Basic Introduction to Wuyi Rock Tea
Wuyi Rock Tea is a type of Oolong tea produced in the famous mountain of Wuyi, located in the northeastern part of Fujian Province. The tea plants grow in rock crevices. Wuyi Rock Tea combines the fresh aroma of green tea with the sweet taste of black tea, making it one of the finest Oolong teas in China. It is a semi-fermented green tea made using a method that lies between the processing of green and black teas. The most famous variety of Wuyi Rock Tea is Dahongpao (Big Red Robe) tea.
Nutritional Value
It contains various vitamins essential for the human body, including A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, H, C, P, and inositol. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are less soluble in water, while the others are water-soluble and can be fully utilized when brewing tea. It also contains multiple minerals, such as potassium, which is essential for cells; fluoride, which protects teeth; and other phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, sodium, boron, and sulfur trace elements. Additionally, it contains a rich array of amino acids necessary for humans, along with small amounts of protein and fat, which play a role in supplementing human nutrition. It has very little water-soluble sugar, making it a low-calorie beverage.
It enhances vision and mental clarity, helps reduce weight (weight loss), delays aging, refreshes the mind, aids digestion, promotes diuresis and detoxification, relieves phlegm and asthma, quenches thirst and cools the body, provides radiation protection, and has anti-cancer properties. It also helps prevent aging, lowers blood lipids, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, etc.
Product Characteristics
The quality of Wuyi Rock Tea is unique. Despite not being scented with flowers, its tea soup has a strong floral fragrance, tasting sweet and refreshing, leaving an aftertaste that lingers. When introduced to Europe in the 18th century, it became immensely popular, earning the reputation of “a cure for all illnesses.” It is considered a gem among Oolong teas. “Wuyi Rock Tea” is a general term for Oolong teas grown on the rocks of Mount Wuyi in Wuyishan City (formerly Chong'an County) in northeastern Fujian Province. It has a long history. According to historical records, it was given as gifts by common people during the Tang Dynasty. In the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it was listed as a tribute tea. During the Yuan Dynasty, a tea roasting bureau and imperial tea garden were established in Wuyi Mountain. In the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, it began to be exported to Western Europe, North America, and Southeast Asian countries. At that time, Europeans referred to it as the generic term for Chinese tea. Wuyi Rock Tea has a sturdy, uniform shape and a green-brown color that looks fresh and glossy. When brewed, the tea soup turns deep orange-yellow, clear and bright; the leaves are soft and shiny, with crimson edges and a pale green center tinged with yellow. It combines the sweetness of black tea with the fresh aroma of green tea. The tea is mild but not cold, and its aroma and flavor improve with age. When brewed, a small teapot and small cups are typically used due to its intense aroma and flavor. Even after five or six infusions, the aftertaste remains. Major varieties include Wuyi Shuixian, Wuyi Qizhong, Dahongpao, and others, named according to their place of origin, ecological conditions, shape, or sensory characteristics. “Dahongpao” is the most valuable. Legend has it that during the Ming Dynasty, a scholar on his way to the capital for exams suddenly fell ill with severe abdominal pain. Fortunately, he met a monk who offered him a cup of this precious tea, which immediately relieved his pain. After becoming the top scholar, he returned to thank the monk and inquire about the source of the tea. Upon learning of its origin, he took off his red robe and draped it over the tea bushes three times, thus giving rise to the name “Dahongpao.” Wuyi Rock Tea is the preferred tea of residents in southeastern coastal provinces and regions of China, as well as overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia, and is known as a “tea for overseas Chinese.”
Top-quality Wuyi Rock Tea can only be produced by a few local tea brands in Wuyi Mountain, including Guiling Tea Industry and Zhengyan Tea Industry, etc.
Distinguishing Authenticity
Smoky Taste: Easily identified, it occurs if there's a smoky issue during the roasting process. For example, if some tea falls into the fire during roasting in a tea basket.
Grassy Taste: Not a fresh scent, but rather a grassy taste from the tea leaves. This is mainly due to insufficient fermentation.
Sour Taste: Similar to the taste of spoiled food.
Burnt Taste: Similar to the taste of roasted beans. This occurs primarily during the fixation process when the tea is overcooked.
Re-greening Taste: A taste that develops when the tea is damp during storage.
Watery Taste: The taste of plain boiled water. This happens when the tea is under-fired, allowing moisture to remain in the leaves.
Awards and Honors of Wuyi Rock Tea
On May 20, 2006, the production technique of Wuyi Rock Tea (Dahongpao) was included in the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage list, and represented Chinese Oolong tea traditional production techniques in the application for world intangible cultural heritage.