China Sichuan Mengding Ganlu Shan Cha

Mengding Ganlu is made by a method known as three fryings and three rollings, which curls the small leaf and brings out a nutty sweetness. Brewed small and strong, in a 150 to 180 ml cup with 3 to 4 g of leaf at 80°C, it is smooth and lightly floral.

Origin & Story

Mengding Ganlu is picked before the Qingming festival in early spring, usually one bud with its first leaf, so small that it takes a great deal of picking for a little tea. The same tea is sometimes sold as Mengding Shan Cha, which simply means tea from Mengding Mountain.

Then comes the work that gives the tea its shape and flavor. The leaf is fried in a wok and rolled, and the cycle is repeated, in a method described as three fryings and three rollings. The repeated pan-firing is what builds the nutty note, and the gentle kneading curls the leaf into small, tight shapes.

The finished leaf is small and tightly curled, and the tea is classed as a green tea with a yellowish-green color in the cup. It is smooth and slightly sweet, with a sugary aftertaste: sweet vegetal notes, a nutty sweetness, a sweet aftertaste and a light floral hint, and little bitterness.

This page is written for a small cup of 150 to 180 ml, with a generous 3 to 4 g of leaf per 150 ml of water at around 80°C and a steep of 90 seconds to two minutes, in a glass cup or a gaiwan. Water at 80 to 85°C protects the tender leaf from scalding.

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