Imagine walking into a sun-dappled clearing in a pine forest: that’s the feeling in this vibrant chartreuse-colored cup. The light but round body holds verdant flavors—think stir-fried bok choy or fennel—topped with nuts and sunflower seeds. A classic style of green tea from Anhua County in central Hunan Province, it’s produced only once a year; the name songzhen means pine needles, referring to the shape of the carefully crafted leaves, and nodding to this important tree in Chinese culture which signifies strength and resilience. This lot is from a high-elevation garden (over 3,000 feet) with heavily wooded terrain, which provides natural shading for the tea plants. Hand-harvested in April, the leaves were allowed to briefly wither indoors before undergoing a short pan-firing of about 5 minutes. The painstaking process of rolling by hand yields the characteristic long, narrow, twisted strips, which are finished with a final drying over wood fire. Steep with water below boiling (~180°F) to preserve the inherent sweetness, and observe how each needle shape unfurls into a tender young tea leaf. Country: ChinaRegion: Hunan ProvinceTasting Notes: pine nut, buttered spinach, sweetHarvest Season: Spring 2026 2 oz Click here to order a small sample size of this tea. -- 180-185º F 3-4 grams, 2-3 minute steep ⅓ full, 1 minute steep
