| Name | Ānxī tiě guānyīn / 安溪铁观音 |
| English | Iron Goddess |
| Region | Anxi, Fujian |
| Manufacture | Wulong Tea |
| Style | Tightly curled dark jade green leaves. |
| Flavor | Sweet honey note with a hint of floral taste |
| Aroma | Strong orchid fragrance |
| Liquor | Yellowish green |
| Brewing | Brew up to 8/9 infusions at 90°C |
Anxi Tieguanyin is the prototypical Wulong tea and a deserving member of the 十大名茶. Found south of the Nan River in Fujian province it is characterized by its light oxidation and ball-rolled style (this is in contract to the north of the Nan River Wulong teas which are twisted single-leaf teas such as Dahongpao). Typically it takes a few infusions for the ball-rolled leaves to open up to their full original size, but this tea can be continually infused for up to 8 or 9 times. Compare the before and after pictures below.
Tea Tip – The Ten Famous Chinese Teas (中国十大名茶)
There is no official Top 10 list, but instead it is often used collection whose members vary depending on where it was compiled and current trends. To help average out these difference, there is a list on Wikipedia (see below) that ranks the teas by the number of times they appear on the various lists. As a novice to Chinese tea, I have found this list to be invaluable as a guide for The Taobao Tea Trail.
| Chinese Name | Pinyin Name | English Name | Occurrences | Source | Type |
| 安溪铁观音 | Ānxī tiě guānyīn | Iron Goddess | 20 | Anxi, Fujian | Wulong |
| 西湖龙井 | Xīhú lóngjǐng | Dragon Well | 20 | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | Green |
| 东山碧螺春 | Dōngshān bìluóchūn | Green Snail Spring | 20 | Suzhou, Jiangsu | Green |
| 黄山毛峰 | Huángshān máo fēng | Fur Peak | 17 | Huangshan, Anhui | Green |
| 武夷岩茶 | Dàhóng páo | Big Red Robe | 16 | Wuyi, Fujian | Wulong |
| 君山银针 | Jūnshān yín zhēn | Silver Needle | 14 | Yueyang, Hunan | Yellow |
| 祁门红茶 | Qí mén hóngchá | Qimen Black Tea | 12 | Qimen, Anhui | Red |
| 六安瓜片 | Liù ān guāpiàn | Melon Seed | 11 | Jinzhai, Anhui | Green |
| 白毫银针 | Báiháo yín zhēn | White Fur Silver Needle | 10 | Zhenghe, Fujian | White |
| 普洱茶 | Pǔěr chá | Puerh Tea | 10 | Simao, Yunnan | Black |
Over the last 2 1/2 months I have had the chance to sample all ten of these teas. While my favorites include 西湖龙井, 君山银针, 白毫银针 I must say Anxi Tieguanyin ranks at the top of my own list. It’s fragrant, tastes good and lasts for multiple infusions! Sampling these first 10 teas has taught me a lot about basics of tea manufacture, preparation and culture.
Another big takeaway I have learned is that, with anything, it is important to try to make sure your first experience with the different Chinese teas is with high-quality tea leaves prepared properly. As I have been talking about my experiences with friends many would like to have a good experience with tea, but simply do not know where to start. Hopefully some of my experiences with this Taobao Tea Trail can help.
More Information (from Baidu Baike):
Tieguanyin is the most iconic type of oolong tea, ranking as one of China’s top 10 teas. The best Tieguanyin comes from Anxi county in Fujian Province, which has been a prosperous tea growing region throughout history. A semi-fermented tea, Tieguanyin has a special delicate and purifying flavor, qualities frequently used to describe Guanyin, the most famous goddess in Chinese Buddhism. Hence the name Tieguanyin.
The tea leaves are curly, almost ball-like. The color is a dark brownish green. Once brewed, the liquid of good Tieguanyin should be a beautiful amber color while inferior tea yields a dark brown color. Speaking of the flavor, Tieguanyin is arguably the most naturally aromatic Chinese tea. It has a penetrating floral scent but well balanced by a slightly bitter taste which morphs into a sweet aftertaste. The complexities in the flavor are what set Tieguanyin apart as the tea connoisseurs’ tea. There are two types of Tieguanyin based on the type of aroma: intense and refreshing, a good description of its respective aromatic feature.
Good Tieguanyin keeps its flavor well into the seventh or eighth brew, making it a perfect companion of contemplation and meditation.
Other Sources & Links:
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How much time should you allow for brewing the anxi tieguanyin tea? Thanks for the wonderful write-up.
Ashok,
After an initial rinse of the leaves with hot water, most people would suggest shorter brewing times for the first few infusions (e.g. just over a minute) which then gradually should increase over time as you get to the eighth/ninth infusion (e.g. 3 minutes).
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