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“Well, this tea is especially exquisite, a first-place competition grade tea. Definitely one of, if not the finest green tea I’ve experienced. While I’m not too much of a green tea enthusiast, as my...” Read full tasting note
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Well, this tea is especially exquisite, a first-place competition grade tea. Definitely one of, if not the finest green tea I’ve experienced. While I’m not too much of a green tea enthusiast, as my tastes lay more in the realm of the broad boldness of Oolongs rather than the more piquant flavor of its less oxidized cousin, there’s nothing I don’t adore about this tea. A very full flavor, while remaining light – airy rather than watery, if you get what I’m saying. Not astringent, very mellow, and… well, I have little more to say. It’s one of those teas you don’t just enjoy, you completely embrace it, and it affects you with tea’s intoxication. Simply, Elegance (with the capital ‘E’) in a cup.
Bi Lou Chun was one of the first green teas I had. I think my second ever after Gunpowder. I remember being very fond of it. Next time I shop, I think I’ll get some of it again.
Oddly enough, I’m not too crazy about Chinese teas. Unless I’m dealing with the finer product, I tend to look more into the Japanese selection.
When I have gunpowder, I tend to make a houseblend Moroccan tea, rather than drink it straight. A real crowd-pleaser, though, when you have the equipment for it.
What is Moroccan tea? I’m assuming this is a preparation style and not a type of tea.
chrine just asked the same question I was going to!
I’m glad I’m not the only one wondering. I thought it might be common knowledge among serious tea drinkers.
It’s what most companies call “Moroccan Mint”, and it’s how they do tea in Morocco – Gunpowder, Mint, and a load of sugar (this is one of the few teas I’ll add sugar to. Period.). I’m not sure of the certain of mint they use there, but I usually use Adagio’s peppermint.
It’s brewed in a decorated metal teapot, like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/37543692@N06/3474760588/ and it’s served, oddly enough, in glasses. You kind of need to use a cloth while pouring, because the handle is metal, and conducts heat rather well… a small design flaw, but one they never seemed to care too much about fixing. There’s some ceremony involved, which I’m vaguely aware of I try to replicate.
The pot’s design makes it so you can get a clean pour from several feet up, which I think is supposed to cool the tea a bit, but it looks really cool and, in my experience, it really amazes guests. When I have older guests bring over new ones to tea time, they usually tell them about Moroccan tea…
If you ever go to a Moroccan restaurant, ask for tea and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Hope that helped :P
Thank JM! It turns out I do know what it is and have tried it in bagged form before. I just didn’t connect Moroccan tea with Moroccan Mint tea. I’m not a big mint fan in general so didn’t explore further.
Honestly, from comparisons I’ve made, Moroccan tastes much better when you blend the ingredients fresh rather than buy it pre-mixed. The “Moroccan Mint” products I’ve tried usually taste a bit stale, whether bagged or loose.
The sugar also is a bit of a important touch to the total package. It off-sets the bitterness of the gunpowder and then some – gotta use a lot of sugar. In that sense, it’s definitely not an everyday tea for most tea enthusiasts, but it’s nice for special occasions.
Is it just sugar that’s normally used, or can you substitute honey or cane juice or some other sweetener and get the same taste?
Ah… not much of an expert on this. Neither on the side of Moroccan tradition, or sweeteners. I think they use exclusively sugar, though I’ve never actually been there… Not sure if honey or cane juice would change the taste at all, because I’m generally a purist when it comes to tea, and the only teas I add any sweetener at all to are Matevana (teavana’s best tea, in my eyes), Moroccan, and Lupicia’s chocolate tea. And I usually only really use sugar for them.
Maybe when I go home for winter break in a few months, I’ll buy some various sweeteners, try the tea different ways, and record the results.