Fresh Crop Anji Bai Cha Green Tea

Anji Bai Cha green tea from China’s famous Zhejiang region. Dwelling more on the name of this tea for a moment, we can see that within it is the particle bai, which means “white.” This word is not meant to confuse us about the type of tea we are drinking, but rather to tell us about its origins. Anji Bai Cha green tea, in fact, has the distinction of coming from an albino cultivar, the Bai Ye Yin Hao. These types of camellia are more suitable for making white tea but, in the past, processing in the manner of green tea in Zhejiang impressed consumers so much that we still find Anji Bai Cha in production today.

The tea obtained from the raw materials of Bai Ye Yi Hao, harvested at the bleaching stage, has an unusual chemical composition. It contains less chlorophyll, which explains the colour, but this, of course, does not affect the taste: chlorophyll is insoluble and does not contribute to the taste and aroma of the tea. Another important thing: Anji Bai Cha contains significantly less caffeine and other purine alkaloids than normal green teas; significantly less polyphenols – only 10-14%; significantly more amino acids (mainly theanine, as well as allothreonine, glycine, serine, tryptophan, citrulline, glutamine, alanine, valine and proline) – up to 6-7% and in some cases up to 10%, which is many times higher than normal green teas. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) This makes Anji Bai Cha a refreshing, sweetish taste with a pronounced mind and minimal astringency and bitterness.

In the cup, the liquor has a delicate, complex and very fresh flavor profile. The vegetal character combined with the smooth body of this tea give a feeling of freshness similar to that felt in an early morning meadow, when you can still see the dew on the grass and feel the moisture rising from the ground.

Tasting – Sight and smell

Anji Bai Cha green tea has buds and whole leaves rolled lengthwise, with a very long body, thin and crisp. The aroma of the dry is already intense, with roasted notes and a sweet hint reminiscent of beeswax. The color is a bright meadow green mixed with a duller yellow-green. Once infused, the leaves release aromas of roasted nuts such as almonds and cashews, sweet vegetable notes (carrots and baby peas), and a very elegant floral note on the finish. The liquor is pale yellow to the eye, almost transparent, very bright and clear.

Tasting Notes

The opening of this Anji Bai Cha green tea is surprisingly salty and sweet together, with a decidedly high body for a green tea. There is then a sweet note of beeswax and delicate vegetable undertones reminiscent of fresh fava beans, asparagus tips, and steamed carrots. The finish is slightly floral. Proceeding with the infusions, a really noticeable umami and salty flavor emerges that overall hint at nuts such as pistachios and cashews. There is also a sweet boiled chestnut note on the finish. The floral part stands out with successive infusions, in an increasingly decisive way, recalling in its vivacity and freshness wild flowers. Bitterness and astringency completely absent, body dense and silky. Long, salty persistence, with harmonious vegetal notes that linger on the tongue.

Place of origin

Zhejiang, China.

Production

Anji Bai Cha green tea has a very classic processing process that involves, after an initial withering in the open, cooking the leaves in large woks heated to temperatures around 180°C to block enzymatic activity and prevent oxidation of the leaves. After these stages, the leaves receive their final shape and are left to rest so that they lose some of the residual moisture inside.

How to prepare

We strongly recommend infusing Anji Bai Cha green tea in the traditional Chinese method (gong fu cha) to best enjoy these leaves. Following this preparation, 5 grams of leaves (about 3 teaspoons) can be used in a gaiwan of about 150 ml to make several infusions with different tastes. With water heated to 75°C, one can proceed with an initial infusion of 25 seconds and, keeping the water at the same temperature, then proceed with multiple infusions, each time increasing the time by 10 seconds (25 – 35 – 45 …).

This tea has a longevity of about 5 infusions.

For a classic preparation according to the Western style, we recommend 3 grams of leaves (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) in a 200-mL cup with water at 75°C for an infusion time of 3 minutes.

The tea can be filtered for easier tasting and the infusion times given above are also purely indicative so you can adjust them to suit your personal taste.

Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.