太平猴魁 2025 Mingqian Green Tea Taiping Houkui Handpicked, 50g Box

A Jade Scroll Unfurled in the Clouds of Houkeng

Terroir: The DNA of Houkeng

Nestled in the granite cliffs of Huangshan's northern foothills, Houkeng village (700m altitude) bathes in perpetual mist. The 2025 "Taiping Houkui" is born here—roots gripping mineral-rich sandy soil, leaves steeped in Anhui's orchid-like "lan yun" (orchid resonance).

Varietal Traits :

Made from native "Shida Cha" cultivar, with palm-sized leaves and tortoise-shell vein patterns.

When 2025 spring sees late frosts, cell walls thicken, doubling the tea's umami intensity.

Harvest Ritual :
Plucked only during the 10-day window around Grain Rain (April), each set of "one bud, two leaves" must measure 5-7cm. The picker's fingernail leaves a crescent-shaped "red thread" mark—Houkui's signature.

Craft: Forged by Charcoal Fire

Kill-Green :
Iron wok at 180°C, master shakers employ "toss-press-flick" moves to deactivate enzymes in 90 seconds, locking in jade-green chlorophyll.

Shaping :
Each leaf straightened by hand, pressed between bamboo mats into iconic "sword shape" (two leaves embracing a bud).

Charcoal Baking :
Slow-dried over oak charcoal for 12 hours, converting polyphenols into honeyed sweetness.

2025 Innovations :
Experimental "bamboo tube withering" infuses leaves with bamboo sap's crispness, adding a "zhuye qing" (bamboo leaf) note.

Tasting: A Trilogy of Revelations

Dry Leaves : 10cm emerald "swords" dusted with white down, crimson stems threaded like blood vessels.

Brewing (glass cylinder, 85°C spring water):

Awakening :
Initial 30-second steep unfurls leaves like peacock feathers, liquor gold-green with floating trichomes.

First Sip :
An umami explosion (amino acids >6%), like biting a sun-warmed green grape, triggers instant salivation.

Mid-Palate :
By the third infusion, orchid notes rise from the throat, mingled with roasted barley—a "rock rhyme" from zinc-rich soil.

Finish :
After seven steeps, leaves still stand erect, broth turning to sweet corn silk, cup-bottom aroma like wild honey.

Aging: Green Tea's Paradox

Fresh (0-1 year):
Store in airtight tin, freeze at -5°C to preserve vibrancy.

Aged (3+ years):
Fire aroma mellows into roasted rice notes, texture thickens like kudzu starch.

Legend Status

Among green teas, Houkui is the "lonely swordsman":

Shape : World's longest tea leaves (≥10cm).

Taste : Orchid meets mineral, balancing freshness and depth.

Spirit : Each leaf a bonsai of Huangshan's clouds.

The tin can primarily serves to protect the tea and is only marginally decorative. Dents on these cans are rare!