This tea is from Zhang Ping in the south of China’s Fujian province. It is processed in a similar way to Tie Guan Yin from the neighbouring Anxi county. The large leaves are picked, withered, labouriously shaken, rolled and hand- pressed with wooden moulds into bricks, making it the only compressed oolong. Historically, this emerged so the leaves could be transported with less breakage. When unfurled, the leaves reveal a pattern of red and green (red means the leaves are oxidised; green means the leaves are unoxidised), making this tea a lightly oxidised oolong. The tea is is made from the highly prized Shuixian cultivar translating to ‘narcissus’, known for its aromatic properties. In this case, producing a delicate, sweet and floral aroma. It tastes creamy and slightly baked. Overall, the tea is bright and fresh. It opens up gradually and can easily be steeped over ten times.
Read our brewing guide here.
