A thin light threads through the clouds this morning, illuminating the light frosting of snow covering the ground and the trees. We’ve had snow showers on and off for the past week that will continue through this weekend. I love this kind of snow because it doesn’t muck up the driving and constantly gives everything a fresh coating, covering over the dinginess on the side of the road.

This morning I have brewed up a cup of a Chinese Oolong called Da Hong Pao. It is grown in the gorgeous Wu Yi mountain region, located in the Fujian province of China. Traditionally, it is an old and venerable high quality tea reserved especially for honored guests. So, this morning, I honor and raise my tea cup to you, dear tea readers.

The leaf is huge and very dark, even after steeping. I steeped for 4 minutes with 190 degree F water, revealing a dark amber liquor with a sweet chestnut aroma. The taste fills my mouth with buttery smooth honey and nutty notes.

This tea was reputed by some to help with weight loss. I’m not sure what was so different in the components of this particular kind of tea that it would act in this way. You can read extensively on the internet about the “miracles” of this tea, including a lot of articles explaining its weight loss secrets. If you’d like to read about debunking this myth, go here.