Spring Oolong

Several years ago we had this great wholesale account called the Coffee Buddha. Anyone who knows, knows the Buddha was the IT place to go. Unfortunately, they closed right before the pandemic hit, perfect timing as if the Buddha himself put a bug in their ear.

One of the best things about this account, for us, was that they not only appreciated our product but they also appreciated and honored our craft. What I mean by that is when they wanted a special flavor or idea for a tea created, they left it up to me to create it. "You are the tea expert" Mike would say. Because of his faith in my abilities, my blending went to the next level because I could be creative.

One of the ideas he had was to do a seasonal oolong, which I loved. We blended up a Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall oolong series for them. After they closed we adopted this idea and created our own take on the series. Due to issues with sourcing, we are unable to recreate several of the original Buddha oolongs.

That said, the Spring Oolong in Abeille Voyante's collection is one of my absolute favorite teas we create and sell.

Why?

I don't like sweet drinks and this one is pretty far from sweet.

We started with a base of a green oolong. If you are unfamiliar with oolong tea, it is a larger leaf tea that is semi oxidized. This means that when the tea is picked it is semi crushed allowing some but not all of the chlorophyll to oxidize. Oolong teas can be anywhere from 15%-70% oxidized. Greener oolongs will be closer to the 15% side while darker oolongs will be closer to the 70% side.

Oolong tea is known as a weight loss tea. It also helps with anti anxiety and stress due to the amino acid L-theanine present in it. It can also support a healthy gut microbiome.

The greener oolong became the base because it is a lighter tea with a sweeter, fruitier undertone. This lends itself well to iced tea and the feel of newness and light that comes with warmer weather.

There are two versions of dandelion root. One is green which is the root of the dandelion flower dried. The other is roasted. Roasted dandelion offers a bold malty flavor whereas the green has more of an earthy flavor. The health benefits of dandelion root is in its ability to support liver function. As we step out of winter our liver, which has been processing heavy warming foods, often feels sluggish. Dandelion root can be used to support and awaken your liver and gall bladder. It also supports digestion.

Spring Oolong has the green version of the dandelion root in it adding an earthy flavor to the tea.

Then we add in lemon peel. Lemon peel is high in vitamin C. In our blend, the lemon peel adds a tart bite to the tea which can help with digestion. The flavor of lemon is fresh and compliments the earthiness of both the oolong and dandelion.

Calendula soothes including stomachs and can help move sluggish lymph nodes. This was an important addition to our blend because we wanted to create a tea that awakened our body, much like the awakening that happens in the spring.

When we tasted this blend it was missing something. We determined what was missing was a bite. Black peppercorn was too harsh but green peppercorn has a fruity, herbaceous flavor with a classic peppercorn bite. The health benefits of this addition is that green peppercorn helps with digestion and aids in the reduction of gas. It is also rich in vitamin C and A.

The suggested iced tea brewing method is cold brewed. Cold brew allows the flavors to subtly infuse into the water without harshness that accompanies a hot brew.

If making hot tea, steep for 2-3 minutes and re-steep several (5-8) times.

I love this tea iced (cold brewed) all spring long!

~Danielle