Ānjí Báichá

Ānjí Báichá (安吉白茶, Ānjí báichá) is a Chinese green tea from Anji County in Zhejiang Province, produced from leaves of a unique temperature-sensitive white mutant variety of tea bush. Despite the word “white” (白, bái) in its name, this is precisely a green tea by processing technology. The main feature is exceptionally high amino acid content (5–10%, 3–4 times higher than ordinary green tea) with low polyphenol content, which gives an extraordinarily fresh and sweet taste without bitterness and astringency.

1. Classification and Origin:

• Type: Green tea (绿茶, lǜchá) — non-oxidized; enzyme fixation by heat (杀青, shāqīng). Despite the name “white tea,” Ānjí Báichá does not belong to the white tea category (白茶, báichá) in the six-type classification — it is a full-fledged green tea, named so exclusively for the color of young shoots.
• Category: Famous green teas of China; product with protected geographical indication (地理标志产品, dìlǐ biāozhì chǎnpǐn). National standard — GB/T 20354-2006 “Geographical Indication Product. Anji Baicha.”
• Origin: China (中国, Zhōngguó), Zhèjiāng Province (浙江省, Zhèjiāng shěng), Ānjí County (安吉县, Ānjí xiàn), Húzhōu City (湖州市, Húzhōu shì). The production territory covers all 15 townships and towns of Anji County.
• Production core: Dìpù Township (递铺街道, Dìpù jiēdào), Huángdù Village of Xīlóng Township (溪龙乡黄杜村, Xīlóng xiāng Huángdù cūn) — “China’s first white tea village” (中国白茶第一村), providing about 40% of the county’s total production; Tiānhuāngpíng Town (天荒坪镇, Tiānhuāngpíng zhèn), Dàxī Village (大溪村, Dàxī cūn) — location of the mother tree; Shānchuān Township (山川乡, Shānchuān xiāng).
• Geographic coordinates: ≈ 30°38′ N, 119°41′ E (center of Anji County).

2. History and Cultural Significance:

• History:

The roots of Anji Baicha trace back to ancient times. During the reign of Emperor Rénzōng of the Northern Sòng Dynasty (北宋, Běi Sòng), in the Qingli era (庆历, Qìnglì, 1041–1048), in the treatise “Records of Tea Testing from Dongxi” (《东溪试茶录》, “Dōngxī shì chá lù”) by Song Zi’an (宋子安, Sòng Zǐ’ān), it is mentioned: “White-leaf tea, buds and leaves like paper, highly valued among the people, considered a tea omen.” Later, Emperor Huīzōng (宋徽宗, Sòng Huīzōng) in his famous “Treatise on Tea in the Daguan Era” (《大观茶论》, “Dàguān chá lùn,” ca. 1107) described white tea as “a separate variety, different from ordinary tea,” noting its rarity and difficulty of processing. After this description, white-leaf tea disappeared from historical records for more than 350 years.

In 1930, in Xiàofēng Town (孝丰镇, Xiàofēng zhèn) of Ānjí County on Malingang Mountain (马铃冈), several dozen wild white tea bushes were discovered. The local chronicle recorded: young shoots white as jade, slightly yellowing after pan-firing — but the trees were subsequently lost.

The turning point came in 1980: during a survey of tea resources in northern Zhèjiāng in Dàxī Village (大溪村) of Tiānhuāngpíng Town (天荒坪镇), in Hengkeng Valley (横坑坞) at an altitude of about 800 m, a solitary century-old white tea tree was discovered — the same one now called “Ancestor of White Tea” (白茶祖, Báichá zǔ). The tree grew near the house of the Guì family (桂), whose ancestors had moved here from Anhui, fleeing the wars of the Taiping Rebellion, and had been drinking tea from this tree for generations.

In 1982, technical specialists from the county Forestry Research Institute Liú Yìmín (刘益民, Liú Yìmín) and Chéng Yǎgǔ (程雅谷, Chéng Yǎgǔ) cut 537 cuttings from the mother tree on April 4 and conducted successful vegetative propagation — 288 seedlings survived. In 1983, the first generation of clonal plants was planted on an experimental plot. In 1987, a course group confirmed the genetic stability of the offspring.

By 1996, the planting area reached 1,000 mu (≈ 67 ha), of which only 200 mu produced commercial leaf — less than 500 jin (250 kg) of dry tea per year. In 1997, the county government established the “Leading Group for Anji Baicha Development” and began large-scale implementation. In 1998, the variety “Baiye Yihao” (白叶一号, Báiyè Yīhào) was officially recognized by the Zhejiang Provincial Agriculture Department as a regionalized clonal variety.

In 1989, at the second provincial tasting of Zhejiang, tea from this variety under the name “Yufeng” (玉凤, Yùfèng, “Jade Phoenix”) received a record 99 points out of 100, the following year — 99.3 points, and in 1991 — the title “Famous Tea of First Category of Zhejiang Province.”

In 2004, Ānjí Báichá received the status of a product with protected geographical indication (原产地域保护产品). In 2019, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the PRC granted the tea the status of an agricultural product with geographical marking. In 2020, Anji Baicha entered the first list of geographical indications mutually recognized by China and the European Union.

By 2017, the plantation area was about 170,000 mu (≈ 11,333 ha), total production — 1,860 tons, product value — 24.74 billion yuan, with 15,800 farming households and nearly 200,000 people involved throughout the chain.

• Name:

  • 安 (Ān) — “peace, tranquility”; 吉 (Jí) — “happiness, good fortune” — the name of Anji County.
  • 白 (Bái) — “white” — indicates the white color of young shoots during the spring whitening period (白化期, báihuà qī).
  • 茶 (Chá) — “tea.”
  • Thus, the name literally means “White Tea from Anji” — and this is precisely what creates the frequent misconception about belonging to white teas. In reality, “white” here characterizes the raw material (shoot color), not the processing technology.

• Cultural significance: Anji Baicha is a brilliant example of “new generation tea” that became a national phenomenon within decades. Tea scientist Chéng Qǐkūn (程启坤, Chéng Qǐkūn) from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences established a connection between modern Anji Baicha and the white tea described by Song Huizong in “Daguan Cha Lun,” giving this tea a thousand-year historical foundation. The former Chairman of the PRC, during an inspection of Yucun Village (余村) in Anji in 2005, first formulated the concept “Green mountains and clear waters are golden and silver mountains” (绿水青山就是金山银山), and Anji Baicha became a symbol of this philosophy: “One leaf enriched an entire people” (一片叶子富了一方百姓).

3. Botanical Description and Raw Material:

• Variety / Cultivar: Báiyè Yīhào (白叶一号, Báiyè Yīhào) — the main and only permissible cultivar for Anji Baicha production according to national standard. Belongs to the species Camellia sinensis var. sinensis. Shrub type (灌木型, guànmù xíng), medium-leaf variety (中叶种, zhōngyè zhǒng). Pronounced trunk; leaf elongated-elliptical, tip gradually pointed, slightly raised; leaf edge smooth, fine serration; leaf blade thin, veins shallow, light green.

• Key feature: Temperature-sensitive white mutation (温度敏感型白化变异, wēndù mǐngǎn xíng báihuà biànyì). When average daily temperature is below 20–23°C, chlorophyll synthesis is blocked: chloroplast membrane structure develops with disruptions, pigment-protein complexes break down, chlorophyll is not synthesized — shoots acquire jade-white color (玉白色) with thin green veins. The whitening period (白化期) lasts about 30 days, peaking in April. When temperature rises above 23°C, leaves gradually turn green: first becoming white-green (花叶), then completely green. It is precisely during the whitening period that protease activity increases, soluble protein breaks down, and free amino acids accumulate — this determines the unique flavor profile.

• Harvest: Exclusively spring, during the shoot whitening period. Optimal window — from late March (before Qingming festival, 清明, Qīngmíng) to mid-April (before Guyu festival, 谷雨, Gǔyǔ). Early spring batches before Qīngmíng (明前茶, míngqián chá) are most valued.

• Harvest standard:

  • Special Grade / Premium (特级/精品): exclusively whole buds (全芽头), bud length less than 2.5 cm.
  • First grade (一级): bud + one barely opened leaf (一芽一叶初展), shoots collected in “bouquets.”
  • Second grade (二级): bud + two leaves (一芽二叶), leaf begins to turn green.

• Raw material requirements: According to national standard GB/T 20354-2006, raw material must be collected exclusively from Baiye Yihao variety bushes growing within Anji County boundaries, in spring period. Free amino acid content in finished tea — not less than 5%; moisture — not more than 5%.

4. Terroir and Cultivation:

• Geographic location: Anji County is located in the so-called “golden tea belt of the 30th parallel” (北纬30°黄金茶带), in northwestern Zhejiang Province, in the northern foothills of the Tiānmù Mountains (天目山, Tiānmù shān). Terrain — predominantly low mountains with deep valleys and abundant vegetation. Forest coverage of the county — over 70%, Anji is known as “China’s bamboo capital” (中国竹乡).

• Climate: Subtropical monsoon, with distinct four seasons. Average annual temperature — about 15.5°C. Average annual precipitation — about 1,500 mm. Frost-free period — about 210 days. Daily temperature difference on mountain plantations — more than 10°C, which promotes amino acid accumulation. Cloud cover and fog on high-altitude areas reaches 80% — diffused light reduces direct ultraviolet exposure, slowing catechin synthesis and promoting formation of a mild flavor profile.

• Growing altitude: Core plantations — from 400 m and higher. The mother tree “Ancestor of White Tea” grows at about 800 m altitude. The higher the plantation location, the more pronounced the shoot whiteness, higher amino acid content, and finer aroma.

• Soils: Weakly acidic yellow soils (弱酸性黄壤, ruò suānxìng huáng rǎng), formed by weathering of quartz sandstones and volcanic rocks. pH — 4.5–5.6. Soils rich in potassium, magnesium and other microelements, providing mineral base for flavor formation.

5. Production Technology:

Anji Baicha technology is the classic green tea scheme, but with several key features: absence of rolling (揉捻, róuniǎn) after fixation — to preserve integrity and characteristic leaf shape; low-temperature prolonged drying — to “lock in” freshness and aroma; the entire process from harvest to finished tea must be completed within 35 hours.

• Harvest (采摘, cǎi zhāi): Hand picking in morning hours during shoot whitening period. Harvested material is immediately delivered to the factory.

• Spreading-withering (摊青, tān qīng): Harvested shoots are spread in thin layer at room temperature about 25°C for 3–4 hours. Purpose — light moisture loss and beginning of aroma formation.

• Enzyme fixation — “kill-green” (杀青, shāqīng): Conducted in drum machine (滚筒杀青) at temperature about 280°C for approximately 90 seconds. High temperature deactivates oxidative enzymes and stops any oxidation. At this stage, precision is crucial: insufficient heating leaves “green” taste, excessive — gives burnt tone and destroys delicate aroma.

• Shaping-straightening (理条, lǐtiáo): Temperature about 130°C, duration — about 3 minutes. Shoots are carefully straightened and formed into characteristic elongated shape. Fundamentally: unlike most green teas, Anji Baicha is not subjected to rolling (不揉捻, bù róuniǎn) — this preserves leaf integrity and its “phoenix-like” appearance.

• Primary drying (初烘, chū hōng): Temperature about 90°C, time — about 10 minutes. Main moisture is removed.

• Secondary drying (复烘, fù hōng): Temperature decreases to 70°C, time increases to 20 minutes. Slow, gentle drying allows aroma fixation.

• Final heating — “aroma lifting” (提香, tí xiāng): Temperature 60°C, duration — about 30 minutes. Delicate finishing stage forming fine, clean aroma of finished tea.

• Sorting and packaging (整理, zhěnglǐ): Removal of tea dust, foreign inclusions; sorting by grades; immediate hermetic packaging. According to standard, finished tea moisture — not more than 5%.

6. Organoleptic Characteristics:

• Dry leaf appearance: Three types are distinguished by shape:

  • Phoenix shape (凤形, fèngxíng): shoots naturally open and resemble phoenix feathers (凤羽, fèngyǔ) — main type, comprising ~95% of market. Bud + one-two leaves, slightly curved.
  • Dragon shape (龙形, lóngxíng): flat, pressed shape, made by Longjing technology — more intense flavor, but with loss of freshness; produced in extremely small volumes.
  • Orchid shape (兰花形, lánhuā xíng): exclusively from whole buds of highest grade, resembles orchid bud — only from early spring (before Qingming) harvest.
  • Dry leaf color — jade-white with emerging green (玉白隐翠, yùbái yǐncuì), fine white down (白毫) is visible.

• Dry leaf aroma: Clean, fresh, with notes of young greenery and light milky undertone — characteristic “tender aroma” (嫩香, nèn xiāng), reminiscent of young bamboo shoots.

• Liquor aroma: High, clean, lasting. Base note — fresh greenery (清香, qīngxiāng), grassy-floral; middle — distinct milky-creamy tone (奶香, nǎi xiāng), due to specific lipid compounds of white shoot; top — fine sweetness, reminiscent of young bamboo sprouts or fresh almonds.

• Taste: Outstanding freshness and purity (鲜爽, xiānshuǎng) — main calling card of this tea. Sweetness (甘甜, gāntián) manifests from first sip, without need to “wait for” returning sweetness (huí gān). Bitterness and astringency are practically absent — result of low polyphenol and caffeine content. Body silky, enveloping (顺滑, shùnhuá), with oily texture. Some tasters describe taste as “freshness of chicken broth” (鲜如鸡汤, xiān rú jī tāng) — metaphor emphasizing deep, rich umami profile.

• Liquor color: Transparent, clean, light green with slight yellowish tint (清澈透亮). With proper brewing — crystal clear.

• Spent leaves (wet leaves): Shoots unfold and “stand” vertically in cup, like spring bamboo shoots (如春笋竖立). Color — jade-white, veins distinctly green (叶白脉翠). Buds and leaves whole, tender, easily distinguishable (芽叶朵朵可辨). This is one of the most spectacular teas for observation in glass vessels.

7. Chemical Composition:

Anji Baicha differs with unique biochemical profile, which specialists characterize with formula “high amino acids — low polyphenols” (高氨低酚, gāo ān dī fēn):

• Amino acids (氨基酸, ānjīsuān): Total free amino acid content — 5–10.6% (according to different studies), which is 3–4 times higher than ordinary green teas (1.5–2.5%). 18 amino acids necessary for organism are found. L-theanine content (L-茶氨酸, L-chá ānjīsuān) — up to 5%, comprising 40–55% of sum of all free amino acids. Precisely theanine is responsible for characteristic sweetness, umami and relaxing effect of tea. High content mechanism: during whitening period protease activity increases, soluble protein breaks down into free amino acids.

• Polyphenols (茶多酚, chá duōfēn): Content — 10–15.4%, noticeably lower than typical green teas (18–30%). Polyphenol to amino acid ratio (酚氨比, fēn ān bǐ) — 1.6–2.3 (ordinary green — 8–15). Precisely this low indicator explains absence of bitterness and astringency.

• Catechins (儿茶素, ér chásù): Total content — about 5–13%, including epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) — main antioxidant. Content lower than standard green teas, but sufficient for pronounced antioxidant action.

• Alkaloids: Caffeine (咖啡碱, kāfēi jiǎn) — about 2.8% (嘌呤碱), comprising approximately half the content in ordinary green tea. Theobromine and theophylline present in insignificant amounts. Low caffeine level makes this tea milder in nervous system impact.

• Vitamins: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), B-group vitamins (B1, B2, B6), vitamin K. Tea covers significant part of daily vitamin C requirement with daily consumption of 2–3 cups.

• Minerals and microelements: Zinc — 54.5 mg/kg; selenium — 0.2 mg/kg (noticeably higher than most other teas); potassium, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, calcium, iron.

• Other components: Polysaccharides (多糖类, duōtáng lèi) — provide smooth liquor texture; γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA, γ-氨基丁酸) — in noticeable amounts; essential oils — form milky-floral aroma.

8. Health Properties:

• Tonic and simultaneously calming effect: Combination of L-theanine (relaxation, anxiety relief) and moderate caffeine amount gives mild, sustained alertness without nervousness. Caffeine content — approximately half that of ordinary green tea, making Anji Baicha suitable for people with caffeine sensitivity.

• Antioxidant protection: Catechins (primarily EGCG) neutralize free radicals, reducing cellular oxidative stress.

• Immune support: High theanine content stimulates T-cell activity — key elements of immune response.

• Favorable digestive impact: Mild, low-polyphenol profile spares gastric mucosa; polysaccharides promote GI tract normalization.

• Cardiovascular system: Polyphenols and amino acids contribute to cholesterol reduction and vascular elasticity maintenance.

• Cognitive functions: L-theanine promotes alpha brain wave production, improving attention concentration, memory and learning ability.

• Vision protection: γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) helps relieve visual strain.

• Skin condition: Antioxidants and vitamins C, E support collagen production and slow photoaging.

• Note: Anji Baicha is a food product, not medicine. Indicated properties are based on tea composition and general data on its component actions, but do not replace medical recommendations.

9. Brewing:

• Water temperature: 80–85°C. Never boiling water — high temperature enhances bitterness and destroys delicate amino acid profile. Optimal temperature for maximum sweetness revelation — about 80°C.

• Tea amount: 3 g per 150–200 ml water (glass cup / gaiwan).

• Vessels: Glass cup (玻璃杯, bōli bēi) — ideal for observing bud “dance”; gaiwan (盖碗, gàiwǎn) — for more controlled gongfu-style brewing; porcelain cup with lid. Yíxīng teapot (紫砂壶) not recommended — its porous walls absorb delicate aroma.

• Process:

  1. Vessel warming: Rinse glass or gaiwan with hot water for even wall warming.
  2. Tea addition: Place 3 g dry tea at vessel bottom.
  3. Water pouring (first infusion): Pour 80–85°C water to 1/3 volume, let shoots “awaken” 10–15 seconds, then fill to full volume. Can use “middle pouring” method (中投法, zhōng tóu fǎ): first water to one-third, then tea, then remaining water.
  4. First infusion steeping: 1–1.5 minutes. Shoots will sink to bottom and stand vertically like bamboo sprouts. Liquor acquires light green color.
  5. Tasting: First infusion reveals pure freshness and bright grassy aroma.
  6. Second infusion: 40–50 seconds. At this stage milky-creamy undertone is most expressed.
  7. Third infusion: 60 seconds and more. Sustained sweetness (甘甜) predominates, aftertaste long and clean.
  8. Repeated brewings: Quality Anji Baicha withstands 3–4 infusions; best flavor balance — in 2nd and 3rd infusions.

• Drinking temperature tip: Maximum sweetness and freshness felt at liquor temperature about 60°C.

• Gongfu style (alternative): 4–5 g per 100–120 ml (gaiwan), 80–85°C, infusions 5–10–15–20–30 seconds with gradual increase. Gives more concentrated and rich flavor of each infusion.

10. Storage:

• Temperature: Optimally — 0–5°C (refrigerator). Anji Baicha, as fresh green tea with high amino acid content, is extremely sensitive to temperature increase: amino acids, vitamins and aromatic compounds rapidly degrade at room temperature.

• Hermetic sealing: Mandatory. Foil packages with vacuum or gas (nitrogen) packaging — ideal option. Tea is hygroscopic and easily absorbs foreign odors due to high-molecular fatty acid (棕榈酶) and terpene content.

• Light protection: Direct sunlight destroys chlorophyll and catechins, causes yellowing and aroma loss. Store in opaque container.

• Moisture protection: Relative humidity — not more than 60%. Above 70% molding begins. Even with hermetic storage, re-drying recommended after 6 months.

• Storage period: After package opening — consume within 1–2 months for maximum freshness. Under ideal conditions (refrigerator, vacuum) unopened package maintains quality up to 12–18 months, but tea character slowly changes.

• Important: After refrigerator removal, let package warm to room temperature (3–4 hours) before opening — this prevents moisture condensation on tea leaf.

11. Price and Counterfeits:

• Price range: Anji Baicha cost varies significantly depending on grade, harvest time and producer. Early spring batches before Qīngmíng (明前茶) — most expensive. Approximately: Special Grade / Premium from leading brands — from 1,000 yuan per 50 g and higher; first grade — 200–600 yuan per 100 g; second grade and post-Guyu tea — from 100 yuan per 250 g. Price factors: harvest time (before or after Qingming), plantation altitude, hand vs. machine picking, producer.

• Grades (等级, děngjí):

  • Special Grade / Premium (特级/精品): whole buds, jade-white with green tint, crystal clear liquor.
  • First grade (一级): bud + one beginning to open leaf, high freshness degree.
  • Second grade (二级): bud + two leaves, leaf slightly greening, mild and sweet taste.

• Typical counterfeits and falsifications:

  • Tea from other regions passed off as Anji: after Anji Baicha success, Baiye Yihao variety was planted in Jiangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan and other provinces. Externally similar, but flavor profile significantly poorer due to terroir differences — less pronounced sweetness, possible astringency.
  • Blends: mixing tea from later harvests (after Guyu) with early spring batches.
  • Flavoring: adding artificial flavorings to imitate milky tone.

• How to avoid counterfeits:

  • Buy from verified sellers with geographical indication certificate.
  • Evaluate appearance: genuine Anji tea has characteristic jade-white coloration with emerging green veins; leaf thin and tender, not coarse.
  • Check aroma: clean, without “perfumery” and synthetic notes; natural milky tone — subtle and unobtrusive.
  • Evaluate liquor: transparent, light green; turbidity indicates low quality. Taste — fresh, sweet, without pronounced bitterness in first three infusions.
  • Suspiciously low price: genuine quality Anji Baicha cannot be cheap — if “Special Grade” offered at second grade price, this is almost certainly counterfeit or tea from another region.

12. Interesting Facts:

• Single “Ancestor”: Unlike Da Hong Pao with six mother bushes, or Xi Hu Longjing with eighteen “imperial” trees, Anji Baicha traces its origin to a single wild tree preserved in Tianhuangping mountains. All ~170,000 mu of modern plantations are clones of this one bush.

• Tea confused with white: Anji Baicha is one of the most frequent objects of confusion in tea world. This is green tea called “white” due to leaf color, while true white teas (Bai Hao Yin Zhen, Bai Mu Dan) got their name from white down on buds and fundamentally differ in technology.

• Imperial praise: Modern tea scholars believe that precisely Anji Baicha’s ancestor could have been that very “white tea” praised by Song Huizong in 12th century. If so, the tea literally “resurrected” after 900 years of oblivion.

• Economic miracle: In less than 40 years, Anji Baicha transformed from unknown wild plant into industry worth over 24 billion yuan, providing each farmer 5,000–7,000 yuan annual income increase and becoming symbol of successful “green” development.

• Bud dance: When brewed in glass cup, Anji Baicha shoots sink to bottom and stand vertically like miniature bamboo forest — this is one of the most spectacular “tea ceremonies for eyes” among all Chinese green teas.

13. Comparison with Other Green Teas:

• Xī Hú Lóngjǐng (西湖龙井, Xīhú Lóngjǐng): China’s most famous green tea. Flat leaf, wok-firing (锅炒, guō chǎo). Taste more “roasted,” chestnut-like, with pronounced astringency. Significantly more polyphenols. Anji Baicha — noticeably milder, sweeter and more “amino acid” in profile.

• Bìluóchūn (碧螺春, Bìluóchūn): From Jiangsu Province. Twisted spiral shape, fruity floral aroma. Higher polyphenol content, pronounced astringency. Anji Baicha differs with milky-creamy aroma and complete absence of bitterness.

• Huángshān Máofēng (黄山毛峰, Huángshān Máofēng): From Anhui Province. Delicate, floral, with nutty notes. Closer to Anji Baicha in mildness, but lacks characteristic milky tone and such high amino acid content.

• Tàipíng Hóukuí (太平猴魁, Tàipíng Hóukuí): From Anhui. Large, long leaves, orchid aroma. More full-bodied and structured, but with pronounced astringency. Anji Baicha — more tender and sweet.

• Ānjí Baipian (安吉白片, Ānjí Bái Piàn): Local Anji green tea from ordinary (non-mutant) varieties. Traditional regional tea, but without unique amino acid profile of Baicha. Price — times lower.

In Conclusion:

Ānjí Báichá (安吉白茶) is a paradox tea: green with white name, young in industry age but with thousand-year historical roots, simple in technology but complex in biochemistry understanding. Its main treasure — that very “umami taste” born from white shoot amino acids: silky sweetness without shadow of bitterness, milky aroma tenderness and crystal liquor purity.

This is tea for those seeking absolute freshness — sensation of first spring morning in cup. It is ideal for introduction to Chinese green tea world, because it doesn’t “punish” with bitterness for imprecise brewing, and simultaneously can surprise experienced connoisseur with depth and extended aftertaste. Only condition — careful handling: soft water, low temperature and fresh tea, consumed within season. Then Anji Baicha reveals in full — like jade phoenix spreading wings in transparent cup.