Jin Xuan Taiwan Organic Oolong Tea

Jin Xuan is a cultivar of Camellia sinensis which is widespread on the island of Taiwan and is often identified as TRES#12. Since the name of this tea is so general, it is necessary to explain a detail about these leaves and, to do so, we must talk about the harvest. This Jin Xuan was harvested in March, which is before the rainy season. This has enabled it to retain a distinctive vegetal flavour that few Taiwanese teas can boast of, as harvesting these teas takes longer for the plant to develop sufficiently large leaves. Thanks to the climatic conditions in which the plantation from which this product originates has developed, one can clearly feel that the plant has already managed to impart all its wealth of minerals and nutrients to the leaf, which, through processing, gives us a bright yellow infusion.

In the cup, as mentioned earlier, a vegetal note reminiscent of morning grass and a slightly floral tone will immediately appear. This tea then shows a very rounded body and is extremely pleasant to drink, during which one can also occasionally detect a slightly tropical sweetness similar to that of a slightly unripe mango.

Place of origin

Nantou, Taiwan

Production

After harvesting, the leaves wither in the sun for a few hours before resting on bamboo trays under cover. From here, oxidation is initiated by a manual massage of the leaf by the master producer. Due to the low oxidation of this tea (about 10%), it takes only a short time for the tea to pass to the next stage where the leaves pass through a charcoal heated kiln to stop the enzymatic activity and fix the characteristics of the product. After this stage in the oven, the leaf is given its final shape by rolling it up by hand so that its aromas can be better preserved. The product is ready for consumption once it has completed its drying process, which allows it to keep its rolled shape.

How to prepare

We highly recommend infusing this tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation it is possible to use 5.5 grams of leaves (about 3 teaspoons) in a gaiwan of about 100 ml (3 fl oz) in order to obtain more infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 90°C, an initial infusion of 20 seconds can be made, after which, keeping the water at the same temperature, the time can be increased each time by 10 seconds compared to the previous infusion (20 – 30 – 40 …).

This tea has a longevity of about 6 infusions.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style we recommend 2 grams of leaves (approx. 1 teaspoon) in a 150 ml cup with water at 90°C for an infusion time of one and a half minutes.

If you want to try experimenting with infusions with this tea with different amounts of leaves, try to think of the appropriate amount to allow the leaf to expand freely into the liquid without being

compressed or hindered in this. By doing so, you will make the most of this product without hindering the extraction of flavour substances.

The tea can be filtered for easier tasting and also the above brewing times are purely indicative so can be adjusted according to personal taste.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.