Misty. Thatâ??s how I think of Nepal. A country permanently wrapped up in a milky, muffled whiteness. It is, of course, somewhat untrue. Nepal has many weathersâ??the monsoon rains, the subtropical summers of the southern lowlands. It is hard to imagine more biodiversity in a place that small. But then, as a Nepalese friend of mine once put it, Nepal is like many islands connected by elephants.
The tea slopes, however, firmly belong to the swirling mists and achingly clear light of the Himalayan foothills. And misty is the flavor of the cup of Special Teasâ?? Golden Nepal I drank today. It tasted like a Darjeeling enveloped in a thick hazy blanket. Which is to say that it was too subtle for me.
I brewed to instructions, using one level teaspoon for a six oz. cup and steeping the leaves for three minutes. The resulting liquor was a beautiful golden color with a hint of red. The nose was nearly imperceptible though. And the flavor was closer to the nose than to the look. It was light and soft, with vague fruity notes and a sweet end. Delicate. Pretty. And as nice as the work of a minor landscape watercolorist, which is fleetingly pleasant but soon forgotten.