Youxi black tea (a specialty of Youxi, Fujian)

Introduction to Youxi Black Tea

Black tea belongs to fully fermented tea, which is made from suitable new tea leaves as raw materials and refined through a series of processes such as withering, rolling (cutting), fermentation, and drying. Withering is an important process in the initial production of black tea, which is called "black tea" during the initial production. Black tea is named after the red color of its tea soup and leaves after being brewed with dry tea

Black tea is rich in various nutrients such as carotenoids, vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, caffeine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid, etc. During the fermentation process of black tea, the chemical reactions of polyphenolic substances cause significant changes in the chemical composition of fresh leaves, producing components such as theaflavins and thearubigins. Their aroma is significantly increased compared to fresh leaves, forming the unique color, aroma, and taste of black tea

The appearance is tight and fine, with a good seedling front, a golden color of many hairs, a bright orange yellow soup color, a rich aroma with a hint of sugar, a mellow and sweet taste, and fine and soft red leaves at the bottom. Simply put, Youxi black tea is noble and elegant. Zhu Lao once said, "Wuyi rock tea is coveted by immortals, but Youxi black tea is hard to come by in this world

Youxi is located in the central hinterland of our province, between Daiyun Mountain and Mount Wuyi, and belongs to the subtropical continental and marine merging monsoon climate. According to the information from the Fujian Tea Society, other tea producing areas in Fujian are limited by geography and mostly focus on one or two types of tea; And Youxi has a mild climate throughout the year, abundant rainfall, acidic rock red soil, loose soil, and deep soil layers, making it a unique tea producing area. The most prominent advantage lies in the diversity of varieties, and all kinds of tea can be made into top-quality products, which is classified as a multi tea area in the tea advantage region of Fujian Province. It is understood that the mountainous area suitable for tea cultivation in Youxi County is over 200000 acres; By 2009, the county had over 20 high-quality tea tree varieties at or above the provincial level, with a coverage rate of 92%

Tasting and Eating Methods for Youxi Black Tea

1. Suggested Tea Proportion: 100ml of water. 4 grams of tea is recommended.

2. Warm Cup Sanitary Ware: Use boiling water to moisten the tea set, warm the cup until the soup is hot, and show respect for the sanitary ware.

3. Tea Pouring: Add 4 grams of Youxi black tea.

4. Boiling water to make tea: Because Youxi red tea has excellent quality, boiling water at 100 degrees Celsius is not a problem, and it is best to use a white porcelain bowl to brew it for easy observation

5 soups: The first brew moistens the tea, and the soup is brewed in 5-7 seconds.

6 Smell the aroma, observe the color, and taste the tea. Taste: a light sweet aroma, mellow and sweet aftertaste, and soft leaf base