Description

The SiamTeas CLUBBOX No. 16 @ Siam Tea Shop – Scented Tea

The SiamTeas CLUBBOX No. 16 – “Scented Tea” brings together seven carefully selected tea specialties. Together, they represent different traditions and methods of scenting and refining tea.The selection ranges from classic flower-scented teas with jasmine, magnolia, osmanthus and rose to the extraordinary “Sticky Rice Herb”. Moreover, the box includes Milky Oolong and the traditional Chinese combination of Oolong tea and ginseng. As a result, the box offers a varied and enjoyable introduction to the fascinating world of scented teas.

The traditional art of scenting tea has a long history, particularly in China. Its purpose is not to replace the tea’s own flavor with an added aroma. Instead, the tea maker aims to create a harmonious balance between the base tea and a natural aromatic ingredient. Flowers, herbs and other plant materials can all serve this purpose. Importantly, the base tea remains clearly recognizable. Together with the chosen source of fragrance or flavor, it shapes the profile of the finished tea.

This principle also marks the fundamental difference between traditionally scented tea and flavored tea in the modern industrial sense. In the latter case, the leaf material often serves mainly as a carrier for added flavorings. Consequently, its own character may recede into the background or disappear almost completely. The teas in this CLUBBOX follow a different approach. Each one demonstrates how a characterful base tea can interact with a carefully selected natural source of fragrance or flavor.

click picture to enlarge

Accordingly, the Scented Tea Box @ Siam Tea Shop contains 20 g each of the following seven teas. They differ in their base tea, aromatic ingredient and method of scenting or refinement:

Spring Jasmine Dragon Pearls

Spring Jasmine Dragon Pearls are a classic jasmine tea specialty from Fuding County in China’s Fujian Province. A high-quality spring green tea forms the base. The leaves follow a 1 + 2 plucking standard. During the traditional scenting process, the tea leaves come into contact with freshly picked jasmine blossoms five times. In this way, they gradually absorb the blossoms’ intense floral fragrance. Afterwards, the tea makers carefully remove the flowers. Finally, they roll the scented leaves into the characteristic smooth spherical shape of Dragon Pearls.

Jin Xuan Milky Oolong

Our Jin Xuan Milky Oolong starts with a high-quality Taiwanese Oolong from the Jin Xuan cultivar. This cultivar is already known for its naturally soft and creamy character. In addition, 100% natural milk flavoring enhances this quality and adds the tea’s characteristic milky-creamy aroma. Therefore, Milky Oolong represents a different form of scenting within this box. Most of the other teas rely instead on traditional flowers, herbs or other plant materials.

“Cha Khao Hoom” Thai Sticky Rice Oolong

DMS Cha Khao Hoom Sticky Rice Oolong combines a refined, lightly to moderately oxidized Jin Xuan Oolong with the characteristic aroma of “Sticky Rice Herb”. This aromatic herb grows naturally in southern China and parts of Southeast Asia. Botanically, it has no relation to rice. Nevertheless, its fragrance and flavor are strikingly reminiscent of freshly prepared sticky rice. The deliberately restrained scenting complements the soft and delicately creamy Jin Xuan character rather than masking it. As a result, the tea remains harmonious and well balanced. Its liquor ranges from pale gold to delicate amber, while the sticky-rice aroma stays elegantly integrated.

“Dong Fang Zhi Ye” Magnolia Oolong

For “Dong Fang Zhi Ye” Magnolia Oolong, tea makers combine fully processed Oolong leaves with freshly picked magnolia blossoms. The sweet and distinctly floral fragrance of magnolia meets the character of the base Oolong. Together, they create an unusually intense aromatic and flavor composition. Moreover, Oolong tea leaves and magnolia blossoms are the only ingredients. This makes the tea an impressive example of traditional scenting with a natural aromatic source.

Gui Hua Osmanthus Oolong Tea

DMS Gui Hua Osmanthus Oolong Tea combines a lightly oxidized Oolong from the Ruan Zhi cultivar (TRES No. 17) with the captivating fragrance of osmanthus blossoms. Its clear liquor ranges from pale gold to delicate yellow-green. At the same time, the tea develops an elevated floral aroma with notes of apricot, peach and wild honey. Importantly, the osmanthus complements the Oolong instead of dominating it. The result is an exceptionally smooth and multifaceted tea with pleasantly understated refinement.

Nonpareil Jade Ginseng Oolong Tea

GGinseng Oolong is a classic Chinese combination of Oolong tea and ground ginseng root. The first infusion shows a spicy-sweet flavor that strongly recalls licorice. Ginseng therefore takes center stage at first. With the second infusion, however, the high-quality base Oolong increasingly comes to the fore.

“Rose Congue” Golden Water Black Tea

China has a centuries-old tradition of combining black tea with rose petals and/or rose oil. By the 19th century, the resulting “Rose Congue” had already become an established part of early European tea culture. Our Imperial Rose Congue uses a black tea from Yunnan as its base. Pure natural essential oil of Damask rose provides the floral refinement. The dry leaves offer a seductive rose fragrance. In the cup, this character develops into a full-bodied and aromatic flavor profile with pronounced floral notes.

For further information on the individual origins and processing categories, please also refer to the respective product pages and to: