Guzhu Zi Sun

The narrow, spiky leaves of this tea lend it its name: when sprouting, the leaf buds are tight with a purple tinge, and thus called 'purple bamboo shoot'. First mentioned in the 8th-century book The Classic of Tea by the tea sage Lu Yu, this tea has changed vastly since then, when it was ground and compressed into discs; now, the downy leaves release a sweet corn aroma, with a bodied brew of artichoke, the light vegetality of bamboo shoots—reflecting the plentiful bamboo forests that surround the tea plants in Guzhu—and a nip of black pepper to finish it off. Topped up as needed in a tall, glass pitcher, it's a green tea that can last the whole day, or accompany a meal.