| Type of tea | Oolong tea |
| Origin | Fujian province, China |
| Brewing instructions | Use freshly boiled water cooled to temperatures between 80°C and 90°C and infuse for 2 to 3 minutes |
| How to serve | Serve as is, or you could add honey or lemon |
| Tasting notes | Ti Kuan Yin is fullbodied but has a mellow flavour |
| Colour in cup | Golden yellow liquor, light in tone |
Ti Kuan Yin Oolong is one of the most famous teas of China. When brewed, this delightfully refreshing infusion has a distinctly mellow taste. This famed Chinese Oolong from Anxi county in the province of Fujian, Ti Kuan Yin, comes with a legend as fascinating as its flavours.
The fable begins in Fujian, with Wei Yin, a poor, kind-hearted farmer. He laboured every day to make a living, and even so, he would spend any free moments he found tending a sadly dilapidated stone temple dedicated to Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy) near his place. The small temple was built around an elegant iron statue of Guanyin, her face etched with kindness and mercy. He believed that this sacred place was important and should be cared for.
Wei Yin often ended his work at the temple with a prayer. On one visit to the temple, he was so exhausted he fell asleep. In a dream, the Goddess told him to look for a cave behind the temple. When he woke up, he did look and found a solitary tea shoot. He took it home and planted it in an iron pot. “You are a gift from Guanyin, I shall treasure you,” he said.
Slowly, the sprout grew into a tea bush with hearty, glossy green tea leaves. The area where Wei Yin lived was plagued with drought and poverty. As asked of him by Guanyin, Wei Yin took cuttings of the bush to his neighbours, resulting in the entire community prospering. The temple of Guanyin was repaired with the newly acquired wealth and became a beacon for the region.
The tea itself was dubbed Ti Kuan Yin in honour of the Iron Goddess of Mercy