 | "I like the whole mouth sensation of this tea and the bit of buzz as my first morning tea. It is sweet without additives and I have no reason to want to add anything to this tea."
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Were you told not to play with your food when you were a child? Most of us were. I often times think that one reason I love premium oolong teas are because they are so playful. And with teas like this Tiwanese Bao Zhong Oolong from Rishi Tea, taking the few extra steps to “play” with my tea adds to the enjoyment.
I start by examining the dry leaf – twisted and still remarkably green. There is a wide range of leaf sizes from large, whole leaf to dust. There is distinctively floral aroma.
I’m more careful to attend to the temperature of the water that I would be with black teas. Rishi suggests that 1 tablespoon per cup be brewed at 195°F for 3 minutes. But my playfulness kicks in. I double the quantity and cut the time of a first steeping to 1 minute. As you experience more loose-leaf teas, you will naturally want to bend the “rules” and recommendations of the tea companies and tea educators. You will find your own way.
This first quick steeping washes the leaves and begins a gradual restoration of the leaves. In one minute, the color is a light golden green. I pull some of the leaves from the pot to see the partially opened leaves. They are still firm and feel remarkably fresh. This first cup will have more caffeine; subsequent infusions should have less. But I like the whole mouth sensation of this tea and the bit of buzz as my first morning tea. It is sweet without additives and I have no reason to want to add anything to this tea. For someone new to tea who has not developed the taste, a tiny bit of honey might be nice.
The second steeping - same water temperature for the full three – four minutes. I still have more leaves in my teapot relative to the amount of water I’m adding but the liquor remains a lovely golden color. The flavor is a bit smoother and somewhat sweeter to my taste. It is in the second steeping that I appreciate the whole leaf and the choice made by the tea master in the garden to stop the oxidation of the fresh leaf. When I pull the wet leaves from the teapot and flatten them in the palm of my hand, I can observe the delicate pink on the edge of the larger leaves. Some of them are 1.5 inches. And there are also tiny leaves, barely 1/2”.
This is the time when tea becomes play. Spreading some of the leaves out now is when you can actually “read” the leaves. The twists of dry leaf open into different shapes. The bits and pieces of broken leaf cling to the sides of the cup and you can spot shapes much as you would look for recognizable symbols in clouds. At this point, I keep the remaining leaves from the second steeping in the teapot for the rest of the day. They dry out a bit but they are not finished yet. When I return in the evening, they will brew at least one more satisfying cup before I reach into the pot and remove huge handful of fully restored leaves and spread them out on a white plate. Playtime.
— To purchase Rishi Tea Bao Zhong, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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