She County Orchid Tea

She County Orchid Tea

　　She (shè) County Orchid Tea is produced in She County, Anhui Province, and comes in varieties such as Zhulan Yellow Sprout Peak, Zhulan Dafang, and Zhulan Baked Green.

　　The scenting process is divided into two stages: first, making the tea base, and second, scenting the flowers, also known as “flower fumigation.” The grade of the floral tea varies depending on the quality of the base tea ingredients. Floral teas made using Mao Feng or Dafang rough tea as the base are considered high-grade, premium teas; those made using Baked Green tea as the base are classified as regular floral teas. Making the tea base involves sorting and processing rough tea materials such as Mao Feng, Dafang, and Baked Green through a grading and batching process to produce various grades of green tea bases according to standard samples—this is called refined plain tea. The scenting process involves blending the refined plain tea with fresh Zhulan blossoms so that the base tea absorbs the floral aroma. After one or multiple rounds of scenting, Zhulan floral tea is produced.

　　She County Orchid Tea has a rich yet not overpowering orchid fragrance, and a clear yet not diluted aroma—thus, the Baked Green Zhulan floral tea it produces is delicate, elegant, fresh, and smooth. It features uniformly shaped leaves, a deep green and glossy color, and after brewing, the blossoms remain intact and hang in clusters. The liquor is bright yellow-green, and the leaves are plump, tender, and soft.