Fo Shou tea (佛手茶, Fó Shǒu Chá) is a kind of Chinese oolong tea and native to the Yongchun County of Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. Fo means “Buddha” and Shou means “hand”.
Fo Shou tea has a great relationship with fingered citron. The fresh leaf of Fo Shou tea looks like that of fingered citron, and Fo Shou tea smells like fingered citron. Fingered citron is called Fo Shou in Chinese.
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History of Fo Shou Tea
In the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), Fo Shou tea was introduced into Yongchun County and the local tea farmers began to plant it and popularized it.
In 1931, Yong Chun Fo Shou tea was packed in iron boxes and sold to Hong Kong, Macao, and Southeast Asia through Xiamen City.
In November 2006, Yong Chun Fo Shou tea was certified as a national geographical indication protection product, which laid a good foundation for Yong Chun Fo Shou tea to become a famous brand of Chinese tea.
In 2007, Yong Chun Fo Shou tea was awarded the honorary title of “China’s First Tea in The Olympic Bid” in the Cultural Olympics and China Tea Culture Summit Forum held in Beijing. Tea experts, scholars, and entrepreneurs from more than 10 countries and regions including Germany, the United States, and Japan participated in the event.
In recent years, Yong Chun Fo Shou tea develops rapidly, 80% of which are sold to other places.
Characteristics of Fo Shou Tea
Fo Shou tea grows in the high mountains with an altitude of 600-900 meters. The mountain soil is mainly red soil and rich in organic matter, which is very suitable for the growth of Fo Shou tea.
Fo Shou tea sprouts in late March and is picked in mid-April. It can be picked in four seasons, and the best spring Fo Shou tea accounts for 40%.
There are two kinds of Fo Shou tea: red bud Fo Shou tea and green bud Fo Shou tea. The tea bud of red bud Fo Shou tea is purple-red. The tea bud of green bud Fo Shou tea is light green. red bud Fo Shou tea is better than green bud Fo Shou tea.
The shape of dried Fo Shou tea is fat, tight, and curly like the head of the dragonfly and the color is green. Its appearance is similar to that of Tieguanyin tea.
After brewing, the tea liquid is bright and yellow and has a strong fragrance. It tastes mellow and has a sweet aftertaste like that of snow pear, so Fo Shou tea has another name called “Snow Pear”.
In the tea production area of southern Fujian Province, there is a “Guanyin” (Goddess of Mercy) and a “Fo” (Buddha). Guanyin refers to Tieguanyin tea and Fo refers to Yong Chun Fo Shou tea.
Benefits of Fo Shou Tea
In 2003, Fujian University of traditional Chinese medicine has proved that Fo Shou tea has a significant therapeutic effect on colitis. In addition, Fo Shou tea is rich in amino acids, vitamins, trace elements, flavonoids, and so on.
Benefits of Fo Shou tea:
- Detox
- Diuretic
- Anti-aging
- Anti-cancer
- Weight loss
- Treat colitis
- Nourish stomach
- Lower blood sugar
- Lower blood lipids
Legend of Fo Shou Tea
Hundreds of years ago, there was an eminent monk who worshipped Buddha with tea every day.
One day, he had an idea, hoping to make the tea with the unique fragrance of fingered citron. So he grafted the branches of the tea tree on the fingered citron, and after careful cultivation, he succeeded and named it Fo Shou tea.