Product Information:
Where To Buy: Dragon Tea House
Product Description:
High grade handmade gongfu tea serving tray made with Sandalwood. Sandalwood is a fragrant wood from which an oil is derived for use in foods and cosmetics. The oil has been used widely in traditional Asian medicine and had been official in the United States at the turn of the century. Today, the oil finds little medicinal use but its widespread use as a popular fragrance continues. When pouring hot water on the tray, you could smell noticeable fragrance from it!
Chinese Gongfu style tea requires pouring away the water used to warm the teapot, tea brewer and cups, and the first rinse of the leaves is also discarded. Slatted trays with a water collection basin makes it easier to serve the tea. Preheat and rinse your cups and teapot using the interior of the tray to catch the waste water. Water then drains through the holes in the top, flowing down into the main part of the tray below. After your teatime, simply remove the cover and clean the interior easily.
This tray is suitable for Gongfu-style tea service for 4-6 people using Gongfu teaware.
Note: The depicted tea cups and accessories are shown for illustration purposes only. They must be purchased separately.
The tray is made with natural wood material, wood grain is different from one to another, you will not get exactly the same grain as pictured.
Learn more about this tea ware here.
Product Review:
Thanks to Dragon Tea House I absolutely adore this Large Grape Sandalwood Tea Table! I wanted one so badly but I was so particular as to what I wanted. Since this is not a small purchase in my household I was very selective in the tea tray I selected because it will be the only one I ever have, aside from the fact I really don’t see the need for more than one tea tray. Then again, they are so beautiful if I had a big home I would probably be prone to collecting them. Regardless, this is the tea tray I wanted and my hubby got it for me for Christmas. Good hubby.
I particularly like the size of this tray which is 48 by 33.5CM. I am sure there are even larger ones but this seems to be on the larger end of the spectrum from those I had scoped out. The detail and artwork in this tray are amazing! Also I love Sandalwood so when I considered the combined beauty and wood of this tray I knew it was the one for me. My tray is slightly lighter than the one pictured and I have included photos of my own personal tray here in the review.
My tray arrived very well packaged layered in bubble wrap and Styrofoam. There is not a nick or scratch on it. Its a solid piece and weighs heavy enough that it feels of high quality but on the other hand is not too heavy to move from place to place for use. It is also glossier than it looks in the photo provided from the website. The plastic basin is also of good quality and does not look as though it will crack or wear out anytime soon.
Tea Trays are of course a personal thing, everyone wants one that reflects their own taste and personality. One thing I can say about Dragon Tea House is that they have a really wide selection. One of the largest I have found.
My tray came with three tags which I can’t read although I wish I could. There is an artist mark on the tray as well but again I can’t read it. I did notice when I was looking around at tea trays that some of the artist marks looked better than others. What I mean is that some are really engraved into the table whereas others looked to be like they were stamped in. I would say that to me that makes a difference. The artist signature on my tray is indeed engraved. Now of course not everyone cares about the artistry in their tea tray, sometimes we are looking only for function but in my case I really wanted a piece that makes a statement and this tray certainly does that in my opinion.
When I had finished my selection of possible tea trays I would want, it came down to three trays, and all three happened to be from Dragon Tea House! Granted there were some pretty trays from other places but Dragon really does have one of the best selections out there, and are of excellent quality, so if you are in the market for a tea tray you should really check them out!
My Photos:
Bailin Gongfu Black Tea from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Bailin Gongfu is the highest quality Fujian black tea. This Bailin Gonfu is a premium quality tea produced at Mt. Taimu in Fujian, and is crafted from Fuding DaBai and Da Hao trees. This delicious tea has a great refreshing sweet taste and fragrance.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have enjoyed many different types of tea. When it comes to pure black teas, there are many that I consider “favorites” – but if I had to narrow it down to one pure black tea that I could have – that and only that for the rest of my life, I think I would ultimately end up choosing a Fujian black tea like this Bailin Gongfu Black Tea from Teavivre.
Fortunately, that is not a choice I’d have to make… and don’t get me wrong, I have enjoyed many different pure black teas and I hope to continue to do just that. But a good Fujian like this one – well, it’s hard to beat.
This has all the qualities that I want in a black tea, and none that I don’t want. It comes as close to perfection in a black tea that one can get! It is rich, smooth, a little malty with pleasant baked good kind of notes throughout. It has a very luscious caramel-y undertone – sweet and unlike some other teas that have this caramel-y tone, it is a strong, unwavering kind of flavor that stays with you from the first sip right through to the last sip.
But there’s more. What really draws me in to with this tea is the cocoa notes. This tea tastes as though it has been coated with the highest quality dark cocoa powder. Of course, it hasn’t been, but it tastes like it. It has such a pleasing dark chocolate flavor. Of course, for those who prefer milk chocolate, you can remedy this by adding a splash of milk or cream and this tea takes that addition quite nicely.
I happen to prefer this tea straight up, it doesn’t really need sweetener, it doesn’t really need anything other than the brewing process to make a perfect cup of tea. And that is what I have before me right now. I love this!
Supreme Gongfu Black Tea from Bird Pick Tea & Herb
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Bird Pick Tea & Herb
Product Description:
The term Gongfu is a term used to describe the Chao Zhou and Min Nan way of preparing tea in a skillful manner. Rather than focusing on symbolic hand gestures like Japanese tea ceremonies, Gongfu focuses on accomplishing a great taste of tea to satisfy the soul. This tea is characterized by fine, unbroken twisted leaves.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf has a very interesting aroma. I can smell notes of cocoa, but I can also smell a distinct licorice note. I don’t recall ever smelling a licorice-y smell in a tea that didn’t actually contain licorice root (or anise or fennel). But, I don’t find this off-putting in the least; I adore licorice. I was actually quite excited to try it after smelling it. This licorice-y fragrance disappears when brewed and does not translate into the flavor.
That might be a little disappointing if the tea didn’t taste as fabulous as it does! This is a remarkable tea!
The flavor is quite rich and smooth. There are faint savory cocoa notes in the background as a sweet caramel-like note approaches the palate. There is an earthy quality to this tea as well although I do not find this to be overwhelming.
I can also taste intriguing notes of spice which seem to perk up the palate just as the sip finishes and they linger well into the aftertaste. There is a light astringency to this tea and even a faint hint of bitterness that contrasts nicely with the sweet tastes that I described a moment ago. I like how this tea seems to tempt all areas of the palate. A full-flavored, full-bodied, and fully pleasurable tea!