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Though crafted in the Wuyi style, Aijiao is not a Wuyi oolong. It is a dwarf oolong varietal from Jian’ou county, 60 kilometers south of Wuyi. Tea cultivation in Jian’ou County dates back nearly two thousand years – the most famous tribute teas during the Northern Song Dynasty came from Jian’ou County’s Beiyuan imperial tea gardens.
Jian’ou’s standing in tea history piqued our curiosity enough to prompt further investigation. We discovered that not only does Aijiao share a common ancestry with Formosa oolongs, making it the mother varietal to Taiwanese teas, but there is reason to believe that oolong tea originated in Jian’ou.
Our Heritage Aijiao comes from Dong Feng Zhen, Jian’ou County, Fujian Province. The leaves were harvested by hand in mid-May and then crafted using centuries old methods – first sun-withered, bruised and oxidized, then hand-roasted. The resulting mao cha is then taken through a series of traditional, “heritage” charcoal roastings to deepen and intensify the tea’s flavor.
The tea brews with the aroma of traditional, high fired Tikuanyins, with an intense, burnt sugar roastiness of the Wuyis, followed by the viscosity and floral notes of a high mountain Formosa.
Water Temperature: 195-200°, or when medium bubbles begin to rise and water becomes agitated.
Brewing Instructions: Use 1 tablespoon (double for a medium sized pot). Rinse tea for 1 second. Discard rinse water. Steep for 1-2 minutes. May be infused multiple times.
Recommended Method: Gaiwan,
Teapot,
Infuser,
Yixing Tea Pot
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