Rock Tea’s Two Main Varieties
The fragrance of cinnamon is unmatched, and the richness of Narcissus is unparalleled.
Main Varieties
Cinnamon (Rou Gui) and Narcissus (Shui Xian) are the two main varieties of Wuyi Rock Tea. One excels in fragrance, while the other leads in flavor. Cinnamon is often compared to a masculine figure due to its bold, spicy, and stimulating characteristics, while Narcissus is likened to a gentle woman for its soft, understated, and calm nature. Together, they represent the yin and yang of the Rock Tea industry, occupying over 80% of the planting area of Wuyi Rock Tea.
Different Origins
No.1
Cinnamon originates from the Ma Zhen Peak in Wuyi Mountain and was one of the famous varieties in Wuyi, known for its reputation since the Qing Dynasty. In addition to its flavor, Cinnamon is highly regarded for its sharp and lasting fragrance.
According to the “Wuyi Tea Classic”, “Cinnamon originates from Ma Zhen Peak… with a history of over 100 years, recognized as a provincial variety by the Fujian Provincial Crop Variety Approval Committee in 1985.”
Narcissus tea originates from the Jianzhou (Jianou) area. In the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty (1821), Narcissus tea was discovered to be artificially cultivated in Dahu Village, Xiaohu Town (then part of Ouni County, now Jianyang District, Nanping City).
The “Ouni County Chronicle” records: Narcissus tea comes from He Yi Li (now Xiaohu Town), Dahu’s Daxianping.
In summary: Cinnamon is a native variety of Wuyi Mountain, while Narcissus is an introduced variety.
No.2
Different Varieties
Cinnamon belongs to the shrub type, medium leaf category, and is a late-maturing variety. The fresh leaves of Cinnamon have shallow and sparse serrated edges. The base of the Cinnamon tree does not have a distinct trunk and grows in clusters.
Narcissus belongs to the small tree type and large leaf variety. Narcissus has pointed leaves with deep and dense serrated edges. It can grow as a single tree, and older Narcissus tea trees tend to grow taller, such as the high bush Narcissus and old bush Narcissus.
Different Sensory Qualities
No.3
First, basic appearance: Cinnamon’s leaves are relatively smaller, while Narcissus’s leaves are relatively larger.
Second, dry tea aroma: Upon closer inspection, Cinnamon has a scent similar to cassia, while Narcissus has an orchid fragrance, with older trees emitting a fir scent.
Third, tasting experience: When brewed, Cinnamon has a distinct cassia flavor, rich floral and fruity aromas, caramel notes, and peach fragrance. Its taste is quite bold, with a sharp and stimulating mouthfeel. In contrast, Narcissus has a more mellow and full-bodied taste, with orchid notes, and older trees may have woody, mossy, and zongzi leaf aromas.
No.4
Different Internal Substances
In terms of the main components affecting the flavor of Wuyi Rock Tea, whether fresh leaves or mao tea, except for soluble sugars, the content of other main components in Cinnamon is higher than that in Narcissus. The phenolic-amino ratio (the ratio of tea polyphenols to amino acids), which best reflects the flavor of tea, is 16.49 for fresh Cinnamon leaves and 13.82 for mao tea; for fresh Narcissus leaves, the phenolic-amino ratio is 14.44, and for mao tea, it is 11.55. The phenolic-amino ratio of Cinnamon is significantly higher than that of Narcissus.
Moreover, in terms of the total amount of major flavoring components such as catechins, caffeine, and ether extracts, Cinnamon also exceeds Narcissus. This highlights the strong stimulating flavor of Cinnamon, while Narcissus is relatively mellow.
As Narcissus trees age, there are noticeable changes; older Narcissus have more unique flavors and aromas, with a more pronounced “bush flavor”. Therefore, in recent years, tea producers in Wuyi Mountain have categorized Narcissus based on tree age: those over 50 years old are classified as old bush Narcissus, 30-50 years old as high bush Narcissus, and under 30 years old as ordinary Narcissus. This is not a national standard or a local standard, but a customary practice.
The ecological conditions of the Narcissus origin directly affect the metabolic and biochemical composition changes within the tea plant, mainly increasing the relative content of moisture and nitrogenous compounds such as proteins, amino acids, and caffeine, while decreasing the relative content of tea polyphenols, catechins, and cellulose. Among these, the decrease in free catechins is significant, while the decrease in ester catechins is small, resulting in a higher quality index for catechins. The changes in the above internal components lead to a fresh, smooth tea soup with a higher aroma and optimized quality.
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