This is one of the rare teas I do not know much about. Like the year it is harvested. This will be post based on assumptions. This tea had a strong rice flagrance and flavour with a nice sweetness. It was the first time I have tasted such a tea, and after my research, I concluded that it could be one of the two:
1- It is mixed with Nuo Mi Xiang (Semnostachya Menglaensis) leaves which are a plant with a natural sticky rice fragrance. Mixing Nuo Mi Xiang in pu-erh is not new, and the recipe usually is 10:1 according to this source.
2- It is steam infused with No Mi Xiang leaves.
Obviously, the second option sounds 'better' and more laborious. Actually, this whole story resembles jasmine tea making. The ideal jasmine tea should not have any jasmine leaves inside. Still, it should be scented strongly (not artificially of course) with fresh jasmine aroma.
I also came across some oolong teas with Nuo Mi Xiang aroma.
All in all, I was excited that this tea could be a natural one (not with any added scent). I was wrong. I always try to write about pure teas, but this time, my naivety led me to try this tea first and found the truth about it later. I also wrote about jasmine tea because it plays an essential role in the tea market, and some of them are super luxurious. Well, the problem is I like the taste. How do I make sure that I got the real stuff, i.e. number 1 above?
Tea Profile:
Type: Pu-erh (Dark) Origin: Yunnan
Harvest time: Unknown (possibly 2019)
Leaf colour: Dark brown
Liquor colour: Tones of amber (depends on the infusion) Tea Aroma: Starchy, ricey Tea taste: Sweet with rice and starchy notes Steeping: Place 7 g of tea leaves in a gaiwan/teapot. Add 100 ml water at about 100°C. Steep for 1 minute and rinse the liquid out. Steep for 30 seconds. To each consecutive infusion add 5 seconds. You can infuse up to 8 times or until the taste is lost.
Shelf life: Can be aged.
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