Rou Gui (肉桂)

archetype: Tiger in the cinnamon grove

A spicy power, a warming wildness; a warm hide that smells of cinnamon.

History

'Cinnamon' (after the aroma of the leaf) is one of the four chief Wuyi yancha alongside Da Hong Pao, Shui Xian and Tie Luohan. The Rou Gui bushes grow in the same gorges of the cliff cliffs; the leaf is oxidised to 50–60 % and roasted many times over coals, drawing out a dark caramel sweetness and a recognisable cinnamon spice. The intensity of the spice shifts with the harvest spot: in Niu Lan Keng it is sharp, in Ma Tou Yan it is deep, in Xiang Zhen it is at its sweetest.

When the first monks came to the Wuyi Mountains, they saw beside the cliffs a bush whose leaves the tigers would come to sniff — and from that scent they would grow calm. The monks tasted the leaf and recognised cinnamon in it. Ever since, Rou Gui has carried a tiger's character: drunk rightly, the tiger in the blood lies down beside your fire and falls asleep.

Terroir

400–800 m, narrow gorges. red sandstone and basalt, as in Da Hong Pao — abundant iron and manganese, minimal nitrogen. dense mists, gorges that hold the warmth, little direct sun. The best gardens are Niu Lan Keng ('the cow pen'), Ma Tou Yan ('the horse's head'), Xiang Zhen ('the fragrant cliffs'). Each gives its own profile of spice — from sharp to honeyed.

Leaf

dry leaf: long dark-brown twisted strands with a coal-like sheen; in the hand smelling of cinnamon, black pepper and warm wood

warmed: the warmed leaf — sharp cinnamon, black pepper, warm wood, a faint note of dry cliff

after pour: after the infusion — hot cinnamon, dark caramel, leather, warm cedar, a thin berry

taste: cinnamon, dark caramel, a faint roast, mineral depth; in long infusions — dark berry and ripe prune

finish: long, spicy, warming the chest; the aftertaste holds for an hour, leaving a warm tigerish echo in the throat

Properties

TCM: hot by nature, yang; warms all channels, moves qi and blood, warms the kidneys, dispels cold; not for those with internal heat

Modern: rich in melanoidins and essential oils, including cinnamaldehyde (hence the cinnamon tone); warms gently, supports circulation and the digestion of rich food

Cha qi: dense, warming, spreading from the belly into chest and shoulders; felt like a warm beast under the skin

Caffeine: medium (40–55 mg), the effect comes slowly

Brewing ritual

a yixing pot of 120 ml in zhu ni; 100 °C, mineral; 8 g / 120 ml. 8s — the first warmth: cinnamon, smoke of the cliff; 10s — the peak of spice: dark caramel, leather, cinnamon; 12s — mineral depth, dark chocolate; 18s — berry with bitterness, autumn forest; 25s — a long spice — warm stone; 40s — the tiger leaves — a warm echo in the chest.

When to drink

day and evening — especially after coming in from the cold. winter and late autumn. when body and nose are chilled; when you need a wild clear strength; before a long winter walk; when tone has fallen. dark chocolate with cinnamon, baked apple with clove, red meat, spiced coffee cake, incense. good alone by the fire; for two — without music, by the hearth

Tea meditation

This tea moves through the blood. Let it move.
Don't swallow quickly — the cinnamon needs to flare.
Breathe through the nose — the exhale will be spicy.

Questions and answers

How do you brew Rou Gui?

What does Rou Gui taste like?

cinnamon, dark caramel, a faint roast, mineral depth; in long infusions — dark berry and ripe prune

How much caffeine is in Rou Gui?

medium (40–55 mg), the effect comes slowly

What are the effects of Rou Gui?

rich in melanoidins and essential oils, including cinnamaldehyde (hence the cinnamon tone); warms gently, supports circulation and the digestion of rich food