Jun 20
Troy’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "Nutty, Milky, if only they could get some Honey in there we'd have the makings of a great breakfast cereal."
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Milk Oolong, sweet milky nectar of the dark Asian gods of lactose intolerance, silky dictator of the teacup. Milk Oolong, the, er, very nondescript label. In my assorted poking around I've found that "Milk Oolong" can refer to an assortment of creamy teas, some natural, some not so much. What's worse, due to the high demand for "all natural" products the word Milk Oolong has become riddled with Milk Flavoured Oolongs, which are a perfectly wonderful product in their own right.I can't say, for sure, the origins or particular style of this tea, which is about the same situation with many Milk Oolongs. I poked around the You, Me, & Tea website, but couldn't find much other than the claim that its a "Premium Oolong with sweet milk and light orchid notes". What I want to know is, who sits around eating orchids for comparison purposes? I can honestly say I've never eaten an orchid as far as I know. Its kind of like wine, some wines are always described as having "undercurrents of Black Currant", but again I've never had a Black Currant that I know of, and considering how long they were banned in the US, I'd wager most Wine tasters in the US hadn't either.
I actually had to have this tea several times over an extended period in order to get a real feel for it. It falls sort of middle-of-the-road flavour wise. Its not a strong Oolong with a creamy finish, or a silky, milky cream with an Oolong tint, its nutty, rich, and creamy. It bears the full flavour of an Oolong, with a strong sweet-cream accent. It reminds me a bit of tea with just a dollop of honey and condensed milk. From what my taste buds can work out they don't source this from the same places as the other Milk Oolongs I've had, its definitely something different.
These little crunchy wads of leaf hold their flavour well, and I was able to steep this tea three times before it began to loose its flavor, which is a plus for such an indulgence. I'd also add that for such a well defined Oolong its still very competitively priced, and not likely to break the bank, unless you have a pathetically frail bank.
— To purchase You, Me & Tea Quangzhou Milk Oolong, 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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June 20th, 2009 at 11:00 am
When this shows up in Twitter, the ampersand in the title causes the tweet to post thus:
Troy just rated You, Me
June 20th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
I did not know that blackcurrant farming was banned in the U.S. for so long. Thanks for that tidbit. I always kind of wondered why they’re so popular in Canada and impossible to find south of the border.
The more you knowww…
June 21st, 2009 at 12:09 am
@Steven: Yes I have rated you, badly I’m afraid…. Kidding
@Katie: Yeah, it was banned as per Wikipedia:
“Blackcurrants were once popular in the United States as well, but became extremely rare in the 20th century after currant farming was banned in the early 1900s when blackcurrants, as a vector of white pine blister rust, were considered a threat to the U.S. logging industry.”
So most people in the US haven’t had many, if any.. They just haven’t been available as they don’t ship well, and we couldn’t grow them. Its now legal again, but only in some areas, and its taking a while to get the industry ramped up.