LUNAR NEW YEAR: MEET OUR TEAS FROM CHINA
GUNG HAY FAT CHOY
Lunar New Year, a time of tradition. Year of the Snake, a symbol of transformation. The new year celebrations and Chinese Zodiac both have thousands of years’ history—just like another of China’s cultural icons: tea (enter, Mighty Leaf). And so, in deference to this year of renewal and adaptability, join us in taking a closer look at our teas originating from China. From how the leaves change from first pick to drying to brewing to tea’s cultural longevity and its incredible variations.
CHINA’S MOST FAMOUS OOLONG
First up is Ti Kuan Yin, an oolong tea rooted in folklore (and the tea most traditionally enjoyed during Lunar New Year revelries). In the tale, a goddess of mercy visits a destitute farmer in a dream, telling him where to find treasure and instructing him to share his bounty with his neighbors. In his search, the farmer comes upon a small tea plant—he replants and cultivates it, giving cuttings to his neighbors. The tea plant flourishes, and the village begins to thrive again—even neighboring villagers come to receive cuttings of the tea plant. That same tea is the Ti Kuan Yin oolong we drink today.
Aromatic and warming—a great pick for winter—it’s deep yet delicate. Enjoy its heady, floral fragrance and complex notes of orchid, herbs, nuts, melon, and basil. The cloud-shaped leaves are expertly rolled in an 18-step process: tea leaves are plucked mature, set out to begin to wither, then put into a tight bindle which is placed between metal plates to be rolled and crushed over the course of a few days (intermittently set out on bamboo trays to oxidize). In the final stages, the leaves are roasted to achieve Ti Kuan Yin’s trademark toasted note. Oolong teas continue to develop over multiple infusions, the leaves unfurling more and more. A testament to the beauty in change over time.
AN ESTEEMED GREEN TEA
From the mountains near Hangzhou in coastal Zheijang province comes Longjing Dragonwell. Gentle and sweet, the aroma from the leaves is a subtly complex array of natural scents: fresh corn, green olive, and pistachio nuts. In the cup it’s luxuriant and satisfying, with lots of body and a lingering finish. To add more flavor (pun intended), this tea is also backed by myth: legend has it that a benevolent dragon resides in a local well and when seen, it is a sign of good fortune. Here, near the well, is where the Longjing name and style of tea first developed several centuries ago.
To this day, the leaves are hand-fired in a hot, steep-sided pan and pressed with a hot tool to form the sword shaped leaves. It’s constant-yet-careful motion, as this pan-firing method requires great care to match the temperatures with the size and tenderness of the leaves. It’s remarkably high quality, and the most renowned of all Chinese green teas. Give it a try and see what all the centuries-long hype is about.
GREEN IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE
The character of Mighty Leaf Organic Green Dragon—a green tea similar to Longjing Dragonwell—is simple and pure, capturing the essence of the ancient green tea cultivars long grown in Eastern China. When steeped in water that’s not too hot (175°–200°F, cooler than boiling), green teas develop their nuanced flavors while minimizing astringency, and each fragrant cup is filled with a delicate chestnut-like flavor, a captivating aroma, and a lovely yellow-green color.
Unlike loose leaf Dragonwell, this classic wok-fired Chinese green tea comes in stitched pouches. Look closely and you’ll see the leaves carry the flat leaf style iconic to the Hangzhou region (how iconic, you might ask? The process goes back at least 500 years) and is certified organic—a small but growing way of production, thanks to forward-looking producers and consumers.
UNCOMMON, BEAUTIFUL & RARE
Like treasures from the sea, Jasmine Downy Pearls—a unique green tea—is rolled by hand into beautiful little beads, one by one. They’re made from the tips of the tea plant, with the delicate first leaves of spring still covered with the soft fuzz of new growth. Look for the pale streak along the outside of each pearl: that’s the white of the youngest leaves.
In April, the green tea leaves are plucked and rolled into pearls, wrapped in silk mesh, and dried by a fire. They’re stored until August when the sweet, star-shaped jasmine opens. The dried pearls are laid out and covered in fresh flowers again and again, imbuing the tea with luxurious aroma. A quick steep is all it takes to infuse your cup with floral notes, and when it’s left to steep continuously, this green tea won’t turn bitter. In time, you’ll get to delight in seeing the pearls open like a summer garden in your teapot or mug.
JASMINE: IT’S IN THE BAG
Consider Organic Spring Jasmine your everyday jasmine green tea. Similar in flavor profile to the Downy Pearls above, but in a silken teabag for ease of brewing. This Chinese green tea is naturally scented by layers of jasmine blossoms, offering an intoxicating aroma and a piquant-yet-rounded cup. Jasmine flowers have been used for centuries in China to scent green tea, their delicate summer essence infusing grassy green tea with a poetry that bridges the change of seasons.
IT’S A TEA-FOR-ALL
One last thought to leave you with: all of these teas—the oolong and greens; the loose leaf and bagged—come from one plant: the Camellia sinensis shrub , which provides something for everyone with its incredible variety of flavor profiles. And like an ouroboros, this thought circles and brings us back to the Year of the Snake, reminding us of the possibilities of transformation. As tea leaves unfurling in a cup, we find a worthwhile lesson in patience and change—why not enjoy a few delicious cups on the way?