Wuyi Oolong Tea (Rock Tea)
Why It Is So Rare
Wuyi oolong tea is probably the world’s most sought after oolong tea. The priceless Dahongpao is widely regarded as the King of Oolong.
Wuyi tea not a single tea variety, but refers collectively to the teas grown
in the Wuyi Mountain of Fujian Province in China.
Some vendors in the West sell Wuyi green tea, which is unheard of in China.
Wuyi Mountain is renowned for producing oolong tea, not green tea.
Wuyi oolong tea is also known as Rock Tea or Yancha.
This is unfortunate, because the word yan is more accurately translated as crag.
It is called the Crag Tea because Wuyi Mountain is a large volcanic fault
structure that consists mainly of vertical cliffs, deep gorges and cave
systems.
Wuyi oolong tea is one of China's 10 famous teas.
It belongs to a family of teas from northern Fujian Province
called Mingbei Oolong.
This family of teas is long and curly rather than ball-shaped, and is more oxidised than its
southern cousin the Tieguanyin.
It has an unique taste called Rock Rhyme (Yan Yun), so called because of the
high mineral content of Wuyi Mountain.
In China, the unique flavour is often described as "crag
bone floral fragrance".
The body is mellow with an outstanding orchid fragrance. The aftertaste is
said to be long lasting and rock-like.
Wuyi tea has a long and glorious history.
Song dynasty's poets Fan
Zhongyan and Su Shi both alluded to its fame and tribute tea status as early
as 11th century.
Su Shi is also known as Su Dongpo.
He is renowned for his ci style poetry,
which exude great symmetry, beauty and feeling.
He also lent his name to Dongpo pork, a popular Shanghainese cuisine.
When the Mongolian calvary lorded over China in the 14th century, imperial
tea garden was set up in Wuyi Mountain to cater for the emperors.
According to William Ukers, who wrote All
About Tea in 1935, Wuyi oolong tea is one of the earliest teas to be
exported to Europe in the early 17th century.
The secret of Wuyi oolong tea lies in its geographical position.
Make no mistake. Authentic Wuyi tea is rare, so rare that it is hardly available in the West.
Why? Because the Mountain spreads out over an area of just 60 kilometres square.
Most vendors sell Wuyi tea grown in the surrounding area rather than those from the middle of the Mountain.
Situated in the Fujian Province of Southern China, it has an
average elevation of 650 metres above sea level.
The landscape is characterised by winding river valleys flanked by
dome-shaped cliffs and cave systems.
The nine-bend river (Jiuqu Xi) meanders in a deep gorge among these
hills.
It is famous for its 36 peaks and 99 famous crags, with tea being
cultivated in each crag.
Wuyi Mountain is a mecca for biologists.
Scientists have been busy conducting field research there since 1873. They
have identified nearly 4,000 plant species and 5,000 animal species.
Wuyi tea plants even have their own name - Var Bohea. It is widely regarded as the richest depository of
tea varieties in the world.
Its biodiversity and rich history received recognitions in 1999 when it
entered the UNESCO's list of World Heritage Site.
A standard pick is one bud with 3 or 4 leaves, when the buds at the top of a
bush reach half the size of a mature leaf.
Harvesting can take place 3 times a year in spring, summer and autumn.
Leaf selection is the most important determinant of quality. Another 5 steps
follow:
Freshly picked leaves are left in the sun to dry from 0.5 to 2 hours to
remove moisture, then moved indoors to cool.
- Bruising (Zhuoqing or Yaoqing)
Shake and rub using hands or machines to bruise leaves surfaces. This exposes
tea juices to air and enhances the oxidation process.
Pan-fry leaves at high heat for short period of time to kill enzymes and stop
the oxidation process.
Roll the leaves to shape it into the desired form. The roasting-rolling
process is then repeated a second time to further stimulate the flavours..
Apply initial high heat for 10 to 15 minutes to dry. Then apply low heat for
1 to 2 hours to increase the floral aroma and mellow taste.
Wuyi oolong tea can be classified according to the area of production and the
tea plant varieties.
It was historically graded according to the part of the Mountain it comes
from:
- Middle of the Mountain (Zhengyan
Cha)
- Border of the Mountain (Banyan
Cha)
- Surrounding the Mountain (Zhou Cha)
The highest quality tea is Zhengyan
Cha. It grows in the middle of the Mountain. It has the highest fragrance
and the strongest Rock Rhyme.
Wuyi tea plant varieties is a complicated topic on its own.
It was said that one crag (Hui Wan Yan) has as many as 830 named varieties.
Imagine, there are 99 famous crags in the whole of Wuyi Mountain, how many
varieties are there in total?
For a thousand or more years, hundreds and thousands of tea plants were selected
from the middle of the Mountain for cultivation.
These tea bushes are known as Dan Cong Qi
Zhong.
The best among them are known as Ming Cong
Qi Zhong or Famous Tea Bush.
The most renowned among the Famous Tea Bush are the Famous Four (Si Da Ming
Cong), which include Dahongpao (Big Red Robe), the priciest and most
celebrated of all oolong teas.
The remaining Famous Four are:
- Shui Jin Gui (Golden Turtle)
- Tie Luo Han (Iron Monk)
- Bai Ji Guan (White Rooster)
Another up and coming Famous Tea Bush which has made quite a name for itself
is the Wuyi Rougui (Cinnamon) tea.
Chen Zhong Xian (1992). Zhongguo Chajing. Shanghai Wenhua Chubanshe.
Photos are kindly provided by the Wuyi Mountain Government Unit.
Back to Top of Wuyi Oolong Tea
Back to Chinese Oolong Tea Main Page
Back to Amazing Green Tea Home
What is the
ultimate free lunch that serves up $59.95 worth of taster, main course and dessert?
Check out your
free tea menu here!
