Tea Tasting: Two Chinese White Teas

[cdh]

OK... I'm trying to get closer to what you've done so far... I've got the last 2.5 g of PMD in 110ml of 175F water... letting it go 3 minutes. It comes out more bitter around the edges this way... And I now see where the melon-y flavor notes are coming from... quite cantalope-y, though in a close to the rind sort of way... Still pretty flat in its flavor profile, with a long long finish.

Trying a second infusion of two minutes, which takes the bitter edge off, but doesn't provide much of interest... I think the tea is going back over the leaves for another minute... which brought out more flavor. Long steeps are what this tea was made for...

[Wholemeal Crank]

My impression is that you get the best of the PMD sooner, where the YZ gives less up front, but keeps giving and giving with the subsequent infusions being pretty much as pleasing as the first.

I wonder if that's due to the delicate thin larger leaves, in distinction to the tiny needles of the YZ?

[Richard Kilgore]

My impression is that you get the best of the PMD sooner, where the YZ gives less up front, but keeps giving and giving with the subsequent infusions being pretty much as pleasing as the first.

I wonder if that's due to the delicate thin larger leaves, in distinction to the tiny needles of the YZ?

That may be. For me the first infusion of the PMD is far and away the best.

[Richard Kilgore]

Do you two have any ideas about matching these white teas with food?

[Wholemeal Crank]

I have enjoyed them with light dessert plates: fruit & nuts, walnut cookies, or honey on toast, even a bit of chocolate. I think their delicate flavor is best appreciated with foods gentle on the palate.

[cdh]

Hmm... chocolate? Never would have thought it... have to try it with the last of the Yin Zhen and see if it works. I agree that these work with stone fruits... I think berries overpower them, though the aftertaste of these teas does play nicely with berry brightness.

[Wholemeal Crank]

The peachy/floral is very nice with a little strong dark chocolate, a good contrast.

[Richard Kilgore]

Interesting. Have either of you found food pairings with these white teas to be synergistic? That is, the food enhances the flavor of the tea, or the tea enhances the flavor of the food? Rather than the food and the tea simply going well together?

[cdh]

I have not... yet. But then again, I very infrequently find myself consuming interesting and/or complex food preparations around tea time. Teas and wines synergize amazing well sometimes, and I'd imagine wine based sauces could take advantage of that... but in this weather, I'm not cooking like that...

[Wholemeal Crank]

I would have to try the tea with chocolate again. Unfortunately I am again away from my kitchen so can't make the attempt just now.

[Richard Kilgore]

I have been brewing the PMD today with a higher ratio - 5.0 g in a 130 ml gaiwan. Infusions: 20 sec, 1 min, 2 min, 3 min. This provides a richer tea liquor - the first infusion at 20 sec was a little thin, but the rest were delicious. And the leaf has at least one more infusion to go.

[Wholemeal Crank]

Just wish to confirm that the Yin Zhen is very very very fine when sips are alternated with small bits of fine dark chocolate (Scharffenberger 70%). Highly recommended.

[cdh]

Am celebrating the cool front and its heat-wave breaking thunderstorms with some yin zhen, trying to make the synergies with chocolate come out... So far I'm getting a very nice procession of melon-y tea, which is not making glorious harmonies with either Belgian 77% chocolate, nor with Ghirardelli 72%.. The melon-y-ness is expressing itself in a manner quite reminscent of the white stuff between watermelon rind and the red watermelon... and that flavor just isn't making the chocolate sing. It is, however, masking the chocolate's own fruitiness and bringing forth the roasty toasty notes quite clearly.

[Wholemeal Crank]

I found it bringing out the fruity notes of the chocolate, but that was with very tiny bits of chocolate per sip of tea. I routinely break up the big SB baking bars and this was some of the fines at the end of the batch.

[Richard Kilgore]

Interesting. I'll pick up some good dark chocolate at Central Market tomorrow and try this pairing.