If you want to fall in love with tea, try Tieguanyin, this highly aromatic tea is one of the most popular oolong teas in the world and one of the best representatives of a long and versatile history of Chinese tea.
Tieguanyin, Tie Guan Yin, Ti Kwan Yin. Ti Kuan Yin or Goddess of Iron or Mercy is a Chinese oolong tea from Anxi County in Fujian Province. Fujian is a very important tea province and cradle of famous Chinese teas. Chinese white tea such as Silver Needle and Pai Mu Tan, the black Lapsang Souchong and the famous WuYi rock tea such as Red Robe, all originating from Fujian. Tieguanyin is a type of Chinese oolong tea, but it is also the name of the tea variety. Like all royal teas, tieguanyin is made from the Camellia sinensis tea plant. It can be made with the tieguanyin variety or other varieties of tea. Some Tieguanyin teas may even be a blend of different tea cultivars. Authentic Tieguanyin oolong must always come from Anxi. Nowadays, other areas are also producing this tea. Although it may be similar in shape, and even in taste, it is not considered authentic. There are other teas that are very similar to tieguanyin, such as maoxie oolong, huangjingui oolong, or benshan oolong. What also makes this tea unique is that it is actually a very broad category of teas. They can be more or less oxidized, more or less roasted, and have a different flavor profile. What is common to all of them is that they are all shaped like leaves. in small balls, tightly rolled and containing no branches. For example, when you brew Taiwanese highland teas, you'll see a flower bud and some leaves attached to a branch. Tieguanyin only contains leaves. Benefits Tieguanyin is an oolong tea. Oolong tea contains antioxidants, caffeine, amino acids, and other compounds. It falls between green tea and black tea. You can guess the level of oxidation by looking at the color of the tea leaves and the brew. The greener and brighter infusions will be less oxysomed, and the darker ones will be more oxysomed.