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Да Хун Пао – утесный китайский чай. Его производят на северо-западной территории провинции Фуцзянь, в горах Уи. Да Хун Пао классифицируют как полуферментированный улун (средней ферментации). Название продукта переводится как «большой красный халат», с которым связана древняя легенда Поднебесной.
In 1358, student Ding Xian felt weak on his way to the imperial examination. On the way, the exhausted student met a monk who brewed oolong tea for him and immediately put him on his feet. The healthy student successfully passed the exam and, as a sign of gratitude, presented the monk with a luxurious red robe. The monk refused an expensive gift, then the student ordered to cover all the tea bushes with the same red robes, which returned him to health.
What you need to know about a medicinal drink, how to choose, brew and drink Da Hong Pao?
General characteristics
Да Хун Пао относится к улунам. Улун, он же «бирюзовый чай» и «черный дракон» – полуферментированный напиток, который занимает промежуточное положение между зеленым и черным чаем. Степень ферментации идеального улуна равна 50%. Окислению подвергается не весь лист, а лишь его края и минимальная часть поверхности – именно в этом состоит особенность напитка. Внутренний слой листа улуна сохраняет естественную структуру, аромат и вкус, что придает чаю уникальности.
The product combines the properties of green tea – aroma, and black tea – intense taste. There are several subspecies of oolongs, which depend on the degree of fermentation, but they are not as valuable. Real oolong is divided into only two varieties: mainland (Chinese) and insular (Taiwanese). Tea leaves are grown on mainland plantations. In this area, the composition and taste of tea depends on the weather, ultraviolet radiation and thick fog that envelops the fields. The most famous varieties of oolong include Tie Guan Yin and Da Hong Pao.
Интересно: традиционная чайная церемония «гуан фуа» признает только улун. Термин переводится как «наивысшее чайное мастерство» и указывает на преимущество полуферментированного чая над другими напитками.
Что нужно знать о Да Хун Пао
This is a highly fermented aged tea, which is prepared using a special technology from a special variety of tea bush. There are only six mother bushes, from which the history of the drink began 4 centuries ago, in the world. Annually, 400 grams of tea leaves are harvested from them. The last crop from mother bushes was sold over 10 seasons ago, and their price exceeded half a million dollars. Now the legendary bushes are on a special account, and the harvest that is harvested from them is transported to the state storage.
Important: the real Da Hong Pao is now impossible to find not only in expensive authentic tea shops, but also in China itself. If you are offered an inexpensive Chinese Oolong, then this is nothing more than a fake.
A few years ago in Wuyishan (a Chinese mountain range between Fujian and Jiangxi) they created an advertising campaign to attract tourists and develop the tourism industry. Da Hong Pao was chosen as a kind of symbol of the area. The famous tea attracted crowds of tourists who wanted to touch the authentic tea ceremonies and get to know the real taste of the drink. The local authorities understood that an endless stream of buyers could seriously affect the market. To avoid trouble, a decree was issued according to which every rocky oolong on the mountain range was considered Da Hong Pao. Tourists did not notice the change. Even Chinese tea masters sometimes find it difficult to distinguish Da Hong Pao from Shuxian or, for example, Zhougui. The preparation technology, taste and aroma palette of all three varieties are identical, the main difference lies in the tea leaf.
Real semi-fermented oolong is colored in several shades at once: brown, green and burgundy. The tea has a rich, deep taste with subtle sweetish notes. Each subsequent brewing changes not only the taste / aroma, but also the structure of the drink. Intense astringency (but not bitterness) gives way to a light trail of fruits and floral sweetness. The color of the drink can vary from dark gold to rich amber.
Production specifics
Production is divided into several stages. The first one is the collection of raw materials. Tea leaves are harvested only once a year from May 1 to May 1. Each leaf must meet the established requirements and is carefully selected by plantation workers. The most valuable are the first branches with 15 leaves that grow on the mother bushes. Such a product enjoys a special status, and its price is the highest in the tea market. The younger the tea bush and the lower the leaf was located, the lower the cost of the finished product. Particular preference is given to sheets grown on the slopes of Wuyishan – raw materials from there are much more expensive than from other provinces.
Интересно: производство улуна не имеет устоявшейся процедуры. Работник должен самостоятельно оценить ситуацию и только после полной готовности листа приступать к следующей стадии. Работа на плантации всегда напряженная, сложная и требует колоссальной концентрации. Небольшой промах одного сотрудника может привести к порче целой чайной партии и принести значительные убытки производителю.
After collection, the raw materials are laid out in thin layers in the open air. As a last resort, use a well-ventilated area. The leaves are left to dry for several hours to get rid of excess moisture and soften the structure. Once the sheets have become soft, you can proceed to the next stage of production.
fermentation
The first stage of fermentation occurs at the beginning of May. The raw materials are loaded into massive rotating drums so that the leaves quickly release the juice and fill with oxygen – this will accelerate the natural oxidation. Small enterprises do not use drums, but manual labor. Workers manually knead oolong continuously for several days.
Drying
Чайный мастер определяет степень ферментации листа и потребность в ее завершении. Чтобы остановить окисление, листья отправляют на обжарку. Их помещают в огромные горячие котлы на несколько минут. После обжаривания ферментация останавливается, а сырье скручивают в миниатюрные полоски и окончательно просушивают.
Sorting
Третья стадия производства занимает все лето. Работники сортируют сырье – чайные листы отрываются от стеблей и купажируются.
Important. Blending or blending is the preparation of a tea mixture according to a special recipe. With the help of blending, unique mixtures are created with a single flavor / aroma palette. Some compositions may contain up to 20 types of tea.
The final stage of production is the heating of raw materials and packaging. Oolong is heated over coals to consolidate the result and finally stop the fermentation. After that, the tea is packaged in the required container and sent to the points of sale.
Useful properties of the drink
Boost your metabolism
В состав жидкости входят полифенолы. Они блокируют ферменты, которые отвечают за образование жировой прослойки в организме. Каждая чашка улуна ускоряет метаболические процессы и помогает жиру скорее расщепиться. Эффект от употребления чая длится несколько часов, после этого интенсивность метаболизма приходит в норму.
The Chinese medical journal Integrative Medicine has published the results of an experiment on the effects of tea on the human body. A group of subjects drank oolong daily for 6 weeks. During the experiment, each participant dropped a few extra pounds. It is important to note that oolong will not help you deal with serious body fat if you exceed your daily calorie intake and avoid physical activity. Drink is just an addition to training and a healthy lifestyle that increases performance and increases activity levels.
Cosmetic effect
Traditional tea ceremonies recognize the benefits of only three varieties of tea: white, green, and oolong. Da Hong Pao is useful not only for an authentic Chinese evening, but also for cosmetic procedures. It is enough to apply a properly brewed liquid liberally on the face as a tonic or leave it for several hours in the form of a mask. The result – a Chinese drink minimizes the effects of free radicals, nourishes the skin with moisture and vitamins.
Important: drinking tea inside will also have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin. The drink harmonizes the internal microflora of the body, which affects the health of the epithelium.
Improve performance
Oolongs contain a minimal dose of caffeine, but even it can have a beneficial effect on the human body. A cup of Da Hong Pao will help increase your performance by 7-10%, which is especially useful before a busy day or workout.
Inner harmony
Oolong launches a complex internal cleansing of the body. Tea promotes the elimination of toxins / toxins and protects us from the effects of free radicals. The product also regulates blood pressure and circulation rate. Regulation of blood flow reduces the risk of plaque development and acts as a kind of prevention of atherosclerosis.
How to choose the right Da Hong Pao
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the age of the oolong. Old tea leaves are instantly crushed and turned into powder. To avoid such a nuisance, choose bright leaves with a dense structure. They should not crumble after your touch. If, when you try to grind the sheet, balls and lumps form on the surface, it is underdone.
What else to look for when buying:
- Smell. Da Hong Pao has a multifaceted sweet aroma. Notes of vanilla are clearly perceptible. Aroma persistence is one of the most important characteristics of fresh tea collection. If after the second or third brewing the smell disappears, then the manufacturer spared money for high-quality tea and added a flavoring agent to the raw materials.
- Hue. The color of the oolong is predominantly black with splashes of green, brown and burgundy hues. Remember: the more uniform the color, the better the raw material.
- Aroma. The palette of smells of the real Da Hong Pao is revealed in several stages. The dense and rich aroma is replaced by a soft, velvety and slightly sweet aftertaste.
- Storage method. Raw materials should be stored in an airtight dark container to protect the oolong from ultraviolet radiation and foreign odors.
Как заваривать и употреблять напиток
For the tea ceremony we need:
- специальный чайник для заварки;
- chahai (an intermediate vessel into which brewed tea is poured before serving to guests);
- cups;
- sieve.
First, bring filtered water to a boil and pour into the kettle. The sole purpose of the liquid is to heat the kettle. As soon as the goal is completed, drain the water and pour 7 grams of Da Hong Pao into a warm kettle and fill it with liquid again. There is no need to drink the first brew. After 5 seconds, the first infusion should be poured into the guests’ cups. The liquid should warm them up and get rid of the accumulated dust.
Drain the liquid again, fill the kettle with clean water and infusion from the cups. Why refill the infusion? To raise the temperature inside the teapot without damaging the structure of the tea leaves. The infusion makes the drink more dense and saturated, forms additional tart notes.
Через 5 секунд нужно разлить настой в чахай, а уже оттуда перелить в чашки гостей. Пыль, которая будет скапливаться на дне чашек, нужно вылить. Чтобы фильтровать сырье используйте сито.
Качественный Да Хун Пао можно заваривать максимум 6-7 раз. Ориентируйтесь на качество, вкус и структуру заварки. Если к шестому кругу напиток начинает горчить или кардинально менять вкус – прекратите чайную церемонию или возьмите новое сырье. С каждым наполнением чайника время заваривания нужно увеличивать на 10-20 секунд, но не более.
Важно: после чаепития очень важно сразу же навести порядок. Ополосните утварь в воде и поставьте на место – это одно из обязательных правил окончания ритуала.