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The Jie Tea[1]


Jie Tea from Chang Xing of Zhejiang is superb and highly
regarded, though rather pricy. Those from Jing Qi[2]
is slighttly inferior.
When picking tea, there is no need to pick too fine leaves, too
fine tea leaves are nascent and lack flavour.
Also void leaves which are too green, as they are too old and have
lost tenderness in flavour. It is best to pick
the leaves which are greenish roundish and thick. Do not dry them
in the sun, rather bake them with charcoal fire, cool
down with a fan then stored in container lined with ruo[3] leaves and
keep it on a high place, because tea relish warmth and dry
abhor cool and dampness.



Notes:

[1] "Jie" was the short hame for "Luo Jie"
Luo Jie was the name of a mountain bordering Zhejiang and Jing Qi
prefactures (in Ming dynasty) , "jie"-- meant boundary.
Chang Xin was south of Luo Jie mountain, Jing Qi was north of Luo
Jie.
Chang Xin retains its name till today.

Luo Jie tea from Gu Chu mountain in Chang Xing county in Zhejiang was
also known as Gu Chu Voilet Shoot. Gu Chu Voilet Shoot
had being imperial tribute tea Since Tang dynasty for nearly nine
hundred years until the middle of Qin dynasty.
Gu Chu Voilet Shoot has being revived again in the seventies as a
top grade tea in China


[2] Jin Qi is now called Yi Xin township. Jin Qi tea was also known
as Yang Xian tea


[3] Ruo leave: Leaves from <a
href="http://www.bamboo.ws/bam-boo_images/booindotess.gif">Indocalamus
tessellatus bamboo</a>. The leave is about 45 cm long. Ruo bamboo
grows in Yangtse River basin.


Translated by Martin Tai from Wen Zhen Heng: Zhang Wu Zhi (ca 1621 AD,
Ming dynasty)