Lu'an Gua Pian (六安瓜片)
archetype: Pumpkin seed in the grass
A pumpkin seed lying in the meadow grass: a forest freshness, a nutty depth, a dark-green strength.
History
Lu'an Gua Pian — 'pumpkin seeds from Lu'an' — is the only famous Chinese green tea made from leaf alone, without buds or stems. From each shoot the second leaf is taken — the most mature and dense; the upper and lower skins are not needed, only the 'seed-leaf' with its strong body. It is dried on bamboo trays in three passes, the last one with a faint smoke from charcoal.
Terroir
The best leaf comes from the villages Qizihu and Qili; the 'imperial' Gua Pian is made only from the second leaf of the upper shoot.
Leaf
steamed greenery, nut, prune, a light chestnut long, dark green, with a nutty trail
Properties
high polyphenol concentration thanks to the mature leaf; good after rich food, supports metabolism dense, descending; felt as 'settling' in the lower chest moderate (30–45 mg)
Brewing ritual
a 150 ml gaiwan; 82 °C; 4 g / 150 ml. 15s — the first opening: steamed greenery, nut; 20s — the peak: chestnut, prune, dark green; 30s — a long echo of forest freshness; 50s — the finale — a thin nutty trail.
When to drink
day and early evening. summer and early autumn. when you want earth, a forest depth, for long work