So many Numi teas at the Numi open house in Oakland, but I drank Peet's Coffee, Mateveza Ale (brewed with yerba mate), and Dong Ding tea (Dong Ding means cold top (of mountain)). The latter, a Taiwanese oolong grown in the same latitude in China, was prepared by a Numi employee. He described the taste as buttery, but I detected a yeasty dough flavor which I liked. Not only did I taste a new tea, I also observed the art of preparing tea in a clay pot.
The set up
Rinse and warm the clay pot
Add leaves using a wooden spoon
Add hot water (180 degrees F, pour liquid into glass pot, warm and flavor cups with the first rinse
Add new water, pour water over clay pot - when the pot is dry (the water evaporates), the tea is ready to be served (about 20 seconds), upturn the clay pot into the glass pot, serve
Note the buttery color (yeast flavors)
Culturally, a guest's cup is only filled half way (I learned this from another Numi employee, who speaks Mandarin, Cantonese, and one of the mountain dialects where Numi purchases its leaves).
Sounds like a wonderfully intruguing session of tea...and that Dong Ding oolong you had sounds delicious as well (I love the taste of "yeasty dough" - great description).
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