Its name comes from Wuniu (乌牛), a town in Yongjia County, Wenzhou, Zhejiang. Each year, before most tea regions have properly awakened from winter, the name begins circulating through the markets of Jiangnan. The trees move early. Sometimes disconcertingly early.

The tea is known for a soft, easy taste and a bright green appearance. Locally, it is sometimes called “the first tea of early spring in Jiangnan.”

The modern history of the cultivar is fairly recent.

• In 1987, it received an “Excellent Famous Tea” award at the first Zhejiang Provincial Tea Competition.
• In 1999, Yongjia was named the “Hometown of Wuniuzao Tea in China.”
• In 2001, the tea was recognized as a Zhejiang provincial brand product.
• In 2008, it was included in the second batch of the Wenzhou Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

In official cultivar registration, it appears under the name Jiaming No.1 (嘉茗一号).

Like many Chinese tea cultivars, it most likely began with a wild tea tree noticed for its unusually early budding habit. One promising plant was selected, then propagated vegetatively, and over time spread through plantations. What we know today as Wuniuzao is the settled outcome of that process.

The region itself appears, indirectly, in Lu Yu (陆羽)’s Cha Jing (茶经, The Classic of Tea).

The text does not describe specific teas from Yongjia, but the geography is there. And if one considers the broader context of the Tang dynasty, this is hardly surprising. Zhejiang was already deeply embedded in the early history of green tea.

Not far away, in Huzhou, the celebrated Guzhu Zisun (顾渚紫笋) was produced on Guzhu Mountain (Guzhu Shan 顾渚山), one of the most famous tribute teas of the Tang court.

Further south, the Wenzhou region also produced tea. During the time of the poet Lu Tong (卢仝), tea from this area was known as Lingxia Cha (岭下茶)—“tea from below the ridges.” The name circulated for some time.

Historical accounts suggest that harvesting took place around the spring equinox.

Seen from today’s perspective, Wuniuzao seems to push that seasonal rhythm even earlier.

When I first began working with tea, I could not clearly distinguish Longjing (龙井) from Wuniuzao. Both can be processed into the familiar flat shape of pan-fired green tea, and when spread on a tray, they appear remarkably similar at first glance.

With time, however, another aspect becomes apparent. Wuniuzao is frequently used to imitate Longjing. Once processed into flat leaves, the appearance comes close enough, yet the aroma and taste rarely reach the level of true Longjing cultivars. In this sense, Wuniuzao is not Longjing, but simply a very early green tea cultivar.

Each year, in the weeks preceding the Lunar New Year, harvesting already begins in Yongjia, at a time when many other tea regions in China remain in winter dormancy. In this context, a particular market phenomenon emerges: the rush for the first tea of the year. During these initial harvests, prices of several hundred to a thousand yuan per jin are not uncommon. Yet within one or two weeks, the main production of Wuniuzao has only just begun. There is nothing especially mysterious in this pattern; the earlier something appears, the more readily value becomes attached to it.

Is Wuniuzao worth drinking? The answer depends on the framework you bring to it. Judged against Xihu Longjing (西湖龙井), it rarely stands out. In that comparison, the tea often comes across as thin.

Approached instead as a cultivar study—one of the earliest budding varieties in China’s green tea landscape—it retains a certain interest.

The profile is straightforward: clear liquor, a light green fragrance, a touch of freshness, and little complexity.

New horizon

In recent years, another direction has emerged: matcha production.

Because Wuniuzao buds so early, fresh leaves can be harvested as early as mid-February — 15 to 30 days earlier than many other cultivars. For tencha (碾茶 niancha, the raw material for matcha), this early supply is very attractive.

Spring leaves typically contain around 4.2% amino acids. Under shaded cultivation, the level can increase further, while polyphenols remain relatively moderate. The result is a leaf that produces matcha with stronger sweetness and softer bitterness.

The cultivar also buds densely, with thick young shoots and good tenderness retention. The picking window can extend to about forty days, and the one-bud two-to-three-leaf standard fits well with industrial production.

After steaming, chlorophyll and fresh aromatic compounds are well preserved. With low-temperature ultra-fine grinding, the powder becomes bright green and smooth.

The aroma tends toward fresh vegetal notes, sometimes with a faint seaweed tone typical of steamed teas. In the cup, the taste is soft, fresh, and slightly sweet, with moderate intensity—well suited for desserts and lightly sweet beverages.

Wuniuzao is a cultivar that invites different judgments. It undeniably helped shape the economy of its region, and it also feeds the annual imagination of “the very first tea of spring.”

But personally, when the season of early green teas begins and everyone rushes toward the newest leaves, I often find myself brewing a little tea left over from last year.