Tea Glorious Tea 
Since Green Tea has the least amount of processing, is organic and has no preservatives, it should be consumed within one year of opening the vacuum packed and sealed container.
Wulong Tea has been grown in the mountains around this picture post card perfect town of ANXI, some say for over 1000 years. These exceptional teas have been a specialty of China since the Sung Dynasty鈥960 to 1279 AD. What makes them so highly prized is that they are Semi Fermented, partially oxidized teas. For me, the best way to describe Wulong Tea is to say it falls half way between Green Tea and Black Tea. But because it goes through a partial fermentation process鈥rinking the tea produces a wonderful zing like taste sensation that shakes up and delights the taste buds. The myriad precision techniques employed in creating and producing Wulong tea give it a breathtaking range of flavors, unique fragrances and liquor colors.
Like a fine cognac, these are teas of distinction and big favorites with tea connoisseurs, especially the legendary and superb Tie Guan Yin or 鈥淚ron Goddess of Mercy,鈥 the highest grade, most sought after and most expensive of all Wulong Teas.
And this is exactly where, according to legend, it all began for this zestfully stimulating brew. These old Chinese characters inscribed here on the rock face, high in the craggy mountains bear witness to the discovery of this matchless and splendid, Iron Goddess of Mercy tea. Its heritage, formula and fine taste has come down to us today, carefully preserved and unchanged for the past 1000 years.
And just how do you determine the quality of dry, top grade teas? Well, first with your nose and then with your fingers. Mostly though, it鈥檚 the nose, that knows! Buyers arrive here from all over China, Asia and the world, judging, examining, selecting and buying the various grades of Wulong teas. Top grades are always made, like we said before, from the buds that are picked in the spring.
Well, this is just the end of the beginning of our story. The Tea Culture covers the whole of China. It鈥檚 a pretty big story for a very big country. And you know what! The more I discover, the more I discover that there鈥檚 a lot more to discover about Tea Glorious Tea. Next time I鈥檒l be visiting some unusual teahouses in some really interesting places. I really hope you can grab a cup and join me then. I鈥檓 Johnny Johnson with a suggestion for you. How about you go put the kettle on and we鈥檒l all have, 鈥淎 nice hot cup of tea.鈥 I can tell you I could really use a cup, right here, right now in the middle of the Gobi Desert. So long, take care and tsai zhen.
Editor:Liu Source:CCTV.com
