During President Nixon's visit to China in 1972, he met with President MAO Zedong. MAO  used to sent "half of the country " as gift to Nixon. 武夷红袍，岩骨花香。

 

图为 武夷山大红袍母树

Chinese Red Robe Tea 

In the 1960s, during President Richard Nixon’s official visit to China, Chairman Mao gifted the American president 200 grams of a precious tea that was enjoyed only by royalty. The annual production of Red Robe tea was merely 400 grams made from the leaves of select ancient tea trees. Modern versions of the tea are a valued possession and make an exceptional gift. 

Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe tea)

The tea has peaty and earthy notes with hints of stone fruit, brown sugar, and molasses. It has a woody fragrance with mild notes of tobacco and the body is velvety smooth with mild notes of sandalwood. (senchteabar.com)

Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) is grown in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian, China. Da Hong Pao has unique orchid fragrance and a long-lasting sweet aftertaste. Dry Da Hong Pao looks like tightly knotted ropes or slightly twisted strips, and is green and brown in color. After brewing, the tea is orange-yellow, bright and clear. The vibrant flavor is red orange, toasty and nutty with mild creamy notes.

Da Hong Pao contains caffeine, theophylline, tea pholyphenols and flavonoids. A number of health benefits enhance the popularity of this rare tea. Drinking Da Hong Pao improves energy and helps blood circulation. It also treats edema (water retention) and decreases the bad effects of drinking and smoking. Drinking Da Hong Pao regularly improves the complexion and helps to reduce cough and phlegm. 

There are famous stories about the origin of Da Hong Pao’s name. During the Ming Dynasty, there was a scholar who was very sick on his way to Beijing for an exam. A monk of Tianxin Temple found him and brewed a bowl of tea picked from Wuyi Mountain for the scholar. After drinking the tea, the scholar felt much better and energetic. Few days later, he won the first place in the exam. So he came back to the temple to thank the monk who saved him. Later, he also used this tea to cure the emperor's illness. The emperor rewarded the scholar a red robe and asked the scholar to put the red robe on the tea tree. The red robe was considered a high honor. The emperor ordered all officials passing through this place to put their red robes on those tea trees to show the emperor’s gratitude.

 

1972年尼克松总统访华期间，受到毛泽东主席的接见。接见时，毛送给他四两（200g）包装的武夷山大红袍茶叶。尼克松觉得毛泽东是东方大国的领导人，送礼上不免有些小气。

随行的周恩来总理察觉到尼克松的迷惑，马上解释道：总统先生，主席已经把“半壁江山”都送给您了。尼克松听了更加困惑不解：这是怎么回事？于是周恩来幽默的对尼克松总统解释道：总统先生，武夷山大红袍是中国历代皇家贡品，一年只产八两（400g），主席送您的四两正好是“半壁江山”呀。尼克松听后与毛泽东、周恩来会心一笑。这就是著名的“大红袍外交”。

故事的真伪我们不追究，但借此可以看出大红袍绝对是茶中极品。

大红袍母树虽只有六棵，在上世纪80年代初，母树大红袍无性繁殖获得成功，在武夷山特定的生态环境下，可以大面积推广。目前武夷山大红袍茶叶生产已具规模，普通百姓也不愁喝不到大红袍了。

做为北乌龙的代表，大红袍是传统茶的代言，属于熟香茶。培火相对较足，初闻茶有炭火茶及茶叶的自然干香。火香味较足。入口甘爽顺滑，上品七泡八泡有余香，醇厚回甘。

购买链接：特级武夷大红袍、武夷大红袍、大红袍茶包、大红袍礼盒

*本文图片资料来源于网络

 

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