MONKEY EYE

Monkeys hold a special place in the culture and history of China. For example, the animal is one of the signs of the Chinese Zodiac. People born under the year of the monkey are known for their deep desire for knowledge, physical skill and problem solving abilities. Perhaps these traits are the reason one of China's most storied personages was a monkey - the Monkey King. The Monkey King was a sort of Mythological Superhero that helped bring Buddhism to China from India, dealing with monsters, fairies and magic along the way. He was also the inspiration behind the development of this wonderful tea.

The Monkey King, known in Chinese as Sun Wukong, was the feature character in a book called Journey to the West by Wu Ch'eng-en written during the 16th century. As the legends have it, many thousands of years ago the Monkey King was born miraculously from a rock that was impregnated by heaven itself. Born as he was by the power of heaven, Sun Wukong had the ability to transform into any one of 72 earthly forms in order to deal with any adversary that crossed his path. These forms ranged from trees to birds of prey to mosquitoes. One story tells how he took the form of the latter to travel into the belly of an adversary in order to fight him from the inside. This miraculous power made his journey to India, undertaken entirely on foot, possible at a time when the world was populated with all manner of mythical beasts and fantastical creatures. Needless to say, the Monkey King was a powerful figure. He was also highly intelligent and a great spiritualist credited with translating the Buddhist Sutras from Sanskrit into early Chinese. He was so revered that in some quarters, even though he was mortal, he was worshipped as a god.

If ever a person, place or thing were to be honored with a tea, the Monkey King is it. And if ever a tea were worthy of being associated with so miraculous a person, place or thing, Monkey Eye Jade Buds are it. Now, you may wonder why the tea is called Monkey Eye instead of something more straightforward like Monkey King. Well, the answer is that the Monkey King's eyes were extremely powerful and had the ability to see the truth in any situation. It is said that finding a quiet corner and pondering the mysteries of life over a cup of this tea can have the same affect. The exceptional leaf is manufactured exclusively from early jade colored spring buds and produces a deeply nuanced cup with bright grassy notes and a full mouth feel. Brew a pot and prepared to be amazed.