ATB meets Adagio Roots

** Update - I just corrected a URL that was not working and added "Teaspoon and Petals" to the list. Enjoy!

Today's post is part of the Association of Tea Bloggers latest blog carnival. Through the carnival, bloggers at a number of different sites will all tackle the same topic on the same day. Today's participants include:

Black Dragon Tea Bar

Gongfu Girl

LeafJoy

Notes on Tea
The Tea Enthusiasts's Scrapbook
Tea For Today
Teaspoon and Petals
That Pour Girl
Walker Tea Review
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If you have ever had the opportunity to visit a farmers market you understand how wonderful it is to talk with the people who have actually grown your food. It is not like choosing produce out of a bin at the grocery store where you feel that it could have come from pretty much anywhere on the planet. Suddenly these fruits and vegetables feel more real to me. This experience is even deeper when I am able to grow my own food and take my kids on a tasting tour of the back yard.

I have often wished for the same experience with my tea. It is that which makes me dream of traveling to tea farms and experiencing first hand the process of plucking and nurturing those leaves to a drinkable form. Since I am not yet able to make those journeys myself I find it very important to buy my tea from people who do. I seek out vendors who frequently travel to the farms and see how the tea is being grown and cared for. It is for this reason that I was intrigued by Adagio Teas Roots Campaign.

The Roots Campaign gives us a chance to get to know the actual farmers who have labored to make truly special teas. You can read about the people and also see pictures of their farms. The participants have even taken the time to answer questions that you might have. Visitors to Adagio's retail shops will also have the chance to send postcards to the growers which I think is a great way to allow us to offer thanks. You can check out the campaign here.

Last week I received a package of Pi Lo Chun (sometimes called Green Snail Spring) in the mail from Adagio. This green tea hails from China's Fujian province. What struck me immediately about this tea was the gorgeous floral scent that poured forth from the bag when I opened it and the soft, supple leaves that tumbled out. I could tell right away that this tea was right up my alley. It was a green but didn't have the marine or spinachy notes of some. It reminded me more of a very light oolong like a pouchong. Initially it had a soft light flavor but I found that it seemed to grow richer as I drank. Beautiful.

This particular tea was grown by a farmer named Huang Jian Li. I learned from his profile at the Roots Campaign that he grew up in a tea region and began his first tea job at 20. I appreciated his tips for proper brewing including recommendations for temperature and encouraging the use of open topped glass containers to properly appreciate the beauty and to ensure that the tea is aerated fully.

I look forward to checking out more of the teas in the campaign and I send my thanks to Huang Jian Li for his efforts in growing this lovely tea.