You, Me and Tea

Country of Origin: China

Cup Characteristics: A full bodied tea with an exotic origin character which tea tasters describe as "mouth-feel"

Ingredients: Luxury black tea

• Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). We recommend adding milk and sugar (if this is to your taste) with this tea.
• Cold tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.]
• LE0407

Golden Monkey is sometimes referred to by the grower (because this tea is so good) as King of Panyong Congou. After a painstakingly labor intensive production process, this tea is hand sorted to ensure a beautiful leaf appearance. The leaves are curly, wiry and well twisted with a high percentage of tips evident. ‘Tip’ is the tip of the new shoots and during the manufacturing process these tips turn a gold brown. ‘Tippy tea’ is a leading indicator of exceptional quality, highly selective grading and usually only available in the first few weeks of the new season (New season teas have the most flavor, rarest and most eagerly sought by tea connoisseurs)
Panyong Congou Teas are mainly produced in the mountainous region of Fu’an County and Shounin County. The finished teas are made from a local variety of tea bush that is noted for its rich aroma, sweet taste, golden color and well-twisted tippy leaf.
In earlier times Golden Monkey was the tea of Taipans and local overlords. They claimed that the secret for this tea was that it had to be plucked by the golden monkey which centuries ago inhabited the forests of Fujian Province. This special tea was very rare and the Taipans demanded every ounce of tea because they claimed that it gave them ‘the agility and sexual prowess of the patriarch of a golden monkey troop’. {Obviously stiff competition from the monkey} Today the plucking process has changed somewhat but it is fascinating to know the tradition behind this marvelous tea.