Description
Zhengshan Xiaozhong, also known as “Lapsang Souchong,” is one of China’s famous black teas, originating from the Zhengshan area in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province. It is renowned for its unique flavor and production process, and is loved by tea enthusiasts.
YM is a European black tea wholesaler. Providing organic and healthy tea is our mission.
Characteristics:
Appearance: The dry Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea is tightly twisted like a rope, with a dark color interspersed with golden tips, making it visually appealing.
Aroma: After brewing, the tea releases a rich aroma of pine smoke and fruit, which is lasting and captivating.
Taste: The tea liquor is mellow, fresh, and slightly sweet, with a long-lasting, rich aftertaste and complex layers of flavor.
Liquor Color: The tea liquor is reddish-brown, clear, and bright.
Production Process:
The production process of Zhengshan Xiaozhong is unique and includes plucking, withering, rolling, fermentation, and drying. Its distinctiveness lies in the use of pinewood smoke for drying, imparting the tea with a characteristic smoky fragrance.
Cultural background:
As one of the originators of black tea, Lapsang Souchong has a long history and has been exported to Europe as early as the 17th century, becoming the drink of the British aristocracy at that time. It is not only an important part of tea culture, but also an important representative of Chinese tea to the world.
With its unique flavor and rich cultural connotation, Zhengshan Xiaochong has become a classic choice in the eyes of tea lovers.
The standard brewing method for Zhengshan Xiaozhong is to use boiling water at 100 ℃, with a tea to water ratio of 1:20 (5g of tea mixed with 110ml of water). The first three steeps should be brewed quickly (5-8 seconds), and each subsequent steeping should increase by 5-10 seconds, allowing for 8-10 brews.
Brewing steps
Warm up tea.
Heat the lid bowl, fair cup, and teacup with boiling water to increase the temperature of the tea set and clean it.
Add 5g of tea (110ml standard bowl), gently shake the bowl to stimulate the fragrance of pine smoke and dried longan with the remaining temperature.
Inject water and extract soup.
Fixed point low flushing: The spout of the pot is close to the edge of the lid bowl, and the water is slowly poured to avoid direct impact on the tea leaves.
The first 3 bubbles are instant (5-8 seconds), 4-6 bubbles are extended for 5 seconds each, and after 7 bubbles, sit in the cup for 10-15 seconds appropriately.
The soup should be thoroughly drained to avoid residue affecting the taste of the next brew.
Water temperature: 100 ℃ boiling water (traditional smoking techniques require high temperatures to stimulate the pine smoke aroma, while smokeless techniques can lower it to 90-95 ℃).
Tea water ratio: 1:20 (5g tea with 110ml water), the simple brewing method in the office can be adjusted to 3g tea with 200ml water.
Durability: High quality tea can be steeped 8-10 times, with a clear and sweet aftertaste with a woody aroma.
Quality characteristics and matching
Flavor: Traditional smoked varieties have pine smoke aroma and dried longan flavor, while smokeless varieties mainly have honey sweet floral fragrance.
Suggested pairing: Smoked seeds should be paired with salted dried plums or charcoal roasted almonds, while smokeless seeds are suitable for pairing with desserts such as osmanthus cake.
