| Name | Ēnshī yùlù / 恩施玉露 |
| English | Jade Dew |
| Region | Ensi, Hubei |
| Brewing | Brew two or three two-minute infusions at 80°C |
| Price | ¥56.00 for 100g |
Jade Dew is unique for being steamed during its manufacturing process. It is thought that this tea was exported to Japan during the Tang Dynasty and inspired Japanese Sencha (煎茶). From Rishi Tea:
Sometime during the late 17th or early 18th century, Japanese monks learned about the hand rubbing and rolling of steamed Yulu and favored this process. They witnessed the use of the special heated tables and taught tea people in Japan about these methods. Original Sencha, or what is known today as “Temomi Sencha,” is hand-rolled on a heated table called a “Hoiro” and is said to have been inspired by the early production methods of Xuan En green tea and the famous Enshi Yulu.
Personally, Jade Dew didn’t stand out for me. In fact, it just sat there lifelessly at the bottom of my glass.
More Information (from Baidu Baike):
Enshi yulu hails from the city of Enshi in Hubei Province. It is one of the very few types of steamed green teas in China. Steaming is an ancient way of processing teas with a history even longer than frying, which is the predominant processing method nowadays. It is worth noting that steaming was introduced to Japan in the Tang Dynasty and remains the main processing method until today.
Steaming preserves the color, flavor and shape of the tea to a larger extent than frying. Therefore, Enshi yulu has a more vibrant green color, stronger fresh taste and a more complete leaf shape than green teas which have been fried. The taste is very pure and refreshing, almost a little “raw”.
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