Anji Bai Cha - High Mountain Pre-Qingming Green Tea 2022

Anji Bai Cha green tea from early spring has an exquisite taste that is nutty, buttery with a sweet lingering finish. Tea harvested in early spring before the Qingming festival (15th day after spring equinox), is sought after for its delicate and refined notes. 

LEAF: Wiry bud sets that are bright green and yellow. Has a sharp vegetal and floral notes.

INFUSED LEAF: Pale green with a nose that consists of sweet corn, nutty and umami.

CUP: A beautiful pale green with again lot of umami. Notes of sweet boiled corn, peas. Sweet clean finish. Very pleasing. 

STEEPING TIPS

   1 tablespoon or 2.5 gm for an 8-10 oz cup

   176 F

   2 mins. Second steep 3 min.

ORIGIN

Anji Bai Cha literally means "white tea" from Anji, a region in Zhejiang province of China. The reason it is called white, although a green tea, is because of the very pale appearance of the budset that is picked to make this tea.

The processing of Anji Bai Cha differs from other green teas in that the leaves are not rolled. This keeps the flavor mild but the taste is still deep.

The cultivar that is used to make this tea was discovered only in the early 1980s. It has since been propagated in other parts of China. This batch of tea comes from Fan Jing Shan (Buddha and Clean Mountain) in Guizhou province - a mountainous area that is removed from the industrialized and polluted parts of the country. The soil that is rich in minerals imparts more depth and a longer finish to the tea.