Sparrow Tongue is the name of a tea. It is named for its small, sparrow-tongue-like shape and is renowned for its uniquely intense aroma. It is a premium tea made from tender buds.
Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi wrote in his poem: "Add to the stove to brew Sparrow Tongue, sprinkle water to clean the dragon's beard." Song Dynasty scholar Shen Kuo noted in his writings: "Tea buds, ancients called them 'Sparrow Tongue' and 'Wheat Grain,' speaking of their extreme tenderness." Ming Dynasty writer Wang Tingne also mentioned it.
The market price for Sparrow Tongue tea is relatively high. It is one of the distinctive and expensive rare varieties among rock teas. It is broadly categorized into five types: Wuyi Sparrow Tongue, Guizhou Sparrow Tongue (Meitan Cuiya), Pujiang Sparrow Tongue, Jintan Sparrow Tongue, and Zhejiang Sparrow Tongue.
Wuyi Sparrow Tongue
Sparrow Tongue is an ancient famous tea from Wuyi Mountain, named for its small, sparrow-tongue-like shape. Its aroma is extremely unique and rich, making it a top-grade tribute tea in ancient times.
Research indicates its mother tree originally grew in Jiulongke (Nine Dragons Grotto). It was selectively bred in the early 1980s from the sexual progeny of the first mother bush of Da Hong Pao. It belongs to the asexual line, shrub type, small-leaf variety, and is a late-sprouting cultivar.
As the planting area in famous rock regions is very limited, and it is not widely planted in other rock tea areas either, Sparrow Tongue is a small-leaf variety. Compared to other Wuyi Rock Tea varieties, its tea trees and leaves are relatively smaller, resulting in a relatively low yield. Typically, the purchase price for Sparrow Tongue tea leaves from the same mountain field is about 3-4 times that of the当家品种肉桂 (Rougui) variety, and it is difficult to obtain. Therefore, the market price for Sparrow Tongue is high, making it one of the distinctive and expensive rare varieties among rock teas.
Main Characteristics of Wuyi Sparrow Tongue
The appearance is cleverly shaped like a sparrow's tongue, the color is dark brown-green接近黑色, with a strong fruity aroma. The liquor is clear and bright橙黄色. The tea soup feels smooth upon entering the mouth, and with different infusion counts, the soup presents different layers. The aftertaste has a strong 'rock rhyme' (Yan Yun).
Although Sparrow Tongue is an improved and propagated variety of Wuyi Rock Tea's Da Hong Pao, inheriting many of its优点, its flavor is generally more pronounced in the first 5 infusions. At the end of the session, when examining the brewed leaves, one can still see the characteristic "green leaves with red edges" common to Wuyi Rock Teas.
Jintan Sparrow Tongue
Jintan Sparrow Tongue: Produced in Fanglu Tea Farm, Jintan City, Jiangsu Province. Named for its shape resembling a sparrow's tongue, it is a flat-shaped pan-fired green tea. It is one of the newly created famous teas in Jiangsu Province. The finished Jintan Sparrow Tongue has distinct characteristics: its外形 is flat, straight, and elegant, shaped like a sparrow's tongue; the tea strips are even and整齐, with a green and lustrous色泽; its内质香气 is fresh and high, with a明显持久 chestnut aroma; the汤色 is bright; the滋味 is brisk and refreshing; the叶底 is tender and even. It also has理化指标 superior to ordinary teas in terms of quality.
Jintan Sparrow Tongue tea is made using a unique manual stir-frying process and advanced fully mechanized processing techniques.
Jintan Sparrow Tongue Brewing Tips
The ratio of tea to water should be appropriate, typically 1:50 to 1:60 (i.e., 1 gram of tea to 50-60 ml of water). The water temperature for brewing should be around 80°C (water boiled and then cooled) for optimal results. After placing the tea leaves in the cup, first pour a small amount of hot water just enough to浸透 the leaves. Cover for about 3 minutes, then add hot water until the cup is 70-80% full, after which it can be enjoyed while hot. When about one-third of the tea soup remains in the cup, add more hot water. Generally, it is suitable for three infusions.
To better appreciate the culture of Sparrow Tongue tea, it is recommended to use a glass cup for brewing. When drinking, one can observe the tea leaves standing upright in the water, resembling a flock of birds soaring towards the sky or little fairies dancing gracefully in the water, creating a意境 with unique charm.