Keemun
 Golden Monkey...
This non-astringent tea
 imparts a slightly floral
 flavor with a soft, smooth,
 and rich taste. The liquor
 is, interestingly enough
 monkey-colored. Steeped,
 the shiny brown/green leavesunfurl into a slender,
 twig-like appearance.

Hunan - Golden Monkey...
This tea imparted a
delicious smoky flavor,
reminiscent of a mild
Lapsang Souchong
The liquor is a deep, rich
auburn that caught me
off guard as the dry leaf
is light tan.

Fujian Province
 Oolong Ti Kuan Yin...
This oolong variety is much
different than the two above.The pale green
liquor is light,smooth, and refreshing and the
steeped leaves are large with a lovely green sheen. This teais considered a competition grade tea, denoting a superior
quality and making it one
of the highest priced
Monkey Picked Teas.

January 1, 2007 Archive

Monkey Picked Teas
By Donna Hardin

   I must admit, when I first heard about Monkey Picked Teas I couldn’t believe my ears! Could this really be true? My mind quickly went to a scene everyone's observed at the zoo…monkeys grooming one another, each one taking their turn picking off fleas. That’s not exactly the mental impression I wanted to have when preparing a fine cup of tea; so I thought I'd better figure out what this monkey business was all about! For those of you who share my sentiments, rest assured that the term monkey picked is not what the name implies.

  As with most teas, there's much legend and myth behind the name. Legend tells us that monkey picked teas were fine teas that grew wild in ancient times high in the mountains along the sides of dangerous cliffs. Monks in nearby monasteries trained monkeys to harvest these teas for them. Unfortunately, as this is legend, there's no way of knowing if this is actually true.

  Monkey Picked Teas still grow in the high elevations of China, but today these plants have been replanted for easier harvest and the term “monkey picked” has been kept only to denote the highest quality of tea. This tea is carefully picked by masterful “human” hands and processed by small family artisans using techniques at least two centuries old. There are several varieties of Monkey Picked Tea available; Golden Monkey from either the Keemun or Hunan regions and an Oolong variety from the Fujian Province. Because these teas are only picked twice a year and because of the labor-intense harvesting, you'll find them to be pricier than other black teas; however, the good news is they can handle multiple infusions.

So, there you have it…Monkey Picked Teas. I'm sure the monkeys in the zoo would prefer the more dignified job of picking these exquisite teas, but for now, they'll have to settle for the more reserved zoo life. Why not try the legend so you can see for yourself why they're one of China’s top 10 teas.

You can purchase the Monkey Picked teas described
on the left, as well as many others from
Miss Spenser’s Special-Teas by emailing
ms-special-teas@hughes.net or calling 614-342-1547.

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