telophase | Tea for yhlee

I sent

yhlee some sample teas from Adagio recently, and am posting teh names plus the site's description of them here, for her quick reference.

Lapsang Souchong:

Site: Black tea from the Fujian province of China. Lapsang Souchong tea (also called Russian Caravan tea) has a famously smoky aroma and flavor. To create this, tea leaves are dried in bamboo baskets over pine fires, achieving a perfect balance of smoke and tea flavor. Our 'Eroica Caravan' typically draws strong reactions: you'll either love it or hate it.

The Lapsang Souchong tea is often referred to as Russian Caravan. The name refers to the long, overland journey that tea would travel on from China to the markets in Moscow. Chests of tea would travel on camelback, often taking a year to complete the journey. Russian-bound tea was famous for the smell of the many campfires it would absorb along the way. And thus, the smoky tea varieties became associated with Russia, and often have Slavic or Russian monarchy names, like Czar Nikolai or Ekaterina.

Me: Mmmmmmmm! When I brew this, the ENTIRE PLACE smells like a wood-burning fireplace. I love it, YMMV, it's certainly an acquired taste. :) If the smoke is too strong, add a pinch or two to another variety of tea to give it a whiff.

Golden Monkey:

Site: Black tea from the Fujian province of China. Golden Monkey tea is hand-processed each spring with a careful plucking of only one leaf and one bud. It is among the finest Chinese black teas available today. The name comes from its unique appearance: the leaves resemble monkey claws. If you enjoy full-bodied teas with an abundance of flavor, we urge you to give this tea a try.

Golden Monkey tea hails from the Fujian province of China, one of its most prolific. This region accounts for one-fifth of China's total tea output. And the high quality of its teas keeps them in high demand. This region's exports of tea account for a quarter of the country's total. Fujian teas benefits from an excellent climate, combining mild temperatures, abundant rainfall and mountainous terrain. It has a long history of cultivating tea: over one-thousand years.

Me: Another favorite. Reminds me of Goku, of course. :)

English Breakfast:

Site: Black Keemun tea from the Anhui region of China. As its name implies, English Breakfast tea is an ideal accompaniment to a morning meal. Our exquisite version of this tea is made with the finest grade Keemun, prized for its rich smoky flavor, and sumptuous aroma. May be enjoyed plain or with a drop of milk. It remains one of our most popular varieties.

The English required a tea strong enough to wash down their beloved Fry-up, a typical morning fare of fried bacon, sausage, mushroom, eggs and tomato. The black teas of Keemun were found to be an ideal lubricant for all this cholesterol. English Breakfast was also instrumental in the Monty Python spam sketch (waitress: Well, there's egg and bacon; egg, sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg, bacon and spam...) that gave annoying and unsolicited emails their nickname.

Me: A standard! This sort of defines tea for me, and the ones I like tend not to stray too far from this base.

Mambo:

Site: Mambo originated from the fusion of Cuban and American Jazz. So it makes an ideal name for our unique mix of teas from the Yunnan and Wuyi regions of China. With smoky highlights and flavorfully rich body, our Mambo tea is guaranteed to rev up your engine each morning. And keep your feet tapping all day long.

The Mambo dance originated in Cuba, among its Haitian immigrants. The fusion of Swing and Cuban music produced this fascinating rhythm and in turn created a new sensational dance. The Mambo dance is attributed to Perez Prado who introduced it at La Tropicana night-club in Havana in 1943. It first appeared in the United States in New York's Park Plaza Ballroom - a favorite hangout of enthusiastic dancers from Harlem. The Mambo gained its excitement in 1947 at the Palladium and other renowned places such as The China Doll, Havana Madrid and Birdland.

Me: Haven't tried this one, but I was looking for music-themed teas to throw into the package for Yoon, and this sounded delicious. :)

Pu Erh Dante:

Site: Black tea from the Yunnan region of China. Pu Erh tea, perhaps the most esoteric of Chinese varieties, has a pronounced earthy aroma and taste. It is very popular in China due to its notoriety as a slimming diet tea. Recent studies seem to support this claim, but attribute this property to all teas. We suggest trying a sample before committing to larger quantities. The earthy taste is not subtle. Chances are, you'll either love it or hate it.

Pu Erh tea gets its name from a small town located in southern Yunnan. Tea had been cultivated in this part of China for about four thousand years. Its popularity owes much to the many trade routes that flowed through this region. With popularity came royal inquiry. And so, Pu Erh teas have been offered in tribute to many a generation of Chinese emperors. It is among the few teas that improves with age. Similar to wine, one may find very expensive Pu Erhs that are decades old. "Slimming" is one of the properties the locals attribute to it. Recent studies seem to show there is some validity to this reputation. This tea's unique fermentation process imparts it with some cholesterol-fighting powers.

Me: Well, i'm one of the ones that hated it, but threw it in as an option, because You Never Know. VERY earthy: it tastes a lot like dirt. :) (Strangely, the only scotch brands I like are the reeeeeally peaty ones; you'd think I'd like this. :D)

Fujian Baroque:

Site: Black tea from the Fujian region of China, better known for producing world-renowned green and white tea. Its general attributes are similar to the Golden Monkey but the leaf is finer and the aroma even more pronounced. The exquisite tapestry of naturally sweet cocoa notes, fruitiness and glimmers of spice are unmatched by any other tea. Softly sweet and velvety, it can be brewed light or strong; the taste will remain smooth without astringency.

Our Baroque tea hails from the Fujian province of China, one of its most prolific. This region accounts for one-fifth of China's total tea output. And the high quality of its teas keeps them in high demand. This region's exports of tea account for a quarter of the country's total. Fujian teas benefits from an excellent climate, combining mild temperatures, abundant rainfall and mountainous terrain. It has a long history of cultivating tea: over one-thousand years.

Me: My current favorite, and I am sad that my sampler is empty and I cannot buy more until I get most of the way through my other sample tins of tea. :D

Tea for yhlee

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