The Aroma Achieved Through Baking
The tea processing of Xinyang Maojian not only preserves the tenderness of the buds but also enhances their aroma to a certain extent, creating a fresh, smooth, and mellow taste for Maojian tea.
The production process of Xinyang Maojian is very meticulous. Before stir-frying, the fresh leaves are sorted according to variety, weather at the time of picking (rainy or sunny), time of day (morning or afternoon), and freshness. They are then graded using bamboo sieves and kept separately. The sorted tea leaves are spread out on a Tray; those picked on rainy days should be spread thinly, while those picked on sunny days can be spread more thickly. Once the leaves become soft and have lost some moisture, they are ready for stir-frying.
The stir-frying directly determines the quality of Xinyang Maojian, as it is the process that enhances its aroma and also makes the tea suitable for long-term storage. Its technique is also unique, consisting of three steps: raw pan, mature pan, and baking. Although this sounds simple, the actual process is particularly complex. Furthermore, the stir-frying and baking techniques of Xinyang Maojian combine elements from the production methods of Lu'an Guapian and West Lake Longjing teas.
The raw pan is a smooth Iron Wok dedicated to tea processing, installed at a 35° tilt. Before stir-frying, the temperature of the pan is tested by holding the palm 3-5 cm away until it feels hot enough to begin. Around one pound of tea is added each time. A broom is used to repeatedly toss and shake the leaves in the pan, starting gently and gradually increasing in speed and force. The raw pan process lasts about 10-15 minutes, reducing the moisture content of the leaves to around 55%, after which they are rolled into loose strands before being transferred to the mature pan.
The mature pan is a heated pan with a temperature of 80°C to 100°C. The tea leaves placed in it continue to be rolled and shaped through a process called “strip forming” and “straightening,” which helps to shape the leaves. The leaves are dispersed using the tip of the broom and continuously wrapped and rolled. When the tea strands become slightly upright and no longer stick together, they are straightened by hand. To do this, the palm faces down, the thumb and index finger are separated, and the other three fingers are held together. The tea is then grasped from the pan, lightly squeezed, and thrown out from a height of about 10 cm above the pan onto its rim. This process is repeated until the tea forms a compact, straight, and smooth appearance. At this point, the tea is swept out of the pan and placed on a tray.
What is “Huiqing”
After baking, the Xinyang Maojian produced is considered raw tea. It must be sorted to remove coarse old leaves, stems, yellow pieces, and broken leaves. Among these, the loosely formed, green, flake-like leaves that are sorted out are called “Huiqing,” which are also known as “Meipian” in spring teas. During grading, “Huiqing” is classified as fifth-grade tea. Yellow pieces, stems, and broken leaves are categorized as grade-outside tea. Tea with neat strands, no broken leaves, and no yellow leaves is the refined Maojian sold in the market, generally of high quality and commanding higher prices.
Once the shape is fixed, the tea undergoes baking. Four to five pans of tea are baked at a time. The tea is spread on a tea rack to a thickness of about 2 cm and then dried with smokeless wood charcoal to remove excess moisture. The tea is turned every 5-8 minutes. When the tea strands feel slightly prickly to the touch, the baking can stop, leaving about 15% residual moisture in the leaves. After the initial baking, the tea is left to cool for four hours before undergoing a second baking. The second baking lasts about 30 minutes, with two to three turns during the process. When the tea can be easily ground into powder by hand, the moisture content has been reduced to around 7%, and the baking can stop.
The raw tea is then cleaned, removing any yellow pieces, old stems, and other impurities, followed by grading. After grading, the tea undergoes another round of baking to reduce the moisture content to below 6%. Finally, the tea is stored in clean tea barrels and kept in a dry, cool place until the fire character has subsided before it can be sold.
The Freshness and Bitterness of Xinyang Maojian
Pre-Qingming tea is the highest grade of Xinyang Maojian. Looking closely at its Infusion, the tender buds cluster together, painting a picture of spring's return.
Xinyang Maojian is a type of Green Tea, and its main components are amino acids, alkaloids, and catechins. These substances have different tastes, so the levels of each component determine the taste of the tea. When the amino acid content is high, the tea tastes fresh and smooth; when the alkaloid content is high, there is a bitter taste; when the catechin ratio is high, the tea has a slightly astringent taste.
The taste of the tea infusion can thus indicate the quality of the tea. For example, top-grade Maojian has no bitterness or astringency and instead presents a chestnut aroma. Higher-grade Maojian teas have their freshness and fragrance overshadowing any bitterness or astringency. In lower-grade teas, the bitterness and astringency are more pronounced. Generally, spring teas have a fresh aroma and a mild astringency, while summer and autumn teas are more astringent.
In Xinyang Maojian, pre-Qingming tea is the highest-grade tea. Pre-Qingming tea is typically harvested ten days before the Qingming Festival. Due to low temperatures, the growth of tea plants is slow, resulting in small and delicate buds with very low yields. Almost 100% of the raw material for pre-Qingming tea consists of tender buds. As such, when brewed, the buds are seen to be small and fine, the infusion bright, and the taste subtly fragrant with notes of chestnut.