Types of Aomori Tea

See also: Tea in Acheron Rho

After the scream, most planets in the Empire forgot or abandoned the principles of quality tea cultivation, except for Aomori where the production and consumption of tea became a linchpin of House Reticulum cuisine and culture.

General Aomori Tea

Hibiscus-like Flowering Plant Tea

Some of the most popular examples are made of the native Hibiscus-like flowering plants that dot the main islands. Consisting only of the flowering part of the plant, there is a high difficulty in obtaining this tea when it is not the plant’s flowering season. Most often cultivated by nobles in the volcanic soil of private islands, this hibiscus produces a tart, red tea that almost looks like cranberry juice.

A Semi-Fermented Tea

A semi-fermented tea type prized on Aomori is actually a byproduct of the orchards which produce the blue fruit that the drink, arrack, is fermented of. This tea, made of the unopened blossoms of the tree is difficult to harvest due to the narrow window in which these trees blossom. Not only this, but if these blossoms are harvested it means that no fruit can come from that particular blossom. Very few nobles compromise the production of their orchard in order to produce this tea. It brews into an overly sweet, light-blue tea that is slightly intoxicating.

Lippia Alba Tea

Lippia Alba tea is a favorite among the serfs. This plant species is generally considered a pest in most circles due to the weed-like hardiness it shows and the rate at which is grows. With many health benefits, this tea is cultivated on the sides of roads or even on rooftops in the serf parts of town. It is not uncommon to see a communal road-side tea garden consisting only of lippia alba plant species.

Reticulum Family Brands

The Black Dragon Tea Gardens

Main article: The Black Dragon Tea Gardens

A horticulturalist in his spare time, Czarn Gibel and his wife, Czarn Colette (nee Novak), started the Black Dragon Tea Gardens as a family project. Over time, it has grown to a larger operation, providing some of the highest quality of teas to both Reticulum and some of the various nobles in the sector. While owned by Czarn Vojin and the Czarn family as a whole, it is currently ran by Czarn Volk, the oldest living child of Czarn Gibel. They currently have 5 specialty teas they offer: Amber Midnight, Iron Goddess of Mercy, Silver Jasmine Eye, Gunpowder Tea, and Blue Tatalo.