By Helen Xu Fei

Oolong tea is gaining in popularity as more gourmet choices are introduced to tea lovers worldwide. The semi-oxidized tea originated from Fujian province in China some 300 to 400 years ago. Over time, Fujian, Taiwan and Guangdong became leading producers boasting of distinctive gourmet origin oolongs respectively. In northern Fujian, Wuyi rock tea (wu yi yan cha) is a signature origin oolong. The tea grows in gaps and cracks of rocks on Mount Wuyi, hence the name. It is an intensely oxidized and heavily roasted dark oolong in long curly shapes with amber or reddish brown liquid.

The mist covered Mount Wuyi is a famous mountain range located in northwestern Fujian bordering Jiangxi province. It was listed as a UNESCO world heritage site (both natural and cultural) in 1999. The mountainous region has a warm and humid climate favorable for the growth of tea and other vegetation. Its lush forest and high biodiversity nourishes a large number of unique tea varietals and forms an ideal environment for organic plantation.

1,000 year heritage
Tea has been grown in the region for over 1,000 years. In the 14th century, a loyal tea plantation was constructed by the fourth bend of the famous Nine-Bend River (jiu qu xi) which meanders through the Wuyi mountain range. Wuyi tea was listed among tribute teas from then until the fall of the plantation in the 16th century.
In the 16th century, the name rock tea referred to green tea grown among rock gaps on Mount Wuyi. contrary to those in sandy soils by the foot of the hills. Rock tea is generally superior in quality as compared with their low-grown counterparts due to the unique ecosystem. In the early 17th century, the first black tea. Lapsang souchong (zheng shan xiao zhong), was created in Star village (xing cun) deep in the mountains, and soon gained popularity over green tea among European tea merchants. It was widely produced for export. Black tea from Mount Wuyi was generally known as Bohea tea in the West. Bohea is the local pronunciation for Wuyi, and Lapsang souchong is beloved among Bohea teas. Unlike the Europeans, the locals showed little interest in the newly-launched black tea.
Oolong tea is believed to have emerged after black tea for it utilizes production techniques of both green and black tea. In the case of rock tea, fresh leaves are firstly wilted, then intricately rolled for desired partial oxidation. These steps are quite similar to that of black tea except both rolling and oxidizing levels are more controlled. Satisfactory oxidized leaves are heated to distill oxidative enzymes, while in green tea, heating is applied straight away on fresh leaves. The heated and semi-oxidized leaves are rolled and finally dried through complicated periodical roasting.
From an early 18th century’s tea book we know that Wuyi tea was then generally produced in the form of oolong tea except for the black tea intended for overseas markets. The name rock tea subsequently acquired its modern meaning as an umbrella name for oolong tea grown in Mount Wuyi region.

Distinctive varietals
Premium rock teas are usually varietal tea with distinctive characteristics and are named after the particular varietal. Historically there were hundreds of Famous bushes (ming cong) being praised, most of which were varietal tea scattered in different parts of the mountain range. These Famous bushes were difficult to propagate while maintaining desirable characteristics. They were also highly dependent on processing skill, whereby a tiny processing flaw could spoil the innate characteristics and render the tea less attractive. Therefore, output of Famous bushes was marginal and unsteady. Their scarcity in turn pushed up market value and made them a true luxury. The top four Famous bushes highly esteemed for exceptional characteristics are: Big Red Robe (Da Hong Pao), White Rooster Comb (Bai Ji Guan), Iron Buddhist Arhat (Tie Luo Han) and Freshwater Gold Turtle (Shui Jin Gui). China’s latest national standard on rock tea (GB18745-2002) classified numerous varieties into five chief groups: Narcissus (shui xian), Cinnamon (rou gui), Big Red Robe, Famous Bush and Special Varietal.
Narcissus is a common varietal widely planted in Fujian Province, Wuyi Narcissus has adapted to local growing conditions and is easy to propagate and process. The mainstream rock tea features an obvious floral flavor and leads in production volume. Cinnamon used to be one of the Famous bushes with limited output. It is the most successful clone cultivar among historical Famous bushes. Cinnamon clone has satisfactory yield and steady characteristics and has been actively introduced since the 1960s. Compared with Narcissus, Cinnamon requires more sophisticated skill and more intense efforts to produce. It is now the second most voluminous rock tea. As indicated by the name, it carries a signature spicy cinnamon aroma. Both Narcissus and Cinnamon are high-yield cultivars that can be harvested four times a year, and according to local farmers the two account for about 80% of total rock tea output.
Big Red Robe is singled out for its unparallel historical fame. Over time, only three bushes originally belonging to Tianxin Temple have survived. The three grow in the cliff of the Nine Dragon Nest (jiu long cao) and are the ultimate mother bushes of the clone cultivars. In the early 1980s, cuttings from the three were successfully transplanted adjacent to the original bushes to make a total of six bushes on the site. The six bushes produced over one kg of tea each year until 2007, when harvesting was permanently stopped to preserve them. The last harvest of mother bush Big Red Robe tea was kept by the China National Museum. Commercial Big Red Robe comes in two types: one is pure varietal made from clone cultivars and the other is tea blend containing several well-proportioned varietal teas grown in Mount Wuyi region.

Intangible Cultural Heritage
Clone Big Red Robe was introduced in the 1980s. Big Red Robe processing techniques are difficult to master. The authentic process method was accredited an “Intangible Cultural Heritage” by the Chinese government in 2005. Some tea artisans mentioned that the whole process could last for nearly 20 hours. As pure varietal Big Red Robe was difficult to make and inadequate for the market, tea blends resembling the signature taste of the varietal were allowed to use the name Big Red Robe. These blends may or may not contain Big Red Robe varietal tea, but through intricate blending of well-selected other rock tea varietals, they try to achieve the taste. Blending recipes of Big Red Robe remain a guarded secret of individual producer.
Famous Bush includes numerous historical Famous bushes except Big Red Robe. They are varietals in Mount Wuyi which had been discovered and recorded for their distinctive characteristics. However, such tea is usually small in quantity with unstable production quality, some rare varietals have only few bushes left and some are no longer to be found. Most of them are highly dependent on the local growing environment and processing skills and hence are not commercially viable to promote at this time. Local research institutes are collecting and cataloging these rare varietals as valuable resources of the Wuyi tea biobank. Special Varietal includes all the rest of tea grown in Mount Wuyi, they are either local or imported varietals transplanted in the region.

Preparing Wuyi rock tea
Wuyi rock tea is renowned for its robust strength and lingering fragrance. Premium rock tea was called Gongfu tea in the past (Gongfu means enormous effort). The tea can be steeped for seven rounds, and the unique brewing method is known as Gongfu Brew. Original Gongfu Brew equipment includes a clay teapot the size of a lemon, four porcelain teacups the size of a walnut, a clay kettle and a clay brazier. The teapot is warmed by freshly boiled water before loading in one third (if normal strength is needed) or half (if stronger liquid is expected) measures of tea leaves. The loaded teapot is filled with boiling water poured from high above. Close the lid and distribute the first brew evenly into teacups. Always remember to strain off the liquid in the teapot!
Since rock tea is heavily roasted, the first brew is considered to contain excessive ‘fire’ that will overwhelm the true flavor of the tea. Thus the first brew is usually discarded. Fill up the teapot once again, but this time after closing the lid, rinse the outside of the pot with boiling water in a circular movement once or twice. Wait for the water on the outside to dry and then quickly distribute the second brew evenly into warmed cups to serve. After finishing the tea, re-brew again. The third and the fourth brews are usually the best, revealing the full charm of the tea. Steeping time in each successive brew can be slightly longer if one likes a stronger drink but make sure never to over-steep. For drinkers who are not accustomed to strong oolong, do reduce the amount of tea used.
When drinking, first enjoy the aroma and then take small, slow sips. After finishing the tea, smell the empty cup for the lingering fragrance.
Modern versions of Gongfu Brew use an electrical kettle to replace that brazier and clay kettle for convenience. There are a few other variations of Gongfu Brew: one replaces the teapot with a porcelain Gaiwan (lidded tea bowl), the other adds a tea pitcher and aroma cups. Aficionados may prefer to brew rock tea using the original method, but in reality there is little difference either way it is prepared. Drink up!