I am so blessed to have friends who remember my tea hobby during their travel. Recently I was given a beautiful tin packet of 竹叶青 (direct character translation: Bamboo Leaves Green), an organic green tea from China's Emie Mountain in Sichuan . The unique tea was named by a high ranking official (as many other Chinese teas) who paralleled the beautiful shape, light greenish scent and color of the tea to those of fresh young bamboo leaves.
Each pale green leaf lays plumb as a ripe snap pea pod. Upon opening the individual tea packet, the fragrance waded towards me with a refreshing bamboo leaf's aroma. And what a delight to see the leaves swelling, drifting, swimming and gently diving down to the glass bottom. The first sip met all my anticipation of a good tea: a light mouth feel along with a pleasant, soothing taste. After enjoying the first steep, I felt as if I was sitting on a mountain clearing surrounded by nature's beauty.
Afterwards, I chanced to read the tea company's press release dd July 2011. It recorded a French winery host's comment after an invitation tea tasting : "I can taste nature in this tea."
(note for readers: click on the google tool bar for web links' translation)
