Sipdown (136)!
Thank you Scheherazade for the sample! I’ve been practically drooling over this tea since LP posted it; it just seemed so damn appealing even though it’s been a while since I’ve had jackfruit. The combination of the fruit and base is brilliant, though! So when I saw the sample in your swap package this was single handily the tea I was most excited to try. The only reason it wasn’t the first one I tried was because I really wanted to make sure I gave it proper attention.
So, I steeped this Western style. Ultimately I felt like I was going to need to make a choice whether or not to put emphasis on the base or the fruit, and I think Western was the right choice to really get a good impression of the fruit. Had I wanted to showcase the base, I likely would have drank this one Gong Fu – and I’d still like to try that just to see the difference.
It’s been a while since I’ve had jackfruit, but as I was steeping this and after the infusion was done I definitely felt like I was getting a really good aroma of jackfruit. It was very tropical and sweet! Jackfruit has always fascinated me because it can be used as a meat substitute and as a vegetarian options are so valuable when it comes to eating. I’ve been holding on to a really interesting Jackfruit “Pulled Pork” recipe for a while and I’d love to have an excuse to try it!
So yeah; first initial flavour was the jackfruit! To me, jackfruit tastes a lot like pineapple. Same kind of sticky sweetness and that ‘tang’ and playful acidity that makes your tongue super sore if you eat too much of it. That was the top note to the whole cuppa; the rest being this very smooth, refreshing and light Pu with floralesque qualities and a subtle earthiness that complimented the tropical vibe of the jackfruit while still keeping it fairly grounded, if that makes sense. Hard for me to say whether this was “meaty” as I don’t eat meat and it’s always been a bit tougher for me to identify meat related flavour notes, but there was also a layer of flavour from the Pu that was kind of like what I’d call “meaty” but also not? Perhaps jackfruit, perhaps pu.
Anyway, I was still very happy with this tea! I think it’s perfectly fair to call it unique, and I think LP has touched on genius with the pairing. I’d very, very much like to get my hands on more of it to play with. Payday IS Friday…
Also; hoping the festival went really well for you LP!
