Ti Kuan Yin Oolong "Goddess of Mercy"
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Ti Kuan Yin Oolong "Goddess of Mercy"

The tea called Ti Kuan Yin was named in honor of the legendary origins of this renowned Chinese oolong tea. Statues of Kuan Yin, sometimes known as the Goddess of Mercy, are often located in front of Buddhist temples. She is a boddhisattva, a person who has earned the right to leave this world of suffering and enter nirvana, but instead has chosen to stay on earth to help others reach enlightenment.

According to the legend, Ti Kuan Yin, an iron (ti in Chinese) statue of the goddess stood in a rundown temple in Fujian province. One night, Kuan Yin appeared in a dream to a devout farmer and told him to look in a cave behind the temple to find a treasure which he must take good care of and share with others. In the morning he looked and found a tiny tea sprout which he planted and nourished. The leaves from this plant produced an unusually fragrant and flavorful tea. The farmer dedicated the tea to the merciful Kuan Yin and shared cuttings with his neighbors and the whole community prospered.

Whatever its origins, Ti Kuan Yin is justly famous as a top notch oolong. Partially fermented, the long dark leaves brew into a sweetly fragrant, silky textured cup of tea. The same leaves can be infused a second time and will again produce a tasty golden liquid. It goes well with meals, even with strongly flavored foods. Ti Kuan Yin tastes exceptionally good at the end of a long hard day or anytime you feel like you could really appreciate a gift from a thoughtful goddess.

For further reading:

• Pratt J. and Rosen D. The Tea Lover's Companion Birch Lane Press NY 1996 PP 18-20
• Chow K. and Kramer I. All the Tea in China China Books San Francisco 1990 PP 157-158