Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: jade green, curled
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 3 minutes
Water Temperature: 180 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: pale gold

Emerald Seed, also known as Gua Pian, is usually found on most lists of the famous teas of China. The processing is a bit different than what you might expect. It is one of the only green teas where secondary leaves are used rather buds. Gua Pian gets a more aggressive firing step and the leaves are rolled in a strip style. The dry leaves of this offering from +Adagio Teas had a wonderfully toasty aroma. Their description likens it to pumpkin seed. In the cup it was vegetal and sweet with a lingering nutty finish. There was hardly any astringency and the mouth-feel was buttery smooth. Emerald Seed is a bit fuller bodied so I was able to get three full pots from one batch of leaves. I have a feeling that this would make an excellent iced tea as well. Gua Pian can be very pricey. While this one isn’t the best one that I’ve had, it was tasty as well as relatively affordable. As always, Adagio offers very decent entry level options that are a great way to get your feet wet.

Anhui Emerald Seed sample purchased from Adagio Teas.