Chigan Xiaozhong赤甘小种

Classification and Origin

赤甘 (chì gān), where 赤 — "scarlet, reddish", 甘 — "sweet"; full name — 赤甘小种 (chì gān xiǎo zhǒng).

Xiao Chigan (小赤甘, xiǎo chì gān) — from more tender raw material; Da Chigan (大赤甘, dà chì gān) — from more mature leaf.

between bud-only Jinjunmei and smoked Zhengshan Xiaozhong.

Origin: Tongmu village (桐木村, Tóngmù cūn), Xingcun town (星村镇, Xīngcūn zhèn), Wuyishan city, Nanping prefecture (南平, Nánpíng), Fujian province.

Type: belongs to the category 小种红茶, described by the national standard GB/T 13738.3.

Facts

Zhengshan Xiaozhong, to whose tradition Chigan belongs, is considered the progenitor of the entire class of red teas.

the European name derives from the southern Fujian reading of the characters 小种.

unlike classic lapsang, Chigan does not undergo smoking over pine and therefore reveals natural fruitiness.

the protected regime around Tongmu does not allow plantations to be expanded, due to which the volume of authentic tea is small.

History and Culture

Tongmu village, late Ming dynasty (turn of the 16th–17th centuries).

lapsang souchong — under this name the tea reached Europe in the 17th–18th centuries.

the creation of Jinjunmei in 2005, which launched the fashion for unsmoked gradations, including Chigan.

Botany and Raw Material

a bud with one opened leaf, finer and more tender.

a bud with two to three leaves, more mature and larger.

predominantly spring harvest.

Cultivar: local seed population Caicha (菜茶, cài chá) — the so-called "population-varietal" type (群体种, qúntǐ zhǒng), propagated by seeds and therefore genetically heterogeneous.

Terroir

Climate: high humidity, frequent fogs, noticeable diurnal temperature range.

Wuyishan National Nature Reserve, the borderland of Fujian and Jiangxi.

tea gardens are located mainly at 700–1200 metres, with individual plots higher.

vicinity of Tongmu — approximately 27.7° north latitude and 117.7° east longitude.

the highest peak of the region — Huanggangshan (黄岗山, Huánggǎng shān) with an elevation above 2100 metres.

Production

wilting of the leaf to lose part of the moisture and launch biochemistry.

breaking of cells and shaping the twist.

oxidation during which the leaf acquires a reddish-brown colour and fruity-honey aroma.

a traditional, but not always applied technique — brief thermal treatment to halt oxidation and fix the aroma.

refining the shape of the leaf.

final drying, for Chigan — without pine smoke.

Organoleptic Profile

tight twisted tea leaves of dark reddish-brown colour; Xiao Chigan has more golden tips.

from orange-red to amber, transparent.

honeyed, fruity, with a pronounced note of dried longan (桂圆, guìyuán).

"longan broth" (桂圆汤, guìyuán tāng) — the classic marker of Tongmu xiaozhong.

Taste: soft, rounded, sweet, with a long sweet aftertaste (甘, gān).

Chemical Composition

after oxidation their share decreases; roughly 10–15% in finished tea.

theaflavins (茶黄素, chá huáng sù) and thearubigins (茶红素, chá hóng sù) form the colour of the infusion, brightness and astringency.

roughly 2–4%.

provide sweetness and "umami", usually around 2–4%.

responsible for the fruity-honey and longan profile.

Health Notes

in the Chinese tradition red tea is considered warming and gentle.

oxidised tea is usually easier tolerated than green tea, especially on an empty stomach.

moderate caffeine content provides soft invigoration.

theaflavins and thearubigins are studied as compounds with antioxidant activity.

Brewing

about 5 grams per 100–110 ml.

90–95 °C for Xiao Chigan, 95–100 °C for more mature Da Chigan.

a quick rinsing pour is optional, especially for Da Chigan.

first steepings 5–10 seconds, thereafter time is gradually increased.

Teaware: gaiwan (盖碗, gàiwǎn) or a small Yixing teapot with a volume of 100–150 ml.

Storage

Container: airtight, light-proof packaging or a caddy.

Shelf Life: optimal in the first 2–3 years while the aroma is fresh.

dryness, coolness, absence of extraneous odours.

Price and Authenticity

cheaper than Jinjunmei, but genuine Tongmu Chigan still costs not little.

"waishan" (外山) raw material from outside the reserve, sold as "zhengshan".

flavouring and colouring of cheap tea to imitate the longan profile.