Chinese Green Tea Map

This is one of ancient Chinese teas still in production today. In the eighth century it was a tribute to the imperial court. Managed by court officials, as many as 30,000 people would work in its tea gardens during harvest season. Since its dismissal by the court in 1376, this tea almost vanished and most of its gardens went out of cultivation. After its resumption in 1979, Purple Shoot Tea won national awards twice in 1982 and 1986.

The harvest starts from the end of March. The standard picking is one shoot with one or two young leaves in shape of bamboo shoot and purplish in color, from which its name was derived. The leaves are then air-dried. When about seventy per cent of the moisture evaporated, roasting and shaping begin. The notable characteristic in this tea is its fineness - 3,000 young leaves for one ounce tea.

This tea is from Guzhou Mountain on the northern border of Zhejiang Province. With Lake Tai lying on the east, the fertile soil of the tea garden and average 70 F annual temperature give this tea an outstanding quality in its mellowness. The neighboring Yi-xing County of Jiangsu Province also has an equally famous green tea - Yang Xian Tea.