Organic Lucky Dragon Hyson
Very light liquoring with exquisite fresh green tea character. In the cup the leaves virtually return to life, producing a pale green infusion. A tea to remember.
HEALTH PROPERTIES: Very high in anti-oxidants
CAFFEINE LEVELS: Low
TEA SOURCING: China, Anhui Region
INGREDIENTS: Green Tea
ETHICS: Ethical Tea Partnership and GMO free
THE STORY OF LUCKY DRAGON HYSON
Hyson translates to "Flourishing Spring" and this particular variety imparts the fresh green character you would expect to be a part of any springtime tea experience. Traditionally "hyson" were the leaves below the new growing shoots at the top of the tea bush, which were rolled into long twisted or clam shapes. Young hyson is made from the higher quality new leaf shoots. Hyson green teas became so highly favored in the 1700's that the British Tea Tax was increased for this variety. Lucky Dragon Hyson was adopted as a name by a tea factory that produced premium young hyson tea in a higher grade than typical young hyson.
Right from the first sale of tea in England in the mid 1600's, the English took a shine to tea. The government quickly realized the possibilities and levied taxes on tea that remained until the late 1700's. Smuggling became rampant, and schemes were introduced to both dodge the taxes and profit from the leaves. Servants in upper class homes would dry the used leaves and resell them. Others would 'cut' the tea with beech or hawthorn leaves. Smuggling China teas into England reached a feverish peak in the mid 1700's and the ports of France and Belgium were used as the 'jump-off' points for night voyages to Cornwall and Wales. The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the East India Company were aware of the extent of their losses and realized that only a large tax cut would make legal imports competitive with contraband tea. This finally occurred in 1784 with the passing of the Commutation Act.
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR HOT TEA: Infuse one slightly heaping teaspoon for each 8 ounce cup with water brought to a rolling boil (80-85 Celcius)for 3-7 minutes.
Infuse 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of tea with 1 1/4 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water, and add the infused tea, straining the leaves, to the pitcher. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Add lemon and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.
Infuse 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea with 6 ounces of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add the tea to a 12 ounce glass, filled with ice, straining the leaves. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags. Add lemon and sweeten to taste.
NUMBER OF CUPS: 15-20 cups from each 50 grams of tea, with a single use of the leaves. Loose leaf tea is traditionally infused 3 times, with a different flavor profile following each infusion. Accordingly, each 50 gram bag can make up to 60 cups of tea.