Tieguanyin
Tin Kuan Yin (Chinese铁 观音/铁 观音, Pinyin Tie Guan Yin, also Te Kwan Yin, Tie Guanyin, Ti Kuan Yin and other spellings are used ) refers to a variety of the tea plant Camellia sinensis from the city, in southeast China coastal province of Fujian. The obtained from this plant tea leaf as well as the infusion beverage made from it can also be meant.
Also on Taiwan Tin Kuan Yin is cultivated, but there the term isolation from the specific plant variety is used for all the tea, which was treated by the implementation details in his very special production process.
Manufacturing and trading varieties
Tin - Kuan- Yin tea is traditionally produced solely as Oolong by the fermentation of only very gently with the hand -rolled sheets is canceled by gently Darren in Röstpfannen. The completely dried, tisanerie prepare sheets are traded in different quality levels. For the easily recognizable, common characteristics of the leaves all at least average grades of this type of tea is one of the clearly curved shape of the very dense, heavy and remarkably large leaves. Typical velvety black color distinguishes the extremely strong roasted Tin Kuan Yin from Taiwan presented by the fresh green variety from its original home in Quanzhou Anxi. In particularly carefully and expertly rolled and kilned Journal balls can be seen only on the salient kinks and folds, where leaked oxidizable juice and touched the hot pan when darren, distinct brown black traces of fermentation and roasting. The surface of the most beautiful leaf qualities similar in structuring a walnut core.
For the finest among the offered outside China qualities from the south of Fujian achieve international tea traders retail prices up to 500 U.S. dollars per kilogram ( 2006).
While the mainland Chinese are very careful, only grapes from Tin - Kuan- Yin - plant (Camellia sinensis) to use for the unique manufacturing process of the Tin - Kuan- Yin tea, the Taiwan people call tea any tea plants as Tin Kuan Yin when he was only one sheet rolled by hand, Halffermented and kilned characteristic in the pan.
Preparation and flavor
The unusually mild and soft character of the Tin Kuan Yin only unfolds if some simple rules are followed while preparing. High calcium content in water leads to crumbs like flocculation in infusion, which, similarly occur as fine leaf tea from Darjeeling, as disturbing roughness on the tongue and palate in the foreground and spoil the enjoyment. Fresh, soft spring or well water is best. It is briefly boiled and then allowed to cool to about 80 to 90 degrees Celsius before pouring it over the tea leaves. Brews one Tin Kuan Yin with boiling water, as it is for black tea is definitely recommended to create a hard infusion, which some delicate components seem to be missing this semi-fermented teas. The temperature should not be so low as for green teas obligatory ( about 60 degrees Celsius, since at higher temperatures solve the unfermented tannins and other bitter substances disproportionate share and the green drink out of balance force ). Too cool brewed Tin Kuan Yin tastes watery, flat or insipid.
The more space the leaves of the Tin Kuan Yin, see the drawing vessel to unroll while dragging to the finer and more complex at the same time unfold their aroma. Here are harvested only balanced results when one considers the large space requirement of hand-crafted Tin - Kuan- Yin - sheets during drawing.
Like nearly everyone can Oolong and Tin Kuan Yin should be repeatedly poured. The custom of each infuse oolong and green tea only once is called in Chinese tea culture as a bad habit: This escaped the uninitiated the deep insights about the development, maturation, and finally the transformation of taste. Who has the patience to grant the Tin Kuan Yin sufficient time and space for the necessary post-fermentation in the can, is rewarded with great enjoyment.
Properly prepared Tin Kuan Yin has an aroma of high recognition value. A successful, first infusion contains a slight predominance of volatile acids and phenols, which communicates itself as a strong, distinctive fragrance. The nose of the second infusion acts weakened, while the flavor in the mouth manifested as full, almost physical taste and yet acts present minutes after swallowing.
Tin - Kuan- Yin tea is in reputation for being an aphrodisiac. Providers describe this tea its flavor usually reserved as soft or even airy, but boast the intense and long -lasting aftertaste.
Should rise in thin shells of porcelain, the walls are relatively flat Served Tin Kuan Yin always.
Many qualities of the Taiwan strong roasted character of the leaves is very much in the foreground, so that for Tin Kuan Yin specific gustatory stimuli pushed back or be completely covered.
Origin of the name
The name of the tea is derived from Chinese铁/铁, Pinyin tie " iron ", " iron " and Chinese观音/观音, Pinyin Guan Yin Kuan Yin, a female bodhisattva of compassion.
Whether Tin (as Lautungsvariante to Chinese铁/铁, Pinyin TIE) refers to as the first term of Teebezeichnung on the color of the infusion or on the material of a statue of Kuan Yin, today can not be determined with certainty (Ref.: Blofeld ).
More interesting than the question of the origin of the name component, Tin ' seems completely uncontroversial assignment of this strikingly peculiar teas Goddess Kuan Yin.
In the mystification of this tea, reference is made to the deity who carries according to the great willingness of Buddhism for adaptations characteristic traits of the Christian Madonna Mary Mother of God. So far, the popular use of the name of the goddess was discussed as a synonym for the female gender in this context only rarely.
A trivial explanation for the link Kuan Yin with this tea can be found in the assignment of the animals sacred to deities. Tin Kuan Yin is confirmed as one of the most sought after oolongs with the quite usual quality attribute " Dragon" and Dragon is the animal of the Goddess Kuan Yin. As an advantage of this explanation is felt that one needs to find a consensus on the delicate question of whether Tin Kuan Yin tastes like something that is referred to in Chinese popularly known as Kuan Yin.