Beigang Maojian

Introduction to Beigang Maojian

Yueyang has been a tourist attraction since ancient times. Its Beigang tea was very famous in the Tang Dynasty. In the Tang Dynasty, Fiji's "Tea Records" listed ten kinds of tribute tea, and Yonghu was one of them. In the Tang Dynasty, Li Zhao's "Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty" recorded that "Yuezhou has the cream of Yonghu". According to legend, Princess Wencheng brought Yonghu tea with her when she married in Tibet.

Fan Zhiming of the Northern Song Dynasty wrote in Yueyang Customs and Local Records: "Tea used to be produced in the mountains of Yonghu Lake, which was called Yonghu Tea. Li Zhao said that the oil in Yonghu Lake in Yuezhou was very important to the Tang people. It is mentioned in the articles, but people don't plant it much nowadays. However, there are more than a thousand trees in the White Crane Monk State, and the land is quite similar to this garden. The tea produced is no more than 10 to 20 taels a year. The locals call it White Crane Tea, which tastes very sweet and fragrant, and cannot be compared with grass tea from other places. The land and color of the tea gardens are also similar, but the locals don't plant it much."

The "Shiwu Ganzhu" compiled and annotated by Huang Yizhen in the Ming Dynasty lists 99 modern tea names and 101 ancient tea names, among which Huang Lingmao produced in Yuezhou and Han Gaoleng produced in Yueyang are ancient tea names. Zhang Qiande's "Tea Classic" in the Ming Dynasty also records "Huang Lingmao and Han Gaoleng from Yuezhou". The "Zhi Fu Qi Shu Guang Ji" in the Qing Dynasty (probably published in the 17th and 18th centuries) also records that Han Gao tea was produced in Yonghu, Yuezhou. Huang Benji's "Hunan Fangwu Zhi" in the Qing Dynasty records that "Huang Lingmao from Yuezhou and Han Gaoleng from Yueyang are tea names produced in the Tang and Song dynasties." It also quoted a poem about Yonghu tea by Tang monk Qi Ji, saying: "Yonghu is a tribute, why is it so ordinary? It's still the bitterness of the poem, which can dispel the fragrance of wax noodles, the sound of grinding fills the whole room, and the color of cooking carries the setting sun. If there is a new spring, don't forget the letter from the west."

Beigang originates from Meixi River and is more than 2 kilometers long. It is named because it is located to the north of Nangang. Nangang and Beigang meet at Qiaohu Lake. There are five Yong temples beside the lake. There is a lake in front of the temple, which is now called Yangjia Lake, or Yonghu Lake. The area around Beigang Yonghu Lake in Kangwang Township, Yueyang City is the current production area of ​​Beigang Maojian. The climate here is mild and the rainfall is abundant. Every early spring morning, steam rises from the surface of Yonghu Lake and lingers in the low sky. With the breeze, it is like a veil of mist that disperses over the tea garden on the north bank. The tea garden has a flat terrain, with land and water interlaced, fertile soil and suitable acidity.

Beigang Maojian is usually harvested 5-6 days after Qingming Festival. The standard for fresh leaves is one bud and two or three leaves. Picking is done on sunny days. Do not pick insect-damaged leaves, purple leaves, fish leaves, or leaves without stalks. Strictly follow the harvesting and processing.

The production of Beigang Maojian involves five steps: frying in a pan, kneading in a pan, patting, re-frying and drying.

Pan frying and pan kneading: Pan frying mainly plays the role of killing green tea. Before killing green tea, polish and clean the pan. The pan temperature should be high at the beginning, and the temperature should be raised to 180℃. 1-1.5 kg of leaves should be put into each pan. After the fresh leaves are put into the pan, shake and stir-fry for 2 minutes, lower the pan temperature to below 100℃, and stir-fry for another 12-13 minutes. When the leaves emit a fresh fragrance and the tea leaves are 30% to 40% dry, cool them down to about 40℃, and stir-fry them in the pan to break up the blocks and make the tea leaves roll into strips. When they are 60% dry, they can be taken out of the pan and beaten.

Patting the tea leaves: Place the tea leaves in a dustpan and pat them tightly, then cover with cotton for 30-40 minutes. Let the tea leaves become moist and yellow, then put them into the pot for re-frying and kneading.

Re-frying: Keep the wok temperature at 60-070℃, fry until the strips are tightly curled, the white hair is visible, and when it is 80% dry, remove from the wok and let cool.

Drying: Use charcoal to bake at a temperature of 80-90℃ until the tea leaves are completely dry, then put them into a box and seal them tightly to make the tea leaves turn yellower.

Beigang Maojian has strong buds and plump leaves, with exposed tips, golden yellow color, orange-yellow soup, clear aroma and mellow taste. The products are divided into five grades according to their tenderness: special, 1--4.

The efficacy and function of Beigang Maojian

It has many functions such as promoting fluid production and quenching thirst, clearing the heart and improving eyesight, refreshing the mind and invigorating the brain, removing greasiness and helping digestion, inhibiting atherosclerosis, preventing cancer, preventing and treating scurvy and protecting against radioactive elements.

Side effects and contraindications of Beigang Maojian

Tea drinking taboos

Drink the first brew of tea: Some people will filter out the first brew of tea and drink the second brew. This is a way of drinking tea. Tea leaves may be contaminated by pesticides and other harmful substances during the cultivation and processing process, and there will be certain residues on the surface, so the first brew of tea is best discarded for washing.

Drinking tea on an empty stomach or before meals: Drinking tea on an empty stomach is very harmful to the stomach, and can cause a large amount of harmful ingredients in the tea to enter the blood, causing dizziness, palpitations, weakness in the hands and feet, etc. Drinking tea with some snacks is good for the stomach. Similarly, it is not advisable to drink tea half an hour before meals.

Drinking tea immediately after a meal: If you drink tea immediately after a meal, the tannic acid in the tea leaves will react with the iron in the food to produce new substances that are difficult to dissolve, which may cause iron deficiency anemia in the long run. Therefore, it is best to drink tea half an hour after a meal.

Drinking tea when you have a fever: The caffeine contained in tea can increase body temperature, so drinking tea when you have a fever is like "adding fuel to the fire."

Drinking tea for ulcers: The caffeine in tea can promote gastric acid secretion, increase gastric acid concentration, cause ulcers and even perforation. Therefore, patients with ulcers should not drink tea.

Drinking tea before bed: If you drink tea too close to bedtime at night, it can easily affect your sleep.

Drinking tea during menstruation and pregnancy: It will affect the endocrine system and have a negative impact on the fetus of women who drink tea.

Drinking very strong tea: The concentration of tea is too high and it is too irritating, which increases the burden on internal organs and disrupts the endocrine system.

How to brew Beigang Maojian

Brewing Preparation

An iron stove, a copper kettle, a rectangular rosewood tea tray, a rectangular wooden tray, several celadon tea bowls (Sancai covered cups can be used), a ceramic teapot, a set of sandalwood tea utensils, a tea-colored tea towel, a Qinghua tea lotus, a colored porcelain vase, a gardenia, an incense burner, three incense sticks, and several grams of Beigang Maojian tea.

Brewing method

First course: Boil water - Yonghu lotus dew boiled paste

Before brewing tea, the tea connoisseur first selects utensils, hangs paintings, arranges flowers, plays music, burns incense, calms the mind, and then starts to make fire and boil water. "Water is the mother of tea, and tea is the soul of water." Brewing tea and judging water is a feature of Chinese tea ceremony. The ancients divided the water suitable for tea into heavenly water and earthly water. Heavenly water is rain, snow, frost, dew, and hail; earthly water is springs, rivers, lakes, and wells. More interesting ones, such as sweeping plum blossom snow, gathering frost in December, collecting lotus leaf dew, and melting winter ice, borrow pure water to inspire tea connoisseurs' quiet thoughts. The water we brew today is the morning dew of lotus flowers in Yonghu Lake, Beigang. There is a poem to prove it: the light gauze and mist lock the pond, and drops of crystal kiss the fragrance. Gather the green lotus ice dew and clean it, and boil it with ointment to wash the vulgar intestines.

Second step: Cleaning the vessel - Celadon tea bowl Yuezhou kiln

Yuezhou is the ancient name of Yueyang: In the Tang Dynasty, not only was there the famous tea containing paste from Yonghu Lake, but also Yuezhou teaware was famous. Yuezhou Kiln is one of the six famous kilns in China. Lu Yu's "The Classic of Tea: Four Utensils" states: "Bowls from Yuezhou are the best, followed by Dingzhou and Wuzhou, Yuezhou is the best, Shouzhou and Hongzhou are the second best, Yuezhou porcelain and Yuezhou porcelain are all green, and green is good for tea." It also states 24 tea tasting utensils, and states: "In the city, at the gate of the king, if one of the 24 utensils is missing, the tea will be useless." The tea-making utensils we use today are the green porcelain tea bowls produced by Yuezhou Kiln, which are the famous utensils for famous teas, complementing each other.

The third course: Appreciating tea - Tea accompanies the princess into Qinghai-Tibet

Yonghu tea in the Tang Dynasty was not only favored by the court, but also a medium for cultural exchange between Han and Tibetan peoples. When Princess Wencheng married in Tibet, she brought with her a tea from Yueyang, Yonghu Han Gao. She also brought the custom of drinking tea to Tibet, where tea was integrated with Buddhism and preached, forming an unprecedented tea festival in Tibetan Lama temples. Beigang Maojian tea has strong buds and fat leaves, with exposed tips and a golden color. We showed the tea leaves to the guests one by one, just like tea accompanying the princess into Qinghai-Tibet.

Fourth: Tea--Yanfei Ordinary People's Home

Beigang Maojian was once a tribute to the imperial palace, but now it is shared by the common people. When the tea is poured into the cup, the tea buds fall one after another, just like purple swallows flying. It is just like: the swallows in the halls of the rich and powerful in the old days have flown into the homes of ordinary people.

The fifth step: Washing the tea - A crane flies across the sky

When washing tea: Watch the running water with your eyes, focus your heart on the tea, and let the tea and the person become one, and wash the tea and the heart together. The tea dust is washed away, and the troubles are gone. The tea buds are unrolling, and the mind is broadened. The white crane on the cup, the heart and the heart fly together. In an instant, I feel the same as the poem "Autumn Lyrics" by the Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi: Since ancient times, autumn has been sad and lonely, but I say that autumn is better than spring. A crane flies across the sky above the clouds, and it leads the poetic sentiment to the blue sky.

Step 6: Brewing tea - Moist Beigang Ruicaohuang

Tea is home to famous mountains and beautiful waters, and is accompanied by the beauty of mountains and rivers, the breeze and the bright moon, the essence of heaven and earth, and the spirituality of human beings. The three elements of heaven, earth and man work together to nurture the essence of tea, which can be called the nectar of immortal grass. Beigang Maojian is best brewed with 90℃ boiling water. When brewing tea, water enters the tea bowl, the buds and leaves expand and roll, and the yellow soup overflows, which is the water-moistened Beigang Ruicao Huang.

The seventh step: serving tea - the cream of Yonghu Lake is the tribute

After the tea soup is brewed, the tea is served to the guests one by one. Everyone will enjoy the elegance of famous tea and enjoy the royal taste. There is a poem by the Tang Dynasty poet Qi Yi, "Thanking People for the Gift of Yonghu Tea", as evidence: Yonghu is only a tribute, why is the gift ordinary? Or the bitterness of the poem can dispel the fragrance of the wax face. The sound of grinding fills the room, and the color of cooking carries the setting sun. If there is a new year, don't forget the letter from the west.

The eighth step: smelling the fragrance - there is also the fragrance of Lingyuan

Beigang Maojian is a tea plantation with flat terrain, interlaced water and land, fertile soil and suitable acidity, which is a perfect place for tea. The tea has a noble aroma, which was inspired by the poem "Ode to Tea" by the great Confucian scholar Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty: Thousands of small tea trees, the first taste of the buds. Although it is not as moist as the mountain top, it also has the fragrance of Lingyuan.

Ninth step: Tea tasting - quenching thirst and bringing joy to the mind

After Princess Wencheng married and settled in Tibet, she missed her hometown and often asked Tang envoys to bring her tea, and she drank with Songtsen Gampo.

It is recorded in the Supplement to the History of the Tang Dynasty: "When Duke Lu was an envoy to Xifan, he cooked tea in his tent. The Zanpu asked, 'What is this?' Duke Lu said, 'It can clear your troubles and quench your thirst, so-called tea.' Zanpu said, 'I have this too.' He ordered it to be brought out, and pointed to it and said... This is the one from Yonghu Lake." Beigang Maojian has a mellow taste. After tasting it, you will feel refreshed and your worries will disappear. Zhu Xi wrote a poem "Tea Banquet, On Tea" about this: Tea is sweet and cold, and it refreshes your spirit. All your worries are gone, and your mind and eyes are suddenly pleased.

The Tenth Course: Drunken Tea - Trampling the Moon on the Street at Night

“The drunkard’s intention is not in the wine, but in the mountains and rivers.” The charm of tea tasting is not in the tea, but in the elegant environment. There is a saying: “If there is charm, it is elegant, and the charm is clear and far-reaching.” After several rounds of tea, the body is relaxed and the mind is happy. How happy! How leisurely! Like being drunk but not drunk. At this point, I feel the same as the poem "A Hectare of Pearls" by Huang Tingjian, a poet of the Song Dynasty: The fragrant buds of young tea clear the heart and bones, and the drunken mind is as broad as the sky. At night, I feel like returning to the fairy palace. I rode my horse on Zhangtai and trampled the moon on the street.

The medicinal value of Beigang Maojian

1. Beigang Maojian has the effect of sobering up. The soluble sugar content in Beigang Maojian tea is higher than that of other teas, which has a special effect on sobering up. When Beigang Maojian enters the stomach, it will form a layer of mucous membrane attached to the surface of the stomach to protect the stomach.

2. Beigang Maojian has the effect of softening blood vessels. Beigang Maojian tea has astringent and anti-inflammatory effects. It can reduce the serum cholesterol and fibrin content in blood vessels, thereby reducing blood lipids and softening blood vessels.

3. Beigang Maojian can inhibit cell carcinogenesis. Drinking Beigang Maojian regularly can reduce the incidence of esophageal cancer, gastric cancer and other diseases.