At a glance
Tunxi Green Tea, or Tun Lu, refers to a green-tea trade and processing tradition associated with Tunxi. It is broader than one cultivar, one garden or the three sensory tiers in the inherited article.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 屯溪绿茶 |
| Tea family | Green tea |
| Associated origin | Tunxi trade and processing tradition, southern Anhui and neighbouring tea areas |
| Leaf form | Tightly worked green-tea strands; a wider family of finished styles |
Taste and appearance
The old comparison describes fine fairly tight substantial strands, lustrous green colour and yellow-green liquor. Rich lasting fragrance, orchid-like or roasted-chestnut-like in the top cell, accompanies mellow taste with returning sweetness at the upper tier. Different finished Tun Lu styles need not share exactly the same appearance.
The original liquor and infused-leaf photograph is withheld because identical pixels were assigned to another tea name. Its named identity could not be confirmed; the original file is preserved.
The cover is the original dry-leaf illustration. These images are not TeaPlain tasting samples or proof of origin, grade, age, authenticity or image rights clearance.
Grade characteristics
This preserves the earlier Chinese edition’s sensory comparison. It is not a complete verified current standard table and does not grade your packet. Plant material, growing area, processing and grade are separate details. Decorative star rankings are omitted.
On a small screen, scroll the table sideways to compare the grades.
| Feature | Extra grade | Grade 1 | Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dry-leaf shape | Fine and even, tight and substantial | Fine and even, fairly tight and substantial | Fine, fairly tight and substantial |
| Dry-leaf colour | Fresh, lustrous green | Lustrous green | Lustrous green |
| Liquor | Yellow-green and bright | Yellow-green, fairly bright | Yellow-green, fairly bright |
| Aroma | Rich and lasting; orchid-like or roasted chestnut-like | Rich and lasting | Rich, fairly lasting |
| Taste | Mellow, returning sweetness | Mellow | Mellow |
| Infused leaves | Tender green and lively | Tender green, fairly lively | Tender green |
The broad Tun Lu tradition includes different finished forms. These three inherited tiers are not a complete verified current standard or a classification of all export styles.
Names and origin
A reviewed heritage-brand account describes green tea from Huizhou and neighbouring Zhejiang/Jiangxi districts being refined and exported through Tunxi. A producer’s own account distinguishes several finished forms rather than one cultivar. The older origin list mentions Xiuning, Shexian, Ningguo, Jixi and eastern Qimen as a historical supply context; it is not a statement that all those places are present-day counties of Huangshan or a verified current protected boundary.
Everyday benefits
Brewed without added sugar, this is an ordinary tea drink that can be an alternative to sweetened drinks and contribute to fluid intake. It contains caffeine. These everyday properties do not establish that this named tea treats disease, lowers blood sugar or improves sleep. No TeaPlain clinical or brewing test is claimed here.
Who may enjoy this tea
It may appeal to someone exploring fuller green-tea flavour and traditional export styles. Check the particular finished style and packet instructions before comparing it with a delicate bud tea.
When to take care
- Caffeine sensitivity or sleep problems: consider your total intake and timing if tea affects your sleep. A pale infusion is not a caffeine-free claim.
- Pregnancy, breastfeeding or medicines: ask a clinician or pharmacist about your actual product, caffeine intake and relevant medicine instructions.
- Iron supplements: follow the medicine’s instructions about separating tea from the dose. Do not use tea as treatment for anaemia.
These are product and individual considerations, not a blanket ban based on traditional “hot” or “cold” labels, age, sex or a constitution category.
How to brew
Original prose: heat-safe glass
The earlier method uses a heat-safe glass, 1:50 tea-to-water ratio and 85–90°C / 185–194°F water. It says to refill when about one-third of the liquid remains, and describes roughly three infusions/refills. It supplies no first steeping time. Keep the retained illustration’s method separate below.
| Detail | Original prose with an explicit ratio example |
|---|---|
| Tea | 3 g Tunxi Green Tea as an editorial arithmetic example |
| Actual water | 150 mL / about 5.1 US fl oz, measured water; 3 g at 1:50 |
| Vessel | Heat-safe glass with room for the leaves and actual water |
| Water temperature | 85–90°C / 185–194°F |
| First drinking infusion | No first steeping time recorded in the prose; follow a complete packet method |
| Refill | At about one-third liquid remaining; refilling is different from a full fresh measured batch |
These inherited directions and explicit ratio examples are awaiting hands-on testing. Nominal vessel capacity and a drawn fill fraction do not measure actual water. Three repeat cups is not a guarantee of equal strength. If leaves remain in the glass, extraction continues; transfer or strain if the cup becomes too strong. Let the drink cool enough to sip.
Read the original illustration separately
The original graphic warms a glass and uses 3 g, 85°C / 185°F and 1:50, implying 150 mL actual water by arithmetic. Add water to one-third, gently swirl, fill to seven-tenths and wait 2–3 minutes. Refill at one-third remaining; roughly three infusions are described. Vessel capacity and a separate tea rinse are unspecified.
For ordinary teaware options, see brew without a gaiwan. Keep each complete method together instead of selecting temperature, dose and time from different preparations.
Adjust your cup
| What you notice | One change to try |
|---|---|
| Too strong, bitter or drying | Separate the liquid from the leaves; shorten contact time or use less tea next time |
| Weak or watery | Keep the measured water fixed and try a longer infusion before changing the leaf dose |
| Later infusions become stronger | Check whether liquid was left sitting with the leaves |
| Different from a flavour description | Compare the actual product and method; a description is not a promise for every cup |
Change one variable at a time. For a fuller sequence, see fix a disappointing first cup.
How to buy
Check the finished style, growing source, maker, harvest and any claimed mark. Distinguish a Tun Lu brand, the regional tea tradition and a specific factory’s product specification.
See buy your first Chinese tea for packet comparisons.
China price reference
Undated figures retained from the Chinese edition, in Chinese yuan (CNY). No original brand, batch, harvest or quotation date was recorded. These are not verified current retail quotes, a market average or manufacturer-suggested retail prices.
| Chinese-edition tier | CNY per 500 g (one jin) | Equivalent CNY per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Extra grade | 400 | 80 |
| Grade 1 | 300 | 60 |
Per 100 g is an arithmetic conversion, not a quoted packet. Do not infer a missing sensory or price tier. Compare actual growing area, style, harvest, roast, weight and channel. A currency conversion does not make a UK or US retail offer comparable to a China historical figure.
How to store
Original storage method
The original method places green tea in a closed foil pouch, gently removes excess air, then puts the pouch inside a lidded iron or tin container upright for refrigerated storage, protected from light, moisture and smells. Check that a paper pouch is actually lined and moisture resistant; plain paper alone is not an airtight moisture barrier.
Its general reference was 12 months, with storage below 10°C / 50°F and below 50% relative humidity. It also described a cool, shaded room-temperature option for tea expected to be finished within two months. These are inherited conditions, not a verified expiry or a remaining-life prediction for an opened packet. Follow the actual maker’s label, package and specified conditions first.
In a UK or US kitchen
If following a product’s cold-storage directions, keep the pack sealed against fridge moisture and food smells, and let it warm while still sealed before opening. Keep a working portion away from the hob or stove, dishwasher steam, sunlight and spices; reseal after use. Do not apply a refrigerator recipe to another tea automatically. See storing an opened packet for handling.
The original green-tea handling note keeps a separate one-to-two-week working portion to avoid repeatedly warming and opening the bulk cold pack. Portion in dry conditions and seal each pack.
Origin, processing and history
The map labels picking, spreading, fixing, rolling, second heating (er qing), third heating (san qing) and final pan drying (hui gan). The reviewed heritage-brand account gives the corresponding initial-making stages and a separate refining sequence involving screening, sorting, blending and packing. The old short map therefore does not describe all finishing operations. A historical connection with Songluo methods does not make the two names interchangeable or prove that a modern process is unchanged from the Song dynasty.
Common questions
Is every Tunxi Green Tea the same shape and grade?
No. The reviewed accounts describe a broader refining and trade tradition with different finished forms. The retained three columns are a limited old comparison, not a complete grading system for every Tun Lu product.
Can I move one number from this recipe into a different vessel?
Keep leaf form, measured dose and actual water, temperature, timing and separation together. Nominal capacity or a fill fraction is not a measured ratio.
Compare Xiuning Songluo, or browse the green tea overview.
Editorial notes and updates
Updated 16 October 2026. Valid original descriptions, sensory comparisons, prose and image methods, storage handling, China price figures and usable pictures are retained with their scope. Doubtful medical, ranking and exact historical claims are revised or omitted. Current full grade clauses and historical prices are not certified. Original Chinese-labelled graphics have English reading notes; no TeaPlain tasting or brewing test is claimed. Internal research and image audits record the decisions.