Iron strength comes in small doses

Fujian province is well known for its tea varieties, the most famous being the Big Red Robe and Little Red Robe of the Mount Wuyi estates. Other famous teas are the Shui Xian or Narcissus tea, and the tieguanyin or Iron Buddha tea.

Tea drinking is now considered an art, but to the tea-drinkers of old, it was part of everyday life. Everyone understood how and why tea should be drunk a certain way, and there was no mystery to the ritual.

Tieguanyin is a semi-fermented tea harvested in the spring and autumn. It is an extremely fragrant tea that has enough tannin to color it a deep amber if it is left to brew too long. The tannin renders the tea extremely alkaline and if drunk too often, will unsettle the gastric system.