Tea Da Hong Pao: how to brew correctly?

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Da Hong Pao is one of the most popular varieties of tea grown in the northwest of Funjian Province. This drink belongs to the class of oolongs. The fermentation of the tea is mostly average. Its taste is deep and warm. It gives clarity of mind and cheerfulness.

History of tea

Da Hong Pao means big red robe. Ancient legends say that at the end of the 14th century, a traveler went to take important exams, but on the way he overheated and lost consciousness.

A monk nearby gave him this drink. As a result, the young man quickly recovered, received a red robe for passing the exam, and wanted to thank the monk by giving him this award as a gift. But got rejected. The guy decided to give his reward to the tea bushes.

Facts about the unusual drink

There are few people who know how to brew Da Hong Pao, and there are even fewer original teas in the world. It grows on just four bushes in the Wuyi Mountains. If it has been tasted, then only powerful people who can pay the right price for a real drink. In 1972, the President of the United States receivedas a gift, only 50 grams of this tea, which is estimated at 250 thousand dollars.

Tea production

In order to get the right tea, its leaves need to be twisted using machines or by hand. Therefore, the sheet of Da Hong Pao is stretched and twisted. Next, the tea is roasted. As a result, the tea leaves darken and get different variations of dark shades.

Interestingly, the demand for this type of tea is always higher than the supply. Although, in addition to it, several other types of teas have similar effects. Not only are they not inferior in strength, but sometimes they even stimulate a person better than Da Hong Pao.

Tea Feature

This tea is known for its effects on the human psyche. It reduces the feeling of anxiety and panic, gives relaxation. It is also known for its tonic effect. This tea also introduces into the state of "tea intoxication". People who often drink such tea are often called tea drinkers.

This drink does not open immediately. Each new cup gives a new taste, while the state of altered consciousness allows you to constantly get unusual sensations from the very procedure of drinking the drink.

How to Brew Da Hong Pao

There are many options for brewing this unique drink. But in order to feel the full depth of taste, a small number of variations are used. The recipe for how to brew Da Hong Pao is described below.

Requires earthenware or chinaware for brewing. This tea purifies water well, but is better forbrewing use clean water without impurities. Brewing steps:

• Heat water until bubbling, but do not boil. The temperature will be approximately 90 degrees.
• Preheat the dishes in which tea will be served.
• Add about 20 grams of tea to a 200 ml bowl.
• Rinse the tea with hot water and pour it out.
• Pour water again, wait a few seconds and the drink will be ready.
• Each next brew is worth waiting a few seconds longer.
• You can start tasting tea.

Another correct way to brew Da Hong Pao tea is shown below:

• You need to take a teapot made of heat-resistant glass.
• Take one and a half liters of water. For such a volume, you need to use 30 grams of tea.
• Infuse tea for two minutes in cold water.
• Bring the water in the kettle almost to a boil.
• Pour tea into this water.
• After half a minute, remove the kettle, infuse the solution for five minutes.

Drink ready.

Where to find real Da Hong Pao tea

Due to the high demand for this tea, it was decided to grow daughter bushes of Da Hong Pao. This helped to cope with the incredible demand for this product. But despite this, the demand for tea only increased, as it became more affordable. Since that moment, many people have appeared who understand the issue of how to brew Da Hong Pao, and any other Chinese teas.

Up until 2006, this tea variety was harvested from only six mother trees, overthey carved the inscription on the rock: "Da Hong Pao". Subsequently, these bushes were propagated by cuttings and made tea more accessible.

According to one scientist who collects information about Da Hong Pao, this tea does not exist, since even the variety growing on the side of the mountain with the inscription is not the progenitor. Scientist Yao Yue Ming has been searching for the true variety of Da Hong Pao tea since the mid-20th century.

He knew that the original variety could be found in one of three places. Then the scientist took two samples from one place, as well as several samples from other places. But at that time there was a cultural revolution all over China, so Yao left his laboratory. Ten years later, he returned to the places where, in his opinion, the real variety of Da Hong Pao should grow.

But upon arrival, all the bushes were in a deplorable state. Then Yao took several samples of almost thousand-year-old trees and planted them on his site, noting that these clones have similar properties. He called this variety Bei Dou number one, and only then these bushes became the mother of all Da Hong Pao teas.

So the tea variety was saved because one man was very persistent and believed in his cause. This man was one of the first to know how to properly brew Da Hong Pao tea.

Getting tea

First tea is harvested in the first days of May. The leaves, along with the stem, are carefully collected and placed to dry in the air so that the moisture evaporates a little. Then all this is loaded into special drums to extract juice and speed up fermentation. Collection takes several days.

The third stage lasts from June to August. During this stage, tea with pile is sorted, leaves are torn off from each stem and the tea is blended. Then the whole mixture is heated over coals and only after that such tea is packaged and sold.

For people who are interested in this topic, it is worth knowing what are the differences between fresh tea and old tea. Fresh leaves are dense, bright and crumble with difficulty. But if balls are obtained when rubbing, it means that the leaf has not dried out, and the old leaves instantly turn into powder.

Often beginners don't know how much to brew Da Hong Pao. The answer to this question is at the rate of 20 grams per 200 ml. This is enough for the initial brew, then the volume can be changed depending on the feeling.

Since it is necessary to brew Da Hong Pao in porcelain and earthenware, most often you have to get a special tea set and conduct real tea ceremonies.