Chinese Tea Culture 功夫茶 19 Technique for Scenting Zhang Yiyuan Jasmine Tea

Recented tea is a tea variety unique to China. It originated in the Song Dynasty, began in the Ming Dynasty, and took shape in the Qing Dynasty. Then, a number of tea shops that sold jasmine tea, like Zhang Yiyuan Tea Shop, emerged in Beijing. The high-quality and bulky jasmine tea is processed from green tea and scented with fresh jasmine flowers. It is a rarity in all flower tea varieties.

Beijing Zhang Yiyuan Tea Shop started off with jasmine tea. Zhang Yiyuan jasmine tea takes Fujian baked spring green tea as the biscuit. Primary processes mainly include water-removing, rolling and baking. Artistic jasmine tea takes artistic green tea as the biscuit. It is made mainly through water removing, baking (70% dry), manual modeling and drying. Because of its clear soup, thick flavor, scented smell and lingering taste, Zhang Yiyuan jasmine tea gradually became a hot cake in the capital city. It used to be taken as imperial tea, and won the favor of high officials and operatic celebrities.

At present, the “Technique for Scenting Zhang Yiyuan Jasmine Tea” has been listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.