It was spring of 2012 and I was on day eight of a tea buying trip, sipping my way around the wholesale tea market in Kunming, China. It was on that day that i was introduced to wild purple leaf tea or “ye sheng cha”. I was impressed with the strong flavor, the complexity, the sourness in both aroma and on my tongue. What really bowled me over, though, was the strong energy of the tea, a qi boost that went well beyond just a simple caffeine buzz. No, this stuff was the epitome of “calm awake”, the caffeine waking me up while the entourage effects of L-theanine and other associated compounds was mellowing me out. I was high, truly tea high and it felt wonderful. I kept coming back for more over the next few days and by the time I left, I had secured a hundred pounds of the leaves to press into what became the first Wild Monk raw pu’er cake.
Why does purple leaf tea excite me so much and what has me telling you about it? The reasons are many, including the sweet body high the tea offers alongside the multifaceted flavor and aroma. Purple leaf tea is a varietal that has been hybridized to protect itself from the strong ultraviolet rays of high altitude growing. In doing so, the leaf turns purple and the antioxidants (anthocyanins and polyphenols) within it increase dramatically. This translates to a beverage that is also higher in the free-radical scavengers that can boost our health, strengthen our vision and ward off disease. Purple leaf tea is also more drought and pest resistant as well as temperature extremes. This is a hardy plant and an ally for you and me.
I am excited to announce that we have just secured an exquisite batch of purple leaf mao cha that is now being pressed in our 2022 Wild Monk raw pu’er. We will also offer the loose leaves on the site once they arrive at our HQ.
The brewing of purple leaf tea is the same as it is for black and pu’er tea and for those who are sensitive to more astringency, we recommend brewing these leaves at a lower temperature. One may increase temperature throughout the many steeps this leaf will yield.
Purple tea leaf
