Spring Teas 2021, Part 2

Memorial Day may have marked the unofficial start of summer but we are in the midst of receiving spring teas.  And moving a few months back in time, these winter scenes of Nine Summit Mtn. in Anhui underscore the dramatic new growth that spring signifies.

Moving to spring: the photo below was taken during a visit in April 2019 to Changsha (Hunan), and it shows the effort tea purveyors put into celebrating the occasion, heralding another season.

The banner announces a “Swing into Spring” tea festival at the International Grand Hotel, featuring a grand opening ceremony, a pan-firing demo, prizes, spot purchases, and tastings of Hunan’s Grand Teas.

As mentioned in my April post, spring begins later as we move east to provinces such as Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang.

Also noted before, Tai Ping Hou Kui, sometimes known as Monkey King, is often the emblem of the season, a choice easy to understand given its dramatic leaf style.

This generously sized leaf yields a surprisingly delicate taste, a pristine expression of springtime Greens.

One among a handful of big name teas from Anhui, TPHK is perhaps second only to Yellow Mountain Maofeng (Huang Shan) in fame, a tea benefiting from its identification with place. Against a backdrop that inspired many landscape scrolls, the tea gardens there allow producers to demand high prices. Here, stellar origin translates into a comparable price tag.

One among a handful of big name teas from Anhui, TPHK is perhaps second only to Yellow Mountain Maofeng (Huang Shan) in fame, a tea benefiting from its identification with place. Against a backdrop that inspired many landscape scrolls, the tea gardens there allow producers to demand high prices. Here, stellar origin translates into a comparable price tag.

Here is one standard of the Yellow Mtn/Huang Shan Maofeng:

The loose open leaves are a good example of the light rolling that Maofeng teas undergo, and they look much as one would expect of leaves that were minimally manipulated. Even though I find it to be a mild tea, as a true place-defining tea, HSMF is secure in holding a top spot among China’s Big Name teas.

Reviewing our purchase history over the past few years, some big name teas have fallen out of favor, not just here but in the domestic market as well.  Golden Bamboo Hairpoint, Yong Xi Huo Qing, Yin Gou, and Ding Gu Da Fang are Anhui teas that come to mind. For many years, those were always on the “to buy” list, and with good reasons: long histories, distinctive leaf shapes, authentic Anhui locales.

Lu An Gua Pian (Melon Seed) is another example, although it still enjoys a following from loyal drinkers. This has always struck me as a curious premium tea, because the pluck consists of the 2nd and 3rd leaves with no budsets. From the price, one would certainly not have guessed this. (A hand rolled standard is shown below.)

When I inquired about this pluck of lower leaves, “tradition” was the usual response, which really begs further explanation. I later learned that the larger leaves make for easier de-enzyming, since moisture in buds is higher than in the lower leaves. During the de-enzyming process over heat, the leaves picked for LuAn Melon Seed will generate less vapor, and the resulting flavor will be more intense without the effects of vapor. And with no stalks, astringency is minimized.

Gold Flecked Green

One personal favorite seems to be retaining a solid customer base. 

The standard we chose this year is especially showy: the tiny gold dots on the leaves are definitely worth a closer look before brewing the tea. 

The local name for this Anhui tea is “dripping/trickling water” (di shui). Another name is “rain silk,” for the delicacy of the tender leaves.  Seeing a tea in a plain rice bowl on our lunch table at the tea base, I thought I recognized the tea – – it being very distinctive – – but had not heard the name before. Once that was cleared up, the local name vs. the formal name, I was relieved to know I really was at the right garden and processing site. I couldn’t help but think how quotidian this tea seemed to the workers hosting us.  In contrast, we here would probably bring out all our fancy tea accoutrements in serving a Green like this.

The trek to the gardens near Shang Jin Shan village in Jixi county was not a comfy one. Our ride involved a change of vehicles from an SUV to a smaller car that could only seat four, as we wound our way up a bumpy one lane dirt road. 

At over 800 m, we were surrounded by yet more green hills. The geography here is a definite advantage for the tea, although it makes transporting the tea down the mountain a long and arduous journey.

As the leaves of this cultivar come in contact with the hot pan during de-enzyming, the heat causes the distinctive tiny gold dots to appear, a feature I’ve always marveled at. Processing is specialized: as the leaves are heated, the pan is lifted slowly side to side, encouraging the formation into rolls. There are several sequences to this step, during which one hand must keep stirring the leaves while tilting the plan until the spiral effect is achieved. Obviously, this has to be done in small batches, a couple of kilos at a time, and I remember thinking of the vastly larger processing facility where Gunpowder Green is finished, with 20 or so ovens rotating ad baking about 50 lbs in each unit.

Even with several cycles of contact with heat, the finished leaves show no hint of roasting. On the contrary, this is a mellow Green whose aroma and taste do not dissipate quickly. Part of the pleasure from such a tea is to watch the “opening” of the leaves, revealing the sproutings that were so remarkably transformed, yielding a harmonious, nuanced Green.

Organic Gu Zhang Hairpoint (MaoJian)

This Green perhaps holds the record for staying true to its long history, with the earliest written accounts dating from the Eastern Han Dynasty, citing Gu Zhang county as one of the country’s prime tea regions, nestled in the Wuling mountain range in northwestern Hunan. To read about this Hairpoint Green is to skim over (long) lists of awards. Skipping ahead to recent years, in 2007 Gu Zhang Hairpoint was recognized as a nationally protected product by the government’s State Administration for Industry & Commerce.

As we see some Green teas diminishing in popularity, we note the continuing emergence of spring Black teas. I have highlighted two in previous posts and have attached excerpts at the end of this post.

Organic Black Bamboo Black

Bai Lin Black #1086 & 1087

The two standards are easy to tell apart. 

One (above) shows fine, gold tipped leaves (“fancy”) while the other shows uniform dark leaves. When cupping, however, one can easily drain the cups without coming clearlyy to a decision as to which tastes better.

“Pine Needles” Green

One glance at the dry leaves and no other name seems possible. What does inspire curiosity is how the pluck, a bud and two leaves, was shaped into these fine needles.

The leaf appearance seems austere, yet the cup is soft with a round vegetal finish without grassiness.

Very good value for a pre Qing Ming tea

Emerald Pearls

First encountered in Guizhou years ago, the discovery remains fresh each year.

At left: the generous pluck — for a spring Green – – allows for the style that was intended: a fairly tightly rolled Green.

Made into a style more reminiscent of Oolong than Green, here is another teaching moment about intent during tea processing. Not many Green teas are suitable for using a gongfu pot for multiple, flavorful infusions. This crinkly Green unfurls gradually with each addition of hot water, yielding a dynamic not many Green teas can produce.

Honeysuckle Dew Green (Mengding Gan Lu)

I now turn to a few spring teas that are better known in their respective local areas.

Organic Yangtze Green Maofeng

We have been bringing in this Green for many years, and I have been remiss in not pointing out that it is one of a very few China Green teas that are steamed during de-enzyming. This method can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, and although this may bring to mind Japanese Gyokuro, most teas in China during the Tang were steamed rather than pan fired.

Organic Orchid Dew Green

An intriguing lesson here for those who are fond of such details, viz. the association of cultivar (from Japan) and place (transplanted in Zhejiang). Opening a bag of this tea is a reminder of how essential our sense of smell is to the entire experience of tasting.

Organic Yangtze Green Maofeng

We have been bringing in this Green for many years, and I have been remiss in not pointing out that it is one of a very few China Green teas that are steamed during de-enzyming. This method can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty, and although this may bring to mind Japanese Gyokuro, most teas in China during the Tang were steamed rather than pan fired. 

After cooling, the leaves undergo “round rolling” and “counter rolling,” followed by drying, and then “polishing – final drying – sorting.” The finished leaf style therefore bears some resemblance to a Japanese Green. In any case, a nice example of the combination of an ancient method along with updated intent.

Snow Monkey

The mountainous terrain of Fujian is better known for Oolong teas than Green teas. White teas, coming into prominence in recent years, originated in Fujian, and the cultivar “Big White” (Da Bai) appears as Silver Needles, Peony White, and Shou Mei White. This same cultivar is also made into Snow Monkey Green, a fine example for a Tea-101 class about cultivars and their potential for transformation: same cultivar, different processing.

Not only is this Green from the Big White cultivar, it also originates from Fuding, the premier locale for White teas. The producer writes that the history of Snow Monkey Green is “only” about fifty years. I wish I knew the inspiration behind using that cultivar to make a Green. Short of that, we can appreciate the silver tips and open leaf style, not unlike White teas. This in turn makes me think of a good teaching moment: pairing Snow Monkey Green and a White Peony.

Clouds at Summit Green (New)

The Chinese name is a simple one, Bud Hairpoint (Ya MaoJian), and is a pre Qing Ming (April 5th) Green. Its specific identifier is place, in the Yun Feng (Cloud Summit) Mountains near the border of Hunan and Hubei, grown at an elevation of 1050 m.

Made to order by the factory in limited quantities and selling out quickly, and having missed out in 2020, I ordered this without seeing the sample this spring, relying on memories from a visit in 2019.

I am also relying on enthusiastic comments from a tea colleague traveling with me then, a reminder of how valuable another’s palate can be.

Organic Orchid Snow Bud Green

A longer description was posted last year about this Green from Zhejiang, picked and processed this spring before and just after April 5th. In addition to a sweet vegetal character that is typical of many Zhejiang Greens, there is the familiar chestnut-y finish, with almost a hint of umami. And to round out the overall character, I find the local name “Eagle’s Claw” intriguing and apt.

Last year, according to the exporter, we were the only importer in the US to bring in this Green; I am glad to have come across this lesser known, local tea and to have it again this year. The formal name is quite old and not of my creation: “lan xue” means Orchid Snow.

Tea Trail Mountain Green

I wrote briefly about this Zhejiang tea last year when we first brought some in. The local name is Jin Shan, for the mountainous pass to Tian Mu Mountain, from which the more famous Tian Mu Qing Ding tea comes. Jin Shan is situated at about 1000 m where the temperature difference between days and nights is dramatic. Summers are short and winters long, with spring coming late deep in the mountains here. The Tea Trail Green was made in mid-April.

Near the northeast peak of Tian Mu Mountain, Jin Shan became famous for its Buddhist temples during the Tang Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty, the major temple WanShou (10,000 Longevity) was known as the first among ten temples south of the Yangtze River. Records show that in 1241 the Japanese monk who had apprenticed at Jin Shan years before returned to the area for further study. He then carried tea seeds from Jin Shan to Japan as well as methods of making mountain tea. It is from this context that this region’s Green tea came to hold a special place in Chinese and Japanese exchanges in tea culture, one in which mountains, water, temples, texts, and tea from Jin Shan are all intertwined.

Near the northeast peak of Tian Mu Mountain, Jin Shan became famous for its Buddhist temples during the Tang Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty, the major temple WanShou (10,000 Longevity) was known as the first among ten temples south of the Yangtze River. Records show that in 1241 the Japanese monk who had apprenticed at Jin Shan years before returned to the area for further study. He then carried tea seeds from Jin Shan to Japan as well as methods of making mountain tea. It is from this context that this region’s Green tea came to hold a special place in Chinese and Japanese exchanges in tea culture, one in which mountains, water, temples, texts, and tea from Jin Shan are all intertwined. 

The pluck is a bud and one leaf and also a bud with two leaves. The dry leaf appearance is on the robust side, making the light colored cup a little unexpected. The taste, however, is not pale or lean. There is a mellow sweetness, with freshness being the key note. This tea embodies history, tradition, and terroir, but sensory immersion aside, it’s the taste that matters, and here is a cup that shows finesse, purity, and for a Green tea, enough to “chew on.”

Thinly spread out for thorough ventilation during withering, the leaves are de-enzymed at a high temperature, with charcoal fire finishing at the end. Before that, there are two stages of rolling, cold kneading and hot kneading. Cold kneading is applied to the tender budsets that are rolled after they have cooled from de-enzyming. Larger budsets are kneaded when they are still warm to help retain tightness in the finished tea.The leaves are air dried for a period before being placed over charcoal. This preliminary step reduces moisture and minimizes stickiness so that the leaves do not adhere to the pans.

One must research other historical accounts to learn the results of Jin Shan tea being introduced in Japan. Shifting to the present, we can still see ongoing ties, evidenced by Japanese companies investing in Sencha production in Zhejiang, and the transplanting of at least one singular Japanese cultivar in Zhejiang, resulting in the Organic Orchid Dew (our #2082A), whose Japanese origin is wonderfully evident once the bag is opened.

Next in the tea cycle, summer means jasmine scenting, and samples are arriving. Among these is a lovely Jasmine Pi Lo Chun that shows no flowers left in the tea, but whose fragrance speaks of repeated scenting.

Lydia