Product Description
Monkey King Tea – Taiping Houkui
Growing on the foothills of the Huangshan Mountain, this tea embodies a perfect combination of startling elegance, supreme quality, and excellent flavor. If you are looking for proof that tea is, in fact, an art, don’t go any further. The delicate hand-made leaves of taiping houkui can engage all of your senses, ensuring a highly rewarding tea making experience. The fragrance is chestnutty transmuting to algae and back again throughout the steeping process.
Why we like it?
Taiping Houkui is a perfect choice for tea parties and ceremonies. We host tea-related events on regular basis, and it really helps to have such a visually impressive tea on the table because it can blow away those who are curious about tea and shake up – if not convert – those who feel skeptical. This tea, like no other, can help us feel the connection with the people who grew and processed. It’s very appearance: the delicate flatness, subtle marks left by the cloth against which it was pressed, as well as its bright green color and refreshing fragrance transpire every bit of effort that went into making it look and taste so well.
Roman’s personal score: 95/100
Miha’s personal score: 88/100
The scores above represent how the Daoli co-founders Miha and Roman feel about each particular tea. The ratings are given on 0 to 100 scale and are absolutely subjective. We simply translate into numbers our first impression about this tea.
General steeping suggestions
Tea can be steeped in a tea pot, gaiwan, or a strainer placed right in your cup. Feel free to experiment with time, temperature, and quantity. If tea feels a bit strong or bitter, just use less leaves or steep it for a shorter period of time.
The purpose of the first brew is to rinse the leaves, so it shouldn’t last more than five seconds and should be discarded. Pour the hot water again. This time, steep it for longer periods. Avoid leaving the leaves soaking in water between brews, because it makes tea taste bitter and steals a lot of its flavor. If used properly, about six grams of tea leaves can yield several middle-size cups of excellent tea.
Chinese people enjoy the original taste of tea, so they never use milk, sugar, or lemon.
Gongfu steeping suggestions for taiping houkui
Start with this, then experiment:
- one serving: 6 grams (0.2oz – about 1 tsp)
- water: ~ 80 °C, 100-250 ml (~ 175°F, 3-9oz)
- time: 30-60 seconds
- number of infusions: 5-6
- discard the first brew
Start with 30- second infusions; then increase steeping time gradually. By all means avoid using boiling water.
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