Tea, manufactured from the camellia sinensis plant, can be divided into 6 unique sorts depending upon the processing and degree of fermentation of the freshly picked leaf. Oolong teas lie in the center of the spectrum, becoming partly fermented. They are someplace between a environmentally friendly tea, and a thoroughly fermented black tea. Oolong teas get their name from the Chinese for black dragon, as the extensive dim twisted leaf is explained to resemble a dragon’s head. There are 3 major oolong teas that are located in China. These are Iron Goddess (Tieguanyin), Phoenix (Fenshuang Dan Cong), and Massive Pink Robe (Dahongpao). This post will aim on the origins of the Huge Crimson Gown tea, how to seem for the top quality in the tea and how to put together and appreciate this tea.
Genuine Dahongpao tea originates from the small UNESCO heritage website of Wuyishan National Park in Fujian Province. Tea that is grown in this distinctive and breathtaking atmosphere is also known as ‘rock tea’ as the tea bushes are planted high up in the rocky and mountainous nationwide park. The rocky soil and misty weather provides this tea its smooth flavour. Poorer quality imitation Dahongpao tea, that is not grown in the modest rock oolong region, is earthy in flavour as it grows on soil, rather than on rock. In Wuyishan, 4 people are utilized to explain rock oolongs alive, clean, sweet, and fragranced.
The mythology powering Massive Crimson Robe tea reveals how the title was bestowed upon this selection of oolong. It is claimed that a travelling scholar was on the way to choose some examinations and was incredibly worn out. A monk gave the scholar some tea, which revived him and he went on to go the examinations, for which he was rewarded with a red gown. To thank the monk, the scholar returned to current him with the pink gown. Nonetheless, the monk declined the gift, expressing that the tea bush need to be thanked, rather than himself. So, the scholar threw the pink gown in excess of the tea bush, and that is how the Dahongpao (massive crimson robe) gained its title.
It is mentioned that the original tea bushes that offered the tea to revive the scholar continue to flourish in the nationwide park at Wuyishan. The primary Dahongpao ‘mother’ tea bushes are all over 400 several years outdated. These countrywide treasures are guarded at night, and are only applied to develop tribute tea that is gifted to local and countrywide leaders. These bushes are regarded as precious mainly because they are the last of their type. Any endeavor to cultivate a reducing or shoot from the bushes, and thus grow additional of the identical assortment, has been unsuccessful. The ‘mother bushes’ are all that stay and if they are permitted to perish there will not be any more in their area. The tea institute has spliced the unique Dahongpao ‘mother bush’ with other teas to make new generations of Dahongpao, a lot of versions of which have been cultivated in the Wuyishan national park.
These subvarieties of Dahongpao tea, rising in the nationwide park, have specified increase to several diverse types of the Large Red Robe tea. Of these the most well known varieties drunk in China are Shuixian (actually translated as ‘water sprite’ despite the fact that usually this tea is also known as Narcissus), Rongui, and Orchid. All Dahongpao teas are fermented in the exact same way. The fresh leaf is firstly dried in the sunshine to kill the pure inexperienced enzymes off. The leaves are then processed in a recurring series of heating, drying, and rolling, until eventually the remaining shape is obtained and the leaves are baked above a wooden hearth right up until crisp.
Building your Large Crimson Gown Tea:
When tea tasting, start out by appreciating the fine shapes and aroma of the dry leaf. The wealthy aroma of the tea have to be appreciated thoroughly. To do this you can area about a teaspoon of the dried leaf in the palm of your hand and breathe out hot air onto the leaves and then breath in by your nose, the slightly woody and malty aroma is awesome.
It is a fantastic chance to use a Purple Clay Yixing or Zisha Teapot to make an infusion of Dahongpao tea. Commonly the compact tea pot (about 200-300 ml in capability) will be crammed to just one-third with the dry tea leaf. Near boiling water is made use of to infuse Dahongpao tea. Pour the boiling h2o onto the tea leaves in the pot, and then toss this 1st infusion away. This is called ‘washing the tea’ and is completed for any fermented tea. This will not only wash any fantastic sediment absent, but also decreases the amount of caffeine in your closing consume. The water you pour absent can occasionally be used to heat the tea cups.
Following pour on the boiling water again and allow for the tea to infuse for about 30 seconds, just before pouring your tea out via a sieve into a sharing cup (a glass jug is normally utilized). We may well use a glass sharing cup to make certain that anyone gets the exact same flavourful tea the tea can differ in the strength of the flavour and the previous cup may possibly taste pretty sturdy, whilst the initial out of the teapot could flavor much too weak. Ordinarily the tea is shared into little sipping cups applying the glass sharing cup. Dahongpao can be brewed between 6 to 8 situations.
To appreciate the tea entirely, to start with the fantastic colour of the liquor should be examined. It will be a pretty amber and golden clear liquor. Upcoming the sweet and somewhat woody aroma of the tea should be appreciated, in advance of getting 3 extensive slurps from your sipping cup. Finally the wet leaf is sometimes examined. For a superior high quality tea leaf, you can count on to locate a significant leaf all-around 2-4cm lengthy and 1-2 cm in diameter with a marginally shiny on the lookout texture and quite robust in composition.
Appreciate your tea!
