10 • China White Monkey

A pleasant, slightly sweet, delicate tea, reminiscent of apricot with a floral fragrance. The tea has a long aftertaste and clears the mouth. Even if this tea is strong, the taste remains fine. The color of the tea remains light.

The China White Monkey is a white tea from China. This tea is produced at the Qingshan plantation in Fujian province. This province has a warm and temperate climate with a lot of rain, even in the driest month. The name China White Monkey derives from the fluffy, curled leaves which resemble the legs of the Chinese white monkey.

A white tea is an unfermented tea. As soon as the first buds start growing in early spring, they are immediately picked. Sunlight and temperature affect the character of the tea. For example, a late harvest can give a very different tea than an early harvest. After picking, the leaves are spread out to allow them to dry in the open air. This is called fading. After this process the leaves are steamed and ground. Finally, the leaves still have to dry.

A sweet, fresh and sparkling tea with a small tone of Jasmine blossom. This tea is wonderful to drink with a light fruit dessert.

The Yin Zhen is a white tea from China. It is grown in the province of Fujian, according to traditional methods and especially selected by Madame Tseng. The name of this tea means silver needle.

A white tea is an unfermented tea. Only the buds are picked, for a pure and elegant tea. The Jasmine blossom is picked in the evening because of the strong scent. A kilo of Jasmine tea requires ten kilos of blossom.

To add the taste of Jasmine to the tea, the blossom is placed on top of the spreaded tea for 24 hours. It is has to be refreshed constantly. The old blossom is removed before the scent disappears. In this way, the tea leaves absorb the scent of the Jasmine blossom, which obtain the Jasmin flavor. A natural process to make Jasmin tea.

A soft tea with a taste of raisins, liquorice and chocolate. This tea is also tasty with a little milk.

The Ceylon Kenilworth is a black tea from Sri Lanka. It is grown on the Kenilworth tea plantation in Kandy in the Dimbulla District. The plantation is about 350 hectares and lies between 1000 and 1300 meters in the western hills. The plant has long, thin, red-brown leaves that are picked immediately after the monsoon rains.

A black tea is a fully fermented tea. A combination of two leaves and a bud is always picked. After harvesting, the leaves must first dry in the air, to get rid of the first moisture. As soon as the leaves are flexible enough to be processed, they are rolled by hand. This releases enzymes that trigger the fermentation or oxidation process. This process creates the final flavor and color of the tea. After rolling the leaves, they have to ferment for a few hours. Finally the leaves are baked in a hot air oven to prevent rotting.

A sweet, spicy, earthy tea with a slight smoky taste. The tea provides a full mouth feel.

The Yunnan is a black tea from China. It is grown on the Dongzhai biologic tea plantation in the province of Yunnan. The variety of this tea is a hybrid of Sinensis and Assamica. Although the tea is hand-picked, the fermentation process takes place mechanically. For this tea a combination of a bud with two leaves is always picked.

A black tea is a fully fermented tea. After the harvest, these leaves are spread out to dry in the air to get rid of most moisture. Once the leaves are flexible enough, they are rolled by hand to release the enzymes for the fermentation process. This is important for a good color and taste of the tea. After this process, the leaves must ferment for several hours. The color of the buds will change into gold and orange during this process. Finally, the leaves are baked in hot air ovens to prevent rotting.

This sparkling fresh tea has a scent and taste of Jasmine blossom. A sweet, soft tea with a fresh and sparkling aftertaste.

The Jasmine Pearl is a green tea from China. This tea is grown at the Qingshan plantation in Hunan, where they are handmade and produced according to traditional methods. Hunan is located in the south of China.

A green tea is an unfermented tea. From the end of March until the beginning of April the buds and first two leaves are picked. The blossom of the Jasmine are picked in the evening, because the scent is the strongest. A kilo of Jasmine tea requires ten kilos of blossom.

To add the taste of Jasmine to the tea, the blossom is placed on top of the spreaded tea for 24 hours. It is has to be refreshed constantly. The old blossom is removed before the scent disappears. In this way, the tea leaves absorb the scent of the Jasmine blossom, which obtain the Jasmin flavor. A natural process to make Jasmin tea.

An infusion of chamomile with a sweet and slightly bitter taste that stays in the mouth for a long time. You can drink this tea just before bedtime without any problems.

Chamomile is not a real tea but an infusion of the flowers of the herb Chamomile. Real tea contains caffeine and tannin, but this one hasn’t any. Although most Chamomile comes from Egypt, this herb is picked in Austria. She is also known under the name Matricaria Chamomilla. This herb is also found in the wild in Western Europe, but it is often grown to make tea.

Chamomile is a wonder drug that has been used since ancient times. She offers many health benefits. It has an analgesic, soothing and stress-relieving effect and helps against all sorts of disorders. The flowers are picked from June to September when the flowers are completely open and the hearts are pretty yellow. This happens first thing in the morning, after the dew is gone. The flowers are placed in a dry place to dry for a few weeks.