This is a deceptive tea because it has such large leaves but the flavour is so fragrant and delicate. Consistently voted one of China's top ten teas, Hou Kui is a special tea made in Tai Ping county from the larger and pointy Shi Da cultivar. This tea is different from other Green teas in that the larger the leaf, the better the tea is considered to be.
The leaves are processed differently from other Green tea in that they are individually placed on cloth (after firing) and pressed flat before baking at various temperatures. They do not undergo any further rolling. You may notice a criss cross pattern on the leaf which comes from being pressed between sheets of cloth.
Hou Kui is a very delicate tea and must be stored in perfect conditions otherwise it darkens and loses its verve and aromatics. Be very careful to keep this tea airtight and in a cool location and make sure that you are drinking this year's tea!
Oh and in case you were wondering, this tea is NOT picked by monkeys. This name comes from the legend that these tea trees growing on the edges of cliffs were too dangerous for the farmers to pick and so they trained monkeys to go and pluck the leaves. This is not true and has never happened as far as we are aware.
