Enter the Dragon (Well)

My early life was pretty simple. From age 5 to 9 all I cared about was "playing." It didn't matter what I did as long as I was entertained, which was pretty easy at that time. Then came what my mother calls "the age of obsession." This lasted from about age 9 to age 11 and all I cared about was Ninjas. I would read about Ninjas, watch Ninja cartoons and had a huge collection of Ninja weapons (styrofoam of course). But my biggest love was watching Ninja and Kung Fu Movies.

I must have watched every single Kung Fu movie that existed. I even watched the movies that weren't in English, which for a kid is really hard to do. And after I watched every movie that I could get my hands on, I still, to this day, think that Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" is the greatest Kung Fu/Ninja movie of all time. The general plot surrounds a Martial Arts tournament in Hong Kong that Bruce Lee was invited to attend. It deals with an evil boss, secret agents, a guy with a giant afro, stealthy missions, a maze of mirrors and a guy with a giant claw for an arm. Let's just say I was in awe the first time I watched it because I knew it was the best movie I had seen. About 8 years later I experienced this sense of awe a second time. But this time it was while drinking Dragon Well tea. Ironically, I was also in Hong Kong and after the first sip I knew this was the finest representation of Chinese green tea I had ever had.

Dragon Well is Actually Named after a Well

Dragon Well Tea is grown in the Zhejiang Province in China. In this region there is a well that has extremely dense water. When it rains the water in the well swirls around, giving it the appearance of a dragon.

The Tea of Emperors

Dragon Well is so well respected in China that it has been the tea of choice for their Emperors for over 1200 years and was the tea served to Richard Nixon during his historic trip to China in the 1970's. In fact, the legend claims that the Emperor Kangxi went to the Hu Gong Temple in the Zhejian Province where he was served a cup of Dragon Well. He became so enamored that he granted imperial status to the 18 tea bushes located outside of the temple. That status was so valuable that the same bushes exist today and their tea leaves sell for thousands of dollars per ounce.

There are 4 Prized Qualities in Dragon Well

The four qualities are the Jade green color, the sweet aroma, the roasted vegetable flavor and the shape of the leaves. The leaves are all hand processed to look like small flat blades.

Roasted Vegetables are the Star

This tea has the flavor and aroma of freshly grilled eggplant. Not just boring, bland roasted vegetables, but the kind that you will find roasting on a giant charcoal grill next to the beach in the Mediterranean. The flavor has a "meatiness" that is quite hard to replicate and I can tell you the flavor is truly delicious.

Summary

Some things are so good you have to experience them for yourself. So the next time you are looking to rent a movie, check out Enter the Dragon. And be sure to sip on a cup of Dragon Well while you appreciate true mastery.

photo:www.flickr.com/photos/brtsergio/63684748/