China is the home of tea. Tea was introduced to Britain in the 17th century, and British tea culture began around the middle of the 17th century. At that time, Catherine, the princess of Charles II, was very fond of tea and was called the "Tea Queen". Under the influence and promotion of Princess Catherine, tea drinking soon spread across the country. In the 18th century, Britain had become one of the largest per capita tea consumers in the world. Tea houses and tea dances were popular in Britain in the 19th century. Until now, drinking tea has been regarded by the British as a leisurely and comfortable enjoyment. Britain's Queen Victoria also love tea, and love "Oriental beauty" tea, the first taste of its full of praise.
Why is it called "Oriental Beauty"?
Oriental beauty tea is produced in Taiwan, China (it can also be produced in the high mountain area of Mount Wuyi now). The name "Oriental Beauty" is said to have originated in England. Legend has it that an English tea merchant introduced the tea to Queen Victoria, who spoke highly of its vivid color and rich, distinctive fruity aroma. But the Queen, knowing only that the tea came from the far east, began calling it "Oriental beauty."
Legend has it that a tea farmer suffered from insect pests when planting this kind of tea, and the tea leaves in the garden were chewed out of the hole. But the tea farmers are not willing to accept this heavy loss, so they will carry the tea to the city far away from the countryside to sell. Unexpectedly, the taste of the chewed tea became more unique, and the people who bought the tea liked it so much that the traders came to pay a high price to buy all the tea. When he returned home, the tea farmer told his fellow villagers about the incident, and they even called him "puffing" (" bragging "in Taiwan Hakka language). Due to the delicate white tip on the bud head of this tea tree, Oriental beauty tea is also called "Baihao Oolong tea", also known as Fumeng tea, ponkan tea and Fushou tea. During the Qing Dynasty, tea production in Taiwan was second only to rice, and it was an important economic source for local residents.
Where does fragrance come from?
Oriental Beauty tea is semi-fermented tea, the fermentation degree is lower than pu 'er tea, the tea is clear and bright golden. Moderate fermentation not only removes the astringency of its fresh leaves, but also gives it a unique nectar flavor. However, the nectar is produced with the help of tea leafhoppers.
Tea leafhoppers are agricultural pests that are only about 3mm long and have green bodies that help them hide on tea trees. Tea leafhoppers love to eat the SAP from the tender shoots of tea trees. The adults and larvae use their syringe-like mouthparts to suck up the SAP from the tea tree into their abdomen, where nutrients and water are consumed by tea leafhoppers. Female insects lay their eggs in the more tender tissues of the tea plant, hindering the growth process of tea buds. Under normal circumstances, when tea leaves are damaged by tea leafhoppers, the edges of the buds become yellow and dry, and the veins slowly turn red. Tea trees stop growing and harden accordingly, and tea leaves even fall off. After being made into tea, the damaged tea buds also become fragile and taste more astringent, so the quality of many teas becomes poor.
Tea leaf hoppers are small and hard to spot
The exception is the plant that makes Oriental beauty tea, or baekho oolong. When gnawed by tea leafhoppers, the young leaves of this plant are partially oxidized and produce a distinctive nectar aroma. The more the leaf is chewed, and the greater the bite, the more fragrant the tea, and the higher the quality of the tea.
Insects inspire fragrance
The natural enemy of tea leafhopper - white spot hunting spider
When plants are attacked by germs and pests, they instinctively synthesize and secrete "antibody material" for self-protection, which is called "direct defense" of plants. Tea trees will certainly not let tea leafhoppers eat. When tea trees are bitten by tea leafhoppers, they will start their defense response and release a series of aromatic substances based on jasmonic acid to attract the natural enemies of tea leafhoppers -- white spotted hunting spiders to attack tea leafhoppers. White spot hunting spider is a beneficial insect, specializing in catching tea leafhoppers and other pests, which can effectively control the number of tea leafhoppers and reduce their harm.
As the defense system of tea operates, these aromatic substances will be transformed into other aromatic substances after a series of deep oxidation, which is the secret of the special nectar aroma of Oriental Beauty tea. Although the tea leaves have been "bitten", the tea leafhoppers have only sucked the juice out of the leaves, leaving the skin intact without holes.
Complex production process
It is not so easy to form Oriental beauty tea of good quality. First, the tea plant itself should be prone to produce those aromatic substances. Second, the area where the tea plant is grown should be suitable for the growth of the tea plant and the season of planting should be suitable. In addition, the planting area and season should be suitable for the growth of tea leafhoppers. The number and bite peak of tea leafhoppers are from May to June, and the picking season of Oriental beauty tea is from June to July. Therefore, the best Oriental beauty tea must be made from tender shoots that have been fully bitten before and after the Dragon Boat Festival. In addition, no pesticide application is an important factor for the active survival of tea leafhoppers, but other kinds of insects will become more because of no pesticide inhibition. Although other insects may also trigger the tea plant to activate its defense system, they do not produce the specific nectar aroma. Therefore, Oriental beauty tea appears especially precious.
Finished Oriental beauty tea
The tea making process of high-quality Oriental beauty tea is also very complicated: the leaves of one heart and two leaves at the top of the tea tree are extracted manually, and then crafted into high-grade oolong tea with traditional techniques. Oriental Beauty tea requires secondary fermentation: after stir-frying, the tea is wrapped in cloth and then placed in a container to rest and soften (or soften). After that, it goes through a complicated process (rolling, breaking pieces, drying, etc.) to make it. The Oriental beauty tea looks like it has been burned, and the tea leaves are white, yellow, brown, green and red. When viewed through a magnifying glass, the tea leaves show a thin layer of silvery hair. The tea soup of Oriental beauty tea is stronger in color than other oolong tea, showing clear and fresh golden color, just like the charming beauty of Oriental classical beauty.
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