Run Yuan Chang "Xiao Qing Gan" (Puerh Stuffed Tangerines)

Xiao Qing Gan are tiny dried green tangerines stuffed with ripe puerh, an elevated twist on chenpi (orange-peel) puerh. The uplifting citrus fragrance coupled with the richness of shou puerh is especially comforting on rainy days, and also refreshing when drunk cooled on summer days. 

The ones we have on offer are three-time gold award winners ('17, '18 and '19) in the China Tea Expo. First spring picking tangerines (which are smaller and with a brighter, gentler flavor) are dried and then stuffed with 5-year aged "gong ting" or imperial grade ripe puerh buds from Menghai. The combination of very early-picked citrus fruit and aged puerh gives this production a much lighter and more nuanced flavor than many other versions we have sampled.

Quality (and price) of this type of tea can vary tremendously, but is largely dependent on the dried tangerine, rather than the puerh. The best tangerines are grown and harvested in XinHui, a region in Guangdong province. High-grade tangerines (such as those used in this production) have less bitter-citrus bite and more nuanced aroma -- this is especially critical given the long steep-times and infusability of this tea, to avoid overwhelming the ripe puerh component.

Each stuffed mandarin can be infused repeatedly in a gaiwan, western teapot or simply thrown into a large thermos refilled with hot water through the day. Each tin is 250g and may contain between 22-24 individually wrapped pieces (due to natural differences in size of fruit). 

[If ordering full tins, please note that the tins are easily dented during shipping. We will pack appropriately but please understand we cannot guarantee they will arrive in perfect shape.]