Basic Introduction to Matu Green Tea
Matu Green Tea is a specialty of Matu Village, Longgang Town, Fengshun County, Guangdong Province. On July 9, 2014, the original General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for “Matu Green Tea.” Originally named Mata Village, Matu Village in Longgang Town, Fengshun County, is surrounded by mountains and often shrouded in mist, making it a famous old revolutionary area. Longgang Town's Matu Village is known as the “Meizhou Highlands,” with superior geographical conditions, and is hailed as one of the most suitable places for tea cultivation in Meizhou. The village began growing high-altitude green tea over 300 years ago, mainly the rare small-leaf oolong variety.
Matu Green Tea is grown on terraces at an altitude of 915–956 meters in Matu Village. After two rounds of stir-frying and kneading, the tea leaves are tightly rolled, gray-green in color with a lustrous appearance, and have a sweet, fresh aroma. The infusion is light green with a slight yellow tinge. It tastes refreshingly mellow and fragrant, with a clear, high aroma and a strong flavor that lingers long after drinking. Due to its excellent quality, Matu tea gradually became a local specialty and was named one of the eight famous teas in Meizhou City in 1984. In 2012, Matu Green Tea received support from modern agricultural project funds and other subsidies totaling more than 5 million yuan. In 2015, the annual production of Matu Green Tea reached 400,000 catties, generating 60 million yuan in revenue, with over 450 tea farmers earning more than 100,000 yuan annually.
Geographical Scope
The production area of Matu Green Tea encompasses the current administrative region of Matu Village, Longgang Town, Fengshun County, Guangdong Province.
Nutritional Value
Matu tea contains biochemical components closely related to human health. Besides its effects of refreshing the mind, clearing heat and eliminating summer heat, aiding digestion, reducing phlegm, detoxifying, quenching thirst, improving eyesight, stopping diarrhea, and removing dampness, it also has certain medicinal benefits for modern diseases such as radiation sickness, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The main components responsible for these medicinal effects include tea polyphenols, Caffeine, polysaccharides, and Theanine.
Product Characteristics
Matu Green Tea is tightly rolled, slightly curved like eyebrows, gray-green in color with a glossy appearance, and has a chestnut-like aroma and a unique mountain flavor. The infusion is clear, light green with a slight yellow tinge. The brewed tea is rich, fresh, sweet, and has a lingering aftertaste.
Historical Folklore
Matu Green Tea has a long history, with the cultivation of small-leaf green tea (now known as small-leaf cultivar) starting in the eleventh year of the Daoguang era (1831), nearly 200 years ago.
In 1929 (the 18th year of the Republic of China), when Commander-in-Chief Zhu De led the Fourth Red Army into Matu Village, there were about 200 mu of tea gardens in the village. After tasting Matu Green Tea during his spare time, Commander-in-Chief Zhu De believed that the only way forward for mountainous areas was through tea cultivation. At that time, he brought over 20 catties of small-leaf green tea seeds to give to the villagers for planting and encouraged them to develop tea production at a mass meeting. Since then, the tea garden area in Matu Village has continued to expand. Because the Red Army established a red government in Matu Village and sowed the seeds of revolution, Matu Green Tea came to be called “red tea seed” or “Red Army tea” by the locals. To this day, a song praising the Red Army and Commander-in-Chief Zhu De, titled “A Toast with a Cup of Matu Tea,” is still sung locally.
In the early 1980s, the production and sales of Matu Green Tea were organized by individual farmers without forming a scale, which once caused a decline in the growth of Matu tea trees and a decrease in production. After the reform and opening up, rural economic reforms were implemented, and Fengshun County adopted various measures such as financial subsidies, targeted assistance, and paired assistance to support enterprises and individuals to cultivate and produce Matu Green Tea extensively.
Awards and Honors Received by Matu Green Tea
In 1984, it was named one of the eight famous teas in Meizhou City.
In June 2002, Matu Green Tea won the award for high-quality tea at the Fifth Guangdong Provincial Competition for Famous and High-Quality Teas.
In May 2005, Matu Green Tea won the gold award at the Sixth Guangdong Provincial Competition for Famous and High-Quality Teas.
In December 2007, Matu Green Tea won the silver award at the Seventh Guangdong Provincial Competition for Famous and High-Quality Teas.
On July 9, 2014, the original General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine approved the implementation of geographical indication product protection for “Matu Green Tea.”