After the Awakening of Insects, people have completely entered a state of spring drowsiness.
From morning till night, from night till morning, the only thing that supports work motivation is brewing rock tea one after another, trying to revitalize the mental state of a muddy pond through the sweet and fragrant aroma.
When we talk about the temperament of rock tea, it is the most characteristic of Wuyi’s mountainous temperament. After all, it grows from the rotten rocks in the rock pits, and the rock tea cannot do without this “alive” spirit in its bones.
But the experience of “living” in a cup of tea is not as concrete as the fragrance of flowers, powder, or cinnamon. It has many individual experiences with diverse opinions, but it is not completely abstract. During the process of drinking tea, it often generates collective resonance.
Today, based on our own observations and personal experiences in the tea industry, we will talk about my understanding of “life”. Through the topic of life, we will also use it to force the brains of spring tired people to turn on
NO.1 He was the first to organize the ‘live’ activities
The ranking of tea products is called ‘active, sweet, clear, and fragrant’. Active tea leaves a sweet taste on the tongue after a sip, and then turns and bursts out; sweet tea has a bitter taste at first, and then turns to feel its sweetness; clear tea has a clear taste and aroma; fragrant tea has a pure orchid flavor, penetrating the teeth and cheeks, which is beyond the reach of dragon balls and phoenix cakes
In “Notes on Returning to the Fields”, Liang Zhangju recorded the characteristics of rock tea. To put it bluntly in our current understanding, “lively” refers to the fresh and lively taste of the tea soup that leaves a sweet aftertaste on the tongue after entering the mouth.
Among these flavors, he emphasized the importance of “putting life first, tasting bitter yet sweet”. Placing ‘live’ first shows its high weight.
The word ‘live’ is wonderful, not as straightforward as’ fragrant ‘or as general as’ clear’. It emphasizes a dynamic and captivating charm, and this feeling can be felt and resonated with. The word ‘live’ seems to express the ultimate pursuit of Wuyi rock tea.
It can be the scent of the mountains swirling on the tip of the tongue, or the taste of rock bones taking root in the throat, and the soul of the entire Wuyi hidden in every sip of tea soup.
No.2 The versatile “living” methods of rock tea
The “liveliness” of rock tea in our drinking process is more about describing the overall temperament and state of the tea. The “liveliness” described by Liang Zhangju is the dynamic expression of the tea soup from the entrance to the aftertaste.
However, in daily drinking, the vivid and graceful aroma, as well as the gradual and varied levels of each water, are actually a manifestation of the “vitality” of rock tea.
The freshness of the taste is the most intuitive, and the sensory evaluation is similar to that of “clear aroma and bone marrow”. The astringency we often experience when drinking rock tea is due to the binding of catechins with proteins in the mouth, forming insoluble complexes that cause the oral mucosa to astringent and produce a sense of astringency.
In addition, the amino acids in tea not only provide a fresh and refreshing taste, but also bring a slight sweetness, thereby increasing the level of taste. The mellow and smooth texture of the tea comes from pectin substances, which can increase the viscosity of the tea soup. During the tea rolling process, holding the tea leaves in your hand can prevent them from clumping, which is also the function of pectin.
These fresh, bitter, sweet, and mellow feelings are interwoven together, achieving a balance of flavors in different proportions, which is the most intuitive sense of “liveliness”.
Life is also in a state of change, and the richness and variation of each flavor is like entering a narrative “life” of brewing tea, just like the ups and downs of the plot in a genre film, which brings you a more immersive experience of the freshness of brewing tea.
On the basis of sufficient internal quality and online process support, the changes caused by differences in the proportion of substances leached can also be more clearly perceived. For example, the first and fastest to extract are fresh and refreshing amino acid substances, which may also be the favorite of the academic committee for soul reviving soup. It has a fresh base color and gentle comfort, providing a dual enjoyment of taste and aroma.
The second and third steeps have the strongest flavor, and the tea leaves gradually stretch their muscles and release more tea flavor under the soaking of boiling water. Especially the cinnamon stage is the most memorable, where the cinnamon is sharp and mixed with peach sweetness. The tongue seems to be covered with goose down, and the sweet aftertaste seeps into the throat from both cheeks, refreshing and moisturizing.
As the tea brewing time prolongs, the tea flavor gradually becomes more mellow, and the stable precipitation of sugar substances and organic acids gradually accumulate to form a soft and refreshing taste. The elegant floral fragrance and sweetness dominate, and although the taste is slightly lighter, the main style of tea brewing can still be tasted.
In addition to the vivid analysis of the flavor and context of brewing tea, every aspect of the process, from the environment and management of the mountains, to the differences in varieties and the processing techniques, is shaping the activity of brewing tea.
From the perspective of the variety’s “way of life”, narcissus gives people a feeling of simplicity and tranquility like copper bells under the eaves of an ancient temple. The tea soup rolls on the tip of the tongue with a cool temperament, and the orchid fragrance in the deep valley also faintly emerges, giving people a sense of ethereal life that is independent of the world but still bright and clear.
Cinnamon, on the other hand, is completely different. Most of the time, it is passionate, flamboyant, and full of initiative. At times, the pungent aroma of cinnamon activates the entire mouth, while at other times, the sweet and romantic scent of floral and fruity cream envelops it. It seems that there are unknown surprises waiting for you every moment.
In addition, there is actually a saying called ‘life and death’ in terms of process processing. To promote the transformation of tea leaves, it is necessary to suppress the excessive rolling and collision of green leaves on the bamboo sieve, causing friction and breakage on the sieve surface, resulting in mottled green with red edges.
The tea leaves start to droop and look wilted, then gradually come back to life after shaking. This process is repeated multiple times until the fragrance of flowers and fruits begins to emerge. The leaves are moderately soft and hard when pinched, and the surface distribution shows a “three red and seven green” pattern. Once they are ready, they will be harvested.