Description

Zi Sun Cha Green Tea – Origin and History

Zi Zun Cha (紫笋 ’Purple Bamboo Sprout’) Green Tea counts among the most tradition-rich teas of China. This has made the small-leaved tea with the highly individual taste a regular on the ‘10 Great Teas of China’ list.

The tea from Changxing County in Zhejiang Province first found literary mention in 760AD. In his work ‚Cha Ching‘ (‚The Classic of Tea‘). In his work ’Cha Ching’ (‘The Classic of Tea’), systematically describing the cultivation, picking, processing, serving and savoring of tea for the first time ever, the Chinese tea sage Lu Yu (733–804) speaks of Changxing as the best suitable location for tea cultivation and of Zi Sun Cha as the best tea of China. Accordingly, Lu Yu advised his time’s ruling Tang dynasty emperor to make Zi Sun Cha his first tribute tea. In fact, he allegedly personally supervised the establishment of the tea processing facility in Gu Zhu, where from that time on and for a period of more than a thousand years the Zi Sun Cha for the imperial tribute should come from.

The name of Zi Sun Cha verbally translates to ‘purple bamboo shoots’. This is because of the leaves’ purple color in spring, resembling the color of bamboo shoots.  Alternative names are ‘Chang Xing Cha’ or ‘Gu Zhu Zi Sun Cha’, in orientation on the tea’s origin. Not least because of the variety’s local ties, Zi Sun Cha lost presence after there were no more imperial tribute teas. This is probably one of the reasons why the tea became known in the West during the 1970s only. Since then, however, it has enjoyed ever growing appreciation among Chinese green tea lovers worldwide.

The Zhang Ling Tea Plantation – biodiverse cultivation without pesticides and artificial fertilizer

Our Spring High Mountain Zi Sun Cha Green Tea offers this tea at its very best. It comes from Zhang Ling Eco-Diversity tea plantation, on the slopes of Gu Zhu Mountain. Actually, the location is an original venue of Zi Sun Cha Green Tea cultivation from imperial tribute times. With its more than 100 years old tea bushes, the tea garden enjoys official recognition as a ‘tea base’. The cooperative pursues an ambitions philosophy of biodiverse cultivation without the use of any pesticides or artificial fertilizer. The tea gardens of the Zhang Ling tea plantation are surrounded and patched by mixed forest consisting of various types of trees, among them more than 100 years old gingko trees.

Picking

The proper picking time of our Spring High Mountain Zi Sun Green Tea is a few weeks in spring only. At this, the qualified picking standard is 1+1/2. That is, only the young buds, along with 1-2 adjacent young leaves. The slender leaves exude a fresh, pleasant orchid fragrance. After the picking, the bushes are cut back, with the cut-off branches being left on the ground as a natural fertilizer. The tea bushes rest and there is no picking for the complete remainder of the year.

Processing

The processing of Zi Sun Cha widely resembles the traditional standard of Chinese green tea processing. After picking, the tea leaves first wither for several hours in the sun and/or indoors in the tea factory. Then, a second processing step consists of heating up the leaves for a short period, traditionally in a wok pan. This stops the oxidation process of the leave enzymes and fixates the green condition. Then, a mechanical process serves to roll the tea leaves into the characteristic needle form of a ‘Zhen Zing Cha’ (‘needle leaf tea’). Subsequently, there’s another roast over charcoal fire, which is also initiating the final drying process.

In the old times, each of these processing steps was hand work. Meanwhile, however, a specialized machine takes care of the rolling also on the Zhang Ling tea plantation. Also the drying takes place in an electric oven today.

Taste and Aroma

Tastewise, Zi Sun Cha shows a highly individual profile in the silky-soft, highly fragrant infusion… Ffresh spinach and other vegetable notes mix with a touch of sautéed mushrooms and a unique ‘umami’ sweetness, reminiscent of that of Japanese Kabusecha- or Gyokuro teas. When preparing Gong Fu Cha style, with several rather short infusions and high dosaging, Zi Sun Cha green tea will surprise with a variety of fruity and floral notes.

Preparation

First pour 2-3g tea leaves / 100ml with water at a temperature of 85°C. Then let steep for 2-3 minutes for a delicious first infusion. The tea then produces at least 2 more full-value infusions with a slightly extended steeping period. Each of these will come with a taste profile of its own.

The above preparation approach represents a synthesis of the western single-infusion approach and the Chinese “Gong-Fu” method. The latter tends to use higher dosages and shorter infusion periods. In this way, even more tasty infusions excellently showcase this tea’s entire flavor spectrum.

You will find more 100% pesticide-free teas from wild growth and biodiverse cultivation in our category ’Biodiversi-TEA @ Siam Tea Shop’.