A hard to come by tea - Wu Yi Shui Xian

Of course my intention is not to discuss fake teas at length, but to warn readers beforehand that this indeed is a situation of high demand and low supplies that has resulted in an unbelievable array of dubious Wu Yi tea offerings out in the market.

With a genuine Wu Yi tea, you will notice a very distinct aroma in the dried leaves that smells rocky and carries with it scents of fleshy fruits, a highly penetrating warm circulation that you can experience most obviously in your palms, fingers and stomach and a mesmerising and enduring aftertaste that unfolds layer after layer like a red rose that transports one to the world of tea love and beautiful red rocks of the Wu Yi mountains.

This being a rather rare and pricey tea, I had to cut back on how much I use especially when there is no knowing if the next batch of tea becomes available. To complement this cha xi, I used my walnut-sized antique cups for today's brewing session. The small dimensions of these cups could also hint at tea being such a highly priced commodity that it is only consumed in small volumes. Good teas must be cherished!

Supposed Wu Yi teas flood the markets and often come in different brands and forms, from tea bags to loose tea leaves. My experience with this tea has been limited because of my hesitation in buying. In practice, you will come across more imitations than you would have hoped for. If you are lucky, you can get away with a halfway drinkable tea. Otherwise, you end up binning burnt teas that carry a high price tag.

Blogeintrag auf Deutsch: Ein seltener Tee - Wu Yi Shui Xian