INFORMATION:
China, with its 1 billion people and 5000 year old civilization, is a land of history and mystery. From one end of China to the other, layers of earth and stone conceal traces of the past that seem to stretch beyond time itself. Many of these can be explained, but just as many cannot. One such unexplained story is that of a pair of 2000 year old mummies discovered along the ancient Silk Road. The mummies, a man and woman, were dated back to the Han dynasty, a period that saw the establishment of Confucianism as China's official ideology. They were dressed in very fine, brightly colored silk fabric and buried with a map of the stars, cosmetics, a bronze mirror and a double-edged comb. These facts in themselves aren't mysterious. Bronze was known at the time, as were the workings of the heavens, mummification and fine-toothed combs. The mystery is that the man and woman were western Caucasians. What were they doing there? Caucasians weren't thought to have reached China until after the Han dynasty. Where did they come from? Were they nomads? Mummification would seem to indicate that they were settled in China rather than just passing through. How did they get there? Written history has no explanation. The answers will probably be forever lost to the mists of time, pondered upon by scholars, history buffs and now, customers of Metropolitan Tea.
We've got the perfect accompaniment to an afternoon spent pondering the mystery of the Silk Road Mummies - Oolong Mystere Flower artisan tea. Like a tiny mystery itself, each pod conceals the blooms of Amaranth and Nasturtium just waiting to be discovered by a tea lover. As hot water is poured over the tea, the oolong casing loosens leaf by leaf, slowly releasing its floral treasure in the same way the secrets of the past are uncovered layer after layer by an archaeologist. The cup is as intricate and colorful as the ancient silks of the mummies. Honeyed oolong notes cascade over the tongue with hints of peaches and rose. The finish is long with a pleasing astringency that lingers in the mouth like a fine wine. Make a discovery of your own by unlocking the tea-secrets of one of the world's most unique offerings today.
HOT BREWING METHOD:
Place 1 tea ball into a 3-4 cup glass teapot and add freshly boiled water. Allow the tea to brew for at least 5 minutes. Initially the tea ball will float but as it loses the trapped air during the steeping process it will sink if you have used boiling water. Once the tea ball has opened to its full potential the tea can be consumed.
