The Harney And Sons Guide To Tea Part 2

A native to China, the osmanthus flower is apricot-scented with a fetching yellow orange hue. It blooms in bunches like little bouquets at the ends of its tree's branches. For centuries, the Chinese have dried the pretty flowers and used them to improve the flavors of otherwise mediocre teas. Case in point: The oolong in this tea is a lesser variety from the same region in Fujian province that makes Ti Guan Yin. While some of the tea's apricot flavors come from the tea leaves, most come from the slender strands of dried osmanthus blossoms. The pairing of the tea and blossoms is ingenious, not just as a flavor enhancer: Scientists have since shown that teas oxidized 40 percent or more, like this oolong, develop the same carotenoid aromatic compounds, called "ionones" and "damascones," that form the cla.s.sic apricot and cooked peach flavors in the fruits and in the osmanthus flowers. Osmanthus is a delightful, muted dark oolong, lovely for everyday drinking.

FENGHUANG SHUIXIAN Dragon Phoenix Dragon PhoenixFenghuang ShuiXian (p.r.o.nounced "Shooey-Shyan"; sometimes written as Dancong) is a worthwhile oolong to know if only because no other oolong will remind you of a Bellini. Unlike the preceding Osmanthus, which gleans much of its fruit flavors from a flower additive, Fenghuang ShuiXian bubbles with astonis.h.i.+ng peach flavors all its own.

South of Fujian, in China's Guangdong province, the small mountain town of Fenghuang has been making teas for the city of Chaozhou for centuries. The hotter weather in the rest of southern Guangdong province is not conducive to great teas, but Fenghuang enjoys a cool mountain climate. Just as the Buddhist temples of Kyoto developed a tea culture from the green teas of the neighboring Uji region, Chaozhou has a strong Buddhist presence and a corresponding tea culture. Three Buddhist temples still stand there, as do ancient tea shops built to supply them.

Fenghuang has been making tea for centuries, and some of its tea trees could be up to five hundred years old. It's likely they were originally planted to make other kinds of tea; Chinese tea historians believe that oolong production spread to Fenghuang only after the emergence of the style in the Wuyi Mountains at the turn of the nineteenth century.

Calling these plants trees is right: Harvesters need ladders to get to the leaves. After plucking, the leaves are withered and gently tossed. This agitation starts the slow oxidation vital to form the aromatic compounds resembling peach nectar. After withering, the leaves are rolled into long twists and left to oxidize until the leaves turn light brown with red dabs on their edges. To preserve the tea's effervescence, the leaves are only lightly fired.

BAI HAO, OR FANCIEST FORMOSA OOLONG Oriental Beauty Oriental BeautyThis exuberant, medium-bodied Taiwanese oolong has the cla.s.sic peach and guava flavors characteristic of darker, more heavily oxidized oolongs. One of the first truly great oolongs to show up in the United States about fifteen years ago, Bai Hao was also the first oolong I really fell in love with. It inspired me to hunt down all the other oolongs in the book.

Bai Hao is extraordinary not only for its flavors, but for the way it is made. Most teas rely on human manipulations to develop their flavors. These manipulations imitate the actions of tiny herbivores called green leafhoppers ( Jacobiasca formosana Jacobiasca formosana ), which would ordinarily feast on the leaves. In nature, the bites of tea leafhoppers trigger the plants' defenses, provoking their flavors. Bai Hao is one of only a very few teas whose flavors are provoked by the bugs themselves. Unlike the other oolongs in this book, which are all harvested in April and May, Bai Hao is harvested in June, after the leafhoppers have emerged from winter dormancy (anyone who has been bitten by a mosquito in June can understand this bug's life cycle). The leafhoppers feast on the tea's sweet young leaves, puncturing them lightly. Their munching breaks down the plants' cells in the same way rolling does, releasing various bug-repelling, flavor-filled compounds. After a week of this, the faintly perforated, fragile leafsets are nimbly harvested, with special care to keep them intact. The withered leaves-by now bug free-are gently rolled into loose, small spheres, then oxidized for a relatively long time, before being lightly fired to preserve the flavors. ), which would ordinarily feast on the leaves. In nature, the bites of tea leafhoppers trigger the plants' defenses, provoking their flavors. Bai Hao is one of only a very few teas whose flavors are provoked by the bugs themselves. Unlike the other oolongs in this book, which are all harvested in April and May, Bai Hao is harvested in June, after the leafhoppers have emerged from winter dormancy (anyone who has been bitten by a mosquito in June can understand this bug's life cycle). The leafhoppers feast on the tea's sweet young leaves, puncturing them lightly. Their munching breaks down the plants' cells in the same way rolling does, releasing various bug-repelling, flavor-filled compounds. After a week of this, the faintly perforated, fragile leafsets are nimbly harvested, with special care to keep them intact. The withered leaves-by now bug free-are gently rolled into loose, small spheres, then oxidized for a relatively long time, before being lightly fired to preserve the flavors.

DA HONG PAO Big Red Robe Big Red RobeThis famous Chinese oolong resembles the oolongs of twenty years ago, heavily fired and with darker, smokier flavors. Fans of the smoky Chinese black tea Lapsang Souchong (page 117) or the charcoal-tinged Chinese green tea Gunpowder (page 49) will find much to love in Da Hong Pao.

Da Hong Pao grows just about an hour's drive from the area where Lapsang Souchong is cultivated in China. Both come from the Wuyi Mountains, the region in northern Fujian province where oolong and black teas were first invented. Today, a dozen or more oolongs come from the steep and rocky foothills around the city of Wuyi Shan. Known collectively as Wuyi Shan Yan Cha, or Wuyi Mountain Rock Teas, the teas take their name-and their flavors-from the area's rocky, mineral-rich soil, regular rain showers, and cool mountain weather. Unlike other high-mountain oolongs like Ali Shan (page 81), Da Hong Pao grows in the lower foothills.

While it can't claim divine inspiration like Ti Guan Yin (page 86), Da Hong Pao boasts its own rich pedigree. The stories vary, but legend says that several hundred years ago a magistrate of the Ming dynasty fell ill while visiting the area. He was nursed back to health by drinking this tea. As a token of thanks, he hung his red robe on the gate to the tea garden, granting the tea both official approbation and its name, Big Red Robe. Today, Da Hong Pao growers claim that three very old bushes outside Wuyi Shan city are the same ones that served as a coat rack for the magistrate's robe. They insist that every Da Hong Pao bush was propagated from them.

Whether or not the legend is true, the teas do provide an exquisite example of the more traditional, darker style of oolong. After the leaves are harvested, they are twisted, not balled. Unlike other twisted oolongs like Wenshan BaoZhong (page 79), Da Hong Pao is allowed to oxidize much longer. The darker tea tastes of more heavily cooked sugars and fruits like mola.s.ses and roasted peaches. Last, the tea is fired quite heavily, just as all oolongs were until very recently. Though the heavy charcoal firing has lost its usefulness as a tea preservative, Da Hong Pao drinkers prefer its taste, so the practice continues. The best teas retain their fruit flavors through the smoke.

FORMOSA OOLONG.Brisk, nutty, and somewhat fruity, Formosa Oolong offers a history lesson as much as it helps cultivate your oolong palate. The tea was once considered the Champagne of teas and the standard for oolongs in the United States. In the last two decades, other lighter and more aromatic oolongs have outpaced it so that today it is made by only a handful of Taiwanese tea makers. My father included Formosa Oolong among the half dozen teas he sold when he first entered the tea business in 1970. Now we have to order it custom-made. We use it mostly as a base in our Earl Grey tea (page 171) and other blends that call for a mild, dark oolong.

In the fifteenth century when they first came upon the island, the Portuguese named Taiwan Formosa, Formosa, or "Beautiful Island." In the tea world, Formosa and Taiwan remain interchangeable, just like Ceylon and Sri Lanka (see "Ceylon Black Teas," page 153). Formosa Oolong tea was invented in the mid-nineteenth century by a British entrepreneur named John Dodd. If they speak no other English, Taiwanese tea men can p.r.o.nounce the name "John Dodd" flawlessly. They consider Dodd a national hero for first bringing the island's teas to the world stage. In 1865, Dodd saw that the world tea market was about to change dramatically. China supplied almost all the tea in the world. What Dodd knew (and the Chinese did not) was that the British were preparing, on a ma.s.s scale, to grow their own Indian tea (see "British Legacy Black Teas," page 121). Dodd shrewdly came up with a tea that he thought might compete with both the Chinese and Indian alternatives. Working in Taiwan, he developed and marketed a dark oolong under the name "Formosa Oolong." The tea traveled well yet was lighter, fruitier, and more flavorful than the heavily fired black teas then on the market. Formosa became such a hit in both Europe and the United States that it remained one of the world's favorite teas well into the twentieth century. Its popularity grew both in the United States and in Great Britain until the j.a.panese occupation of Taiwan all but ended production. After World War II, U.S. and British demand increased again, but after China reopened in the 1970s, demand fell off because of superior teas available from both China and Taiwan. or "Beautiful Island." In the tea world, Formosa and Taiwan remain interchangeable, just like Ceylon and Sri Lanka (see "Ceylon Black Teas," page 153). Formosa Oolong tea was invented in the mid-nineteenth century by a British entrepreneur named John Dodd. If they speak no other English, Taiwanese tea men can p.r.o.nounce the name "John Dodd" flawlessly. They consider Dodd a national hero for first bringing the island's teas to the world stage. In 1865, Dodd saw that the world tea market was about to change dramatically. China supplied almost all the tea in the world. What Dodd knew (and the Chinese did not) was that the British were preparing, on a ma.s.s scale, to grow their own Indian tea (see "British Legacy Black Teas," page 121). Dodd shrewdly came up with a tea that he thought might compete with both the Chinese and Indian alternatives. Working in Taiwan, he developed and marketed a dark oolong under the name "Formosa Oolong." The tea traveled well yet was lighter, fruitier, and more flavorful than the heavily fired black teas then on the market. Formosa became such a hit in both Europe and the United States that it remained one of the world's favorite teas well into the twentieth century. Its popularity grew both in the United States and in Great Britain until the j.a.panese occupation of Taiwan all but ended production. After World War II, U.S. and British demand increased again, but after China reopened in the 1970s, demand fell off because of superior teas available from both China and Taiwan.

This tea is the only oolong in this chapter that is harvested mechanically-a process becoming increasingly common in tea as the cost of labor rises. The tea is bruised while withering to start the oxidation, twisted in a rolling machine, then left to brown to about 75 percent of the extent of pure black tea. Formosa Oolong is finished in an oven, not over charcoal, which accounts for its clean flavors. I recommend seeking this tea out, not only for its charming, gentle flavors, but also for a lesson in how quickly and thoroughly the tea world can change.

YELLOW TEAS..

1. Jun Shan Yin Zhen Jun Shan Yin Zhen2. Meng Ding Huang Ya Meng Ding Huang Ya3. Huo Shan Huang Ya Huo Shan Huang Ya Yellow teas offer the best of four worlds: They have the big sweet buds of white teas, the gentle vegetal flavor of green teas, the bright and changing aromas of oolongs, and the mild sweetness and soft astringent bite of the finest Chinese black teas.

The only trouble is, they are exceedingly hard to find. Yellow teas are a small but growing subset of the tea world: Only a very small quant.i.ty is made, and only a tiny portion has been available in the West (and only for the last ten years or so). The production method is a closely guarded secret. It's only a matter of time before it comes out, but until then, the few producers command top dollar for their rare, prestigious teas.

Much yellow tea on the market is fake, often simply green tea fobbed off as yellow. Genuine yellow teas, however, are hard to imitate. I have never been able to find someone who would allow me to watch them being made, so I can only speculate. I think that the leaves and buds are partially fixed to keep them only somewhat green. Since they lack the more potent aromas of oolongs and black teas, they are likely not withered. From their light yellow hue and gentle, rounded flavors, they probably oxidize very slowly and only partially, piled under thickly woven mats. To keep from masking those flavors, the leaves are likely dried in an oven, not over a fire.

The result is something extraordinary: a mesmerizing yellow gold liquor, mouth-filling body, and gentle, nuanced tropical and stone fruit flavors. What follows are three charming examples, ranging from Jun Shan Yin Zhen's soothing mango aromas to Huo Shan Huang Ya's subtle ginger flavors.

JUN SHAN YIN ZHEN Jun Mountain Silver Needles Jun Mountain Silver NeedlesJun Shan Yin Zhen is one of China's finest yellow teas, with pleasing subtle fruit aromas and an enduring, balanced flavor. It comes from Jun Shan, a mountain on an island in Dongting Lake, part of the flood basin of the Yangtze River in China's Hunan province. Hunan is situated in China's interior and is usually too hot for growing tea. The lake and the mountain both provide a more moderate, cool climate in which the tea can flourish.

Plucked in the spring, the tea's sweet tips are also beloved for the way they sway vertically in a kind of dance when dropped into hot water. While at Jun Shan, I observed the Hunan version of a tea ceremony that was pleasantly less vigorous than the j.a.panese version. Two ladies elaborately rinsed tall gla.s.ses, filled them with hot water, and placed the leaves inside. The leaves slowly, slowly waltzed down through the water. To replicate this at home, just be sure to place the leaves on top of the water instead of pouring water over the tea.

MENG DING HUANG YA Meng Ding Yellow Sprouts Meng Ding Yellow SproutsThis more astringent, slightly more vegetal yellow tea comes from Sichuan province; the Meng Ding mountain area produces most of Sichuan's better teas. Huang Ya comes from a plant different from that of Jun Shan Yin Zhen, with a slightly more developed tip. Since the tip has an external coating and less fluffy down, this tea is likely plucked later in the year than Yin Zhen as well. It has a slightly more vegetal flavor than Yin Zhen, with some light fruit notes.

HUO SHAN HUANG YA Huo Shan Yellow Sprouts Huo Shan Yellow SproutsThis gingery, floral tea is said to be an ancient tea from the Ming and Qing dynasties that was lost and rediscovered in the 1970s. But this tea is so delicious, who would lose it? It comes from the northern Anhui province. It is likely a very difficult tea to make, as its fragile bud sets are much harder to preserve than the solid buds or leaves of other yellow teas. I love its spice and apricot flavors.

CHINESE BLACK TEAS..

1. Golden Monkey Golden Monkey2. Panyong Golden Needle Panyong Golden Needle3. Panyong Congou Panyong Congou4. Keemun Mao Feng Keemun Mao Feng5. Keemun Hao Ya A Keemun Hao Ya A6. Yunnan Black Tea Yunnan Black Tea7. Lapsang Souchong Lapsang Souchong We've come to think of black tea as something that puckers our mouths, requiring milk and sugar to soften and soothe it. Chinese black teas, however, have all the mellow, sweetened effects of milk and sugar without requiring either. From the honeyed twinge of Golden Monkey and the Panyong teas to the chocolate of Keemuns and the turgid smokiness of Lapsang Souchong, these teas have a range and character all their own.

Given how delicious they are, it is a miracle that Chinese black teas exist. The idea that China creates black teas of this quality is as likely as the United States producing top-quality players of professional cricket. Americans play baseball. The Chinese drink green tea, and have for thousands of years. How black tea first emerged is a mystery. Scholars believe that they first appeared at some point in the 1700s, in China's Wuyi Mountains, in northern Fujian province. It's probable that tea makers in that area had grown frustrated by the poor quality of their green teas. Looking for something to catch the attention of the Imperial Tea Tribute Board, they began to experiment with other teas that might make them some money.

Bred of the same preference for sweeter teas that has led to bud-sweetened Chinese white and green teas, Chinese black teas are loaded with glucose-laden buds. The light green buds turn gold during oxidation, the process that turns tea black. Thus many Chinese black teas have the word Golden Golden in their names. in their names.

As with Chinese green teas, the buds do not give the teas a particularly p.r.o.nounced sweetness. Their honeyed notes are subtler, like those of roasted carrots or even a baked but unsweetened peach. What helps amplify the dulcet quality of Chinese black teas is the way the teas darken. Generally speaking, Chinese black teas are oxidized very, very slowly, creating chemical compounds that result in a mild, soft brew that doesn't need milk to soften it.

After harvesting the tea leaves, black-tea makers do not fix their teas to preserve the green chlorophyll as green-tea makers do. Instead they allow the leaves to darken. The same reaction causes avocados and bananas to brown when their flesh is cut open and exposed to the air. During oxidation in tea, an enzyme in the leaves reacts with oxygen to create new brown-colored compounds called "flavonoids."

For more on this reaction, I encourage you to consult the more scientific appendix "From Tree to Tea" (page 193). For our tasting purposes, it's important to know that the levels of these flavonoids not only determine the tea's color, they also influence its flavors and body. As oxidation begins, the first flavonoid to emerge is called "theaflavin," which makes the tea golden but also quite brisk and puckery. If oxidation continues, milder flavonoids called "thearubigins" emerge and give the tea a rounded, gentler body and a darker brown color. The slower the oxidation, the more thearubigins, the mellower the tea.

Generally speaking, Chinese black teas consist mostly of thearubigins, since Chinese tea makers slow down oxidation as much as possible. First they roll the leaves very gently, keeping the leaves as whole as possible. Macerating the leaves only very lightly slows down oxidation by preventing the enzymes from breaking out of the leaf cells into the air. Then the tea makers pack the leaves into deep, finely woven bamboo baskets that limit access to oxygen. The leaves remain in the baskets for several hours, where they oxidize very slowly. Loaded up with thearubigins, the teas taste delightfully rounded and gentle.

Chinese black teas weren't always so sweet. Until the late 1800s, most of them were quite dark, like Keemun and Lapsang Souchong, brisker versions made for a larger British audience. Black tea was exclusively a Chinese product until the mid-nineteenth century, when the British began to grow their own tea in their colonies of India and Sri Lanka. These new tea gardens employed industrialized methods to make a remarkably brisk, uniform drink I call British Legacy Tea (see "British Legacy Black Teas," page 121). While a much diminished British market for Keemun and Lapsang did endure, the sales of Chinese black teas plummeted. The embattled Chinese sent envoys to India to learn from the new "experts," but luckily for us, the knowledge did not stick. About the only new technique the Chinese adopted from the British was the use of mechanical rolling machines (hand rolling is hard work). Unlike British Legacy Teas, which look uncannily alike (all formed on identical rolling machines, even today), Chinese teas are made using a variety of machines in myriad ways to create a panoply of shapes and flavors.

Recent innovations have made some Chinese black teas even more enticing, with the incorporation of extra buds, the same incipient leaves that give white teas their sweetness. We will start with the lightest and most modern tea, Golden Monkey, before moving through increasingly dark teas, closing with Lapsang Souchong, one of the oldest and most famous varieties, beloved for its intensely smoky flavors.

With the exception of Lapsang Souchong, these black teas may initially seem too light. Especially to those of you who are accustomed to more robust a.s.sams or Earl Grey, Chinese black teas may at first seem underbrewed. You're not alone. Some of my finest British hotel customers have rejected my English Breakfast blend as too weak because I make it with Chinese black teas. (There's a great saying: The British like a tea so strong, their spoon stands up in it). For those hotels, I now make a more spoon-friendly blend with brisker teas from India. That said, an open mind can be filled with new experiences. Spoon or no spoon, these Chinese teas, both ancient and more recent, can be extraordinary to sip.

GOLDEN MONKEY.A new tea developed for export from China in just the last ten or fifteen years, Golden Monkey has quickly attracted a loyal, almost cultlike following. With its lightly sweet, apricot aroma and hints of semisweet chocolate in the taste, it is now more popular in the United States and Europe than its older Chinese black tea cousins.

One sign of its youth is its rather innovative name. Most Chinese teas have two names, the first for the place of origin and the second for the style of leaf. Keemun Mao Feng, for example, is a Mao Feng style of tea from Keemun. Golden Monkey means nothing. For marketing purposes only, as "Monkey" usually does in tea names, it's meant to suggest a high-quality tea.

Golden Monkey comes from Saowu, a region outside the city of Fu'an near the coast in northern Fujian province. As with other black-tea areas in China, little green tea of any quality comes from here. The type of tea grown in the region is Da Bai Da Bai ("big white"), a cultivar used in white tea (see "Yin Zhen," page 21). While the history is vague, it seems safe to a.s.sume that when the British export market collapsed, as in other regions, tea growers began experimenting, here first with white teas and now black. ("big white"), a cultivar used in white tea (see "Yin Zhen," page 21). While the history is vague, it seems safe to a.s.sume that when the British export market collapsed, as in other regions, tea growers began experimenting, here first with white teas and now black.

Golden Monkey is made by a process similar to that for Panyong Congou (page 110). Tea makers harvest the leaves when the tips are as large as possible but before they have begun to form whole leaves. The tips are sweet, as they are with white teas, containing extra sugars to help the bud grow into a full leaf. However, in white teas, the bud loses its incipient chlorophyll and becomes white as the tea dries. In black tea, the same bud oxidizes to a golden color. The only trade-off: With more tips, the teas are sweeter but also lighter, with less body.

PANYONG GOLDEN NEEDLE.Panyong Golden Needle, as its name suggests, has plenty of nice golden tips to make it light and sweet. As the tea has fewer tips than Golden Monkey, it also has a bit more body and more a.s.sertive fruit and nut flavors.

Panyong (also called Tanyang) is a town located in northeastern Fujian province, near Fu'an. Though the region is better known for its white teas and art teas, it has produced black teas for at least the last two hundred years. The best black teas from northern Fujian are described as tippy, for the heavy presence of golden tips. (The tips, or buds, turn from white to gold during oxidation.) Unlike the coiled, floral Golden Monkey, Panyong Golden Needle has straight, needlelike leaves with nuttier flavors but similar fruity charms. The flat leaves can have a pleasant sheen to them: They are polished in a slightly heated wok, rubbed up against the metal surface repeatedly to polish them. Unlike the more heavily fired black teas from the Wuyi Shan region, Panyong teas are finished in an oven. Discerning tea makers do not like fire flavors to overpower these rounded teas.

PANYONG CONGOU.Continuing our progression from light and sweet to dark and smoky, we have Panyong Congou, which exhibits fewer honey notes but greater heft than the previous two teas. Those who prefer full-bodied British Legacy Teas will find much to like in Panyong Congou. From the same area in Fujian province, Panyong Congou is a close relative of Panyong Golden Needle and Golden Monkey but slightly older and made in a more traditional style, with the least amount of tips. Congou Congou is a corruption of the Chinese words is a corruption of the Chinese words Gong Fu, Gong Fu, or or Kung Fu, Kung Fu, which mean "Highest Mastery." A tea trade cla.s.sification for Chinese black teas with this particular twisted shape, the word refers to the masterful skill required to produce the teas by hand. Today, the teas are made almost entirely by machine. The leaves are expertly rolled into a tight twist before slowly oxidizing to take on the fruity but unsweetened flavors of baked apples. which mean "Highest Mastery." A tea trade cla.s.sification for Chinese black teas with this particular twisted shape, the word refers to the masterful skill required to produce the teas by hand. Today, the teas are made almost entirely by machine. The leaves are expertly rolled into a tight twist before slowly oxidizing to take on the fruity but unsweetened flavors of baked apples.

KEEMUN MAO FENG Keemun Downy Tip Keemun Downy TipArguably China's most famous black tea, Keemun Mao Feng has been a Western favorite for over a century. Darker than Panyong Congou, both Keemun Mao Feng and Keemun Hao Ya A, following, are famous for their intriguing chocolate flavors. Keemuns have a captivating quality that evokes unsweetened cocoa, but without the bitterness.

The name Keemun Keemun is an older Western spelling of the town now known as Qimen (p.r.o.nounced "Chee-men"). The tea grows near the town, in a region between the Yellow Mountains and the Yangtze River. The rolling flats can get quite steep. The little hills are stumpy compared with the dramatic peaks of Darjeeling and a far cry from the terraced hills of Wuyi, where Lapsang Souchong comes from. The green teas grown in Qimen (as in every other black-tea region in China) are second-rate, hence the region's interest in making black tea for export. is an older Western spelling of the town now known as Qimen (p.r.o.nounced "Chee-men"). The tea grows near the town, in a region between the Yellow Mountains and the Yangtze River. The rolling flats can get quite steep. The little hills are stumpy compared with the dramatic peaks of Darjeeling and a far cry from the terraced hills of Wuyi, where Lapsang Souchong comes from. The green teas grown in Qimen (as in every other black-tea region in China) are second-rate, hence the region's interest in making black tea for export.

Mao Feng is a more elegant, lighter, and more refined Keemun than its cousin Hao Ya A. This sophistication is due in part to the earlier harvest; Mao Feng is gathered over just a few days in late April and early May, earlier in the spring when the leaves contain softer, rounder polyphenols and superior amino acids. Mao Feng is also harvested in leafsets of two leaves and a bud, whereas Hao Ya A contains mostly full leaves. Buds lighten and sweeten Mao Feng. I recommend tasting both Keemuns together to compare.

Both teas undergo an unusually long wither of between three and four hours, which makes the teas more aromatic. After withering, the tea is rolled and slowly oxidized for around five hours, almost twice as long as many British Legacy Teas. Then the leaves are gently yet thoroughly rolled. The rolling machines give the leaves a lovely twist. The rolling also accentuates the buds to make them look larger than they are. After the rolling, the leaves are loaded into long, deep bamboo baskets and covered with cloth. The baskets stand in a steam-filled room. Over the hours, the tips turn a charming golden color and the leaves begin to acquire the cocoa flavors for which Keemuns are so famous.

Keemun Mao Feng is quite rare. Most Keemun tea makers skip the Mao Feng harvest, saving their leaves for the Hao Ya harvest that begins just a few days later and lasts much longer. Fruitier and lighter than its later-season cousin, Keemun Mao Feng remains a treat worth trying.

KEEMUN HAO YA A.As I've discussed in the previous section on Keemun Mao Feng, Keemuns are some of China's oldest and most renowned black teas. They come from the rolling hills surrounding the small town now written as Qimen Qimen. The tea fields lie between the Yellow Mountains and the Yangtze River. Hao Ya is made in late April or early May, after the Mao Feng harvest, when the leaves are bigger and more flavorful. While Mao Feng is harvested over only eight to ten days, Hao Ya season goes on for as long as six weeks.

Ha Ya teas are separated: The best tips become Ha Ya A, the next-best tips become Ha Ya B. The grading system is an affectation adopted for the U.S. market; A and B grades don't exist in China.

Hao Ya A is processed much like Keemun Mao Feng. Whereas Mao Feng makers accentuate the bud, drawing out the subtlety and sweetness of the tea, Hao Ya makers go for power. When buying Ha Ya A, I look for the enduring intensity that is characteristic of the very best Ha Ya A teas.

YUNNAN BLACK TEA.If Keemuns are the aristocrats of Chinese black teas, Yunnan black teas are the poor but happy cousins. Earthy, almost gutty and a.s.sertive, the teas also have a sociable maple sweetness to give them accessible charm. This sugared note makes for an instructive contrast to the sophisticated, subdued chocolate flavors of Keemuns. The maple and chocolate notes are both products of the Maillard reaction that occurs during firing, when amino acids and glucosides in the leaves combine to form compounds called "pyrroles" and "pyrazines," chemicals that have sweet roasted flavors. Yunnan and Keemun leaves have different levels of amino acids; those in Yunnan form pyrazines that remind me of cooked maple sap.

Yunnan black tea comes from a remote region of China on the border of Laos and Burma, where tea is thought to have originated. Most teas from this region are aged to make puerhs (page 173). Puerhs have become so popular, it is getting harder and harder to find unaged ordinary Yunnan black tea. But it is worth searching out. Yunnan black tea offers a delicious combination of full body and sweetish flavors, with a certain earthiness and even a mild pepperiness, balanced by the sugars from lots of tip. There is even a 100 percent golden tip tea made in Yunnan, called Dianhong. Teas made entirely of tips are so expensive, I wanted to include only one in the book. Because I find Dianhong inferior, I've chosen Golden Tip a.s.sam (page 144).

LAPSANG SOUCHONG.With a captivating smoky flavor unlike any other tea-black, green, or otherwise-Lapsang Souchong is the oldest and among the most beloved of all the black teas from China. When I first started in the tea business with my father in the mid-1980s, Lapsang Souchong was one of the half dozen teas we sold. Today we sell over three hundred teas, but Lapsang remains a favorite. It's been sold in the United States for two hundred years.

There are countless varieties of Lapsang Souchong. Lesser varieties are generally more acrid and more intense, while the finest are lighter and more refined. Though teas marketed as Lapsang Souchong now come from all over the world, the true version still comes from the spot considered to be the birthplace of black tea, China's Wuyi Mountains, in the northern part of Fujian province. No one knows why or how black teas started there; as with the other black teas in this chapter, it probably had something to do with the fact that the green teas grown there weren't that great. I rarely find green teas in the Wuyi region, only black teas and oolongs. Even the oolongs, called Wuyi Mountain Rock Teas, are among the darker varieties (see "Da Hong Pao," page 93).

The Wuyi Preserve is breathtaking. Surrounded by a stark forest of dark pine and light bamboo, the road to the tea-growing regions rises through a narrowing canyon along a raging stream. Inside this chasm, tea plants are naturally protected: The special cultivar that grows here is prevented from breeding with any other. The plants grow low to the ground and are allowed to spread on their own, untreated with chemicals or fertilizers. As a result, harvesting from the rambling, low bushes is tough work.

Until only a few years ago, the production method for Lapsang Souchong was a closely guarded secret. As the Chinese government devolves control of its tea factories back to private citizens, however, access to this information has improved, as have the teas themselves.

Lapsang Souchong leaves are infused with their smoke flavors in two stages. Once they are harvested, the leaves are withered for two hours to make them supple, in a room above a chamber where an even fire of native pine logs slowly smolders.

After withering, the leaves are rolled to form small, spindly needles. The rolling starts the oxidation. The oxidizing needles are loaded up in tall woven bamboo baskets and covered with a cloth. Gathered together in deep baskets and covered from the open air, the leaves take on the much more gentle flavors characteristic of Chinese black teas. Unlike Keemuns, the teas oxidize in a dry room free from steam, and have no trace of chocolate flavor.

After two hours of oxidizing, the dark brown leaves are spread out on bamboo trays and moved to a small room above the same smoking chamber where the leaves are withered. The same hot, piney smoke rises from the level below. The leaves rest there for four hours, drying out and absorbing a smoky flavor like so many tiny slabs of bacon. When they are finished, the scent of dried Lapsang leaves is as much a pleasure to savor as the actual taste of the tea.

BRITISH LEGACY BLACK TEAS.It's common to presume that Darjeeling, a.s.sam, and Ceylon teas have as much ancient history as do Keemun, Lung Ching, Sencha, and the other great teas of China and j.a.pan. While teas from South Asia are also incredible, they are, remarkably, only a little older than the telegraph. Named for the regions where they grow, these teas are a product of the British Empire, when British industrialists first established tea plantations in their then colonies. In the last fifty years, since the region won its independence from Great Britain, the tea styles, too, have evolved. Native tea makers have found ways to give them more nuance and character than the original industrial combines first sought. All three styles of tea retain some marks of British influence, so I group them together under my own term, British Legacy Teas.

Historically, these British Legacy Teas were both revered and derided for a.s.sertive, unsubtle flavors and brisk, tannic body. These are the teas that made black tea famous for its pucker. Today, many of the teas have evolved to become considerably more sophisticated. They retain some of that characteristic British Legacy bite but now boast nuance, charms, and engaging flavors ranging from guava to dark honey and malt.

British Legacy Teas were originally developed to require the mellowing effects of milk and sugar. By the 1830s, when Samuel Morse first started tinkering with wires, the British Empire was nearing its apogee. Tea consumption was rapidly increasing with the prosperity born of the Industrial Revolution. A new cla.s.s of factory workers depended on tea with sugar and milk to supply them with a surprisingly large portion of their nutrition. Paying China for all that tea, however, was causing severe cash shortages. The British began looking for ways to get tea for free. Numerous attempts were made to establish tea plantations in the new colony of India.

After much trial and error, by the 1850s the British had succeeded. They found that Camellia sinensis Camellia sinensis var. var. sinensis, sinensis, the native Chinese variety of the tea plant, thrived in the cool, steep mountain slopes of northeastern India's Darjeeling region. In the nearby province of a.s.sam, botanists discovered an entirely separate variety of tea plant, a larger-leafed variety they called the native Chinese variety of the tea plant, thrived in the cool, steep mountain slopes of northeastern India's Darjeeling region. In the nearby province of a.s.sam, botanists discovered an entirely separate variety of tea plant, a larger-leafed variety they called Camellia sinensis Camellia sinensis var. var. a.s.samica a.s.samica. Vast plantations quickly grew up in that flatter and more low-lying region, churning out immense quant.i.ties of a.s.samica's a.s.samica's larger leaves. In the 1870s, Scots brought both varieties of tea to Sri Lanka, or what was then called Ceylon, after a blight wiped out coffee crops there. larger leaves. In the 1870s, Scots brought both varieties of tea to Sri Lanka, or what was then called Ceylon, after a blight wiped out coffee crops there.

In all three places, the British appet.i.te for cheap tea led the new British tea merchants to reinvent the beverage. At first, the British tried to imitate the Chinese style of tea making. However, they soon found that their new vast tropical tea farms rendered the Chinese methods impracticable. These new estates produced tea in quant.i.ties never seen before in either China or j.a.pan. The hot climate pushed out leaves year-round-quite large leaves in the case of the a.s.samica a.s.samica plant-more leaves than human hands could shape or fire over woks. What's more, in the time Chinese tea makers allowed their leaves to wither, South Asian tea leaves would rot in the climate's heat and humidity. The British applied their industrial innovations to tea making, combining steps or cutting them out altogether, introducing machinery to tackle what had for so long been done by hand. In the process, they created a new type of tea. plant-more leaves than human hands could shape or fire over woks. What's more, in the time Chinese tea makers allowed their leaves to wither, South Asian tea leaves would rot in the climate's heat and humidity. The British applied their industrial innovations to tea making, combining steps or cutting them out altogether, introducing machinery to tackle what had for so long been done by hand. In the process, they created a new type of tea.The British invented heated withering tables to speed up the evaporation necessary to soften tea leaves for rolling. They invented the very first rolling machines, one aptly called the Britannia. The machine is still in use in many Indian tea gardens today. These rolling machines precipitated the need for a new grading system. Chinese black teas had always consisted of whole leaves, but these new mechanical rollers generated all manner of leaf particles, leading to new variations in the brew. To distinguish one from another, British Legacy Teas, particularly those from the Indian tea regions of Darjeeling and a.s.sam, still come with a string of letters and numbers attached to their names explaining their leaf size. These terms are so common, it's worth attempting to define them. Let's look at the tail on a typical top-quality Indian variety: .

S: Special F : Fancy T: Tippy G: Golden F: Flowery / B: Broken O: Orange P: Pekoe 1: Number 1 As you can see, the region suffers from grade inflation. Only forty years ago, the best British Legacy Teas were labeled GFOP or BOP, for Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe and Broken Orange Pekoe, respectively. Increased compet.i.tion over a shrinking market has led tea makers to tack on ever more modifiers in a misguided effort to stand out. Supreme, Special, Fancy, Tippy, Number 1, Golden Supreme, Special, Fancy, Tippy, Number 1, Golden, and Orange Pekoe Orange Pekoe are all meant to suggest little more than best-quality teas. Orange Pekoe is nearly meaningless; "Orange" stands for the Dutch Royal House of Orange and once indicated tea of a quality suitable for their monarchs. "Pekoe" is a misp.r.o.nunciation of the Chinese words are all meant to suggest little more than best-quality teas. Orange Pekoe is nearly meaningless; "Orange" stands for the Dutch Royal House of Orange and once indicated tea of a quality suitable for their monarchs. "Pekoe" is a misp.r.o.nunciation of the Chinese words bai hao-bai bai hao-bai meaning "white" and meaning "white" and hao hao meaning "tippy" or "downy." meaning "tippy" or "downy." Pekoe Pekoe may have once meant tippy teas, but the ancient word has long since lost its original meaning. may have once meant tippy teas, but the ancient word has long since lost its original meaning.

The two words to look for are Flowery Flowery or or Broken Broken. Flowery Flowery meant tippy in the era when British tea makers thought that the buds came from the flowers of the tea bush, before they realized the buds were incipient leaves. Today, Flowery mostly means a tea made up of the largest available particles. meant tippy in the era when British tea makers thought that the buds came from the flowers of the tea bush, before they realized the buds were incipient leaves. Today, Flowery mostly means a tea made up of the largest available particles. Broken Broken means the tea consists of smaller, broken pieces. Generally speaking, the larger the leaf particles, the mellower and more sophisticated the tea. means the tea consists of smaller, broken pieces. Generally speaking, the larger the leaf particles, the mellower and more sophisticated the tea.

Today, both Flowery and Broken teas are also called "Orthodox" teas, to distinguish them from "CTC" teas. "CTC" teas (so called for the "Crush, Tear, and Curl" steps of the production process) were introduced into the market in 1931, when Sir William McKercher invented the a machine that would "crush, tear, and curl" the fresh tea leaves in one fell swoop. This technique, the apogee of British tea innovation, revolutionized the world of tea production. Essentially a ma.s.sive sieve, the machine extruded fresh leaves as tiny bright green pellets, then sent them on a conveyor belt beneath powerful blowers. This machine so hastened oxidation that the pellets turned dark brown within one hundred yards, in just under an hour. The result of this near instantaneous oxidation was a tea with extraordinary briskness and consistency. CTC teas have much less of the sort of internal variation that pure whole-leaf teas can provide, the kind of magical alteration that happens when one sips a fine tea or wine. CTC teas are so much cheaper and easier to produce, however, that they have almost entirely supplanted Orthodox teas. Today, CTC teas make up at least 95 percent of the worldwide tea market and are the primary ingredient in teabags. But because they are so blunt, I include only one CTC in this book. All the other British Legacy Teas here are Orthodox, and of those, almost all are Flowery.

In the British Legacy areas, the market for both Orthodox and CTC British Legacy Teas began to shrink dramatically in 1947 when the British Raj ended. The British began importing the bulk of their black tea from East Africa. South Asians took over owners.h.i.+p of the plantations, and British influence in the region waned. The makers of the best Darjeelings, a.s.sams, and Ceylons began innovating to appeal to a broader reach of tea drinkers. In the last thirty to forty years, many have taken advantage of modernizations in production and tea transport to improve their teas. The best Orthodox Darjeelings now have bright fruity qualities to rival oolongs. Honeyed, malty a.s.sams have won a loyal following for their a.s.sertive, robust flavors. Ceylons are winning notice for creativity and invention, seemingly producing a new and different style for each garden on the small island. It is these more recent-and more delicious-teas that we will taste now.

DARJEELING BLACK TEAS..

1. Singbulli SFTGFOP1 Supreme Dj 18 Singbulli SFTGFOP1 Supreme Dj 182. Margaret's Hope FTGFOP Muscatel Dj 275 Margaret's Hope FTGFOP Muscatel Dj 2753. Himalayan Tips SFTGFOP1 Second Flush Himalayan Tips SFTGFOP1 Second Flush4. Okayti Dj 480 Autumnal FTGFOP Okayti Dj 480 Autumnal FTGFOP The northeastern region of Darjeeling on the border of Nepal and Bhutan is famous for three seasons of tea: the spring's First Flush, the early summer's Second Flush, and the late summer and fall's Autumnal teas. Though they grow more subdued the farther they get from spring, all three seasonal teas have a charming rounded quality, a depth and a gentleness to rival Chinese black teas. The First Flushes in particular have lively floral and fruit aromas to rival oolongs. We will try all of them.

I place Darjeelings first in this unit on British Legacy Teas not only because they were the first teas made by the Raj, but also because they most closely resemble Chinese black teas and are the most natural progression to follow them. Crafted to give a similar rounded quality, Darjeelings also have more tropical fruit flavors like pineapple and guava, and a little more bite than Chinese Black teas from their more hastened oxidation.

Darjeeling has produced teas only since the 1830s. In their quest to grow tea in India, the British discovered that the native Chinese tea bush, Camellia sinensis Camellia sinensis var. var. sinensis, sinensis, flourished there. In what remains one of the highest-alt.i.tude tea-growing regions in the world, in the cool air and hardscrabble soil of the Himalayan foothills, the tea leaves grow slowly, taking on lovely variegated flavors. Though British plantations marketed their product as the Champagne of teas, what they churned out was heavy, dark, and brisk, almost begging for the softening effects of milk and sugar. I still have older customers who pine for this traditional Darjeeling flavor. flourished there. In what remains one of the highest-alt.i.tude tea-growing regions in the world, in the cool air and hardscrabble soil of the Himalayan foothills, the tea leaves grow slowly, taking on lovely variegated flavors. Though British plantations marketed their product as the Champagne of teas, what they churned out was heavy, dark, and brisk, almost begging for the softening effects of milk and sugar. I still have older customers who pine for this traditional Darjeeling flavor.

In 1947, independence brought an end to the Raj, and British influence in the region waned. Great Britain began importing the bulk of its teas from Africa. In the late 1960s, in a search for new teas to capture a fresh audience, Bernd Wulf, founder of HTH, the tea wholesaling firm my family buys from, worked with an Indian tea dealer named Ranabir Sen. The two experimented with lightening the teas to let the leaves' flavorful qualities come through.

First they made sure that the harvesters gathered only the most flavorful parts of the plant. Following the Chinese example, the harvesters snipped only young leafsets of two leaves and a bud. Then they lengthened the withering time to build up the teas' extraordinary aromas and give them a lighter, almost greenish cast. You'll recall that oolong tea makers wither tea leaves right after harvesting them to soften them up for rolling. In Darjeeling, to fight off the cold and damp weather, tea makers wither their leaves in heated troughs. Wulf and Sen found that if they left the leaves in the troughs long after the leaves had gone limp, in what's now called a "hard wither," the teas took on remarkably strong aromas similar to those of oolongs. The tea's flavors also became more complex. Hard withering kept many of the leaves green by deactivating a percentage of the enzyme that would otherwise turn the green leaves brown. The hard withering affects different cultivars to varying degrees; since most gardens use a variety of clones, many good Darjeelings have a beautiful mixture of black and green leaves.

Wulf and Sen also carefully adjusted the rolling process, making sure the teas did not get overheated and lose their flavors from excess pressure or friction. They monitored the oxidation and shortened the firing time significantly, to show off the improvements in flavor rather than cover them with a heavy firing.

Thanks to their efforts, today we can enjoy a range of aromatic, flavorful Darjeeling teas. We will begin with a bright and floral First Flush Darjeeling. Then we'll taste a great, though more subdued, Second Flush. We'll end with two teas with characteristic mellow but a.s.sertive Autumnal Darjeeling flavors.

Since Darjeelings are more delicate than a.s.sams, they are best brewed at lower temperatures, between 190 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and for only three to four minutes. Experiment to see what works best. In general, the later the tea is harvested in the season, the higher the water temperature should be.

SINGBULLI SFTGFOP1 SUPREME DJ 18 Singbulli Special Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe No. 1 Singbulli Special Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe No. 1Singbulli is one of Darjeeling's better gardens, stretching over the foothills of the Himalayas at the base of Kangchenjunga, the third highest peak in the world. Although some distance from the city of Darjeeling, Singbulli is still part of the Darjeeling region. The road to the garden offers one of the most scenic drives in all of tea country: It loops through tea fields, following the crests of the hills before plunging into the tea-carpeted Mirik Valley. While much of Darjeeling teas suffer from an overuse of modifiers, Singbulli teas really are supreme. With its spicy, lively aromas, its bracing body, fruity flavors, and colorful green and brown leaves, the tea is a model First Flush Darjeeling.

Like Chinese Qing Ming teas and j.a.panese Senchas, First Flush Darjeelings consist of the first leaves and buds to flush in early spring. Spring teas are so prized because they have a bigger share of what makes tea so delicious. During the winter the plants go dormant, storing sugars and other compounds in their roots. As the weather warms, the plants send out those sugars and other tasty compounds to the tips of the plants to fuel new leaf growth. In the cool spring weather, the leaves grow slowly, making their flavor compounds even more concentrated and complex.

To help bring out these more nuanced flavors, Singbulli tea makers oxidize First Flush teas for less time than they do teas harvested later in the season. They stop the First Flush after what they call "the first nose," a particular scent that emerges about two hours after the leaves are rolled. First Flush teas are therefore quite green, both because of their shorter oxidation and because of hard withering.

In the last ten years, compet.i.tion over the earliest First Flush teas has gotten quite intense. Few people in India take any notice of them, since the national beverage there is chai chai from CTC teas. Nonetheless, tea drinkers in Germany and, increasingly, j.a.pan and the United States are quite fond of them. First Flush teas are flown into j.a.pan like Beaujolais Nouveau is; some j.a.panese tea shops even display signs that read, "The First Flush has arrived." j.a.panese businessmen increasingly offer Darjeeling First Flush teas to colleagues as tokens of respect. from CTC teas. Nonetheless, tea drinkers in Germany and, increasingly, j.a.pan and the United States are quite fond of them. First Flush teas are flown into j.a.pan like Beaujolais Nouveau is; some j.a.panese tea shops even display signs that read, "The First Flush has arrived." j.a.panese businessmen increasingly offer Darjeeling First Flush teas to colleagues as tokens of respect.

Though they may be prestigious, the very first teas of the First Flush season are usually a little thin. Unlike Qing Ming teas and Senchas, First Flush teas actually peak a few weeks into the harvest. While tea buyers compete over the very first lots of the season, it's actually better to wait to see which lots are the best.

Singbulli's First Flush season starts around the second week of March and lasts roughly three weeks. The Dj 18 in this tea's name indicates that the tea was harvested about two weeks into the harvest, the eighteenth lot to be picked.

MARGARET'S HOPE FTGFOP MUSCATEL DJ 275 MUSCATEL DJ 275 Margaret's Hope Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Muscatel Darjeeling Lot No. 275 Margaret's Hope Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Muscatel Darjeeling Lot No. 275Margaret's Hope contains all the mellow, more subdued, cooked stone fruit character of a cla.s.sic Second Flush Darjeeling. This is also called a Muscatel Darjeeling, since its flavor is suggestive of Muscat grapes.

Second Flush teas are to First Flush teas a little like what Banchas are to Senchas in j.a.pan; like Banchas, Second Flush leaves emerge a few weeks after the First Flush pa.s.ses. The First Flush lasts for three to four weeks in early spring, ending when the plant has spent all its stored winter energy on new leaves. For several weeks, the plant does not make any leaves as it regenerates energy. Then in late May or early June, the plant starts to grow again. Though bigger and tougher than the tender First Flush leaves, Second Flush leaves are still full of flavor.

Darjeeling tea makers adjust their production methods from First Flush to Second Flush to accommodate the larger, older leaves. As Taiwanese tea makers do with Bai Hao, also called the Fanciest Formosa Oolong (page 91), Darjeeling tea makers harness the plants' self-defenses by allowing their natural predators, leaf mites, to feast on the leaves right before harvesting them. During the feasting, the leaves repel the predators by releasing defenses in the form of aromatic compounds. When the tea is made, the compounds create the lovely fruity flavors.

As with First Flush teas, the tea makers hard-wither the leaves after harvesting to concentrate their aromas. After rolling the leaves, they oxidize them 30 percent longer. First Flush teas oxidize until the first nose-a certain distinctive, strong aroma that emerges after about two hours. Second Flush teas oxidize for about another forty minutes to an hour. The first nose dies away after ten minutes; after another thirty minutes or so, the second nose emerges, at which point the tea maker fires the leaves in an oven. The firing lasts just under half an hour, to add gentle roasted flavors.

HIMALAYAN TIPS SFTGFOP1 SECOND FLUSH Himalayan Tips Special Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe No. 1 Second Flush Himalayan Tips Special Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe No. 1 Second FlushThis tea comes from Nepal. While not technically a Darjeeling, it is made in the Darjeeling style, with a hard wither, thorough rolling, limited oxidation, and light firing. Darjeeling teas are made right on the border separating India from Nepal, so it is only natural that tea cultivation has migrated to the other side of the border. Nepalese teas were once marketed as Darjeelings, but Himalayan Tips is proudly sold as tea from Nepal.

Himalayan Tips comes from a promising new garden started just a few years ago called Jun Chiyabari. A small operation about thirty miles west of the border, Jun Chiyabari supplements its own leaf production with leaves from other local Nepalese tea farmers. In coming years, the garden's teas should only get better, but for now its finest tea, a Second Flush, lacks the nuance and full range of flavor of Margaret's Hope. The tea still serves as a useful indicator of the rising quality of Nepalese teas.

OKAYTI DJ 480 AUTUMNAL FTGFOP Okayti Darjeeling Lot No. 480 Autumnal Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Okayti Darjeeling Lot No. 480 Autumnal Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange PekoeOkayti possesses the cla.s.sic qualities of Autumnal Darjeeling: mildly fruity and spicy-and affordable. The third style of Darjeelings, Autumnal teas are harvested after the late-summer monsoon, an event unique to the teas of South Asia. The monsoon hits Darjeeling around the end of June (depending on the valley and the elevation), drawing a close to the Second Flush season. Sometime around October, when the clouds clear and good tea weather recommences, the Autumnal tea harvest begins.

The Dj 480 portion of Okayti's name indicates that the tea is a Darjeeling from the 480th lot of that plantation to be harvested that year, most likely in November. The garden of Okayti stands on the lower hills of the Darjeeling region ab.u.t.ting Nepal. Although a perfectly good garden, it generally does not produce teas at the level of Margaret's Hope or Singbulli. Autumnal teas are made much like Second Flush teas; the thicker leaves are left to oxidize through the second nose, or for about three hours, before being fired to take on mild roasted flavors. The result is a muted version of a Second Flush.

Okayti is a nostalgic favorite of mine. Situated on a lovely corner of a road through the Mirik Valley, it is a stunningly beautiful garden. When my mentor, Bernd Wulf, died, his ashes were scattered here. Whenever we are in the area, a visit is mandatory.

Queen Victoria also found teas from this garden enjoyable. Legend credits her for the name: After trying it, she p.r.o.nounced that it was indeed "okay tea."

NILGIRI BLACK TEAS..

1. Kairbetta FTGFOP Frost Tea Kairbetta FTGFOP Frost Tea Nilgiri means "Blue Mountain" ; part of the Western Ghats mountain range in southern India, the Nilgiris are also the most scenic tea region in India-which is saying a lot, considering Darjeeling's stunning mountain scenery and the enchanting tea carpet of a.s.sam. Found in Tamil Nadu, bordering Kerala, the Nilgiris combine beautiful mountains with an abundance of blooming flowers. The British established the first tea plantation here in 1854. After experiencing the heat of the plains, I can understand the attraction of the cooler highlands where the tea is grown. The region grew to become a major producer with several hundred tea estates. After India's independence, the Nilgiris became a volume producer of CTC teas rather than a source of quality Orthodox teas. Unfortunately, this trend predominates today, which is why this section is so short. Kairbetta is a tea made in the cold months of December and January. Its aromas are delightful enough that I thought the tea merited its own section.

KAIRBETTA FTGFOP FROST TEA Kairbetta Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Frost Tea Kairbetta Fancy Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe Frost TeaKairbetta is a garden located in southern India, in the tea district called the Nilgiris ("Blue Mountains"). Kairbetta is called a "frost tea" because it is made during the cold, dry months from December to February. In the southern Indian winter, the tea plants do not go dormant, but the leaves do grow more slowly, concentrating the tea's aromatic compounds. The cold weather also allows the factories to wither and oxidize the teas more slowly as well, further developing the aroma compounds to draw out their attractive fruit, floral, and spice notes. With its lovely aromas but dark color, Kairbetta falls somewhere between a First Flush and Second Flush Darjeeling.

a.s.sAM BLACK TEAS..

1. Golden Tip a.s.sam Golden Tip a.s.sam2. Mangalam FTGFOP OR 815 Mangalam FTGFOP OR 8153. Mangalam FTGBOP Special OR 555 Mangalam FTGBOP Special OR 5554. Boisahabi CTC PF 642 Boisahabi CTC PF 642 The twirling brown leaves and golden tips of the world's greatest a.s.sam black teas yield lovely honey and malty flavors, a little like the maltiness of a good beer. a.s.sams are also among the most a.s.sertive and brisk of the black teas. It's no accident: The more quickly a tea is made, the brisker its body. And everything about a.s.sam tea is fast.

a.s.sam is India's tea basket, a hothouse region that generates astonis.h.i.+ng quant.i.ties of tea in just six weeks. a.s.sam teas derive from Camellia sinensis Camellia sinensis var. var. a.s.samica, a.s.samica, a large-leafed variety of tea discovered only in the 1830s by British botanist-adventurer Charles Bruce. As in Darjeeling, the British were quick to establish ma.s.sive tea plantations, which today grow many different clones of the wild original. (a.s.sam also has a very large field of natural gas, so in an awkward-though safe-arrangement, today the tea plantations alternate with gas refineries.) a large-leafed variety of tea discovered only in the 1830s by British botanist-adventurer Charles Bruce. As in Darjeeling, the British were quick to establish ma.s.sive tea plantations, which today grow many different clones of the wild original. (a.s.sam also has a very large field of natural gas, so in an awkward-though safe-arrangement, today the tea plantations alternate with gas refineries.) In a.s.sam's subtropical conditions, the plants suffer for nothing, least of all water: a.s.sam is one of the wettest places on the planet. The mighty Brahmaputra River cuts right down the Y-shaped northeastern region, br.i.m.m.i.n.g with melted Himalayan snows and the region's rains. The weather is fairly consistent: It either pours down rain or it is sunny and steamy. In the tropical moisture, the tea bushes draw from the rich, alluvial soil to generate thick, big leaves from May through June. In the humid air, tea makers have to rush to process the tea.

a.s.sam makers both wither and oxidize these leaves in less time than for just about every other good tea. In contrast with oolong leaves, which benefit from multistage withering, or Darjeelings, which require a hard withering, a.s.sam leaves are limp and ready for rolling after just eighteen hours. As a result of this soft wither, a.s.sams are more muted, more soothing, and a darker, richer brown color.

a.s.sam makers roll and oxidize their teas quickly as well. While most use CTC machines, a few great Orthodox a.s.sam makers apply traditional rolling to macerate the large, thick a.s.samica a.s.samica leaves. First they roll the leaves in large batches in strong machines that apply plenty of pneumatic pressure. The leaf morsels that are the first to break down are considered the best and are called "fines" (see "Mangalam FTGFOP OR 815," page 146). The remaining leaves are run through a conical sieve called a " leaves. First they roll the leaves in large batches in strong machines that apply plenty of pneumatic pressure. The leaf morsels that are the first to break down are considered the best and are called "fines" (see "Mangalam FTGFOP OR 815," page 146). The remaining leaves are run through a conical sieve called a "dhool." This sieve pulverizes the leaves much as a ricer does a potato. Some leaves are still too tough and are sent through the rolling machine and then the dhool dhool a second and third time. The thoroughly crushed leaves then oxidize very quickly, taking on strong, brisk flavors. a second and third time. The thoroughly crushed leaves then oxidize very quickly, taking on strong, brisk flavors.