Friday, December 07, 2007
Posted by Miss Neddy at 03:20 PM | Comments (7) | Permalink
Categories: Tea Gao Shan

This is a Taiwanese tea, and can be grown in a number of high mountains in Taiwan, such as Alishan 阿里山, Li Shan 梨山 (Pear Mountain) or Yu Shan 玉山 (Jade Mountain). The tea bushes are grown at altitudes higher than 1000 feet above sea level, which makes for very sweet, fragrant and light teas. Even though the tea leaves can come from many different plantations and mountains, there is a very distinctive flavour of Gaoshan which makes it immediately recognizable. There may be a nectar-like fragrance to the tea, and the colour is a pale golden yellow; the dominant taste is reminiscent to me of clear spring water, or the sweetness that suffuses the mouth after drinking ginseng tea. As a wulong tea, Gaoshan can be mistaken for a green, as the leaves are very green, akin to dark jade or fresh olive leaves. It is usually very lightly roasted and fermented, and the tea cleanses one’s palette most pleasantly.

Gao shan is good to drink on its own, or after a spicy or oily meal, as it is rich both in taste and fragrance, and able to aid in digestion. Because of its digestive effect though, it is best to only drink this tea on a full stomach, or at least avoid it when one is hungry. Steeped thickly, with lots of leaves and hot water, the rich golden tea helps with indigestion or bloatedness due to too much oily food; steeped lightly, with moderately hot water (just below boiling), it is a good complement for a long read, or conversation among friends.

More on this tea, one of my favourites, in future entries.

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