dragon phoenix pearl jasmine white tea

type: green

origin: china

region: fujian uji

ingredients: jasmine white tea

caffeine: light

price level: $$$$

The finest jasmine tea hand-rolled into pearl-sized spheres brews an incomparable infusion that will delight even the most fervent jasmine lovers. Incredible fragrance. This tea is grown near the border of Fujian and Jiangxi provinces, where the mountainous landscape is often shrouded by fog. Dragon Phoenix Pearl Jasmine gets its name from the visual characteristics of the tea bushes, which climb the hillsides like a dragon rising from water. Furthermore, the tea pickers give the appearance of dancing phoenixes next to the dragon's long and slender body. The white tea is plucked in April and May and stored until August when the finest jasmine blossoms are in bloom. Night-blooming white jasmine flowers are picked in the morning while the tiny petals are tightly closed and set aside until nightfall. The petals begin to pop open in the cool night air, which is the signal for the scenting to begin. Once open, the "marrying" of the jasmine and the tea takes place in several applications-each taking up to four hours-after which the jasmine petals are removed. Each leaf and bud set are then skillfully hand-rolled into a tiny pearl-sized ball. Once rolled, the tea is then wrapped in silk mesh and dried by fire to set the form. During infusion, the hot water causes the tiny pearls to open like flowers and sink slowly to the bottom of the cup. We recommend placing 18 to 20 of these tiny pearls in a clear glass cup to watch their graceful unfurling, a process also known as "the agony of the leaves". The superbly sweet and floral aroma, the delicate flavor, and the unique leaf shape all make the Dragon Phoenix Pearl Jasmine an exceptional experience.