Original title: Drinking Tea to famous mountains | 2000 years of persistence and innovation National "intangible cultural heritage" - Mengshan tea traditional production technology
"Yangtze River heart water, tea on the top of Mengshan Mountain". At the mysterious 30 degrees north latitude, there is a world-renowned tea mountain, which is the "birthplace of world tea culture" - Mengding Mountain.
Mengding Mountain is dominated by hilly landforms
The mountains are verdant and undulating
Due to the abundant rainfall, clouds and fog are every year round
It is known as "Western Shu Leaking Heaven"
The slightly acidic soil contains the rich organic matter needed for the growth of tea plants
Unique geographical, climatic, soil and other natural conditions
It produces a thousand years of tribute tea with excellent quality
Montsan tea
Origins of craftsmanship
The traditional production technique of Mengshan tea began in the Western Han Dynasty, and Tang Tianbao began to pay tribute in the first year. In the Qing Dynasty, it became the exclusive tea of the imperial family to worship the ancestors. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" records: "True tea is cold, but Yazhou Mengshan is warm and the main disease..." Thus Mengshan tea integrates five major functions of medicinal, drink, tribute, sacrifice and commodity, which is rare in the history of Chinese tea.
▌June 10, 2021
Mengshan tea traditional production technology was selected as a national "intangible cultural heritage"
Mengshan tea category
Mengshan tea is the only multi-category tea among many famous teas in China, including Mengding manna, Mengding yellow bud, Mengding stone flower, Wanchun silver leaf, jade leaf Changchun and other five representative teas, of which "Mengding manna" with "red pot killing green, three stir-frying and three kneading" as the core of the technology is extremely prestigious.
Production process
Raw material picking: The raw materials used in Mengshan tea are mainly the local group species (Laochuan tea) in Mingshan, and the national and provincial varieties such as Baihao 131, Mengshan No. 9 and No. 23 selected from it. Before the Qingming Dynasty, single buds, one bud and one leaf are plucked, one bud and two leaves, the standard is the same, no disease and pest buds, no hollow buds, no thin buds, no dew buds.
▌Raw material picking
Fresh leaf stall drying: The fresh bud leaves picked are evenly spread out in a cool and ventilated place with a bamboo dustpan in time, turned over every 1 hour for 4-6 hours, and pick out the fruits, stems and other inclusions. Its purpose is to convert and increase the grass gas substance in the bud leaves into an aroma substance, and at the same time to lose the fresh water of the bud, which is convenient for the production of green killing.
▌Fresh leaves are spread out
Hand test pot temperature: Mengshan tea production must be high temperature, but too high temperature is easy to cause scorching, explosion, low temperature is light aroma, bitter taste. Hand test, eye observation is one of the most important experiences: the smooth and clean iron pot is burned to white, the bottom of the pot is slightly red in the dark light, and the distance of the hand back from the pot is very hot and slightly tingling, that is, the temperature is appropriate.
▌ Hand test pot temperature
Red Cauldron Killing: Red Cauldron Killing is a key procedure for forming excellent quality. When the pot is just down, it is stir-fried, then stir-fried, and finally stir-fried, so that the tea leaves are evenly heated and the moisture evaporates rapidly. Techniques include holding, throwing, turning, sprinkling and so on. When the leaf texture is soft, the leaf color is darkened, and the fragrance is fragrant, the bud color changes from tender yellow to green yellow, and the tea aroma is rich, that is, it is moderate.
▌ Red pot to kill the green
Three stir-frying and three kneading: Mengshan tea traditional production technology to "red pot green, first high and then low, three stir-fry three kneading" a total of 14 processes, three stir-fry three kneading purpose is to disperse moisture, roll tight tea strips, while making up for the lack of greening.
▌ Three stir-fry and three kneading
Careful kneading: Kneading is generally carried out by placing the buds and leaves after killing the green and cooling in a bamboo dustpan with a diameter of about 3 feet, with the purpose of slightly breaking the cells and rolling the tea strips to shape. The kneading method is carried out by combining pushing and kneading, starting with 1-2 minutes using pushing and kneading, and then kneading ten times to dissolve the block, so repeat for 6-8 minutes, and unblock 4-5 times in the middle.
▌ Carefully kneaded
After three stir-frying and three kneading, pour into a low-temperature pot and stir-fry evenly. Then grasp the tea leaves in the same direction and rotate and knead (commonly known as the kneading ball) for 4-5 turns, sprinkle into the pot, with even force to reduce the broken tea leaves. When rubbing the tea leaves have a tingling feel and make a rustling sound, the white is disclosed, and it can be broken by pinching with your fingers, and you can get out of the pot to cool.
▌ Do shape lifting
Baking Titian: Charcoal is used as baking fuel and a clean white cloth is laid on the baking. The tea stalls are cooled and then baked in a basket, spread evenly and thinly, and bake 2-3 pairs per basket. Using "low heat slow baking", the pot temperature is hot but not hot, every 3-4 minutes to turn over once, baking until the hand pinch tea leaves into a powder can be, under the baking spread cold, dust off the end of the slices, packaging and storage.
▌ Baked Titian
Mengshan tea traditional production technology is rigorous and delicate, the process is exquisite, forming the characteristics of color, fragrance, taste and shape, the tea maker is handmade at the same time, must be tacitly cooperated with the huodanshi, with the non-reproducibility of modern technology.
Testimony of history
On top of Mengshan Mountain, there are many monuments
Tiangai Temple, Imperial Tea Garden, Ganlu Well, Panlong Pavilion, etc
All are Mengshan tea culture
A testament to the heritage of history and traditional craftsmanship
▌ Tiangai Temple
▌ Imperial Tea Garden
Relying on tea resources, taking tea culture as the link, taking tea with tourism, promoting tea with tourism, promoting the development of "tea tourism integration", carrying the banner of "Sichuan tea revitalization", continuously increasing the protection and inheritance of raw materials and production processes of Mengshan tea, continuously strengthening the brand publicity of Mengding camellia, driving the transformation and upgrading of the tea industry, promoting the quality and efficiency of the tea industry, and writing a new chapter for the vigorous development of the mingshan economy.
Mengshan tea is a kind of life
It's a spirit
It's more of a culture
In the famous mountain "people tea and coexistence" harmonious picture
It has been laid out...
(Source: World Tea Source Ecological Mountain)