Anji Bai Cha Green Tea

What's so special about this tea?

Anji Bai Cha (安吉白茶) is a renowned Chinese green tea from Anji County in Zhejiang Province, whose character is shaped by a rare genetic trait of the Bai Ye Yi Hao cultivar. While most tea plants produce vibrant green spring leaves, the young shoots of this cultivar emerge in pale jade-white tones during the cool days of early spring. This remarkable appearance lasts for only a brief period before the leaves gradually turn green as temperatures rise.

The unusually pale leaves are associated with a naturally high concentration of amino acids, giving Anji Bai Cha its hallmark sweetness, smooth texture and elegant umami character. Despite its name, meaning "Anji White Tea", it is not a white tea but a green tea, crafted through pan-firing and baking to preserve its delicate aroma and distinctive phoenix-tail shape.

Our lot comes from Tianhuangping in Anji County, Zhejiang Province, the area where the original Bai Ye Yi Hao mother plant was discovered in 1980. As one of the historic core production areas of Anji Bai Cha, Tianhuangping sits higher and cooler than the surrounding valleys, helping to prolong the low-temperature conditions that allow the cultivar's characteristic pale shoots to develop.

Harvested by hand before Qingming in late March 2026, the leaves were picked during this prized stage, when the balance of sweetness, freshness and umami is at its peak.

The liquor is crystal-clear and luminous, with a pale-green hue. It opens with aromas of freesia and spring flowers, accompanied by sweet notes of pear and a faint vegetal hint of green peas. The texture is smooth and silky, with a delicate sweetness that carries across the palate.

The flavour profile combines brothy umami with refreshing notes of melon and bamboo shoots, in a base of raw cashew. A citrusy hint of green apple emerges in the finish, adding brightness to the brew. The tea leaves a long, sweet aftertaste accompanied by gentle vegetal notes reminiscent of sugar snap peas.