Pu-erh - teas from Yunnan tea trees

Pu-erh - teas from Yunnan tea trees

The city of Puer was historically the center of the tea trade in Yunnan. To be authentic Puer tea, it must be grown in Yunnan, made from the native Dayezhong large-leaf Assamica or the wild Yeshengcha cultivar, and must be sun-dried. Puer teas made from old trees are often referred to as Lao Cha or Da Cha (over 100 years) and Gu Shu Cha (over 200 years). Such teas are valued and have extensive added value for human body and soul. There are two basic types of Puer tea 普洱茶: Sheng Puer (green or raw - Sheng Cha 生茶) and Shu Puer (black or ripe - Shu Cha 熟茶). Both types begin as a minimally oxidized and almost raw loose green tea-like product known as Maocha 毛茶. Only a small amount of tea remains in the form of maocha, most is pressed into various shapes such as bricks or cakes. Quality Puer tea matures and gains value with age.

Subcategories

Crab Legs - Pang Xie Jiao 螃蟹脚

Crab Legs - Pang Xie Jiao 螃蟹脚

A parasitic plant called “crab legs” with strong medicinal potential is found on old tea trees throughout Yunnan. Locals say that crab legs extract the aura and essence from the old tea trees that these tree creatures have been creating for hundreds to thousands of years. The popular name “crab legs” is Visum liquidambaricolum Hayata (Viscum articulatum Burm.f.), a plant belonging to the mistletoe family of the Viscum genus. Crab legs are parasites on older tea trees.

Lao Ban Zhang 老班章 - history and present

Lao Ban Zhang 老班章 - history and present

Laobanzhang Ancient Tea Mountains is located under the administration of Banzhang Village in Bulangshan County 布朗山乡 about 70 km from Menghai County City. It is a place full of history and cultural heritage rich in quality Pu-erh tea known as the "King of Pu-erh Tea". The word "Banzhang" comes from the Dai language: "Ba Zha" which means "fish." The Chinese transliteration is “Banzhang.” In the late 1990s, Pu-erh tea was still a hard-selling tea in Yunnan, and Laobanzhang was hidden in the deep mountains and ancient forests of Menghai County. Tea from Laobanzhang was completely unknown to the world.

Early spring harvest of Ye Sheng Cha wild tea in Da Xue Shan 大雪山

Early spring harvest of Ye Sheng Cha wild tea in Da Xue Shan 大雪山

Da Xue Shan 大雪山 is a 3480m high mountain located in the Lincang region of southwestern Yunnan. Its peak is covered with snow all year round, hence the name Great Snow Mountain (Da Xue Shan 大雪山). Wild tea (Ye Sheng Cha 量茶茶, often called by Yunnan farmers as Shan Cha 山茶, ) grows here in the mountainous terrain at an altitude of 2000-2300 m. Despite growing at such a high altitude, it germinates earlier than most common teas in Yunnan and the rest of China. At the end of March, the tea is ready to be harvested. Daxueshan wild tea is famous for its delicate taste and fragrance of wild orchid. The local farmers are from the Li Su minority group, which is a very rare race in Yunnan that typically lives in high mountains in China. The nature of these people is that they would rather make less tea and live a simple life as they always have.

Gua Feng Zhai village in Yiwu 易武刮风寨

Gua Feng Zhai village in Yiwu 易武刮风寨

Yiwu 易武 is one of the Six Tea Mountains (Liu Da Cha Shan 六大茶山), famous for pu-erh tea in Yunnan. It iis located n Mengla County 勐腊县 of Xishuangbanna. It is one of the few Chinese tea places located in tropical zone. There are quite a few villages in Yiwu producing pu-erh tea. Among others they are Ma Hei, Luo Shui Dong, Ding Jia Zhai, Wan Gong, Man Xiu, Tong Qing He and Gua Feng Zhai. People of Yao race are the main residents of the Gua Feng Zhai village. The population is around 750 people. It got famous for its tea with complex strong wild tea flavour, fast transformation of taste and deep sweet aftertaste.

Bai Ying Shan 白莺山 Mountains

Bai Ying Shan 白莺山 Mountains

Bai Ying Shan 白莺山 is one of the branch mountains of Wu Liang Shan 无量山 in Southwest Yunnan Lincang Region, and near Lan Cang River. Though it is still not as famous as many other tea mountains of Yunnan,  Bai Ying Shan is the origin of the Yunnan old big tea trees as study indicates. Here there is the oldest tea tree more than 3000 years old, and the biological character of the tea seed of Bai Ying Shan old tree proves here is the birthplace of the Yunnan Big Leaf Tea. The tea species growing here according to the farmers include Ben Shan Cha 本山茶, Hei Tiao Cha 黑条茶, Er Ga Zi Cha 二嘎子茶，Meng Ku Zhong 勐库种, Bai Ya Cha 白芽茶，Liu Ye Cha 柳叶茶, He Zhuang Cha 贺庄茶 and Teng Zi Cha 藤子茶.