This gorgeous bing is made of the dried and pressed flowers of the Yunnan edible rose Rosa rugosa dianhong. Roses are one of the most beloved flowers around the world, and their ubiquity in Western tea and herbal tea blends often causes serious Chinese tea aficionados to overlook teas containing rose to be inauthentic. But in fact roses were first domesticated in China nearly 5,000 years ago, and the old Chinese garden rose is the genetic predecessor to all modern horticultural roses. The cultivar name of this particular rose, Dianhong, means "Yunnan Red" and is the nickname also used for red teas from Yunnan.
This 200g bing of pure rose flowers has a soft, rich rose fragrance and amber-pink liquor. Unlike the Damascus roses that are commonly found in Western tea blends, the Yunnan rose has a sweet, full flavor in addition to its fragrance. It can produce 7-10 infusions, retaining its floral aroma and yielding a dynamic character that evolves from steeping to steeping. The pressed nature of the flowers contributes to its longevity, resulting in an overall experience similar to steeping tea leaves.