A pineapple is sweetest at its base. So, apparently, to distribute the sweetness of a pineapple more evenly, one should store it upside down for a few days. An easier way to get a sweet pineapple fix, though, is Taiwanese pineapple cake. They’re made of juicy pineapple paste wrapped in a buttery and crumbly shortbread-like dough and is now a popular tea snack in Japan. Pineapple Oolong by Lupicia is a flavoured oolong inspired by the Taiwanese pineapple cake.
The loose leaf consisted of pineapple scented oolong with tiny cubes of dried pineapple throughout.
Steeping 3 g of loose leaf in 200 mL of water at 85°C for 3 minutes, the infusion was a clear golden straw colour with a fragrant, ripe pineapple aroma. Served hot, a floral sweetness from the oolong developed to bright notes of pineapple at peak ripeness — a mellow sweetness with just a subtle hint of acidity — in the body with a creamy, rounded mouthfeel. The ripe pineapple notes recede briefly, giving way to the oolong in the finish, before returning to linger subtly in the aftertaste. The taste doesn’t carry the textures of the Taiwanese pineapple cake, but its flavour was the perfect homage.
This Lupicia Pineapple Oolong contained 50 g. The tea was sourced from Taiwan, packaged in Japan, and purchased in Tōkyō, Japan in 2014.