Rock Tea
Ye Sheng Organic

What makes this rock tea (Yan Cha) special is the special cultivation method of the long-standing certified organic farm (one of the first in Wuyi). Cultivation is based on the so-called Ye Sheng 野生 (translated "wild") principle, which comes very close to the agricultural concept of permaculture. The tea plants are largely left alone by the tea farmers, and the one-sided use of special cultivars is also avoided. Instead, several different cultivars are used and a natural wild crossbreeding of these with each other is thereby encouraged. This approach results in very different harvests each year with their own unique flavor profiles. Interestingly enough, what runs through the different harvests as a constant is a very clear, natural taste, promoted on the one hand by the special terroir, but not least due to the natural cultivation methods.

The harvest for our tea is done by hand, the bud and the first three leaves are traditionally used. After the harvest, the leaves are withered in the sun and moisture is thereby removed, and oxidation or fermentation starts slightly. The leaves are then taken out of the sun and further withered in a farm building. They are repeatedly moved back and forth. Cell juice escapes through small tears in the tea leaves, especially at the edges, and oxidizes with the oxygen in the air. This process can take up to two days.

In the next stage, the fermentation starts more intensely. Depending on the quantity, the leaves now rest on bamboo plates in the fermentation chamber and develop a reddish-brown color at the tear points.

After reaching the desired degree of fermentation, the fermentation is stopped in an oven with heat (Kill Green). The leaves are then rolled and broken open, the aromatic cell juice spreads over the leaves and hardens. The tea gets its characteristic twisted needle shape through rolling. As a next step, it is gently roasted several times over hardwood charcoal. Each of these roasting cycles lasts eight to twelve hours. Days can pass between these roasts. Finally, after cooling, the leaves are carefully graded according to quality.

Organic Certification

Brewing Guide

3 heaped teaspoons per 100-250 ml (75°C) water. Steep for 3-4 minutes.

The tea is recommended for repeated infusions. From the third infusion, the brewing time should be gradually increased by approx. 30 seconds with each subsequent infusion.

Packaging

High quality, airtight, resealable standing zipper pouch with 9 protective layers to preserve flavour and protect against oxidation and contamination.

Recommended Teapot

Oolong tea is traditionally brewed in a gaiwan (in small quantities) or a tall glass teapot with an integrated strainer so that the leaves are able to freely drift around inside the pot. For an especially aromatic infusion, we recommend a yixing teapot made from light-coloured clay.

Recommended Storage

A high-quality tea caddy made of cherry bark (solid wood, kabazaiku chazutsu) is ideal. Alternatively, a cheaper, internally coated, airtight tea caddy can suffice.

Wuyi Rock Tea - Wu Yi Yan Cha 岩茶

The Wu Yi Shan Mountains in the northwest of Fujian Province are traditionally one of the most famous tea growing areas in China. Just under 20,000 people live in an area roughly equivalent to the state of Brandenburg. Highly rugged rock massifs, densely forested mountains and wild river courses form the background for unique tea growing conditions. In the past, the mountains were a retreat for Taoist and Buddhist hermits and monks. In the Sung Dynasty, they began to settle in the secluded mountain area. Since that time, tea has also been grown here, on the rocks, in the gorges, and on the hills all around.

The terroir with its karst landscape offers excellent conditions for tea. Rainwater absorbs a large amount of minerals on the rocks and in the limestone gorges. The natural drainage has been intensively developed by the monks and farmers, so that the soil has been enriched enormously over time. The tea plants in the narrow valleys and on the slopes can absorb a great deal of it.

The characteristic rocky terroir of the Wuyi region and the very mineral-rich flavors in the tea have led to the common name "Rock Tea" or Wuyi Yancha (武夷岩茶) for oolongs from the region.