spring teas arrive in san francisco

I feel happy enough to dance around a maypole today after imbibing in freshly harvested, hand-crafted Formosa oolongs from Red Blossom Tea in San Francisco. Co-owner Alice Luong and I spent a good portion of the afternoon tasting their 2009 spring Lishan, Alishan, and Fu Shou Shan teas which are newly arrived at their elegant store in San Francisco's Chinatown.  I don't like to plug one venue or another, but must admit that Red Blossom is one of my favorites.  

San Francisco has a fabulous selection of tea shops, tea lounges, and tea rooms to choose from, and many of the tearoom owners take great pride in the teas they select during their semi-annual trips to Asia.  This is what makes tea so much fun and so engaging: sharing it with those who know more than you, and who make you smile as they share their knowledge about tea. Alice certainly fits this bill.

What makes these Formosa oolongs so special is that they are high elevation teas, hand picked and harvested in the traditional method.  This is a delicate art that is passed down through generations and we don't know how long it will last, as automation devices for tea processing take hold across Asia and the rest of the tea-producing regions of the world. What an honor to taste these teas, in which we can appreciate the great craftsmanship and farming that are imbued in them.

We first tried the Alishan, a hand-picked and harvested tea that is "gently oxidized over a 10-hour period, then expertly roasted and rolled to accentuate the natural floral aromatics of the tea leaves," according to Red Blossom's product description.  This tea really was delicious. Alice then moved to the Lishan, which was bright, crisp, light and aromatic.  It was a favorite of a fellow tea sipper next to me, who bought a half pound and promised he would soon return for more.

  

If I had to vote for just one of the teas we tasted, I would cast my ballot for our final tea, the Fu Shou Shan, grown on the second highest peak of the Lishan mountain range at an elevation of 2600 meters. For me, this tea was the show stopper....a rich, bold Taiwanese oolong with a long long finish.  We agreed that this would be a great tea after a meal, and something to serve to special guests who appreciate truly fine teas.  The Lishan is round and crisp and is great to drink in the morning or when you need a vibrancy makeover perhaps mid-afternoon.

Truth be told, any of these teas are a luxury at any time of day, and one is lucky to procure some at Red Blossom's very reasonable prices.  Spring is here, and Formosa oolongs are some of the first teas to arrive, along with Dragonwells for green tea lovers. 

Let me hear from you.  Let me know where you are finding great spring harvest teas!