Chunmee Green Tea – WS

Chunmee Green tea, also known as Chun Mei or Zhen Mei, was originally grown only in the Jiangxi province. Today it is also grown in Zhejiang, Anhui, Yunnan and Hunan.

Chunmee’s hard, slender, fine-curled, gray-green leaves brew to a yellow-green cup with a mellow flavor and a light plum aftertaste.

Brew tea at 180º – steep for 2 minutes.

Green Tea Pilaf Rolls
Recipe from New Tastes in Green Tea by Mutsuko Tokunaga

3 Tbsp Chunmee
3 Tbsp + 3 tsp vegetable oil for frying
3 oz ground pork
1 oz carrots, freshly chopped
2 oz bamboo shoots or celery, finely chopped
1 tsp + « tsp salt
2-4 small bowls of cooked rice
1 tsp soy sauce
3 eggs
2 tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp cold water
Lettuce leaves and radishes

Place the tea leaves in a small pot and add enough hot water to cover. Leave for a few minutes until the leaves become soft. Drain the leaves and set aside.

Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a wok and stir fry the pork, carrots and bamboo shoots over high heat. Add 1 tsp salt and the drained tea leaves, and mix. Add the cooked rice and stir-fry for a few minutes. Season with soy sauce, remove from heat, and set aside.

Beat the eggs and add « tsp salt.

In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in cold water and add to the eggs.

Heat 3 tsp of oil in a fry pan,. Pour a little egg into the pan and quickly make a very thin egg sheet 6-8 inches in diameter. Continue making sheets until all the egg is used up.

Place a little rice pilaf on each sheet and carefully make a neat roll. Make as many rolls as there are sheets.

Cut into bite size pieces, and serve on a dish with lettuce and radishes.