Despite the abundance of tea plantations and the excellent numerous varieties of tea made from plantation raw materials, tea made from raw materials from wild trees still stands apart. In the name of a tea variety, “Ye Sheng” (Chinese: “Wild”, “Wild trees”) serves as an indication of the collection of raw materials from uncultivated tea plants. Often these are quite old tea bushes, sometimes already rightfully called trees due to their size. Wild plants, as a rule, do not belong to a certain variety of tea bush, unlike plantation ones, which are completely controlled when planting plants. The flavor profile of raw materials from wild trees is distinguished by a large, sometimes unexpected richness of shades, even when collecting very young small shoots, as in the case of the green tea variety Ye Sheng Mao Feng.
Neat little yellowish-green spirals smell like green peas, sunflower and green beans, the smell is delicate and very fresh. When warmed up with your breath, an oily-spicy, very natural smell of pumpkin seeds breaks through. The appropriate temperature for brewing this green tea is no higher than 75 degrees. You don’t need a lot of leaves, for drinking by steeping you will need no more than 4 grams per 100 ml of the volume of the teapot. A gaiwan is most convenient - for quick pouring to avoid excessive astringency of the infusion. The first steeping lasts no more than 5 seconds, the following ones - with a gradual increase in exposure by several seconds.
The infusion is a delicate yellowish-green color, cloudy from the suspension of tea hairs during the first steeps. Garden vegetables play brightly in the aroma: zucchini, the same green peas, salad greens. The taste is soft, sweet, with a bright accent of pumpkin seeds, a hint of sunflower, cucumber and broccoli. During subsequent steeps, the spiciness of basil is added, the tea becomes slightly sourer, with a unique note of black currant in the taste and aroma. Steamed leaves in a gaiwan after several steeps smell like the tart and sourish juiciness of a young forest warmed by the sun. The aftertaste of the tea is light, sour, with floral shades.
A state of moderate vivacity, clarity of mind and a surge of energy. The tea is refreshing and lifts the mood well with its “spring” bouquet. It will be appropriate at any time of the day, except for going to bed. When carefully brewed, the tea is light and unobtrusive, and the low temperature of the water transfers a gentle amount of caffeine into the infusion.
The variety will appeal to lovers of delicate tastes and aromas. Curious, not the most typical green, it is worth a closer look for lovers of slightly heated Taiwanese oolongs.