Baozhong tea is produced in Taiwan, China. Most of Taiwan Oolong Tea is Baozhong Tea. Baozhong refers to the way the tea is packed. Wang Yicheng, a tea manufacturer in Anxi, Fujian Province, used two pieces of paper and pack the tea in the shape of a box. In 1881, Wu Fuyuan, a tea merchant from Tong'an County of Fujian Province opened a tea shop at Taibei. His teashop was called Longyuan Hao. He adopted this spcial way of packaging tea and named the tea Baozhong Tea. Two other merchants in Anxi, Wang Anding and Zhang Gukui, also started to sell Baozhong Tea. This marked the birth of Taiwan Baozhong Tea. Taiwan Baozhong undergoes the lightest fermentation among all Oolong teas, with the lowest catechin oxidation (7.5-19%).
The dried tea leaves have the fragrance of orchilds. After brewing, the clear yellowish-green tea liquid gives out a strong fragrance. When drinking, the tea liquid leaves a lingering sweetness.
Baozhong Tea is made from the fresh leaves of Qingxin Oolong bushes, which are picked all year round. It is called spring tea if picked between mid-March and early May, summer tea between late May and mid August, autumn tea between mid August and late October and winter tea between late October and mid November. From each top-most sprout of the new branches, only 2 or 3 leaves are picked. During processing, they go through sun-withering, indoor-withering, frying, rolling, pre-drying, roasting, etc.
The popular saying " North Wenshan, south Dongding" shows that they are the best teas in Taiwan. Wenshan Baozhong is a typical bar-shaped tea while Dongding Oolong is hemispherical in shape. Wenshan Baozhong has a fresh fragrant taste while Dongding Oolong is famous for the strong sweet aftertaste. Besides Wenshan and Dongding, Taiwan Baozhong Tea also includes Songbai Changqing, Gaoshan, Mingde, Jinxuan, etc.
Wenshan Baozhong
Wenshan Baozhong has been famous since ancient times. It is named after its place of origin, Wenshan in Taipei, which produces the best quality Oolong. Wenshan Baozhong undergoes the lightest fermentation among Baozhong teas. Made from the fresh leaves of Qingxin Oolong trees, its process is strictly monitored. Picking is carried out between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., choosing only the two leaves at the top each sprout. No picking is done on rainy days. The final tea is "fragrant, rich, mellow, charming and sweet."
Features of Wenshan Baozhong
Treated with the lightest fermentation, the final tea leaves are compact and curled at the top. The color is dried green. The dried leaves smell of fresh orchids. When brewed, the fragrance is even stronger. The tea liquid is bright golden. The brewed leaves are fresh green in color and unbroken. It is mellow and sweet in taste. It soothes the throat and has a strong sweet aftertaste.