China Special Green Tea Tai Ping Hou Kui

Tai Ping Hou Kui tea is grown at the foot of Huangshan in the former Taiping Prefecture, Anhui. It has been grown since the Ming Dynasty and was harvested for emperors during the Qing Dynasty. The tea has been produced commercially since the beginning of the 20th century and is produced around the small village of Hou Keng. It won the "King of Tea" award at China Tea Exhibition 2004 and is sometimes listed as a China famous tea. It is renowned for its "two knives and one pole": two straight leaves clasping the enormous bud with white hairs. The oven-made leaves are deep green in color with red veins underneath. The tea shoots can be as long as 15 centimetres (5.9 in). They are plucked from the Shi Da Cha, a large-leaf variety found only in Anhui Province.

Tai Ping Hou Kui has been selected as one of the Top Ten Teas in China. It is also a historically reputed tea since Qing Dynasty. It is produced from the Hou-keng areas at Huang-shan City of Anhui Province. Its leaf measures up to 60 mm; it is the largest sized leaf tea among the famous green teas. But surprisingly its size does not affect its delicate orchid fragrance with a mellow taste which lasts up to four brewing. In a glass, the leaf gracefully sways in the water which is described as the ‘’Phoenix dances’’.

In harvesting, every single twig which contains one bud and 3-4 leaves is plucked from tea tree. Subsequently it is meticulously re-plucked again at factory, where only one bud and two leaves remains, and other leaves are removed. This is the expertise and effort of manufacturer to preserve the tea leaves to ensure it to be in good shape until it is sent for processing. Unlike most the green teas, Taiping Houkui does not undergo any rolling process. It is dried at once using a series of bamboo baskets heated at various temperatures. Inactivation of enzyme as well as enhancement of flavor takes place during these unique processes. Eventually, Taiping Houkui preserves its most natural shape, and the end product presents an exclusive characteristics. It has been used as one of the gift teas for diplomatic mission in China.