This is the Osulloc Cherry Blossom Tea.
It was a tea-bagged blend of post-fermented tea and black tea with cherry blossom and rosehip.
The packaging’s recommendation advised steeping a single tea bag in 150 mL of 90°C water for 2 minutes. However, employing this approach led to an unwelcome astringency from the tea and an assertive acidity from the rosehip.
We found an alternative method more appealing, steeping 1 tea bag in 200 mL of 85°C water for 2 minutes. This yielded a clear amber brew accompanied by a sweet and tangy cherry aroma. When served hot, delicate notes of cherry blossoms danced forth at the forefront of each sip, bestowing a gentle floral flavour. The lower steeping temperature enabled the rosehip to elevate the fruity cherry flavour in a subtle manner, devoid of pronounced tartness. As the sip reached its culmination, a faint grassy bitterness reminiscent of youthful cherry leaves wrapped up the experience with a mild, lingering astringency.
This Korean cherry blossom tea artfully emphasized the juxtaposition of sweet and tangy attributes characteristic of the fruit, accompanied by a subtle hint of blossoms. This offering differed from Japanese cherry blossom teas, which often feature salted cherry blossoms or leaves, typically showcasing the sakura’s floral notes against a subtly savoury backdrop. In comparison, rather than aligning with Lupicia’s sakura series, this tea more closely resembled the Lupicia Sakurambo Vert. The latter melded a similar cherry flavour with a grassier green tea base adorned with hints of spice from pink peppercorns. Both teas possess their distinct merits, though we slightly lean towards Lupicia’s rendition for its more invigorating flavour profile.
This Osulloc Cherry Blossom Tea contained 36 g (1.8 g x 20 tea bags). The tea was sourced from South Korea and purchased in South Korea in 2023.