We don't know when or if this item will be available.
“Once again, I wildly overbought green tea this year so I could do some educational comparison sessions. This time, I’m focusing on three kinds of Anji Bai Cha, two from Seven Cups and one from...” Read full tasting note
Yu Qian Anji Baicha has a full yet mild flavor and floral aroma. An affordable, high-end green tea rich in amino acids, made with pluckings of one bud and two leaves from the spring harvest.
The 2025 Yu Qian harvest displays the classic mellow brothy character of Anji Baicha balanced with sweet yellow florals and smooth green vegetable notes.
Yu Qian Anji Baicha is popular with green tea lovers who want to appreciate the health benefits of green tea with a flavor that is mild and sweet. Picked slightly later than Ming Qian Anji Baicha (Early Harvest Anji), it has a slightly stronger flavor and greener color.
The name Yu Qian Anji Baicha (Spring Rain Harvest Anji) refers to the second spring tea harvest before the Gu Yu (lit. “Grain Rain”) festival that falls on April 20th, a time when spring rains typically fall. Gu Yu is the 6th of the 24 solar terms that govern Chinese agriculture throughout the year.
Seven Cups is an American tea company based in Tucson, Arizona. We source traditional, handmade Chinese teas directly from the growers and tea masters who make them, and we bring those teas back from China to share with people everywhere.
Once again, I wildly overbought green tea this year so I could do some educational comparison sessions. This time, I’m focusing on three kinds of Anji Bai Cha, two from Seven Cups and one from Camellia Sinensis.
Tea bush: Baiye #1 (White Leaf #1)
Location: Anji County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province
Picking date: Mid-April 2025
Price in USD/g: $0.79
For the side-by-side comparison, I steeped 2.4 g of leaf in 120 ml of 185F water for 4 minutes, resteeping as needed until the tea faded. I also did a more normal session with 3 g of leaf in 250 ml of 185F water, with times as above.
In contrast to the sweeter, more beany Ming Qian Anji from the same company, the dry aroma of this tea featured asparagus, honey, florals, herbs, and citrus. The first steep of the comparison session was slightly bitter and had notes of herbs, asparagus, kale, beans, lemon, and unidentifiable florals. Subsequent steeps showcased asparagus, green pepper, grass, herbs, lemon, honey, and florals. The citrus held on until near the end of the session and the tea was always more vegetal/bitter than the Ming Qian, though not unpleasantly so.
With my normal leaf-to-water ratio, the first steep had notes of green beans, asparagus, rosemary and other herbs, orange, lemon, and florals (daffodils?). It was once again more vegetal and bitter than the Ming Qian Anji. Subsequent steeps featured buttered green beans, asparagus, grass, and more florals. The final steeps were grassy and vegetal but not too bitter.
Although this tea was more vegetal than I preferred, it had many intriguing notes to compensate for that. This was the most citrusy of the three Anji Bai Cha I tried. I liked the normal session more than the comparison session since the lower leaf-to-water ratio mitigated the bitterness. This is still a high-quality Anji and I’ll have no problem finishing my 25 g bag.
Flavors: Asparagus, Bitter, Butter, Floral, Grass, Green Bean, Green Pepper, Herbaceous, Honey, Kale, Lemon, Orange, Rosemary, Vegetal
