Little Red Robe

"Xiao Hong Pao is the little brother of Da Hong Pao," replies Dan Dan the Tea Man to my request for a suggestion of a new oolong. Knowing I can trust my taste buds to this tea purveyor I place my order and wait.

For those of you that know me, waiting is not my strong suit. Especially when I am waiting on something very special to arrive. This new oolong I am going to try is called Xiao Hong Pao and means Little Red Robe. The cuttings for this tea were taken from the legendary Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) which is no longer used for tea production.

As with any retail business, there are always going to be people selling things that are not what they are described to be. That is the case sometimes with Xiao Hong Pao. It may be offered as Da Hong Pao but since that plant is no longer being used, the savvy tea lover will know by reading this blog, that they are being misled. I know my purveyors and trust them to deliver the finest quality product. This is my advice to others as well, especially when delving into the wonderful world of rare and exquisite teas.

The shipment arrives. I "delicately" rip open the package, dump the contents unceremoniously on the table and there it is. A beautiful red shiny package filled with something special. Ignoring the other packages of tea I rush to the kitchen and get the kettle going.

Using Dan's recommendation of 1.5 teaspoons of tea to 8 ounces of water heated to 190 degrees F, I spend what must be the longest 90 seconds of my life waiting for the timer to tick down. I watch the leaves begin to unfurl and perform their ballet and inhale the wonderful earthy aroma wafting up toward my nose.

I tried to be patient and sip slowly but the need to see what the next infusion would yield was too much temptation. By the 5th infusion I was totally hooked on this Little Red Robe and pledged to be a bit gentler in my consumption on our next encounter.

That encounter was today. The weather has cooled; it is grey and breezy. Needing a little pick-me up I decided to try on the Little Red Robe again. This time I savored. I let the aroma and taste envelop me completely.

To order your own Little Red Robe I recommend Dan Dan the Tea Man, Dan Robertson of The Tea House in Naperville, Ill. www.theteahouse.com