Wild Purple Chrysanthemum flower tea

I was one of the lucky requesters to get a sample of this tea from JK Tea Shop’s offer — I’d never had chrysanthemum tea before, but I was intrigued by the concept.

The scent of the dry leaves was…odd. Definitely floral, but not floral the way any other tea I’ve ever had has been. Heavier somehow. I put eight flowers and a small shake of loose petals into a pot, and steeping it was the same scent even stronger. The color was a pale virulent green which wouldn’t be amiss at a mad scientists’ cocktail party!

So I sipped cautiously, and it’s amazing! It tastes just like it smells, and while I still have no idea what that taste is, I can now tell that it’s juicy and extraordinarily sweet. It’s not cloying, but it’s just this side of it — I can’t imagine putting more sweetener in! And it leaves behind a plainer, less confusing aftertaste that’s just sweet and sweet and sweet. I had to go make a second cup right away after finishing the first! (Second cup came out just like the first; I’m not tasting any change at all for the second steeping.)

The flowers were a lot smaller and paler than I expected: I think I was picturing something like an American Black-Eyed Susan flower in a dark purple, but these were about half that size and nearly white. So I have a lot more left than I expected! This is a very generously-sized sample packet.

Flowers steeping in the pot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cait_tea/4523798781/in/set-72157623664718933/

Steep Information:
Amount: I put 10, because that’s what came when I took a tsp
Water: filtered, boiling, 16 oz
Tool: in my ceramic Tea Forte solstice teapot
Steep Time: a little over 1 minute
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: floral, very vegetal like walking in a muddy flower field
Steeped Tea Smell: floral, vegetal
Flavor: odd, different, smooth, vegetal, it’s not bitter but there is this almost bitter like taste I can’t describe, it makes my mouth
Body: Light
Aftertaste: that funky fuzzy tingly feeling
Liquor: translucent light green

I was sent for free Purple Chrysamthemum Wild Flower Tea thanks to an offer posted on Steepster

JK Tea Shop Website

I paid $1.70 shipping

The tea arrived Tuesday April 13 in waterproof shipping bag. Inside the bag was a well bubble wrapped package of tea.

Inside the bubble wrap was a silver foiled resealable pouch.

Inside the pouch, gorgeous whole flower heads!

1 minute was too short, I couldn’t taste much. So I left them in for a bit while working on another tasting note, next thing you know it was at 8 minutes! I think that may have been a bit long, but it still taste very similar to the tins and plastic bottles of Chrysamthemum tea I have gotten in Asian grocery stores.

I am sorry that my descriptive skills and vocabulary are not up to the task – if you’ve had Chrysamthemum tea before, this is it. I had it this time unsweetened, but I think that I enjoy it more sweetened.

Post-Steep Additives: none

Resteep: not sure how long, but just the same as the first!

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/jk-tea-shop-loose-leaf-herbal-tea.html

I tried brewing these at just a minute this time, and I think I prefer it when it is brewed for a longer period of time.

This is a very light brew, it has virtually no color. The flavor is pollen-esque with honey tones (this honey flavor is further emphasized with the addition of a drop of honey) It is floral and vegetative although the vegetative nature reminds me a bit of straw or hay. I haven’t ever eaten straw or hay, but, this is what I would imagine it to taste like, anyways.

It is a very unique taste – not a bad one, just different. And… different IS good.

I was another lucky recipient of a sample of this, though it has taken me until now to taste it. Sigh.

The flowers are so pretty! Small, with big yellow centers. Some of the flowers are pretty much only the centers as the petals have disconnected from them. The scent, as Cait said is odd. It’s extremely pungent and a little disturbing. Pollen, mixed with… salted wax? Sap-filled plastic? Fortunately it smooths out quite a bit after steeping and becomes much more green and plant like, almost bready.

It steeps to a light yellow/green, not too far removed from clear. The flavor is gentle, floral and sweet with a hint of chlorophylly bitterness. It suggests nectar and pollen, and something a tiny bit like cauliflower. I suppose the nectar and pollen part aren’t surprising given that it is made of flowers.

I also think this may be a taste you either love right away or you gradually acquire. It may be that I am in the acquiring stage, or I may not be able to get past the smell of the dry flowers.

Though I’m not sure this is for me, I appreciate getting the chance to try it. Thanks, JK Tea Shop.

I’m drinking flowers! This is fairly good…sweet-floral, on the light side. Feminine, I suppose.

Backlogging from this morning.

My blend attempt at breakfast was an utter failure so I decided to try this instead. The liquor was quite a bright green which I was rather surprised at and as I waited for it to cool a bit I caught an aroma of asparagus coming from the cup.

Intrigued, I took a sip…yep asparagus. Lightly grilled or pan-seared asparagus. It would go great with some terriyaki-marinated chicken, rice, and grilled veggies (tomato, bell pepper and zucchini) I think. Not a good morning tea but the more I sipped the more it grew on me.

I found this wild purple chrysanthemum all by accident. Last year, I went to visit one of my tea friends in Zhejiang, and visited his tea shop and found this flower tea.
Unlike many other commo chrysanthemum flower tea, this chrysanthemum is wild-growing in the mountains behind his parents’ house. Also, unlike many other common chrysanthemum, they will attract the insects to eat them; this wild growing one volatilizes the aroma that keeps insects away.
Super delicate/exquisite natural flower aroma; No matter how many times you blew, the delicate aroma still exisits.