Osmanthus Zhangping Shui Xian
Spring 2025 - Traditional Unroasted - by Zeng Puyu
This is the second batch of Zhangping Shui Xian (oolong) that came in the Producers Package from Pastleaf. I wrote about the award-winning Shui Xian previously.[1] This is a beautifully fragrant tea.
Shui Xian 水仙 means water sprite [2] and is a cultivar of Camellia sinensis.
Very much like the Zhangping Shui Xian that I’ve already described, but with floral notes. It smells delicious and the taste is slightly more complex than the regular tea. I do have a penchant for floral teas so it isn’t surprising that I like this a bit more. It still has that sweet, smooth flavour. The second infusion brought out even more depth - as evidenced also by the colour (photos above).
Osmanthus fragrans (fragrant olive) [3]
Detail of an illustration of Osmanthus fragrans by Lilian Snelling. Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew (unless otherwise stated).
“The name Osmanthus comes from the Greek language, Osma (fragrant) and Anthos (flower), literally meaning Fragrant Flower.
Osmanthus flowers are a symbol of love and romance, blooming for only a few days in the Spring, and are celebrated during wedding ceremonies and the Chinese Moon Festival in August.”
This was the 2025 set. I might be convinced to check out the 2026 batches when they are back in stock.
Have a terrific tea day!
[1] Zhangping Shui Xian - https://www.debborahdonnelly.ca/blog/zhangping-shui-xian Posted online February 12, 2026.
[2] Shui Xian - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shui_Xian
[3] https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:610878-1
[4] What is Osmanthus? Parfumerie Nasreen. Posted online March 15, 2024.
