Things you want new: cars, shoes, jokes.
Things you want old: balsamic vinegar, heirloom brooches, tea.
Yep, tea. At least, one kind of tea: Ancient Trees Organic Pu-erh, which comes from old-growth tea plants in the mountains of southwest Yunnan, China.
Harvested for centuries by locals, these organic plants are now so large as to appear tree-like, which gives the tea its name.
The brew itself? As dark and thick as coffee but balanced and smooth, with earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet notes. As you sip, you can taste the misty essence of forest, peaty and rich, with a depth of aliveness issuing from earlier dynasties.
The leaves come packed in a little bowl shape, called tuo cha, a result of traditional pile-fermenting, pressing, and drying techniques. As it steeps, the bowl gently separates.
We steeped the leaves for five minutes and then, on another day, for two hours. The tea never became bitter. We sipped it hot and then tasted it chilled. Our two purists here prefer it steaming and unadorned. The rest of us sometimes spoon whole milk and wildflower honey into the tea, for a toasty sweetness.
Start your own dynasty at
www.peets.com.