Black tea from Gushu trees in Vietnam
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Silk Tay Con Linh - Black tea from the rainforest in North Vietnam
The black tea comes from Mount Tay Con Linh in Ha Giang Province in northern Vietnam.
When I first received the sample of this tea, I imagined that it was a strong tea with a bit of tobacco flavor because the leaves were broken. I hardly expected it to taste so soft, silky, floral and fruity. It was really a nice surprise.
This tea completely piqued my interest in Vietnamese teas. Like other black tea from the rainforest in northern Laos and southern China, this one has a deep and rich taste that turns into a long-lasting pleasant aftertaste. The first infusion gives a very silky and oily consistency with a strong chocolate taste that appeals to me Jin Jun Mei (Golden Eyebrows) remind. In addition, it has the floral aroma of our loved one Gushu Black (black tea from ancient tea trees) and the fruitiness of our Phongsaly Black Apricot. The flowery is very subtle, inconspicuous in the first infusion and comes out more and more in the later infusions. The fruitiness reminds me of Phongsaly Black Apricot from Laos, but much less of an apricot (less sour and nuttier). The consistency is VERY SILKY!
This black tea is completely natural, without the addition of flavorings.
How do you prepare this black tea?
The tea can be prepared either in the classic western style in a medium to large teapot or in the traditional gongfu style.
Classic, western preparation:
- Simply use about 5 teaspoons of tea leaves in 1L of boiling water.
- The natural coloring agents in the tea dissolve almost immediately and color the water gold-amber
- Depending on the desired intensity, you let the tea steep for between 3 and 4 minutes. We recommend taking the tea strainer or the tea leaves out of the water, otherwise the black tea can become too bitter. Better to pour the tea a second time.
For the traditional Gong-Fu preparation, please read this article:
Gongfucha tea preparation