These Young Hyson leaves are picked in their prime to give this gentle green tea a truly youthful zest – a rare treat, the forgotten green tea. Like the forgotten explorer Mr Hyson who introduced...
These Young Hyson leaves are picked in their prime to give this gentle green tea a truly youthful zest – a rare treat, the forgotten green tea. Like the forgotten explorer Mr Hyson who introduced it to the West.
From the Anhui province of China, young leaves are thinly rolled and twisted, unfurling when brewed. Some believe the name originates from the Cantonese Flourishing Spring, others that it was names after the English Tea Merchant Phillip Hyson who brought it back to Britain.
Young Hyson is a higher quality tea to Hyson since harvest takes place earlier in the season "before the rains". These younger shoots give more sweetness and complexity to the tea.
Young Hyson Tea has occupied one of our tea canisters for as long as anyone can remember. It was a highly prized tea during the 18th Century and in Britain was taxed higher than other teas. This led to people using various tactics to dodge the taxes such as drying used leaves and reselling them. Some would even cut the the tea with beech or hawthorn leaves. Around 70 of the 300 chests of tea that were tossed overboard in the Boston Tea Party were thought to have been Young Hyson.
While more delicate than a black tea, you can expect a full bodied green tea giving a more golden liquor with a sweet and slightly earthly flavour.
Temperature - 85 C
Time - 2-3 minutes
This tea can be re-infused up to 3 times.