Enshi Yu Lu 恩施玉露

Enshi Yu Lu is a signature tea from the city of Enshi of Hubei province.

Situated in the southwest region of Hubei Province, Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture is bordered by Chongqing in the north and west, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province in the south and in neighborhood of Shennongjia Forest Zone in the northeast and Yichang City in the east.

The prefecture bears a subtropical mountain climate distinctly influenced by monsoon. Weather there is humid and moderate all year round. Enshi is seldom bothered by extreme heat in midsummer and chilliness in midwinter. It is usually foggy and rainy.

This tea also has a long history. Enshi City was known to produce tea since the Tang Dynasty (618-907). History records suggest that En Shi Yu Lu was first created during Emperor Kang Xi's reign.

This is the Chinese green tea that most resembles Japanese green tea. Theleaf appearance is similar to sencha and the steaming process is very similar, but definitely not quite the same. It is a rare Chinese green tea that is processed using steam method.

Steaming is quite popular in green tea by Tang dynasty (Tang dynasty, steaming died out, farmers in China use pan-fire technique instead), then the technique is learnt by Japanese and they made the sencha. The first step in processing green tea is to steam the freshly picked leaves. This destroys the natural enzymes necessary for fermentation. The steaming not only helps to preserve the leaves' natural oils and important natural antioxidants, it also helps to soften the leaves , making them more pliable.

This technique of making green tea was brought over to Japan and refined further to the present day Sencha.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

This tea uses only tea bud, and presents a dark green needle shape in dry form and a bright green, long narrow shape when brewed.