It’s been more than a while since my last tea guide. After a period exploring the world of herbal “teas“, I’m back with another green tea. Actually, this one is described by 2 adjectives instead of 1: the first being Chinese and the second, special. I’m introducing you to my first special green tea: mu dan.

If you’ve read my other mini guides, you might remember the name “mu dan” appeared once already ( pai mu tan or bai mu dan) – mu dan means “peony” in Chinese.
Special green teas are a Chinese specialty. The leaves are tied together into different shapes, we’re talking about mostly hand work here. The mu dan I bought, came in a shape of a flattened rosette.

Mu dan - peony

The flavour of this tea is very refreshing and the infusion colour ranges from light to darker yellow, depending on infusion time (try 2-4 minutes). The suggested water temperature is usually from 70 – 80ºC. It’s amazing how many cups of tea you get out of one rosette!

Cup Nº8 or even 9 maybe... I stopped counting

Soaked in water, one flattened rosette develops into a huge flower

Prepared according to instructions, this tea can be enjoyed at any time of the day. It can be a bit pricey but worth the experience, both in the sense of taste and aspect.