RUBY FROM SUN MOON LAKE BLACK TEA

This prizewinning tea from Taiwan was as a result of a tea cultivar breeding scheme started over fifty years ago. I have to say it has the most complex flavour I have come across in a black tea and has become my favourite type. It is a broadleaf tea cultivar yielding a tea infusion with a natural cinnamon fragrance and a rich, malty flavour. The source of this enchanting fragrance and flavour was from its female parent, a Taiwan wild mountain tea from Sun Moon Lake. The male parent was that of a Burmese cultivar introduced by the Japanese during the war. The TRES spent over 50 years to accomplish the breeding program and release this cultivar. 'Ruby', as it is known, is praised by black tea experts for its unique "Taiwan fragrance", belonging to this extremely special tea cultivar, distinct among the thousands of black tea strains in the world. Its special fragrance lingers and leaves you unable to forget its aroma and flavour for a very long time. In the year of 2003, the TRES celebrated its centennial anniversary and chose 'Ruby' as a common name through a vote. There are two ways to appreciate this tea depending on whether you want to have milk or not. If you use milk allow 3g or a good heaped teaspoon per person and brew for 5 minutes. It is worth the wait! If taking black, brew in the Chinese style with 2g of tea, three minute infusion time but the leaves can be brewed 3-4 times. Both ways are great with sugar. Sun Moon Lake is a stunning area of natural interest that is shrouded in mist and legend. The story of how the lake got its name involves a couple who were corn farmers. One day the sun and moon vanished from the sky leaving the villagers in darkness and unable to keep their plants alive. The couple bravely went off to find them and discovered two dragons had stolen them for playthings. The couple retrieved the sun and moon from the lake at the top of mountain bringing life back to their village.