Lu'an Guapian (Lu'an Melon Seed)

Tasting Notes:

Lu'an Guapian is unlike any other green tea in our Origin Reserve Collection, and unlike most green teas you have tried! Where most greens are made from buds and young leaves, Lu'an Guapian is crafted entirely from mature, single leaves with no buds and no stems. That distinction matters in the cup. The liquor is a luminous jade-green, rich and full-bodied for a green tea, with an aroma of roasted chestnut, orchid, and a faint, clean note of sea air.

On the palate it opens with savory depth, fresh bean and bamboo giving way to warm chestnut and a gentle floral sweetness. The texture is silky and weighty, with a long, clean finish and a mineral clarity that lingers. Cold brewed, it develops an even rounder sweetness and a cooling, almost marine freshness that makes it one of the most versatile green teas to explore. This is a tea with real presence in the cup, and one we are proud to bring to the Origin Reserve Collection.

Features:

• Origin: Jinzhai and Huoshan Counties, Lu'an City, Anhui Province, China
• Cultivar: Qitou Mountain Middle Leaf Variety
• Style: Melon Seed Green Tea
• Harvest: April 1, 2025
• Elevation: 600 to 800 meters
• Processing: Pan-fired, hand-rolled, triple-fired
• Caffeine: Low to Medium
• Ingredients: Green Tea (Camellia Sinensis)
• Lifestyle-Friendly: Vegan, Paleo, Keto

Ingredients: green tea

What Is Lu'an Guapian?

Lu'an Guapian is one of China's Ten Famous Teas, a historic green tea from the mountainous outskirts of Lu'an City in Anhui Province that was once reserved as tribute for the Qing imperial court. The name translates to "Melon Seed Slice," a reference to the tea's distinctive flat, oval leaf shape, which resembles a melon seed and is achieved through a precise process of pan-firing and hand-rolling.

What sets Lu'an Guapian apart from virtually every other green tea is its leaf selection. While most green teas prioritize tender buds and the youngest leaves for delicacy and sweetness, Lu'an Guapian is made entirely from mature second and third leaves, with no buds and no stems. This gives the tea a strength, body, and depth that more delicate greens simply cannot offer, while the careful processing preserves a natural sweetness and mineral clarity that makes it endlessly drinkable.

Cold brewed, it is a revelation. The mature leaves release a rounded sweetness and cooling freshness that makes this one of the most versatile green teas available.

The Dabie Mountains: Where Lu'an Guapian Comes From

Lu'an lies along the Dabie Mountain range in western Anhui Province, where mist-shrouded slopes and forested valleys rise between 600 and 800 meters. The region's mineral-rich, slightly acidic red soils and high humidity favor slow leaf development, while significant temperature swings between day and night heighten aromatic complexity in the mature leaves.

Our tea comes from Jinzhai and Huoshan counties, at the heart of this landscape, where morning mists protect the leaves from harsh sunlight and allow chlorophyll and amino acids to accumulate over a longer growing period. That extra time on the plant is a large part of what gives Lu'an Guapian its characteristic depth and natural sweetness. Generations of farming families in this area have cultivated Guapian for centuries, preserving the traditional hand-firing methods that define its signature shape