Wu Niu Zao Green Tea

What's so special about this tea?

This Wu Niu Zao green tea offers the eagerly awaited first taste of spring in Zhejiang. Known for budding almost a month earlier than other varieties, this tea belongs to the prized Mingqian harvest, picked in early March 2025, just before the Qingming Festival. This first harvest of the year is valued for its concentrated fragrance and crisp flavor notes.

It comes from a plantation located 800 meters above sea level, a remarkable elevation within the Xinchang region of Zhejiang, China. This batch originates from Mr. Zhang's tea garden, and he explained to us the importance of harvesting the tea at the precise moment of ripeness. This window of opportunity typically lasts only a few days, allowing for the picking of the buds at their peak. The freshly harvested tea is quickly taken to the workshop, where he oversees the traditional wood-fired wok roasting process. This crucial step, which he calls "locking in spring," sets the character and shape of the leaves. This technique defines the tea's profile, giving the leaves a flat, uniform shape, a yellowish-green hue, and a fine layer of white down.

The precision in every detail is evident in the cup: a clean, defined profile and a light body. The liquor is clear, pale yellow, and as you pour, sweet notes reminiscent of brown sugar emerge. On the palate, it is fresh, sweet, and vegetal, with flavors of sweet pea, chestnut, and oat milk, balanced by a subtle floral nuance. Overall, a fresh, elegant, and exceptional tea—hard to find.

We recommend preparing it in a gaiwan in the Gongfu cha style or in a tall glass in the traditional style, also called “Grandpa”.