Introduction: |
Tie Guan Yin Tea got its name from a kind of tea cultivar named Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy) which is an ideal material for making oolong tea. Grown in the An-xi region of China’s Fujian province, Tie Guan Yin is the world’s most renowned oolong tea. 10%-50%oxidation results in a tightly wound, uniform tea that is very dense, sage green in color and with what appears to be a light glazing of frost. The art of making Tie Guan Yin is quite complicated, particularly as the tea nears completion. It is refired one final time at a very low temperature; at this point the most distinguishing feature of the tea (the light glazing of frost) appears.
Rank 3rd in Top Ten Famous Teas of China. Tie Guan Yin Tea is so popular that it almost become the pronoun of the oolong tea. This kind of Tie Guan Yin is close to green tea, with only a little fermentation. Subsequently, it has a very flowery, delicate aroma without the green tea "grassiness" or astringency.
Other spellings and names include Ti Kuan Yin, Tit Kwun Yum, Ti Kwan Yin, Tie Guan Yin, Iron Buddha, Iron Goddess of Mercy, and Tea of the Iron Bodhisattva. |