Description

This exceptional tea is the result of extensive know-how and outstanding work. Its leaves have been hand-rolled then placed one by one in a frame covered with a cloth to which a small roller is applied to flatten them. This fantastic, aromatically rich green tea neatly balances floral and fruity fragrances with vegetal and mineral notes. In order to bring out all the aromatic complexity of this tea, we recommend multiple infusions using the traditional Chinese Gong Fu Cha method. To go further: This very famous tea, often mentioned in the works of the poets, is produced in the Tai Ping region, in the south of the Huang Shan mountains (Anhui province). There are many legends surrounding it. According to one of these, the slopes on which the tea trees from which it originates were planted, were far too steep for people to work on, so the locals trained monkeys to climb the trees and pick the leaves, the best of which were then made into tea. This explains the name, which means, ‘the best monkeys of Tai Ping’. Another legend links this name with the Taiping Rebellion, a tragic episode in Chinese history in the 1850s which ended in a bloody repression. A special feature of Tai Ping Hou Kui occurs during infusion, when the veins in the leaves turn bright red. This particular legend therefore also claims that the name is a poetic tribute to the blood spilled by the rebels.The uniqueness of this tea comes from the very special shape of its leaf: a stem of a deep, intense green, comprising a bud and two flattened leaves. During infusion, it opens out to resemble a flower floating on the surface of the gaiwan. With justification, Tai Ping Hou Kui derives its reputation from the flowery note that can resemble the scent of orchids. This fantastic, aromatically rich green tea neatly balances floral and fruity fragrances with vegetal and gourmet notes.