The world’s oldest black tea, Zhengshan Xiaozhong, not only has a rich flavour but also offers a wealth of health benefits.
Origin of Zhengshan Xiaozhong: Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province.
Quality characteristics: Dry tea is thick and robust, compact and round, with a reddish-brown colour and a uniform oiliness.
Tea colour: Deep yellow, with a golden yellow rim being considered superior.
Aroma: Fragrant and intense, with a mellow pine smoke aroma and notes of longan and honey dates.
Taste: Mellow and rich.
Leaf base: Bright red in colour, tender and thick.
Overview of Zhengshan Xiaozhong
Zhengshan Xiaozhong is also known as Lapu Mountain Xiaozhong. After the Opium War, imperialist invasions led to intense competition in the domestic and international tea markets, sparking a debate between Zhengshan tea and Wushan tea. ‘Zhengshan’ implies orthodoxy, hence the name. Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea leaves are smoked using pine needles or pine wood, resulting in black tea leaves but a deep red tea liquor with an extremely intense aroma. Zhengshan Xiaozhong is one of the oldest black teas in the world, with a history of over 400 years. It pairs exceptionally well with curry and meat dishes, and has thus been developed into the world-renowned afternoon tea in Europe. After smelling and observing the colour of the tea, it can be sipped slowly. Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea is characterised by its freshness and richness, differing from the strong, stimulating taste of broken black tea. Its flavour is rich and lingering, and even when combined with lychee or milk, its broth and tea aroma remain unchanged.
Zhengshan Xiaozhong Appreciation
Appearance: Premium Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea has smaller tea leaves; first-grade Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea has larger tea leaves; second-grade Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea is not as well-formed as first-grade, with occasional tea fragments. Tea liquor colour: A deep yellow colour with a golden rim is considered superior; a lighter, darker, or cloudy colour is inferior. Aroma: When smelling the aroma at the bottom of the cup, a strong, pure, and持久的 pine smoke aroma (dried longan fragrance) indicates high-quality tea; a weak, thin, short, coarse, or mixed pine smoke aroma indicates inferior tea. Upon tasting, inferior tea may cause a harsh, numbing, or throat-cutting sensation. Taste: High-quality Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea has a delicate and smooth pine smoke aroma, while inferior tea
Storage Method
As a fully fermented tea, Zhengshan Xiaozhong is easy to store; simply keep it sealed at room temperature. However, direct sunlight should be avoided. After being stored for one or two years, the pine smoke aroma of Zhengshan Xiaozhong further transforms into a dried fruit aroma, and the taste becomes richer and sweeter. Black tea improves with age, and aged Zhengshan Xiaozhong (three years or more) has a particularly rich and sweet taste.
Health Benefits of Zhengshan Xiaozhong
Drinking Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea promotes urination and sweating, which helps eliminate lactic acid, uric acid (related to gout), excess salt (related to hypertension), and harmful substances from the body. It can also improve heart conditions or edema caused by nephritis. Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea has a high antioxidant content, which is beneficial for heart health. People who drink Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea have stronger bones, and adding lemon to the tea further enhances this effect. Drinking Zhengshan Xiaozhong tea does not harm the stomach; instead, it helps nourish it. Regular consumption of Zhengshan Xiaozhong black tea also has a certain protective effect on the gastric mucosa and can assist in the treatment of digestive ulcers.
Tea-drinking methods
Milk black tea: First, place the black tea in a teapot, then pour boiling water over it, steep for about 5 minutes, pour the tea into a cup, add an appropriate amount of rock sugar and milk (or cream), and you have a fragrant and delicious milk black tea.
Foam black tea: Use black tea, ice cubes, jam, and sugar water. First, steep the black tea with boiling water, strain the tea, and set it aside; then fill a shaker with ice cubes to about eight or nine parts full, add sugar water, pour in the black tea liquid, tightly seal the lid, and vigorously shake it up and down. Using the principle of rapid cooling through thermal shock to create foam, shake until the ice cubes melt, then pour and enjoy.
Iced Black Tea: Brew black tea into a slightly concentrated tea liquid, then add ice cubes to the cup until it is about eight parts full, and slowly pour in the black tea liquid. Add sugar to taste and stir until dissolved to create a refreshing iced black tea with a perfect balance of colour, aroma, and flavour. Tea Jelly: 170g white sugar, 7g pectin powder, 200ml cold water, 800ml tea broth. First, brew the tea leaves with boiling water, then strain the tea broth and set aside; then mix the white sugar and pectin powder, add cold water and stir, then heat over low heat while stirring constantly until boiling; pour the tea broth into the pectin solution, mix and pour into moulds (small bowls or wine glasses are suitable), cool and set, then refrigerate. Serve as needed. Tea jelly is a refreshing beverage that cools the body and dispels summer heat.
Royal Milk Tea: Black tea, high-quality aromatic spirits, sugar cubes, and milk. First, brew the black tea with boiling water, strain the tea liquid, and set it aside; use a spoon to add a small amount of spirits and one sugar cube, ignite the sugar cube for about one minute, then pour it into the milk tea cup. Add the brewed black tea liquid, then add approximately 4 millilitres of pure milk, stir well, and serve.
