A special edition Gongmei cake from Master Mei Xiangjing using 2018 Maocha as base produced in 2021.
It is made from the hairy buds and leaves of a "Xiaoyezhong" cultivar known as 'Xiaocai' tea, which is different from the "Dabai" hairy tea made from Fuding Dabaicha, Zhenghe Dabaicha tea tree buds and leaves.
Xiaocai tea is a unique tea tree variety in northern Fujian, also the oldest cultivar. It is often planted in the vegetable gardens in front of and behind farmhouses in the mountainous area of northern Fujian, so everyone calls it Xiaocai tea. It has been recorded since the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has a history of thousands of years. Xiaocai tea is the royal tea at that time, and it is not as good as Baimudan though higher grade than Shoumei. To distinguish this special white tea variety, the tea maker uses Xiaocai tea to make Gongmei. 'Gong' literally means the tributing to royal family.
This high-quality Gongmei has obvious buds of white and many velvet color and green color for dry leaves. It shows orange or dark yellow color after brewing, the bottom of the leaves is even, soft and bright.
Master Mei is the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project 'Fuding White Tea Making Skills'. He is the grandson of Mei Bozhen, a famous tea merchant in the late Qing Dynasty.
The mellow taste of white tea that haunted the tongue since childhood has given Master Mei Xiangjing the unchanging "first heart of a leaf" for more than half a century.
