Guzhu Zi Sun (顧渚紫筍)

archetype: Violet shoot in the misty valley

An imperial violet shoot: an ancient valley, a bamboo coolness, a thin orchid bitterness.

History

Gu Zhu Zi Sun — 'violet bamboo shoot from Mount Guzhu' — is one of the oldest imperial teas of China. Lu Yu, author of the 'Classic of Tea' (760), wrote of it as the best tea of the Tang empire. From 770 it was 'gong cha' (tribute tea); each year, at Qingming, the imperial court received the first harvest. For several centuries the tea was forgotten, and was only revived in 1979, from Lu Yu's descriptions.

Legend has it that Lu Yu himself planted the first Gu Zhu bush in the mountains of Zhejiang. He was walking through a forest when he saw a young bamboo shoot of a violet hue — and felt in it 'the spirit of tea'. Lu Yu gathered the leaf, brewed it, and said: 'This is not tea, this is memory.' Ever since, Gu Zhu is drunk for long thoughts about those who came before us.

Terroir

300–600 m. weathered granite and shale, abundant bamboo organic matter. dense mists, frequent rains, cool nights. The standard is leaf from the northern slope of Mount Gu Zhu, where the imperial tea factory once stood.

Leaf

dry leaf: thin leaves with a clear violet cast on the young shoots, curved 'spear-like'

warmed: the warmed leaf — violet bamboo shoot, orchid, a thin chestnut

after pour: after the infusion — bamboo, orchid, chestnut, a thin grassy depth

taste: violet bamboo shoot, orchid, chestnut, a thin grassy depth

finish: long, thin, a slight bitterness in the finish — an 'ancient voice'

Properties

TCM: cool, yin; clears heat, brightens the mind, nourishes the shen

Modern: rich in theanine, moderate catechins; gentle stimulation, good for concentration

Cha qi: light, rising, ancient; felt as 'time running backward'

Caffeine: moderate (30–45 mg)

Brewing ritual

a 150 ml gaiwan; 80 °C; 4 g / 150 ml. 25s — the first opening: violet shoot, orchid; 35s — the peak: chestnut, a thin grassy depth; 55s — a long echo of antiquity; 80s — the finale — a thin trail of bitterness.

When to drink

morning and day. spring. for slow reflection, before writing something important, on a day of remembrance. bamboo, steamed rice, light cheese, white fish, ancient grains. solitude; a conversation with an elder

Tea meditation

Imperial does not mean loud.
Ancient varieties speak in whispers.
Listen below the noise.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Guzhu Zi Sun?

What does Guzhu Zi Sun taste like?

violet bamboo shoot, orchid, chestnut, a thin grassy depth

How much caffeine is in Guzhu Zi Sun?

moderate (30–45 mg)

What are the effects of Guzhu Zi Sun?

rich in theanine, moderate catechins; gentle stimulation, good for concentration