An Ji Bai Cha has become the most sought after green tea today due to its limited production and its history with famous Song Dynasty emperor, Song Hui Zhong. As a great artist and passionate tea lover, he wrote a book about tea and devoted a whole chapter to Bai Cha, though he did not mention the source. Lu Yu, the famous tea sage during the Tang Dynasty, described the An Ji area as a treasure of tea, but did not mention the tea. It took 900 years for tea scholars and tea masters to put the two together and discover an ancient Bai Cha bush. It has taken since 1980 to propagate enough bushes to have a commercial crop. Take time to appreciate the clean, green tea liquor and high fragrance. The skinny, flat tea buds and leaves are rich in amino acids creating a mild and slightly sweet flavor that gives you an overall calming feeling.

Note: “Ming Qian” refers to the first tea picking before the Qing Ming festival

Location: Zhejiang Province, China
Tea Bush: Bai Ye #1 (White Leaves #1)
Tea Master: Chang Mei
Harvest Time: April 6th
Picking Standard: 1 bud to 1 tender leaf

Brewing Guidelines
Teaware: 12 oz. glass or porcelain pot
Amount: 1 ½ Tbs of tea leaves
Water: 180°F filtered water
Infusion: First infusion at least 2 minutes. The leaves are good for 3 infusions.