Nepal and Moon-lit tea garden

Nepal has an distinctive garden. Jun Chiyabari or "Moonlit Tea Garden", is one of the most recognized names in the Nepalese tea industry. This tea on the way to the top of the world, growing the foothills of the Himalayas, at altitudes of 1650 to 2100 meters and is known for its first-class taste, aroma and its individual and unique character.

Origin

The origin of this plant is Eastern Nepal, Dhankuta district, near the small town of Hila. 100 km west of Darjeeling, a city in the Indian state of West Bengal, also known for its tea production, and 200 km east of Kathmandu, from where expeditions to the highest mountain peak in the world often start.

It is interesting that the Japanese ideogram (純), which is pronounced as "Jun", means "pure" which perfectly embodies the philosophy of purity of the Himalayas in this tea. Japan and Nepal bring their two cultures together here.

Characteristics

Tea the green tea in question here: Jun Chiyabari Himalayan Evergreen, Nepal Organic Green Tea – Summer 2021 In addition to green, depending on the method of processing, this species/cultivator can get white, green, black, oolong or light spring tea.

Nepalese tea producers do not like to use the terms “oolong” or “wulong” which are used in Chinese and Taiwanese tea terminology. Instead, they prefer the terms “partially oxidized tea”: lightly oxidized, medium oxidized, and highly oxidized.

Jun Chiabari is a mixture of various cultivars from the region, most of which originate from Darjeeling and some from plots of old imperial tea from Ilam. Cultivars from the region are increasingly crossed with seeds and cuttings of old Imperial bushes, as well as cultivars and varieties from Taiwan, China and Japan to produce new improved versions.

Processed, dry leaves of this tea on the way to the top of the world, they are more twisted, tough and bent with pleasant grass and wild flower notes. Their color is yellowish-green and silver in places, on pieces of brown stems.

First steeping: The leaflets have not fully opened. They are still twisted, dark green, rust-colored in places. The silvery parts visible on the dry leaves have disappeared.

The color of the liquid is honey-gold, and the texture is medium (between a light tea texture almost like water and a strong oily texture).

Second steeping: Wet leaves almost completely open, some still partially curled, broken, olive green with brown stems. The floral-meadow aroma of wet leaves is pronounced.

The color of the liquid is slightly paler, while the texture is unchanged compared to the first steeping.

This tea is currently certified organic by IMO Switzerland as of August 2012.

Preparation

Although the instructions on the package did not indicate the number of steeping, I decided, since it is green tea, to prepare it twice gong-fu way.

First steeping

Ratio of 1 teaspoon of tea leaves to 2 dcl of water (7 oz)

Water temperature: 80 °C (176 °F)

Steeping time: 2 min

Second steeping

The ratio is the same as for the first soaking - it is about the same batch of leaves.

Water temperature: 80 °C (176 °F)

Soaking time: 3.5 min. the second soaking exceeded the planned 3 min due to my carelessness. But the tea held up well. There was no strong dryness or bitterness.

Impressions

The first sip immediately causes astringent in the mouth with a slight bitterness in the background. The taste is nutty with a barely noticeable floral and honey note. It balances between green and black tea, but more towards green tea. It is felt that the leaflets are less oxidized.

The nutty taste of tea with a floral-honey note evokes for me the association of dry grass and fallen leaves, the smell of which floats through the dry, warm air of early autumn and tickles the nostrils of a casual passer-by.

After a little more than half an hour, the astringent taste of this tea still remained in the mouth, joined by the sweetness on both sides of the tongue.

This tea from the Himalayas causes in the body, a feeling of excitement and a slight feeling of energy flow.

Final thought

If you like green teas such as Gunpowder, Japanese shaded and Darjeeling teas, there is a good chance that you will also like this specific taste of Jun Chiabari Evergreen that will take you to the top of the world.