukicha remains.  This is not the brown twig tea but a bright, lovely yellow — the short stalks are almost vermicelli-like, brewing a round, full-flavored cup.

Panyang Congou, a Black tea from Fujian, is a more recent discovery, or re-acquaintance.  Not widely found in this country this is a tea that deserves a wider audience.  Bright fruit aromas for the nose follow through on the palate, and make for a friendly, easy cup to enjoy.  Other Black teas are a First Flush Namring Darjeeling, and I’ll have to wait until next spring when my stash runs out.  Then there is a blend I use when I have time to enjoy Milk Tea.  I use a Ceylon Broken Orange Pekoe for its fragrance, brisk and bright character; a bit of Assam for body, and some Second Flush Darjeeling (the garden matters less here) for added aroma.  In a hurry, I use PG Tips or Yorkshire teabags for my Milk Tea.  Left over from summer is a packet of China Orange Pekoe which I used for iced tea (with lemon).  This China Black has the advantage of not clouding.  I had a Lichee Black too for iced tea but that is now depleted.

There is a little pouch of a Silver Tip Ceylon that I am reluctant to finish.  This extravagantly pretty tea is for drinking straight, not for any blends.

Silver Tip Ceylon Black

My preferences are pretty clear.  Missing from my store of teas are Puer, White teas, Jasmine, and Flavored teas.  The one type of Puer I would seek out is a Green or “raw” Puer cake but the prices have skyrocketed.  I often ask for a Shou Mei White at a Chinese restaurant, and while I agree that the Silvery White Needles are one of the prettiest teas, their flavor is too mild for me.  I always offer Jasmine Silver Pearls when I have people over; the appearance is winning, but it’s not something I usually drink.  As for Flavored teas, tasting a new sample is always eye-opening and rewarding — seeing new combinations of fruits and flowers, sensing how “true” the (artificial) flavors are — but I am not particularly partial to these flavors since the tea part of these blends sometimes disappears altogether.  Again, I think these are teas that are great for parties because they are a visual treat; it’s hard to beat a Cranberry Black or a Cranberry Green tea at Thanksgiving.