Are you a Camellia sinensis aficionado engross in money ? Consider taking a holiday to the townsfolk of Wuyishan in southern China . There , you’re able to try a magnificently rare ( and famously expensive ) brew called Da Hong Pao , BBC Travel reports .
Da Hong Pao is a glum , charcoal - fuel strain of oolong tea . According toTheStory of Tea : A Cultural story and Drinking Guide(2007 ) , it has“a sweet aroma , a slender smoky tinge to the flavor , and a long , mellow finish . “However , Da Hong Pao is bonk more for its cost than itsflavor . On average , a pot of Da Hong Pao will jell you back about $ 10,000 .
That ’s almost $ 1400 for a individual gram of tea . This rear the motion : What , exactly , is this brew , and why is it so expensive ?
Turns out , truthful Da Hong Pao leaves areexceedingly rarefied . They come from a single group of nearly nonextant wild “ mother tree ” that produce in the Wuyi Mountains . Some of these ancient Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree give in their last harvest years ago , and will never grow tea leaf again .
connoisseur squirrel away these passe leaves , which maturate more and more valuable each twelvemonth . They even engage brokers to connect them with buyers unforced to make up top dollar bill for the tea . However , steal hunter can purchase ( relatively ) cheaper versions of Da Hong Pao for around $ 100 per kilogram . These leaves are clone from the ancient female parent trees , and cultivated in Wuyishan ’s tea gardens .
Da Hong Pao is famous in Chinese folklore . grant to one tale , an ailing Ming dynasty official was restored to full health after he drank a brewage made from the tea leaf ’s female parent bushes . The rule paid homage to the Camellia sinensis ’s salubrious property by draping his red cape on the Bush to protect them from injury .
westerner might shake their heads at the idea of shelling out grand of dollar for a deglutition . However , the elaborate , codify rite of afternoon tea drinking has been a cornerstone of Chinese culture for thou of long time . When connoisseur enjoy Da Hong Pao , they ’re sipping chronicle . Can we say the same for the New Yorkers willing to shell out $ 25,000 on agold - topped chocolate sundae ?
[ h / tBBC Travel ]
