Tea Drunk Everyday: Lu An Gua Pian 六安瓜片

A creamy green tea with big, tranquil, sugary undertones.

Qi Shan, Lu An, An Hui Province, China (~250-500m elevation)

Category: Green tea

Sub-Category: Hong Qing (Baked Green)

Gua Pian is the only Chinese green tea made using only leaves, no buds or stems. This Gua Pian is from heirloom trees in Lu An, one of the oldest tea-making regions in China with over 1000 years of tea-making history.

Gua Pian woks are wood-fired and usually in a standup position with two or three line up in a row. Once the leaves are thoroughly cooked (enzymes killed), they are transferred to the next wok(s) to take shape. The tea makers use a small broom or swatter-looking tool to move the leaves, then gently beat it continuously to make sure the leaves are heated evenly and take on the signature tightening shape, making about half an ounce of tea at a time. The leaves are then transferred to a slightly warped bamboo tray and moved nimbly over dim charcoal ash to slowly bake dry. After the teas are baked dry comes the most tedious step of all top-shelf Chinese teas, where one by one, the older leaves and stems are picked out from the batch. Then a unique action of Gua Pian is performed, La Da Huo, or pulling the big fire.
The semi-dried leaves are put on a giant bamboo tray with one man on each side of it, and walk the tea over a big sizzling pit of charcoal fire to flash roast the teas. For each batch of tea, this step is repeated for about an hour. The tea leaves lose about 30% more moisture after this step. Indigenous varietals of Gua Pian are affectionately referred to as Ben Cha (“stupid tea”) among locals.