Wuyuan (pronounced wù) Green Tea, abbreviated as Wuyuan green, is one of the traditional Chinese teas.

The origin of Wuyuan green Tea is in Wuyuan County, Jiangxi Province, China. Situated in the northeastern mountainous area of Jiangxi, Wuyuan County is nestled among the Huaiyu Mountains and the Huangshan Mountains. The terrain is high and rugged, with towering peaks, lush mountains, clear waters, fertile soil, a mild climate, abundant rainfall, and perpetual mists, making it ideal for growing tea. Here, “green tea bushes blanket the hillsides, and every household has fragrant tea,” making it one of China's famous green tea production areas.

Historical Origins

The history of Wuyuan green tea production is long and widely passed down.

As early as the Tang Dynasty, Lu Yu's Classic of Tea recorded that “Shexian tea grows in the valleys of Wuyuan,” indicating that Wuyuan was already a primary tea-producing area of Shexian.

In 865 AD, Yang Hua, a royal chef, wrote in his book Notes from a Chef's Hand that “the square-shaped tea from Wuyuan is made with great care and does not contain any woody leaves. From Liang, Song, Yan, and Bing regions, people everywhere favored it. The tea sold for taxes and purchased by merchants never ceased to be transported over thousands of miles.” In the Song History: Food and Goods, the Xieyuan tea from Wuyuan was listed as one of the six best teas in the country.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it was listed as a tribute tea presented to the imperial court. During the Ming dynasty, Wuyuan County contributed approximately 2,500 kilograms of tea annually to the imperial court.

Wuyuan green tea entered the international market as early as the 18th century. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, it was exported to Britain;

During the Xianfeng period, four tea companies in Wuyuan—Yu Dechang, Yu Dehe, Hu Dexin, and Jin Longtai—together produced thousands of boxes of green tea which were shipped to Hong Kong for sale, generating substantial profits. The “Xinliu Xiang” green tea produced by Yu Desheng was even exported to Western Europe.

Wuyuan played an unsung hero role in exporting Chinese green tea to the world. All Wuyuan green tea exported worldwide was labeled simply as “Chinese green tea.”

“Wuyuan green tea, recorded in the Tang Dynasty's Classic of Tea, acclaimed as the finest during the Song Dynasty, presented as tribute during the Ming and Qing dynasties, renowned both at home and abroad,” vividly summarizes the glorious history of Wuyuan green tea.

Processing Procedures

The production skills of Wuyuan green tea primarily include picking, withering, pan-firing, cooling, hot kneading, roasting, initial drying, and final drying, all of which have strict process requirements. For example, picking must adhere to the standard of one bud and one leaf around the Spring Equinox, and after Qingming Festival, the standard changes to one bud and two leaves. Fresh leaves that do not meet the standards are not picked.

The picking of Wuyuan green tea typically begins around the Spring Equinox. On the first day of picking, there is a custom of laying red paper on the bottom of the basket and setting off firecrackers when entering the garden. Picking is done according to the standard of one bud and one leaf; after Qingming Festival, the standard is one bud and two leaves. During picking, the “three no-pick” rule is followed: no rain-soaked leaves, no red or purple leaves, and no insect-damaged leaves are picked. Fresh leaves are picked according to the principle of picking them in stages and batches, picking those that sprout first first and those that sprout later later, and not picking leaves that do not meet the standards.

1. Picking: After fresh leaves are picked, they are sorted into different bamboo trays according to standards. The thickness of the highest-grade fresh leaves should not exceed 2 cm, and the thickness of lower-grade fresh leaves should not exceed 3.5 cm.

2. Withering: Fresh leaves are generally withered for 4 to 10 hours, flipped once lightly halfway through. After withering, the leaf quality becomes soft, the buds and leaves spread out, moisture evaporates, and a fresh fragrance is revealed;

3. Pan-Firing: The withered green leaves are then placed in a cast iron pot for high-temperature pan-firing. Approximately two pounds of green leaves are put into each pot, with the temperature of the iron pot controlled between 140°C and 160°C. The leaves are pan-fired by hand, with the time controlled at about 2 minutes.

The pan-fired leaves become soft, turn dark green, lose their raw aroma, do not break when bent, and do not have any charred edges;

4. Cooling: Immediately after pan-firing, the tea is thinly and evenly spread on a bamboo tray to release heat and avoid stuffiness. Then, the pan-fired leaves are sifted several times in the bamboo tray to remove fragments and dust;

5. Kneading: There are two types of kneading in the production of Wuyuan green tea: cold kneading and hot kneading. Cold kneading involves kneading the leaves after they have cooled down after pan-firing. Hot kneading means kneading the leaves while they are still warm immediately after pan-firing.

Kneading is a step in shaping the appearance of green tea. It involves holding the tea leaves between the palms in a bamboo tray with ridges and kneading in one direction. The motion should be gentle, followed by shaking and kneading again until the tea juice is released and a strong tea aroma is emitted;

6. Roasting: The kneaded tea leaves should be promptly roasted on a bamboo tray or stir-fried in a pot at a temperature of around 100°C to 120°C. After roasting, the tea is dried in a cast iron pot at 120°C, with the temperature gradually reduced to 90°C and then 80°C;

7. Initial Drying: After roasting, the tea is dried in a cast iron pot at 120°C, with the temperature gradually reduced to 90°C and then 80°C. After the initial drying, the moisture content of the tea decreases, preventing clumping during subsequent drying.

8. Final Drying: The tea that has undergone initial drying is then stir-fried dry in a cast iron pot at a temperature of 90°C to 100°C. Once the leaves are heated, the temperature is gradually lowered to 60°C, and stir-fried until the moisture content reaches 6.0% to 6.5%. The tea is then removed from the pot, placed in a bamboo tray to cool, and sifted to remove powder before packaging and storage.

Taste Characteristics

The leaves are soft and tender, with thick buds and leaves, high levels of effective components, and are suitable for producing high-quality green tea.

The “Mingmei” tea, made carefully from the “Shang Meizhou” variety of tea leaves, has a clear and lasting fragrance reminiscent of orchids, a rich and refreshing taste, a bright green and clear broth, soft yellow-green buds and leaves, tight and delicate strands, prominent tips and Silver hairs, and a lustrous emerald green color.

Inheritance and Protection

Wuyuan has