Anji Bai Cha · 2026 Ming Qian | Pre-Qingming White-Leaf Green Tea from Anji

The window is short. Shorter than most people realize.

Ming Qian means before Qingming, before April 5th, when the mountain is still cold and the leaves of Anji Bai Cha emerge in their rarest form: pale jade, almost white at the tips, impossibly tender. Once the temperature rises, the leaves green up and the season shifts. This brief pale moment is the only time this tea exists.

Anji Bai Cha is not a white tea. It is a green tea made from a rare white-leaf cultivar that albinizes in cool early spring, producing leaves with dramatically elevated amino acid content and a flavor profile unlike any other green tea in China. Umami-forward, exceptionally fresh, with a natural sweetness that seems to arrive from somewhere deeper than taste alone.

What you'll find in the cup:

The dry leaves are thin, bright, and vivid. In the glass teapot, they open slowly, pale green needles floating in clear water, luminous. The liquor is delicate and clean. On the palate: a wave of freshness, rich with umami, sweet without sweetener, soft without being flat. The finish lingers. You find yourself holding the empty cup longer than necessary.

The first fresh sip of spring. It was always in here.

Harvest: 2026 Ming Qian (明前), Pre-Qingming

Type: White-leaf green tea (白叶绿茶), Anji cultivar

Origin: Anji County, Zhejiang Province

Appearance: Pale jade needles, thin and uniform, vivid early-spring green

Fragrance: Fresh, clean, lightly floral

Liquor: Clear pale green, luminous

Taste: High umami, naturally sweet, exceptionally soft, long clean finish

Amino acid content: Exceptionally high due to albino cultivar characteristics

Brew guide: 75 to 80°C water · 3g per 150ml · 30 seconds · glass teapot or cup recommended · re-brew 3 to 4 times · do not overbrew, this tea rewards gentleness

Spring's most fleeting moment. Now in your cup.