White tea legend

Chapter 219 White Tea Making Techniques

Wu Wangsan and Su Niang were grateful and wanted to go to "Xiangming Yaxu" to express gratitude to their two benefactors, Lu Yu and Bai Cha.

The couple thought about what kind of gift they should give to express their deep gratitude.

Gold jewelry? It's so vulgar that I can't use it in my own little home.

Others are not enough to express my feelings.

In the end, the two decided to express their sincerity with the simplest slices of meat.

After all, this is the secret recipe taught by the female mountain goddess who looks like the White Snake.

Just as he was told, Wu Wangsan waved his butcher knife and chopped the good pork into slices as thin as cicada wings. Mother Su was on the side, beating the meat slices until soft and puree, and then carefully mixing in an appropriate amount of starch to make the meat slices more tender and smooth.

They put the prepared minced meat into exquisite cloth bags, one bag after another, as if filled with gratitude and respect.

Carrying several bags of carefully prepared pork slices, Wu Wangsan and Su Niang embarked on the road to "Xiangming Yaxu".

The teahouse is still the same, although it is occupied by trouble, it has a peaceful scene.

Lu Yu and Bai Cha came out with smiles on their faces, as if they had been waiting for a long time.

The guests and hosts sat down, drank tea and talked. Wu Wangsan and Su Niang presented the meat slices and said, "This is the meager gift that my husband and I can prepare when we visit your house. I hope you will accept it."

Lu Yu and Bai Cha took the pieces of meat and were overjoyed. They immediately ordered someone to cook it in the kitchen and brought it to the table. They were full of praise and surprise when they tasted it.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of tea, Lu Yu suddenly came up with an idea and suggested to Wu Wangsan and Su Niang: "Your couple is so good at craftsmanship, why not open a meat shop in Wanghaili Market so that more people can taste this meat." As delicious?”

Wu Wangsan and Su Niang looked at each other. Although they were a little uneasy, they readily accepted the proposal as they thought that they could repay more people who were destined to do so.

So, not long after, a small butcher shop opened in Wanghaili market. Although the store is inconspicuous, it is bustling with customers.

The store's signboard reads "Changxi Pork Slices" in pitch-black fonts, which are elegant and powerful. The layout of the store is simple and simple, with a few wooden tables, a few benches, and an ink landscape painting hanging on the wall, which seems to tell an ancient style of life.

Wu Wangsan is in charge of the operation. Every cut is accurate and every piece of meat is just right. Su Niang was taking care of the cooking details. She gently spread the meat slices on a white porcelain plate, garnished with chopped green onions and coriander, and then poured on the special sauce, which was full of aroma.

Customers stopped one after another, attracted by the fragrant fragrance.

For a time, people rushed to taste it and all praised its deliciousness. Even more literati came here because of its reputation. After tasting it, they even wrote poems and poems praising "Changxi Pork Slices".

As time went by, the reputation of this small shop spread further and further, becoming a beautiful sight in Wanghaili Street Market.

Wu Wangsan and Su Niang also changed from being anxious at first to confident shopkeepers. They knew that none of this would be possible without the guidance and support of Lu Yu and Bai Cha.

Every now and then, the couple would send some uncooked meat slices to "Xiangming Yaxu".

……

The business of the meat slice shop is booming, and the tea shop business of Lu Yu and Bai Cha is also booming.

Using Baimao tea as raw material, they carefully developed a green tea called "Jasmine Dragon Pearl". This tea has a fresh aroma and mellow taste. It soon achieved great success in the market, especially among literati and noble ladies. favor.

However, the good times did not last long, and the prosperity of "Xiangming Yaxu" aroused the jealousy of colleagues.

Those competitors were dissatisfied with Lu Yu and Bai Cha's increasingly prosperous business, and secretly conspired to use all kinds of despicable means to frame them.

Late one night, with the moonlight shining like water, a group of masked men suddenly broke into "Xiangming Yaxu" and smashed the precious tea sets in the store to pieces. The precious tea leaves were scattered all over the floor, making a mess.

At dawn, Lu Yu and Bai Cha looked at the devastated tea shop, their hearts were cut, but there was nothing they could do.

They knew that this was deliberate sabotage by their colleagues, but they had no evidence and could not redress their grievances.

In order to revive their family business, they decided to use white tea to make a new tea product - black tea. They strive for excellence in tea and devote almost all their time and energy to the study of tea.

After countless attempts and improvements, they finally made a unique black tea. The color of this tea is like blood, the aroma is rich, and the taste is extremely sweet.

The couple hopes the black tea will revive their reputation and business.

However, just as the black tea was about to be launched on the market, competitors once again took a murderous step.

They spread rumors that the black tea of ​​"Xiangming Yaxu" was passed off as inferior tea, and bribed local officials, causing the tea shop to be suppressed by the government.

Many customers who originally had expectations for "Xiangming Yaxu" black tea canceled their orders due to the rumors.

Faced with such adversity, Lu Yu and Bai Cha felt unprecedented pressure and challenges. They know very well that only by creating an unparalleled top-notch tea product can they completely reverse the situation and slap their envious peers in the face.

……

In the street market in Wanghaili, the shop door of "Xiangming Yaxu" is closed tightly. The familiar shadow of tea can no longer be seen in the window. The owners, Lu Yu and Bai Cha, are also missing.

The market in Wanghaili is still bustling with people, and the closure of "Xiangming Yaxu" has become a doubt in the hearts of many people.

The literati who often came to taste tea were talking about it. Some people said that maybe the host's years of hard work finally made them physically and mentally exhausted, and they chose to retreat to the countryside; there were also rumors that they actually encountered a bigger conspiracy and were forced to leave. .

No matter what legends were circulating, Lu Yu and Bai Cha were enjoying the sights and relaxing at this time.

Wherever they went was Wuyi Mountain.

Located in the north of Minzhong County.

But you can see the mountains and mountains, the clouds and mist, and the clear streams running between the strange peaks and rocks, forming a picturesque scene.

The couple wandered among the mountains and rivers, viewed the strange peaks and drank from the sweet springs. They were open-minded, as if all the troubles of the world had gone with the wind.

In the early morning, when the first ray of sunlight penetrated the mist, Lu Yu and Bai Cha came to a tea garden.

In the tea garden, tea people are busy picking fresh tea leaves. Their techniques are skillful and gentle, as if they are talking to the tea trees. Every tea leaf is full of vitality. The couple watched with rapt attention and felt a strong resonance in their hearts.

In a corner of the tea garden, several tea masters are carefully making Dahongpao. Dahongpao belongs to the oolong tea category and is named after its orange-yellow color and shape like a red robe.

The process of making Dahongpao requires multiple processes such as sun-drying, cooling, greening, frying, rolling and baking. Each step requires precise control of time and temperature, which requires extremely high skills and experience.

Lu Yu and Bai Cha looked at the meticulous operations of these masters, and their hearts were full of respect.

There are many types of tea in the Li Dynasty, and each tea has its own unique production process and flavor.

For example, green tea is loved by people for its refreshing taste and emerald green color;

Black tea is famous for its ruddy color and sweet taste;
Pu'er tea is highly regarded for its aged aroma and unique fermentation process.

During their trip to Wuyi Mountain, the couple deeply realized the profoundness of tea culture. They found that no matter which kind of tea it is, it has its own uniqueness, but Bai Mao tea always seems to have limitations when making other teas.

For example, when making green tea, you need to add jasmine fragrance to enhance the aroma, otherwise the taste will be weak. The same is true for making other teas.

This made them ponder, how can the unique qualities of white tea be brought into full play?
After returning from Wuyi Mountain, Lu Yu locked himself in the tea-making room in Baiyuan and refused to come out for several days and nights.

Due to different production techniques, the Li Dynasty had several major tea categories:

Green tea is famous for its clear soup, green leaves, and refreshing taste. Its production process is mainly based on greening, rolling, and drying to retain the natural color and aroma of the tea leaves.

Black tea has a ruddy color and mellow taste. The production process mainly involves withering, rolling, fermentation and drying. After complete fermentation, the substances inside the tea leaves change, forming a unique red color.

Oolong tea is between green tea and black tea. It has a greenish-yellow color and a rich aroma. The production process mainly includes sun-drying, cooling, greening, fixing, rolling and baking. The semi-fermentation process makes oolong tea have the characteristics of green tea. It has a refreshing fragrance and the mellowness of black tea.

Yellow tea has a yellow-green color and a unique aroma. The production process is mainly greening, rolling, yellowing, and drying. After the yellow pile process, the tea leaves form a unique yellow color.

Black tea has a dark brown color and a mellow taste. The production process mainly involves sun-greening, rolling, fermentation and drying. After the post-fermentation process, the tea leaves form a unique black color.

Each of the major tea categories has its own characteristics and charm. And each has its own brand of tea. No matter what type of white tea it is made from, it cannot stand out.

Lu Yu stayed in the tea-making room and meditated.

He looked at the white tea in front of him in the tea-making room, and his heart was full of doubts. He thought: "These green tea leaves have been cured, rolled, dried and other processes. Although they taste delicious, they always feel like they are missing something."

He selected the finest buds, washed them with clean water, and spread them on a bamboo mat to let the tea leaves wilt naturally.

This process seems simple, but in fact it requires precise control of the time. It should not be too long, causing the tea leaves to lose nutrients, nor too short, so that the tea leaves cannot wither fully.

Lu Yu cared for them as carefully as he cared for children.

Then, Lu Yu began to try to finalize the project. He put the withered tea leaves into the pot and slowly heated them over a slow fire.

This step not only removes the oxalic acid in the tea leaves, but also retains the natural aroma of the tea leaves. Lu Yu was frying tea and observing the color changes of the tea leaves, thinking to himself.

After the finalization was completed, Lu Yu started kneading. He held the tea leaves in his hands and gently kneaded them to fully release the substances inside the tea leaves. This step is not only the massage of the tea leaves, but also the shaping of the tea leaves. Lu Yu looked at the tea leaves in his hand and seemed to see his own reflection.

Then, comes the most critical step - drying.

Lu Yu spread the rolled tea leaves on the bamboo mat and let them air dry naturally. This step not only ensures the dryness of the tea leaves, but also ensures the taste of the tea leaves. Lu Yu felt the changes in the tea leaves while turning them over.

Finally, there’s the tasting. Lu Yu brewed a pot of white tea made by himself and tasted it gently. The fragrant, sweet and refreshing taste made him couldn't help but smile.

The door of the tea-making room opened, and Lu Yu rushed out: "Madam! Madam!"

Running wildly all the way, his excited shouts could be heard throughout Baiyuan.

During the days when Lu Yu stayed behind closed doors, everyone was very worried about him, except Bai Cha who was very calm.

When Lu Yu locked himself in the tea-making room, what did he do with white tea?

Whenever the morning light begins to shine, Bai Cha gets up early, walks quietly to the kitchen, and brews a pot of rich black tea. She knew that Lu Yu needed such warmth and strength to support his experiments and explorations.

Later, she would take care of the tea trees in the yard. She stroked the tea leaves gently, as if she could feel the sound of their growth. She will use the most gentle way to weed, loosen the soil, and water the tea trees so that they can thrive in the best environment.

In the afternoon, when the sun shines slantingly on the window lattice, Bai Cha will sit in front of the window and quietly read a book or embroider. Her heart was filled with peace and tranquility. She knew that Lu Yu was busy with something important in the tea room. She didn't bother him, she just prayed and cheered for him silently in her heart.

In the evening, when the sun sets, Baicha will deliver a cup of hot tea to Lu Yu on time. She would knock gently on the door and say, "Husband, please have some tea," and then leave quietly. She did not ask about the progress of Lu Yu's experiment, but just expressed her care and support for him in this way.

When night falls, Bai Cha will light an oil lamp and wait quietly for Lu Yu to appear. She knew that Lu Yu needed the guidance of this light in the dark. When Lu Yu walked out of the tea-making room exhausted, he would see the bright oil lamp and the gentle smile of white tea.

In this way, she silently accompanied Lu Yu and provided him with support and help in her own way. She didn't complain or be dissatisfied, she just silently gave everything she had to Lu Yu.

Finally, on this day, Lu Yu walked out of the tea-making room, holding a pot of white tea that had just been made in his hand. He excitedly said to the white tea: "Madam, please taste it. This is my latest experimental result."

Bai Cha took the teapot, took a sip, and smiled at Lu Yu.

This is how the art of making white tea was born.

A new type of tea that is different from other tea types: white tea, was born.

"Changxi White Tea has fat and tender leaves, covered with downy hairs, which are as silver as snow, and quite cute. It is a God-given variety that is most suitable for making white tea.

First of all, the beauty of its appearance is that the tea tree has fine hairs that are densely distributed under the leaves. When making tea, dry it gently in the sun or bake it slowly over a slow fire without damaging it. In this way, the white hair on the tea leaves is exposed, like frost and snow, which is pleasing to the eye and also enhances the aroma and taste of the tea.

Secondly, let’s talk about the excellent inner quality of Changxi White Mao Tea, which naturally contains the essence of fresh and refreshing tea flavor. It also contains a variety of aromatic substances, making the tea fragrant and refreshing. Among various methods of making tea, the natural drying method can best preserve the natural flavor. Therefore, white tea does not require too much artificial intervention and can be obtained naturally by letting nature take its course.

Let's talk about the simplicity of its production process. When making white tea, we pay attention to 'natural principles' and use the minimum number of processes to retain the original taste of the tea. Changxi Baimao tea only needs to be sun-greened, withered and dried before it can be formed. This method is simple and can fully display the style of the tea itself.

Finally, I praised its excellent taste. The white tea made from it has a clear soup color, sweet and fresh taste, and is both bold and graceful. Drinking it can not only relieve troubles and fatigue, but also refresh the mind and spleen. It is a treasure among teas.

Madam, I succeeded. "

Lu Yu's eyes were bright, like a child begging for rewards.

Bai Cha gave him a hug and whispered in his ear: "Thank you, officer, thank you for Changxi Bai Cha."