50g Silver Spiral Yinnou Green Tea

Description

Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea is made from Camellia leaves from China’s Yunnan region. Here, following green tea production techniques, a solid and excellent product has been created for anyone wishing to approach this category without starting with the more famous Long Jing or Mao Feng, of which there are countless varieties on the market. Looking at the leaves, we can also see buds with their clearly visible silver down, indicating that they were harvested at the beginning of spring, at their best moment to be enhanced by the tea master’s production process. In the cup, this tea shows great freshness on the palate, often taking on floral or even citrus notes. The vegetal component of this green tea recalls boiled herbs which, in this case, always remain at an intensity suited to keeping freshness as the leading feature in the mouth. During tasting, a slight toasted trace left by the production process followed by the leaves can also be detected. Tasting - Appearance and aroma Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea leaves are rolled over and over on themselves to form small spirals, as the tea’s name suggests. Colours range from dark green to sage green, with silvery-white tips corresponding to the numerous buds. As soon as they are infused, the leaves release rather intense vegetal aromas: from fresher notes of green salad and basil to hints of cherry tomato and olive oil. The liquor is a magnificent, very bright golden colour; astringency is mild and the body evolves beautifully in a gaiwan, from light and silky to denser and oilier as the infusions progress. Tasting Notes GONG FU CHA The first infusion of Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea has rather gentle vegetal notes reminiscent of spinach and herbs. These are accompanied by fresher hints of basil. It is with the second infusion that the tea increases in intensity on the palate, revealing notes of tomato and more earthy vegetables such as chard and watercress, as well as a surprising and pleasant smoky accent. The third infusion brings savoury notes of grilled vegetables, such as aubergine and courgette, and a barely perceptible acidity on the finish. WESTERN STYLE The first notes of Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea reveal an intense vegetal character, with all the strength of Yunnan teas: the opening features the flavour of herbs with a fresher hint of basil and a pronounced note of extra-virgin olive oil. These are followed by sweet, slightly acidic notes of salad tomato and artichoke preserved in oil, while the finish has smoky and grilled aromas. The flavour of grilled vegetables remains on the palate for a long time, followed by olive oil in the aftertaste. Place of origin Yunnan, China Production Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea follows a very classic processing method which, after an initial outdoor withering, involves cooking the leaves in large woks heated to around 180°C to halt enzymatic activity and prevent oxidation. After these stages, the leaves receive their characteristic rolled shape and are left to rest so that they lose a little more of their residual internal moisture. Preparation We strongly recommend infusing Silver Spiral Yinnou green tea using the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. With this preparation, use 4 grams of leaves (approximately 2 teaspoons) in a gaiwan of around 100 ml to obtain several infusions with different flavours. After quickly rinsing the leaves in water at 80°C, proceed with a first infusion of 10 seconds and then, keeping the water at the same temperature, continue with multiple infusions, increasing the time by 5 seconds each time (10 – 15 – 20 …). This tea lasts for approximately 4 infusions. For a classic Western-style preparation, we recommend 2 grams of leaves (approximately 1 teaspoon) in a 150 ml cup with water at 80°C for one and a half minutes. The tea can be filtered for greater ease while tasting, and the infusion times indicated above are purely suggestions, so they can also be adjusted according to personal taste. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.