ZI RAN RED is an unsmoked zhengshan xiaozhong—or, lapsang souchong—production from Tongmu, Fujian province, China. Like ZI RAN SMOKE , t his lot comes to us from Zi Ran Hong , a centuries-old smokehouse about 4 hours from Wuyi national park. For this production, the smokehouse, or qing lou ("green house", where lapsang is smoked with pine wood) was irrelevant; this is a modernist unsmoked lot. Save the smoking, this hong cha ("red tea") is produced identically to its smoked cousin: hand-plucked from wild-growing xingcun xiaozhong cultivar trees, withered, hand-rolled in cloth, and left to oxidize fully in bamboo baskets with no yaoxing ("shaking"—a process that accelerates oxidation). Tongmuguan, where ZI RAN HONG has operated for 3 generations, has been a protected UNESCO site since 1979. The pine forests are nationally protected, with imposed limits on how much can be harvested. All the land in Tongmu is accounted for by long-time residents— Zi Ran Hong is in its third generation of tea making. Without sponsorship from a resident, tourists are not permitted in the preserve. Our ongoing partnership with Zhao Cong at Zi Ran Hong grants us rare access to one of Fujian's best-protected treasures. The lack of pine wood smoking offers a unique glimpse into the natural character of Tongmu tea. The dry leaf offers a mulling spice musk, with the steeped tea giving raisins and dates wrapped in a drying—but not tannic—body. Steep aggressively, and alongside the same tea, but smoked, for the full lapsang souchong experience. vintage — spring '22 style — unsmoked zhengshan xiaozhong ("mountain small leaf") cultivar — zheng shan xiao zhong region — Tongmu, Fujian, China locale — Zi Ran Hong tea farm elevation — 1300 meters producer — Zhao Cong nomenclature — Zi Ran (自然)—"natural" | Hong (红 )—"red" STEEPING PARAMETERS (use freshly boiled spring water) modern, large format 4 grams — 208°F (98°C) — 2 minutes traditional, small format 5 grams — 208°F (98°C) — 15 seconds (rinse optional) +10-15 seconds each additional steep
