Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: deep green, slightly rolled
Ingredients: green tea
Steep time: 2 minutes
Water Temperature: 170 degrees
Preparation Method: glass teapot
Liquor: pale, greenish
I’ve never had Gua Pian before working at +Tea Drunk but it is quickly becoming one of my favorite Chinese green teas. That’s why I was super jazzed when +Happy Earth Tea sent me a sample of their offering from the Summer 2013 harvest. The name means melon seed, which refers to the shape of the leaves once they are unfurled. Its picking standard is unusual in that only full leaves are used, no buds. The taste was sweet with grassy notes and a mellow fruity undertone. There was no bitterness to speak of and the finish was refreshingly clean. It had just a touch of smoke from the pan frying but that element was very subtle. This is a tea that you’ll want to brew in class as the leaves are quite beautiful to watch. I used a glass teapot but a test tube style steeper would also work well. I try to avoid gaiwans for most green teas as I want to avoid cooking the leaves.
Lu An Gua Pian sample provided by Happy Earth Tea.