This was a gift from the incomparable Tammie from her recent trip to Taiwan. In Taipei there’s a well-known teahouse called Wistaria (紫藤廬) which I have been privileged to spend time in. Their tea is superb and they know it very well.
The tea house is situated inside an old Japanese mansion that dates back to the occupation of Taiwan by the Japanese. The inside (built in the 1920s and restored in 2008) is a beautiful mix of paper screens, dark wood, and tatami mats. This is all quite a contrast when you realize that they don’t actually serve Japanese tea!
The tea service at Wistaria is traditional Chinese Gong-fu Cha. I’ve written about Gongfucha before, but briefly it lies somewhere between a miniature ceremony and a means of preparing the best tea possible. Everything you need is provided: delicate Yixing teapot, scoop, tea pick, cloth, bowl, cups, pitcher, and other accompanying tools. If you don’t know how to prepare the tea, the kind staff is happy to guide you.
The tea they serve at Wistaria is, in my experience, top notch. They also serve food, and I remember it being delicious, but the tea so far outshone my other senses that it’s pretty much all I can remember. Metallic Wuyi cliff tea, cloud-like Bao Zhong greens, salty sweet Ali Shan oolong, and earthy Puer are all available for the discerning customer.
I was humbled to taste this wonderful gift so far from Taipei. It is a green oolong from Dong Ding (aka: Tung Ting, 凍頂) mountain in Nantou county, central-eastern Taiwan (I’ve actually been there too). I don’t know all the details about this particular Dong Ding, but here’s what their menu reads (translated by another friend, James):
Jiang-jia Tung-ting oolong
From the same tea plantation of “zhi-teng” (Purple Vine), an Autumn tea full of the flavor of this season, makes your mind wonder in the world of “Jiang-jia” — A spectacular scenery described in the Book of Songs. [The Book of Songs is one of the classics of Confucianism, full of great poems that are meant to be sung.]
And my experience? Wonderful.
The first cup had an enchanting aroma. I noticed candied sugar and the scent of sweet syrup. The liquor is golden-green and tastes of jasmine flowers and sweet cream. At the same time there’s a broth like quality to the tea. A bit of salt and vegetables that seems to appear in the mouth. The experience reminds me a lot of the Winter Sprout oolong I found at Song Tea in San Francisco, but maybe a little less intense.
The following infusions lost some of the sweetness and the salty broth character became more pronounced. By the fourth and fifth infusion there was only a hint of sweetness like a delicate layer of marzipan as it washed over my tongue. I increased the infusion time to about five minutes at that point and was rewarded with another few delicious cups before I put this tea to bed.
It was a delight to be taken back to Taiwan with one cup of tea and returned to my home in the next. This connection is one of my favorite things about the tea experience; it’s quite literally an adventure in every sip. Thanks again to Tammie for this opportunity and thanks to Wistaria for providing such a wonderful leaf. May your cups be filled with adventure too!