So – my two roommates are Chinese, and this past Chinese New Year both of them went and stayed with their families for a few weeks instead of being at the apartment.
When they came back, one of them had received two tea jars of loose leaf tea as a New Year’s gift – a jasmine green tea and a very tippy black tea. They had been sent over directly from China, from a family member who owns a tea garden. Because my roommate, Jennifer, knows I’m very interested in tea she VERY kindly offered to brew both teas up for us to share over dinner. It was a really sweet gesture.
I asked her how she best thought they should be prepared, and she said we should brew them in large mugs without infusers – so basically Grandpa style, though that’s not what she called it. So, that’s what we did!
I’m not really a huge fan of jasmine green tea – but I did enjoy this one. It was very sweet, and quite fresh tasting. This jasmine tea in particular hadn’t had the flowers sorted out of the tea leaf, so visually it was quite strikingly beautiful in the cup. Even if this wasn’t inheritance the type of tea I usually go for, I deeply appreciate the gesture of sharing it and am able to acknowledge that it was beautifully fresh, smooth and really well scented.
Thanks Jennifer!