Wow—my first Dragon Pearls (with thanks to Nature’s Tea Leaf)!
Wouldn’t you just love to sit and watch how these little leafy gems
are rolled? They look like little pea-sized balls of yarn. Gorgeous! I couldn’t wait to see what unraveled.
For my first taste test, I stuck to the prescribed quantity and
temperature parameters (1 tsp/8 oz at 175), and I meant to stick to
the 1 minute steep time as advised. But the cup was so pale, and the
first sip reminded me of nothing but faintly tinted water, so I bucked protocol and bounced the balls back in for another 45 seconds.
And I’m glad I did. Now we’ve got a delicate cup o’leaf with a touch of gentle, grainy (taste, not texture) sweetness. Holds up nicely to a second steep as well.
I guess I just don’t have a delicate or dainty bone in my body; too
many years of drinking boorish black teas that bonk you over the
head…so my apologies if I steeped a little too long or too harshly.
But in doing so, I coaxed out a subtle and pleasant flavor that I
think would appeal to green tea beginners. (I still consider myself a novice.)
