For true lovers of delicious tea, there is an elite variety of the drink - Bai Hao Yin Zhen White Tea. Until the eighteenth century, he was served exclusively at the imperial table, and was also forbidden to export outside the country. Those who violated this order could even be subject to execution. In this article you will learn about the most delicate, refined and delicate taste of this drink, as well as we will talk about how to brew Bai Hao Yin Zhen. After all, it is the proper observance of the tea preparation process that is the key to obtaining a surprisingly tasty drink.
Varieties of White Tea
There are several main varieties of tea with reduced fermentation:
- Bai Mu Dan is the highest grade of tea made from raw materials after harvesting the second crop from the bush. To create it, not only the kidneys are used, but also 1-2 blossomed leaves.
- Gong Mei - the bright and astringent taste of this tea can be achieved through a combination of young leaves and thin twigs.
- Shaw Mei - to create this tea, buds, mature leaves and twigs collected during the second ripening of the same bush as for Gong Mei tea are used. Due to its strong aroma and rich color, this tea is sometimes equated with red.
- Bai Hao Yin Zhen "Silver Needles" is an elite variety obtained by collecting the first buds before the leaves bloom. Another type of tea raw material is produced - “Silver Threads”. Tea for him is rolled into balls and is subject only to single brewing. It is with this variety that we propose to get acquainted in more detail in the following sections.
Description
Bai Hao Yin Zhen is a tea native to Fujian, the only province in northern China. The name of this tea is translated from Chinese as "silver needles." Such an original name for tea was given thanks to its appearance - the needle-like leaves are covered with the finest whitish hairs, which gives them a silver tint. In addition, beautifully shaped kidneys with a sharp tip also have a silver-green color and are densely covered with small white villi.
Bai Hao Yin Zhen tea gets amazing taste due to a sharp change in air temperature day and night, as well as due to other climatic features. Every day, throughout the entire growing period, the leaves are saturated with valuable amino acids formed during complex chemical reactions. With the onset of night, all the processes that form the taste and aroma of tea stop for a while, which allows the accumulation of vitamins and useful nutrients.
History
In the homeland of Bai Hao Yin Zhen tea, there is a beautiful legend about the origin of this drink. In ancient times, China was overtaken by such a severe drought that people were deprived of the crop for many years. Famine began in the country, from which the people began to perish en masse. Then the elders decided to search for a miraculous plant whose juice could save people. However, the black dragon guarding this plant was so cruel that it turned everyone who approached it into stone statues. Many young and strong young men who went in search of a saving plant never returned home. But once a beautiful girl was able to defeat the Dragon by cunning and get the seeds of future white tea. Having sprinkled stone statues with plants, the girl was able to revive people.
Features of the collection
Do you know how serious the process of collecting tea Bai Hao Yin Zhen? For the collection of tea raw materials, bushes of the Da Bai Cha variety are used, which have a fairly early growing season. The very first buds appear in late February or early March, when the entire bush is covered with white villi that protect the plant from the cold. The collection process begins strictly from March 15 and continues only until April 10, since budding and leaf ripening begin at a later date, which is unacceptable for this type of tea.
Unblown buds are harvested by hand, gently tearing the upper branches, trying not to disturb their appearance. After this, the branches are removed, and therefore from 10 kilograms of the collected raw materials, no more than 500 grams of young buds are obtained, which after drying produce 100 grams of tea. Harvesting is carried out in dry and calm weather, in the morning - from 5 to 9 hours. In addition, special requirements are imposed on tea pickers:
- on the eve of the harvest, it is forbidden to eat foods with a strong aroma, for example, garlic and onions, the smell of which can affect the taste of tea;
- it is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages, which can reduce the concentration of the attention of the picker and also adversely affect the aroma of the crop;
- Do not use perfumes, deodorants, or other products with a strong odor on the day of tea collection.
Only if all the deadlines and requirements are observed, is it possible to create an inexpressible drink.
Tea Production
The tea production process can be divided into four main stages.
- Harvesting, the features of which we examined above.
- Drying.
- Warming up.
- Final drying.
After harvesting, tea leaves dry well in the open. And drying alternate: first in the sun, then in the shade. At this stage, the raw material loses up to 90% moisture. The dried leaves are sent to the oven for heating, drying, and the fermentation process. The temperature in the furnace is maintained at a constant level of +45 ° C. Fermentation of tea should not exceed 7%. After that, the tea is finally dried and sent for storage.
Taste qualities
Bai Hao Yin Zhen has a very unusual creamy taste, formed due to minimal processing of tea raw materials. The texture of tea is both viscous and light. Floral shades complemented by a subtle aroma of apricot. The delicate and refined aftertaste is not marked by a long duration, but the aroma of the drink is preserved for a long time. According to numerous reviews among the inhabitants of our country, the taste of tea resembles birch sap. In its historical homeland, this tea is called “living water”.
Beneficial features
Bai Hao Yin Zhen helps slow down the aging of skin cells. The constant use of white tea removes heavy metals from the body, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and improves heart function. In addition, white tea is an excellent prevention of caries (it is part of some toothpastes). Bai Hao Yin Zhen normalizes metabolic processes, relieves symptoms of fatigue and anxiety, relaxes and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system as a whole. White tea has a record amount of antioxidants that protect the body from cancer. Bai Hao Yin Zhen is allowed to drink even to pregnant and lactating women.
But despite a number of useful properties, white tea should not be consumed excessively. This is especially true for people with digestive problems. It is recommended to drink tea a little in order to protect the heart and kidneys from unnecessary stress.
How to brew?
Bai Hao Yin Zhen white tea is important to brew correctly to reveal and preserve the unique taste and magical aroma. For brewing, it is necessary to prepare porcelain or glassware that does not affect the aroma of the drink. Preference should be given to a special cup - gaiwan, which is used for personal tea drinking or a company of 2-3 people. This capacity holds from 50 to 200 milliliters of a drink. At home, it is not customary to drink more than 30 milliliters of it in portions. Bai Hao Yin Zhen is to be brewed no more than five times, after which it becomes completely pale and loses its taste.
Before brewing, the gaiwan or teapot is rinsed with hot water, and then pour the tea leaves. One teaspoon of tea leaves is enough for two servings of tea. After that, it is poured with hot water, which is immediately drained. It is very important to use not boiling water, namely hot water, the temperature of which does not exceed 80 ° C. Only re-brewing fully reveals the taste of tea. Water is used as spring water or purified from hard impurities. The brewing period gradually increases from two to four minutes each time.