Green Tea

Gunpowder tea gets its name from the appearance of the leaves, which are rolled tightly into small, round pellets ranging from Pinhead to Pea Leaf. The smaller the roll, the more expensive the tea. The tight roll helps Gunpowder remain fresher, longer than other teas.

Lung Ching translated means Dragon’s Well. The legend of its name comes from a story around 250 AD when the farmers of the Hangzhou region had been praying for rain and discovered a dragon lurking near a spring in the hills. They implored the dragon to come to their rescue. Instantly, clouds came rushing in from all sides and poured forth timely rain. On this account, the temple adjoining the spring is known as Dragon’s Well Monastery, and the tea derives its name from the same legend. The finest Lung Ching is produced only near the beautiful West Lake of Hangzhou. The leaf is remarkably flat and smooth and is slick to the touch. Standard 5120 is our top pick from the earliest production season. We work closely with our trusted supplier to find a unique production lot which best balances s the classic character of dragonwell tea, with new and unique flavors from the particular season.

The tea garden where we source our Organic Yun Wu—Cloud Mist tea uniquely situated atop the famed Putuo Shan (Mount Putuo) located on a remote island of the same name in the Southeast Zhoushan region of Zhejiang province. The garden was originally planted and maintained by Cinese Buddhists, and is one of the most sacred buddhist sites in China. Visiting the garden, it becomes clear why it is so sacred: The lush vegetation, combined with nearly perpetual cloud coverage and cool mist, make for nearly ideal tea growing conditions for green tea manufacture. The garden itself is completely self sustained managed by local farmers who tend to the plants year-round. The tea is produced during the late spring and summer months. Fresh plucked leaf is taken down the mountain to the nearby factory, where it is delicately handled through the final firing and packaging. For those seeking some of the purest green tea from China, with true representation of the classic pan-fired green tea character, Yun Wu is an excellent choice.

Origin: Huangshan Mountains, China. Cloud Mist Supreme is one of the finest grades of the Yun Wu teas from the fabled Huangshan Mountain region in southern Anhui province. Perpetual cloud coverage—along with some help from man-made shade structures—enables the leaves to develop slowly on the bush, rendering a softer and sweeter cup character.

Known as the native home to Camellia sinensis, Yunnan is ideally suited for tea cultivation, and includes centuries-long tea manufacturing practices that are maintained by teamakers throughout the entire region. Yunnan green tea has a very distinctive flavor profile, unlike any other region, that can sometimes be difficult to articulate. From the beautiful tippy appearance, to the long, sweet and herbaceous finish, Yunnan Green Mao Feng is an excellent China Spring tea.

loosely rolled and tippy green tea, from Spring 2020 production. An excellent value China Spring green tea

origin authentic, from Jiangsu Province, China

Kabusecha, which translates to “covered tea,” is a style of shaded Japanese green tea that is loosely defined as a mid-point style between Sencha (not shaded) and Gyokuro (shaded approximately 23–30 days prior to harvest). For Kabusecha 2146, which is shaded approximately 15–20 days, the differences go far beyond tea categories.

Kabusecha is manufactured from mostly Saemidori (translation: “Clear Green”), a newer cultivar known for outstanding aroma, brilliant green color, low bitterness and astringency, and high amino acid content; all characteristics that it inherits from it’s parent cultivar: Asatsuyu

The cultivar used in this year’s Hachijyu-Hachiya (88th Night) is Okumidori, which translates as “Deep Green”. This leaf has an aroma similar to the elusive scent of cherry blossoms: not overly floral, but deep and complex. Due to the exceptional manufacturing on this particular batch, the cultivar flavor shines through, perfectly balanced by the sweet aroma of fresh-withered leaf. In the finish, this tea builds to a powerful and lasting aftertaste of savory yet delicate notes of the sea, yielding only to the next sip.

Matcha Kansai is a traditional style stone-ground matcha, sourced through our main supplier in Kagoshima, Japan. Matcha Kansai is named after the region which encompasses the primary prefectures where this tea is sourced.

Served as a self-drinker, Matcha Kansai delivers a deep green color, which is indicative of high-quality production and freshness. With proper whisking technique, Matcha Kansai develops a thick and persistent topping of foam, and a well-balanced, sweet and smooth cup, with a very clean finish. Matcha Kansai can also be used as a high-quality ingredient for many applications, including blended beverages, green tea latte, or other culinary recipes.

Organic Matcha Konomi strikes the perfect balance between quality and value. Produced in the late Summer and early Autumn months in Kagoshima prefecture, Organic Matcha Konomi delivers a sweet, smooth and well-balanced character to the cup. As a self-drinker, Organic Matcha Konomi can hold its own with a whisk and a bowl. As a premium ingredient, Organic Matcha Konomi will add a beautiful deep green color, and a clean vegetal character to any beverage or other culinary preparation.