Mr. Cheng preserves some of the region's oldest and most renowned styles in his workshop, like this unique flat shaped Liu An Gua Pian. This was a tribute tea in the Ming dynasty and added to China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage list in recent years for its utterly singular look and flavor. This tea is uniquely made with leaves instead of buds. The leaves themselves are carefully trimmed to remove any trace of stem to control for flavor and texture and to eliminate astringency. Its higher heat firing brings deep nutty flavor and sweet drawn-out aftertaste.

The culture of Huangshan green teas is all about showing off the most beautiful leaves and buds in the cup, and this Jing Xian Lan Xiang Green is no exception. The tiny slender buds unfurl with a delicately evocative and cloud-like orchid fragrance. Made from the rare Lanxiang No. 1 varietal, this tea is full of complex notes of daffodil, fenel, and chervil.

Mr. Cheng’s curled Mao Feng is made from the same buds that he uses for the more famous Huangshan Maofeng. Where classic Maofeng is a flatter style where the bud shape is preserved, the curled shape of this Maofeng produces an entirely different tea. Mr. Cheng personally loves this curled process, which takes significantly more work. The result isn’t always valued as highly in the domestic market since the shape of the buds is not preserved, but the benefit is deeper, richer, creamier flavor that comes from the extra care and processing.