Blue Mango (Green Tea)

(Green Tea with natural flavors)

Ingredients From: China
Region: Hunan Provence
Shipping Port: Shanghai
Grade: Sencha – Made to Japanese specifications
Altitude: 1500 – 4500 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type: Pan fired Traditional Pan Fired Green Tea
Cup Characteristics: Like being carried on trade winds, notes of mango create an exotic fruit pungency. Pineapple cubes added highlight to the mango character and mallow petals accent a clean finish.
Infusion: Bright, pale green to yellow, light colored cup.
Luxury Ingredients: Green tea, Pineapple pieces, Mallow petals, and Natural flavors.

Information:  

The Blue Mango.  Even the name of this fruit sounds mysterious.  Throughout recorded history the Blue Mango appears to have held many people in its sweet grasp.  Included among them is an Indian writer named David Davidar who recently published a book called The House of Blue Mangoes.  In it he describes the blue mango as, "astonishingly beautiful" and recounts how the fruit glints blue against the dark green leaves of the tree.  In Thailand the fruit is called, (in translation) "The Brahmin Who Sells His Wife".  This name commemorates the legend of a Thai man who fell in love with the fruit and sold his wife for a basketful – another victim of the Blue Mango’s sweet embrace.  Eastern legend, (no one is sure from where exactly since mangoes have been widely exported and cultivated for millennia,) says that the meat of the blue mango is so sweet that after eating just one, you won't be able to taste sugar for three days.  After trying the pulpy sweet blue mango for ourselves we just knew that we had to blend some with tea.

We decided to blend the tea using a Sencha style green tea manufactured in Hunan Province in South Eastern China.  The reason for this choice was that this particular tea has a very smooth, sweetish taste with an almost honey like finish that truly enhances the natural Mango flavoring.  Interestingly, the base Sencha derives its smooth character from the way it is processed.  The green tea leaves can be plucked from the same plants as black teas but forgo black tea’s fermentation process.  Once they are plucked and chosen for green tea production, the leaves are immediately steamed and bruised either by machine or by hand.  They are then pan fried or basket fired giving the tea its distinctive glossy look and feel.  The lack of fermentation, steaming, and firing results in teas that have a fresh, almost full of life character.  We’re sure you’ll agree that the flavor profiles blended together in this tea are out of this world.  Try some today, and if you become tempted to sell any family members in order to purchase more, don’t say we didn’t warn you! 

Hot tea brewing method:  

Traditional method (see note below): When preparing by the cup, this tea can be used repeatedly - about 3 times. The secret is to use water that is about 180°F/82°C. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon in your cup let the tea steep for about 3 minutes and then begin enjoying a cup of enchantment - do not remove the leaves from the cup. Adding milk and sugar is not recommended. Once the water level is low - add more water, and so on and so on - until the flavor of the tea is exhausted. Look at the pattern of the leaves in the brew, not only do they foretell your fortune but you can see the bud and shoots presenting themselves, looking like they are about to be plucked.

Modern Method: Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 single serve packet for each 7-9oz/200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Adding milk or sugar is not recommended.

Note: Traditionally, the recommendation has been that green tea be brewed at 180°F/82°C. Regretfully, modern society makes it necessary to consider that water may not be free of harmful bacteria and other impurities. Therefore you need to boil water to kill bacteria. If you wish to use traditional brewing temperatures bring the water to a boil and allow it to cool to the desired brewing temperature – it’s the food safe thing to do! 

Iced tea brewing method (Pitcher):  (to make 1 liter/quart):  Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea, 6 tea bags or 6 Q3 single serve packets into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the tea bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)                                           

Iced tea brewing method (Individual Serving):  Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 single serve packet into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags.  Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT:

More antioxidants are extracted from tea (L. Camellia Sinesis), or rooibos (Asphalatus Linearis), the longer it is brewed….and the more tea or rooibos that is used, the greater the antioxidant benefit.

FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY:

While green tea is traditionally brewed using 180°F/82°C water, we strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today’s water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria.  Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses.

Ideal Brewing Temperature: 100ºC/212ºF. Minimum Brewing Temperature: 90ºC/194ºF.