I have this stuff for oolong. All I know is that it’s tea, and it’s good.
Ice breaker tea
I do love a mint tea before bed.
Inquiring minds want to know what kind of tea it is! I’m always looking for more herbal teas to try
No clue, my friend is an older Vietnamese guy. He said he got it at the asian market and just called it “herbal tea” and that it would wake me up more than coffee . It is some kind of green tea.
It looks like the one on the left.
Looks like Jasmine tea
I love jasmine and oolong. A pity I can’t get it where I am sans behemoth internet retailer, because I’m not supporting them.
Is it good?
Yeah, it was pretty good. A mild and slightly sweet flavor. I’m not sure if I made it right. I just put some into a tea steeper.
Sounds like you made it right, then. Glad you enjoyed it.
Just make sure to use water that isn’t boiling. Around 80°C is best. And don’t steep for more than a couple minutes with Jasmine.
Why not boiling?
It scalds the tea leaves and extracts compounds that make the tea bitter or destroys some of the more delicate flavours. The exact temperature depends on the tea. When I was buying Dragon Well tea (Longjing) in China they explained it very well, but even went so far as to say that many of the health benefits of tea (especially Dragon Well, but others as well) were reduced by using water that is too hot.
Personally I’ve found tea and coffee taste better when brewed with water that is under 90°C.
ChatGPT agrees with you for green tea, but for Scottish Breakfast it advised 93°-100°. That said, this explains why my gunpowder green is sometimes very bitter.
