Baozhong tea

Baozhong
Type	Betweengreenandoolong
Other names	Pouchong
Origin	Fujian
Quick description	Acidic floral fragrance; rich, mild melony taste

Baozhong tea
Chinese	Bao chủng trà
Literal meaning	Wrapped kind
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Bāozhǒngchá Southern Min HokkienPOJ Pau-chióng-tê

Baozhongtea, sometimesromanizedaspouchong,is a lightly oxidizedtea,twist shape, with floral notes, and usually not roasted, somewhere betweengreen teaand what is usually consideredoolongtea, though often classified with the latter due to its lack of the sharper green tea flavours. It is produced mainly inFujian,Chinaand inPinglin District,New Taipei,Taiwan.

Its name in Chinese, literally "the wrapped kind", refers to a practice of wrapping the leaves in paper during the drying process that has largely been discontinued due to advancement intea processing.At its best, baozhong gives off a floral and melon fragrance and has a rich, mild taste. The picking season of this famous Taiwan "spring tea" (Xuân trà) usually begins around the end of March.

Before 1873, oolong tea was widely sold in mainland China and Taiwan, but after an economic slump, some tea companies stopped selling oolong tea because of decreasing demand. At this time, tea companies moved production from Taiwan to Fuzhou and began producing baozhong tea. Baozhong tea is referred to as "flower tea" because of its fragrant smell.

Health benefits

Together withgreen tea,oolong tea,andblack tea,baozhong tea has been shown to haveantioxidantactivity andantimutagenicproperties.Tea catechinsare important antioxidants and one study found baozhong tea to have over three times the amount of these compounds relative to black tea, although it was found to have less than green or oolong teas.

Baozhong tea in Taiwan

Farmers from Taiwan imported trees and growing techniques from Fujian during the nineteenth century. The name of baozhong tea means “wrapped” tea and refers to the former paper package style. The most popular kinds of baozhong tea are from the Nankang and Wenshan regions. It has been produced since about 1885, but today very little is grown. Wenshan Baozhong Tea is also one of the ten most popular teas in Taiwan.

Characteristics

The appearance of baozhong tea is similar to a rope and is curled up. It has a deep green color with tiny grayish white spots. The oxidation is between 8 and 12%. It has a delicate fragrance similar to fresh flowers. The taste is not harsh and its sweet flavor has a moisturizing effect.