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Waterlily Dragonflower
Dragonflower display teas are hand-sewn into elegant and mysterious designs. Each one is unique, but certain traditional designs have been passed down through the tea-growing culture. The pretty Water Lily is particularly charming, since it floats to the surface of your teapot before settling to the bottom, and then extends its delicate leaves to give the impression of a serene lilypad with a brightly-colored water lily in the center.
These Dragonflowers originate from the century-old tea estates in the central highlands. Silver Needle tea is a cultivar that is considered white tea, but it has a more robust flavor. You get the benefits of superior white tea antioxidants along with a flavor that is something between white tea and green tea. The leaves are scented lightly between screens of Jasmine flowers. The scent is strong and floral but not overwhelming like some Jasmine teas.
The soft, silvery sheen that is clearly visible on the exterior of the Dragonflowers before they are brewed is a testament to the incredible delicacy required to create these blooming teas; too-rough handling of the youthful leaves would have rubbed off this peach fuzz and also reduced the quality of the tea.
Brewing the teas takes several more minutes than regular loose-leaf tea, since the water has to
penetrate the tightly-furled ball of leaves. They should never be boiled! Use water temperature
between 165° and 180° (30° below boiling). In general, they should be used to make a six cup
pot of tea, approximately. You can also re-use the Dragonflower several times, each time brewing
a little longer to extract more flavor from the inner leaves. Once you have finished brewing
the Dragonflower, you can also display it in cold water for up to a week. It looks especially
attractive when displayed at eye level in bright light or sunlight.
Brewing Recommendations
- Amount: 6 cups of water
- Temperature: ~170-180 degrees
- Duration: ~8 minutes
Serving Suggestions:
Impress your friends by brewing this tea at the table in a glass bowl!
Will never get bitter. You can double the strength. You can also enjoy
it iced, but double the brewing time and use less water.