Lu'an Guapian - Green Tea

Charcoal-roasted green tea (Lu'an Guapian, "Melon Seed") with refreshing, cooling effects, featuring notes of toasted chestnut, fresh greens, and sweet grass.

Crafted in Lu'an, Anhui from single mature leaves only, with no bud or stem. After a wok stir-fixing to halt oxidation, the leaves are repeatedly basket-roasted over charcoal, finishing with the traditional high-heat "old fire" bake that gives the tea its signature toasty depth. The leaves are flat, curled, and deep glossy green, resembling melon seeds.

A clean, full-bodied vegetal sweetness with a baked, roasty finish is the main characteristic of this variety.

Profile: This batch has a flavor profile highlighted by pronounced toasted-chestnut and fresh-green notes.

Aroma: Fresh and sweet, with hints of roasted chestnut, steamed greens, and warm grain. Warmed leaves emit a toasty, nutty fragrance softened by a green floral note.

Flavor: Smooth and mellow, with natural sweetness and hints of chestnut, sweet peas, and a clean mineral base. The aftertaste is fresh, sweet, and lingering, with only a whisper of astringency.

Effects: Refreshes, cools, and clears the mind while gently lifting focus.

How to Brew

Gaiwan Method (traditional, refined)

1. Preheat your gaiwan with hot water, then discard.
2. Measure about 5 g of leaves (roughly a heaped teaspoon) for a 100–120 ml gaiwan.
3. Rinse the tea quickly: pour in hot water (75–80 °C), swirl for 2–3 seconds, then discard. This “awakens” the leaves.
4. Infuse:

• • First pour: 8–10 seconds
  • Second pour: 10 seconds
  • For later infusions, adjust steeping time: lengthen if you prefer more body, shorten if it tastes too strong or bitter.

A gaiwan allows multiple resteeps (4–6 infusions), each revealing a different side of Longjing’s chestnut-sweet flavor.

Teapot Method (simple and familiar)

1. Preheat a small teapot (200–300 ml) with hot water, then discard.
2. Measure 5–6 g of tea leaves.
3. Infuse with water at 75–80 °C for 1.5–2 minutes.
4. Resteep 2–3 times, adding 30–45 seconds with each infusion.

Cold brew

1. Measure about 5g of leaves (roughly a 1- 1½ heaped teaspoon)
2. Fill with 1000ml of cold water and cap.
3. Refrigerate 6-10 hours
4. Strain and serve chilled. Enjoy straight or over ice.