Zi Sun紫笋

Zi Sun is a green tea from Changxing (Gu Zhu Mountain), Zhejiang, China. Brew it at 78°C with 3g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 5 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. No rinse needed.

Tasting notes

Zi Sun carries the weight of being the first imperial tribute tea — Lu Yu wrote about it in the eighth century, and it's still being made thirteen hundred years later. You could drink it for the history alone, but that would undersell it. The leaves come out of spring with a faint purple tinge like young bamboo shoots, and the cup has a quiet, layered character that needs attention to notice: fresh bamboo, sweet grass, a pear-like softness in the middle, and a clean mineral finish that doesn't leave anything harsh behind. This is not a bold tea. It's a tea that gets lost if you brew it at ninety degrees in a mug — the complexity just doesn't survive that. Keep the water at 78°C, use a gaiwan, and give the first steep a full twenty-five seconds so the layers have time to build. Four quiet infusions, each shifting slightly toward the mineral finish. A tea for a slow morning, not a busy one.

Flavor profile

One of China's oldest named teas — Lu Yu declared it the finest in China in his 8th-century Classic of Tea, and it became the first imperial tribute tea of the Tang dynasty. The spring leaves emerge with a distinctive purple tinge resembling bamboo shoots. Brewed at low temperatures, the cup delivers a gentle but layered flavor: fresh bamboo and sweet grass, hints of orchid and green bean, soft pear-like notes, and a pure mineral finish with no bitterness. A tea of historical significance that still rewards careful attention.

Terroir

Gu Zhu Mountain, ~300-600m, subtropical with rich biodiversity, historically the first imperial tribute tea site

Cultivar: Local small-leaf cultivar with purple-tinged spring buds

Brewing

1. Steep 1: 25 seconds
2. Steep 2: 25 seconds
3. Steep 3: 35 seconds
4. Steep 4: 45 seconds
5. Steep 5: 60 seconds

Lower temperature (75-80°C) brings out the layered sweetness and prevents bitterness. A tea worth brewing with attention — its subtle complexity gets lost in casual mug steeping.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• pan-fired
• hand-rolled

Sources

• https://sevencups.com/shop/gu-zhu-zi-sun-purple-bamboo-shoot/
• https://sevencups.com/2010/05/gu-zhu-zi-sun-green-tea/
• https://teadaocultivation.com/blogs/blog/guzhu-zisun-the-purple-bamboo-shoot-tea-of-imperial-legacy
• https://www.siam-teas.com/product/spring-high-mountain-premium-zi-sun-cha-purple-bamboo-shoot/