Anxi Tieguanyin is the pinnacle of oolong teas, its overall shape resembling a dragonfly's head, a spiral body, and a frog's legs.
The infusion yields a golden amber liquor with a natural, rich Orchid fragrance, a mellow and fresh taste, a lasting sweetness, and seven infusions still carry its lingering aroma!
As the saying goes, “Spring Tea is bitter, summer tea is astringent, for the best flavor, wait until autumn's White Dew!”
The autumn harvest of Anxi Tieguanyin has begun. So, what stories lie behind this Cup of fine tea?
A good cup of tea must possess five essential elements: heaven, earth, humanity, variety, and craftsmanship. It undergoes eight traditional production processes: plucking, withering, shaking, cooling, stir-frying, rolling, shaping, and baking.
Plucking — Freshness and Integrity Ensured with the “Five Nos”
“When plucking fresh leaves for Tieguanyin, one must follow the ‘Five Nos' to ensure freshness and integrity.” The “Five Nos” refer to not breaking the Leaf, not folding the leaf surface, not crushing the leaf tip, not picking single leaves, and not including fish-scale leaves or old stems. Only by adhering to these principles can the final product achieve tightly twisted, uniformly sized leaves that are beautiful like the goddess Guanyin and heavy like iron.
Withering — Sun-Drying in the Gentle Afternoon Sun to Preserve Fragrance and Moisture
The withering process should take place on a sunny afternoon, with the leaves spread out thinly to allow the tea to naturally adjust its internal moisture levels and mood. The process continues until around 5 PM when the tea's fragrance becomes more reserved, the veins become soft, and the leaves adhere to the sieve, indicating the proper degree of withering has been achieved.
Shaking — Releasing Tea Juice for the Unique “Green Leaf with Red Edges”
The shaking process involves the leaves being agitated, causing them to bruise along the edges and release their juices, which then react with oxygen, resulting in the unique phenomenon of “green leaf with red edges.” This also promotes the breakdown, transformation, and concentration of the tea's intrinsic substances, contributing to the distinctive color, aroma, and taste of Tieguanyin.
Cooling — Restoring Moisture for Better Preservation
“After withering, the tea needs to ‘rest' to preserve its freshness.” The cooling process serves the purpose of restoring moisture to the tea. At this stage, the tea is loosened and spread out thinly in a cooling room to dissipate heat and promote an even redistribution of moisture throughout the leaves.
Stir-Frying — Diverse Techniques to Elicit Aroma
To fix the qualities developed during the preliminary processing and shape the perfect form, the tea master employs over ten different techniques, including tossing, turning, shaking, rolling, scattering, grabbing, and pressing. The heat must be controlled precisely, slowly increasing in stages from low to high temperatures to elicit the tea's aroma.
Rolling — Rhythmic Hot Rolling for Tight Strands
Rolling is the shaping process in the initial stages of tea production. Wang Yisheng explains that during this step, the tea must be rolled while hot, with appropriate pressure and rhythm, ensuring the resulting strands are tight and uniform.
Shaping — Curling for an Aesthetically Pleasing Form
To break down the cell walls and fully release the tea's components, skilled hands perform a combination of rolling, kneading, pressing, and grabbing, further shaping the tightly curled, dense, and round appearance of Tieguanyin.
Baking — Mastering the Heat to Capture the Essence
The precise “firework,” or baking process, is crucial for determining the quality of Tieguanyin. During this process, the tea is baked at 100 degrees Celsius, with expert skill controlling the heat to eliminate bitterness, rawness, and wateriness, capturing the dedication of the tea master and the intentions of the grower within each cup.
This is the story behind a cup of fine Anxi Tieguanyin, a perfect blend of nature, craftsmanship, and human endeavor!