In his own words, Master Zhang describes the differences between different Anxi oolong tea varietals growing in his fields above Daping, Anxi. From Mao Xie and Tieguanyin to Mei Zhan, Qilan and Ben Shan, a wide variety of cultivars grow side-by-side.
Each cultivar is unique, both in appearance and in flavor and aroma. Many of these bushes have been growing for over a hundred years, and for generations, the different varietals have grown side-by-side to create rich biodiversity in the fields.
As Master Zhang explains: “Every tea has its own worth.”
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I love this! I'd like to see more, and closeups of the leaves. Wish I could see what they were looking at.
Thank you, Jeff! We're working on translating more great interviews from Master Zhang.
I would love to work with him to write a more in depth article (or article series) on the differences between each cultivar in the fields, with detailed photos of buds and leaves, stems and leaf edges, trichomes and roots, etc! There is so much to learn, and while there are many agricultural texts written in Chinese by various research institutions, there hasn't been as much work done translating and sharing that information with wider audiences. Seeing close-ups of the Mao Xie, Tieguanyin, Ben Shan and Mei Zhan varietals in a video like the above is interesting, but it may ultimately be easier to learn with a wider variety of still photos and diagrams.
Thank you so much!