Basic Introduction to Ningwu Maojian Tea
Maojian is a type of perennial herbaceous plant. The tea brews into a reddish-yellow color, with an authentic and refreshing taste that is unique. Maojian tea has the effects of aiding digestion, warding off cold, and relieving fatigue. Its functions vary depending on the ingredients used in its preparation. For example, when combined with pears, it can help stop coughing and relieve asthma; when mixed with alcohol, it has a distinctive effect of keeping out the cold and promoting blood circulation. It is a favored beverage for hosting guests among the local people and is considered one of the famous teas in northern China.
Nutritional Value
Maojian tea has a strengthening effect on the body. It is rich in protein, amino acids, tea polyphenols, aromatic substances, as well as water-soluble minerals. It has various functions such as quenching thirst, clearing the mind and improving vision, refreshing the spirit, removing greasiness and aiding digestion, inhibiting arteriosclerosis, preventing cancer, treating scurvy, and protecting against radiation. It possesses medicinal benefits.
Historical and Folklore Context
The character for “tea” does not appear in the “Nine Classics,” which might lead some to doubt whether tea existed in ancient times. However, the “Nine Classics” also do not have a character for “lamp,” as lamps were traditionally made from candles in ancient times. The absence of the character for “tea” does not mean that there was no tea; instead, the character “tu” (荼) was used to represent “tea.” Not only do the “Nine Classics” lack the character for “tea,” but the character is also absent in the “Banma Character Classification.” It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the character “tu” had a stroke removed to create the character “cha,” and the pronunciation of “tu” also changed. Originally, “tu” was pronounced like “du,” as in the phrase “who says ‘tu' is bitter” from ancient poetry. From the Eastern Han Dynasty onward, it was pronounced like “ca.” Starting from the Liang Dynasty of the Six Dynasties period, the pronunciation began to change. Although Lu Yu's “Tea Classic” uses the character “cha,” the inscription on the stele at the Wangyuan Hall in Mount Tai during the Tang Dynasty still uses the character “tu” twice, indicating that the Tang people did not entirely adopt the character “cha.” (From Xi Shichang's “Xi's Readings and Explanations of the Shuowen Jiezi,” Volume 1) This suggests that the pronunciation of “tu” started to change during the Liang Dynasty, and the form of “tea” was altered by the Tang Dynasty.
Preparation Method
Ningwu Maojian Tea
First, clean the tea, then steam it for about 15 minutes. After cooling, cut it into 2-centimeter sections using a knife, and place it in a large ceramic jar or basin. Allow it to ferment for 7-8 days. Optionally, you can add some sugarcane juice. When the tea turns red, brown, or black, take it out to air dry or sun-dry, completing the process.