square metallic tray oolong_taiwan Some aged oolongs require a

Some aged oolongs require a hearty rinse before their true beauty is revealed

the small leaves that make up this black tea are brimming with the aromas of a Chinese apothecary and its mysterious herbal cabinets filled with dried ginseng

Though the exterior is open

its four sides rising up like a stratovolcano

a warm waft of baking flour hits the nostrils while the tongue receives gradually more intense doses of savory shiitake mushroom and bitter cacao

square metallic tray oolong_taiwan Some aged oolongs require aGlinting quietly on the tea table, this ceramic block gashed by jagged openings resembles rock melting around a vent or hewn from veins of precious ore. The pitted, grey surface has been filled above with pockets of lustrous glaze and sunk at its center to make a place for a teapot or gaiwan, and any drips or discards will gravitate through the openings into the hollow interior. A discreet hole in the side allows emptying when full (and possibly even