Yongjia Wuniu Early, named after the main producing area around Wuniu in Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province, and renowned for being the earliest Spring Tea harvested and marketed each year in southern China. According to legend, a divine ox found celestial Tea in a bamboo grove in the South Sea, which it began to chew. Upon discovery by Guanyin, the divine ox fled with the tea, pursued by Guanyin who eventually knocked the ox down onto the scenic northern banks of the Oujiang estuary, the place where it fell is now known as Wuniu. The celestial tea that the divine ox had carried took root there, giving rise to the legend of “The Divine Ox Carrying Tea.”

Historically, as a commercial port, Yongjia's teas were exported overseas via merchant ships, serving as one of the primary export commodities. According to the “Yongjia County Gazetteer” of the Guangxu era, the “Wanli Prefecture Gazetteer” states: “Yongjia annually contributes ten catties of tea buds, with tea produced in the 50th district of Nanxi and the 51st and 52nd districts.” The “Wenzhou Gazetteer” records that the “Qianlong Prefecture Gazetteer of Wenzhou” mentions: “In Oubei, Wuniu produces Eyebrow Tea, which sprouts early in spring, shaped like a sparrow's tongue, and its quality surpasses Tungreen.” Starting from the 1980s, Yongjia's tea industry developed towards specialization, and in 1985, using the local tea variety “Jiaming No. 1,” they successfully created a “flat-shaped” tea. In 1987, this new product passed provincial appraisal and was named “Yongjia Wuniu Early.” In 1999, Yongjia County was designated as the “Home of Chinese Wuniu Early.” In 2004, the Wuniu Early tea successfully registered as a national geographical indication product. In 2005, it was awarded one of the “Top Ten Tourist Teas” in Zhejiang Province. In 2007, the Wuniu Early brand Wuniu Early received the title of “China Famous Trademark.” In 2009, it was included among the key tea-producing counties nationwide. In 2025, Yongjia Wuniu Early obtained the national geographical indication certification trademark.

Yongjia Wuniu Early Tea Garden (Nan'ao Village, Sanjiang Subdistrict)

Production Area: The geographical indication product Yongjia Wuniu Early Tea defines its production area as covering 22 towns and subdistricts, including 454 administrative villages within Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province. The tea variety “Jiaming No. 1,” used to make Wuniu Early tea, has been widely introduced to major tea-producing areas across the country, becoming one of the largest Green Tea varieties in terms of planting area.

Main Sales Areas: Yongjia Wuniu Early is primarily sold in Zhejiang, Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and other regions.

Quality Characteristics: First, it is harvested early, with fresh leaves typically picked from early February to late March, making all the tea a pre-Qingming tea. Second, it boasts superior internal quality, with flat, smooth, upright, and uniform appearance, revealing tender shoots, slightly visible down, bright green color, tender and robust leaves at the base, uniform and whole, bright green leaves, clear and bright infusion, high and fresh aroma, sweet and refreshing taste.

Actual Image of Yongjia Wuniu Early Green Tea (Dry Tea)

Processing Technology

The production process of Yongjia Wuniu Early includes grading and spreading fresh leaves, first fixation, initial cooling and moisture recovery, second fixation, secondary cooling and moisture recovery, mechanical finishing, dry tea sifting, and packaging.

Spreading: Immediately after picking, the fresh leaves are spread out on bamboo trays or mats, with the thickness determined based on weather conditions and the maturity level of the leaves, generally about 2 cm. The spreading location should be shaded, free from direct sunlight, clean, well-ventilated, and odorless. Fresh leaves of different grades should be spread separately. Rain-soaked leaves and those picked in the morning and afternoon should also be spread and processed separately. The spreading time is 4 to 12 hours, with a moisture loss rate controlled between 10% and 20%.

First Fixation (using the example of a “long-plate flat tea fixer”): The temperature for spreading leaves entering the pot should ideally be between 260°C and 220°C, adjusted according to the raw material. When the leaves are placed in the pot, they should emit a “popping” sound. The pot temperature should decrease gradually. For special grade 1 and 2 teas, 100g to 150g of leaves are added per pot; for grade 1 and 2 teas, 150g to 200g of leaves are added per pot. The amount of leaves added per pot for similar materials should remain consistent. When the leaves have a flat, upright, soft, and uniformly green appearance, and the moisture content has dropped to around 35%, the leaves can be removed from the pot.

Initial Cooling and Moisture Recovery: After the leaves are removed from the pot, they should be cooled quickly to reduce temperature and dissipate moisture. This process may involve stacking, and the ideal time is 30 to 60 minutes.

Second Fixation: The temperature for spreading leaves entering the pot should ideally be between 180°C and 150°C, adjusted according to the raw material. The pot temperature should decrease gradually. For the second fixation, 100g to 150g of leaves are added per pot for special grade 1 and 2 teas, and 150g to 200g for grade 1 and 2 teas. When the leaves are flat, upright, hard, and uniformly green, and the moisture content has dropped to around 15% to 20%, the leaves can be removed from the pot.

Secondary Cooling and Moisture Recovery: After the leaves are removed from the pot, they should be cooled quickly to reduce temperature and dissipate moisture. This process may involve stacking, and the ideal time is 30 to 60 minutes.

Mechanical Finishing (using the example of a “roller-type high-quality tea finishing machine”): The displayed temperature should be between 130°C and 110°C, with the cylinder wall temperature at 90°C to 80°C. The amount of leaves added per pot for the second fixation should be 3kg to 4kg. When the shape of the tea is flat, smooth, and upright, and the moisture content is below 7%, the process is complete.

Dry Tea Sifting: After cooling, the finished dry tea is sifted using screens of different mesh sizes, sorted by grade, and labeled with the date, grade, and quantity.

Packaging: Packaging containers should be dry, clean, odorless, non-toxic, sturdy, moisture-proof, and capable of protecting the quality of the tea, facilitating handling, storage, and transportation.

brewing Method

Glass Cup Brewing

Warming the Cup

Pour hot water into the cup and then discard it, warming the cup walls to help the tea aroma release quickly.

Adding Tea

Add 3-5 grams of Wuniu Early (tea-to-water ratio of 1:50-80), pour a small amount of water at 85-90°C over the leaves (just enough to cover them).

Shaking the Cup

Shake the glass cup to fully release the rich tea fragrance.

Brewing

Pour water from a certain height along the cup wall, applying enough force to gently rotate the Wuniu Early during the brewing process (to ensure even heating), the optimal time for drinking is after about 3 minutes.

Refilling Water

Refill the water when about 1/3 of the tea remains, allowing the tea to withstand multiple inf