Blue people ginseng oolong
This jade oolong from Taiwan is coated in ginseng and licorice powder to produce the most beautiful and unique flavor.
The name, blue people tea, is speculated to have come from a misunderstanding when translating! In Chinese, this tea is known as "lán guìrén" tea, meaning Lady or noble person Orchid. The word "orchid" in Chinese is "lán," and it is written like this: "兰". The word "blue" in Chinese is pronounced exactly the same, as "lán," but written like this "蓝." Noble person in Chinese is made up of the two characters: "guì" (expensive/esteemed) and "rén" (person). So likely someone with rudimentary Chinese (like mine!) heard "blue" and "person" when they first encountered this tea, and the name stuck!
It really is liquid gold because of how unique it is. Traditionally, teas that are flavored with other ingredients are less prized in China and Taiwan, but this tea is one rare exception! The balance and complexity achieved with this tea is unmatched.
how to brew
Temperature: 205 F (96 C)
Preferred method! Gaiwan (4oz): steep 6-8g (~1 Tbsp) of tea in 4oz water. If you don't have a gaiwan you can do this by using a tea strainer and a small bowl.
"Wash" the tea by running the hot water over the tea. pour the water out and into a tea fair then teacup or your mug to heat whatever you are going to drink out of, then throw that water out.
1st and 2nd steeping: steep the tea for about 1 minute. The leaves are tightly rolled so they will need adequate time and heat to begin to unroll. This infusion might have a lot more ginseng and licorice flavor.
When you are done, gently shake the gaiwan with the closed lid to release the leaves even more
2nd steeping: steep for about 3 seconds. You should see the large tea leaves begin to open, and the flavor will likely become slightly more complex.
3rd, 4th, 5th steeping: steep several more times, each one lasting about 10 seconds. The tea will generally grow increasingly complex up to about the 3rd steeping and begin to taste more homogenous from the 4th steeping on. This tea can really be steeped for a very very long time.
Steep until you find the flavor is weak (though you might be drinking tea all day!)
Teapot (1 L): steep about 6 g (~1 Tbsp) of tea per liter in a teapot for 3 minutes.
Mug (8oz): steep 4g (1/2 Tbsp) of tea per 8oz water in a standard mug for about 3 minutes
How to enjoy: This tea is best enjoyed in glass or porcelain. Although you will be able to taste it in metal or plastic containers, the complexity is often lost in such vessels. Because this is a specialty tea with natural sweetness, it is best enjoyed when you have several minutes or even more to sit and consciously enjoy :)
