Dianqing Puerh Tea in Yunnan

Dianqing滇青 refers to unpressed loose-leaf raw material used for Pu’er tea. It has a long history in Yunnan and is made from fresh leaves of large-leaf tea trees. The leaves are pan-fired and then sun-dried to produce high-quality sun-dried green tea. This differs from the traditional Pu’er tea, which undergoes a post-fermentation process that enhances its flavor over time.

Classification:
Historically, Dianqing was categorized by seasons, including spring tips, spring mid, spring end, second water, and valley flower. Modern Dianqing is made from sun-dried mao tea (unpressed raw tea) without post-fermentation. It is classified into various grades such as spring bud, spring tip, spring needle, Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, and spring jade. It is a unique and excellent product within Yunnan green tea. Dianqing tea is known for its durability when steeped and is suitable for both regular tea brewing and roasted tea preparation.

Customs: In Yunnan’s ethnic regions, there is a custom of drinking roasted tea. Roasted tea is made by placing tea leaves into a special earthenware pot, which is then heated over a fire pit. The pot is moved around to ensure even heating without burning the leaves. Once the leaves turn yellow, boiling water is added to the pot to make the tea. Roasted tea has a strong, fragrant flavor and is believed to have invigorating and fatigue-relieving effects.

Related Information:

Dian Green滇绿 vs. Dianqing Raw Pu’er Tea:
The raw material for Yunnan Pu’er tea, known as green mao tea or Dianqing, differs from Yunnan baked green tea primarily in the killing-green temperature and drying methods. Dianqing’s unique “sun flavor” is an irreplaceable characteristic. The primary tea-producing areas in Yunnan are located south of the 25th parallel north, including Baoshan, Lincang, Simao, and Xishuangbanna. These regions have a plateau tropical and subtropical climate with small seasonal temperature variations, large diurnal temperature differences, distinct dry and wet seasons, and significant vertical climate changes.

Sufficient sunlight is crucial in the drying process of Dianqing tea. The climatic differences between Yunnan and Jiangnan are significant; the traditional 24 solar terms do not apply in Yunnan. The tea-picking season varies, and terms like “scattered harvest” and “no fixed picking time” accurately describe traditional Yunnan tea processing. During the rainy season from May to October, without sunlight, how is tea processed?

In local tea production, tea is rarely made during continuous rainy days. Fresh leaves become too damp, making pan-firing difficult, and insufficient drying can lead to mold. Some methods involve using burning wood to dry or smoke the tea, but this can result in a loss of tea characteristics. Modern technology allows for tea processing even in rainy weather using drying machines or rooms.

The killing-green temperature for green tea ranges from 210-240°C, whereas Dianqing is killed at temperatures below 180°C. This is a key difference. During the rainy season, if the fresh leaves are too damp, killing-green can be challenging, leading to uneven killing or excessive fermentation, insufficient aroma, thin soup, or bitterness. After rolling, sun-dried tea is evenly spread on bamboo mats or cement drying areas, with 2-3 turns during drying. The temperature typically does not exceed 40°C. If using a drying machine, the temperature is usually controlled between 80-130°C. High killing-green temperatures and high-temperature drying lead to standard Dian Green Pu’er. Visiting a state-owned factory in Yunnan revealed that Pu’er tea products exposed to intense sunlight for two days produced different aromas and flavors compared to those dried in the shade for three days or a combination of one day in the sun and one day in the shade. The changes during aging need further observation.

High killing-green temperatures stop enzyme activity completely. With a moisture content below 9%, prolonged storage and air contact may lead to the tea developing characteristics similar to green tea, rather than post-fermentation. New Dian Green Pu’er features a pale green or blue-green appearance with a yellow-green, fragrant soup, but after one or two years, the soup often becomes murky, aroma diminishes, and taste becomes thin with less aftertaste. Some tea cakes aged over ten years, though not stored in wet conditions, lack aroma and flavor, which may be related to these factors.

Many tea merchants claim that Dian Green Pu’er tea is “immediately drinkable,” with a “clean, sweet taste” and “non-stimulating” qualities, which may be due to this processing method. If consumers want tea that can be drunk immediately and find the bitterness of sun-dried tea unacceptable, Dian Green is a good choice. However, for long-term storage and aging, high-temperature processed Dian Green Pu’er does not meet these requirements. Therefore, Dian Green Pu’er differs from traditional Dianqing Pu’er.

History of Pu’er Tea:
Pu’er tea has a long history, originating from Pu’er County, which gives it its name, and has been around for over 1,700 years. It is also known as Dianqing tea. Legends say that the ancestors of the Blang ethnic group in Yunnan planted tea trees as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties. There are also stories of Zhuge Liang planting tea in Nan’nuo Mountain during the Three Kingdoms period for his soldiers. Pu’er tea during this period was considered divine tea. By the Tang Dynasty, Pu’er tea was traded via the Tea Horse Road, and by the Song Dynasty, it had become even more prosperous. Pu’er tea is a new tea variety developed from Yunnan’s large-leaf tea and serves as the raw material for various pressed teas, including tuo tea, cake tea, and brick tea. Pan Bichao, chairman of the Hong’er Tea Art Association, stated that the exhibited teas include both ripe and raw Pu’er teas, with ripe teas including: court Pu’er, special-grade Pu’er, and third-grade Pu’er. Raw teas include: natural ecological purple tea, natural ecological large-tree green tea, Blang Mountain large-tree green tea, Bada ancient tree green tea, and ecological green tea.

Processing Techniques for Green Tea

Initial Processing of Green Tea:

Green tea, particularly the roasted green tea (also known as “Hóngqīng”), is widely distributed with production ranking just behind eyebrow tea (Mei Tea). Major production areas include Anhui, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces, with smaller quantities produced in other tea-growing regions. While some roasted green tea is sold directly on the market, most is used for flavoring flower teas such as jasmine, osmanthus, damask rose, gardenia, honeysuckle, and sophora flowers. This tea is popular and commands high prices in various regions (Northeast, Zhengzhou, Beijing, Xi’an, Shandong), enjoying great demand both domestically and internationally.

The initial processing of roasted green tea involves three main steps: fixation, rolling, and drying. The fixation and rolling processes are similar to those of eyebrow tea and pearl tea, while the drying process employs roasting.

Characteristics of Roasted Green Tea:

• Appearance: The leaves are tightly rolled, slightly curved, with visible white hairs. They are dark green and oily, with a yellow-green liquor that is clear and bright.
• Flavor: The tea has a high aroma and rich taste, is durable, and has a bright yellow-green leaf base.

Processing Steps:

1. Fixation: The fixation process is similar to that of eyebrow tea. Rolling should be lighter than eyebrow tea due to the requirement for durability and complete leaf integrity. It is best to use screening and re-rolling for mixed young and old leaves.
2. Drying:
   • Initial Roasting (Rough Fire Roasting): Uses high temperature and thin layer drying. At 80-90°C, spread 3-4 pounds of leaves evenly on the roasting basket, with thicker layers in the center and thinner on the edges. Roast for about 15 minutes, flipping every 3-4 minutes. Remove the basket from the fire, place it on a bamboo cover to prevent smoke contamination, and let it cool for half an hour.
   • Final Roasting (Complete Fire Roasting): Uses low temperature and slow drying. At around 70°C, spread 4-5 pounds of leaves per basket, flipping every 10 minutes. When the leaves become powdery, start the final roasting, which lasts about 60 minutes.
   • Drying Machine: Larger tea factories typically use automatic or manually operated drying machines for higher efficiency, with a drying rate of 10 pounds per hour. The initial fire temperature should be controlled at 100-200°C, with leaves spread 1-2 cm thick and dried for 10-15 minutes. After initial drying, let the leaves rest for half an hour before final roasting at 90-100°C for approximately 15 minutes.

Final Notes on Roasting:

The final stage should ensure there is no smoky or charred flavor. When using a drying machine, ensure no smoke leaks from the hot air furnace. For traditional basket roasting, use high-quality charcoal and ensure no burning debris that could produce smoke. Maintain even heat and avoid direct flames. Handle tea gently to prevent breaking and the formation of smoke.

Tea Preparation and Processing:

1. Why use “high temperature fixation, high first then low” in processing?
2. Why is it necessary to dry eyebrow tea in multiple stages?
3. Why is it important to “fix young leaves first, then old leaves”?
4. Main purpose of fixation in green tea production.
5. Quality requirements for properly fixed leaves.
6. Advantages and disadvantages of cold and hot rolling.
7. Why use a combination of “throwing and steaming” in fixation?
8. Purpose of drying in pan-fried green tea.

Sun-Dried Green Tea:

Sun-dried green tea, also known as “sun-dried green,” was traditionally produced in provinces such as Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Henan before the 1950s. Products included Dianqing (Yunnan sun-dried green), Qianqing (Guizhou), Chuanqing (Sichuan), Yueqing (Guangdong), Guiqing (Guangxi), Xiangqing (Hunan), Eqing (Hubei), Shanqing (Shaanxi), and Yuqing (Henan). Besides limited internal sales and exports, most of the sun-dried green tea was used for pressing into various tea forms like tuo tea, tight tea, cake tea, square tea, and brick tea.

Production Areas:

Sun-dried tea production areas include Jinggu, Yuxi, Wenshan, Chuxiong, Jianghe (Yunnan); Zhenyuan, Duyun, Wuchuan, Zunyi (Guizhou); Qionglai, Nanjiang, Chengkou, Dazhou, Tongliang (Sichuan); Zhanjiang, Zhaoqing, Foshan (Guangdong); Shanglin, Lingui, Luocheng, Lingxi, Yulin (Guangxi); Chenzhou (Hunan); Badong (Hubei); Ziyang, Ankang, Nanfeng, Pingli, Shiquan, Baihe, Xixiang, Lantian, Lanquan, Ningxiang (Shaanxi); Gushi, Guangshan, Luoshan, Hengchuan, Xinxian, Shangcheng (Henan).

Processing Techniques for Sun-Dried Green Tea:

Due to coarser raw materials and rough processing techniques, the quality of sun-dried green tea is not as high as pan-fried or roasted green tea. However, it remains a traditional tea type used in certain regions, especially in southwestern and northwestern provinces. Sun-dried tea is primarily made from slightly older and coarser leaves, processed by either roasting or steaming.

Characteristics of Dianqing:

Dianqing, produced from Yunnan large-leaf variety tea, is renowned for its quality and has been used for making tuo tea and Pu-erh tea for centuries. The fresh leaves used for Dianqing are less tender compared to red and green tea, with the best raw material being one bud with three to four leaves, around 6-10 cm in length. The raw leaves are sorted to ensure cleanliness and improve the final tea quality.

Processing Steps:

1. Fixation: Typically done in a pan at around 200°C with a diameter of 80 cm. Leaves are stirred thoroughly to avoid uneven heating and burning. Double pan fixation machines and drum fixation machines are increasingly used for efficiency.
2. Rolling: Using medium or small-sized rolling machines or by hand. The rolling time should be around 20-30 minutes for machines and over 5 minutes for hand rolling. Proper rolling is crucial for enhancing tea flavor and appearance.
3. Sun-Drying: Leaves are spread thinly on bamboo mats or cement drying fields and sun-dried, with periodic flipping. During rainy seasons, alternative drying methods like using firewood in simple drying rooms are necessary to prevent mold and sourness. The standard moisture content is around 10%.

Rough and Old Leaf Processing Methods:

• Roasting: Suitable for tender leaves with lower moisture content. Leaves are first dampened and then roasted to achieve a yellow-green color. Rolling is done while still warm, and leaves are stacked overnight to eliminate any raw taste.
• Steaming: Suitable for coarser leaves. Fresh leaves are steamed in large barrels, then dried and rolled, removing any rough stems and old branches.

Overall Quality:

Yunnan sun-dried green tea, known as Dianqing, has distinct characteristics including a robust, plump appearance with visible white hairs, deep green and oily color, strong aroma, and rich flavor. It is durable and has a bright yellow-green liquor with a thick leaf base.