The Snow Dragon First Grade organic green tea consists of rather fleshy leaves and a large number of buds. At first glance, this tea might almost resemble a loose raw puer, and this is not coincidental: Snow Dragon is in fact harvested in camellia plantations located in Yunnan near the city of Kunming, famous for shengpu production. Despite its appearance, this product has been processed following the process of making green teas and this becomes quite clear when tasting the infusion.
The flavor profile of Snow Dragon First Grade is mainly characterized by a basic vegetal sweetness and a slightly floral and citrusy freshness that lingers.
Tasting - Sight and Smell
Snow Dragon First Grade organic green tea has medium-sized leaves and a rolled shape, dark green and silver color, and a predominance of buds covered with soft, thick white fluff. When infused, they give off sweet aromas of corn, caramelized almonds, fresh legumes and steamed carrots; a floral note reminiscent of orange blossoms is picked up on the finish. In the cup, the liqueur has a soft yellow color tending toward green.
Tasting Notes
GONG FU CHA
The first infusion of Snow Dragon First Grade organic green tea has notes of sweet corn, pumpkin puree, edamame and steamed carrots, with a pronounced and characterizing sweetness. The savoriness emerges more with the second infusion, which reveals a floral and slightly citrusy note that brings to mind orange blossom and, albeit distantly since it is very delicate, bergamot. With the third and subsequent infusions, the floral and citrus notes become even more present, with a noticeable sensation of freshness on the palate. You can taste vegetal notes of fresh spring legumes such as peas and fava beans and a sweetness that leaves almost a sugary coating on the back of the tongue.
TO THE WEST
The first notes of Snow Dragon First Grade organic green tea have the sweetness of corn and fresh herbal notes of bamboo shoots, peas, and fresh fava beans. A lightly roasted note of sweet almonds appears secondarily, while the finish is floral (rose and orange blossom) with a barely perceptible citrus note of tangerine that contributes freshness to the tea as a whole. The body is light and silky, with no astringency or bitterness.
Location of Origin
Yunnan, China
Production
Snow Dragon First Grade organic Green Tea has a process that involves, after an initial withering in the open, fairly long cooking of the leaves in large woks heated to temperatures around 180°C to block enzymatic activity and prevent oxidation of the leaves. After these steps, the leaves receive their characteristic rolled shape and are left to rest so that they still lose a little of the residual moisture inside.
Preparation
We strongly recommend infusing the green tea biological Snow Dragon First Grade in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to enjoy these leaves at their best. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves(about 3 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 100 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. After a quick rinse of the leaves in water at 85°C you can proceed with an initial infusion of 10 seconds and, after that, keeping the water at the same temperature, proceed with multiple infusions increasing the time each time by 5 seconds (10 - 15 - 20...)
This tea has a longevity of about 6 infusions.
For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 2 tsp) in a 150 ml cup with water at 85°C for an infusion time of one and a half minutes.
The tea can be filtered for ease when tasting, and also the infusion times given here above are meant to be purely indicative so you can also adjust according to your personal taste.
We recommend storing in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
