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TE KUAN YIN: CLASSIFICATION, HISTORY, TASTES, PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY, brewing methods

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Tie Guan Yin Qing Xiang

Iron Goddess of Mercy Light fragrance

Quantity

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Tie Guanyin Qingxiang is a deep and rich tea, it was roasted a little during its production, just a little bit, just enough so that it retains the taste of lightly fermented oolong we know and love.

Tie Guan Yin. Iron Goddess of Mercy.

THE LEGEND OF TE GUAN YING

Sometimes farmers say that their tea mountains are the place where the immortal Maiden herself cuts the tea plants. We, people with a different way of thinking, are accustomed to believing the facts, and when the facts rest against legends, a smile involuntarily appears on our lips. Let it be.
Toli it was so, it could be so, but one of the stories of the origin of tea says that on the territory of the modern province of Fujian, in an area called Anxi, there lived a tea grower famous in ancient times. It was famous throughout the region for its beautiful tea gardens. Absolutely all the land of this glorious farmer was given over to tea lands. The rumor about him reached the emperor, who immediately decided to see this man, to taste tea from his hands. But a misfortune happened - a swarm of locusts swooped in, destroying the work of the tea grower in a short time. The emperor arrived, but there was nothing to drink him. For the last time, the hero of the legend decided to take a look at his beloved land, where tea once grew. Looking around the empty area, the tea grower's gaze also touched the iron statue of Guanyin - several bushes sprouted through her knees, as if carefully preserved by her hands from the insects that devoured everything. The tea grower, not expecting to see such a miracle, later builds a temple in honor of this bodhistava, but for now he happily collects tea leaves, prepares them and presents the emperor with a precious drink. Naturally, this tea receives a grateful name: Te Guanyin, that is, "Iron Guanyin."

Guanyin or Guanshiyin - "Hearing or contemplating the sounds of the world." In fact, this image of an enlightened being arrived from India along with Buddhist philosophy around the 1st century AD and was perceived for some time in male form. The name Guanyin is a tracing-paper from the name of Avalokiteshvara. But, either it was difficult for the Chinese to understand the exceptional infinite mercy and compassion emanating directly from a man, Avalokiteshvara himself could take on any form on earth, or local legends about the Virgin were added here, who, in spite of everything, followed the precepts of the teachings of the Buddha and became enlightened and immortal, or with mercy as such, the image of the Virgin Mary was also associated, but one way or another, by about the 11th century, the male image was universally transformed into a female one. To be honest, based on the philosophy of Buddhism, this is not so important, because such enlightened beings no longer need to be born or die in any of the worlds, including the human one. They are free, their karma is pure, they can go further, into this kind of nirvana (the Buddha himself did not say what it is, and we would hardly understand). But their compassion and mercy for the living is so great that they take the bodhisattva vow, the vow of the awakened ones, that they will not leave a single living being, as long as the inhabitants of the numerous and most different worlds will not become as enlightened and awakened as the bodhisattvas themselves. “Hearing all the sounds of the world,” Guanyin is one such bodhisattva.

Tie Guan Yin: all the information about the Iron Goddess in one article

Sometimes it seems to me that there is no need to write anything about tea - the tea itself will tell about itself in the process of tea drinking better than anyone else. The true joy of human freedom of choice is to enjoy the subtlety and delicacy of tea in modesty and calmness, to hear it and stay in the moment. Questions come after. We will try to answer these questions.

Why do we try? Because each technologist who produces this tea has his own explanation, his own understanding, his own method of preparation. If we look at the numbers, then about 64 thousand tons of tea are created annually in the south of Fujian, in Anxi County. (Sixty-four thousand tons of tea, Karl! But these are facts of past years!) ? (I immediately recall the tea market in the city of Anxi, where at least twice a year - in spring and autumn - an unrealistically large number of farmers flock, with their TieGuanyin, the best). Is this task realistic at all? But we'll try. And may Bodhisattva Guanyin help us in this! – we write with a smile and hope in our eyes.

Tie Guan Yin: history and place of growth

So Anxi. Since 1995, this "heart of China", as they say here, has officially received the status of "Homeland of Chinese Oolongs". And a few years later, the county from the poorest entered the hundred richest areas in China.
Subtropical climate without extreme heat and frost; not dampness, but precisely humidity - frequent rains alternating with the sun, and fogs enveloping the slopes of hills and mountains. Maybe that's why the locals believe that they have an endless spring. It seems that tea grows everywhere here: both in vegetable gardens and on numerous mountain terraces - fortunately, red-earth soils allow this.

Hence, one of the common classifications of tea:
- gao 高茶 - alpine (often also called TeGuanyin Wang, premium, AA)
- zhong 中茶 - from the middle of the mountain (conditionally denoted as A)
- di 底茶 - flat (may be referred to as B).
The best, of course, is the one that is collected from the tops of the mountains, which in Anxi County are about 1500m. He grew higher - he saw more - we will write in the manner of the Chinese. But in fact, this tea survived temperature fluctuations and climate peculiarities more vividly, the vegetation process was slower. By the way, the farmers themselves consider this classification not entirely correct. They consider it much more important
- what fertilized the tea plant,
What weather were the leaves collected in?
- how they were processed.

Earth, sky and man are the three most important taste factors for quality tea. The soul must be calm like the Buddha, the observation clear and the reaction quick. The weather is sunny with a northerly wind and light humidity in the air. Because rain also gives excess moisture to the leaves, which makes it difficult to identify the aroma. Fertilizer - natural, natural, so that the earth does not deplete, and the taste remains pure, without chemical impurities.
And given that the best leaf for making tea is harvested from three to four year old bushes, while the old ones, ten to fifteen years old, are uprooted to make room for new ones, maintaining soil fertility is a very pressing problem, in a modern economy, for farmers.

Spring or autumn? Which Te Kuan Yin is better?

Tea in Anxi is harvested all year round. The most valuable collection periods are spring (approximately 12 days: from April 20 to May 10) and autumn (15-20 days: September 15 - October 15 or October 15 - November 15, but the second is called winter collection in China). There are also summer ones (June 10 - July 5 and July 25 - August 20), but they are not as refined and charming as the previous ones. Which is better - spring or autumn collection - is up to those who drink.
It is generally believed that the spring TG benefits from the richness of the unsurpassed numerous flavors of the infusion. Whereas autumn is magnificent with its amazing multifaceted aroma. Although there are absolutely opposite opinions: that it is the taste that will be the crown of autumn tea, and the delicious aroma of spring tea.
But in the spring, there is a lot of moisture in the air and, consequently, in the tea leaf, and it is not easy for the technologist to create fragrant tea from wet shoots. In autumn, there are morning fogs and a lot of low sun, hence the opinion that the autumn TG is especially refined. Plus, the very name of tea is associated with iron, and autumn, according to Chinese philosophy, is the time for “metal” and tea, so to speak, is in its element. But according to the same philosophy, imperial tea should be prepared exclusively in spring, when everything in nature grows and ripens, pouring strength.
Therefore, which harvest will be tastier, in fact, depends on tea technologists, their methods of dressing. tea leaf, and, of course, all of the above factors: variations of variations.

How is Tie Guan Yin made? Production technology of the Iron Goddess.

It is said that this tea appeared in ancient times during the Tang Dynasty.
The technology of cooking today and in ancient times, of course, is different. But its essence remains unchanged, passed down from generation to generation, varying from fashion, made up of the tastes and preferences of those who drink this tea.
- Pruning of young shoots with a kidney in early spring in order to start collecting suitable leaves for this tea in 50 days.

Collection. A mature shoot with three upper leaves, after shedding dew, in the afternoon or early in the morning (from about 9 am to 4 pm), is torn off in a circular motion, placing it in bamboo wicker baskets. The daily collection is especially distinguished - good photosynthesis, a little water and a sufficient amount of amino acids in the shoots.

Withering or drying out. For 5-6 hours, the shoots are in the open air under the sun, laid out on mats or baskets. Or indoors under fans and lamps if it rains. For uniform drying, they are periodically turned over every 5-10 minutes. The goal is to reduce the intensity of the processes that occur in the shoots of the plant, change the biochemical and physiological properties. Due to the evaporation of moisture, observed as “softening”, “relaxation”, the leaf will remain intact during subsequent processing (which can be observed in sleeping tea).

Cooling or winnowing. In a dark place, in a stationary position (for example, on racks in bamboo pallets), moisture is redistributed between the leaves and stems. Farmers believe that in this way the shoots rest, sleep.

Shaking is necessary to eliminate the heterogeneity of taste and bring out the floral aroma inherent in TieGuanyin.
According to the old method (manually), twigs with leaves are shaken in a one and a half meter bamboo basket suspended from the ceiling. Masters, varying the ways of shaking tea shoots, reveal the sweetness, strength, purity, aroma of tea. Observation, sensation, smell and touch are the key words in this business, and mastery is acquired after processing 5 tons of tea. Shaking alternates with cooling (or winnowing when the tea leaves cannot be disturbed) 4 times. The first time it is necessary to shake it evenly, the second time it is shaken to remove moisture, the third time to reveal the taste and aroma, the fourth time to create the melody or poetry of Te Guanyin.
According to the modern (machine) method - tea shoots are poured into long woven bamboo drums by ⅔ and rotated along their axis at first from 1 to 3 minutes, then the shoots are aged for about an hour (sometimes at lower or higher temperatures, the average is 26- 19 C), then they are again placed in the drum for 2-5 minutes and again they are allowed to rest. The third time, shaking lasts for 20-30 minutes. Then the shoots are again aged and the next stage of processing begins.
In this process, tea is already divided into qing xiang and nong xiang, into the so-called “clean, fresh aroma” and “dense, thick”. As well as division by appearance leaf: for the more traditional "Lu Ye - Hong Bian" - 70% green leaf for 30% red, i.e. green leaves with scarlet edges and a brown base, and "bright green", according to modern fashion. That is, uniform green leaves and emerald leaves with red spots, where 90% green accounts for only 10% scarlet.

Roasting-fixation. At a high temperature (about 200 * C), the activity of enzymes is disturbed and the properties obtained by shaking the shoots are stabilized, and the aroma is also fixed.
Manually, this is done in a tripod with a wooden spatula or by hand: the moderately fermented leaves are constantly turned over until the grass aroma disappears and the leaves turn dark green.
Machine heating takes place in ovens, similar to an oven, autoclaves. If the frying of the leaves began the next day at 9-10 am, and at a temperature of about 205 * C, then you get qing xiang. If it is about 2-3 pm or 5 pm, and at a higher temperature, about 250-300* C, then the taste and aroma will be more mature, velvety, and the leaves will be darker - nong xiang.
(It should be added that they can roast tea the next day and about 22 hours, then the color of the tea will be gray-green, dark. And even in the morning on the third day, the lumps eventually turn black-green, with a silver tint).

Twisting and creasing or rolling. The more juice is released from the tea leaves and interacts with the air, the more oxygen penetrates into the cells of the leaf, due to damage to the membranes, the more the shoots will continue to change.
According to the old method, warm shoots on bamboo boards are gently crushed, kneaded like dough and rolled into a ball. After that, dry for charcoal, precisely following the temperature of the fire, as the masters say - the external cause, in order to influence the internal cause through it - to improve the taste and aroma of tea. To create an excellent tea it is necessary to control the moisture content of the shoots. After drying, the leaves are crushed and twisted again, placed in a canvas bag or tea towel and, in a circular motion, pressing and, as it were, rubbing, twist the shoots into tight knots. After that, it is dried again and twisted again, and crushed. Thus, the processes of drying and twisting alternate 3 times. As a result, the leaves become shiny, dark green.
According to the modern method, warm raw materials, about 10-15 kg, are also crushed and rolled into a ball in the canvas, and then placed on a mechanism with two disks. The upper one is static, while the lower one twists the leaves in a circular motion, each time squeezing and crushing them more and more tightly. After that, the pressed ball is either first kneaded by hand, or immediately sent for secondary heating at a temperature of 110 * C and secondary twisting, which this time occurs simultaneously - in metal rotating cylinders, where warm air enters.

Final drying.
According to the old method, it lasts about 8 hours on charcoal, at a low temperature.
The modern method of drying takes place in special ovens with a temperature of about 70 * C for 3 hours. (Although, as you know, this is also variable).

So, according to the method of preparing tea shoots, at present we can identify, albeit conditionally, Tie Guanyin:
- Qing xiang - pure or fresh fragrance. Its taste is light, simple, similar to meadow herbs and flowers, achieved due to weak oxidation (fermentation): a decrease in the duration and number of repetitions of tea processing cycles, plus more intensive shaking and cooling (blowing) with cool air between crushing.

Nong Xiang is a thick, dense aroma. It is shaken harder and longer, just like qing xiang, often cooled with cool air, and, if we understand correctly, they strive to retain as it were a greater amount of moisture until the final drying process. Hence the darker color of the leaf, often with a hint of the traditional border, and the rich, sweet taste and aroma.

Hua Xiang is a floral scent. Some kind of floral middleness, which is difficult to identify as qing or nun.

Chen Xiang is an aged, ancient fragrance.
It, in turn, can be divided into three subgroups. 1. This is already a faint aroma of tea that has lain for some time, but is able to “suddenly recall youth” in the straits. 2. This is the aroma of stale, but several times reheated tea in hongpei, for example, and often not even in China anymore. Often it is also called Hei (black), or Kao (baked), as it is really baked to black, according to the fashion for aged teas. 3. But roasting once or twice a year and aging in earthenware jars (with minimal access to oxygen for tea and minimal humidity) in a cool place turns Chen Xiang Te Guan Yin into Lao Tie Guan Yin or Lao Cha Wang. You can talk about such a TG, as well as about Shen Pu-erh - the older, the better. It is also called Chuan Tong, that is, a TG prepared for a long time, gradually, "in the traditional manner."
- Tang Bei - the last stage of heating takes place according to the old technology - on coals.
- Huang Pian - "yellow leaf", rejected during the sorting of finished tea. It turns out either due to technological variations in the preparation of tea leaves, or in connection with the transition to machine picking, which is not as accurate as manual picking. Also, Huang Pian is a tea made from old yellowish leaves. But to get such “absolutely ugly” tea, according to the Chinese, is not at all easy. This is absolutely not a commercial product - either for their own or for restaurants. This tea is said to be good for a weak stomach and upset nerves. By the way, Huang Pian can be from both Yiush and Fudin raw materials.
And finally, Mao Cha. Since it is not the leaves themselves that go through the dressing, but the whole shoot, usually, after the final warming up, the branches are cut off, while sorting through the tea, rejecting “ugly” lumps. But often they do not do this, leaving five centimeter stems. This tea is called Mao Cha.

It should be added that traditional TG is sweet, while modern tea making allows and even welcomes the appearance of sour taste. But in Anxi they distinguish between "genuine sourness, due", harmonious, refreshing and "distorted sourness", unpleasant. The second is manifested due to illiterate processing of shoots.

In general, a distinctive feature of the real Te Guanyin will be what the Chinese call Guanyin Yun - "Guanyin melody" or "poetry of harmonious taste." It consists of the so-called "metallic shade in the throat" - Hou Yun, pure, delicate, rich taste, natural, floral aroma and aftertaste must necessarily be Hui Gan or "returned sweetness", which fills the entire oral cavity and is able to return even over time.

Tie Guan Yin is the leader in the amount of tea polyphenols, vitamins, amino acids, alkaloids and other compounds. There are more than thirty inorganic trace elements, including calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc and iron. And aromatic substances - about seventy items, some of which are unique and inherent only to this tea. Hence the versatility of the aroma and the multi-layered taste, which you really want to discover gradually, enjoying the strait after the strait, cup after cup, sip after sip. What is often confused with Te Guan Yin?

By the way, in addition to the bushes of the TeGuanyin variety, Xie Zhong or Zhong Cha are grown in Anxi - “colored or multi-colored species”. That is, all other varieties, about 12, which were selected (mostly) from Te Guan Yin. True, it is often also a literal name for a blend of South Fujian oolongs. To mention some of the Se Joons:
Huang Dan variety is known to us under the name of Huang Jin Gui (Golden Cinnamon). Its vegetation occurs earlier than that of Te Guan Yin and its leaves are slightly lighter. The taste of the infusion is sharper, festive, bright.
Mao Xie (Hairy Crab) has more rounded teeth along the edge of the hard sheet. The taste of the infusion is more modest and quiet. In general, in addition to tea, Mao Xie is the collective designation of "Chinese simple delicacy."
Ben Shan (This mountain). A distinctive feature is a smaller leaf, in contrast to the leaf of the TG variety.
Fo Shou (Buddha's Palm) is a type of tea that is grown in Wuyi, Taiwan, and now in Anxi, in Yongchun County, where the environment is carefully taken care of. The taste of the infusion shows coniferous shades, a certain sea freshness.

Where does the real Tie Guan Yin grow?

“The value of Tie Guanyin tea is higher than gold,” is often heard in Anxi. By Anxi, we do not mean a specific city, but rather a large number of villages, towns, lands where tea is grown, in the prefecture above the designated center. Each area has its own nuances. We are simply not able to describe everything, so we will focus on some that an admirer of TG simply must know.
- Xiping is the officially recognized birthplace of TeGuanyin. Experts, based on the Anxi Handbook, came to the conclusion that the discovery of the Tie Guan Yin tea bush was made by the peasant Wei Yin, yes, the one who brought three cups of tea to the image of Guanyin every day. The height of the mountains, on which the terraces with tea bushes are located, is up to 1000 meters. It is generally accepted that the production of tea here is close to the traditional manner (although there are also fashionable trends for “bright greens”, of course), and, consequently, the taste of the infusion will be predominantly sweet.
- Gande is the unofficial birthplace of tea. Here they consider the first discoverer and the first technologist Wang Shizhan, who in a crevice of mountains in ancient times saw a plant in a dream, which he later actually discovered and transplanted into an iron tripod. And Emperor Qianlong, having tasted the presented infusion, gave him a name - "Iron Goddess of Mercy and Compassion." The mountains here reach a height of about 1300 meters. The tea from this county is leading the market due to "pure, special taste and aroma", created by low oxidation with innovative production methods (freshness of greens with sourness). From here came the innovative decision to leave either a piece of the stalk a few millimeters in the finished tea, or the entire stalk of two to five centimeters. As a result, Gande has established itself as a place with TG tea, where the “proper sourness” prevails in the taste.
- Xianhua. The name of the county speaks for itself: the traditional "returning sweetness" in the aftertaste, floral in the infusion and in the aroma. Plus, the area is still relatively new to tea production.
- Sanyan. A 10,000 sq km plant factory was put into operation in Hutou Township last year with automated computer control of temperature, humidity, LED lighting, and nutrition conditions. No, as long as they only grow vegetables.
- The bush of the Te Guan Yin variety can now also be found in Yunnan, Taiwan and even Vietnam.

Does it "insert" Puer tea? The effect of Puerh tea, Tie Guan Yin, Da Hong Pao

Recently, among young people, the topic of the impact of Chinese tea on consciousness has been relevant. There are many different opinions on this matter, but the general trend promoted in society is as follows: a certain type of Chinese tea (Puer, Tie Guan Yin, Da Hong Pao) “inserts”, “pret”, "pins", "relaxes","causes intoxication", in general, has a pronounced narcotic effect.

How true and true is this? Is this a rumor or is there some truth in it? We decided to thoroughly understand this issue, this is what our article is about, let's look at it in order.

And let's take the song as a basis "Tea Drinker" popular rappers Basta and Gufa ...

It's not a drug, he's not rushing,
Well, yes, but tea is different
There are dangerous varieties
I made the top three for some reasons
And I decided to draw some parallels ...

3rd place: Puer

First of all, pu-erh has a pronounced tonic effect. This effect can be compared with a light narcotic, but still it is tea, so in moderation it has a beneficial effect on the entire body.

Puer has a direct effect on the body. If you describe the effect of pu-erh in one word, then we can say that you become from it: "wound up", "excited", "wound up". Pu-erh is very good to use before sports training, before exams, for drivers during a long journey. From a real high-quality Pu-erh tea, the effect cannot be confused with any other.

The main effects of good and high-quality Pu-erh tea:

• Tones, invigorates, reduces drowsiness,
• Clears the mind, makes the mind clear,
• Calms the spirit, helps to control oneself, focus,
• Improves digestion and metabolism in the body,
• Sobering, makes the eye keen and clear,
• Has many medicinal properties, it is one of the most medicinal teas in the world.

How to brew pu-erh:

When brewing pu-erh, the water used is of great importance, it is better if it is spring or soft, purified. Shu (black) pu-erh should be brewed with boiling water at 95-100 ° C, you can even boil it a little. Young Shen (green) Pu-erh should be brewed at a temperature of 80-90 °C. The first infusion must be drained, then the tea is infused for about 3 minutes.

The effect of pu-erh also depends on the time of infusion. The longer the tea is infused, the stronger its tonic properties. Pu-erh can be brewed in a thermos and drunk for several hours. It perfectly retains the temperature and all its properties.

Puer flavor:

Shu (black) pu-erh has a specific earthy flavor, can be with hints of prunes, combine fruity or nutty notes. Shen (green) pu-erh - more tart in taste and more reminiscent of.

In high-quality Pu-erh there should be no bitterness (or it should disappear quickly), it should easily and gently pass down the throat, warming and soothing. The longer the pu-erh is stored, the softer its taste becomes. Starting from 3 years of aging, pu-erh becomes for consumption.

Aftertaste:

Depending on the variety, the aftertaste of pu-erh is sweetish, full, pleasant and quite long.

2nd place: Tie Guan Yin

A real high-quality Te Kuan Yin calms and pacifies, leads the soul and body to harmony. Tie Guan Yin belongs to turquoise teas, has an exceptionally bright and multifaceted floral aroma and taste.

Physical sensations are enhanced by organoleptics (Method for determining product quality indicators based on the analysis of the perceptions of the sense organs - sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste). Therefore, you can enter into a kind of euphoria from the harmonious perception of this tea. These are not just words - with the right brewing, you can really feel it pretty quickly.

Tie Guan Yin has a beneficial effect on the general well-being of a person. This tea is uplifting, gives vitality and energy, helps creative people find inspiration. Ideal for communicating with friends, makes the conversation pleasant and sincere, tunes in to a common wave and brings people together.

Ideally, it should be brewed using the Gongfu Cha (Superior Tea-Drinking Mastery) method, which is how oolongs should be brewed. Can be brewed in the usual way: at a temperature of 80-90 °C. Water should be spring or soft, purified. The first infusion must be drained, then the tea is infused for about 2 minutes, the number of brews is up to 5-7 times. Tie Guan Yin should not be infused for a long time, as it may lose its taste and properties.

Tie Quan Yin is ideal for communication. If you invite a few close friends for a couple of teapots of Te Guan Yin tea, the conversation will flow easily, sincerely, openly and naturally. This tea is able to create a special atmosphere in which all participants of the tea party are immersed.

The apotheosis of tea drinking can be a kind of euphoria that all participants in the tea ceremony will feel. For the best effect, tea drinking should be carried out in a room isolated from extraneous noise, with subdued light and light, pleasant music.

Taste of Tie Guan Yin tea:

Rich, slightly sweet, honey, with pronounced floral notes. The taste of Tie Guan Yin tea can vary from cup to cup, from tart and rich to light, barely perceptible.

Aftertaste:

Fresh, bright, extraordinarily long lasting with floral undertones.

1st place: Da Hong Pao

In the production of Da Hong Pao tea, fermentation is longer than that of Tie Guan Yin tea, so its taste can be described as full, rich, honey. Its effect is similar to Tie Guan Yin tea, but slightly longer in duration.

Da Hong Pao has a relaxing effect, it will warm you from the inside and let you feel the comfort of the environment. Tea perfectly improves mood, promotes harmonious communication in the company of friends, sets you on the same wavelength.

Da Hong Pao gives a very interesting state and allows you to feel exactly “tea intoxication”, which is unlike anything else. The Big Red Robe makes the mind clear and sober, relieves emotional tension, allows you to feel pleasant spreading sensations throughout the body.

FURFUR continues to talk about tea culture and the most interesting varieties. Following pu-erh and da hong pao, Timur Zarudny continues to talk about another popular type that has been heard for the past few years - teguanyin.

Tieguanyin is a turquoise tea, heavily twisted medium fermented oolong tea. In the Taoist tradition, it is called "tea of ​​five flavors", because its taste is revealed gradually, with each new brew, from cup to cup. It has a memorable, but at the same time transparent taste and surprisingly strong characteristic aroma.

History and types

Tieguanyin began to be cultivated by monks during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th-8th centuries in Anxi County, southern Fujian Province. Now this place is considered the tea capital of the Middle Kingdom, where the largest tea market is located, gathering the largest number of tasters, collectors and businessmen four times a year. The “iron Bodhisattva” is harvested the same number of times, and the entire market is filled with this tea - teguanyin is considered one of the most expensive varieties of tea.

According to legend, a devout teamaker lived in Anxi County, who every day brought a cup of freshly brewed tea to the image of the Bodhisattva of Mercy Guanyin. One day the tea master had a dream in which the goddess told him to go to the nearest mountains to collect the gift. In the morning, the farmer went to the appointed place and saw the tea tree, illuminated by the sun's rays. Taking and processing the leaf, he received a heavy, iron-like tea with a honey aroma and mild taste, which he named after the goddess Guanyin.

There are many legends about the origin of "ironness": there is a metallic taste, and the appearance of the finished sheet, and the Taoist rationale: best time collection of varieties - autumn, which correlates with the primary element "metal".

There are several varieties of teguanyin: classic oolong teguanyin, lao teguanyin, and black teguanyin, also called "black dragon". With the classic, everything is clear: it has a bright emerald color, a transparent and unobtrusive taste, it is quite easy to buy, and it was he who glorified Anxi County.

Classic teguanyin

Production

For the production of the "iron Bodhisattva", more mature leaves are needed than is customary for the production of most teas. Harvesting takes place four times a year: in autumn, spring and summer. Three times a day: early in the morning, at noon and in the evening, after sunset. The leaf is going mature, large and fleshy.

Real teguanyin is packed in vacuum bags and only in this way gets to retail. Otherwise, the tea loses its taste and aroma and becomes a tasteless herb. So loose teguanyin from glass jars is no longer the tea you need.

It must be remembered that the higher the price, the better tea. This rule does not always apply to the assortment of Russian tea shops, but still, the chance to buy quality tea at a high price in a place with a good reputation is greater than in an online store with dubiously low prices.

In Russia, there is a chance to stumble upon the so-called zhong cha, passed off as teguanyin. Zhong cha is a low-grade tea, which was obtained either from low-quality raw materials or due to a technological error. It is visually similar to the "iron Bodhisattva", so in order not to make a mistake when choosing, you need to remember the distinctive features of a quality teguanyin.

Brewing

Text: Timur Zarudny

We very often encounter a common misunderstanding: oolong is called green tea. Probably, because officially, in the compositions according to the norms of the Russian Federation, the manufacturer can only write either black or green tea; there are no other teas for bureaucrats. But you and I have access to wider information: oolong is not green tea, it is a separate group of Chinese teas with unique processing technologies. Oolong is more fermented than green tea, which puts it in the classification between black (in Chinese - red) and green tea. But in fact, he is not like anyone else! Anyone can like Oolong: those who love green tea, those who do not like green tea, those who do not know what tea is at all)) Oolong is a surprisingly harmonious and multifaceted drink, everyone will find pleasure in it for themselves.

But oolongs are different. Now we are talking about Tie Guan Yin. And even tea under this name can be very different.

Firstly , there are several subspecies of Te Kuan Yin according to the processing methods. The most common:

• Qing Xiang- the lightest, lightest and most fragrant, it is he who is most often found on sale;
• Nong Xiang- darker, denser in taste, "roasted".

• There are also intermediate variations Hua Xiang). There is also a strongly fried Te Guan Yin - the so-called Lao Tie Guan Yin- “aged”, “aged”, but in fact it is unlikely that tea aged for years is found in retail sales, it is just a high-roasting processing technology that makes the tea remotely similar to something aged.

• Tie Guan Yin is found with cuttings - they give a special taste, but the most common is still without cuttings.
• South Fujian oolongs can be harvested in spring and autumn, with autumn ones being considered more fragrant. Take tea only from sellers who indicate the year and season of collection.

Secondly , under the same name, tea of ​​completely different quality can be sold. There is no unified grading system for leaf tea in China (although attempts are being made), so the main selection criterion is the price and personal feelings, but these indicators are very, very biased and slippery. The higher the quality of tea, which consists of the quality of raw materials and processing technology, the higher the flavor and aroma characteristics.

Since most of the market is flooded with light Qing Xiang Te Guan Yin, this review will be dedicated to him.

The Chinese have created an ideal packaging for tightly rolled teas - a vacuum bag, this allows you to keep the tea fresh longer while it is waiting for its buyer. The most common volumes: portion bags of 7-8 grams, large ones of 125, 250, 500 grams.

By the way, the packages themselves and the inscriptions on them most often do not carry significant information, because. in any package with the inscription Te Guan Yin, the seller can package absolutely any tea.

Tie Guan Yin has a catchy appearance - its leaves are twisted in a special South Fujian style. Rolling Taiwanese oolongs, for example. has a higher density. The color of the dry leaf is green in different shades, from light to dark.

Aroma . Oh, this is an unforgettable aroma of freshness and flowers! Aroma of fresh leaves with hints of lilac flowers. Causes associations with late spring, although the tea itself is harvested in autumn. When brewed, sweetness is more clearly heard in the aroma, I would even say sweetish freshness, inherent only in South Fujian oolongs.

Taste also fresh, light, and quite a bit of astringency. Will appeal to lovers of weak tea without bitterness. And of course, the incomparable refreshing-sweet aftertaste!

Color infusion - light golden. The camera refuses to catch it))

Brew it can be done in different ways. Best of all, oolongs are revealed in traditional brewing: such a portioned 7 g bag for a teapot or gaiwan with a volume of about 150 ml. It is brewed in short infusions of 5-10-15 seconds, the infusion is completely poured into cups, drunk and the tea leaves are poured again - this is how tea withstands many infusions, even medium-quality oolong can easily withstand 5-7 infusions, each of which brings new flavors. aromatic sensations. It is about this method that we are talking about when it is said that tea can be brewed a number of times. If you brew with infusion: a teaspoon for an ordinary office mug or a large teapot and 3-4 minutes, then we are not talking about any 7 brews.

During brewing, the twisted leaves unfold. After drinking tea, you can evaluate them. South Fujian oolongs have large mature leaves, the edges are most often “ripened”, but the shape of the leaf should still be visible, and not shapeless stumps. The more solid and beautiful the leaf, the better quality tea. This representative, as you can see, is very average.

Of course, oolong also has a lot of benefits for the body. His most famous properties : normalizes blood pressure, has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system, strengthens teeth. I also use it for cosmetic purposes - I wash my face with infusion, it makes the skin velvety.

Oolong gently affects the nervous system, harmonizes and soothes. It is pleasant to drink it in the evening, with good people.

Where and how much . Finding Te Guan Yin is not a problem now, it is sold everywhere. The tea in this review was purchased from this Taobao store (the specific reference to the lot has now died). In my opinion, the lower price threshold: 100-200 rubles per 100 grams in Russian stores, $ 5 or 10-20 yuan in Chinese - this is extremely cheap, you can drink such tea, but without great pleasure. It is better to focus on a higher price, but not go into space. A vivid example of the fact that a high price is far from always an indicator of quality: I somehow happened to drink Te Guan Yin Wan from a network tea shop with a claim to boutique "Ouncia" at a price of as much as 2000 rubles per ounce (28 grams) - and it was a very mediocre tea, not worth such a price.

Recently, "Milk Te Guan Yin" has been encountered - this, like all teas with the prefix "milk" or "nai xiang" in Chinese, tea with artificial flavoring.

And don't forget that Te Guan Yin has other closest brothers, though not so sensational, but no less tasty and interesting: Mao Xie, Ben Shan, Huang Jin Gui.

Pleasant and joyful tea drinking to all!

Te Guan Yin tea (also spelled Tiguanyin, Te Guanyin and abbreviations TGI or TG) is a weakly fermented oolong tea grown and prepared in Anxi County, southern China's Fujian Province. In Russia, this is perhaps one of the most popular varieties of Chinese tea. Its history spans several centuries. Tie Guan Yin was cultivated by monks as early as the 7th-9th centuries, during the era of the Tang Dynasty.

Te Guan Yin tea is a whole palette of different oolongs that have a common origin. In a rough comparison, there is an unconditional similarity between them in taste and aroma, as well as in appearance. But the discerning connoisseur will easily spot the difference.

When dry, Tie Guan Yin Oolong looks like a lot of green spherical lumps. The color and size of the balls may vary depending on the variety of Tie Guan Yin. They can be smaller or larger, pale green or expressively bright. These are tea leaves twisted in a special way, which, when brewed, open and, swelling, increase in volume.

Dry tea has a pronounced floral-herbal aroma, somewhat reminiscent of lilac. When brewed, the aroma is revealed in full force.

Chinese tea Tie Guan Yin gives a rich infusion of yellowish-green color with a bluish tint. It gets darker as it brews, but as the strength of the leaf wears off, the infusion will begin to lose color.

Oolong taste is unique, you feel floral freshness with light sweet notes. And then the tea will give you a long aftertaste of honey sweetness.

The name of oolong is translated into Russian in different ways: "Iron Buddha", "Iron Goddess Oolong", "Iron Bodhisattva Tea". A more accurate translation would be "Iron Goddess of Mercy".

Origin Legend

Like any famous tea, Tie Guan Yin has its own legend of origin.

Long ago, in the heart of Fujian's Anxi County, there was an abandoned temple that housed an iron statue of Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy. Not far from the temple lived a poor farmer named Wei, who grew tea. Every day, on the way to his field, Wei saw that the temple was falling into disrepair. And one day he told himself that something had to be done about it.

Unfortunately, Wei did not have the money to repair the temple. He just took with him a broom and incense. He swept the floor clean, removed the dust and cobwebs and lit incense stick as a sign of offering Guanyin. I finally did something, Wei thought to himself. From that day on, he began to visit the temple regularly, cleaning and lighting incense twice a month.

In this cave, Wei found a tea sprout. He planted it in his field, and soon a bush grew from the shoot, from the leaves of which a delicious drink was obtained. He distributed sprigs of a rare plant to all his neighbors and began selling this tea under the name Tie Guan Yin - Iron Goddess of Mercy.

Over time, Wei and his neighbors got rich and carried out a thorough renovation in the temple with the iron statue of Guanyin. Now this place has become the pride of the region. And Mr. Wei walked past the magnificent building every day, feeling joy and gratitude. This is how Tie Guan Yin tea began its journey.

Production features

Raw materials for Tie Guan Yin tea are harvested only by hand 4-5 times a year. The autumn harvest is especially appreciated, but the winter Tie Guan Yin belongs to the lowest category of oolong, although it also has its own connoisseurs.

Since Tie Guan Yin belongs to the variety of large-leaf teas, its production requires more mature leaves, which have absorbed the maximum of useful substances. Such raw materials give the tea a more expressive taste and aroma.

Tie Guan Yin tea plantation in Anxi County in China

The production of TGI tea includes the following steps:

1. Collection of tea. Traditionally, farmers go to the tea harvest in the morning when the dew has fallen, and only four freshly blossomed top leaves are removed from each bush.
2. Drying. At this stage, the collected raw materials are exposed to the sun. The process continues for several hours. To obtain a homogeneous material, the raw material is periodically stirred.
3. Fermentation. For Tie Guan Yin, the fermentation process is of utmost importance. A dried leaf is placed in a thick layer in baskets and placed in the shade. But every hour the leaves need to be kneaded and mixed, but at the same time keep its shape. With this treatment, fermentation affects the edges of the leaves, and the core remains green. The longer the process takes, the stronger the tea is fermented.
4. interruption of fermentation. It is achieved by calcining raw materials at a temperature of 250–300 degrees for several minutes.
5. Twisting. In former times, manual labor was used at this stage. Now people have been replaced by machines. With the help of a special vise, the bag with tea raw materials is compressed and twisted. As a result, oolong from the leaf turns into spherical lumps, which better preserve the freshness of the tea leaf.
6. Final drying. The purpose of the stage is to finally fix the shape of the tea and remove residual moisture.
7. Sorting. At this stage, the finished oolong is cleaned of leaf roots and the tea mass is homogenized.
8. Packing. To preserve the unique flavor of Tie Guan Yin, it is packaged in vacuum packaging from foil. Such packets may contain 50, 100 or 250 grams of oolong tea. But packing in small bags of 8 grams is considered more correct. Very often, sellers offer an iron can, inside of which there are 30 TGI vacuum bags with a total weight of 240 grams.

Types and varieties of Tie Guan Yin

Under the Tie Guan Yin brand, many varieties and varieties of tea are sold in China. When purchasing teas in online stores, you should carefully read the description. A self-respecting seller will definitely specify which variety of the famous oolong is in question:

• The highest quality TGI is called Te Guan Yin Wang. This tea-lord, tea-king, the highest quality among their fellows.
• Tie Guan Yin Mao Cha is a draft, not fully sorted tea. It goes on sale along with leaf cuttings, but is rich in essential oils.
• Lao Tieguanyin is the so-called "aged" tea. According to the methods of preparation, it is somewhat similar to pu-erh. It is fermented more strongly, and after being ready, it is kept under certain conditions for three years.
• Tie Guan Yin Nong Xiang is a highly fermented oolong with brown leaf edges. Gives a very strong infusion and is considered a male tea. For its manufacture, autumn leaves are harvested.
• Tie Guan Yin Qing Xiang - the opposite of the previous variety, women's tea. The leaf is slightly fermented, so it retained the original green color. The tea has a very mild flavor and is harvested in the spring.

Spring Tea

There are also varieties of TGI, which take their name from the place of growth.

Anxi Tie Guan Yin is grown in Anxi County. It can be called the classic Te Guan Yin. Anxi consists of 13 towns and 11 townships, and each region produces its own oolong tea.

We will name only two more famous varieties:

• Xiping Tie Guan Yin grows in the village of Xiping. Mother bushes have been preserved here, and tea is made according to a secret ancient technology. Oolong from Xiping is darker, with a thicker, buttery flavor.
• Chengxiang Tie Guan Yin is from Chengxiang village. Here, oolong is lightly roasted and smoked over charcoal. It is called Black Tie Guan Yin or Tieguanyin Black Dragon.

Beneficial features

Tie Guan Yin will not only bring joy to your perception with its delicate aroma, unsurpassed taste and invigorating effect, but will also have a positive effect on your well-being due to its beneficial properties.

Oolong Te Guan Yin has a complex effect on the human body:

• Its psychological effect is universal. It all depends on the number of cups drunk and the time of tea drinking. A small evening serving of oolong will help to relax and calm the mind. Tea drunk in the morning, on the contrary, will invigorate and give additional strength.
• Among the properties of Tie Guan Yin tea, the ability to cleanse blood vessels from fatty plaques should be noted. And since tea has the ability to break down fats, it helps to lose weight and rejuvenates the body.
• The use of oolong has a positive effect on blood pressure, bringing it back to normal.
• Scientists claim that tea contains a powerful antioxidant epigallocatechin gallate, which inhibits the growth of cancer cells.
• Oolong is also beneficial for maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

How to brew Tie Guan Yin

High quality Tie Guan Yin does not like boiling water. For its brewing, it is recommended to use water of 85-90 degrees. A thermometer is completely optional. It is enough to turn off the boiling kettle and wait 5-7 minutes.

During the brewing process, Te Kuan Yin expands very much in volume, so it is better to use less tea leaves than when preparing other types of tea.

1. Te Guan Yin is best brewed in a porcelain gaiwan. It should be preheated by pouring boiling water over it. For 200 ml of volume, 3-7 grams of oolong is enough. Some recommend 8-12 grams, but this is a clear overkill. The seal will be too strong.
2. The first time, dry tea is poured with hot water in order to wash off the dust from it and let it “wake up”.
3. The water is immediately drained, and the refreshed tea is allowed to breathe.
4. The second brew, which is held for 30-60 seconds, is already drinkable. If you drink from small bowls no more than 60 ml, then it is appropriate to use a chahay - the Chalice of Justice, so that the infusion in each bowl is of the same strength.
5. Correctly brewing Te Guan Yin tea is recommended with an increase in the time of each brewing by 30 seconds. High quality oolong is able to give a fragrant tasty infusion up to 9 times.

One important note that applies to all quality teas, and Te Guan Yin Oolong in particular. To appreciate the taste and aroma, it is necessary to drink tea not during meals and not after a meal. Tea drinking should be dedicated to separate time.