Still on a mission to find good jasmine tea, and as the sense of adventure obliges, yours truly found herself drooling over shelves after shelves of tea in the local Asian food market. Being heavily tea deprived for that day wasn’t really helping the matter either…and then a glint of golden yellow piqued the interest. Hence the reason I’m currently having a staring and brewing contest going on with an innocent tin and its content.
Most of my experiences with this tea come both from restaurants and cafés, and yet I can’t wrap my head around the odd phenomenon how many places can basically ruin just about any green tea here in the land of constant rain and darkness. Maybe light and green just doesn’t sit in our melancholic blues. Anyhow. This tea type isn’t, sadly, any exception in the unfortunate bunch, as in most places the outcome is something one really tries their hardest to swallow without grimacing. The tangy, offensive liquid claiming to be jasmine is an excellent way to test one’s adrenaline levels, but not as the first cup for the day (or better yet after having a very hard day). Thus, needless to say, the frustration has been quite tangible in the passing summer months, since I have been treated to very tasty jasmine that had been brewed well, so the question of it existing on this tiny planet had already been answered. I just have to find it, which brings us back to the current morning.
Disregarding the default steeping instructions that came along with the tin (since, honestly, boiling water and green tea is an equation I have already solved way too many times, ending with a sound and round NO), the morning starts with an entertaining performance presented by ‘Trial and Error’. I have been working on balancing the water temperature without a thermometer for the past years, and can proudly say that nowadays there’s much more success than fail in that sector. Not much to brag, but hey, small joys are sometimes the best ones.
The tin does have an impressive seal inside to keep (or at least offer an idea on somewhat of a guarantee) the tin airtight. Making it feel special already. The scent of the dry leaves is both sweet and fragrant, as well very heavy with the jasmine that curls around the nose and gives a gentle, teasing pinch. Getting a similar feeling as when sitting next to someone wearing a tad too much perfume/cologne, but not as suffocating, though. Nevertheless, at least it gave the needed confirmation that this tea indeed is what it claims to be.
The temperature of the water seemed to suit this shy specimen, as the tea doesn’t at first give any alarming taste or scent for the water having been too hot, which leaves me with quite nice mouthfeel. Subtle, a bit sweet, floral taste which does stay a bit thin also. May have had a bit too hot water still, as the aftertaste reveals now the sliver of bitterness which reminds me of the messed-up cups I’ve had before. Ah well. New try, new cup.
Not as tasty as I recall having drank somewhere sometime with someone, but it does make the early winter sun shine brighter.
