Liuxi green tea is prized around the city of Guangzhou for its
benefits to the digestive system, but is not widely known abroad. It
is included here specifically for its health factor.
Users say Liuxi from the spring harvest is exceptionally good for
keeping bowel movements regular and for treating constipation and
digestive disorders. It is more astringent than ordinary green tea,
and believed to be more effective at alleviating discomfort after a
heavy meal. The used leaves of the early spring tea are also eaten
as an aid to digestion, and in the belief that their sweet
aftertaste is soothing to the throat. It has also been credited with
dissolving kidney stones.
No
scientific conclusions on its healing powers have been reached, but
some Hong Kong residents make a special trip to the tea-growing area
or Guangzhou (Canton) once a year to lay in a supply of the spring
crop.
Grown on mountain terraces on the upper reaches of the Liuxi
(Flowing Stream) River in Conghua county north of Guangzhou, this
tea is produced from either the large-leaved Yunnan variety or
Baimao (White Hair), a local strain. The trees reach a height of
about four feet.
The processed leaves are in the form of rough, dark green strips.
They produce a light brownish-orange beverage with a sweet
aftertaste. For a more flavorful drink or just a change of taste, we
recommend mixing leaves of this tea with those of oolong.
In the Chinese medical view, Liuxi alleviates heat, and therefore
is in the "cool" category. Users are advised to keep this aspect in
mind if it is to be drunk daily in large quantities, and compensate
by using less tea per infusion, or eating more nutritious food.
