Wonders of Yunnan: Tea as far as the eye can see
Last month, we had the pleasure of visiting Yunnan Province in China to see first-hand the tea-making process. In this blog series, we are excited to share some of the things we learned and experienced during our brief adventure in Yunnan. If you missed part one, click here to check it out!
After experiencing the amazing beauty of the ancient tea trees on Nannuo Mountain and getting to know the lovely people in the villages that live there, we drove to the other side of the mountain to another small community where they process large amounts of Pu'er tea leaves. This community is one of many facilities that provide raw materials for Denong Tea’s Pu’er tea products.
After getting off the bus, our eyes were immediately attracted by a large pile of Maocha, with several young people surrounding it. They told us they were sorting through the wilted, sun-dried tea leaves to look for any possible flaws. Due to the freshness of the tea they process, they don't seem to find many such flaws, but we're told that this quality assurance is still an integral part of Pu'er tea production. We watched as they filled basket after basket of flawless Pu'er tea.
Before the tea leaves are selected and sorted in this way, the tea leaves are of course dried in the sun. Even though we had watched the tea leaves being prepared for this process earlier in the day, it was exciting to see it in person. As we watch the sun beat down on the fragrant tea, we realize that although technology is changing rapidly, sometimes the oldest and simplest methods are still the most effective.
Walking back further, we entered the tea-making process and saw a strange sight: a large number of Pu'er tea leaves spread on bamboo mats. As we saw before, these tea leaves are dried before being roasted. Keeping the tea leaves in a cool but open area will prevent the leaves from collecting any stale or musty smells, while also protecting the leaves from the harshest rays of the sun.
It was quite a treat for us to see these vast quantities of tea being laid out and handled by the tea masters, and of course the whole facility was filled with the wonderful smell of tea.
Finally, we once again have the privilege of experiencing the fruits of all this labor. In their tea room, we sat and relaxed as they brewed us delicious Pu'er teas, both cooked and raw.
We were also curious to see that they put an orange peel filled with loose tea on the table. In addition to its unique aesthetic qualities, this technique is also designed to keep the tea leaves fresh while also imparting a subtle orange aroma. If you have loose tea lying around, give this method a try!
To hear more about our adventures in Yunnan, and to learn more about Pu’er tea making, be sure to keep an eye out for the next post in this blog series.