Oolong Orange Blossom

There is something to be said for good old-fashioned romance. Flowers, candlelight, dancing, (if you’re feeling frisky, lingerie) - it’s a timeless equation. Well, we’ve got something new to add to your romantic arsenal, Oolong Orange Blossom tea - certain to have a pleasing affect on the object of your affection.

It all starts in 17th Century Italy with the discovery of a particularly fragrant type of Orange Blossom. After a botanist made the discovery, he decided to name the flower Neroli bigarade after Princess Nerola, the daughter of the ruler of the town where it was found. The princess was delighted and took to wearing a perfume created from the delicate white petals of the blossom. Some legends claim that the Princess and the botanist fell in love and were married, but as town records were poor this remains unsubstantiated. Sounds romantic though! Over the ensuing centuries, the blossoms came to symbolize the Western ideal of love and marriage and their popularity grew, particularly in wedding bouquets. In Victorian England, Orange blossom bouquets were so popular the flowers were imported from Florida strictly for that purpose. It was said at the time that the scent of Orange Blossoms could cause anyone to fall in love.

Well, we aren’t matchmakers but if there’s one thing we’re sure you’ll fall in love with it’s this oolong tea. The blend was created using a semi-fermented oolong from Taiwan known for a lively full flavor with hints of berry jam and sweet floral undertones. Since food quality orange blossoms are a little harder to come by today than during the Victorian era, after extensive profiling we recreated their flavor using a mix of jasmine and dried orange pieces which we added to the oolong tea. Rounding out the blend is a Ceylon black tea for some added depth. Like love, the cup is sublime. Brew a pot for someone special today!

Brewing Tips - Hot Tea: Oolongs teas are best enjoyed when the tea leaves are briefly infused with hot water, which is then poured off. The tea is then reinfused and tea is poured to the lucky guests after about 1 minute. The oolong tea leaves may be reinfused several times, with each resulting infusion yielding different liquor from the proceeding cup.

Brewing Tips - Cold Tea: Place 6 teaspoons of oolong tea into a heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the oolong tea into the pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste.