Pilgrimage to Anji Bai Cha Mother Bush

Anji Bai Cha Mother Bush (left of sign with red letters)

Characteristically light colored Anji Bai Cha leaves

Near the village of Heng Keng Wu in Zhejiang Province, at more than 3,000 feet elevation, the Gui family traditionally made green tea from two Anji Bai Cha tea bushes on their farm just for their consumption.  It was reported to have special healing and soothing qualities. In the 1980s this prompted the Chinese Government Tea Institute to conduct research on the few bushes from which this remarkable tea was made.  Interestingly, they found that compared with other tea varieties it had an unusually high concentration of amino acids, which seem to create a feeling of well-being and calm alertness.

It didn't hurt that 900 years ago an Emperor had described a tea that seemed to match the Anji Bai Cha tea, further enhancing its value.  The government began to promote this variety among tea farmers by taking cuttings from the two bushes and propagating clones.

Starting the climb to the Anji Bai Cha Mother Bush - Seven Cups Tea photo

Gateway to Anji Bai Cha Mother Bush trail - Seven Cups photo

Teapickers using their smartphones to take pictures of US taking photos of THEM - Seven Cups photo

Picking tea on the hillsides

Today there is only one Mother Bush left (they tried to move one but it died) and the Gui family has been entrusted with its guardianship.  Last year they made 200 grams of tea from the Mother Bush (given to the government) but no leaves were picked this year.  The Gui family tea farm harvests and processes Anji Bai Cha green tea from seed grown bushes on their farm (see background of photo above), some as old as 200 years, as distinguished from clones from the Mother Bush. (Seven Cups photo)

Anji Bai Cha organic fields - Seven Cups photo

There are now thousands of mu (1 mu = 1/6 acre) of Anji Bai Cha grown organically, most at about 600-700 feet elevation, all in large scale production.  One of the larger farms hires more than 1000 pickers a year to pick during the prime season, mid-March to mid-April

The Xi Long Organic Tea Company processes Anji Bai Cha green tea with machines.  Like the Purple Bamboo Shoot green tea, the leaves are wilted, heated to stop oxidation, cooled, roasted (to remove moisture), and sorted.

Wilting

Sha qing (stop oxidation with heat)

Dry with moderate heat and rotation

Sorting