Dancong oolong tea processing
The Making of Fenghuang Dancong Tea
In the Fènghuáng Mountains (凤凰山), tea making rarely begins in the morning. The freshly picked leaves lie spread across bamboo trays during the day. The light slowly slips behind the ridges, and the ground in front of the house still holds a little warmth. When the air cools down, the tea room finally begins to stir. Most of the character of Fènghuáng Dāncóng (凤凰单丛) tea emerges during that night.
Picking the Leaves
When the new shoot develops a resting bud, the leaves are ready to be picked.
Usually two to five leaves are taken. The maturity has to be right. If the leaves are too young, bitterness and astringency are stronger; if they are too old, the fibers are coarse and the finished tea loses structure.
Picking usually takes place between one and four in the afternoon on clear days. By that time the sun is no longer harsh. The leaves can lose a little moisture without being scorched, and the conditions are suitable for the next step, shài qīng (晒青, sun withering).
The movements of the pickers are quick but gentle. Fresh leaves cannot be held in the hand for too long, nor packed tightly in the bamboo basket. Once the leaves are pressed together, their temperature rises and they may begin to redden prematurely. If the leaves cannot be processed immediately, they are spread thinly and left to breathe.
Many of the rules in the mountains are simply ways of avoiding damage to the leaves.
Sun Withering
The leaves are first exposed to the sun.
They are spread thinly on bamboo trays. The leaves must not overlap, otherwise moisture evaporates unevenly and the later steps become unstable.
Shài qīng (晒青, sun withering) is not meant to dry the leaves completely. It only allows a small loss of moisture while slightly raising the leaf temperature. Internal changes begin quietly at this stage.
When the leaves reach the right condition, they are brought back indoors.
Indoor Withering
After the sun withering, the leaves are allowed to rest.
They are spread on racks so that the heat accumulated during the sun exposure can dissipate. At the same time, the moisture inside the leaves redistributes itself and the leaves slowly regain elasticity.
This stage looks quiet. The leaves lie still while someone occasionally turns them over. Yet the stability of the next step often depends on how well this moment is handled.
Zuoqing — The Making of Aroma
In the Fènghuáng Mountains, tea makers often call this step pèng qīng (碰青, leaf tossing). Some simply call it làng chá (浪茶).
The leaves are lifted, gently shaken in bamboo trays, then left to rest.
Zuò qīng (做青, controlled oxidation) usually begins around six or seven in the evening and continues until dawn, lasting roughly ten to twelve hours.
The environment inside the tea room matters. The temperature is usually kept around 18–20°C, with a relative humidity of about 75%.
During the night the leaves are tossed roughly every two hours, usually five to six rounds in total. Each round of tossing lasts only about two minutes. The rest of the time the leaves simply rest.
The leaves rise and fall in the trays. Gradually the room begins to fill with fragrance.
Tea makers watch the leaves and smell the air.
When the condition is right, the leaves show a very distinctive sign: red edges with a green center.
Locally this stage is simply called: “hóng biān lǜ fù” (红边绿腹, red rim, green belly). The veins become translucent, the leaves curve slightly, and the aroma begins to stabilize.
Shā Qīng — Kill-Green
Once the zuò qīng process reaches its moment, the leaves move immediately to shā qīng (杀青, kill-green). The leaves are heated in a wok, and the high temperature stops enzymatic oxidation. The aroma that formed during the night becomes fixed within the leaf.
After a few turns in the hot pan, the grassy scent begins to fade.
Rolling
After kill-green, the leaves are rolled so the tea gradually takes its twisted shape and some of the leaf juice is released. Today most producers use rolling machines. But before machines appeared, the Fènghuáng Mountains had a more direct method.
One year in Guānmùshí Cūn (官目石村), through the efforts of my Dancong all-rounder Biāo Gē (彪哥), I had the chance to see a method that is now rarely practiced — foot rolling. The tea leaves were spread in a bamboo tray. The farmer stepped into the tray barefoot. With slow pressure from the soles of his feet, he rolled the leaves gently, allowing them to move and turn inside the tray. The rhythm was steady. The leaves kept shifting position, yet very few were crushed.
Many mountain techniques were probably born this way.
Roasting
Traditionally, Fènghuáng Dāncóng is roasted over charcoal. The leaves sit in bamboo roasting baskets while the heat rises slowly. The fire must remain steady. It is worth noting that most tea produced by farmers at this stage is still máo chá (毛茶, unfinished tea). The roasting here is mainly for the first drying and stabilization of the leaves.
The true character of a Fènghuáng Dāncóng often emerges later, through further roasting.
A good Dancong rarely undergoes roasting only once. After the first drying, the tea rests for a period before undergoing fù bèi (复焙, re-roasting). Over several rounds of roasting, moisture gradually decreases and the aroma slowly settles into the leaves. Tea is usually packed simply after this stage.
When someone comes to taste it, the farmer takes a handful, drops it into a pot, and says: Try this one. Often, the story of a cup of Fènghuáng Dāncóng really begins there.
