Green Peony

There is a small period of time in early spring, before the Qingming solar term, where the climate in Yunnan causes one side of the tree's leaves to turn a dark, intense shade of green, while the other side becomes a fuzzy silvery-white.

Green Peony is made only with first harvest leaves gathered at this moment and, as it is such a brief period of time, crafting this tea requires paying close attention to the weather. Mr. Tang is not always able to find enough hands to help him harvest before the leaves go through their next transformation, meaning Green Peony is a highly spontaneous creation.

When successfully set into motion, the leaves are picked according to the traditional standards of one bud and one leaf. Then the fresh leaves are spread out on bamboo trays indoors, where they gradually oxidize. Once the leaves reach 20% moisture content they are taken to a glass house that Mr. Tang built for sun-drying. The tea is left there for a few hours each day in the morning, before the sunlight is too strong. When the leaves are dry they are placed in a large ceramic jar and aged for two weeks, balancing their flavor and dispelling the grassiness that fresh tea leaves have.

The dried tea leaves maintain their recto-verso appearance: very dark green on one side, while the other side is covered in a silver fuzz that almost looks like suede. As its appearance would suggest, this tea is about texture. Its mouthfeel is smooth and velvety, with a soft weight underlying its refreshing, floral qualities. Its taste has great clarity, with notes of honeysuckle, calla lily, plum blossoms and fresh apricots.