Tie Guan Yin (Tea)
Tie Guan Yin tea, a traditional Chinese famous tea, belongs to the category of green tea and is one of the top ten famous teas in China. It originated from Xiping Town, Anxi County, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, and was discovered between 1723 and 1735. "Tie Guan Yin" is both the name of the tea and the name of the tea tree variety. Tie Guan Yin tea falls between green tea and black tea, belonging to the category of semi-fermented tea. It has a unique "Guan Yin charm", with a clear and elegant fragrance, natural orchid fragrance when brewed, pure and strong taste, lasting and rich aroma, and is known as "leaves leftover fragrance after seven brews". In addition to the health benefits of general tea, it also has the effects of anti-aging, anti-arteriosclerosis, prevention and treatment of diabetes, weight loss and beauty, prevention and treatment of dental caries, clearing heat and reducing fire, and countering the effects of smoking and alcohol.
Tie Guan Yin contains high levels of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, tea polyphenols, and alkaloids, as well as various nutritional and medicinal components, with the function of health preservation. In the eighth year of the Republic of China, Tie Guan Yin was introduced from Anxi, Fujian to the Muzha area for trial planting. It was divided into two types: "red heart Tie Guan Yin" and "green heart Tie Guan Yin". The main production area is in the Wenshan period tree, which is a spreading type, with thick and hard branches, sparse and thin leaves, few buds, and thick leaves. The yield is not high, but the quality of the processed tea is high, and the production period is later than that of green heart oolong. Its tree shape is slightly inclined, and the leaves are oval and thick with lots of flesh. The leaves spread out flatly.
Historical Development
Origin
The "Qing Shang Ming Zhi Cha Fa" states: "The origin of green tea (oolong tea): the laborers of Anxi, Fujian, created and invented green tea from the third to thirteenth year of Qing Yongzheng (1725-1735), and it was first introduced to northern Fujian and then to Taiwan Province."
Due to its excellent quality and unique aroma, Tie Guan Yin tea has been imitated by various regions and spread to oolong tea areas in southern Fujian, northern Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan.
In the 1970s, a "oolong tea craze" swept Japan, making oolong tea popular worldwide. Some green tea areas in Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, etc. introduced oolong tea processing techniques and carried out "green-to-oolong" transformation (i.e. transforming green tea into oolong tea).
China's oolong tea is produced in four major regions: southern Fujian, northern Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan. Among them, Fujian has the longest production history, the largest output, and the best quality, especially Anxi Tie Guan Yin and Wuyi Rock Tea are well-known at home and abroad. [2]
Origin Distribution
Anxi County in Fujian is not only the hometown of world-famous tea, but also the birthplace of oolong tea in China. It is also the base county for the export of oolong tea in Fujian Province. Anxi has a long history of tea production and has unique natural conditions, resulting in excellent tea quality.
Classification of Varieties
Based on the degree of fermentation and processing techniques, Tie Guan Yin tea can be roughly classified into three types: Qing Xiang (light fragrance) type, Nong Xiang (strong fragrance) type, and Chen Xiang (aged fragrance) type.
Qing Xiang type Tie Guan Yin: Qing Xiang type has a relatively mild taste, slightly sweet on the tip of the tongue, leaning towards modern processing techniques, and currently occupies the largest market share. Qing Xiang type Tie Guan Yin has a jade green color, clear soup, rich aroma, obvious floral fragrance, and mellow taste. Due to the cold nature of fresh tea, it should not be consumed excessively, otherwise it may cause stomach discomfort and insomnia.
Nong Xiang type Tie Guan Yin: Nong Xiang type has a rich and mellow taste, high and long-lasting aroma, and a stronger aftertaste. It is a tea produced using traditional processing techniques and further processed by baking. Nong Xiang type Tie Guan Yin has the characteristics of "fragrant, strong, mellow, and sweet". It has a dark color, golden yellow soup, pure aroma, and rich taste. Compared to Qing Xiang type, Nong Xiang type Tie Guan Yin is warm in nature and has the effects of quenching thirst, nourishing the stomach, and warming the spleen.
Chen Xiang type Tie Guan Yin: Chen Xiang type, also known as old tea, is made from Nong Xiang or Qing Xiang type Tie Guan Yin that has been stored for a long time and repeatedly processed. It is also a semi-fermented tea. Chen Xiang type Tie Guan Yin has the characteristics of "thick, mellow, moist, and soft". It is characterized by a dark color, rich soup, sweet and mellow taste, and deep fragrance. Its characteristics and taste are similar to Pu'er tea, black tea, and dark tea, with a heavy historical and cultural heritage.
Charcoal-roasted Tie Guan Yin is a type of Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin, which is the final step in improving the quality of finished oolong tea. It is the process of roasting the Qing Xiang type tea leaves with charcoal. The roasting time, frequency, and temperature depend on personal preferences and the market demand. [3]
Processing Techniques
Processing Steps
Picking
The tea leaves sprout in late March, and Tie Guan Yin is harvested four times a year. The Qing Ming to Li Xia period (mid to late April) is spring tea, accounting for 40-45% of the total annual output; the Li Xia to Xiao Shu period (mid to late June) is summer tea, accounting for 15-20% of the total; the Li Qiu to Chu Shu period (early to late August) is autumn tea, accounting for 25-30% of the total; and the Qiu Fen to Han Lu period (late September to early October) is autumn tea, accounting for 25-30% of the total. The mature leaves of Tie Guan Yin are picked, commonly known as "open-face picking", which means picking when the leaves have fully unfolded and formed a stationary bud.
The picking technique of Tie Guan Yin is special. It does not pick very tender buds but picks 2-3 mature leaves of new shoots, commonly known as "open-face picking". This means that the leaves have all fully unfolded and formed a stationary bud when picked.
Cooling and Withering
The fresh leaves are cooled and then withered before being sun-dried. The best time for sun-drying is when the sunlight is mild around 4 p.m., and the leaves should be spread thinly so that they lose their original luster, the color becomes darker, and the leaves become soft to the touch. The top leaves droop and lose about 6-9% of their weight. Then they are moved indoors for cooling and subsequent processing.
Processing Green
