2025 Meng Ding Shi Hua “Stone Flower” Green Tea

Meng Ding Shi Hua (“Stone Flower”) is a rare and refined green tea from the historic slopes of Mengding Mountain in Sichuan. Crafted from the heirloom Lao Chuan Cha cultivar, it was hand-picked on April 3, 2025, during the first flush of spring, using the single bud picking standard—much like other celebrated Sichuan bud teas such as Que She (“Sparrow Tongue”) and Zhu Ye Qing (“Bamboo Leaf Green”).

With over 2,000 years of tea cultivation history, Mengding Mountain is recognized as one of the birthplaces of cultivated tea. Its cool climate, persistent cloud cover, high elevation, and mineral-rich soils create ideal growing conditions, giving this tea its clean and elegant high-mountain character.

As one of China’s earliest flat-shaped green teas, Shi Hua holds a special place in tea history and is considered a representative of China’s top-grade artisan green teas. Its name, “Stone Flower,” reflects the tea’s visual beauty—before infusion, the buds lie flat and delicate, resembling moss on stone; once steeped, they unfurl gracefully, like a flower blooming in water.

The dry leaves are uniform, flat, straight buds with a yellow-green hue and visible silvery hairs. In the cup, it carries a refined floral aroma and a lingering sweetness that gently coats the palate.