What kind of tea does Xiao Qing Gan belong to? A detailed explanation of its tea category
Xiao Qing Gan is a type of Pu'er tea. Its first characteristic is that it is sweet and mellow on the palate, with a unique floral fragrance and aged aroma. This is because the fruit fragrance of Xinhui mandarin is particularly distinctive, and the Pu'er tea has absorbed the fruit fragrance of the mandarin peel over a long period. Second, its health benefits are outstanding, bringing into play the “regulating qi” effect of Xinhui dried tangerine peel.
I. Characteristics of high-quality Xiao Qing Gan
High-quality Xiao Qing Gan has green, glossy peel with oil cells evenly and densely distributed, and it smells slightly pungent and fresh. From the perspective of drinking Xiao Qing Gan, it should have the fragrance of mandarin, and the tea liquor should have the taste of Pu'er, and be smooth, either mellow and mild or mellow and thick. The tea flavor and mandarin flavor should blend together, and after drinking, the mouth should feel fresh with a salivating and sweet aftertaste. That is a Xiao Qing Gan of good quality. The tea inside high-quality Xiao Qing Gan Pu'er must be high-quality Yunnan ripe Pu'er tea, and aged tea with a few years of age is even better. The mandarin must be high-quality Chazhi mandarin produced in Xinhui. Finally, there is the craftsmanship. Good craftsmanship can better bring out the taste of Xiao Qing Gan and allow the flavors of Xiao Qing Gan and Pu'er to blend together perfectly.
II. The production process of Xiao Qing Gan
The production of Xiao Qing Gan requires more than a dozen steps, including selecting the fruit, cutting the fruit, washing the fruit, hollowing out the fruit, spreading it to air-dry, filling it with tea, drying, and packaging. Among these, hollowing out the fruit alone involves cumbersome processes such as opening the lid, removing the flesh, and making holes. The differences among types of Xiao Qing Gan craftsmanship mainly appear in the drying stage. Different drying methods create different flavors and mouthfeels. Generally, according to different drying methods, it can be divided into pure sun-drying, high-temperature baking, low-temperature baking, and semi-sun-drying. Sun-drying, that is, drying purely with sunlight, takes a relatively long time. During production, if the weather suddenly changes, this process is also prone to mildew, so the cost is high, the risk is great, and the yield is low.
High-temperature baking uses a temperature of about 70-80°C to bake Xiao Qing Gan until dry. Later storage changes very little, but the price is relatively low.
Low-temperature baking uses a temperature of about 45°C to bake Xiao Qing Gan until dry. The mouthfeel is better, the aroma is appropriately enhanced, and at the same time the activity is maintained, preserving room for later transformation. Semi-sun-drying combines sun-drying and low-temperature baking. On the one hand, it reduces the risk of weather changes, and at the same time it also maintains the activity of the tea leaves and peel. The integration of the tea leaves with the mandarin peel is also very good. The room for later transformation is also relatively large, and the price is moderate.
We can know that Xiao Qing Gan is not only high in appearance quality, but also very sweet in taste. In ordinary times, drinking a good tea rich in fruity fragrance is even more of an enjoyment.