At the Tea table, ancient tree tea is a topic that never runs out of conversation. It represents a niche market within Pu'er teas and stands for the highest quality of Yunnan Pu'er teas.

The rise in popularity of ancient tree tea has inevitably brought about controversies and differing opinions. To better understand ancient tree tea, let's explore these three lesser-known facts that reveal the true nature of this special tea.

1. Why is a century-old age used as the dividing line for ancient tree tea?

Setting any specific point in time as the dividing line between ancient and younger trees presents an unavoidable issue – the quality of the tea leaves does not undergo a qualitative change at the moment it crosses that line. Due to wars, epidemics, and other reasons during the late Qing dynasty and early Republican period, tea production in Yunnan suffered greatly, and planting of tea trees was largely halted for several decades.

Using a century as the dividing line for ancient tree tea effectively spans several decades, and the difference in age between such trees results in discernible differences in quality. Therefore, setting the standard for ancient tree tea at a century old is feasible.

2. Is the quality of ancient tree tea directly related to its height, thickness, and age?

Intuitively, taller and thicker tea trees might give the impression of being older and thus of higher quality. However, in practice, tea farmers pick leaves based on their past experience of which plants yield the best taste, often neglecting those with less favorable qualities. Over time, frequently picked plants may experience developmental limitations, while neglected ones grow freely using all their nutrients to become tall and thick.

Over the years, significant differences can be observed in trunk diameter, canopy width, and tree height. When judging the quality of tea, appearances can be deceiving; taste is the ultimate arbiter.

3. Does a large leaf or bud size indicate that it is from an ancient tree?

Some tea enthusiasts believe that to determine if a tea is from an ancient tree, one only needs to examine the leaves after brewing. If the leaves have large buds, the tea is from an ancient tree; if the buds are small, it is not.

This viewpoint is incorrect. In fact, the species of the tree is the key determinant of the size of the leaves and buds. Large-leaf varieties naturally have large buds and leaves, but this does not mean all large-leaf teas are from ancient trees. Similarly, small-leaf varieties have small buds and leaves, yet some of them can still be ancient trees. There is no absolute relationship between the size of the buds and leaves and the age of the tree.

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