This is a scrumptious, organic anji bai cha. This tea is picked in the Spring. My purchase was made a year ago, and the tea has been stored since then in small portions in the freezer or refrigerator. So, even though it is a year old, it is still quite good. It is so tender and delicious that I always eat the steeped leaves afterwards as I would any nutritious cooked vegetable.
The initial steep or two are not my favorite; sometimes I toss them out. This is a “hong qing lu cha” (green tea baked to dry) and perhaps it is that process which creates the effect that the first couple of steeps are not as luscious as the following ones. I like the nutty tones of the flavor. Compared to another famously nutty flat-baked Spring green tea, ‘long jing’ aka ‘lung ching’ aka ‘dragonwell,’ anji bai cha is a less fussy steeper with similar aroma and flavor profile but lighter and jucier. Given a choice between the two, I would usually pick the anji bai cha. I also enjoy the citrus notes, simultaneously tangy and creamy, and the great throat-moistening qualities of the tea. The high levels of l-theanine, a calming amino acid, give it positive marks in the health category. I steeped 5 grams of leaf in a 3-ounce glass pot for a total of 8 steeps. That’s over 20 ounces of tea. Sometimes I steep a larger pot and ice it … so thirst-quenching.
Read the full review with slide show here:
http://www.examiner.com/review/review-organic-anji-bai-cha-from-ok-best-beauty
Preparation
People who liked this
Comments
It’s interesting to see that frozen green teas actually retain their flavor well. Also, the iced version sounds really good, especially since I just finished some yard work, and a haven’t quite finished re-hydrating.
Joshua, frozen dry teas, in my experience, do stay amazingly fresh, compared to those left at room temp. Mine are double-sealed in the freezer. That is, they are in tiny sealed ziploc bags or tightly folded foil packets, which are then placed inside a larger, tightly sealed container. Extra care against absorbing odors from other things in the freezer and fridge is necessary for good results. The teas which are worth this extra care are white tea silver buds, fine early spring greens, and very green oolongs (which lose their floral notes very quickly unless vacuum-packed, frozen, or both). Where these teas can be purchased vacuum-packed in small quantities and the user intends to consume them slowly, the extra cost is a good investment. My finest vacuum-packed teas go in the refrigerator, as well.
It’s interesting to see that frozen green teas actually retain their flavor well. Also, the iced version sounds really good, especially since I just finished some yard work, and a haven’t quite finished re-hydrating.
Joshua, frozen dry teas, in my experience, do stay amazingly fresh, compared to those left at room temp. Mine are double-sealed in the freezer. That is, they are in tiny sealed ziploc bags or tightly folded foil packets, which are then placed inside a larger, tightly sealed container. Extra care against absorbing odors from other things in the freezer and fridge is necessary for good results. The teas which are worth this extra care are white tea silver buds, fine early spring greens, and very green oolongs (which lose their floral notes very quickly unless vacuum-packed, frozen, or both). Where these teas can be purchased vacuum-packed in small quantities and the user intends to consume them slowly, the extra cost is a good investment. My finest vacuum-packed teas go in the refrigerator, as well.