Known for its natural orchid like flavor and long-lasting
aftertaste, this tea and Ti Kwan Yin are the two leading types of
oolong semi-fermented tea. It is named for the special strain of tea
plant from which it is made. The discovery of the latter was a lucky
accident for both those who enjoy this tea and for tea culture as a
whole.
Over a thousand years ago a type of tall, large-leafed tea tree was
noted at Dahu prefecture in west-central Fujian province. Its
domestication, however, began only three hundred years ago.
Around the turn of the eighteenth century a large tea tree was found
growing lying on the ground, pressed under the fallen wall of a
rundown temple. From beneath it several small shoots had developed
and taken root. A tea grower from southern Fujian who had migrated
to the Dahu area took an interest in them and transplanted some to
his garden. They produced a fine tea, and also taught him that tea
plants could be reproduced by layering. Both the strain and the
method quickly spread to the nearby Wuyi Mountains and other areas.
The meaning of the word shuixian is" water sprite," also the
Chinese name for the narcissus. The coastal city of Quanzhou (Chuanzhou),
through which this tea was traditionally exported, is famous for its
narcissi, themselves an important export product.
The Shuixian strain has a single trunk and sparse branches. Its
thick leaves are a glossy dark green, and it has lots of fat,
greenish-yellow buds covered with hair. The leaves, processed into
loose, twisted strips, are good for many infusions of the clear,
bright orange-brown beverage. The leaves can also be processed into
black tea and white tea. It is popular in southeastern China as an
early-morning drink or served with dim sum brunch.
Wuyi Shui Hsien (also called Wuyi Hsiencha) is the most famous of
the Shui Hsien type. Another variety from Yongchun, Anxi and their
neighboring areas is loosely grouped as Min Nan Shui Xian (Southern
Fujian Shui Hsien). This tea is also grown in Taiwan and in
Guangdong. The products of the latter, under the names Fonghwang
Tan-chung and Fenghuang Shui Hsien, are popular in Hong Kong and
Macao as well as Guangdong.
