I role-play and joke about being a pie junkie in the game.  In real life, I don't even like sweets that much, LOL.  I am in fact a fine Chinese tea aficionado.  And you NEVER drink tea like this with sugar or any sweeteners in them (blasphemy!).

Anyway, I just got a bug in me to think back over my 2007 tea consuming highlights.  I thought I would share these fond memories.


SHI FENG LONG JING CHA

(Lion Peak Dragon Well Tea)
I managed to get 25grams of this (a little less than an ounce).  It was a fine drinking experience!

      
Above:  Weng Shang Yi, Tea Master

Description:
“The most famous green tea in China is Long Jing (Dragon Well) which grows in the hills around the West Lake area of Hangzhou. In fact, Long Jing has over a hundred year history as a Tribute Tea previously only served for emperors and high officials. While Long Jing is very popular, Shi Feng Long Jing is considered the highest quality and the original home of Long Jing. It requires great skill to hand fry the tea buds and fresh leaves to create Long Jing’s unique flat shape. At Seven Cups, we are privileged to be the first foreign company to offer Shi Feng Long Jing directly from famous tea master Weng Shang Yi who has been hand making only this Tribute Tea for over sixty years. We hope that you will enjoy the full-bodied flavor of this remarkable tea. Appreciate the light yellow green tea color and unique fresh fragrance that gently develops over many infusions. A truly remarkable tea... Location: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province Tea Bush: Original Long Jing Tea Master: Weng Shang Yi Harvest Time: end of March Picking Standard: 1 bud to 2 leaves”

HOUSHAN HUANGYA CHA

(Yellow Tea from Anhui Province)
I acquired 2 ounces of this earlier in the year.  It was excellent!

Description:
We are pleased to continue offering a true yellow tea for the third year in a row. Yellow tea was more common many years ago but lost popularity to the more famous styles of green tea which are easier to make. The way it is processed allows for more steeps than a green tea. Once picked, 60% is dried and kept overnight. Half of the remaining tea is dried, and then the final 20%. The leaf oxidizes slightly during this process. Our support of Mr. Dai and his family helps to keep this tradition alive.

BAI HAO YINZHEN CHA

(Silver Needle White Tea)
I still have some of this left.  It is sweet and very light.  A true delight!  It is a 2007 harvest and very fresh tasting.

Description: 

“Our certified organic Silver Needle is the highest grade of white tea made entirely of white tea buds picked in spring and rich in nutrition. It has a very fresh floral aroma and slightly sweet taste. While the flavor is mild, it has a depth that will leave you enjoying the many nuances of this fine tea. While green tea is the most popular tea in China many of the world's best-known tea experts consider high grade white tea to be even finer that green tea.”

I also tried a Baimudan Yinzhen Cha (White Peony Tea) earlier in the year.  I did not like it as much, but discovered it made delicious iced-tea when I added some Starbucks peppermint syrup to it.

ZANG ZHUAN CHA

(Tibetian Brick-Shape Tea)
This is a holiday gift to myself.  I discovered Puerh type teas.  They were difficult to find locally.  I scoured Atlanta's Chinatown area for a couple hours looking for some low-grade beencha (aged, compressed tea cakes).  It is a very different tea experience.  This Zhuan Cha is en-route (I have not received it yet).

“The word "Zang" is actually a short form for "Xi Zang", which means Tibet. Black tea brick has a long history in Tibetan culture and is an indispensable part of their diet. Drinking tea brick is known to help Tibetans keep their body warm, aid digestion, cleanse the body of accumulated lactic acid, rejuvenate inner strength and increase stamina. A Tibetan can fall sick in a matter of days without it. Our Zang Zhuan Cha is compressed using tea leaves that have been aged for at least two years.”