Sparrow's Tongues (雀舌)
archetype: Sparrow on the morning branch
A sparrow on the morning branch: a flat pointed leaf, fresh green clarity, a long chestnut echo in the cup.
History
Sparrow's Tongues (Que She, 雀舌) is a renowned green tea from Jintan in Jiangsu, on Mount Mao (Maoshan) — a Daoist mountain among bamboo groves. Young buds with a leaf are pan-fired and shaped into flat, pointed 'tongues' that resemble a bird's beak. As early as the Song dynasty, Shen Kuo's 'Dream Pool Essays' praised the 'sparrow's tongue' as the tenderest spring leaf. Some 40,000–45,000 buds go into 500 g of finished tea — hence its reputation as a luxury.
Terroir
Picked before Qingming; 40,000–45,000 buds go into 500 g of finished leaf.
Leaf
fresh floral green, chestnut sweetness, a light bean note, clean texture clean, bright, with a long chestnut echo and cool sweetness on the palate
Properties
rich in catechins and aromatics; gentle lift without heaviness light, ascending, ringing; felt like 'morning birdsong' at the temples moderate (30–40 mg)
Brewing ritual
120 ml gaiwan or a tall 180 ml glass; 82 °C, soft; 3 g / 120 ml. 25s — first ring: young grass, white blossom; 40s — peak: fresh green, chestnut sweetness; 60s — thin chestnut echo, cool sweetness.
When to drink
morning and early day. spring — especially early spring. when you need a clear head without a jolt, before a short journey or light work