Pearl River Organic Green Tea

Information: Organic tea is produced without the input of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and herbicides. Unfortunately the yield per acre is lower and quite often quality can suffer compared to when fertilizers and others inputs are utilized. Nevertheless with good manufacturing techniques, the cup characteristics can be maintained at a very high level - such is the case with this tea. This tea is a top quality Green Tea (‘Pearl River’ signifies very important, master quality, cleanliness and good health). This superior quality Pearl River is exceptionally well graded with even curly leaf. Interestingly only the best leaves are able to achieve this particular curl and to sort these leaves from the rest of the leaf production the estate hand sorts! This literally means that the tea is spread out on a table and the leaves are picked out - one by one! The best tea is made during March and April when the tea bush re-emerges from its winter dormancy and expends all its ‘spring’ energy into growing the new shoots. The estate employs fine plucking techniques which is to say that only the top two leaves and the new bud is taken. Further, the plucking only takes place in the pre-dawn, when the leaf is covered with a misty dew which improves the taste and imparts a fullness to the tea character.

The quality of the water and it’s affects on tea are legendary. Lu Yu, the father of Chinese tea (Cha’CHing or Book of Tea written in 780 AD), stated that water was of utmost importance. On a trip on the Yangtze River as a guest of a dignitary, Lu Yu asked have tea made with water drawn from the center of the river which was the cleanest and tastiest. After taking a sip Lu Yu said in disgust that the water was from the river bank. The man responsible denied this, upon which Lu Yu retasted the tea and declared that perhaps the man was correct but the water was inferior. The man then acknowledged that after he had drawn the water from the center of the river, some had spilled on the return trip to shore and the jar was topped up with water from midstream. Just before the dignitary had the man put to death for such great embarrassment, the man declared “Master Lu. you are clearly immortal”

Hot tea brewing method:  Can be used repeatedly - about 3 times. Use water about 180’F or 80’C. Place 1 teaspoon of tea in your cup, let the tea steep for about 1-3 minutes.- do not remove the leaves from the cup. Once the water level is low - add more water, and so on and so on - until the flavor of the tea is exhausted. Look at the pattern of the leaves in the brew, not only do they foretell your fortune but you can see the shoots presenting themselves, not unlike a peacock’s tail feathers fanning out.

Alternatively as with all top quality teas, scoop 2-4 teaspoons of tea into the teapot, pour in boiling water that has been freshly drawn (previously boiled water has lost most of its oxygen and therefore tends to be flat tasting), steep for 2-4 minutes (to taste), stir (the leaves will sink), pour into your cup but do not add milk or sugar since green tea is enjoyed ‘straight-up’.

Iced tea brewing method:  (to make 1 liter/quart) : Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.]