Dragon Well green tea and Pai Mu Tan white tea form the base of this blend, and the story behind the name Dragon Well is worth telling before the tea itself. Longjing, as it's known in Chinese, takes its name from a village said to hold a dragon's reflection in its well water, and legend has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing dynasty prized the tea enough to grant it imperial status. Pai Mu Tan, meaning White Peony, gets its name from the full, silvery leaves that resemble peony petals rather than from any peony flower in the mix. Both come from spring harvests in Zhejiang and Yunnan provinces, picked while the leaves are still tender and processed with minimal oxidation to keep the antioxidant levels and delicate flavour intact.
To that base, the blend adds vanilla, orange, rosebuds and carrot shreds, so the cup opens grassy and floral before sweet citrus comes through from the orange pieces. Rosebuds bring a light, fragrant edge, and the finish settles into a smooth vanilla sweetness. The liquor pours a light yellow. It's a gentler style of green tea, less vegetal than a straight Longjing, with the white tea and dried fruit softening the edges.
Caffeine sits in the 15 to 30 mg per cup range, on the low-to-moderate end, so it gives a mild lift rather than a jolt, a reasonable choice if you're sensitive to stronger teas but still want some caffeine. Green and white teas in general have long been drunk for their antioxidant content and are traditionally associated with supporting digestion, though that is folk use rather than established fact.
Tea & Coffee packs this blend in Kent. To brew it, use about a teaspoon of leaves per cup, let boiled water cool to 80 to 90°C, and steep for one to three minutes depending on how strong you like it. It is best drunk plain, without milk or sugar, so the citrus and vanilla notes stay clear. Once opened, keep it in an airtight container away from light and strong odours to hold onto the flavour.
