Gamma Ray (丙種射線紅茶, Bǐngzhǒng Shèxiàn Hóng Chá, "Gamma Ray Red Tea") - For many years one of our most beloved and classic teas has been Ultra Violet, the sun-dried red tea produced from the purple-leaf Zi Juan varietal of Yunnan tea plants. Widely regarded as one of the best "party teas," it has a strong somatic energy that makes people want to dance and socialize. Gamma Ray can be thought of as a powered-up version of Ultra Violet - both are Nannuo mountain sun-dried red teas, but whereas Ultra Violet is made from the cloned Zi Juan plants, Gamma Ray is made from the seed-propagated mutant purple Zi Ya plants that are used to make Wild Purple. While not being as purple in color, the Zi Ya plants are much more potent energetically. The combination of warm red energy from the oxidation and the intense electric Qi of these "Wild Purple" plants has given this tea the nickname "Carnival Ride Tea" at the West China Tea House. Not for the faint of heart, the sweet, earthy, fruity red liquor belies a rush of body-centered Qi that can be overwhelming to sensitive individuals. For anyone who has struggled to feel the "Qi" of tea before, a session of Gamma Ray might just do the trick. We named this tea Gamma Ray because of its relationship to Ultra Violet - Gamma Rays are a higher-frequency waveform than Ultraviolet light on the electromagnetic spectrum.
