CAM (Cleveland Asia Market)

Not a huge fan of jasmine teas I find the flavoring so strong that you miss out on the tea, but the visual effect of this tea is quite nice.

I was kind of shocked at how expensive a small amount of this worked out to be. I think I got just a little over a few ounces and it was $9. So much for an inexpensive trial. I guess when you are filling bags of bulk tea yourself, it is a good idea to check the weight on the scale they provide to avoid sticker shock at the checkout.

This one smells so sweet dry. I am not an avid drinker of this type of tea, and I do think I prefer jasmine in blends rather than mostly on its own. However, this tea is sweet enough to stand up all by itself with no additions. It was really pleasant and soothing.

Jumbo mug (16 oz), 2 teaspoons, water just before boiling (can’t wait for that variable kettle!), 3 minutes.

So I took a little adventure yesterday to seek out our local Asian market. I have to say it is the largest one I have ever seen. When we lived near Chicago, there was one I used to go to in the suburbs, and it was not nearly this big. I guess you could say I was curious, and I knew I could find a few of the Korean packaged noodles my college roomies introduced me to. I found the noodles (Neoguri and Chapagetti), and checked out the the bulk tea, and the packaged tea (I am sure I looked like I was lost!). In bulk, I bought this organic Keemun, a tin of Keemun for cold brewing (it was $3.69 for half a pound in a tin!), some Dragon Pearl Jasmine bulk, and Wild Mountain Green bulk. They did also have some packaged Russian teas, and a large selection of packaged tea. Most of the tea was in bags which kind of surprised me.

This tea is a fine basic Keemun. I am not sure I will buy it again as it seems kind of pricey for what it is. Good body, slightly smokey, and very smooth. (Knowing that it cost roughly the same per ounce as Golden Snail gives me pause, though.) I need to try a pot of the Keemun from the tin to see how it compares. I guess being organic is a plus. The leaves do look slightly longer than the Keemun in the tin, and I do see a little more dust in the tin, so they are probably different grades.

24 oz pot, 4 actual tsp tea, freshly boiled water, 3 minutes.