Ripe Pu-erh (Shu 熟茶)

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.

Post-fermented Teas Hei Cha 黑茶

Post-fermented Teas Hei Cha 黑茶

Dark tea (Hei Cha 黑茶) is post-fermented tea, which means that after the tea leaves are oxidized after harvesting, they undergo accelerated controlled fermentation. For accelerated fermentation, the wet layering process ((Wo Dui 渥堆) is most often used, when biochemical reactions occur under the influence of microorganisms. In oxidation, biochemical reactions occur when interacting with atmospheric oxygen and typically last for several hours. The fermentation process can take several hours to several months, but can then continue without limitation for decades.

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.