Liangxi Citrus Pu'er Tea

Liangxi Citrus Pu'er Tea

　　  Liangxi Citrus Pu'er Tea -- A Famous, Special, and High-Quality Agricultural Product of Jiangmen City

　　  China has a thousand-year history of pairing citrus peel with tea. The "Tea Sage" Lu Yu mentioned "brewing tea with orange peel" in his classic *The Classic of Tea*. However, the official meeting of "Pu'er tea" and "dried tangerine peel" took place in the ancient village of Liangxi in Jiangmen City.

　　  Citrus Pu'er tea represents the local folk culture of Liangxi Village and is one of the items collected during the intangible cultural heritage survey of Jiangmen City.

　　     Citrus Pu'er tea, commonly known as dried tangerine peel Pu'er tea, is made from carefully selected famous Xinhui dried tangerine peel and aged Yunnan Pu'er tea. The peel, often referred to as the “thousand-year ginseng, hundred-year dried tangerine peel,” is combined with aged Pu'er tea — hailed as the champion among weight-loss teas — through a special process. No additives are used to enhance the aged flavor of the tea leaves during production. Instead, the dry tea and fresh citrus peels are naturally fermented in a ventilated and dry environment. The two absorb each other’s essence, resulting in a uniquely flavored Citrus Pu'er tea. The tea takes on the appearance of dried fruit, making it both aesthetically pleasing and health-promoting. The aged citrus Pu'er tea boasts a uniquely fragrant taste, beneficial for soothing sore throats and suppressing coughs. Its pig-liver-colored infusion, along with a rich aged aroma, can invigorate the mind, relieve hangovers, promote urination, and show notable effectiveness against high cholesterol and high blood lipids. Adding the fruit peel during brewing enhances the effect.

　　   Luo Tianchi Created Citrus Pu'er Tea

　　   Citrus Pu'er tea is made from Yunnan Pu'er tea and Xinhui citrus, and is known for its effects in relieving phlegm, cough, stagnation, and invigorating the spirit. It is said that this tea was first created by Luo Tianchi, a successful candidate in the imperial examination during the Daoguang era and a native of Liangxi Village.

　　   Luo Tianchi, originally named Rumei, styled himself Caoshao and was also called Liuhu, was born in 1805 in Liangxi Village, Tangxia Town, Xinhui (now part of Pengjiang District). He became a successful candidate in the imperial examination in the sixth year of the Daoguang reign and was regarded as one of the "Four Great Masters of Eastern Guangdong." In the 27th year of Daoguang (1847), Luo Tianchi resigned from his official post in Yunnan due to the Hui people incident and returned to Liangxi Village, Tangxia, Xinhui. During his tenure in Yunnan, Luo Tianchi developed a strong fondness for the local Pu'er tea and brought back a large quantity upon returning home.

　　   In the autumn of the year he returned, Luo Tianchi accidentally caught a cold and was reading in his study while sipping tea. His wife busily boiled water with aged citrus peel from that year for him to drink. Mistaking it for hot water for brewing tea, he poured the citrus peel soup into the teapot. Only then did he realize it was a tangerine peel decoction known for suppressing coughs and dissolving phlegm. Though he considered pouring it out, he felt it would be a waste and took a sip. Instantly, he noticed the subtle aroma of aged tangerine peel blending with Pu'er tea wafting through his nose, filling his cheeks with fragrance. After a few cups, he felt his throat become more comfortable and his cough and phlegm significantly reduced. The next day, Luo Tianchi asked his wife to boil more citrus peel water for brewing Pu'er tea. After drinking it for two consecutive days, his cough stopped, the phlegm was gone, and the frustration in his heart seemed to have been cleansed away by the citrus peel and Pu'er tea. From then on, he enjoyed brewing Pu'er tea with some added citrus peel.

　　   A clan member living next door gave Luo Tianchi some citrus fruits he had grown. Luo picked up a citrus fruit, looked at it, and thought: The longer Pu'er tea is stored, the richer, smoother, and tastier it becomes. Similarly, the longer Xinhui citrus peel is kept, the better its effects in dissolving phlegm and suppressing coughs. If these two were combined and stored together, it would not only be convenient for brewing and drinking but also easy to store. He tore the citrus peel into three flaps and wrapped the Pu'er tea inside. Though this made it easy to pack the tea, it also tended to fall apart easily.