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**This is a Presale Product for the earliest picks of Green Tea from 2026. Any boxes purchased will be sent out with the Silver Buds: White Tea Collection on April 5th** ~Before April 1st, we will also include two pressed Leishan Silver Balls. Weighing between 2-3 grams, these foil-wrapped down-heavy balls are one of the only styles of green tea in China that are sold pressed rather than loose. Made from local cultivars in Guizhou province, this is a delicate and floral first flush green tea that is as delicious to drink as it is fun to brew.. ~ In the world of Green Teas, there is no date more important than Qingming. For over a thousand years, teas plucked and processed before the Qing Ming Festival (which falls on April 5th this year) have been praised above all others. While we tend to prefer the fully formed flavors found in late April green teas, there is something sweeter, softer, and more elegant to be found in these earliest tea picks. Learn more about the history of Mingqian Tea here. After 9 years traveling through the tea mountains of mainland China, we have selected our favorite early-budding green teas for this box. From our home provinces of Jiangsu and Hubei, we are proud to offer the Biluochun and Enshi Yulu. From neighboring Zhejiang, Hunan, and Shaanxi we confidently source the Qiantang Dragon Well, Golden Green, and Hanzhong Xianhao teas. This box is designed to encapsulate the Mingqian Green Tea Fervor that grips mainland Chinese tea drinkers every year in later March and early April. We have carefully selected teas that we believe are at their best during this early picking season. Take a trip through Chinese green tea terroir and appreciate the delicate flavors cherished by tea drinkers millennia over! The First Pick box includes 20 grams of the following teas: Biluochun Dragonwell Enshi Yulu Golden Green (New) Hanzhong Xianhao Thus the box contains a total of 100 grams of the finest freshest green tea air-shipped direct from China just days after they are picked and processed. For information on individual teas, click on their individual presale links above. We recommend brewing these teas in a few different ways: Grandpa Style - While this brewing method is the simplest, it is also the most ubiquitous, from the Westlake Cradle of Core Region Dragon Well Green Tea, to the rural mountains of Hubei, Hunan, and Shaanxi green tea makers and aficionados the world over use this simple method. Add 3 grams of dry tea to an 8 ounce glass and cover with hot water (about 80-90 degrees Celsius, or about 185 degrees Fahrenheit). Let brew until cool enough to drink, no need to decant, and drink down until about 1/4th of the brew remains, add more hot water and repeat 2 or 3 times. This is particularly recommended for the Biluochun, Golden Green, Enshi Yulu and Hanzhong Xianhao. Gaiwan Brewing - While many people don't brew green tea in a gaiwan, it is all the rage in Hangzhou. The methodology here allows you more control over the infusion of these delicate teas and a longer session complete with the slowly evolving fragrances exuded by the steeping leaves. Method: Add 2.5 grams of dry tea to a 100ml gaiwan. Brew with water that is 80-90 degrees Celsius, or about 185 degrees Fahrenheit, for a short amount of time (usually 10 seconds for the first 3 or 4 infusions, then adding 10 seconds to every subsequent infusion).
