Synchrony | Oolong (乌龙茶)

A special find that only moments of synchrony can bring.

We stumbled upon this beautiful tea during our 2024 journey through China. In Dali, we met a friend of a friend from Australia who took us into the mountains near the city.

After a long drive to the gate, followed by a long walk to a rundown van, we climbed into the back to meet the tea master who lived on the mountain. We drove up to his tea garden, plucked leaves and laughed together as he showed us this tea.

It came from a Taiwanese variety of tea plant that he brought from his home in Taiwan when he moved to Dali. After growing the plants for 20 years, he began harvesting them and creating oolongs on the land. Growing oolong tea in Yunnan, let alone Dali, is almost unheard of, but this tea master was one of a kind.

These beautiful leaves have been rolled and lightly charcoal roasted to perfection, balancing sweet roasted nuts with a perfume that fills the mouth.

A beautiful moment and a wonderful tea by which to remember it.

The synchrony of the tea matches the tale of finding it.