Monday, December 10, 2007
Posted by Miss Neddy at 03:23 PM |
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Tea
Da Hong Pao
Possibly the most famous tea from the Wuyi Mountains, from which hundreds of famous and popular teas originate, Da Hong Pao is one of the 四大名樅 or Four Great (Tea) Bushes. It is certainly the most expensive tea auctioned, as 20gm of the tea leaves can be sold for US$25,000. Yes, twenty-five thousand dollars. These are of course from the first generation bushes, of which there were only four, although the name “Da Hong Pao” can be used for tea leaves made from bushes which are as far as four generations removed from the original ones. Subsequent generations can be given the name of “Xiao Hong Pao” 小红袍 or “The Little Red Robes”, but these teas are much rarer.
There are a number of legends and stories about this tea and why it is so named. One of the more eccentric ones I have heard is that imperially appointed monkeys were hired to pluck leaves from the old, tall tea trees, and were given red robes to wear. Another pointed back to a Ming dynasty scholar who resided near where these tea trees were planted, and being too poor to buy his own tea, would pluck leaves from these trees to make his own. After gaining scholarly honours in the Imperial Examinations, the scholar rode home in glory, wearing a red robe that designated his status as an Imperial Scholar. In gratitude to the tea trees, he draped his red robe on them, and thusly the tea was named.
Another legend goes further back, to the Tang dynasty, where an emperor, grateful for the tea’s restorative powers that saved his mother the dowager empress, bestowed red robes upon the tea trees.
The taste of a Da Hong Pao may vary, since the tea trees are in many different places, planted in different kinds of soil. However, a good Da Hong Pao should not be over-roasted, which is a common mistake. Upon infusion, the leaves should unfurl somewhat and become supple. If they remain stiff and dry-looking, the leaves have been over-roasted. The colour of the tea should be fairly dark brown, with a tinge of orange or red. It should have a robust, earthy scent, and the taste should have a tinge of bitterness but sweetness should follow shortly after.
