Enshi Mei Tea Bud Tips (Ampelopsis grossedentata) — Wild High-Mountain Vine Tea, 500g

Enshi Mei Tea Bud Tips (Ampelopsis grossedentata), known in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Méi Chá (莓茶) and affectionately called Tǔjiā Lóngxū (土家龙须, Tujia Dragon Whiskers) by the Tujia people of Hubei, are the tender bud tips of a wild high-mountain vine tea harvested in Enshi, Hubei Province. For generations, this naturally selenium-rich botanical has been prized as a cooling, throat-soothing, and spirit-clearing herb tea, enjoyed daily by mountain communities as a gentle infusion that refreshes the body and calms the mind. Its nature is sweet, slightly cool, and mildly astringent, making it a light yet clarifying brew for everyday wellness.

Key Selling Points

• Wild high-mountain bud tips from Enshi, Hubei
• Naturally selenium-rich vine tea (Ampelopsis grossedentata)
• Tujia Dragon Whiskers heritage botanical
• Naturally sweet from the plant itself, no added sugar
• 500g value pack, air-dried for fresh aroma

Quality & Sensory

Each batch is carefully harvested as tender bud tips and air-dried to preserve their pale silvery-green color, delicate curled shape, and soft downy texture. When brewed, the tips unfurl slowly and yield a clear, pale golden infusion with a gentle, naturally sweet taste and a clean, faintly grassy aroma. The liquor is smooth and lightly astringent on the finish, refreshing without bitterness, and the buds themselves carry a subtle sweetness from the plant's own natural sugars.

Technical Specifications

Usage Scenarios

• Daily hot tea infusion
• Cold-brewed summer refreshment
• Afternoon throat-soothing cup
• Blended with chrysanthemum or goji berry
• Shared tea service for guests

Traditional Uses

In Tujia folk herbal practice, Mei Cha has long been brewed as a daily mountain tea, simmered in earthen pots and shared among families and travelers to refresh the spirit and soothe the throat after long days outdoors. It is often steeped alone as a simple morning or afternoon infusion, or blended with chrysanthemum, honeysuckle, and goji berry for a cooling seasonal tea. Some households also add the buds to light soups and congee during warm months, treating it as a gentle food-herb for everyday nourishment.

FAQ Q&A