Basic Introduction of Midi Tea

A variety of Pu'er tea, it belongs to the high-end category of Pu'er. It is produced in the Xinhu Township within the northwest of Mojiang County, part of the Ailao Mountain range. The altitude here is 1890 meters, with an annual average temperature of 16°C and relative humidity of 80%. Clouds and fog shroud the area year-round, leading to a long growth period for the tea leaves, a short picking season, low yields but excellent quality.

Nutritional Value

Analysis has identified over 500 compounds in tea. Some of these compounds are essential components for the human body, referred to as nutritional components. These include vitamins, proteins, amino acids, lipids, sugars, and mineral elements, which have high value for human health.

Product Characteristics

The tea has relatively fine twisted leaves, abundant buds, a yellow-green infusion, and distinct bitterness and astringency, with the bitterness more pronounced than the astringency. The bitterness transforms into sweetness, and there is a slight orchid fragrance in the aroma.

History and Folklore

The Midi tea region is located in the Xinhu Township within the northwest of Mojiang County, part of the Ailao Mountain range. The altitude here is 1890 meters, with an annual average temperature of 16°C and relative humidity of 80%. Clouds and fog shroud the area year-round, leading to a long growth period for the tea leaves, a short picking season, low yields but excellent quality.

Historical records indicate that tea cultivation in the Xinhu Township area of Mojiang began during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Ming Dynasty, about 400 years ago. By the Qing Dynasty, tea production and trade had significantly developed in the Xinhu Township area. At that time, the current site of the township government was known as “Tangshang Street,” one of the stations along the ancient Tea Horse Road, bustling with merchants.

Originally called “Midi” tea, after Pu'er tea was listed as tribute tea during the Qing Dynasty, many high-quality teas within the Pu'er Prefecture were also designated as tribute teas. According to legend, because of its superior quality, Midi tea was also listed as tribute tea. After being presented to the imperial court, it became favored by the emperor, who bestowed a plaque inscribed “Annual Tribute to the Capital.” This plaque was passed down through generations of the Zhao family in Jiepai until it was lost during the Cultural Revolution. Midi tea earned the name “Midi” (meaning “emperor-entrancing”) due to its captivating effect on the emperor, and this name has been used ever since.

The Xinhu Township in the Midi tea region is part of the Ailao Mountain range, characterized by high mountains and dense forests with good ecological preservation. There are still large areas of wild tea mountains distributed throughout the mountains. In the old tea garden of the Zhao family, a stone tablet stands inscribed with “Source of Midi Tea,” symbolizing its prestigious status.

Production Method of Midi Tea

Production Process:

1. Withering: To lose some of the moisture in the fresh leaves. During the withering process, some aroma substances are formed, and some of the large molecular ester-soluble sugars are hydrolyzed into small molecule soluble sugars.

2. Fixation: The processing raw material for raw Pu'er tea is Yunnan large-leaf sun-dried Green Tea. Sun-dried green tea is often fixed using wok frying. Because the large-leaf variety has a high water content, fixation must combine smothering and shaking to ensure uniform loss of water, rapidly deactivate enzyme activity at high temperatures to stop polyphenol oxidation, and evaporate some of the water, making it easier to roll into strips.

3. Rolling: To break the cells of the tea leaves, ensuring that the tea juice is fully extracted during brewing. Rolling should be adjusted according to the age of the leaves, with tender leaves rolled gently for a shorter time and older leaves rolled more firmly for a longer time. Rolling should continue until the leaves are mostly shaped into strips.

4. Sun Drying: The rolled tea leaves are naturally dried in sunlight, preserving the organic matter and active substances in the tea to the greatest extent. Sun-dried tea leaves have the largest surface cell pores, which is conducive to generating a large amount of heat during fermentation.

5. Steaming and Pressing: The sun-dried tea leaves are steamed to moisten them and then pressed into different shapes using various molds.

6. Drying: The moisture content is controlled to below the safe storage level, usually requiring the moisture content to be less than 10% for Pu'er tea.