Our Ti Kuan Yin Oolong is a premium grade oolong tea that originated in the 19th century in Anxi in China’s Fujian province. Entirely hand processed this oolong exhibits a full body with complex fruity sweetness and an orchid like fragrance. Considered by many tea lovers to be one of China's top 10 teas, Ti Kuan Yin is the oolong preferred by the Chinese. Oolong tea is partially or semi-fermented and these teas exhibit some of the qualities of both black and green teas. The tea is named after the Chinese Goddess of Mercy Guanyin and is also known as "Iron Buddha", "Iron Goddess Oolong", "Milk Oolong", "Tieguanyin", "Ti Kwan Yin" and "Tit Kwun Yum. It is often abbreviated "TGY." Grown high in the Fujian mountains in China (1500-4000 feet above sea level), it is best known for its large tightly rolled leaves that give the tea a silky texture and milky or creamy taste. The creaminess comes from the growing season which has very cool evenings followed by a warm sunny mornings. The fairly extreme temperature variance changes the leaf’s chemical composition to give a wonderful texture and nose to this delightful oolong. The processing of Ti Kuan Yin is labor intensive and requires great expertise. Even if the tea leaf is of great quality and is plucked at the perfect time, if it is not processed precisely to time honored steps it will not be reach its optimum flavor potential. The method and exact steps of the processing are typically a closely guarded secret passed on from the teas master and involves as many as 18 steps. For those that prefer oolong tea this will quickly become a favorite. Best of all it seems to get even better with multiple infusions and we’ve found that we can easily get 6 to 8 from each serving. The flavor profile of our premium Ti Kuan Yin Oolong tea is of a complex peach fruitiness with a touch of honey sweetness and mild hints of orchids with a mild astringency. After several infusions it yields softer fruitier notes. The liquor tends to be an amber green and subsequent infusions result in a more golden color. Low caffeine. High in antioxidants. Steep at 195° for 2-3 minutes. 1 oz produces 13-65 cups (depending on how many infusions you prefer).