Simon Chiatante, the Italian poet and calligrapher, joined our Art Tea project! Simon has discovered the beauty of integrating Chinese and Western calligraphy on the one hand, and poetry with the daily life on the other. His poems and calligraphy have been published in magazine as well as independent collection. This time, he created both the poem and calligraphy featured on the wrapping paper specifically for our 2017 Gong Mei:
 
Silver whispers
Moon-embroidered rhymes
Within the forest
 
Together with Baihao Yinzhen (Silver Needle), Bai Mudan (White Peony) and Shou Mei, Gong Mei is one of the four traditional white tea varieties of Fujian province. It is processed with harvest of one bud up to 3 leaves, and due to the harvesting standard, it contains tender stems, which provide the particular sweetness of this tea. Our 2017 Gong Mei is a semi-aged tea, after being kept carefully in very dry storage for 5 years, it has partially eliminated the floral scent that fresh Gong Mei usually has. Instead, it has developed more herbal notes and strengthened the sweetness, its flavor turns more complex, but still remains some freshness. Exactly as the poet describes in his lines, some delicate rhymes are emerging from the few remaining greenness, like some silver whispers, telling you that it goes even more tastier along with aging. It is a perfect integration among literature, calligraphy and the delicacy of white tea. You can enjoy it right now, as well as keep another cake to see how delicate it is while it becomes a real aged tea.