Curious Tea – San Xia Mi Xiang Hong Cha
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This is the second Taiwanese tea I’ve tried. Taiwan is primarily known for oolong tea and yet the first one I had – Qing Xin Gan Zi – was a white tea, and this here San Xia Mi Xiang Hong Cha is black. For some reason, I seem determined to review the anomalous ones. Don’t fret, Taiwanese Oolong. I’m sure your time will come.
Taiwan is a relative newcomer in the tea growing biz, with only having 400 years of tea expertise under its belt compared to the 5000 year history of China’s tea production.
Taiwan was discovered in 1590 by the Portuguese in that way European colonists had of being the first men to discover countries whose inhabitants were already perfectly aware that both they and the land that they lived on existed. The country was named Formosa (Portuguese for ‘beauty’) because presumably it didn’t occur to the invaders that the island’s inhabitants might already have a name for their own country.
Returning to modern Taiwan and the tea in hand, San Xia Mi Xiang Hong Cha is a delicious, smooth, satisfying tea with the unmistakable taste of honey. There’s a golden sweetness to this tea which reminds me of buttery flapjacks. And while other teas might achieve flapjackiness by adding oats and honey and whatnot to their tea, with Curious Tea’s San Xia Min Xiang Hong Cha, the effect is achieved entirely by the hard-working Camelia sinensis leaves.
Oh, and some bugs apparently. Mi Xiang teas can thank green leaf hoppers (Jacobiasca formosana) for that honey-like taste. The little critters nibble on the growing leaves which prompts the tea to produce more polyphenols in plant-based retaliation. It’s very exciting (and a bit weird) and I’m all for it. Keep nibbling, little leaf hoppers! You’re doing a great job.
I absolutely love this tea. In fact I have absolutely loved every tea I’ve had from Curious Teas. This teamonger is clearly top of their game when it comes to sourcing amazing teas, which are simultaneously unusual and familiar and always a delight to drink.
I almost wish I could have a bad tea from them just to prove that I’m not some sneaky paid Curious Tea shill. I’m tempted to buy some Lapsang Souchong (my tea nemesis) just so I can write a lacklustre review for a change. The danger with doing that is that I might actually like Curious Tea’s Lapsang. If that happened, my readership would probably assume that Curious Tea have kidnapped my entire family, and are forcing me to write positive tea reviews to ensure their safety.
So yeah, it’s either the kidnapping thing, or Curious Tea just produce exceptional teas of which San Xia Mi Xiang Hong Cha is another amazing and delicious example. One or the other. You decide.
Today’s featured book is A Brief History of Tea by Roy Moxham.
