I purchased this in Los Angeles’ Chinatown, at a shopping center called Wing Hop Fung. It was $80 a pound, and I got a few ounces. Though I was a bit off-put by the flavor of the sample in the store, as it had been sitting out for who knows how long, I decided to buy it anyway – This was my first chance to buy Yellow tea.
Very glad I made the decision to buy it. I brewed it fresh in a tea set from the same store (wonderful, complete glass set for an amazingly low price,) and I was very pleased. Though I can’t truly compare this to any other teas of the genre, I can tell there was definite quality to this tea.
There were definitely tastes of both Green and White tea. It had that distinct, natural taste of White tea – the one you need to get used to, and that puts most people of White tea from the start – as well as what I’d relate to the buttery finish of Lung Jing Green. Mild, and not a hint of bitterness. For the moment, I prefer Yellow tea to White.
A side note – Out of curiosity (and slight hunger) I decided to try eating the leaves afterward. I’ve tried this with other teas, but this is by far the most pleasant leaf I’ve tried. It’s Silver Needle, so the leaves are very soft and tender, though a bit tasteless; but on the same note, not bitter. I’m chewing through the leaves as I write this…
Hope that’s not toxic at all.
