Profile : Organic T.K.Y. Slimming Oolong
Loose - Organic - Oolong Tea
March 12, 2019
CUP CHARACTERISTICS: Floral-like
orchid notes with a smooth and haunting finish. This excellent Ti Kuan
Yin has no calories when consumed without milk or sugar.
Ingredients: Oolong tea* *Organic Certified Organic by Pro-Cert Organic Systems
INGREDIENTS FROM: Fujian Province
REGION(S): China
SHIPPING PORT(S): Fuzhou
GROWING ALTITUDES: 1500 - 4900 feet above sea level
GRADE(S): Ti Kuan Yin Special
MANUFACTURE TYPE(S): Semi fermented, Traditional process, Small batch crafted and formed.
ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: High
CAFFEINE LEVEL: Low
VEGETARIAN: Yes
VEGAN: Yes
INFUSION: Pale green yellow liquor, tending slightly amber
INFORMATION:
According
to international sales figures, Ti Kuan Yin is the most popular Chinese
Oolong worldwide. Like all Oolongs, Ti Kuan Yin is semi-fermented,
meaning it falls roughly at the mid way point between black and green
teas in terms of color, flavor, and intensity. Unlike other Oolongs,
the process of making Ti Kuan Yin involves a longer baking, or drying
process. As well, the raw leaf used to produce the tea is grown on a
sub-varietal of Camellia sinensis. According to Fujian legend, this
varietal was discovered by divine guidance hence its name, which loosely
translates as Goddess of Mercy.
In the Buddhist tradition, the
Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin, was known as a Boddhisatva, an enlightened
being that has decided to stay on earth to bring others to
enlightenment. Statues erected in her honor dot the Chinese
countryside. As the ancient story goes, a tea maker in Fujian (where
the style of tea originated) passed a statue beside a Buddhist temple
that had been neglected and was overgrown with weeds. Not having enough
money to fix the temple, he decided that at the very least he could
afford to burn incense at the foot of the statue and sweep the yard on a
regular basis. After a few months of diligently making this simple
offering to Guanyin, the Goddess appeared in a dream to thank him. She
told him about a cave near his home that contained a very special tea
plant no one had ever seen before. The next day the man searched the
cave and sure enough, found the shoot of a unique tea bush. He
cultivated the bush, and produced a crop of tea that he named after the
goddess. Thanks to her benevolence, the tea maker sold more tea than
ever before and went on to live a healthy and prosperous life.
As
good as Ti Kuan Yin was, and still is, for increasing sales figures,
Eastern research appears to indicate that it is equally as good for
reducing another type of figure. We like to believe that it is due to
the benevolence of the Goddess of Mercy that this tea is sometimes
referred to as "slimming" oolong. (In her mercy she's made it easier
for people to shed a few pounds!) Although Western research is still
inconclusive, in China, Ti Kuan Yin is drunk with meals to help foster a
feeling of satisfaction without the need to gorge oneself on the
pleasures of the table. The cup is full bodied with deep almost winy
notes that help fill the belly. Whatever you choose to believe about
this tea two things are certain: one, it's a delicately profound cup and
two, it's great with meals, particularly spicy ones. Pour a cup and
give thanks to the Goddess of Mercy.