Dec 09
Lynn’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "It looked a bit like a sea urchin when fully open and revealed a cluster of orangey red flowers and an arch over them made of white jasmine and a golden yellow flower. It had a nice autumn look, just right for the season. "
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I get a kick out of blooming teas. Maybe it's my very active inner child coming out to play, but it's really fun watching that unprepossessing little green ball slowly unfold to reveal the flower arrangement hidden inside. Whether or not the tea actually tastes good is secondary, but it's nice if it does.Grand Tea's Heart of Love is made of AAA Grade, 2009 spring-harvested, Fujian green tea leaves stitched with cotton thread and formed into a heart-shaped ball strongly scented with jasmine. The inner arrangement is made of jasmine, lily, and Trollius Chinensis blossoms.
Following directions, I placed it in a tall glass, added about two cups of 190F water, and let it stand, timing it to see how long it took to open. It floated for a minute or two as the short, pointy green tea leaves slowly began to open. It looked a bit like a sea urchin when fully open and revealed a cluster of orangey red flowers and an arch over them made of white jasmine and a golden yellow flower. It had a nice autumn look, just right for the season.
The whole process took about five minutes, which is longer than the three minute infusion time listed. The liquor was a medium golden green with a strong, almost overwhelming jasmine fragrance. Despite the long infusion, the flavor was negligible, tasting more of flowers than tea. But it was pretty! I poured that tea off to drink and added more hot water to preserve the flowers. The longer it steeped, the better the flowers looked, but the flavor of the second infusion was no better.
I sampled another of their blooming teas, and the taste and aroma were quite different from this one. I liked the sweeter taste of the other one better, but prefer the fragrance of this one. The bottom line, however, is that this is a presentation tea, a blossoming tea, and it's meant as much, if not more, for the eye than the palate. I'm rating it on that basis, and it's not bad.
— To purchase Grand Tea Heart of Love, 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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