The history of Pu'er tea
Pu'er tea is named after Pu'er County, its distribution center and place of origin. In the Tang Dynasty, Pu'er was named Buyi, which belongs to Yinshengjiedu (today's Simao and Xishuangbanna areas) , Yinsheng tea is the predecessor of Pu'er tea. It was called Pu'er tea in the Yuan Dynasty and was named Pu'er tea in the Wanli year of the Ming Dynasty. "Eight hundred miles away, more than 100,000 people went to the mountains to make tea." This shows the grand occasion at that time. Simao and Xishuangbanna are its main raw material production areas. Pu'er and Simao have become processing and distribution centers. During the Ming Dynasty, six ancient tea horse roads radiated outwards with Pu'er as the center, marketing Pu'er tea to mainland China, Tibet, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand. and other places, and transshipped to Hong Kong, Macao, Southeast Asia, and even Europe. After the 23rd year of Guangxu (AD 1897), France and the United Kingdom successively set up customs in Simao, which increased the export of Pu'er tea. The Pu'er Ancient Tea Horse Road prospered accordingly, and now there is also the Simao Kafanggaojiufang Ancient Tea Horse Road. 1.5 meters wide and intermittent for several kilometers: there are the Ancient Tea Horse Road outside Simao Sanzhong Village and the Nakori Ancient Tea Horse Road, which are intermittent for 30 kilometers; the Ancient Tea Horse Road in Pu'er Tea Antang has 12.5 kilometers of remaining traces, and horseshoe prints are recorded on the rocks. The history of the tea caravans back then.
The birthplace of Pu'er tea is in Yunnan. However, it is a tradition in Guangdong Province to drink Pu'er tea by storing it in an old way, especially in Hong Kong. Old Pu'er tea is not only used as a daily drink for Hong Kong people, but also A large amount of tea is exported to Southeast Asia, Europe and America, so Hong Kong can be said to be the place where old Pu'er tea is promoted. Since the past few years, newspapers and media have continuously reported on the health benefits of Pu'er tea, including weight loss, anti-cancer, elimination of blood lipids, uric acid elimination, cholesterol reduction, etc., which have also been proven by medical research.
Processing and classification of Pu'er tea
Processing of Pu'er tea:
Pu'er tea is processed from the fresh leaves of Yunnan large-leaf tea trees. It is divided into traditional and Two modern production processes.
1. Traditional Pu'er tea production process: greening (raw and sun-dried, pan-fried), kneading into strips (hand-made balls), and sun-drying
2. Modern Pu'er tea production process (artificial aging) : Finishing (frying, roller) kneading (machine processing) drying (drying) humidification (sprinkling, tea fungus) drying
The forming process of Pu'er tea:
Collection Tea - fixing - rolling - drying - stacking - drying - screening and classification - pressing and forming.
Pu'er tea brewing and drinking
1. It is advisable to choose a pot with a large belly when brewing Pu'er tea, because the concentration of Pu'er tea is high. Using a pot with a large belly can avoid tea soup. Too thick. It is recommended that the material should be pottery pot or purple clay pot.
2. Brewing amount of Pu'er tea: When brewing Pu'er tea, the amount of tea leaves accounts for about 20% of the pot body. After spreading the tea bricks and tea cakes, expose them to the air for 2 weeks, and then brew them to taste better. .
3. Brewing Pu'er tea: First flush with hot water. This is an indispensable procedure for Pu'er tea. Because good aged Pu'er tea needs to be stored for at least ten years, there may be some dust in it. The hot water used to brew tea for the first time not only awakens the flavor of the tea, but also washes away the impurities in the tea. The first brewing speed should be fast, as long as the tea leaves can be washed, and there is no need to soak out the flavor; and the choice of intensity after the second time can be decided according to personal preference. Pu'er tea is still full of flavor even after it gets cold, so in summer it can be chilled or chilled before drinking.
4. To drink Pu'er tea, you must smell the aroma while it is hot. Hold the cup in front of your nose. At this time, you can feel the aroma of the old flavor coming to your nostrils like a spring. Its elegant and refreshing feeling is not limited to the quiet orchid. Under the chrysanthemum.
5. Pu'er tea needs to be tasted carefully and sipped in the mouth to get its true charm. Although the tea soup is slightly bitter at the entrance, you can feel the tea soup flowing through the mouthpiece after it stays for a while. It penetrates between the teeth, penetrates the gums, and produces ganjin from the root of the tongue and returns it to the surface of the tongue. At this time, the mouth is full of fragrance, and the nectar "generates fluid", which makes people feel refreshed and refreshed. The fluid overflows and lasts for a long time without leaving you thirsty. This is a great way to drink tea. The best feeling is "back to rhyme".
West Lake Longjing tea is one of the top ten famous teas in China. It is named after the "Dragon Well" produced in West Lake, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. It is famous for its "four unique features": green color, fragrant aroma, sweet taste and beautiful shape.
West Lake Longjing tea is produced in the mountains surrounding West Lake, among which the tea produced by Shifeng and Longjing tea has the best quality.
Here there are undulating peaks, trickling streams, lush forests, and a pleasant climate; four distinct seasons and even rainfall. Especially during the spring tea period, it often drizzles, and the mountains and fields are covered with clouds and mist, creating a "right time and place" that are particularly needed for the growth and development of tea trees.
The picking and processing techniques of West Lake Longjing tea are very particular. Every spring, tea farmers pick green leaves according to grade in four times. Those picked three days before "Qingming" are called "Mingqian tea". The young buds of this tea burst out like the heart of a lotus, so it is also called "Lotus Heart Tea". There are 36,000 buds in one pound of dry tea, making it a treasure among West Lake Longjing teas. The tea picked before the Grain Rain after Qingming Festival is called "Yu Qian Tea". At this time, a small leaf grows on the tea stem, which is shaped like a flag. The tea bud is slightly longer and shaped like a gun, so it is also called "Flag Gun". The ones picked at the beginning of summer are called "quetongue". The tea picked after another month is called "stem slices". The processing and frying of West Lake Longjing tea depends on different grades of raw materials and processing techniques, and the products have their own characteristics. All premium West Lake Longjing tea is roasted by hand. The fresh and tender buds are processed at a temperature of 80 degrees to maintain the color, aroma and appearance of the tea. Each pot of fried tea can only fry two taels at a time. A skilled tea fryer can only fry more than two kilograms of dry tea a day.
The characteristics of West Lake Longjing tea are: flat and straight shape, uniform size, like pieces of orchid petals, light green or emerald green color, bright and shiny, clear and refreshing aroma, sweet taste, with fresh olives Aftertaste. When brewed in a glass, the tea leaves are tender and evenly shaped into flowers, one flag and one shot, intertwined with each other. The tea soup is clear and green, pleasing to the eye.
Historically, West Lake Longjing tea has five product names: "Lion", "Dragon", "Cloud", "Tiger" and "Plum". Now it is collectively referred to as West Lake Longjing tea. There are more than 30 brands of West Lake Longjing tea, among which the "Gong" brand has the best reputation, credibility and quality. Zhongnanhai purchases 1,000 kilograms of it every year. The Gong brand is also the only famous brand of Longjing tea rated by the Ministry of Agriculture.
In order to protect West Lake Longjing, the State Administration of Quality Supervision implemented the origin protection policy in 2001. The Hangzhou Municipal Government designated a 168 square kilometer protection area based on the actual production range of West Lake Longjing. All products in this area Others can only be called "Qiantang Longjing" and "Yuezhou Longjing". All authentic West Lake Longjing is labeled with origin protection and anti-counterfeiting labels.
A main production area and the origin of the name
Anxi is a county in the southeast of Fujian Province near Xiamen. It is the main production area of ??southern Fujian oolong tea. It has a long history of tea cultivation. Tea production. Anxi has abundant rainfall, a mild climate, overlapping mountains, numerous forests, year-round clouds and mist, and beautiful mountains and rivers, which is suitable for the growth of tea trees. Through the hard work of tea people of all generations, a series of improved tea varieties have been selected and bred. Currently, the improved varieties are preserved in Anxi. There are more than 60 varieties, including Tieguanyin, Huangdan, Benshan, Hairy Crab, Daye Oolong, Meizhan, etc., all of which are well-known in the country. Therefore, Anxi is known as the "treasure house of improved tea tree varieties". Among the many varieties of tea trees, the one with the best quality and the highest reputation is "Tieguanyin".
The improved tea tree variety "Tieguanyin" is not large, with spreading branches, dark green leaves, soft and thick leaves, and fat buds and leaves. Oolong tea made from the buds and leaves of the improved strain "Tieguanyin" is also called "Tieguanyin". Therefore, "Tieguanyin" is not only the name of the tea tree variety, but also the name of the tea.
Tieguanyin originates from Xiping Township, Anxi County, and has a history of more than 200 years. Regarding the origin of the Tieguanyin variety, there are still two historical legends passed down in Anxi. One is that Wei Yin, a tea farmer in Xiping, made it. Dream, a tea tree given by Guanyin Bodhisattva, was dug and planted; another story is that a man named Wang Shirang from Yaoyang, Anxi picked leaves from a tea tree and made tea for the emperor. The emperor named it "Iron Tea". Guanyin".
2. Processing technology
Anxi Tieguanyin is made with rigorous craftsmanship and exquisite craftsmanship. It is harvested and processed in four seasons throughout the year. Spring tea is harvested from Grain Rain to Beginning of Summer (mid-to-late April to early May), and the output accounts for 40-45% of the total annual output; summer tea is harvested from Summer Solstice to Xiaoshu (mid-to-late June to early July). Tea, the output accounts for 15-20%; the beginning of autumn to the end of summer (early August to late August) is summer tea, the output accounts for 25-30%; the autumnal equinox to cold dew (late September to early October) is autumn tea, the output 25-30%. In some places, due to higher temperatures, winter tea can be produced for one season. Winter tea is greener in color and tastes greener, but the output is not large. The quality of tea is best in autumn, followed by spring tea. Autumn tea has a particularly high aroma, commonly known as autumn fragrance, but the soup taste is thin. The quality of summer and summer tea is inferior. The standard for picking fresh leaves must be to pick the second and third leaves after the young leaves have formed buds and when the top leaves have just unfolded and become small or medium-open.
When harvesting, you must do "five don'ts", that is, do not break the leaves, do not fold the leaves, do not break the leaf tips, do not remove single pieces, do not remove fish leaves and old stems. The fresh leaves of tea trees in different growing areas should be separated, especially early green tea, noon green tea, and late green tea should be produced strictly separately, with noon green tea having the best quality.
The harvesting technology of Tieguanyin tea is special. It does not pick very young buds and leaves, but 2-3 leaves of mature shoots. It is commonly known as "open-face picking", which means that the leaves have been fully expanded. Pick when buds form. The fresh leaves collected should be fresh and complete, and then cooled, sun-dried and shaken (made green) until the natural floral aroma is released. When the aroma is strong, stir-fried, rolled and rolled (rolled with cotton cloth to make tea), to make the leaves more fresh and complete. The tea leaves are rolled into particles and then slowly dried. After the raw tea is made, it is then screened, winnowed, sorted, evenly stacked, and packaged to make commercial tea.
Cool green, sun-dried green, cool green: fresh leaves are collected according to standards and brought to the factory, cooled and then sun-greened. The best time to dry is when the sun is soft at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. The leaves should be spread thinly to avoid losing their original luster, the leaf color will turn darker, and the leaves will be soft when molded by hand. The parietal lobe is drooping, and the weight loss is about 6-9%, which is moderate. Then move it indoors and cool it for greening.
Making green: shaking and spreading are done alternately, collectively called making green. Greening is highly technical and flexible, and is the key to determining the quality of Maocha. Shaking causes the edges of the leaves to be rubbed, causing damage to the leaf edge cells. After being laid out, under certain temperature and humidity conditions, as the leaves gradually lose moisture, the polyphenols in the leaves are slowly oxidized under the action of enzymes and cause A series of chemical changes form the unique qualities of oolong tea. The fresh leaves of Tieguanyin are thick and thick. It is necessary to shake them again and extend the greening time. Shake them 3-5 times, and the number of revolutions each time is from less to more. The spreading time after shaking is from short to long, and the thickness of the spreading leaves is from thin to thick. The second and third shaking must be done until the green flavor is strong, the fresh leaves are stiff, commonly known as "returning yang", and the water in the stems and leaves is redistributed and balanced. The fourth and fifth shakes can be flexibly controlled depending on the changes in color and aroma of the green leaves. The leaves are moderately green, with cinnabar-red edges and yellow-green central parts (the color of half-ripe banana peels). The leaves are convex and the leaf edges are curled on the back. They are spoon-shaped when viewed from the back. They emit the fragrance of orchid and the leaves appear. The base is green, the belly is red, and the edges are slightly shiny. The leaf margins are bright red, and the stem epidermis is wrinkled.
Fried greens: Stir-fried greens should be carried out in time. When the green smell of green leaves disappears and the aroma first appears, it should be carried out as soon as possible.
Kneading and baking: The rolling of Tieguanyin is repeated many times. Knead for about 3-4 minutes for the first time, and then bake for the first time after breaking up the lumps. Bake until it is 50% to 60% dry and not sticky to your hands. Bake it while it is hot. Use techniques such as kneading, pressing, rolling, grabbing, and shrinking. After three kneadings and three bakings, bake them slowly at 50-60℃. The aroma of the finished product is concentrated, the taste is mellow, the surface is shiny, and there is a layer of white frost on the surface of the tea sticks.
Winding: The slow-roasted tea leaves are finally winnowed, and the stems and impurities are removed to obtain the finished product.
Tieguanyin is the best oolong tea. Its quality characteristics are: the tea sticks are curled, fat and round, heavy and even, sandy green in color, and the overall shape is like a clear dragon head, a spiral body, and a frog's legs. After brewing, the soup is golden and rich like amber, with a natural and fragrant orchid fragrance. The taste is mellow and sweet, with a long aftertaste. It is commonly known as "yinyun". Tieguanyin tea has a high and long-lasting fragrance, which can be said to be "the fragrance remains after seven brews".
Five Brewing Methods
Xu Cishu of the Ming Dynasty said in "Tea Book": "Tea is grown in water and stored in utensils, and soup is formed in fire. The four are connected. Not even one." Tea, water, utensils, and fire are all interrelated, which exactly echoes what we are talking about about how to make good tea.
Making tea seems easy. Put the tea in the pot, pour hot water, wait for a while, then pour it out, and you are done "making tea"! On the surface, Tieguanyin tea can be decomposed as described above, and you can get good tea soup! However, observing tea calmly, understanding tea, and delving into the characteristics of tea are the first steps to making good tea! In addition to the above written records, in the actual process of making tea, as well as when facing different tea leaves and tea utensils, you need to distinguish more carefully to get a good taste of the tea soup.
Xinyang Maojian is produced in Xinyang County in the Dabie Mountains of Henan Province. It is named after its tight, straight and sharp hair.
The craft characteristics of Xinyang Maojian: tea picking starts before Guyu every year (mid-to-late April in the Gregorian calendar). Depending on the growth of the buds and leaves, the harvest is usually divided into 20-25 batches, and the picking is conducted every 2-3 days. Use the green buds and leaves with one bud and one or two leaves to make special and first-grade tips; use one bud with two or three leaves to make the second and third-grade tips. The buds and leaves are harvested, graded and accepted, spread out in grade, and processed separately on the same day.
After being cooked in a raw pot at high temperature and stir-fried in a cooked pot, the dried tea is finally shaped by grabbing and twisting the strips by hand. It is also initially baked, cooled, re-baked, selected, and re-baked again to make the dry tea reach a moisture content of 5-6%. , that is, sealed packaging and stored at low temperature and away from light.
The quality characteristics of Xinyang Maojian: thin, round, light, straight, with many pekoe, green color, high and long-lasting fragrance after brewing, rich and mellow taste, sweet aftertaste and spiciness, and bright and clear soup color.
Xinyang Maojian is one of the famous local products in Henan Province. It has always been famous at home and abroad for its unique style of "thin, round, light, straight, many pekoe, high fragrance, strong taste, and green soup color". Xinyang Maojian Tea has been one of the famous teas in the country in the Qing Dynasty. In 1915, it won the gold medal at the Panama International Exposition. In 1958, it was rated as one of the top ten famous teas in the country. In 1985, it won the silver medal of the China Quality Award. In 1990, "Longtan" Maojian Tea On behalf of the Xinyang Maojian brand, it participated in the national competition and won the first place in the comprehensive quality of green tea. It won the China Quality Award. In 1982 and 1986, it was rated as a ministerial-level quality product and won the title of National Famous Tea. In 1991, it won the Hangzhou International Tea Award. At the Cultural Festival, it was awarded the title of "Famous Tea of ??Chinese Tea Culture" and won the gold medal at the Kunming World Horticultural Exposition in 1999.
Historically, Xinyang Maojian was mainly produced in Xinyang City, Xinyang County and Luoshan County (some townships). According to verification. The unique style of Xinyang Maojian was formed in the early 20th century. Cai Zhuxian, a native of Jiyi in the Qing Dynasty, advocated opening mountains to grow tea. Later, Yuanzhen (Zhenleishan), Guangyi, Yushen, Hongji (Cheyun), Bohou, and Sensen (Wanshou) appeared. ), Longtan, Guangsheng and other eight major tea houses have developed tea gardens with an area of ??more than 400 acres, and have gradually improved and perfected the Maojian frying technology. After the founding of New China, the state attached great importance to the development of tea production and adopted a series of support measures. Especially since the reform and opening up, with the development of science and technology, the output and quality of Xinyang Maojian have been greatly improved. At present, the city's tea garden area is 800,000 acres, the mining area is 700,000 acres, the total tea output value is more than 800 million yuan, and the total social income is more than 1.2 billion yuan. The products sell well all over the country and are exported to Japan, the United States, Germany, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries as well as Hong Kong and Macao.
The famous producing areas of Xinyang Maojian are Wuyun (Cheyun, Jiyun, Yunwu, Tianyun, Lianyun), two pools (Black Dragon Pool, White Dragon Pool), Yishan (Zhenlei Mountain), and Yizhai (Hejiazhai), Yisi (Lingshan Temple). Most of these places are above 500-800 meters above sea level, with high mountains, green mountains, crisscrossing streams, and filled with clouds and mist. During the Qianlong period, there was a tribute named Cheng Ti who often traveled in Yunshan and left a poem: "When the clouds go to the green mountains, the sky is empty, and when the clouds come, the green mountains are white. The white clouds only stay in the mountains, and they often accompany the guests in the mountains." The scenery of the black and white pools is even more beautiful and tempting. Zhang Nao in the Qing Dynasty described this in a poem: "Immediately under the cliff, a waterfall came from the sky. Flowers splashed and snow flew, and rocks echoed with clear thunder. I was surprised by the Milky Way pouring down, and suspected that the jade cave was opening in the distance. I knew that Long Bo was performing, but he couldn't hit the water. "Return." In this mist-filled place, wisps of smoke-like moisture moisten the fat and tender tea buds, providing natural resources for making unique Xinyang Maojian.
High-quality raw materials are the basis for frying famous tea. Xinyang tea area is a high-latitude tea area with distinct four seasons. Tea gardens are mined later and closed earlier than those in the south. In the middle of winter every year, ice and snow freeze the mountains and cover the earth. All things lose their vitality. Only the tea trees stand proudly in the cold, with green branches and leaves. The camellias bloom one after another, with a strong fragrance and a sense of spring, which seems to announce to nature—— I am strong. In order to inject more vitality into this strong plant, people seal the roots and soil of the tea gardens every year and apply more organic fertilizers. With the help of this special power and the opportunity to recuperate, the tea tree stores a large amount of nutrients to meet the growth needs of the next year. In addition, the sunlight in the deep mountainous areas comes and goes early, so the tea here is rich in content, especially amino acids, catechins, coffee, The contents of aromatic substances, water extracts, etc. are better than those in the southern tea areas, but not as good as those in the southern tea areas. The tea-picking period here is divided into three seasons: spring tea before and after Grain Rain, summer tea before and after Mangzhong, and autumn tea before and after the Beginning of Autumn. Only a small amount of "Paoshanjian" is harvested before and after Guyu, and "Yuqian Maojian" is regarded as a treasure. During the tea-picking season, tea-picking girls dressed in red and green clothes all over the mountains and plains, like fairies descending to earth, dancing like jade butterflies, use their slender hands to pick delicate buds and leaves one by one. How could you have thought that 1 kilogram of special-grade Xinyang Maojian requires more than 100,000 buds. How much hard work of tea picking girls has been condensed here. "Who would have thought that the tea in the cup requires hard work." It is conceivable that Xinyang Maojian's picking standards are so strict.
The ratio of first-grade hair tips with one bud and one leaf is more than 85%; first-grade hair tips are mainly one bud and one leaf, and normal buds and leaves account for more than 80%; second- and third-grade hair tips are mainly one bud and two leaves, and normal buds and leaves account for more than 80%. About 70%; the fourth and fifth grade hair tips are mainly composed of one bud, three leaves and paired leaves, and normal buds and leaves account for more than 35%; it is required not to collect pedicles or fish leaves. In the late 1980s, the newly developed premium teas were even more particular about picking, with only the buds picked. Xinyang Maojian also pays great attention to the containers containing fresh leaves, using smooth and breathable bamboo baskets that are not squeezed or pressed, and requires them to be sent back to a cool room for 2-4 hours in a timely manner, and then fried in batches and grades while they are fresh, so that they are fresh on the same day. The leaves are fried the same day.
Xinyang Maojian is of good quality and is made by frying. Xinyang Maojian's frying process is unique. The frying is divided into three processes: "raw pot", "cooked pot" and "baking", and is carried out using the double-pot variable temperature method. The temperature of the "raw pot" is 140-160℃, and the temperature of the "cooked pot" 80-90℃, the "baking" temperature is 60-90℃. As the pot temperature changes, the water content of the tea leaves continues to decrease, and the quality gradually improves. The "raw pot" is two smooth iron pots of the same size, installed side by side at 35℃- The "raw pot" is made into a round shape with thin soft bamboo and stirred repeatedly in the pot. After the fresh leaves are soaked, the initial kneading and shaking are repeated 4 times. After about 10 minutes, solidify into round bars, and when it reaches 40 to 50% dry (about 55% water content), transfer it to the "cooked pot" for shaping; at the beginning of the "cooked pot", still use the tea handle to continue to gently knead the tea leaves, and combine them into loose balls. After the tea sticks are slightly tight, proceed to "rushing". When the tightness of the tea sticks is initially fixed and does not stick to your hands, start "arranging". This is the key to determining the lightness and straightness of the tea leaves. Free gestures and dexterous movements in "arranging". , the key is to grab and shake the strips. When grabbing the strips, the palms of the hands are facing down, and the thumb and the four foreign fingers are opened into an "eight" shape, so that the tea leaves can be brought into the hand from the little finger, and then brought to the edge of the pot along the pot, and pinched with the thumb. At a height of 13-17 cm from the center of the pot, use your wrist force to quickly and forcefully swing the tea leaves out from the tiger's mouth, so that the tea leaves fall into the center of the pot in sequence from the upper edge of the pot until they are 70 to 80% dry. , carry out "baking"; after baking through three processes of initial baking, spreading and reheating, the finished Xinyang wool has a moisture content of no more than 6%. After the initial production, the thick old tea leaves, yellow flakes, tea stems and broken pieces that are not in tight strips are manually sorted out. The green and flaky tea that is not in tight strips is called "fennel green". Spring tea Fennel Green is also called "Plum Blossom Tea". "Fillow Green Tea" is a fifth-grade tea, and the picked rhubarb slices and fragments are classified as non-grade tea.
In order to meet the needs of the market economy, in January 1994, the former Xinyang Administrative Office decided after expert review to collectively call Maojian tea produced at the same latitude, same technology, same quality and same region as Xinyang Maojian. Scientific and wise measures have played a role in "making the best use of the land, making the best use of materials, and making the best use of people's talents", thus expanding the Xinyang Maojian production area to 9 counties (districts), forming China's first famous tea production base. < /p>
On February 19, 2003, the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce officially approved the registration of Xinyang Maojian as a certification trademark. The Xinyang Tea Association was entrusted by the Xinyang Municipal Government to become the registrant of Xinyang Maojian as a public welfare trademark. The certification trademark is authorized to be used by qualified units. The scope of use of the Xinyang Maojian certification trademark must be from the Quanhe River Basin of Gushi County in the east, to the junction of Tongbai Mountain and Dabie Mountain in the west, along the Huaihe River in the north, and to Xinyang City on the north side of Dabie Mountain in the south. Tea leaves in the administrative region that meet the quality characteristics and processing techniques of Xinyang Maojian
Oolong tea, also known as green tea and semi-fermented tea, is named after the founder of this tea. There is another miracle in the production of oolong tea. Legend. According to legend, during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a tea farmer and an expert hunter in Nanyan Village, Xiping Township, Anxi County, Fujian Province. His name was Su Long. Because he was dark and strong, the villagers called him "Oolong". One spring, Wulong hung a tea basket on his waist and went up the mountain to pick tea with a shotgun on his back. At noon, a mountain deer suddenly slipped past him. Wulong raised his gun and shot, but the injured mountain deer desperately fled into the forest. The dragon followed closely and finally captured its prey. It was already evening when they carried the mountain deer home. Wulong and his whole family were so busy slaughtering and tasting game that they completely forgot about making tea. When the whole family remembered this in the early morning of the next day, they did not expect that the fresh leaves that had been left overnight were already edged with red and exuded a refreshing fragrance. The tea produced has a particularly fragrant and rich taste, without the usual bitter taste.
Therefore, after repeated experiments and careful consideration, through withering, shaking, semi-fermentation, baking and other processes, a new tea product of excellent quality - Oolong tea was finally produced. It is a unique and distinctive tea category among the major tea categories in my country. Oolong tea combines the production methods of green tea and black tea. The quality is between the two. It has the strong flavor of black tea and the fragrance of green tea. When brewing this kind of tea, you will find that the edges of the bottom of the leaves turn red due to fermentation. Brown, but the middle part still maintains its natural light green color, forming a unique "green leaf with red edges", and an attractive orchid aroma. Oolong tea is characterized by a long aftertaste, resistance to brewing, the ability to dissolve fat and aid digestion, and is known as a good product for bodybuilding and weight loss.
The rare varieties of oolong tea include:
[Wuyi Rock Tea] is produced in Wuyi Mountain in Fujian. Wuyi rock tea has a plump and even appearance, tight curls, glossy color, and frog-like leaf backs. The color is green, sandy green, dense yellow, with vermilion or red spots on the bottom and edges of the leaves, and light green in the center. When you drink this tea, you will find a pineapple-rich aroma, rich and mellow leaves, fresh, smooth and sweet, with a special "rock charm".
[Phoenix Dancong Tea] is produced in Guangdong. The tea shape is strong and curly, and the leaves are light yellow with slight green color. The color of the soup is bright yellow with green lining, and the fragrance is clear and long-lasting. After brewing for many times, the lingering fragrance and especially sweet taste remain.
[Taiwan Oolong Tea] is curly in strips, copper-brown in color, orange-red in color, pure in taste, and has a strong fruity aroma. After brewing, the bottom of the leaves is red and the belly is green. Among them, the "frozen top" from Nantou County is the most popular. Oolong tea is the most valuable.
[Tieguanyin Tea] Produced in Anxi, southern Fujian. "Tieguanyin" is both the name of tea and the name of tea tree variety. The shape of this tea is tightly knotted, some are shaped like scale hooks, and some are like winding heads. As the caffeine evaporates with the water, a layer of white frost is formed on the surface, which is called "sand green frost". After brewing this tea, the aroma is astounding to your nose. If you sip it while it is hot, the tea will fill your mouth with fragrance and leave a sweet taste at the bottom of your throat. It can be said that there is a lingering fragrance after seven brews. Oolong tea Oolong tea