SPRING DUENDE – 30 Gms

Duende – the spirit of evocation, “a state of tragedy-inspired ecstasy,” a heightened state of emotion, expression and authenticity. Andalusian poet Federico García Lorca rendered it as “that mysterious power that everyone feels but no philosopher can explain, most felt in the performing arts”.  Lorca’s vision of duende: irrationality, earthiness, heightened awareness of mortality and a dash of the diabolical. Dylan once answered “I don’t know how I could write those words – it wasn’t me; I’ve been trying for the past 20 years but I can’t write like that.”

Darkness at the break of noon,
Shadows even the silver spoon,
The handmade blade, the child’s balloon,
Eclipses both the sun and moon,
To understand you know too soon,
There is no sense in trying…….

The duende is an earth spirit who helps the artist see the limitations of intelligence and go beyond – the duende seizes not only the performer but also the audience, creating conditions where art can be communicated spontaneously with little, if any, conscious effort.

Make no mistake about it, the profound soaring highs and mystical ecstasy of expressions of Duende lie in stark contrast to its dark origins that Lorca speaks about. Very much like the sweet expressions of this spring tea lie in its cruel experience of winter.  Like it’s aroma and flavor bypass meaning and take a higher route to your senses, very much like the invocation of Dylan.

The Spring possesses Duende – a celebration of that certain melancholy, closeness, for lack of a better word, to the endured harshness of winters, carrying within it a reminder of mortality and its inclusive, earthy, diabolical urgency to perform and express.  You can see it in the dispersed, spread-out, fragile leaves – that duende needs space to breathe; you can smell the floral melancholy rise up from your cup most reminiscent of ancient earthy rituals and incantations. The flavor feels like it’s in no haste to be understood, floating in silence till your own attention surrenders to its expression. But most of all you can feel it’s earthy, rooted need to deliver its floral notes before it successfully embraces its impermanence.

Placed in the white tea variety, the plucking is mostly two leaves and a bud. The dry leaves smell of Mangoes. The duende brews into a thick, cool, champagne frescoed liquor. It’s need for space to breathe, is paid it’s due in the sun drying process. The floral ‘flamenco’ is steeped in mango, cool honeydew melon, mild Citrus with vanilla making refrained appearances.  This here is an entire performance – from the dry leaves to the brewed tea.

Brewing instructions: 180ml water with 2.5 Gms of leaves for 2.5 minutes at 80 Degrees Celsius.