Green Teas

Putuo Fo Cha (Putuo Buddhist) Tea

Mt. Putuo, rising like a mirage out of the sea, is one of the three hundred islands of the Zhoushan Archipelago just outside the Yangtze estuary. It is a famous Buddhist retreat and one of China's four mountains sacred to that faith. Legend has it that the bodhisattva Guanyin meditated and preached there before attaining enlightenment.

The island and its there hundred temples are maintained chiefly by monks, who grow fruit and other produce for sale to help support themselves. Their tea bushes provide Puto Fo Cha, help support themselves. Their tea bushes provide Puto Fo Cha, help to be one of the five most famous in China. Served to guests, it is sold only on the island,  and is highly prized as a souvenir gift. It is reputed to be a remedy for diarrhea and lung lesions. The great Ming dynasty pharmacologist Li Shizhen wrote in his Canon of Medicinal Herbs that is was used to treat hemorrhages and dysentery.

The glossy green finished leaves are tadpole shaped, neither round nor in strips, and the clear beverages has a fresh aroma.

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