Tart yet vegetal, Zhu Ye Qing presents a unique and uniquely savoury bouquet to the mouth. Derived from the same cultivar as fellow Sichuan tea Ganlu, the deep and bright green leaves are somewhat flattened, having been placed in a wok and roasted as they are pressed into the side, loosing their trichomes and becoming glossier and slightly browned. The treatment is unmistakable in the aroma, which resembles roasted chickpeas, fried greens, and even kohlrabi, with an almost anise sweetness in the aftertaste. We think its time this roasted relative got some attention of its own.
For best results brew in a tall glass and fill with water before adding the leaves. Too high water temperature would burn the leaves, and the tea would taste bitter and sour.
Around the turn of the millennium, one tea producer managed to trademark the by-then common name for this tea, Zhu Ye Qing, despite it being used throughout Sichuan for all flattened, wok-roasted green teas. As a result, producers were forced to choose other names, the most common alternative being Shi Hua, meaning 'persimmon flower'.
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