Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong (正山小種)
archetype: Bear by the river
A bear by a dark river: a warm berry depth, longan, a peaceful strength without smoke.
History
Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong — 'true mountain small variety' — is in fact the parent style of all red teas in the world. From it descended Lapsang Souchong (the same technique plus pine smoking) and ultimately all European 'black' teas. The modern smokeless Zheng Shan is made in the same Tongmuguan valley: the leaf is heavily oxidised but not smoked, leaving only the honey-berry sweetness.
It is said that in the Tongmuguan valley there lived a peaceful bear who walked to the river to drink. The hunters noticed: where the bear drank, the leaf of the bush in that valley was sweet as a raisin. Since then the local peasants do not disturb the bear's tracks — and follow them when picking. Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong is 'the tea by the bear's river': drunk when one needs a quiet strength, not a hunter's excitement.
Terroir
800–1500 m. red sandstone rich in iron and minerals. dense fogs, cool nights, minimum direct sun. Canonical Zheng Shan is only from the Tongmuguan valley itself; outside it the leaf loses its peaceful berry character.
Leaf
dry leaf: long twisted dark-chestnut strands; in the hand smelling of longan and raisin
warmed: the warmed leaf — dried longan, black raisin, stewed cherry, warm honey
after pour: after the infusion — longan, raisin, cherry, dark honey
taste: longan, black raisin, stewed cherry, warm honey
finish: long, peaceful; the aftertaste — a 'dark sweetness' in the chest, lasting 30–40 minutes
Properties
TCM: warm, yang; warms the middle, nourishes the blood, gently moves qi, calms the shen
Modern: rich in theaflavins and natural sugars; gentle stimulation, warming
Cha qi: even, warm, peaceful; felt as a 'bear's heaviness' in the shoulders
Caffeine: medium (40–55 mg)
Brewing ritual
a 150 ml gaiwan; 95 °C; 5 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first berry breath: longan, raisin; 12s — the peak: stewed cherry, warm honey; 18s — a deep dark sweetness; 25s — a long peaceful note; 40s — the finale — the bear sits down by the water.
When to drink
day and evening. autumn and winter. for a peaceful strength, for a long evening, after the hunt (literal or metaphorical). dried longan, raisin, dark cherry, dark honey, aged cheese. solitary reading; a conversation with one before whom silence is fitting
Tea meditation
- The bear by the river is not hunting — he is resting.
- This tea is rest after the hunt.
- Let the dark sweetness settle in the chest.
Questions and answers
How do you brew Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong?
a 150 ml gaiwan; 95 °C; 5 g / 150 ml. 10s — the first berry breath: longan, raisin; 12s — the peak: stewed cherry, warm honey; 18s — a deep dark sweetness; 25s — a long peaceful note; 40s — the finale — the bear sits down by the water.
What does Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong taste like?
longan, black raisin, stewed cherry, warm honey
How much caffeine is in Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong?
medium (40–55 mg)
What are the effects of Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong?
rich in theaflavins and natural sugars; gentle stimulation, warming
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