Description
Song Zhen Pine Needle – Yunnan Chinese Green Tea
Striking in appearance and beautifully nuanced in the cup, Song Zhen Pine Needle is a distinctive green tea from Mengku in Lincang, Yunnan Province, China.
Known locally as Song Zhen, or “Pine Needle,” the name comes from the tea’s elegant shape. The finished leaves are slender, straight, and pointed, with shades of silver and green that resemble pine needles.
The appearance is created through careful processing. The locally grown tea material, a hybrid of Assamica and Ye Bai Hao, is wok-fired, rolled, briefly withered, and dried by hand in a wok. During the final stage, the leaves are carefully shaped to create their characteristic long, needle-like form.
That craftsmanship produces far more than a beautiful dry leaf.
Once infused, Song Zhen yields a luminous green-gold liquor with notes of fresh chestnut and savory umami. The texture is particularly compelling: substantial and smooth across the palate, with a satisfying mouthfeel that carries through the finish.
The combination of delicacy and structure makes this an intriguing expression of Yunnan green tea. Yunnan is internationally associated with pu-erh and its large-leaf tea traditions, but teas such as Song Zhen reveal another side of the province’s remarkable tea culture.
For drinkers accustomed to the better-known green teas of eastern China or Japan, Pine Needle offers something distinctly different: Yunnan-grown tea material, traditional wok firing, hand shaping, chestnut sweetness, and a rich, savory texture.
Cultivate Taste Tea offers pure tea selected for the character of the leaf itself: no added sugar, candy, or flavorings. Our teas are packaged with consideration for environmental impact.
Suggested Steeping
Tea: 1 teaspoon
Water: 8 oz
Temperature: 180°F
Time: 2–3 minutes
Re-steep the leaves to explore how the chestnut, umami, and smooth texture evolve through successive infusions.
