Good morning, dear tea friends! Wow, are we really into the month of November already? This morning I’m enjoying a dark, rich cuppa from China, called Yunnan FOP Select. Hey, there’s the letters again in the name. FOP means “flowery orange pekoe”, a leaf designation meaning a whole leaf tea with some tip interspersed. The tip is the golden-colored part.

From the mountainous Yunnan province in southwestern China, Yunnan teas have traditionally been plucked from very large, old tea trees but I have heard that some of those trees are being cut down or cut in half to make way for monoculture plantings. Hearing that makes me sad but I also know that demand is up for these teas and perhaps that is how they’re accommodating that demand.

I steeped the leaves for a full five minutes in boiling point water (212F). I’m glad I did because the longer steeping time brought out the rich cocoa aroma.

The dark-amber liquor is silky smooth and sweet with notes of cocoa, spice and a hint of fruit. This is a great tea for warming up on a cool autumn afternoon after raking leaves or taking a long hike in the woods. Speaking of which, that’s my plan for tomorrow – I love hiking in the woods at this time of year!

Well, my first cup is already gone so I’m off to refill my mug. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you all next Saturday to share another cup of tea!

“Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.”

~Rumi