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Fall Colors 2020 Tea Notes

by Lydia Kung

Pumpkins are displayed front and center at my local supermarkets along with potted chrysanthemum, welcome signs of fall. Here is a “Royal” mum that can be steeped to launch the season.

This will not be a regular inventory item, but I was won over by this visually stunning iteration of a modest herbal tea, and have brought in a small quantity. The more familiar mum to most of us is pale ivory in color and is a flat disc shape. The latter type is sometimes named Hangzhou chrysanthemum for the city’s connection.

Our new bright yellow version showing distinct tiny petals comes from WuYuan in Jiangxi, where the earliest organic tea gardens were developed. Where the Hangzhou white mum brews a cup with a hint of “green” in the finish, the Royal mum is more deeply flavored. One blossom is enough for a small to medium pot, and even the very first sip is bold. The distinctive spice and sweetness of chrysanthemum are forthright, yet the cup color remains a beguiling celadon green. Iced chrysanthemum “tea” is popular at juice bars and street stalls.

Note how intact the steeped flower remains.

This Royal mum is a bit of whimsical luxe to celebrate the season, even as we face one quite different from autumns past.

 

A Closer Look at ShouMei White

Shou is the word for longevity, and Mei is the same eyebrow term we know from Chunmei Green tea. This White is not usually the first one that comes to mind for this category.

I had cupped some newly arrived ShouMei earlier in the day before seeing the pumpkin display, and recalled how autumnal the ShouMei White tea leaves looked. But White teas are not associated with autumn; we start sourcing for samples in spring.

Tea colors and tea names are for the most part intertwined. Green teas are easy: most dry leaves are green-ish, although some are so dark that they are almost charcoal. Oolong, or Black Dragon, makes sense when one sees a Shui Hsien’s long, dark twisted leaves. The dry leaves of Black teas are indeed nearly black, and the amber brews explain why the Chinese name is red tea.

So what are we to make of White teas (Bai Cha, literally white tea)?

Silver Needles being a White tea makes perfect sense. However, judging by color could lead one astray, as illustrated by my being offered Jasmine Pearls at a tea chain store when I asked for a White tea.

Shown at right: ShouMei on the left; Silver Needles White upper right, and White Peony/Mudan lower right.

Kit Chow describes Bai Mudan (White Peony) as resembling “clusters of small round flowers surrounded by gray-green leaves.” There is of course no scenting here; the term “peony” is a fanciful reference to the image he presents, one that I myself have never been able to see from the dry leaves.

Above: leaves for White Mudan/Peony show a fairly uniform pluck.

It is when we come upon ShouMei that explaining it as a White tea becomes a little vexing, especially to a novice. A sparse few strands of silver tips aside, how might we reconcile its tan- dark brown appearance with its designation as a White tea? There’s a disconnect here at first glance.

Above: White tea garden, Fuding (Fujian); “Big White” cultivar.

Tea leaves withering outdoors

Both types undergo sun withering (see left) and indoor withering (see right), followed by drying at low temperatures. ShouMei requires a longer drying time because of its larger leaves.

Tea leaves withering indoors

Our ShouMei is, quite properly, from Fuding, Fujian. Outdoor and indoor withering total about 72 hours, after which mechanical drying begins. From the color of the cup, a natural question is one about oxidation. There is no de-enzyming step in making White teas, and some slight degree of oxidation that occurs is a natural process, especially if hot air is introduced under the withering trays indoors. 

In Oolong processing, the control of oxidation is one of two key steps, the other being roasting (in most instances). For White teas, controlled natural and mechanical drying comprise the processing. ShouMei and GongMei, another White, yield orange rather than golden cups due to scant oxidation as the drying proceeds.

All these features make ShouMei a surprising and welcome change from the usual iced tea. There is excellent value here, along with a good story about the colors of various White teas and how such truly minimal handling results in such a range of tastes.

New Teas Will Be Arriving in the Coming Weeks

Every autumn we see higher ocean freight rates from Asia to the U.S. east and west coast ports. This year is no exception. Shipping lines reduced capacity earlier this year and some have not been able to adjust quickly as demand increases. In years past, shipping goods for the holiday season allowed high rates. This year there is also the concern about possible escalating trade conflict and reduced available routes. We have a couple of shipments in queues to board.

On a happier note, cooler temperatures in autumn mean more aromatic Oolongs. Due to drier conditions, lower moisture in the soil and air, tea leaves are lower in moisture and retain more of the components that yield aroma.

Gai wan

I have often mentioned the bloom or dynamic to be experienced when brewing certain teas in the gongfu style. Most Oolongs and Puers are good candidates for this brewing method. There are a few tightly rolled early spring Green teas along with some Black teas that also produce varying flavors from one infusion to the next. Plenty of tea with very little water and very abbreviated brew times build to a crescendo. The first cup hints at what is to come. The second affirms that, and the third usually delivers the core taste clearly with a distinctive finish. And so on to the fourth and fifth, when gradually and finally, we sense a softening in strength.

The gaiwan shown at left has the added convenience of a fitted strainer.

Ruby Black

September is an important month for tea production in Taiwan. Ruby Black, sometimes known as Sun Moon Lake Black, is one of the more prominent teas. Sun Moon Lake is probably among the top 3 sights for any visitor to the island. The largest lake in Taiwan, its association with teas is akin to West Lake’s tie to Dragonwell.

This photo was from a visit a few years ago, on a cloudy day — not great for a photo but good for teas in the vicinity.

The trade name is hong yu or “red jade,” and the name was formalized in 1999. The cultivar itself is Taicha No. 18, and was a hybrid established in the early 1950s from a Burmese large-leaf varietal and a Taiwan native wild plant (B-627). In September 1999 Nantou county was struck by a severe earthquake, and the epicenter was close to Yuchi Township and the tea area. Recovery was concentrated on revitalizing two local agricultural products, Black tea and shiitake mushrooms.

Typical of Taiwan Black teas, the leaves are mostly long and robust. The cup has a gentle spice note of honeyed cinnamon, and the finish verges on umami.

Another tea from Taiwan

L ightly oxidized Oolongs can sometimes be too mild in flavor. The vagaries of weather when the leaves are plucked and processed mean there are inevitable variations in how full the taste will be, full even for a delicate tea.

Jade Oolong may not have the cachet of a high mountain Taiwan tea, but its flavor means good value. Another strong example of fine teas from Nantou, the Chinese name is “Jadeite” (Cui Yu) Oolong. This reference to the highest quality of translucent jade is tied to its very brief oxidation, a mere 15%. Slight oxidation allows the fresh green features in the leaf to come forth. There is only drying but no roasting, resulting in a friendly, floral cup without any astringency or grassiness.

 

As September winds down, it means the close of another season for one tea category, as jasmine scenting ends.

Last week we received a new Jasmine Sweet Dew (Green) that was scented 5 times. The tea base is pretty and of high plucking grade to begin with, and the dry tea shows plenty of feathery silver strands from a single pluck Green. The scenting is the best I have tasted this year.  A trial quantity is en route.  Note how almost no petals remain.

Finally, an early Autumnal tea from Nepal, our Organic Himalayan Tippy Black has arrived. I dare not count the phone calls our producer had to make to book the flight. Always a nice treat as cool weather comes.

 

Best wishes for a productive fall season!

September 22, 2020