Hongdong Large Leaf Tea (a specialty of Hongdong, Shanxi)

Basic Introduction of Hongdong Large Leaf Tea

Large leaf tea is made from fresh and tender buds and leaves as raw materials, refined through traditional processes and all charcoal baking. It has tightly tied strands, golden appearance, antique bronze color, chrysanthemum heart, burnt aroma, and strong aroma

Large leaf tea has a high fluoride content, which can strengthen bones, protect enamel on the surface of teeth, prevent tooth decay (insects eating teeth), and also relieve greasiness and aid digestion

Hongdong large leaf tea has the effects of generating saliva, relieving cough, clearing the heart and improving vision, reducing inflammation and diuresis, and refreshing and reducing appetite. Regular consumption of Hongdong large leaf tea can strengthen the body and promote longevity, making it a great gift for friends and family

Tea is brewed by boiling a large amount of water, and after the bitterness, it becomes fragrant and mellow

Fragrance drifting thousands of miles brings distant memories, never forget the roots of our hometown Hongdong

It was in that era, my childhood, that I met Da Ye tea. In the eyes of my elders, it was bitter coffee, but in my mouth, it was simply Chinese medicine. They filled a large jar of big leaf tea with enamel pots, and when they filled it with water, they only saw the tea leaves without any water. After letting it sit for two or three minutes, they started drinking. They grabbed the handle of the tea jar with one hand, lifted the cylinder head with their thumb, tilted the tea jar along the gap, and the black and red tea flowed into the teacup. The strong local flavor was also refreshing, and after taking a sip, the aftertaste was endless. In a teahouse, it's different. There's no need to use enamel jars anymore. There are specialized tea sets available for both friends and guests, and the space is spacious and bright

A master with the online name Little Confused Immortal described in his blog that "winter is the most leisurely season of the year for rural people. Rural people set up tea stalls on the stoves in cave dwellings. In today's competition for famous teas across the country, drinking big leaf tea has become a habit of rural people. For rural people who drink big leaf tea almost all year round, winter is a good time for them to drink tea and chat. They gather around the stove and boil big leaf tea on the fire for a while. The tea is like medicinal soup. They chat about stories such as the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin, and sometimes also tell local folk stories, such as Su San Qijie and Da Huai. Tree immigrants, Guangsheng Temple treasure trove... Drinking thick tea, commenting on the quality of tea, with happiness and pride on their faces. The women were doing needlework nearby, sometimes interjecting a word or two, and drinking a bowl or two of tea. Laughter came from the cave dwelling, and the fragrance of tea echoed in the room! The tea stalls of rural people are not only indoors, sometimes under the big locust tree in the yard, sometimes under the poplar tree in the field, and sometimes by the wall of the wheat field. I remember when I was a child, during the wheat harvest season, rural people would bring tea when they went to the fields to harvest wheat. The golden wheat fields in Huaixiang are divided into two large pieces by the winding Fen River, and the golden wheat ears wave to the villagers in the sunshine. In the long wheat fields, rural people danced sickles under the scorching sun, sweat soaking their backs and beads rolling into their eyes. Large pieces of wheat fell behind them, and a gentle breeze blew in. The brief coolness made them feel comfortable all over, and they naturally lifted their tired bodies. The wheat on a piece of land has been harvested, let's take a break first! The rural people walked to the ground, brewed large leaf tea under the poplar trees, smoked a paper cigarette, took a sip of tea, praised the taste of the tea with "tsk tsk" in their mouths, and the tea flowed into their bodies through their esophagus. They relaxed their whole bodies, and the bitterness and fatigue were instantly eliminated. Only then did the rural people truly taste the best effect of large leaf tea. The fragrance of tea lingers and the aroma of wheat wafts, evoking a sense of happiness among rural people. They watched the fruits of their labor harvest and savored the joy brought by their labor. Their labor method of sowing, plowing, and harvesting is like drinking big leaf tea. It's a bit bitter at the beginning, but after harvesting, they taste the sweetness brought by labor

The production method of Hongdong large leaf tea

(1) Raw pot: mainly used for withering. The pot temperature is 150-200 ℃, and the amount of leaves added is 250-500 grams. The amount of leaves varies depending on the temperature of the pot and the tea frying technique. The frying method is: hold two tea roasting brooms at a certain angle to the pot wall, rotate and stir fry in the pot. The bamboo broom has elasticity, allowing the leaves to rotate and flip along with the broom in the pot, heating evenly. Rotate quickly, apply even force, constantly flip and shake to release moisture in a timely manner. Stir fry for about 3-5 minutes until the leaves are soft and dark green in color. Then, sweep them into the second pot

(2) Erqing pot (preliminary kneading): The pot temperature is slightly lower than that of the raw pot, and the frying method is basically the same as that of the raw pot, but the force and rotation should be greater, which plays a role in kneading the strips. The tea should be stir fried, otherwise the tea leaves will fly all over the pot and cannot form strips. When the tea leaves are stir fried until they form a ball, loosen the handle and shake off the tea leaves carried in the stir fry to disperse the clumps and release moisture. Loosen the handle and stir fry again, applying more force each time to knead it into strips. When the tea leaves are stir fried until they are wrinkled and folded into strips, and the tea juice overflows with a sticky texture, they can be swept into the pot

(3) Cooking pot: Cooking pot is further made into fine strips, with a pot temperature of 130-150 ℃. The method is basically the same as that of two pots, rotating and kneading to make the leaves soak in the bamboo strips stir fry, which is called "drill the handle". Stir fry until the strips are tight and fine, emitting a tea aroma. About 30-40% dry, then serve