Friday, May 30, 2008
Posted by Miss Neddy at 10:32 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Wulong

The latest batch of Dongfang Meiren (东方美人  Beauty of the East) from the teahouse is nothing to shout about, in terms of looks. The name Beauty of the East is a popular one for teas, especially wulongs, in Taiwan. This particular beauty is the house tea of the teahouse I frequent. Usually it is a middling to strongly “fried” tea, meaning it has a more robust and earthy aroma and taste than most Taiwanese wulongs. However, like most Taiwanese wulongs, the tea leaves still bear a verdant coloration, with only a tinge of brown.

Unfortunately, due to the unfavourable weather, the latest batch of Dongfang leaves were somewhat lacking in fragrance and sweetness. The tea master who processes the leaves had to fry the leaves for longer to bring out the accustomed level of taste and aroma. Alas, this was to the detriment of the colour. The current Dongfang looks a little like it’s been left on the shelf a mite too long, even though it has just arrived.

Nonetheless, it is still an excellent tea. I salute it as I would a soldier who has returned from battle slightly maimed; he may have lost his looks, but retains his integrity. This beauty may not be as green as her predecessors, and the colour of her tea a little too dark for light wulong, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder; many of the teahouse regulars still flock to experience her charms.

And what are her charms? The fragrance of Dongfang is slightly earthy, a little musky and quite flowery. The first cup may seem bitter, almost medicinal; but by the third cup, the palette is entirely flush with sweetness, and the fragrance permeates the nose inside and out. Even when steeped till bland, the Dongfang is refreshing, and its coloration does not fade easily. I can easily sit down with one pot of Dongfang and drink for hours, as the taste fades to almost nothing but still imparts something elusive to the tongue. What lingers on the palette after the umpteenth steeping is not really tea, but the seductive hint of tea.

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