Basic Introduction to Shucheng Xiaolanhua
Shucheng Xiaolanhua belongs to the green tea category. It is a historic tea that was created at the end of the Ming Dynasty and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. Why is it called Orchid Tea? There are two explanations for the name: one is that the buds and leaves, still connected to the branch, resemble an orchid flower; the other is that it is harvested when the mountain orchids are in full bloom, and the tea absorbs the fragrance of the orchids, hence the name.
Nutritional Value
Tea contains various vitamins. The vitamins found in tea include A, D, E, K, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, H, C, P, and inositol. Among these, A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins that are difficult to dissolve in water, while the rest are water-soluble vitamins that can be fully utilized when brewing tea. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, can enhance the body's resistance and immunity.
Product Characteristics
The shape of the tea is like orchid grass with buds and leaves connected, the strands are finely curled into hook shapes, the color is evenly emerald green with visible downy tips; after brewing, the tea looks like orchids blooming, each branch standing upright in the cup, giving off a unique orchid-like fragrance, commonly referred to as “a fragrant bloom when hot”; the tea soup is fresh and long-lasting, with a mellow taste, the broth is tender and bright green, and the leaves at the bottom of the cup are uniform, whole, and a tender yellow-green color.
History and Folklore
Legend has it that a long time ago, at the foot of Mount Qiyun in the Dabie Mountains, there was a large estate owned by a man named Li Zhanshan. Li Zhanshan wanted to forcibly take over a maidservant named Orchid, but she refused to submit and managed to escape with the help of her sisters, crossing mountains and valleys until she arrived near Bat Cave. In the crevices of the sheer cliffs outside Bat Cave grew a tea tree, nourished year-round by bat droppings, which made it particularly lush and verdant. When young shoots sprouted around Qingming Festival, Little Orchid picked them and took them down the mountain to an old widow's house where she used her pot to dry the leaves before taking them to the street to sell. A poor man saw the quality of the tea and paid Orchid 500 coins for it. He then brought it to a teahouse, where, upon tasting it, he confirmed it was indeed excellent. Other patrons wanted to buy it too, and the poor man shared the tea among everyone. News spread that the Fairy of Bat Cave had appeared and that the girl selling tea was the Bat Fairy herself. Upon hearing this, Li Zhanshan sent his servants to investigate. A few days later, Orchid returned to the widow's house to dry another batch of tea and went back to the street to sell it. Unfortunately, Li Zhanshan's steward recognized her as Orchid. Thus, the tea tree at Bat Cave was discovered, and Orchid was pushed off the cliff by Li Zhanshan's servants. As a result, the tea tree was seized by Li Zhanshan, who processed the leaves and presented them to the county magistrate, who then offered them to the governor, and finally, the governor presented them to the Emperor. After tasting the tea, the Emperor was delighted and personally wrote the words “Qiyun Cloud Mist.” For his contribution, Li Zhanshan was appointed as a seventh-rank official in charge of tea production on Mount Qiyun. However, the following spring, the tea tree died, leaving Li Zhanshan without any tea to offer as tribute. He tried to pass off fake tea, but this resulted in a charge of treason, and he was executed. Later, in the crevice where Orchid fell, a tea forest grew. The locals picked the leaves, processed them meticulously, and the quality remained the same. To commemorate Orchid, they named the tea Orchid Tea.
Method of Producing Shucheng Xiaolanhua
Making Orchid Tea involves two major processes: killing the green and baking. Killing the green is done in two pots, the raw pot and the mature pot, with the latter used for stir-frying and shaping. Baking consists of initial baking, secondary baking, and final baking. Mechanized Orchid Tea adds an additional step of rolling. After production, sorting is required to remove inferior tea, old tea, and impurities.