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“I can find very little about this being a tea and only a little as being a rare plant. ‘Glutinous rice fragrance tea Polished glutinous rice fragrance tea is made by mixing wild Semnostachya...” Read full tasting note
“My first sip reminded me on :“mushrooms” :) the same mushroom soup gourmet note kept on all other infusions. Tea is nevertheless quite drinkable…really interesting and unusual. Personally it’s OK...” Read full tasting note
Semnostachya menglaensis Tsui (Acanthaceae) is a rare plant indigenous to Mengla in the tropical rainforest of the Xishuangbanna prefecture in the south of Yunnan province, People’s Republic of China. When the leaves are crushed, a characteristic smell of basmati rice or pandan leaves develops.
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I can find very little about this being a tea and only a little as being a rare plant.
‘Glutinous rice fragrance tea
Polished glutinous rice fragrance tea is made by mixing wild Semnostachya menglaensis H. P. Tsui into Yunnan large-leaf tea. Its tea water is red and transparent, and it tastes sweet and mellow. It also has the effects of clearing heat and removing toxicity, etc.’
This was an import I did from Yunnan as part of 50 samples of various flavoured pu erh. The first thing that hit me when I was brewing was the smell. I knew nothing about it when brewing but the smell made me search for it to see exactly what it contains. It’s true that this tea does smell like basmati rice, or some sort of unsweetened popcorn. It’s not unpleasant nor pleasant just very unusual.
It is also indeed a very dark red despite the 30second steeping time (after the initial pre rinse ritual). Also a note that this tea is ripe and also grade A. (I do have this same combination in raw but I have not yet tried it).
My love for pu erh has grown and grown so this tea has truly stimulated my senses and I am shivering with delight. It’s just so unusual…. will it stand up to my expectations?
So far yes it does. This tea is very strong tasting but still light and pleasant. It still tastes like pu erh but similar to the smell there is this ricey tone in the background. You can definitely tell that this is ripe, it smells earthy and thick but still stays mellow. A great example for those trying to tell the difference between ripe and raw. I still have no preference between ripe and raw.
I have roughly two or three cups worth of this left. My mind is blown… all I can think is WOW.
My first sip reminded me on :“mushrooms” :)
the same mushroom soup gourmet note kept on all other infusions.
Tea is nevertheless quite drinkable…really interesting and unusual.
Personally it’s OK to try it as sampler, I would hardly use it as everyday-office tea.
Flavors: Mushrooms
