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Home , Da Hong Pao, Fuding, Jasmine tea, Lou (surname 楼)

Traditional from FujianProvince, : Ethereal Cups of Sublime Tea Drinking Pleasure . By Mary Heiss PROFILE

Mary Lou Heiss is the co-owner of Cooks Shop Here in Northampton, Ma (www.CooksShopHere.com) a unique tea and specialty foods store established in 1974. She is the aUthor of : Hot , Cool Quenchers and Sweet and Savory Dishes, and co-aUthor with Robert J. Heiss of The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide.

or me, there is no more splendid aroma carries the lingering aroma of these blossoms than the rich, luxurious fragrance of great distances. F jasmine blossoms (family: Oleaceae, China's long and impressive list of genus: Jasminum). On a recent trip to a exceptional is comprised of thousands botanical garden I discovered that I had of variations of leaf styles in six classes of tea arrived at the perfect time. The various -black, green, , puerh, white and species of resident jasmine vines were in full yellow. Flower scented teas such as jasmine bloom, and I was thrilled to be surrounded by have been enjoyed in China for centuries, such a concentration of this heady and and delicious examples of these seductive exotic aroma. I closed my eyes, inhaled teas can be found in several of these deeply, and let the transcendent fragrance different classes of tea. conjure up dreamy images of exotic places Historically, different classes of tea and warm sultry nights. became associated with specific tea As I left the garden drunk on these producing regions, and within each class of

exhilarating aromas, I began to mentally tea many special teas developed. Many of relive the visit I made last y~ar to a traditional China's revered teas still exist today-some of factory in Province, China. these teas are known as the 'Famous Teas' There, the pervasive fragrance of jasmine while others are more familiar to local blossoms dominates the area during the hot populations of tea drinkers on a regional

and humid summer, and the gentlest breeze .. basis. Nevertheless, each of these teas

24 TheArI of .,.., TEA I la pi IA

reflects regional taste preferences and local Flamboyant and sweet-tempered jasmine tea making traditions in these regions. lea is the primary jewel in the crown of )1 Since the tumultuous days of the China China's scented teas, and in the north of ~5 Tea Trade in the 18th century, the West has China one is most likely to be served a cup of a embraced many Chinese teas, but one of jasmine tea before or after a meal. Serving d the perennial favorites is China's heady and ,iasmine tea to guests is considered a sign of e exotic flower-scented teas. The process of hospitality and welcome. ;, imbuing the lush, sweet perfume of aromatic There are many quality grades of jasmine e blossoms to tea leaves was perfected during tea, determined by the fineness of the leaf e the (1368-1644). In the earlier pluck, the freshness and condition of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) jasmine blossoms used and the number of cakes were flavored with sweet fruit pastes times fresh jasmine blossoms are introduced and sometimes flower oils, but the addition of to the prepared base tea. Different quality fresh blossoms to leaf tea belongs to the levels of jasmine tea are manufactured and flower-loving cult of Ming-era tea processors. range from the sophisticated and sublime to Since that time the addition of the glorious the mundane and cloying. perfume of fresh chrysanthemum, gardenia, China is a vast country and many tea- II jasmine, osmanthus, rose, and yulan producing provinces cultivate jasmine flowers II (magnolia) blossoms has provided moments and manufacture jasmine tea. These include :5 of delight to the relaxing pleasure of tea Fujian, , , , , drinking. Sichuan, and provinces. As with any

The Art Of Tca Magazinc 25 scented jasmine tea is historically linked to Fujian Province in eastern China. Here, jasmine tea has always been the specialty of tea factories located in the vicinity of Changle, on the outskirts of city. Fortunately for today's tea aficionados, skilled tea workers in small local tea factories located there ta ke pride in their artisan When you experience just one taste of grades of specialty jasmine tea and still the delicate flavors and intoxicating follow the required steps of traditional aromas of these traditional jasmine teas jasmine tea manufacture to scent their you will appreciate the difference. exquisite teas. When you experience just one taste of the delicate flavors and intoxicating aromas of these traditional jasmine teas you will appreciate the difference. I like to think that Ming-era tea lovers would be delighted to know that these teas are still being made today. Since the days of the China Tea Trade, Fujian has been a treasure trove of key commodity, standardization and uniformity Chinese teas such as the broad-leafed, pine- of product produces common, smoked , the revered undistinguished tea. Much of the lowest Wuyi Da Ming Cong Cliff such as quality jasmine tea is made for general and Ti Lo Han, traditional consumption and for use in Chinese varieties of bud-set and the ball- restaurants both in China and the west. These rolled (Iron Goddess of Mercy) teas use summer-harvest pluck (which is oolongs teas. Fujian jasmine teas are highly larger and coarser leaf) and are given only regarded not only for the quality of the leaf one or two scentings with fresh blossoms. but also for the ethereal quality of the fresh Even worse, these inexpensive jasmine teas jasmine blossoms (Arabian Jasmine Sambac) are often 'scented' in tea factories by simply that ~:ue cultivated on jasmine bushes grown spraying tea leaf (of whatever origin and in the environs of the tea factories. class of tea) with jasmine extract. In Fujian Province, leaf from several But all Chinese teas have one special different bush varieties of Camilla Sinensis is place where they are best understood and plucked to make various styles of jasmine interpreted, and, accordingly, traditionally tea. This includes leaf from white tea varietals

26 The Art of TEA such as Fuding Do Bai (Fuding Big White) and Pouchong tea is made solely for use in flower Fuding Do Hao (Fuding Big Sprout), which hail scented teas. from the vicinity of the town of Fuding. This Jasmine tea is a two-step process that leaf is used to make white jasmine teas such begins in the spring and is finished in mid to as the long, downy-hair covered bud-only late summer. The tea is made from freshly Silver Needles jasmine (Bai Hao Yin Zhen), plucked spring leaf but jasmine bushes flower and Jasmine Dragon Pearls, a leaf and bud- on a different cycle and do not produce set white tea that is made from the Fuding their famous blossoms until the sweltering, hot Do Bai varietal. Jasmine Dragon Pearls and humid days of late July. requires the use of this slightly larger leaf, so Because of this offset in the timing of that workers can successfully hand-roll the production, the base tea must be made leaf into a finished 'pearl.' ahead of time and packed up to await the However, these teas are the exception. arrival of the aromatic flower blossoms. When The base tea used for most Fujian jasmine tea the time is right for the blossoms and the tea is special. Jasmine tea is often referred to as to be 'married' the base tea must be such being green or white or oolong tea, but, that it is able to absorb the perfume of the while some specific varieties are made from jasmine blossoms as completely as possible white tea, most Fujian jasmine tea such as i"nto every pore of every leaf. And this ability Jasmine Silver Hair (Yin Hao Jasmine) and is controlled by the nature of the base tea. Jasmine Spring Hao Yo are made from a This base tea is called zoo pei (tea base tea that it is similar to all of these but readied). Zoo pei is made by first de- different from them. Correctly, this tea is enzyming the fresh leaf, then by rolling the ; Pouchong tea (not to be confused with leaf to break up the cell structure within the Baozhong or Paochong oolongs from Taiwan leaf. The leaf is then quickly dried with which are true oolongs that have been given indirect heat from hot air that is blown over a light oxidization and which possess a the leaf as it travels through a drying visually different leaf style). Every province machine. This creates a very different leaf that man~factures jasmine tea will use a style than leaf that is dried by direct-hea.t different base depending on preferences of methods such as pan-firing or basket firing. the local population, so in some places in These traditional techniques of drying would China is used. expose the leaf to heat that is too hot and Pouchong is best understood as a very the leaf would curl and twist; the object in lightly oxidized tea that is not bruised as in creating zoo pei is to keep the leaf traditional oolong manufacture but is de- somewhat straight and flat in order fo retain enzymed as in green tea manufacture. With the maximum amount of surface area for the exception of the preference by locals in absorbing the fragrance from the blossoms. Fujian for drinking pouchong as finished tea,

The Art Of Tea Magazine 27 a fI At this stage the zoo pei will be stored in To accommodate the opening of the the tea factory until the time that the jasmine flowers, the actual scenting of the zoo pei si blossoms are ready to be introduced to it. occurs overnight. Around 8:00 PM the Being slightly oxidized, zoo pei stores well blossoms are introduced and mixed with the Sl during this resting period. The tea waits until zoo pei and then rested for a short period. the jasmine blossoms are ripe for plucking; Depending on the quality of tea being this task is carried out in the early afternoon, made, as much as 10 pounds of flowers is z after the threat of any residual dew on the used for everyone pound of zoo pei. blossoms has vanished. Jasmine blossoms Following this, the flowers and the leaf are respond to heat and cool-the blossoms raked into a heap where they will mingle for remain closed until the build-up of the day's about 6 hours. It is here that the scenting 9 h heat encourages them to open at night. begins, as the moisture in the blossoms raises h Starting around noontime, workers begin the temperature in the heap to 40-45°C (104- plucking the tightly closed blossoms, and 113°F). continue plucking throughout the afternoon. This is the ideal environment for the leaf to Pluckers evaluate which blossoms to pluck absorb the jasmine scent. The scenting s based on color (blossoms should be white, process is actually a transfer of the fragrance not ivory) and by the length of the shaft from. from the moisture-filled blossoms into the c the base of the blossom to where it is moisture-reduced zoo pei . The size of the attached to the bush. As with freshly plucked heap is critical to the heat buildup and for leaf, the blossoms are taken to a collection the fragrance transfer to occur-the heap s t point where they are bagged for their must be neither too small nor too large,and journey to the tea factory. For the best it must take into consideration the ambient aroma, it is essential that the blossoms travel temperature of the room. If the internal from the collection point to the factory within temperature of the heap is not perfect the a few hours of being picked. perfume of the blossoms will not be properly By 4:00 PM the blossoms arrive at the tea absorbed by the zoo pei, and if the factory, where the bags will be emptied and temperature becomes too hot, a bad flavor the blossoms spread out in a room that has a will develop. It is in these heaps that the zoo temperature maintained at 38-40°C (100-104 pei, exposed to a buildup of heat, slightly OF).Here, the heat will encourage the flowers oxidizes during the lengthy process of to open. The goal is to have the flowers open absorbing the flower scent. just halfway, the point at which the workers Around 1:00-2:00 AM the heap is flattened, can see the center of the blossom. Flowers spread out, rested, and heaped again. The are sifted and any that have not opened are blossoms and the zoo pei will be allowed to discarded. 'marry' again in the second heap for an

28 !he Artof .... TEA additional 4-6 hours. When the heap is time of 'marrying' lessens. When the tea is flattened and spread out in the early finished, the moisture content will have morning, the blossoms will be removed by increased about 15% and the tea will need sifting the tea through bamboo sieves. The to have a final firing to stabilize the leaf. After spent blossoms will be discarded and the zoo this, some jasmine teas are given a final pei will rest until the second round of scenting scenting to coat the surface of the leaf with begins. an additional layer of perfume and to 'lock The first scenting is the most critical, as the in' the inner fragrance. zoo pei must absorb as much fragrance as For export tea, jasmine blossoms are possible in this first introduction. Further added for 'looks' more than for establishing inductions of blossoms will follow-as many as aroma. Most drinkers (except for 9 subsequent scentings are given to the those in Sichuan and and the areas highest grades of jasmine tea, which is called north of Beijing) do not like added flowers in high scenting; lesser grades of tea will be their jasmine tea. Because of the length of given 4 to 5 scentings, and the most common time it takes to repeatedly scent the highest teas, only one or two scentings. But, the zoo grades of jasmine tea, the newly pei must be cooled and rested in between manufactured teas do not usually become scentings-the manufacture of Yin Hoo available in the marketplace until October or jasmine requires close to a month to November each year. complete. Thanks to the dedicated artisan tea Each additional time that a batch of tea is workers in Fujian, today's tea connoisseurs scented, fewer blossoms are used, the can experience several exciting choices in temperature in the heap is reduced and the jasmine tea. I"'TEAI

The Art Of Tca Magazine 29 ------

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around looking for answers? He questions. Like poetry, they are. had made him smile and start liked thinking they had. Like him, And besides, these were the wisest walking again. Now he wasn't so had they too sought out one men around, so his questions had sure, though. The air was clearer. teacher after another? And to be perfect. He might only have the stars closer, and the breeze

questions that only released one chance, and he'd spent a long, quieter. Maybe they just liked it up

thousands more in turn? Had they rambling life waiting for it. here? Or better yet, maybe they really found all the answers? Were That night he slept in a small too had come down long roads like their clothes also tattered from cave he found halfway up the him? Vowing not to stop until they

sleeping outdoors? Maybe none of mountain. The fog had rolled off felt fulfilled? Maybe this openness that mattered. His questions did, around dusk and the night sky was a part of that fulfillment? He

though. He again began pondering shown like a diamond palace he'd wrapped his robes about him and what he would ask when he got to once dreamt. There were a few leaned back against the small cave

the top. He was rehearsing. He times, when he had stopped to wall. He thought about the knew that dramatizing the future wipe the sweat from his dirty brow, animals that had all lived in there

or past wasn't becoming of a that he'd wondered why teachers over time. Their lives. Their seeker. One should live in the always lived up in the mountains. journeys without question, almost present. He'd learned all that long Then, he'd thought it was to keep pulled or led. How unfortunate. away from people like him. That He loved his journey. He loved the ago, but he still loved making up I

------J

The Art Of Tea Magazine 35