Teas / green / Lu'an Guapian (Lu'an Melon Seed)

Lu'an Guapian (Lu'an Melon Seed)
🇨🇳 China

Lu'an Guapian (Lu'an Melon Seed)

Lù'ān Guā Piàn · 六安瓜片

pan-fired

Lu'an Guapian — "Lu'an Melon Seed" — is one of the Ten Famous Chinese Teas and a singular processing tradition: rather than plucking the new bud, makers use only the second mature leaf on each branch, remove the central vein from each leaf by hand, then pan-fire and shape the leaves before baking them repeatedly. The resulting flat oval leaves (the "melon seed" shape) are among the most labour-intensive green teas in China to produce.

Quick facts

Region
Lu'an
Harvest year
2025
Harvest season
spring

Brewing

Leaf
3.5 g / 100 ml
Water
85°C
Rinse
no
Gongfu steeps (s)
25, 35, 50, 75
Western (min)
3.0

Tolerates slightly hotter water than most green teas because the leaves are mature (second-leaf) and repeatedly baked.

Calculate leaf weight for this tea

Tasting notes

Aroma
toasted nut, sweet hay
Flavor
round, mellow, faintly toasty
Mouthfeel
thick, smooth
Finish
long, sweet
History

Lu'an Guapian was a Qing-dynasty (1644–1911) "tribute tea" (gong cha) presented to the imperial court; it is documented as enjoyed by the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875–1908) and Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908).

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