Six teas, six regions
This set was pulled together at a tasting table in Kunming over months of sampling. The white tea comes from a Fuding family workshop where buds are withered on bamboo trays under filtered light. The green is a early-spring Long Jing, sourced through a generations-old cooperative in Hangzhou. For yellow tea, contacts in Hunan secured a small batch of Jun Shan Yin Zhen that still shows the traditional smothering step. The oolong is a Mí Lán Xiāng dancong from Phoenix Mountain, hand-picked and roasted by its grower, while the black tea hails from a Jin Jun Mei maker in Wuyi whose leaves carry the signature honey-sweetness. The shou pu-erh, pressed in Menghai, was selected after a marathon cupping of dozens of cakes, balancing earth and smoothness without off-notes. The procurement approach — small-lot sourcing, direct relationships, and ruthless sensory checks — ensures each category is represented by a clear and honest example. The result is a set that teaches as much as it satisfies, a first sip into the language of tea.