Zhangping Narcissus Tea, a compressed oolong tea, is also known as “paper-wrapped tea,” “Narcissus tea cake,” or “square tea.” It is made from the fresh leaves of the Narcissus tea plant using the processing techniques for Northern Fujian Narcissus tea and then pressed into a square cake shape with wooden molds.

Firstly, Zhangping Narcissus belongs to the oolong tea series, and its characteristics are as follows:

Appearance: The tea stem is thick and the internodes long, with plump leaves that contain high moisture levels that do not easily dissipate. The tea has a tightly coiled appearance resembling a “walking stick” or “yoke,” and the raw tea stems have a square shape. The color is dark green with yellow undertones, similar to the color of bananas, and the “three-color” pattern is distinct.

Infusion: The tea liquor is bright orange-yellow or golden in color.

Aroma: The aroma is clear and long-lasting, with prominent orchid-like fragrance.

Taste: Fresh, pure, and refreshing with floral notes. The infused leaves are plump, soft, and glossy, with red edges visible. The main veins of the leaves are wide, yellow, and flat.

Tea Cake: It is the only Compressed tea in the oolong category, with unique qualities and a distinctive style. It exudes an antique charm and rich traditional flavor, with a naturally fragrant floral aroma reminiscent of orchids. The taste is smooth and delicate, lively and fresh, and can be stored for a long time. The tea liquor is reddish-yellow, and upon closer sipping, one can detect the scent of Narcissus flowers.

Secondly, the production process of Zhangping Narcissus tea is complex and unique, involving the following steps:

Picking: Suitable tender shoots are selected for picking, adhering to the principle of picking young rather than old, and fewer leaves rather than more.

Sun Withering: Fresh leaves are evenly spread out on bamboo trays for sun withering to achieve a certain weight loss.

Resting: Sun-withered leaves are moved indoors for proper ventilation.

Green Making: This is the key step in developing the aroma and flavor of Narcissus tea, achieved through alternating shaking and resting.

Fixation: The green-made leaves are fixed in a timely manner to stabilize their quality and enhance the tea's aroma.

Rolling: Affects the concentration of the infusion, requiring heat, heavy pressure, and short duration.

Re-fixation and Re-rolling: The fixed tea leaves undergo re-fixation and re-rolling to further tighten the tea strands.

Molding: Using special wooden molds to press the tea into square cakes, a unique process for Narcissus tea.

Baking: Heat is used to evaporate internal moisture and promote chemical changes, forming the characteristic qualities of the Narcissus tea cakes.

The primary features of making Zhangping Narcissus tea include heavier sun withering and a combination of green making techniques from Northern and Southern Fujian oolongs. In the early stages of green making, bamboo trays are used for shaking, while in later stages, shaking machines are employed. Each stage involves two rounds of shaking, following the principle of light shaking multiple times. In the early stages, shaking is gentle, while in the later stages, it is more vigorous. During resting, the leaves are thinly spread and rested frequently. After fixation and rolling, a unique process involves pressing the tea into shape with wooden molds and setting it with filter paper. Finally, the tea is carefully charcoal-baked, resulting in a uniquely shaped, high-quality, and singularly distinctive compressed oolong tea.

Thirdly, How to Brew Zhangping Narcissus Tea

As Zhangping Narcissus is a compressed tea in block form, it requires some time to unfurl when first brewed. Typically, a white porcelain Gaiwan is used for brewing. Since the volume of Zhangping Narcissus is relatively large, a larger gaiwan is recommended. There is no need to break up the tea blocks; instead, they can be placed directly into the gaiwan for brewing.

First Infusion: Rinse the tea (5 seconds of Steeping, quick pour-off). At this point, the tea cake begins to loosen slightly, and any surface dust is rinsed away.

Second Infusion: Steep with boiling water for 40-60 seconds. By now, the leaves have mostly unfurled. The aroma is very evident and sharp, with prominent orchid-like fragrance, and the taste is exceptionally smooth and sweet, with a bright orange-yellow liquor.

Third Infusion: Steep for 30-40 seconds. This infusion often presents the best state of the tea, and subsequent steeping times can be adjusted according to personal preference.

From the fourth infusion onwards, gradually increase the steeping time by five seconds.

Zhangping Narcissus must be brewed with boiling water, and it is best to use boiling water for each infusion.

After the first infusion, if the tea blocks have already broken apart, subsequent infusions should have shorter steeping times, around 10 seconds before pouring off the liquor. If the tea blocks remain intact, you can extend the time by about five seconds from the 10-second base until the leaves fully unfurl, after which the steeping times can be shortened for subsequent infusions.