A classic Chinese green tea from Meng mountains in Sichuan. The dry, curly leaves smell like nori and oak-moss. When steeped, the damp leaves are vividly green revealing its freshness. This Meng Ding Gan Lu isn’t what you normally expect from a green tea: it’s not light, grassy, or floral. Instead of a refreshing and cooling taste, this Sweet Dew’s aroma is savoury and intense, making it suitable for all seasons. It’s yellow-green liquor offers a well-rounded savoury, rich, corn-sweet and nutty tang with a sensational umami. The aftertaste is lingering sweet, hence the name ‘Sweet Dew’. Origin and Cultivar The Meng mountains consist of 5 peaks which are Ling Jiao (菱角), Shang Qing (上清), Gan Lu (甘露), Jing Quan (井泉), and Pi Luo (毗罗). In China, Ding means ‘Peak’. Hence, the first part of the tea name, refers to ‘Meng Peak’. Utea’ Meng Ding Gan Lu is harvested from the Jing Quan peak at around 500m elevation. An authentic Meng Ding Gan Lu made be made from either the ‘Fu Xuan #9’ (福选9号) or ‘Chuan Cha #9’ (川茶9号) cultivar. Our tea is made from the latter cultivar. The Meng mountains are also home to the famous Meng Ding Huang Ya yellow tea. History and Processing Meng Ding Gan Lu has a history stretching back thousands of years, making it one of the oldest loose leaf green teas available. Much-loved by Taoist monks, it was an imperial tribute tea in the Tang and Song dynasties. Our Sweet Dew tea is still produced in the traditional, hand-crafted way. After picking, the leaves are withered and then charcoal baked and hand-rolled before being shaped, sorted and gently baked dry. The unique rolling and shaping process gives the leaves a furry and twisted look.
