Enshi Yulu "Jade Dew"

恩施玉露

Harvest
April 7, 2026

Origin
Enshi, Hubei

Enshi is the name of an ethnic town in Hubei Province of China, and Yulu translates to "Jade Dew." This tea, named for its place of origin and its poetic qualities, is the only surviving traditional steam-processed tea in China. Its extreme rarity nowadays is largely on account of it being one of the most time consuming and labor intensive green teas in history to craft.

The effort it takes to make Enshi Yulu is not without significant reward. Performing the "kill-green" by way of instantaneous steam preserves more chlorophyll, amino acids, and soluble sugars in the tea leaves, resulting in a tea with highly nutritive properties, and a prominent, fresh sweetness.

The master craftsman must rise every day at 5 in the morning while this tea is being made. The leaves undergo steam kill-green and initial firing in the early hours, then they are piled onto long, rectangular cement roasting furnaces. While someone tends the wood fire and monitors its temperature, two other people work together, pushing and rolling the tea mass, gradually drying and straightening the leaves. When dryness reaches roughly 65% the leaves are spread out to cool, then repeatedly worked over with hand motions of rubbing, gathering, lifting, and pressing. Throughout this process the tea never leaves the hands of the craftsmen. For about an hour and a half it is continually moved, until it gradually takes its final form; the fine, tightly bound, dark green, pine-needle-like leaves we call "Yulu."

Each experienced tea master is able to produce just over 3kg of this tea by hand. Because of the very low yield, the vast majority of Yulu we find today comes from fully automated production lines. Completely handcrafted Enshi Yulu is extremely precious.

The greatest characteristic of Yulu's taste is its freshness. The dried leaves smell warm and deep in the gaiwan, but as soon as water hits them they transform into bright, vibrant leaves that give off a powerful "green" scent, as though they are still on the tree. Brewed gung-fu style the tea transforms quite noticeably through infusions, somewhat like a gyukuro, but without the broth-like density and strong umami notes. Yulu's qualities are much more light and airy.

The first infusion opens with a soft, nutritive taste that sweetens as it hits the back of the palate. The second infusion is smoother, and even sweeter, like sugar crystals. The soft mouthfeel and uplifting green notes are perfectly balanced, and the leaves continue to open and brighten through infusions. Yulu gets prettier the more time you spend with it. It will stay fresh and vibrant through 4 infusions, before beginning to gently fade.

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Brewing guide