The Mystery of Wuyi Rock Tea
Rock tea is known as the destination for tea drinkers.What exactly is it? How is it made? What kind of charm does it have?
Learn NowChinese Tea/Oolong Tea/Northern Fujian Oolong/Wuyi Rock Tea
FOR WUYI ROCK TEA&
WUYI MOUNTAIN
The Zhengyan tea production area is approximately 72 square kilometers, so the tea produced is scarce and expensive.
lapsangstore Academy
How to Made Wuyi Rock Tea
Picking
The picking standard for rock tea is to pick one bud and three or four leaves when the buds and leaves are relatively mature, which is around April to May every year. They are not picked on rainy days or when there is dew. Due to the high humidity in Wuyi Mountain and the average annual temperature of around 18℃, the tea leaves are very tender even when they are mature and can be broken with a light lift.
Withering
Sun drying must be done on sunny days, so that the tea leaves can release a small amount of moisture in a short time. If the tea leaves cannot be dried in the sun, they will be placed in a withering building for heated withering.
lay lea
The most important stage of rock tea production is to make the leaves collide and rub against each other through repeated shaking, which gradually damages the edges of the leaves. The leaves are then gradually oxidized to produce a green background with red edges, exuding a natural floral and fruity aroma, forming the unique floral and fruity aroma of oolong tea. The whole process takes 6-12 hours.
Stir-frying
Stir-frying is the sign of the end of the green tea making process. It is mainly to fix the quality of the green tea relatively, purify the aroma, and soften the leaves to facilitate rolling and shaping. The initial stir-frying time is 3 to 5 minutes
Rolling
Rolling and twisting are the main factors that shape the appearance of Wuyi Rock Tea and affect the tea production rate. In addition to making the tea strips tight, it can also increase the concentration of the tea soup.
Roasting
The roasting process is carried out in a closed bamboo cage in a roasting room. The roasting temperature must be well controlled, and the water must be removed quickly and promptly. After the refining process such as sorting, it needs to be roasted several times. The meticulous handling of the roasting process requires the experience of the tea making master. It often takes more than half a year to complete the production.
lapsangstore Academy
Why does Wuyi Rock Tea need to be roasted?
The characteristics of rock tea production and processing are seasonal production and year-round sales. The raw tea made from fresh leaves is not resistant to storage and must be roasted in the refining stage. During the roasting process, the long-term thermal action causes the transformation of substances. These substances not only directly participate in the formation of fragrance, but also further mature and purify the fragrance, making the various flavors of various rock tea varieties tend to be clear, elegant, and high. The taste tends to be rich and strong. The quality of rock tea is stable and resistant to storage.
lapsangstore Academy
The Different Area of Wuyi Rock Tea
lapsangstore Academy
Common Tea Tree Varieties of Wuyi Rock Tea
Da Hong Pao
There are six tea trees on the cliff of Jiulongke with the words "Dahongpao" engraved on them. They are three tea varieties: Qidan, Beidou, and Queshe. This is the mother tree Dahongpao. It is no longer picked and sold.Later, the people of Wuyi Mountain adopted agricultural technology to breed and cultivate Dahongpao tea trees, and have bred enough to supply the market.But as for the common commodity called "Dahongpao", it is the product of the numerous tea varieties in Wuyi Mountain. After the fresh leaves are picked and made into tea, they are piled according to their quality conditions and scientifically and rationally blended into a product called Dahongpao. Therefore, the fragrance is rich and the taste is varied.
Narcissus | Rou Gui
As the saying goes, "Nothing is more fragrant than Rougui, and nothing is more mellow than narcissus." In addition to the influence of the mountain field, the tea tree species will also affect the taste of the tea soup. Wuyi cinnamon is a shrub tea tree species, and the plant height is generally 1.5m. The aroma is sharp and the cinnamon aroma is obvious. The best ones have a milky taste. Wuyi narcissus is a small tree tea tree species, which is taller and has a unique orchid fragrance, mellow and fresh. In addition, there are hundreds of varieties with different styles in Wuyi Mountain, but because of the small output, although some are sold separately on the market, most of them are used as blending raw materials for Dahongpao, and are blended into Dahongpao products and sold on the market.