Huangjin Gui

Huangjin Gui

Type:	Oolong
Other names:	Golden Osmanthus, Golden Cassia
Origin:	Anxi County, Fujian Province, China
Quick description:	Similar to Tieguanyin with a fruity taste and aroma
Temperature:	90-95°C

File:Map of PRC Fujian.svg

Fujian province

Huangjin Gui (Chinese: 黄金桂) is a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea traditionally from Anxi in Fujian province. Named after the yellow golden color of its budding leaves and its unique flowery aroma, said to be reminiscent of Osmanthus.

This oolong is similar to Tieguanyin, with only a little oxidation. Consequently, it has a very flowery, delicate aroma without the astringency of a green tea or the heaviness of a Red/Black Tea.

Legends

There are two legends behind this tea: Wang/Marriage legend and the legend of farmer Wei.

Wang legend

The first is that this tea originated from two seeds given to Lin Ziqin by Wang Danwei from an ancestral temple on their wedding day. The plants that grew were to represent the prosperity of their ancestors and families uniting. The tea produced from these had a unique golden color and fragrance like osmanthus. As a result, it is often given as a wedding present.

Wei legend

The other story is that a tea farmer named Wei Zhen was strolling by a brook when he noticed a golden plant on the horizon. As a tea farmer he felt obligated to take a sample and cultivate it. To his surprise it had the fragrance of osmanthus and arich gold color remained.

Both legends date its origins back to about the mid nineteenth century.

External links

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