2022 Gongba Ganlu A+ / Sweet dew from Gongba

Description

This tea, called Sweet Dew, comes from the Gongba region of Sichuan Province. It is one of the first teas to be harvested in early spring before the Grave Cleaning Festival – Qingming (Qingming) 清明. Young buds are collected in this way, which is why harvesting is incredibly laborious. Imagine that it takes several hours to collect one kilo of such tea, and in the end, after processing and drying, only 1/4 of it remains. Therefore, its price is higher than later teas. Originally, this tea became famous in the Meng-ting area – as Mengding Ganlu 蒙顶甘露. It is now cultivated in various places in Sichuan Province.

During preparation, water with a temperature between 70-80°C should be used, because at higher temperatures it could release the contained tannins very quickly and the infusion would be bitter and bitter. I recommend infusing it for between 40 seconds and 1 minute. The second and subsequent infusions must be poured earlier. With such a procedure, I managed to achieve that the tea had a consistency reminiscent of thin gelatin or Agar. In the taste, you can smell peanut butter, a little trace of almonds and some fresh peas. This tea is worth drinking in warm weather in the meadow.
It can handle at least 5 pickles.