Fan Shenghua, is one of the inheritors (继承人) of West Lake Longjing tea roasting technique (炒茶技艺). He has been making Longjing tea for more than forty years.
Longjing tea leaves are famous for their color, taste and shape.
"You have to touch the leaves with your hands to feel how much water is being removed (去除)," Fan said. "If too much is removed, the leaves will break into pieces; if not enough is removed, the tea will taste bitter (苦的)."
This traditional techniquedates back to the Ming and Qing dynasties. It not only makes the tea taste good, but has also become an important part of Chinese tea culture.
These days, however, more people are using machines to do the job. "It's easier, but the quality is not as good," Fan said. "Machine-made tea floats longer in water and tastes bitter."
In March this year, when President Xi Jinping visited Hangzhou, he watched Fan roast tea. Fan changed the strength and movement of his hands as he roasted leaves. Xi later said, "The things made by two palms (手掌) connot be replaced by modern technology."
Fan is now teaching some young men. His son, a 27-year-old college graduate, is one of them. "It's a tradition. We need to pass it down," he said.
