Satsuma

$11.98

Satsuma Black (Ceylon) Tea

Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Region: Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula or Uva districts
Shipping Port: Colombo
Grade: OP (Orange Pekoe)
Altitude: 4800 - 7600 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type: Orthodox
Cup Character: A tea that is sprightly and alive with a bright cleansing cup. Hints of lime and passion fruit perk up the finish.
Infusion: Bright and Coppery.
Ingredients: Luxury black tea, Calendula + sunflower petals, Lemon balm, Cornflower petals, Natural dried orange, Natural flavors.

Satsuma. For the Japanese, the name of this juicy melt in your mouth little orange conjures up images of a Japan long past, a world of Samurai, Geisha, and Emperors. Satsuma, you see, was the name of what is now known as Kagoshima Prefecture on the southern tip of Kyushu Island. This ancient kingdom is where the Satsuma, (Latin: Citrus reticulata,) sometimes referred to as the Satsuma Mandarin, or Satsuma Tangerine, is thought to have originated. Beloved by the people who inhabit the region, the little fruit has been celebrated in Japanese song and story time and time again.

Sometime during the 1300's a Japanese poet penned these words describing their flavor.

Oh satsuma, some say you can be quite bitter,
not I, no I know the truth
In sooth you are sweeter than your citric cousins
Your juice is the sweetest nectar.

True to these words, the flesh of the Satsuma is indeed sweeter than many other varieties of citrus. It is this sweetness, underlying the astringent character of our high grown Ceylon that makes this blend really stand out. Brewed hot or cold, this is one tea that will have you reaching for pen and paper!