Product Overview
Organic Jasmine Gold Dragon
Loose - Organic - Green Tea
CUP CHARACTERISTICS:Exquisite, abundant Jasmine character on a seasonal green tea. This Jasmine flavor is only possible with midnight May flowers.
INGREDIENTS:Green tea*, Jasmine petals.*
*Organic Certified Organic by Pro-Cert Organic Systems (Organic Equivalency with COR, NOP, EU, JAS)
INGREDIENTS FROM:China
REGION(S):Jiangxi Province
GROWING ALTITUDE(S):1500 - 4900 feet above sea level
GRADE(S):Special Jasmine Gold Dragon
MANUFACTURE TYPE(S):Non fermented, Traditional process, Small batch crafted
ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL:Very High
CAFFEINE LEVEL:Low
KOSHER:Yes
VEGETARIAN:Yes
VEGAN:Yes
ARTISANAL NOTES:Small batch blended and packed in Canada .
INFUSION:Tending bright emerald green
INFORMATION:
Organic tea is produced without the input of chemical fertilizers or pesticides and herbicides. Unfortunately the yield per acre is lower and quite often quality can suffer compared to when fertilizers and others inputs are utilized. Nevertheless with good manufacturing techniques the cup characteristics can be maintained at a very high level - such is the case with this tea.
This tea is a particularly good jasmine - hence the moniker Gold Dragon, (gold means wealth, prosperity, money and dragon means long life and strength). The jasmine tree comes into bloom only during May and June. The blossom only lasts for about 12 hours and only comes out at night after the sun goes down. About half way through the night the fragrance is at its peak and it is at this time the blossoms need to be picked and layer into the tea. By the morning most of the fragrance has disappeared from the blossom, but if the tea maker has done his job correctly, this heavenly scent has been transferred to the tea and captured in time. This process is carried out on 5 successive evenings to impart the superior flavor of specially selected tea and jasmine flowers. In China during the Sung Dynasty (960 to 1127) tea drinking rose to an art form. The harvesting of tea became closely regulated. Drum and cymbal signals were used to coordinate the tea pluckers during chilly dark pre-dawn hours.
The tea pickers (always young virgins) received special training and even wore identification labels on the clothing so that tea thieves could be readily identified if they entered the estates. The girls were required to keep fingernails at a precise length, since nails, never the finger, were used to pluck the highest quality tealeaves. The fresh picked leaves were graded into classes and processed. The choice grade was delivered as tribute tea for the Emperor, while the rest was traded and sold by the regional government. A handful of tea of the choicest grade could be worth as much as 3 ounces of gold - virtually a lifetime of earnings for the common man.
STEEPING TIME
| TEA CUP | 8oz (237ml) | 10oz (296ml) | 12oz (355ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMOUNT | 1 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 1 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 1.5 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" |
| MILD | 1-2 min | 1-2 min | 1-2 min |
| MEDIUM | 2-3min | 2-3 min | 2-3 min |
| STRONG | 3-5 min | 3-5 min | 3-5 min |
We recommend 4 min
| TEA POT | 18oz (532ml) | 36oz (1064ml) | 48oz (1419ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMOUNT | 2 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 4 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 6 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" |
| MILD | 1-2 min | 1-2 min | 1-2 min |
| MEDIUM | 2-3 min | 2-3 min | 2-3 min |
| STRONG | 3-5 min | 3-5 min | 3-5 min |
We recommend 4 min.
SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS:
MILK NO, SUGAR NO, LEMON NO, MINT NO.
IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE:85C/185F. For Food Safety reasons bring water to 100C/212F and let it cool down to 85C/185F.
HOT TEA BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher):(To Make 1 Liter/Quart):
Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!
ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):
Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)
FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY:We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today's water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.
RECOMMENDATION:We recommend the use of our 1 Cup of Perfect Tea measuring spoon for best results. Please contact Blue Monkey Tea to place an order.
ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT:For a greater antioxidant benefit brew longer and use more tea.
