Basic Introduction to Tengguan Tuocha
Tuocha is a rather ancient product of Yunnan Tea, having been widely sold both within and outside the province for a long time. The modern shape of Yunnan Tuocha was created in the 28th year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1902), with a history of over eighty years. It evolved from the so-called “girl's tea” (also called private tea) of Jinggu County in the Simao region into the modern shape of Tuocha.
Tuocha, created in Tengguan, Yunnan, is also known as Tengguan Tuocha. Its production history dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), with a record in the book “Dian Slight” by Xie Zhaozhi that reads, “The literati and common people all use Pu'er tea, which is steamed and formed into a cake.”
Nutritional Value
Regular consumption has the health benefits of improving vision, refreshing the mind, beautifying the complexion, inhibiting bacteria, and treating illnesses. Abroad, it is known as “slimming tea,” “beauty tea,” and “longevity tea.”
Product Characteristics
Tengguan Tuocha belongs to the category of Pu'er compressed teas. When viewed from the concave side, it resembles a thick-walled small bowl, and when viewed from the convex side, it looks like a small round bread. Its appearance is exquisite and elegantly curved. Its processing evolution originated from the “Pu'er tea cakes” of the Ming Dynasty and the “daughter tea” of the Qing Dynasty. In 1902, it was successfully standardized in shape by the “Yongchangshang” business house in Tengguan, and has a history of over one hundred years.
Historical Folklore
The founder of Tengguan Tuocha was Yan Zizhen (Zhen Gui) from Xi Zhou, Dali, who was the leader of the “Four Major Business Clans.” In 1902, he jointly established the “Yongchangshang” business house with Jiangxi merchant Peng Yongchang and Beicheng merchant Yang Hongchun. Their main business focused on trade between Yunnan and Tibet, and Yunnan and Sichuan, as well as trade between Yunnan and Burma, and Yunnan and India. Their business strategy was: Yunnan tea to be sold in Sichuan and Tibet; Sichuan silk to be sold in Burma; Burmese cotton to be sold in Yunnan; Yunnan-Tibetan medicine to be sold in Sichuan. They mainly relied on long-distance trading to balance supply and demand and make profits.
Once Tengguan Tuocha from Yongchangshang was introduced to the market, it quickly gained popularity in Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet. Other merchants, seeing the profitability of Tuocha, invested in its production, turning Tengguan into a battlefield for various merchants competing in the Tuocha market. Before the end of the war, there were eighteen large and small tea factories in Tengguan, among which those run by Yongchangshang, Maoheng, Fuchunhe, Chengsheng, and Hongshengshang were the largest. In the fierce competition, Yongchangshang held firm and outperformed its competitors. The “Pine Crane” brand Tuocha from this business house not only paid great attention to quality but also adopted novel methods for promotion and anti-counterfeiting. For example, in a certain batch of Tuochas, customers could find one with a golden-yellow ribbon bearing the trademark. Customers who collected ten such ribbons could exchange them at the dealer for a pound of tea.
Awards and Honors Received by Tengguan Tuocha
Tengguan Tuocha from Yunnan has been consecutively rated as “High-Quality Product of Yunnan Province” four times; it has won the “National Quality Silver Award” multiple times, and received honors such as National Famous Tea, “China Tea Brand,” and “First Batch of Famous Brands in Yunnan Province”; the exported Tengguan Tuocha has been awarded the title of Provincial and Ministerial High-Quality Product, winning the “World Food Gold Crown Award” three times; Yunnan Tengguan Brick Tea, Tuocha tea bags, Cangshan Snow Green Tea, and Gantong Tea have respectively received titles such as “High-Quality Product of Yunnan Province,” “China Tea Brand,” “10th European Gold Prize for Product Quality,” and “Famous Tea of Yunnan Province.”
Preparation and Consumption Methods
1. Choosing a Teapot: It is best to choose a teapot with good heat retention and slightly larger (about two to three times larger than what you would use for Oolong tea).
2. Amount of Tea: Controlling the amount of tea is very important when brewing Tengguan Tuocha.
3. Brewing Tuocha: Using a gentle high pour can reduce the acidity without losing the desired flavor. However, if the flavor disappears, the temperature reduction also loses the required character.
4. Timely Pouring Out the Infusion: For example, if the second infusion brings out the aroma, the third infusion of boiling water can be more casual unless a very high temperature is needed.
5. After Brewing Tuocha: Leave some water in the pot and open the lid for about half a minute to a minute before closing it again. For Tuocha with heavier bitterness, astringency, or acidity, leave some water in the pot and open the lid. Once the steam has dissipated, press your finger against the body of the teapot. If the temperature is not too hot and your finger can touch it for more than five seconds, cover the pot. Leaving some water in the pot primarily allows the infused substances to dissolve in the water; controlling the temperature is crucial as it is the primary method of brewing.
6. Tightness of the Tea: In tightly compressed teas (such as Tuocha, cakes, and bricks), after a certain infusion, the tea will generally loosen up. Loosening tightly Compressed tea can easily result in flavors that should be rich and viscous becoming insufficiently so, while stimulating flavors may become more pronounced.