Introduction to Oolong Tea – Tie Guan Yin Tea

The typical Chinese Oolong Tea – Tie Guan Yin Tea is one of the most famous Chinese teas all over the world.  Tie Guan Yin is also known as Iron Goddess Mercy Tea or Iron Goddess Tea which is the English Translation of Tie Guan Yin.

The Origin of Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea

The origin of Tie Guan Yin tea is Fujian Anxi but now Fujian Zhangzhou and Fujian Yongchun also produce good quality Tie Guan Yin tea.

Brewing Tie Guan Yin

There’s a special and traditional Chinese method for this special tea Tie Guan Yin.  But simply you can brew it by putting 1-2 tea spoons of Tie Guan Yin tea leaves in one ounce of water.  Now brew it at 100 ºC for one minute and enjoy the ultimate taste with intense storm of aromas.  More information about brewing tie guan yin please check Teavivre’s article Brewing Tie Guan Yin in Western and Gongfu Style.

Taste

The rich golden liquor of Tie Guan Yin tea tastes mellow and is full of natural orchid fragrance which lasts till long i.e. longer than any other tea. The tea tastes rich and sweet with aroma storms which are the quality of Tie Guan Yin and it makes the Tie Guan Yin one of the best teas in the world.  A single sip of Tie Guan Yin tea will fill your mouth with the ultimate taste and fragrance.

Storing Tie Guan Yin Tea

The best in the world Tie Guan Yin must be stored very carefully to keep its taste and fragrance fresh and alive.  Keep the tea in sealed container which should not have any sort of order or smell.  Tea must be protected from light and air to keep the taste and color for long.  Store the tea under 5 ºC for longer storing.  But it is recommended to use the tea within 6 month and maximum one year.  More details about storing tea please check article The Proper Storage of Tea.

Health Benefits of Tie Guan Yin Tea

Tie Guan Yin tea is quite beneficial for health.  It contains healthful material like Amino acids, vitamins, minerals, poly phenols and alkaloids.  It helps great in reducing fats and hence reduces weight. Reduction in fat removes the threat of cardiovascular disease.  So the sip of Tie Guan Yin is full of health as well.  For more detailed health information on the benefits of Silver Needle white tea, please read the following scientific articles:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0026049507004106
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021915000806620

Production of Tie Guan Yin

Production process of Tie Guan Yin is unique in its way.  It involves various processes like plucking the leaves (cai qing), drying in the sun (shai qing), cooling (liang qing), tossing or yao qing, fixing (sha qing), rolling like pearls (rou nian) and finally drying or gan zao.   Tossing or yao qing is the process that makes the tie guan yin production process very unique.

Plucking leaves for Tie Guan Yin is quite special as well.  Unlike other teas, mature and healthy leaves are chosen for Tie Guan Yin.  Just the three leaves and four leaves bud are plucked and this technique is termed as “Kai Mian Cai” in traditional Chinese.  Tossing actually enhance oxidation process in the leaves which cause certain biochemical reactions in the leaves.  By tossing process we get the green healthy leaves with red edges that cause a special aroma which is the specialty of Tie Guan Yin.

History

The origin and history of Tie Guan Yin goes back to 200 years ago when Tie Guan Yin was started to be planted in Fujian Anxi, China.  There’s an interesting story about Tie Guan Yin tea name. It is said that there was a farmer in Anxi.  He was the believer of Buddhism.  One night Guan Yin (Iron Goddess Mercy) came in his dream and he saw a tea tree in that dream.  Then he found that tree and planted it in his house.  Since then this tea is known as Tie Guan Yin.  About The Oolong Tea History please check the article.

The best quality Tie Guan Yin is produced in Fujian Anxi as there’s the perfect environment for the best growth of Tie Guan Yin.  The humid and mild climate with sufficient rainfall and beautiful green mountains make Fujian Anxi naturally best fit for Tie Guan Yin farming.  The pure water of Anxi and the very traditional brewing method makes the Anxi a place where best tea in the world can be tasted in its very original taste.