The Story of Tea

by Mary Lou Heiss

  Tasting pu-erh through the years to check on its readiness is simple. One carefully removes several whole leaves from the back side of the disc near the dimple (it is easier to remove at this point) and brews some liquid treasure. When it is to the owner’s taste, it is ready to be consumed, but the pu-erh will not change further quickly, so there is no hurry to drink it all up. In an effort to satisfy worldwide demand for ready-to-drink pu-erh, tea artisans in the 1970s began to experiment with “accelerated aging,” and Shou pu-erh was created.

  Shou pu-erh. In the pu-erh Yunnan local standard, there are ten grades of leaf for Shou pu-erh, with grades 1 through 4 reserved for use in the fancier compressed shapes and for the high-quality loose-leaf offerings. Grades 5 through 10 are used for basic beeng cha, rectangles, and market-quality loose-leaf Shou pu-erh. Interestingly, this grading system refers only to the leaf, so it is not a complete indicator of quality, and the consumer may not even have access to the grade designation. In the case of compressed pu-erh, when a beeng cha or other shape has a number stamped on its paper wrapper, the third digit is the grade. However, there is more to it than that: top-grade leaf can be ruined or simply develop incorrectly in the fermenting, or grade 8 leaf may mature into an unbelievable Shou pu-erh with careful fermentation and years of excellent aging. Our best recommendation is to rely on a reliable merchant or, if possible, purchase a sample taste. When purchasing loose-leaf pu-erh, purchase a small quantity at first. When you find a loose leaf that you like, purchase as much of that batch as you can afford, because every lot is different!

  Wo Dui Shou pu-erh. To manufacture Wo Dui Shou pu-erh, the same process is followed as for all pu-erh, up to the point of piling the Mao Cha on the factory floor. The moist leaf for Wo Dui Mao Cha is piled more densely than it would be for compressed Shou pu-erh. It is allowed to ferment in that state for the amount of time necessary to produce a finished loose-leaf pu-erh. This process is usually reserved for summer leaf, as the heat and humidity of the muggy summer weather is ideal for generating the heat necessary to regulate fermentation. The leaf is never compressed but is finished as an oxidized tea would be, with a final firing to expel excess moisture and prevent spoilage.

  Wo Dui Shou pu-erh is ready to drink right away and is often sold in wooden mini-chestlets that replicate the historical tea chests once used for oxidized tea. It is also packed in other containers, including bamboo (that is sometimes charred to impart a slight smokiness) and whole dried citrus peel.

  A collection of pu-erh tongs containing various shapes, including camel’s breath mushrooms and tuo cha (Yunnan Province, China).

  In order to manufacture a compressed “wet-storage” Shou pu-erh, the exact same methodology is followed as for Sheng pu-erh, except that the Mao Cha is not fired quite as dry, and after being formed into the beeng cha shape, the discs are kept in storage above 80 percent humidity and are occasionally wetted down. This accelerates the fermentation (aging) process and creates a pu-erh that will not have the complexity of flavor of a Sheng pu-erh, but it will be much less expensive and ready to drink after only two to three years. Usually factory-made, this type of pu-erh is consumed in great quantity worldwide.

  Quality beeng cha pu-erhs are traditionally wrapped in paper, which often marks the place and date of manufacture, along with the seal (known as “the chop”) of those who have previously owned the disc—a Chinese form of provenance. A stack of seven discs in a bamboo-leaf wrapper is known as a tong, which translates as “seven sons.” Each tong weighs approximately 5 pounds (2.5 kilograms). Traders wrap four tongs to a bundle (twenty-eight beeng cha total), with a total net weight of 20 to 22 pounds (10 kilograms).

  Scented Tea

  Flower-scented teas are uniquely Chinese. As China is the historical origin of many varieties of distinctive fruits and aromatic flowers, early Chinese tea masters first experimented with and then excelled at producing scented teas that were esteemed worldwide. Perhaps the most famous example of this is the manufacture of Jasmine tea (for a full discussion, see chapter 4). Tea scented with jasmine flowers was especially prized by the emperors, so during their reign (and continuing today) jasmine tea has been offered as a gift to dignitaries who visit China. The resultant far-flung exposure to this exotic new flavor of the Far East, combined with the movement of similarly mysterious goods along early trade routes, was directly responsible for the popularity of the masterfully blended Chinese scented teas that became the sources of inspiration for the lovely scented teas favored by both Russians and the peoples of the Near East. Outside of China these cultures had an early appreciation of fine tea, and Chinese tea merchants provided the bulk of their supply.

  Over time, as the popularity of finished tea spread around the world, flowers, spices, oils, and herbs began to be used to flavor different types of already finished tea locally. As more diverse flavorings became available, the variety of combination used with tea helped to develop what we now consider to be the signature flavors of the cuisines of the modern world. One sees this today with the fresh mint added to green tea in Morocco, the addition of regionally varying blends of “earth spices” to black tea with milk for India’s chai, or the addition of the citrus oil bergamot to black tea in England to create the legendary Earl Grey tea. These illustrate the body of tea history that is flavored tea; scented tea, however, refers to the technique practiced at the source of tea manufacture, in which jasmine flowers, wild rosebuds, chrysanthemums, osmanthus (sweet almond flowers), or fragrant varieties of fruit such as lychee or orange are added to partially finished tea. The tea is then finished, imbued with the aromatics given off by these flowers and other ingredients.

  Tea drinkers in the Tang dynasty often added onion, jujube fruit, orange peel, dogwood berries, or mint to their tea. Salt was always added.

  JASMINE TEA

  Manufacturing jasmine tea is a delicate and complicated task. It requires great skill to understand how to obtain the correct level of scenting. Jasmine teas divide into two categories: (1) the premium, traditional jasmine tea whose reputation is renowned, and (2) the standard-grade jasmine tea, both of which are discussed here.

  Premium, traditional jasmine tea. The base tea that is scented and subsequently transformed into top-quality traditional jasmine tea requires some of the most precise leaf preparation in the whole of tea production. It falls into none of the standard categories of tea; thus it is not green, black, white, or yellow. The best jasmine teas are made from leaf that has been encouraged to oxidize just a little but remains close in type to green tea. This distinctive initial processing yields a base tea often called pouchong, but more correctly zao bei (tea readied). This category is used only to designate the base tea that is eventually scented, becoming traditional jasmine tea. This unique process was developed expressly for two reasons: first, it gives this tea the ability to readily absorb the aromatics from the jasmine flowers, and second, its particular flavor counterpoints the sweetness of the jasmine in the cup.

  Because first-quality budset zao bei (the base tea) is harvested in the spring, and jasmine vines bloom in the summer, there is an incompatibility in the natural timing. For the top grades of jasmine tea, leaf plucking commences in April and early May (the season known for its “before-the-rain” tea). Because the jasmine vines do not bloom until July and into September, however, this base tea must be kept in storage in anticipation of the arrival of the blossoms. Zao bei, with its remarkable ability to “rest,” is set aside after its primary processing until midsummer, when the particular varieties of jasmine used for tea-scenting bloom (see “A Visit to a Jasmine Tea Factory” in chapter 4).

  That said, though, an exception to this is Bai Hao or Yin Zhen Jasmine (Silver Needles Jasmine white tea), a glorious marriage of top-grade white tea that is delicately scented with a light touch of jasmine. Because of the slight oxidation inherent in white tea manufacture, this combination works well, but the scenting is the lightest of all the jasmine teas. This ethereal tea exemplifies the exquisite i
mperial teas once available only to the emperors.

  Manufacturing jasmine tea requires at least several days, and the finer quality jasmines necessitate up to a month of scenting. The scenting involves several introductions of fresh jasmine blossoms to acquire the desired level of jasmine aroma. The zao bei leaf readily absorbs the perfume from the blossoms, so it is the fashion of the scent master that determines how long and how many times a new batch of fresh jasmine flowers is added to the base tea. When scenting in the traditional style, fresh jasmine flowers are combined with the zao bei during the hottest period of Fujian Province’s sweltering summer.

  Starting in the evening, the leaf and jasmine flowers mingle together in a large pile for about six hours. During this time the internal temperature of the pile increases to 113°F (45°C). This buildup of heat encourages the blossoms to open fully, releasing their perfume, and creates the necessary chemistry for a moisture transfer to occur between the flowers and the zao bei.

  The size of a scenting pile is adjusted to be in sync with the ambient temperature of the room. The larger the pile, the hotter the internal temperature will become, so the tea makers must keep a watchful eye on the buildup of heat. If the base tea reaches too high a temperature, a bitter, “funny” flavor will develop. After six to seven hours the piles are flattened and the tea is spread out to breathe for a short time. By now it is 2 or 3 a.m., but the scenting process is not over. Each pile of tea must be heaped again and scenting continues for another four to five hours.

  After a total of ten to twelve hours, the flowers are sifted out, then after the tea rests for a day, the process is repeated for standard grades of jasmine tea. For the better grades of tea such as First Grade Jasmine, the tea is scented four or five times. The more costly Yin Hao Jasmine is scented as many as eight or nine separate times. The first scenting period is the most important, so large quantities of flowers are used, but the amount is reduced during subsequent scentings. The level of perfume absorbed from the flowers is monitored carefully, and the variables are adjusted as necessary. After each period of scenting, the spent blossoms are removed by sifting and fresh flowers are added. The processing tea needs time to rest between scentings (more scentings require more rest in between), so it can take as long as one month to finish a batch of Yin Hao Jasmine.

  When the tea master decides that the zao bei has become jasmine tea all spent blossoms are removed from the tea with high-powered blower fans that send the blossoms scattering. Having blossoms remaining in the leaf is not considered aesthetically pleasing in most of China. Following the scenting phase, the tea is finish-fired and becomes shelf-stable, the perfume having been absorbed into the leaf, waiting to be released when brewed. In Sichuan Province, however, such top grades as Snowflake Jasmine tea have more fresh flowers added at the finish for an extra dose of fragrance and to create a visually interesting contrasting-color look.

  Standard-grade jasmine tea. The second type of jasmine tea is the large volume that is manufactured for general consumption by, for instance, the average residents of northern China, where it is extremely popular. Tea enthusiasts worldwide, particularly restaurant patrons in the West, also consume this grade. The procedure for manufacturing this broad category of jasmine tea replicates the process just described but uses summer-harvest leaf pluck of a lesser grade and is given only one or two scentings. This tea may also be created simply by combining fully processed green or oolong tea with jasmine flowers, resulting in a “jasmine tea” that is less deeply scented and has a short shelf life.

  A new entry of nonauthentically prepared jasmine tea has entered the marketplace. It is created by spraying jasmine extract on one or another of the types of tea, be it green, oolong, or white tea, from many different source countries. These concoctions may include the use of other flower essences or artificial flavoring and are primarily responsible for the rise of what is popularly known as jasmine green tea or green jasmine tea. Because this modern form of “jasmine tea” exists, the product is arguably green tea. When treated this way, however, it should not technically be called jasmine tea, because if it had been scented by traditional methodology, the base leaf would not have been green tea, but rather zao bei. Strictly speaking, it should therefore be called jasmine-flavored green tea or green tea flavored with jasmine. We recommend that tea enthusiasts make every effort to purchase authentic jasmine tea, of whichever of the two time-honored scenting styles is preferred. In doing so, we all help continue a tea tradition that has a deep-rooted history.

  EARL GREY

  Earl Grey tea is one of the most classic of the “scented” teas, although it really fits the description of a flavored tea. Whether or not there ever was a real Earl of Grey who drank tea (especially this tea) is a subject of debate, as is which tea company first used bergamot to scent its tea. No matter, the popularity of this flavored tea is so tremendous that none of the details of its history matter much to those who love its wonderful taste.

  Earl Grey tea is a blended black tea to which bergamot aroma has been added. The exact blend of tea used will affect the flavor of the finished tea, as will the bergamot. Many tea blenders use natural bergamot, and others use artificial. When natural, the oil will be one of many grades of what is known as “oil of bergamot.”

  Bergamot is a citrus fruit that looks similar to ugli fruit, and it is the rind, or peel, that is important in commerce. The pulp is edible but sour and extremely small in proportion to the whole of the fruit and has little commercial value. It is the generous rind that contains the essential oil prized by tea aficionados and perfumeries.

  We have always blended our own Earl Grey tea and therefore have complete control over the blend of tea and the amount of and style of “scenting.” The variables encountered when experimenting with different merchants’ Earl Grey are: (1) The overall strength of the tea blend itself and its particular flavor. Teas used range from being a straight Ceylon, Indian, or African black tea to a blend specifically designed to enhance the ultimate combination with the oil of bergamot. (2) The type of oil of bergamot used, natural or synthetic. Natural bergamot has a more subtle but well-defined flavor. It has snap and a genuine citrus intensity. Synthetic bergamot is more one-dimensional; it tastes okay but is timid and short in the cup. (The main reason to use synthetic oil is the small number of customers who have a citrus allergy, so it is mostly multinational companies who use it as a means to avoid potential liability issues. Their lawyers assume that most tea drinkers today do not know that bergamot is a citrus fruit.) Another source of confusion is bee balm bergamot, a biannual plant that is often used in tisanes. This is not the flavoring used in Earl Grey tea. Natural bergamot will vary from being a lightly aromatic and low-concentration inexpensive oil to the intensely flavorful and high-concentration Italian bergamot used also by perfumers. This latter is what we have always chosen to use, and it is very expensive! (3) The amount of bergamot added. This is where house style comes into play. A tea blender may choose to use strong tea and a light hand with the bergamot, a light tea and a heavy hand adding the bergamot, and every possible variation in between. All Earl Greys differ, so buy many and taste for yourself which style you prefer. We use a tremendously full-bodied and brisk blend of black tea, scented highly with natural Italian oil of bergamot. Most (95 percent) of our clientele love it just the way it is, but for those for whom it is too citrusy, we can always blend in more black tea.

  Several regional variations are: (1) a bit of Lapsang Souchong added for a smoky-style English Earl Grey; (2) the addition of a handful of lavender, so beloved in France; (3) blue cornflowers added strictly for visual interest; (4) Earl Green, which is blended using green tea rather than the traditional black tea (very difficult to blend properly because green tea is astringent as is the citrus); and (5) Lady Grey—you have to ask the merchant, because we have seen this name on many different concoctions!

  LAPSANG SOUCHONG

  Lapsang Souchong is reputedly a tea that the Chinese rarely drink; rather
, it is manufactured for export only. There is some truth to this; see “Wuyi Shan” in the black tea section in chapter 4 for a detailed relating of the fascinating history of Lapsang Souchong tea.

  This interior of a smoking shed in Zen Shan shows all three levels. In the open chamber at lower left, tiled vents in the floor allow smoke to enter the shed from the smoke boxes directly outside and behind the building (Fujian Province, China).

  The Lapsang Souchong that the West knows is also known as “Tarry Lapsang,” and that moniker really tells it all. When customers of ours request it, they are often immediately balanced by another patron who is cringing at the reminder of a tea with such a distinctive and potent flavor profile. Lapsang Souchong is like licorice and cilantro: one either loves it or detests it. And millions of tea drinkers worldwide love to consume piping hot cups or glasses of this smoky-hot beverage. No milk, no sugar or honey—just the tea, brewed strong.

  Lapsang Souchong is produced one of two ways: the rare, artisanal, and authentic Zhen Shan Xiao Zhong described in chapter 4, or the much larger production of tea that has been finish-manufactured and then transported to the smoking sheds of Zen Shan to be heavily smoked before being shipped to demanding tea enthusiasts around the world.