Fuzhou, 3 March (ZXS) -- Fuzhou Jasmine Tea: "The Taste of Chinese Spring"

Written by Ye Qiuyun

The encounter between jasmine and tea gives birth to the romance of spring in Fuzhou.

Fuzhou jasmine tea "spring picking" activity. Photo by Liu Kegeng

Located in the subtropical Fuzhou, the climate is mild and rainfall, which is very suitable for the growth of jasmine. According to the Flora of China, jasmine flowers were introduced to China more than 2000,<> years ago, settled in Fuzhou, and are now the flowers of Fuzhou City.

"Jasmine petals do not carry fragrance, they only have fragrance when they bloom." Weng Wenfeng, the seventh generation heir of Fuzhou Jasmine Tea Nanxian "Ten Drunken Nine-Star Flower Formation", told reporters that flower farmers pick jasmine flowers at noon, and make flower tea when the flower bones open at night, and the fragrance of flowers and tea rhyme blend in a spit and inhale.

According to Weng Wenfeng, Fuzhou jasmine tea is made of roasted green tea with loose surface structure and porous surface structure and good aroma absorption performance as a tea blank, and is made of buds of jasmine buds mixed with them (the same as "smoked"). The so-called "kiln" is the process of letting the tea blank absorb the floral fragrance, and it must go through dozens of delicate processes such as tea billet treatment, flower maintenance, and camellia mixing, in order to "make jasmine tasteless and listed as the first fragrance in the world".

The data picture shows Fuzhou, Fujian, where tea makers use traditional techniques to make jasmine tea. Photo by Zhang Bin, reporter of China News Agency

"Jasmine tea not only has the unique fragrance of tea, but also has a rich jasmine fragrance." Writer Bingxin once wrote in "The Hometown of Tea and Jasmine Tea in My Hometown", "A cup of bright jasmine tea in light orange-yellow color, the tea fragrance and floral fragrance blend together, giving people the breath of spring." After sipping, there is an indescribable fresh and pleasant feeling, which strengthens the brain and clears the mind, prompting the flow of literary thinking. ”

Fuzhou jasmine tea, which is exported to Europe, America and Southeast Asia, is praised as "the taste of Chinese spring" by flower tea lovers. In 1972, Mao Zedong met with then-US President Richard Nixon and his entourage in his study. According to Kissinger in his memoirs, "There were always books piled on the coffee table next to Mao Zedong, and only a place for jasmine tea cups remained." ”

"In the early years, overseas Chinese went to Nanyang, and jasmine tea was a homesickness that they could not forget; Nowadays, overseas Chinese returning to Fuzhou to visit relatives will also buy some jasmine tea to take overseas and distribute it to relatives and friends overseas. Fu Tianlong, inheritor of Fuzhou jasmine tea kiln craftsmanship and chairman of Fujian Chunlun Tea Group Co., Ltd., told reporters.

Belgian Song Yaorui (Jarry) has always been obsessed with the taste of jasmine tea, and couldn't help but order it in batches from Fuzhou, "Fuzhou jasmine tea has a long history and culture, and has the good craftsmanship of tea makers."

Today, Fuzhou jasmine tea has been selected into the first batch of protection lists of geographical indications in Europe and exported to dozens of countries and regions. As one of the "traditional Chinese tea-making techniques and related customs", the jasmine tea kilning process in Fuzhou was also inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the end of 2022. Recently, the promotional video "What You Don't Know Fuzhou - Jasmine Tea" appeared in Paris, Beijing, Shanghai and other cities, inviting domestic and foreign flower tea lovers to taste "The Taste of Chinese Spring".

"It's better to have less, it's better, a good cup of tea is brewed with heart and time." Maintaining the unique charm of Fuzhou jasmine tea is the lifelong pursuit of jasmine tea makers such as Weng Wenfeng. (End)