If Iron Arhat is the true gentleman among Wuyi Rock Teas, then White Cockscomb is undoubtedly the graceful beauty. As a Taoist tea from Wuyi Mountain, its origin is inevitably closely linked to Bai Yuchan, the abbot of the Zhizhi'an Taoist temple. Legend has it that during the Song Dynasty, the famous Taoist master Bai Yuchan, while practicing Taoism at Zhizhi'an at the foot of Dawang Peak in Wuyi Mountain, accidentally discovered a tea bush in the White Snake Cave. Because its leaf shape resembled a cockscomb and its new buds were yellowish-white, and as it was created by Bai Yuchan, it was named "White Cockscomb".

The origin of Wuyi Rock Tea almost always comes with one or more beautiful legends. As one of the Four Famous Bushes of Wuyi Mountain, White Cockscomb naturally has several versions of legends. The author will briefly share two. Legend one: During the Ming Dynasty, a prefect traveled to Wuyi Mountain with his family and stayed at Wuyi Palace. His son suddenly fell ill with a strange disease, his abdomen swollen like a drum. All medical treatments failed. Just as they passed by Zhizhi'an, a young Taoist attendant was already waiting at the gate with tea, offering it to the boy. After drinking it, the boy recovered immediately. The attendant told them the tea was called: White Cockscomb. The grateful prefect reported this to the emperor. After tasting it, the emperor was greatly pleased and personally bestowed upon it the title of Imperial Tea, granting an annual stipend of a hundred taels of silver and forty dan of rice for the temple to guard, cultivate, and tribute this tea. The second legend is more folk-oriented: It is said that during the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Mojing, a native of Yanjing, settled in Wuyi Mountain for quiet cultivation. He kept a white rooster that was remarkably understanding. By day, it pecked at insects and weeds in the tea garden; by night, it rested quietly beside the Taoist priest during meditation. The Taoists, knowing this rooster had developed spiritual energy, cared for it with extra affection. One day, the rooster was injured by a fierce mountain eagle for unknown reasons. The wounded rooster ran frantically through the tea garden, its bright red blood sprinkling across the plants, before finally succumbing to its injuries. From then on, the tea bushes in that garden thrived remarkably. The tea leaves changed from dark green to light green, then to a pale white, emitting a clear fragrance that could be smelled from afar. When the Taoists processed these leaves and brewed them, the tea soup appeared milky white within a rice-yellow hue. They then understood that the rooster had used its lifeblood to repay their nurturing kindness, hence naming this tea: White Cockscomb.

Among our group of rock tea enthusiasts, White Cockscomb is highly praised. We all greatly appreciate its simplicity, purity, and profound subtlety—where the greatest flavor arrives in lightness. The aroma of White Cockscomb is distant and lingering, reminiscent of a delicate and charming beauty, exceedingly pleasing and full of sentiment. Although White Cockscomb is one of Wuyi's Four Famous Bushes, due to its slow growth cycle and low yield (around 100 jin per mu), it is not widely cultivated locally in Wuyi Mountain. Consequently, enthusiasts of this tea often visit Wuyi Mountain multiple times without finding it. To the author's knowledge, only about five families cultivate it, and the output is extremely small, generally not sold but kept for gifting or personal enjoyment. White Cockscomb is a shrub with medium-sized leaves, classified as a late-ripening variety. The optimal picking time is around late April each year. The old leaves are dark green, while the new buds are yellowish-white. The leaf surface is glossy with few fine hairs. The oval-shaped leaves have fine and dense serrations along the edges, which is a noticeable distinction from other rock teas.

Nowadays, one often hears tea friends immediately mention that White Cockscomb is best boiled with three grams of sea salt, as if to display their knowledge. I truly cannot agree with this method. I even specifically tried adding a grain of sea salt to the third infusion—when the tea soup is purest—and it utterly ruined the experience. It's like adding chicken bouillon to stir-fried greens; you lose the true taste of the vegetable. Good tea is the same. You don't need to explain too much. Relax your mind, slow your pace, calm down, and savor it carefully. The elegance, purity, and subtle fragrance of White Cockscomb—good tea speaks for itself.

Next, let's share the process of brewing White Cockscomb using a gaiwan:

As personal taste varies, you can adjust the brewing method and steeping times. The following represents only my personal preference.

Since White Cockscomb is the beauty among rock teas, and we tend to treat beauties with extra care, I suggest using 95°C water for the initial infusion. (Boil spring water, then pour it back and forth between pitchers about five times; this will roughly achieve 95°C.) Rinse the gaiwan with boiling water, then add one portion of White Cockscomb leaves. Cover the cup and shake it three times to smell the dry leaf aroma. The fragrance of White Cockscomb is very unique. My experience is a distinctive herbal aroma combined with the scent of grass from a natural forest. Some tea friends describe it as a mushroom-like smell, fresh corn silk aroma, etc.

Pour the 95°C water into the cup, steep for ten seconds, then pour out the tea soup. (This is based on my repeated experiments. Pouring out too quickly makes the first infusion bland and tasteless; steeping too long initially creates an astringent sensation that displeases the drinker. Ten seconds is just right.)

Lift the first cup, observe its color: deep yellow with body; smell its aroma: a tobacco note interwoven with a subtle floral fragrance; taste it: the tea soup slides smoothly down the throat upon entry, with a noticeable sweet aftertaste.

For the second infusion, steep for fifteen seconds. After pouring, the experience is as follows: the tea soup is noticeably fuller-bodied than the previous infusion. When opening the lid to smell the aroma, there's a distinct scent of boiling fresh corn silk. The fragrance within the water begins to show. A refreshing minty sensation is clear on the lips and tongue. The subtle fragrance in the empty cup becomes more pronounced. The third infusion is considered the essence of the tea soup. After the first two steepings, White Cockscomb, this charming beauty, finally fully reveals itself before us.

For the third infusion, steep for twenty seconds.

Only after carefully sipping this cup did I truly understand why so many people favor White Cockscomb, with female tea friends being the majority. Because White Cockscomb possesses both the fresh fragrance of green tea and the rock rhythm (Yan Yun) of rock tea. Although it lacks the intense stimulation of other rock teas, its sweet aftertaste makes people fall in love with it不知不觉. This is like a beauty; at first glance, she may not be stunning, but upon careful appreciation, you find her endlessly pleasing and heartwarming.

I strongly suggest closing your eyes at this moment, slowly experiencing the sensations the tea brings to your body and mind. Tasting tea is tasting the heart; your heart determines the taste of the tea!

For the fourth infusion, steep for twenty-five seconds. The aroma becomes purer, the subtle floral fragrance remains, the tea soup color lightens slightly compared to before, and the sweet, clear flavor of boiled fresh corn persists.

For the fifth infusion, steep for thirty seconds. The tea soup's taste remains consistently mild and sweet, with the floral fragrance hinting at honey-orchid notes.

For the sixth infusion, steep for thirty-five seconds. Good tea often only reveals its true character at this point! (I strongly disapprove of those who only drink the first three infusions. Good tea can generally be steeped at least nine times, often more than a dozen. Moreover, tea is one of the products with the most labor involved—from planting, picking, processing, transportation, purchasing, to reaching the consumer, who must then brew it to drink. The water, utensils, and environment for brewing also have requirements. So, drinking a pot of tea is truly not easy. Please cherish every cup of tea you drink.)

To truly taste the original character of a tea, you need to steep it at least six times. Only then does the rock rhythm (Yan Yun) begin to slowly emerge. It's that familiar sensation: a sweet fragrance enters the nose, intoxicating to smell (great joy). This is my favorite aspect of the rock rhythm essence, unique to the distinctive Danxia landform of Wuyi Mountain where such captivating tea is grown. Without it, rock tea would lack its soul and backbone. By this stage of tea tasting, you will likely feel your body warming up, with slight perspiration on your palms or the tip of your nose. Feeling physically and mentally relaxed, you might strongly desire to use the restroom. (Don't be embarrassed; this is normal, especially after drinking White Cockscomb, this Taoist tea. Rich in beneficial components like tea polyphenols and caffeine, it promotes internal circulation, induces sweating for detoxification, and relieves fatigue.) After returning, savor another cup. Close your eyes and用心体验 the sweet aftertaste between your teeth, naturally following the tea's energy as it circulates through your body, allowing all your cells to partake in this joy, thereby achieving natural happiness for body, mind, and spirit.

Many teas have an immediate bitter or astringent taste upon entry, but White Cockscomb does not. From start to now, the tea soup remains sweet, soft, and mellow. Apart from the lightening color, there hasn't been much change. Your body has also become very accustomed to this state. You become very relaxed, your whole body warm, just wanting to close your eyes, think of nothing, and not move. This might be what Taoism refers to as the state of "non-action" (Wu Wei). Savoring White Cockscomb carefully will give you a全新的认识 of Wuyi Rock Tea. Sometimes simplicity is the highest realm. Life should be about learning subtraction. Regularly using tea to purify the heart allows us all to possess a pure heart and live simply.