A fuller report is on my blog
http://gingkobay.blogspot.com/2009/12/m ... efuit.html
It's a long-time tradition to put tea in citric fruits and then the tea will be preserved to have therapeutic powers. The tradition has somewhat faded. I have been wondering all the time about how to make it but I've never tasted any home-made tea-in-citrus
In the first grapefruit, I put in some loose shu puerh. Since I don't have much of it and I am not a big fan of puerh, later I decided to put a Taiwan Wuyi in most of the grapefruits. First because I subjectively think this Taiwan Wuyi is much richer in taste than shu puerh. Secondly this Taiwan Wuyi is in fisted shape, which makes it very easy to fit the tea into the grapefruit.
The biggest difference between commercial and home-made tea citrus is which side of the peel is in contact with the tea. Ideally the peel should be turned inside out, so that the oily sacs of the peel will have direct contact with the tea. But that's is not possible in mass production, because it takes time, with skillful hands, to do it.
Good thing about the industrially made tea citrus is, the products are usually heated and with tea steamed before stuffed in the citrus fruit. Thus the tea may blend with citrus oil faster and better. But the roasting treatment may damage some nutrients of the citrus, and most of the nutrients are on the citrus surface, without thorough contact with the tea.
Besides quality control, a best thing about home-made citrus is the flexibility of tea choices. I don't plan to use the most tasty teas (sounds like a waste sitting them for years). The current plan is using mainly shu puerh, roasted oolong and maybe some black tea, those teas that seem good as "background teas".
We will see how it develops!
