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“Origin: Satemwa Estate; Thyolo, Malawi; Southeast Africa Dry Leaf: This is the most unique tea I’ve ever seen. The leaves are moss green color and have been hand-wrapped first stretching in a...” Read full tasting note
Speciality tea from Satemwa, where Alexander Cathcart Kay has pioneered the development of hand-made varieties.
Satemwa Estate is in Thyolo (“Cholo”), in the Shire (“Shiray”) Highlands in the far south of the country. Nyasaland (now Malawi) was the first country in Africa to be planted with tea, and in 1928 Maclean Kay introduced the first seed from India. The Satemwa garden is now managed by his grandson Alexander, who has pioneered the development of hand-made varieties, arousing great interest. He has also helped Beverly Wainwright in the development of her black and green teas at Amba in Sri Lanka. This week’s Zomba Pearls are made by hand-rolling each leaf, after a long withering stage. The leaves have an unrefined artisal appearance quite unlike pearl teas from China, but have a charm all their own.
2 tsp per cup (200-250ml), water at 75-80°C; infuse 1-2 minutes, repeat. Use 5g in a 200ml gaiwan. Water at 75-80°C; infuse 1-2 minutes, repeat.
Canton Tea Co is a London-based tea company trading in high grade, whole leaf Chinese tea. We have exclusive access to some of the best jasmine, white, green, oolong, black and authentic puerh teas available. In our first year, we scooped Six Golds at the 2009 Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards. Our Jasmine Pearls won the top three star gold award, endorsing it as the best available in the UK.
Origin: Satemwa Estate; Thyolo, Malawi; Southeast Africa
Dry Leaf: This is the most unique tea I’ve ever seen. The leaves are moss green color and have been hand-wrapped first stretching in a horizontal line with half the leaf or another leaf (must examine these further to see) and then wrapped vertically with the rest of the leaf or another leaf. They are in the shapes of little footballs. Scent of cream and subtle notes of nutmeg.
Method: 16 oz Glass teapot – 8 grams tea -2 cups h2o – 175F for 1 minute
Wet Leaf: Still in football shapes, didn’t unfurl too much with first steeping. Scent of fresh cooked greens.
Liquor: champagne color
with very light honey scent
Flavor: Tastes like subtle cream and honey like a White Peony but with a subtle spice note and I taste a tiny bit of lime which is unique and very very subtle. Lightly creamy mouthfeel. The presentation of this tea was simply fantastic!!!!
Before I did a second steeping of these cuties,,,I took one of the wet little footballs and tried to unroll it. They are super tightly rolled. They appear to be all one leaf and have been rolled like that and left to dry in that shape because the middles are lots greener leaf.
I have a feeling this next steeping is going to taste a lot more green with those type notes.
Second Steeping definitely created more color to the liquor which is now a bright golden color with a subtle scent of ginger ale.
Leaves are still rolled tightly but have begun to unfurl and you can see that the little footballs are a combination of a two leaf on a stem rolled to make the horizontal part then a few individual young leaves inside to wrap those connected two leaves around the little stem with the loose leaves inside. (if this makes sense—better to unwrap and see !!)
Flavor is more full this second brew but still subtle. Notes of honey and cream but not any green notes like I thought. There is a bit of Se Wei – scratchy to your throat – bc the leaves inside the little footballs have not been as exposed to air so they are green.
This is a very fun and delicious white tea.
Flavors: Cream, Ginger, Honey, Lime
I was scrolling and read this as “Zombie Pearls”. I thought it was the greatest name for a tea that I have ever seen. I was sad to discover that my reading skills need work.
lol