12.03.2007 : Tea of the Month for December – Black Dragon Choicest Oolong
We are proud to offer Xanadu®
Black Dragon Choicest Oolong
during December as our special Tea-of-the-Month.
Yielding a honey-colored infusion with a flowery
sweetness and a delicate ripe peach-like aroma, our
featured tea has none of the astringency associated
with more common oolong teas.
Settled almost two centuries ago by hardy farmers from the coastal Chinese province of Fujian, the island of Formosa – better known today as Taiwan – is famous for producing the world's best oolong teas. Black Dragon Choicest Oolong is a perfect example of the delicate art of tea making, and is featured as our special Tea-of-the-Month during December.
The name "oolong" is derived from the ancient Chinese ideograms wu-lung, which mean "black dragon". Originally grown in the mountains of China, oolong teas have been cultivated and produced by Chinese settlers on Formosa – only 150 miles east of the China coast – since the early 19th century.
Today, with most Chinese teas mass-produced on large collectives with little individual style, the island of Formosa has become home to the last teas in the world produced in the traditional Chinese way, by families owning their own farms and creating teas in their own individual style. Traditionally an evening tea, Black Dragon Choicest Oolong leaves are barely exposed to the air before drying, yielding a smooth, amber-colored cup with a delicate peach-like fruit note in the finish.
In 1544, when Portuguese explorers discovered Taiwan, they called it Ilha Formosa, the "Beautiful Island". One sip of our Xanadu Black Dragon Choicest Oolong will bring to mind beauty of a different sort.
