Your purchase will support Steepster.
“What a fun tea- so different from my previous experiences. The longest leaves were as long as my index finger and impressive upon first sight. I brewed about 8 leaves in about 10 oz of water at...” Read full tasting note
“One of our flights of tea this weekend, it wafts aromas of honey and sweet floral notes of violets, with a vegetal undertone of wet hay and steamed green beans. Unfortunately the taste isn’t as...” Read full tasting note
“I can’t get enough of this tea. It is vegetal, sweet, and not bitter at all. Sadly, I’m running out. I’ll have to buy some more. Just a side note: The tea tastes even better with the second...” Read full tasting note
“This tea was a little hard to measure because of the larger size leaves and this may have affected my brew. That said, I did enjoy this tea and did not find it to be overly vegetal – a trait I’m...” Read full tasting note
This special tea is made in the Yellow Mountains of Anhui Province, using a unique process that stretches the big leaves out. The dried leaves look very different than other tea leaves. They are big straight leaves with a vivid green color. Taiping is full of theanine (an amino acid), so it has more body than other green teas. Since the leaves are big and light, it is packed only a ½ an ounce per tin.
Since 1983 Harney & Sons has been the source for fine teas. We travel the globe to find the best teas and accept only the exceptional. We put our years of experience to work to bring you the best Single-Estate teas, and blends beyond compare.
What a fun tea- so different from my previous experiences. The longest leaves were as long as my index finger and impressive upon first sight. I brewed about 8 leaves in about 10 oz of water at 170F or so and found the flavor to be light with a subtle baked and vegetal undertone, and quite enjoyable, although a little weak for my taste. I added four more leaves and brewed the next round at 180F. This created a more assertive brew, although still mild compared to other teas in my cupboard. Whenever I come across a light tea that forces some concentration it becomes a meditation tea for me and reminds me to take the time I need to be mindful and aware.
I read that leaves from the true Taiping Houkui cultivar have a red vein down the middle of the main leaf, and a vibrant color when wet. I cannot say that these leaves possessed those qualities. I don’t know if that means Harney has a lower-quality houkui, but I do know I’m gonna buy some from hojo.com, since they are the ones making the statements. This will give me a little compare-and-contrast opportunity.
One of our flights of tea this weekend, it wafts aromas of honey and sweet floral notes of violets, with a vegetal undertone of wet hay and steamed green beans. Unfortunately the taste isn’t as sweet, being overpowered by the vegetal beans.
I can’t get enough of this tea. It is vegetal, sweet, and not bitter at all. Sadly, I’m running out. I’ll have to buy some more.
Just a side note: The tea tastes even better with the second steeping. Nice floral notes come through, and the leaves smell wonderful. More teas will be coming in soon, and I’ll write about them later on, as I’m on vacation again.
This tea was a little hard to measure because of the larger size leaves and this may have affected my brew. That said, I did enjoy this tea and did not find it to be overly vegetal – a trait I’m finding hard to adjust to. It was very smooth with no bitterness and a light pleasant fragrance.
