Description: A full, whole leaf base with a rich taste of Smyrna figs
Ingredients: Taiwanese Oolong tea, Cornflower, Poppy Flower, Natural flavor
Brewing Instructions: 1.25 tsp 85°C/185°F 4-7 min
(from TeaLeafs: Fig Formosa)
Steph's Thoughts:
This is one of the teas that I picked up while on holiday in Buffalo, NY last September.
I'd read about the tea online, and sort of wanted to try it. Oolong usually isn't my thing, but this one sounded, and looked, so delectable. (I love blue. It's blue. It's tea. It's yummy. WIN!)
Before I talk about the tea, I want to talk about my experience in TeaLeafs. This is the one place I'd made sure that we went while we were there. Upon arriving at the store, I was greeted by the owner, Syd. When I said that we'd made the trip from Manitoba, she remembered the email I'd sent to her, inquiring whether tea was sold by the ounce or gram. (Ounce, because... well, imperial measurements) She's a very friendly lady, and encouraged us to smell the teas along the tea wall. She's got little jars of tea, labelled and organized so that you can smell them for yourself, rather than having to ask someone to take them down for you. Once we'd selected our teas, she measured and labeled them. We had a wonderful conversation, and she encouraged us to come back any time. I would HAPPILY fly back to Buffalo and spend lots of time in this shop! If you ever find yourself in the Buffalo area with a few hours to kill, drive over to Williamsville (a suburb just northeast of Buffalo) and spend some time with Syd. It's more than worth your while.
Anyway, back to the tea.
Like I said, I'd read about this tea online, and was a little hesitant, as I'm not a terribly huge oolong fan. When I smelled it, I instantly fell in love. It has a bit of a perfume-y smell, but it's not... bad or overwhelming. It's a little flowery, actually. It's sweet and fruity, without being fake. I fell even deeper in love with this tea when I had my first sip. It's light, and requires absolutely no sweetener. The taste of the figs comes through nicely, as does a slightly sweet floral flavour. It's not gross like some floral flavours can be. I tend to let it steep a little longer than it says, because this is one tea that I like strong. It brews a beautiful caramel colour.
It has become my go-to favourite, although I am hoarding it a little because it's not readily available. I do have a supplier, though, should I need more. My friend Bryan, who lives in Buffalo, is more than willing to make the trek to TeaLeafs to pick up a package, and ship it over.
Verdict: It's so far in the win category, it's out of this universe. Go get some. Right now. You will thank me.
No comments:
Post a Comment