TeaChat

I searched for kuwapani in the whole board and I only found a post with a single line. Isn't it very popular?

I got it into a GREAT tea shop in Prague and I'm brewing it now.
Somebody likes it and would like to share her brewing suggestion?

I'll post mine when I'll have some experience.
4 min at 95C with two full teaspoons so far... going to test it!

Is that a First Flush?

"Hello Victoria, so glad to see you my friend".

(btw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnpEhIXM ... re=related )

I don't know if it's first flush, but since on the bag it was not specified, I'd guess it's not.
Here's some pics I just took of the bag, the brewed tea, and... the leaves left in the infuser.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/febs/tags/kuwapani/show/

after looking at the expanded leaves I sincerely wondered if it was a black tea or not. Many, maybe most of the leaves, are green, or brown, but definitely not black.

Though, it didn't tasted as a green. Neither looked, after brewed, as one. It is reddish, with the same colour or the rooibos. Maybe this should be properly named "red tea"?

It's taste was very delicate, and at the same time bitter (my bad). So I probably have to brew it for less time (lower temperature?) to remove the bitterness, and with more leaves than I did, to get more taste out of it.
Do you know already if it can be brewed more times, or any other nice info about this tea?

Many thanks,
Ciao

I'm impressed that the work "kuwapani" does not appear in a single wikipedia page.

wow.

What you have is indeed a black tea. Here in the USA there is not a lot of access to teas from Nepal for whatever reason. In fact the only ones I can recall having were from Mariage Freres in France. They usually offer several and they are excellent.

Basically to make it simpler, what you have is a "Darjeeling" type tea, just produced in Nepal, rather than India.

The "bitterness" you refer to is astringency, and usually is indicative of a First Flush tea and is quite desirable. If you don't like that aspect, then you should look for Second or Autumnal Flush Teas which have less astringency and are smoother and more mellow.

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OK in examining your bag closer I see FF at the bottom with means First Flush. Kuapani is the estate (plantation) name.

You can try lowing the temp, but I wouldn't advise it. This tea was meant to be steeped at just off boil for about 3 mins. It looks delicious to me! Try cutting back to 3 mins and see how you like it.

When it comes to "Darjeeling " type tea, usually there are two types of people, with a few exceptions. You either love the fresh green taste of the FF with the bite of the astringency or you prefer the more mellow smoother taste of the later flushes. You may find you are in the latter group.

febs wrote:I searched for kuwapani in the whole board and I only found a post with a single line. Isn't it very popular?

I got it into a GREAT tea shop in Prague and I'm brewing it now.
Somebody likes it and would like to share her brewing suggestion?

I'll post mine when I'll have some experience.
4 min at 95C with two full teaspoons so far... going to test it!

Here is a link to Kuwapani. http://www.kuwapanitea.com/index.php

Many Nepali teas are comparable to Darjeelings. They say the best ones are grown in Eastern Nepal near the Indian border close to Darjeeling.

The standard brewing technique they use in Darjeeling is 2 tsps in about 240ml teapot for 5 minutes. This works for a lot of teas but some need less time.

Tea trekker has great hand made Nepalese

http://www.teatrekker.com/shop/black/himalaya/

I purchased some Kuwapani from Upton Tea last fall. AIt was a very good value. Brewed it like a second flush Darjeeling...3oz leaf/6oz of water (approx. 195F). Steep 4 minutes.

What a load of useful things I learned, thanks Victoria!

And, yup - I'm not among the "astringent" guys then. No more first flushes. Is that the same also for chinese and japanese green teas?

No, not in the same regard for green teas, that's a whole different thing.

febs wrote:What a load of useful things I learned, thanks Victoria!

And, yup - I'm not among the "astringent" guys then. No more first flushes. Is that the same also for chinese and japanese green teas?

Don't short change the 1st flushes. IMO, they are amongst the best of all Darjeeling teas. They have the most fruity flavors and floral aromas and can be very light on the astringency if brewed correctly. Getting the balance right for your taste is not that hard. Keep trying.

An update just to tell you that I'm starting to love the Kuwapani first flush.

I'm DEFINITELY hooked now.

I just not allow the water to boil (actually it will be no more than 70 Celsius) and I let it seep for about 4 minutes. Lovely!

Thanks all!!

I had this stuff from upton a few years ago..maybe two years..i don't remember.
anyways, I agree with you all, it's a great tea when done right. I think upton still sells it...


nope, i've been checking and i can't find it. good luck though!