1. The Origin and Introduction of Tie Guan Yin Tea - The First Story of Tie Guan Yin There are one stories about the origin of Tie Guan Yin tea, one of which is an interesting legend: The name "Tie Guan Yin" originates from a legend where a poor farmer received instructions from the Bodhisattva Guan Yin in a dream to go to the mountains and pick a certain type of tea leaf to plant at home. Despite the challenging growth conditions, the tea leaf thrived and produced exceptional quality, ultimately solving the farmer's poverty. Therefore, people named this tea "Tie Guan Yin" in commemoration of this legend.

-2.Tie Guan Yin in Taiwan During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the Zhang brothers, Zhang Nai Miao and Zhang Nai Qian, imported Tie Guan Yin tea seedlings from Anxi and planted them in the Zhanghu Mountain in Muzha, making Muzha the primary cultivation area for Tie Guan Yin tea. Tie Guan Yin tea can be categorized into tea made from the Hongxin Waiweita variety (known as Zhengcong Tie Guan Yin) and tea made from other tea varieties. It features a faint floral and fruity aroma, a refreshing taste, and a unique "iron" taste. Most Tie Guan Yin teas in Taiwan undergo medium fermentation and heavy roasting, falling under the category of ball-shaped Oolong tea in Taiwan's tea flavor wheel. The current production methods are similar to ball-shaped Oolong tea, with controlled agitation during withering to enhance fermentation, followed by repeated roasting to deepen the degree of baking, transforming the tea components into unique aromas and flavors through heat.

3. Characteristics and Taste of Tie Guan Yin The distinctive characteristic of Tie Guan Yin tea is its faint floral and fruity aroma, refreshing taste, substantial depth, and the unique "iron" taste specific to Zhengcong Tie Guan Yin. What is the production process of Tie Guan Yin? After being harvested, Tie Guan Yin undergoes fermentation to reach 40-50% fermentation, falling into the category of moderately fermented tea. Sufficient fermentation brings about slight fruit acidity and floral notes. The most distinctive feature in the making of Tie Guan Yin lies in the repeated "cloth-wrapping and rolling" and "slow baking over low heat" after the initial frying and rolling process. This process involves tightly wrapping the tea leaves in cloth, slow-baking over low heat to remove moisture, repeating the wrapping, baking, rolling, and baking again multiple times. This differs significantly from the typical Oolong tea-making process, which involves frying, rolling into shape, and then drying directly. In essence, the production process of Tie Guan Yin is intricate and laborious, yet it yields a remarkably unique flavor.

Ingredients

Oolong Tea

Preparation 

1 tbs per 1 cup; 90 degree Celsius of hot water