Big Red Robe

Big Red Robe is a legendary oolong tea grown in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian Province, China. It has has a unique orchid fragrance and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. A traditional way to brew Big Red Robe is by using a Purple Clay Teapot and 100 °C (212 °F) water. After brewing, the tea is orange-yellow, bright, and clear. This premium oolong tea can retain its flavor for nine steeping. The third and fourth steeping are considered by some to have the best taste.

The producing of Big Red Robe involves seven crucial steps.

采摘 (picking): Da Hong Pao is picked once a year, generally in May and June. The standard for fresh leaf picking is 1 bud with 2—3 leaves.
萎凋 (withering): The picked tea leaves are spread evenly in the sun, using sunlight and breeze to evaporate the water.
凉青 (cooling): After withering, the tea leaves are moved inside and cooled down.
做青 (making): The tea leaves are shaken and rolled in a big bamboo sieve. This may be conducive to the oxidation of polyphenols inside the tea leaves. This step is the most crucial part to form the fragrance, taste, and rhyme of Da Hong Pao. And it is also the most complicated and time-consuming step.
炒青 (stir-fry): There are two types of stir-fry, hand stir-fry and mechanical stir-fry leaves. The pot temperature of hand stir-fry is between 140–160 °C (284–320 °F). People put on gloves and keep turning over the tea leaves with hands. The pot temperature of mechanical stir-fry is between 220–260 °C (428–500 °F), no hands needed.
揉捻 (kneading): There are two types of kneading, hand kneading and mechanical kneading. By kneading, rolling, and twisting, the tea leaves will form a cord shape.
烘培 (baking): This step includes putting the tea in a big basket and using different temperatures to heat and dry the leaves, which usually takes hours.