Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

Posts Tagged ‘Tea Garden’

“Tuo Cha” means block of tea. Tea blocks are compressed tea made from the leaves of wild trees, not cultivated tea bushes. The leaves are harvested and steamed into shaped molds. There is usually an indentation in the mold to prevent the tea from sticking. Thus, you will see most tea cakes have a bowl-shaped dent in the middle. It is a bit of a novelty to have a small cake of pressed tea, often called a” mini tou cha” such as the sample from Chicago Tea Garden. You will also see a small indentation in the mini tou chas. The Chrysanthemum Pu-Erh Tuocha is a “cooked” variety of pu-erh, a fermented tea that is processed further than the raw form that is aged naturally.

If interested in he health benefits of this tea, medical experiments in France showed that with regular consumption of pu-erh, blood lipids (cholesterol levels) were lowered by 13% (3 cups/day in one month). Other benefits include: cuts fat consumption, as an aid in digestion and lymphatic secretions, invigorates the spleen and dispels toxins.

The pu-erh tuo cha sample is typical of a single 4 gram serving for a 150 ml Gaiwan or traditional Xishing tea pot. I used boiling water and poured off the first infusion to rehydrate the leaves. The second steep was 15 seconds. The liquor was a red-brown colour and smelled as pu-erh does, a bit musty and bit like damp earth. You are not going to examine much of the leaf because its quite chopped. You can try about 4-5 steeping from this tea provided you pour off quickly.

The mini tuo cha will have a chrysanthemum flower tucked into the bottom, so look for this flower as the tea opens up. Chrysanthemum gives a distinctive floral flavour. Any floral scent will tend to get a bit lost in the cooked pu-erh because the earthy smells can overpower the florals. Still, you can taste a light fruitiness to the tea. The chrysanthemum while quite small does the job to provide some sweetness on the aftertaste. I didn’t agree with the description that there is a nutty and smokey flavour as my sample lacked these flavours.

The Chrysanthenmum Pu-erh Tuo Cha is not a very deep tea as some pu-erhs are. It is fermented, yes, but light enough to enjoy as a beginner pu-erh tea for someone new to its flavours. It also makes a light refreshment with a meal or on its own as it is smooth. This tea is not as full in the mouth as an older pu-erh, but it is easy to prepare, can’t be over-steeped and holds up to multiple steepings.

You can purchase the Chrysanthemum Pu-erh Tuocha directly from the Chicago Tea Garden website.

I was extremely curious to try Wild Orange Pu-erh, when I saw the photo of dried tea leaves stuffed in an orange on the Chicago Tea Garden website. The vendor generously sells samples for $3 (including shipping); so I could not resist a purchase. And, I was surprised when I opened the sample package to see a tea leaf stuffed miniature orange, similar to the photo. According to the vendor, the tea-oranges were obtained in China and then aged in U.S. pu-erh caves for over 5 years. As expected, the orange peel was showing its age with a withered, dried look. If you are looking for a novelty gift for the tea-lover in your life, this is definitely one option.

As I measured out the tea, unlike some lower quality pu-erhs, no fishy flavors were noted. Following the vendor’s detailed instructions (which were printed on handy cards), I steeped the tea briefly for 30 seconds and added a piece of dried orange peel. I was surprised by the resulting brew, which was not a brown liquor typically seen for pu-erhs; instead, the tea brews to a pale orange color. The flavor has a very slight earthy flavor but certainly not as potent as a typical pu’erh. The taste can be described as smooth, light, and mellow. The subtle citrus note in the background is not tart and is surprisingly sweet, so this tea does not require sugar to balance any tartness from the citrus. Although this tea is mild, it can hold up to multiple infusions. To bring out the earthy pu’erh flavors, I experimented with longer steeping times (up to 4 minutes). The resulting brew was more typical of standard pu’erhs but then the lightness of the orange flavor was not as noticeable.

As this is a light and fragrant brew, I highly recommend this tea for pu-erh beginners. Also, why not check out Chicago Tea Garden’s website? With $3 samples, it is affordable to sample their other offerings.

You can purchase the Wild Orange Pu-erh directly from the Chicago Tea Garden website.

Product Description: Orange Blossom is a blend of oolong teas from Taiwan, Sri Lanka and India. This loose leaf tea is combined with jasmine petals, fruit peel and natural flavors giving it a light, airy character with delicate orange flavor. This is an excellent beverage with morning toast and marmalade. The aroma will leave others wondering what’s in your cup, so make enough to share. Orange Blossom oolong tea also makes a refreshing and exotic iced tea.

Recently I was introduced to Imperial Tea Garden Teas. I LOVE trying teas from companies I have never tried from before. One of the teas I tried this week was their Orange Blossom Oolong. The dry leaves reminded me of a home that has recently been cleaned with Orange Glo and Lemon Pledge… I could smell the fresh, clean orange smell but also a little woodsy as well! Post infusion the aroma is more of an orange and a blossom. The scent is very ‘pretty’, pleasant, and uplifting!

As for taste this is a fairly full-bodied Oolong! It has some kick to it! There is more of a blossom than an orange taste but it seems to all even out at the end. I must say I am a fan of the Imperial Tea Garden teas I have tried so far and will be reviewing more of them very soon… so stay tuned!

You can purchase the Orange Blossom Oolong Tea directly from the Imperial Tea Garden website.