Tian Tai Shan Yun Wu

The discovery of a tea you never met is always very exciting. This year, in China, I found a green tea from Tian Tai Mountain in Zhejiang province. Tian Tai Shan is known for chan buddhism, and wild landscapes. The Yun Wu produced there is quite particular mostly because of it’s taste and smell.

I’m trying to make good enough pictures to show this tea’s unusual color which is a silvery green.

The small buds are very regular and the one or two leaves thin and tender. I’m going to brew this fresh green tea (3April 2012) in a white zhong (gaiwan). To make it really nice, first pour a little amount of hot water (about 90°C) in the empty cup, and throw it away. Then, put the tea leaves and pour water (never directly on the leaves: they are fragile and sensible), just enough to cover them. It’s now time to have a smell. Tian Tai Yun Wu has a very particular smell: a little something that reminds of leather. Quite surprising for a green tea. It’s a deep and invigorating perfume. Put the rest of the water in the cup, allowing the leaves to roll on themselves. Like other fresh early spring green teas, don’t cover it with the lid, use it only to push the leaves away. It can also be brewed in a glass.

The liquor is bright and shinny. The taste is quite close to the smell, very rich and complex. It’s absolutely unique, like every chinese tea. And I think the taste is definitely something difficult to describe because of it’s complexity. Tea is not just an intellectual approach.

What a beautiful discovery. I hope you can see how lovely it is on the pictures. Maybe one day we will be able to show smell and taste on the web!

Fresh green teas need time and care because of their very delicate flavors. You can brew the same leaves about 2 or 3 times, and get the best of them. And they really can boost your energy. Indeed, they are rich in vitamins, and all sorts of healthy things. In China, specialists consider that fresh green teas have a very powerful action on the human body. And it’s true, I can tell you that actually, if I wasn’t drinking such teas, I would be absolutely down. Hopefully, tea’s always on my side.