What kind of tea is Zhengshan race? high-grade tea? The difference between the production technology of tobacco races and smokeless races

Withering-wilting

After picking, the leaves were on the fire of the pine. In Wuyi mountain area, the sun is very weak, especially in spring. Therefore, withering must be carried out under the extra heat of burning pine. This is not the same process of the Zhengshan race, but a common practice in the production of other kinds of tea. Firewood burns a powerful fire (open fire) that generates heat to help water evaporate tea leaves. This will not increase the smoky taste of the finished product. The tea is placed on a bamboo mat and piled into 3-7 cm thick, and the mat is placed on a wooden frame. At the bottom of the rack, arrange and burn the pine. In the withering chamber, the air temperature is controlled at 30 ℃, and the tea is stir-fried and fully mixed every 20 minutes. When the leaves become soft and no longer glossy, take them off the wooden frame and put them on the floor to cool. The leaves are then driven into the tight strip (called kneading, which means impregnation).

Aroma and color produced by fermentation-oxidation

After the rolling process, the tea is put into a barrel and covered with a cloth for enzymatic oxidation. In high-altitude mountains, because the atmospheric temperature is much lower, tea is collected and stored in buckets to maintain the optimum temperature for enzymatic reaction. When the weather gets cold, Detong will be placed near the stove to keep the tea warm. When 80% of the tea turns copper and begins to give off its own fragrance, it shows that oxidation is sufficient.

Frying-frying in a pan-inactivation of enzymes

Unlike other black teas, Zhengshan race tea is dried immediately after the oxidation process. It is fried first and then dried. In the process of the frying pan, the high temperature will heat up in a short time. This treatment immediately inactivates the enzyme, prevents long-term oxidation, and stabilizes the quality and characteristics of fermented tea before drying for a long time (8-10 hours). When the temperature of the pot reaches 200 ℃, the oxidized tea is fried in the pan. It takes 2-3 minutes to give off the green grass smell of tea and further improve the fragrance of tea.

Complex kneading-the second kneading

When the fried tea is still hot, it is soon impregnated for the second time. The tea is rolled up and more liquid tea is squeezed out and left on the surface of the tea. The expression of sap on the leaf granules increases the intensity (that is, the soluble matter in the liquid during brewing). In addition, it helps to absorb smoke at a later stage.

Fumigation and baking-drying over low heat

In China, the production of high-quality tea, regardless of whether it is green tea, black tea or yellow tea, drying bamboo baskets (baking cages) of tea, heating and burning wood is the common last step. However, for the Zhengshan race, there are two key differences that contribute to the aroma and smoky flavor of dried longan:

Unlike other kinds of tea, pine trees are used as firewood for Zhengshan races. Pine trees contain amber, that is, fossilized pine resin.

For other kinds of tea, drying is used by burning firewood in a strong flame (open fire). When the Zhengshan race was produced, in the first drying stage, the strong flame reduced the water content of the tea to 20%, and then inhibited the burning of the pine. These extra drying and smoldering fires (gentle fire "Wen-huo") begin until the dried tea leaves are less than 5% moisture.

Therefore, due to incomplete combustion, the smoke produced by the smoldering pine fire contains vaporized amber flavor, which is absorbed by the tea and gives a typical pine smoke flavor. The drying process takes 8-10 hours to ensure complete drying and to develop the unique flavor of Zhengshan race. In addition, this critical one-step drying also produces glossy black-red (Wurun Wu-run) tea for amber essence absorption.

In the past, it was widely believed that the Zhengshan race had a typical dry longan smell because of the use of specific tea-which turned out to be wrong. Another tea variety, Zhenghe race, (named by Zheng he in Fujian county), is used to produce Keemun Black Tea black tea from and LS and the results show that only LS gives longan meat the taste, but not Keemun Black Tea black tea comes from. Obviously, the key process of smoldering pine fire drying is a key step in making longan with unique smoky aroma.