For a loose tea available in bulk at a grocery store, Rishi Tea’s Jade Oolong is surprisingly good. I have bought it several times, and usually drink it while I am working because I can get it within walking distance of my workplace.
This past weekend I prepared some of it gongfu style, which revealed even more of its character. Like other Taiwanese green oolongs the liquor is a nice rich yellow color with a lemony flavor. And consistent with the behavior of other green oolongs, it is best and most flavorful in the third infusion.
The glass gongfu set shown in the photographs is becoming one of my favorite sets for delicate green oolongs. Both the pitcher and the teapot pour quite nicely. Porcelain gaiwans work just as well, but the tea really looks lovely in glass.
August 18, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Rishi’s Jade Cloud green is one of my standbys and one of the few decent teas I can actually walk into a local store and buy, thereby bypassing shipping charges for mail order. Worth a try if you ever run across it.
August 18, 2008 at 5:01 pm
The Jade Cloud sounds nice. I’ll keep an eye out for it.
August 20, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Do you happen to know of any place in Chicago that I could find an affordable gonfu tea set?
August 23, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Why thank ya, I’ll look into those.
September 1, 2008 at 4:19 am
Jing tea in the UK sell Gong Fu tea sets. I was contemplating buying a set and having seen yours I’m sold!
The set at Jing is sold with or without a water stand – would you recommend the stand or shall I go without?
September 3, 2008 at 3:52 pm
It’s a lot easier with the stand so you don’t need to worry about getting water on anything else.