Zen Tara Tea: Merchant Review

Now I’m not one to claim that an organically certified tea is intrinsically better than a conventional tea, but if you want to support the organic agriculture movement, then look no further. Zen Tara only carries organic tea, and quite an impressive selection of them. This little shop, a really just a stand in the Bethesda Women’s Coop, offers good Chinese green and black teas that meet your expectations. I’ve enjoyed their Chunmee and Keemun Hao Ya ‘A’, and Dragonwell. They’re also generous enough to drop a sample or two into any mail order you place with them.

I was a bit disappointed with their Japanese sencha, but it was no worse than most sencha available in the US. I admit I’m a pick picky with my sencha.

Oddly enough, they don’t really advertise their most unique trait. They are the only US company I know of carrying a wide selection of oolongs from Thailand. What you’ve never heard of Thai oolongs? “Are they any good,” you ask?

Let me toss a quick history lesson your way. Oolong processing was invented the Fujian Province of China. Many classic oolongs come from the Wuyi Mountains and the surrounding districts. In the past two centuries, several waves of immigrants have fled from various wars and social unrest in the area. When they left, they took their tea knowledge, traditions, and sometimes seeds and plants with them. At least two waves of migration established the oolong industry in Taiwan, but many tea farmers and processors also fled to Thailand.

Why haven’t we heard a lot about Thai oolongs? Thailand is not the most stable of nations, plus production is small, and I suspect most of the tea they grow is simply consumed by the national economy. Hopefully this will change with the efforts of Zen Tara and others like them.

But is it any good? Oh, yes! They are not identical other oolongs with the same names, but they are quite good in their own right. The Dong Ding, for example is a nice oolong, it’s just a slightly different tea from more traditional oolongs of the same name. One of Zen Tara’s best is the Milk Oolong. Even non-tea enthusiasts quickly pick up on the creamy feel of this delicious tea. I’m surprised they don’t put up a big sign that proudly states, “Thai oolongs sold here!” Maybe they will when they open their new store and café.