Gongfu Ritual · Oolong Tea
Tieguanyin (铁观音) Oolong Tea
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Laubrau~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Its name means 'Iron Goddess of Mercy' — legend says a farmer discovered the tea bush after a vision of the Buddhist goddess Guanyin.
Tieguanyin is a fragrant oolong tea grown around Anxi county, brewed gongfu-style in tiny cups poured from a small clay pot, often several rounds at a time. Street-side tea stalls and shops across Fujian let passersby sample a round before buying.
Why it's made this way: Fujian's gongfu tea ceremony, built around Tieguanyin, turned tea drinking into a daily social ritual rather than just a beverage.
More from China
Roujiamo (Braised Pork in Flatbread)
Chuan'r (Grilled Meat Skewers)
Youtiao (Fried Dough Stick)
Tanghulu (Candied Hawthorn Skewers)
Malatang (Self-Serve Spicy Broth)
Beibingyang (北冰洋) Orange Soda
Part of World of Street Food — 690 dishes from 118 countries.
Something wrong here? Tell us in the comments below.
Photo credits.