| Name | Méng dǐng gānlù / 蒙顶甘露 |
| English | Honey Dew |
| Region | Mengding, Sichuan |
| Price | ¥30.00 for 50g |
Mengding Ganlu dates from the late Western Han dynasty (206 B.C. – A.D. 24) and is the most famous of the many tea varieties originating from 蒙顶山. According to The Story of Tea, Mengding Ganlu was the start of cultivated tea in China:
According to legend, somewhere around 55BC (during the Han Dynastry) a young man name Wu Lizhen planted seven tea trees on Mengding Mountain from tea bush cuttings. Wu Lizhen was given the title of Master of Sweet Dew by Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty, for whom this was a tribute tea. Wu Lizhen planted the tea bushes near a natural spring that is believed to have a special, sweet scent and the ability to run eternal. After Wu Lizhen passed away, the tea was referred to as 仙茶 or ‘tea of the immortals’.
It is still possible to view this original location at the Huangdi Temple on Mengding Mountain.
More Information (from Baidu Baike):
Mengding ganglu is a type of green tea native to Sichuan Province. It hails from Meng Mountain, thus the name Mengding, which means “peak of Meng Mountain” in Chinese. Meng Mountain has a long history of tea plantation dating back to the Han Dynasty around 2000 years ago. In fact, Mengding ganlu is one of the oldest tea varieties in China. It has very compact and curly leaves with a layer of white fur on the surface. The tea leaves have a pale green color. Once brewed, the color of the liquid is a light green with a tinge of yellow. The smell is mild and refreshing, the taste pure and smooth.
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