Basic Introduction to Mei Tan Emerald Bud
“Mei Tan Emerald Bud” Tea is produced in Mei Tan County, known as the ‘Yunnan-Guizhou Little Jiangnan' in northeastern Guizhou Highlands. The natural geographical environment of this region is particularly suitable for tea tree growth and the production of high-quality tea. It is a typical example of a county with “high altitude, low latitude, sparse sunshine, abundant cloud cover, and rich in zinc and Selenium,” being the first county in Guizhou's tea industry, with currently 600,000 acres of high-quality ecological tea gardens. According to the “Tea Classic” written by Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea in the Tang Dynasty: “In Guizhou, tea grows in Sizhou, Bozhou, Feizhou, Yizhou… often found, its taste is excellent,” this ancient Yizhou was referring to Mei Tan. The Qing Dynasty's “General Gazetteer of Guizhou” recorded: “There is a famous tea from Mount Yunwu in Mei Tan; the Meijian tea was a tribute product.” This “Meijian tea” is the predecessor of “Mei Tan Emerald Bud.” In 1939, the Central Experimental Tea Field of the Republic of China was established in Mei Tan, and in 1940, Zhejiang University relocated to Mei Tan for seven years of education and scientific research, attracting a large number of educational and scientific elites. The convergence of Zhejiang University and the Central Experimental Tea Field further elevated the material and spiritual culture of “Mei Tan Emerald Bud” tea.
The appearance is flat and smooth, resembling a sunflower seed, with hidden downy hairs scarcely visible, a green and lustrous color, a clear and pleasant aroma, a strong chestnut fragrance accompanied by a fresh floral scent, a mellow and refreshing taste, a sweet aftertaste, a bright yellow-green broth, and tender, even green leaves at the bottom.
Mei Tan Emerald Bud is grown amidst the misty mountains of northern Guizhou. Mei Tan County has a mild climate, frequent rainfall and fog, fertile soil, loose structure, and abundant minerals, all of which are highly beneficial for tea tree growth and tea quality.
The appearance of Mei Tan Emerald Bud is flat and smooth, resembling a sunflower seed, with hidden downy hairs scarcely visible, a green and lustrous color, a clear and pleasant aroma, a strong chestnut fragrance accompanied by a fresh floral scent, a mellow and refreshing taste, a sweet aftertaste, a bright yellow-green broth, and tender, even green leaves at the bottom. It contains rare anti-aging substances, and regular consumption is beneficial to health.
The protected area for Mei Tan Emerald Bud includes 15 towns: Meijiang Town, Yongxing Town, Fuxing Town, Tiancheng Town, Xinglong Town, Chaole Town, Huangjiaba Town, Gaotai Town, Maoping Town, Xinan Town, Shilian Town, Yuquan Town, Xima Town, Mashan Town, and Xuhe Town. The geographic coordinates are: 107°15′36″E-107°41′08″E, 27°20′18″N-28°12′32″N, covering an area of 1,864 square kilometers. The planting area of Mei Tan Emerald Bud is 400,000 acres, with an annual output of 10,975 tons.
History and Folk Customs
Mei Tan has a long history of tea cultivation. According to the world's first specialized treatise on tea, “The Tea Classic,” written by Lu Yu in the Tang Dynasty, there were discussions about how not only could Mei Tan produce tea, but also that it had a very fine flavor. There are records from the Song Dynasty of tea being presented as tribute. Today, Mei Tan boasts well-known large tea fields and scattered rural tea gardens. It is home to the Guizhou Provincial Tea Research Institute, founded in the late 1930s.