# Tai Ping Hou Kui (太平猴魁)

*Tài Píng Hóu Kuí · Green · Wood*

**archetype:** Crane in a bamboo grove

A slender crane among bamboo: a long leaf, an orchid aroma, a cool green depth.

## History

Tai Ping Hou Kui — 'monkey king of Taiping' — is one of the most unusual green teas of China. The bush is cultivated only in Taiping county (Anhui), on the slopes of Mount Houkeng. The leaf is huge — 5–7 cm long; it is pressed in the palm with a special movement to keep it flat and long. Each leaf is processed separately by hand — hence the high price and rarity.

> In Houkeng village there lived a hunter, and his old monkey, his faithful companion, died of age. The hunter buried her by a spring, and at dawn a bush with long leaves grew at that spot. When the leaf met water, it stood upright, as if alive. Ever since, the tea has been called 'monkey king' — and is drunk in memory of those who walked beside us but went on first.

## Terroir

300–700 m, slopes of Mount Houkeng. weathered shale, loose clay. dense mists, frequent rains, cool nights. Canonical Hou Kui comes only from the villages Houkeng and Houkang; outside them the leaf loses its characteristic length and orchid.

## Leaf

- **dry leaf:** long flat leaves, 5–7 cm, dark jade with veins; in shape, 'two strands and a spear'
- **warmed:** the warmed leaf — white orchid, bamboo, ripe pear, a thin sweetness
- **after pour:** after the infusion — orchid, bamboo, cool pear, a thin flower
- **taste:** white orchid, bamboo, ripe pear, a sweet coolness
- **finish:** long, cool, leaving a 'bamboo' note in the throat and an orchid echo

## Properties

- **TCM:** cool, yin; clears heat, brightens the head, nourishes the lungs, moistens the throat
- **Modern:** rich in theanine, low tannins thanks to the large leaf; mild, not sharp
- **Cha qi:** light, rising into the head; felt as a 'straightening of the spine'
- **Caffeine:** moderate (25–40 mg)

## Brewing ritual

a tall glass — so the leaf can stand upright; 80 °C; 4 g / 250 ml. 50s — the long leaf lifts a vein — orchid; 70s — the peak: bamboo, cool pear; 100s — a long green depth.

## When to drink

morning and day. spring. when you want solemnity; for guests you wish to surprise. ripe pear, steamed rice with vegetables, mild cheeses, white fish. for an important meeting; a slow morning alone

## Tea meditation

1. A big leaf needs a big cup.
2. Stand as upright as this leaf in water.
3. The crane in the bamboo hears every rustle.

## Questions and answers

### How do you brew Tai Ping Hou Kui?

a tall glass — so the leaf can stand upright; 80 °C; 4 g / 250 ml. 50s — the long leaf lifts a vein — orchid; 70s — the peak: bamboo, cool pear; 100s — a long green depth.

### What does Tai Ping Hou Kui taste like?

white orchid, bamboo, ripe pear, a sweet coolness

### How much caffeine is in Tai Ping Hou Kui?

moderate (25–40 mg)

### What are the effects of Tai Ping Hou Kui?

rich in theanine, low tannins thanks to the large leaf; mild, not sharp

## Related teas

- [Long Jing](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/long-jing)
- [Huangshan Mao Feng](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/huang-shan-mao-feng)
- [Lu'an Gua Pian](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/tea/lu-an-gua-pian)
- [Green](https://www.dao-cha.info/en/class/green)