Winter has definitely settled over my garden Lilac Hill so it is a good time to stay inside and enjoy a very special tea. The tea I am having is Milk Oolong. Oolong teas are not as well known as mainstream teas, this tea has a creamy milk taste and aroma. Oolongs are grown mainly in Taiwan and China, if the leaves undergo a short oxidization period the finished tea is a green tea. If the leaves are oxidized for a longer time period the finished tea is a black tea. Each tea garden keeps its manufacturing steps and oxidization times a secret making oolong teas rare and expensive.

The milk flavour of Quangzhou Milk Oolong comes from the Wuyi Mountains of China.  Milk oolong tea is best infused many times over to bring out the nuances in it’s full leaf.

Even though its a cold February night the crocuses and daffodils are still about to bloom so I chose my Saddler teapot with beautiful crocuses in a spring boquete for my milk oolong tea in a daffodil tea cup.

You can see when the leaves unfurl they are whole leaves! This gives the tea it’s unique qualities!