Five Extraordinary Flavours from China

The Chinese tea tradition goes back thousands of years. At one point, merchants were selling more than 8,000 different types of tea. Today, China produces 18% of world tea exports including a green, black tea, oolong and white tea. All tea comes from the same plant but the production method for each type is different, with varying levels of oxidation involved. What’s more, the conditions in which the tea is grown shape the flavour and character – the altitude, rainfall, humidity and temperature all have a bearing. Experiencing diverse flavours and aromas remains the most  exciting part of the job for any Tea Taster.

This delicate blend comes from a mountainous area known as the ‘Golden Triangle’ which lies in the northern Jiangxi province. Our Tea Taster, Dominic, was delighted with the tea’s pure green colour, freshness and ‘well-structured character’, remarking that it had ‘an aroma almost like roast chestnuts’.

Renowned for its unusual long and pointed shape, the aptly named Silver Needle is a traditional white tea from Fujian province with a delicate character – lighter than green tea. Newly sprouted single buds are picked over a few days in early spring making this tea extremely precious. Freshly plucked buds are laid out to dry in the sun. Tea Taster, Saleh, described this tea as having ‘a subtle taste of honey texture and undeniably smooth.’