Lu'An Gua Pian六安瓜片
Lu'an, Anhui, China
Lu'An Gua Pian is a green tea from Lu'an, Anhui, China. Brew it at 82°C with 3.5g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 5 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.
Quick facts
- Origin
- Lu'an, Anhui, China
- Category
- Green tea
- Cultivar
- Local Lu'an cultivar
- Oxidation
- none
- Roast
- light
- Water temp
- 82°C
- Leaf ratio
- 3.5g / 100ml
- Infusions
- up to 5
- Rinse
- No
Tasting notes
No buds. That's the first thing to know about Lu'an Gua Pian — it's the only famous Chinese green tea that throws away both the bud and the stem and keeps only the mature leaf. What you get is a green that behaves nothing like the delicate bud teas: thicker, rounder, with a toasted sesame note from the open-flame roast and a vegetal depth that reads almost like cooked turnip in the best possible way. The leaf is sturdy, so the tea is unusually forgiving — you can brew it a touch hotter (82°C is the sweet spot) and a touch longer without the grassy collapse that punishes most greens. There's a creamy umami core that shows up around the second infusion, and it hangs on for three or four more before fading. If you've only drunk bud-heavy greens and wondered why they all blur together, brew a session of this. It tastes like a different part of the plant, because it is.
Flavor profile
The only famous Chinese green tea made exclusively from single leaves with no buds — the unique plucking standard removes both the stem and the bud, leaving just the leaf. The processing involves aggressive open-flame roasting that imparts a faint toasted sesame character. The cup is thick and bright with sweet grass and turnip notes, a creamy umami core, and a refreshing vegetal finish with light almond and mineral hints. More robust than bud-heavy greens.
Terroir
Dabie Mountains, ~300-800m, subtropical humid climate
Cultivar: Local Lu'an cultivar
Brewing
- Steep 1: 20 seconds
- Steep 2: 25 seconds
- Steep 3: 35 seconds
- Steep 4: 45 seconds
- Steep 5: 60 seconds
The single-leaf construction means these leaves are more robust than bud teas — they can handle slightly higher temperatures and extract evenly across infusions.
Aroma & taste
Aroma
- toasted sesame
- vegetal
- sweet grass
Taste
- umami
- creamy
- sweet grass
- mineral
Processing
- pan-fired with bamboo broom
- open-flame roasted