As I approach the third year of being in the business of tea I have become quite philosophical about my role in the industry. My appreciation of tea deepens and my personal tea journey continues and I find myself spending more time as a tea evangelist for pure leaf tea. As a tea lover I feel it is a responsibility to see pure leaf tea being enjoyed and appreciated more widely.
The challenge I have in my local market is that ‘real’ pure leaf tea, the tea produced from a specific variety or cultivar of the Camelia Sinensis tea plant, is largely misunderstood and unknown to the majority of consumers. But that is ok I have high hopes that this will change in my lifetime.
To that end, I am not here to judge or persuade you to drink my tea. My real mission is to provoke a TEA-curious mindset and to spread the love for pure leaf tea drinking. In my opinion, this amazing and diverse beverage could easily be one of the best kept secrets of the modern world.
Have a look at these gorgeous tea leaves below.
These have all been created by the same plant species, grown in the same region and processed into white tea. However, the end result in terms of tea style and taste is unique to each set of leaves. There are 2 different cultivars, 2 different plucking standards and two different white teas displayed here: Bai Hao Yin Zhen (Silver Needles) and Bai Mu Dan (White Peony). They attract very different price points. They all produce very different aroma and flavour profiles in the cup and they are all delicious.
Now I ask you, next time you sit down to a cup of tea ask yourself what's in my cup and have I really experienced all tea has to offer?
If you are open and interested to these questions…Congratulations!
You might just be on the cusp of unlocking a new and diverse world of pure leaf tea that has infinite possibilities. Follow me over the coming months as we explore tea in its simplest form.
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