Pärand

“Pärand” means “Legacy” in Estonian (Quenya), and this amazing tea truly represents a legacy and a mastery worthy of the name “gongfu.” It was roasted by Master Lu Li Zhen. Everything about this tea speaks to heritage, mastery and refinement. And since oolong tea is often considered the most complex and difficult tea to create masterfully, Pärand might arguably be near the top of all tea production worldwide. Pärand is from a biodiverse and healthy, clean farm on Mount Ali in Chiayi County, Taiwan. It rests at around 1,500 meters above sea level and is home to some older Qing Shin varietal trees, ranging from twenty to fifty years old. More than the location the tea comes from, this tea is what we call “traditional oolong,” meaning higher oxidation and a deeper roast. Traditional oolong was oxidized between 40 and 70 percent and then well-roasted afterward. Back in the day, tea was rarely finished at the farm the way it is today. “Maocha,” or “rough tea,” was sent to shops and tea houses where the owners did the final roasting to their customers’ tastes. Roasting skills, like farming and processing techniques, were handed down generationally at tea shops. Over time, they became refined secrets that brought the unfinished teas to perfection. Nowadays, there are very few tea shops left that do their own roasting. Some may roast a tea or two for fun or as a specialty item, but there aren’t many that roast all their teas the way Master Lu Li Zhen does. Pärand was carefully roasted over days using Master Lu’s own secret methods.