Advent Day #2

Tea #2 - "Jade Oolong"

Ok. No one will ever accuse me of being a genius. Often, the most obvious things go completely unnoticed by me. When I saw “jade” oolong, it never occurred to me that it would be a green tea. I typically shy away from green tea, as I’m not a fan of the grassy notes. 

As I turned on the kettle, the jade-green connection hit me. Oh no! What have I gotten into? I immediately fired up the google… I was relieved to learn that jade oolong, though green in appearance when brewed is not, technically green tea. (More about that later.)

I was safe to proceed: I read the instructions (brew for 2-3 minutes, best served without milk), and set off. I set my timer (again, not something I’m wont to do) and dropped two cubes of brown raw sugar in my mug and waited. The three minutes went by unbelievably quickly, which makes me think that perhaps I am brewing my teas far too long. When the timer went off, I removed the lid from my mug and took a hesitant sip. 

I was pleasantly surprised to find neither an overly earthy nor an overtly grassy note. It was, indeed, a very light tea, and while I wouldn’t call it grassy, as such, it’s not quite floral either. Maybe I would call it "grassy adjacent."

Oolong tea is characterized by the way it is dried, oxidized and rolled in several cycles in order to achieve a certain flavor. Green tea is not fermented and undergoes very little processing. This is a stark contrast with oolong, which is very carefully, and extensively processed. 

The processing comes through in the cup.  A light and refreshing tea, this might be a nice pick me up mid-morning or early afternoon. It won’t be my get out of bed cuppa. But, a solid choice. 7/10