Product Overview
A wild-growing purple variety processed into a white tea. Wild Purple Varietal Yue Guang Bai is a rare and unique white tea from Jing Gu County in the mountainous southwestern part of Yunnan Province in China. In 1985, scientific and technical personnel of the Yunnan Tea Science Research Institute discovered purple tea trees with purple color buds, leaves, and stems in a tea garden of more than 200 acres, which was a variant of the Yunnan big-leaf tea tree variety.
This tea is harvested from tea trees of the naturally-occurring Purple Leaf variety, Ye Sheng, which is believed to pre-date Camellia Sinensis Assamica. They grow wild in temperate forests located at an elevation of around 3,100 feet. The leaves are minimally processed after harvest and the natural oxidation is gradually halted as the leaves are delicately dried.
These trees are naturally rich in Anthocyanins to give a dark purple hue to the leaves and a light purple to the liquor. Anthocyanins are water-soluble, and therefore when prepared as tea they become immediately bioavailable - making it easier for the body to absorb and utilize. The anthocyanins found in purple tea have powerful free-radical scavenging properties. Studies exploring the health benefits of anthocyanins suggest that they may be cancer-preventative, neuroprotective, beneficial for the cardiovascular system, protect against diabetes, anti-inflammatory, and act as a powerful antioxidant.
The tea has a unique sweet fruity taste and aroma. Plum candy sweet in fragrance and cup. Light in body. No astringency.
Brewing Guide: Use about 3-4 grams of tea leaves per cup of water. Let the water cool down to around 190-194°F. Steep the leaves in hot water for 2-3 minutes. Strain and serve.