Tea: Melon Seed Green (Lu'an Guapian - 六安瓜片) Type: Anhui Green Tea Harvest: Mid April 2026 Region: Lu'an, Anhui, China Producers: Wang Family Tasting Notes: Nettle, Kale, Cabbage, Daffodil
This year we got something special from the Wang Family. Due to the general downturn in the green tea market, prices have dropped substantially. This means we were able to buy a grade of Guapian that was once 30% more expensive than the usual mid-season grade that we buy. Lighter in color and taste, this more tender pick has all the richness and power you can expect from Guapian, but with less bitterness and homeliness in shape.
Guapian is a type of green tea that has survived in roughly the same form since antiquity. These wok-fried leaves are large, natural, and a little ugly. Guapian has been one of China's top ten teas for hundreds of years, and the methodology behind this tea is very unique, featuring whisking the leaves with a hand-held straw broom in a wood-fired wok. This processing creates the iconic wabi-wabi leaf shape iconic to the Guapian, or Melon Slices.
As this tea consists of larger leaves, there is very little 'mingqian' guapian made in Luan. The tea is thick, rich, and delivers a powerful cup of tea without too much bitterness. This is a great tea for those who want a little force in their green tea selection, and are not afraid of some big ugly leaves.
The brew starts off very vegetal, but gets sweeter and creamier as the session progresses, and even positively floral by the final infusions.
We recommend brewing this tea in a gaiwan (2.5 grams to 100ml water with flash infusions) or in a tall glass grandpa style (3 grams to 8 oz of water with a death steep).
This is the first proper “Moolight white” I’ve got to try. The cultivar seems similar to what is used in pu erh. But these white pu erhs have characteristics of both white tea and sheng pu erh. It’s pretty good, but I’m spoiled because I’ve tried some that are even better than this. Definitely a solid introduction to this category.
I was shocked at how great this is with it being called “daily.” The flavor quite close to some da hong pao which is the same style to my knowledge. I describe it as that “old Chinese restaurant teapot” flavor. Very classic and pairs excellently with Chinese food. Cinnamon and deep toasty notes. Fantastic oolong.
To me this isn’t as flavor rich as some other aged shou mei but not everything has to be. This is more just fun and might serve a different purpose in your collection as just a daily tea. I do appreciate the milky flavor. Its still something special being am aged white.
Beautiful aged white tea! This quickly became a favorite and was the flavor profile I was hoping for. The brown leaf and soup emits a soft milky flavor with less fruity or floral notes than a young silver needle. But the flavor has transformed into something warmer and soothing. Wish i had better words for it, but you taste the dried old leafiness.
This tea has become my daily drinker, I bought 3cakes but honestly 1kg of this stuff is not enough xdd I think this tea is best enjoyed with longer steeps : it becomes very woody, raisiny, with a nice medicinal/bitter quality. It has a really nice calming energy, really feels like medicine to the body. I think for the price this tea is amazing!