Junshan Yin Zhen (君山銀針)

archetype: Golden fish in the lake

A golden fish swims through a slow lake: an imperial softness, a fine porridge, a golden calm.

History

Jun Shan Yin Zhen — 'silver needles of Mount Jun' — is one of the rarest teas of China. It grows only on Junshan Island in the middle of Lake Dongting in Hunan (the garden is less than 1 sq. km). The technology is 'men huang' ('dark yellowing'): after fixing and a first drying, the leaf is wrapped in damp cloth, beneath which it slowly steams, losing its green sharpness and gaining a soft yellow sweetness. Made only of buds.

It is told that empress Li Gui of the Tang loved Jun Shan more than any other tea: every year before Qingming her envoys delivered the first picking. After her death the emperor ordered the bushes of this tea to be planted around her grave. Since then Jun Shan is drunk when one wants an even, noble sweetness, without any strain.

Terroir

about 60 m above lake level; the lake forms the microclimate. volcanic clay saturated with the silt and organic matter of the lake. humid mists from the lake, cool nights, mild winters. The standard is the buds from the northern slopes of the island; outside Junshan a true 'imperial' version is not made.

Leaf

dry leaf: even golden-yellow buds with white down, standing upright when brewed

warmed: the warmed bud — boiled corn, acacia honey, a warm porridge

after pour: after the infusion — boiled corn, acacia, warm porridge, a light vanilla

taste: boiled corn, an imperial porridge, acacia honey, a warm sweetness

finish: long, even, leaves an 'imperial trail' in the throat — a warm gold

Properties

TCM: neutral; nourishes stomach and spleen, gently warms the middle, calms the shen

Modern: a very mild tea, low catechins, medium theanine; suits a sensitive stomach

Cha qi: even, soft, warm at the centre of the chest; felt as 'the calm of an imperial garden'

Caffeine: low to moderate (25–40 mg)

Brewing ritual

a tall glass — to see the buds dance; 80 °C, soft; 4 g / 200 ml. 40s — the buds descend, a warm porridge; 60s — the peak: boiled corn, acacia honey; 90s — a long imperial sweetness; 120s — a late trail — a golden calm.

When to drink

day and early evening. spring and early autumn. when one wants an even noble sweetness, for an important guest, on a special day. acacia, boiled corn, white pear, a light porridge, soft cheeses. a solemn meeting; a solitary 'imperial' tea evening

Tea meditation

The fish swims slower than the water.
Don't push the cup — it will come of itself.
The sweetness of this tea is imperial: even, without strain.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Junshan Yin Zhen?

What does Junshan Yin Zhen taste like?

boiled corn, an imperial porridge, acacia honey, a warm sweetness

How much caffeine is in Junshan Yin Zhen?

low to moderate (25–40 mg)

What are the effects of Junshan Yin Zhen?

a very mild tea, low catechins, medium theanine; suits a sensitive stomach