Scented Tea Processing Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
During the Northern Song dynasty, Fuzhou jasmine tea began to appear. In the Ming dynasty the scenting craft was standardized, and in the Qing dynasty it became a tribute tea. Liu Yong, a Fujian native of the Northern Song dynasty, mentioned jasmine tea in his lyric "Man Ting Fang: Jasmine." Shi Yue of the Southern Song dynasty, in his lyric "Bu Yue: Jasmine," described the jasmine tea making process with the lines "enjoying the fragrant flavor, freshly baked in spring and scented anew; storing the rich charm, frequently burning aloeswood." Xu Bo of the Ming dynasty, in his "Ming Tan" (Discourse on Tea), recorded: "People of Fujian often use jasmine and the like, steeping them in water to brew tea."
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Fuzhou jasmine tea scenting craft is a traditional technique that uses baked green tea as the base, combines it with fresh jasmine blossoms, blends them through a series of complex scenting processes so that the tea and jasmine aroma interact and fuse, and finally removes the flowers to yield the tea. The Fuzhou jasmine tea scenting craft is distributed across Jin'an District, Cangshan District, Mawei District, Minhou County, Changle City, Fuqing City, Minqing County, Yongtai County, Luoyuan County, and Lianjiang County within Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. Fuzhou jasmine tea is divided into baked-green jasmine tea and stir-fried (including half-baked-half-fried) jasmine tea; its varieties include Jasmine Needle King, Emei, Shouzhu, Yinhao, and Dabaihao, among which Jasmine White Dragon Pearl and Jade Butterfly are uniquely made in Fuzhou. The Fuzhou jasmine tea scenting craft is meticulous and complex; depending on the quality of the jasmine each year and the quality of the tea base, it can reach as many as eight to ten scentings, and above six scentings the flowers are not stripped for a freshening pass. The rough processing of the tea base is completed in spring, and the refining begins in summer when preparing for scenting. The fresh blossoms are picked after 10 a.m. Scenting—the blending of tea and flowers—is the key process step; different scenting rounds require different amounts of flowers, degrees of flower openness, temperatures, moisture, pile thickness, and times. Flower-turning is controlled according to the pile temperature, moisture, and the vitality of the flowers in the scenting batch. One hour after flower-turning, the pile is gathered and re-scented. Five to six hours after re-scenting, the flowers are stripped—that is, the tea and flowers are separated. Baking is the most difficult step; it removes excess moisture while avoiding unnecessary loss of aroma. The purpose of a freshening pass is to enhance the tea's fresh and lively aroma, and its operation is the same as scenting. The Fuzhou jasmine tea scenting craft uses Fuzhou raw materials and traditional techniques, selects excellent flowers and tea, requires at least four scentings plus one freshening pass, and national standards and geographical-indication standards have now been established. As a precious cultural heritage, it carries the Fuzhou people's pursuit of beauty and love of life, and through its intricate and refined scenting processes demonstrates the tea masters' superb skill and remarkable wisdom. Fuzhou jasmine tea is sold far and wide around the world; it is a vivid witness to cultural exchange between East and West and has played a role in promoting economic and cultural development and people-to-people bonds.
Documented Process Records
Scenting—the blending of tea and flowers—is the key process step; different scenting rounds require different amounts of flowers, degrees of flower openness, temperatures, moisture, pile thickness, and times.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Fuzhou's scenting craft opens from Cangshan and spreads through Jin'an, Mawei, Minhou, Changle, Fuqing, Minqing, Yongtai, Luoyuan, and Lianjiang; the scenting season is concentrated in summer nights. The flowers are picked only after 10 a.m. and scented immediately upon picking; during scenting, flower-turning is determined by the pile temperature, moisture, and the vitality of the flowers, and one hour after flower-turning the pile is gathered and re-scented, then after five to six hours the flowers are stripped to separate tea from flowers, followed by baking to remove excess moisture. Depending on the quality of the tea base and flowers, the number of scentings can reach eight to ten, and beyond six scentings no further freshening pass is made.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Scented Tea Processing Craftsmanship · Scented Tea Processing Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Fuzhou jasmine tea scenting craft has been transmitted from generation to generation through oral teaching and heartfelt instruction, and is in good condition of preservation. Chen Chengzhong (per official inheritor archival records): Male, Han ethnicity, born in December 1950, a native of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province. Representative inheritor of the fifth national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage item "Scented Tea Making Craft (Fuzhou Jasmine Tea Scenting Craft)." A technician of the Fuzhou jasmine tea scenting craft. He inherited from his father Chen Biwu the tea-base making craft and the manual jasmine tea scenting craft, and later studied under Wang Luoluo and Lin Yixi to learn the Fuzhou jasmine tea scenting craft and finished-product inspection. Through years of practice he developed his unique craft characteristics: the raw tea is hand-refined into a tea base (spreading, piling, winnowing), then scented through seven traditional processes (scenting, turning, stripping, baking). He was engaged by the China Tea Marketing Association as a designated scenting instructor. He has already taught four apprentices: Chen Zheng, Zheng Gongyu, Chen Chengti, and Zhang Zeyu. As one of the main makers of the Fuzhou Tea Factory's Jasmine Minhao and Jasmine Waishi Yinhao, he won the quality gold award at the second and third National Superior Jasmine Tea Evaluations held by the China Tea Marketing Association for two consecutive years.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wang Xiulan 03-1417
- Sun Danwei 04-1903
- Chen Chengzhong 05-2841
- Fu Tianlong
- Wang Dexing
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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