May 23, 2023
by Cynthia Fazekas
Ah, the sweetness of the cool weather tea leaf! This year, harvest season has brought slightly cooler spring weather to most regions. For tea lovers, this bodes well. Cooler temps slow the growth of the leaves, giving them time to develop more flavor and thus more complexity. However, this can also mean a more delicate cup that requires a little more focus to bring out the more subtle nuances.
An example of this is the near perfection is in Yu Qian Anji Bai Cha 2023 harvest. While, always a wonder in flavor and complexity, this year’s is even more lingering on the palate and every sip contains new nuances if studied with quiet observation. If you are looking for a meditative tea to soften the din of the world, this is an excellent choice. To get the most, you may wish to use a little more leaf that you normally would, perhaps increasing by a half gram or so depending on your palate or brewing vessel.
Another approach for bringing out more flavor in delicate teas, would be to brew ‘grandpa-style’ by using a tall heat-proof glass or a glass travel tumbler (like Adagio’s moderniTEA), adding the leaves loose in the glass, and then pouring water heated to the optimal temperature for the tea type, and just letting the leaves steep, eventually settling to the bottom of the vessel. You would then sip carefully from the glass, letting the tea grow stronger as it sits, and adding more hot water to replenish. This method is also good for getting the most of your leaves (polyphenols and all) and for observing the changing flavor of the infusion with each sip and replenishment. Due to its smoothness and natural sweetness, the Yu Qian Anji Bai Cha is well-suited to this brewing style. Happy sips!
