Saturday 10 May 2008

White Monkey

This is a tea that the Pretty Lady bought for me a little while back. It's green tea from Fujian province in China, not white tea, the name notwithstanding. White tea is a stage more oxidised than green tea, and White Monkey has just been dried, not oxidised. It comes in fluffy long tea leaves, a little like the crispy "seaweed" served at Chinese restaurants in the West, or like bamboo shavings.

White Monkey
Green tea
China (Fujian province)
Pale yellow, slightly cloudy

Preparation:
2 big pinches of the fluffy tea. I usually pinch up less than I think. Second steeping is best.
Nose: Vegetal, slightly salty, a little musty, very faint.
Tasting: Sweet salty, hints of broccoli, green vegetables. Bitter at the dregs.
When to drink: Like Silver Needle, best for rehydrating after exercise.

Not much action in the cup unfortunately, unlike the rolled teas that expand. I usually use a largish pinch, because as usual, I don't like using a teapot. The tea comes from mountainsides in Fujian province, and is so named because it is picked as 2 leaves and a bud, which supposedly resembles a monkey's paw.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi, will get you a small, 2-pax porcelain teapot to go with it. Enhances the aroma. Water should be around 85 - 90 deg C for such a delicate tea. Wonderful with bak kut teh or roast pork.