Tagged: rou gui

Rou Gui's Taste Comes Down to Seven Molecules

A 2025 study rebuilt Rou Gui's taste from ten measured compounds in plain water, then removed each one to prove which ones the cultivar's flavor actually depends on. Seven survived.

The Altitude Premium Depends on the Cultivar

Wuyi rock tea buyers pay a real premium for elevation, on the assumption that higher always means better. A controlled trial across six cultivars found that mostly true, and for one cultivar exactly backwards.

Yancha, Wuyi Rock Tea

Yancha is the oxidized, charcoal-fired oolong of the Wuyi cliffs, defined by the mineral yan yun and sorted by the state into five official categories. The canonical account of what it is, how it is classified and graded, how it is made, and the documented history from Tang-dynasty tribute leaf to today's regulation.