Intelligentsia’s Organic Emerald Spring comes from Hubei, China, a long-time home of pan fired teas. Modern processing techniques keep this tea fresh and tasting great year-round. Emerald Spring is approachable enough to satisfy new green tea drinkers but complex enough to please long-time tea aficionados.
Organic Emerald Spring
The nutty, sweet flavor of Organic Emerald Spring is a perfect introduction for novice green tea drinkers. Emerald Spring is mildly vegetal without the strong grassy or oceanic notes often associated with some green teas. The nuttiness is complimented by a rich, buttery body that further accentuates the more delicate flavors.
Use fresh tap water, preferably filtered to remove chlorine. Bottled waters labeled "spring water" work best. Distilled, mineral, or water labeled as "drinking water" should be avoided as they tend to have too much or too little mineral content to produce an ideal cup. In general, softer water requires a shorter steeping time and harder water requires a longer steeping time.
Green teas steep best when heat dissipates throughout the steeping process. (This is referred to as allowing the tea "to breathe.") Teapots made from silicon based materials such as glass or porcelain are ideal. Small pots (12 oz. or less) prevent stewing or over-extraction since they contain a smaller volume of water that can cool more quickly.
China green teas tend to steep best using water cooler than boiling, with 165-180° F as ideal. Boiling water will over-extract the tea producing a bitter, astringent cup. A quick way to cool the water is to pour it into the empty teapot. Then pour the water into a cup(s). Using the cool teapot and cups should cool the water to an appropriate temperature. If not, wait a minute or two, before adding the leaves and water to the pot.
Measure 1-1.5 tablespoons or 3-4 grams of tea per 6-8 oz of water. For a stronger cup, use more tea and reduce the steeping time slightly. Using the proper amount of leaves should allow for a second steeping (reusing the leaves for a second pot). Be certain to pour out all of the first infusion so the water doesn’t continue to steep the leaves beyond the specified time.
Steep the tea for 2-3 minutes. The quality and composition of the water dramatically affects the steeping time so you should experiment to find a time that suits your palate. For a second steeping, infuse for 30 seconds to a minute.
Organic Emerald Spring
Hundreds of years ago the Chinese discovered that steam was a viable method of stopping the oxidation of tea leaves. When the leaves were further processed using pan firing techniques, the resulting tea was called yulu or “jade dew.” This processing is commonly associated with sencha or gyokuro, two popular Japanese styles of tea. Steaming is often considered a Japanese invention, but it was really Chinese ingenuity.
Pan-fired or steamed green teas have long been processed in the province of Hubei, the birthplace of this technique. Organic Emerald Spring is native to Hubei. After previously purchasing this tea from farms in the province of Zhejiang, we recently switched to a project in Hubei dedicated to producing great quality, old style green teas.
Perhaps Organic Emerald Spring’s greatest attribute is ability to taste great year-round. Often, China greens rapidly lose freshness as the essential oils in the leaves dissipate and the tea continues to oxidize after processing. Emerald Spring is produced with modern techniques that inhibit the degradation of flavor. This tea is exceptionally stable and I would guarantee its freshness long after other green teas have lost theirs.
The popularity of green tea has risen dramatically over the last several years due to its high concentrations of the antioxidant EGCG. Over the years I have encountered a number of people who drink green tea because it’s good for them. Oftentimes the quality of these teas is lacking and the flavor doesn’t suit their palates. Organic Emerald Spring has a flavor that will appeal to first time green tea drinkers and will provide them a drink that is not only healthy but tastes great.