Parachute | Pressed Oolong

Zhangping is the name of a small township in central Fujian responsible for the crazy idea of pressing their tea into these little 10-gram pillows.  The tea they make is largely from the Shuixian cultivar, which is an oolong tea commonly found in Wuyi Shan, up in northern Fujian.  The key difference with how they handle Shuixian in Zhangping versus Wuyi is the intense Qingxiang Style, or fragrant focused style. 

The leaves are large and beautifully demonstrate the red edges and green bellies iconic of the half-oxidized oolong style.  When we were observing the process, we noticed the temperature in the withering room was kept incredibly cool, close to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature outside was closer to 85-90 degrees.  This creates a cool and controlled protracted withering, allowing the leaves to retain their green freshness without creating any sour notes. 

The tea itself is surprisingly gentle, and in Zhangping, they throw the whole 10 gram packet into their regular 110ml gaiwans and brew it up to a dozen times.  We love the shape of the tea and the color of the leaves, this is a perfect cooling tea for a hot day, or something to remind you of spring.  The fragrances of cream and wild orchid predominate the session.

Each pillow comes in a 10g square and expands quite a bit, so make sure your brewing vessel is big enough.