Mengding Ganlu (Sweet Dew)
Green Tea 2024
A young early spring green tea that has a rich but mellow and long-lasting flavor. Sweet with roasted chestnut aromas and bright spring vegetable and mineral flavors. Made in the region of Sichuan Province where tea was first cultivated over 2000 years ago.
Every year this is the first tea available in our catalog from the early spring.
2024’s Sweet Dew is smooth and sweet, with a delicate buttery character like tender bok choy.
- Tea Origin
- Mengding Mountain, Ya'an City, Sichuan Province, China
- Tea Bush
- Fuding Dabai (Fuding Big White)
- Tea Maker
- Luo Ping
- Harvest Time
- Early March
- Plucking Standard
- One bud, one leaf
The harvest season for Mengding tea begins in March or even as early as late February. The buds are picked very early in the morning while it is still very chilly and there is still dew on the grass. This tea uses mostly tender tea buds, which are then carefully curled during processing. While the tea buds are very tiny, the unique character of the tea bush creates a bright green tea color, fresh rich flavor and highly nutritious tea, even while using a small quantity of leaves. Enjoy the sweet chestnut aroma and lingering sweet aftertaste of Sweet Dew.
History of Mengding tea
The Mengding Mountains in southwestern China are famous not only as the hometown of panda bears but also as where tea was first cultivated at Ganlu Si (Sweet Dew Temple). This tea was cultivated at this Taoist temple over two thousand years ago, hence the name Ganlu (Sweet Dew). It has been a tribute tea since the Tang Dynasty.
About 1,200 years ago, Monks would report to the local government, to alert the officers it was time to make tea. Five days before the processing would begin, the government officer would live in the temple for five days, eating vegetarian and bathing thoroughly to cleanse his body before touching the treasure from the gods. On the morning of picking, they would set off fire crackers in the field to “wake up” the tea. Now, there are about 20,000 workers who are involved in processing this tea each year.
No chemical fertilizer, pesticide, or herbicide was used in the production of this tea. Click here to read more about our promise to fair trade and the environment.
