In mid-September 2025, China's Ministry of Agriculture, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the China National Cooperative Federation, which reports directly to the State Council, jointly released a significant directive entitled “Guidance on Promoting the Healthy Development of the Tea Industry.”

The directive highlights advanced technologies such as ultrafine grinding (for nano tea powder), bioprocessing (for ripe tea fermentation), and supercritical extraction (for the extraction of theaflavins). Each of these technologies holds significant implications for Puer tea.

Over 100 days have passed since the release, yet there has been little in-depth analysis of these technologies. Therefore, I believe it's necessary to introduce them through this article, providing insights into these revolutionary high-tech advancements for tea enthusiasts.

Establishing a Genetic Map Library for Ancient Tea Trees

All plants on Earth are subject to natural disasters, including periodic outbreaks of pests and diseases, which can cause significant declines or even mass extinctions. These pests and diseases, with their predation and infection characteristics, most easily attack crops lacking immunity and ecological protection. Only medicinal plants, such as ginkgo, tend to survive large-scale pest and disease outbreaks.

This leads us to an enigmatic long-lived species: ancient tea trees (scientific name: Camellia sinensis var. assamica), classified as woody broad-leaved trees in botany, possessing certain abilities to resist pests and diseases.

Ancient tea trees are also cash crops, especially since the 21st century when the concept of ancient tree tea became well-known in the industry. The frequency and quantity of leaf picking have gradually increased, and the “wounds” caused by picking make them vulnerable to pest and disease attacks.

Despite this, ancient tea trees exhibit remarkable resistance to pest and disease attacks. Whether they're revered tea soul trees in Bulang ethnic group tea gardens or wild, un-domesticated large tea trees quietly growing in virgin forests, they can thrive for centuries.

To uncover the truth, the industry conducted extensive research on the mystery of longevity in ancient tea trees, giving rise to hypotheses about Yunnan's unique climate, specific minerals, and unknown microorganisms.

However, when these hypotheses were further developed, they were overturned by objective factors. This reveals a truth: there are unknown “longevity genes” flowing within the familiar ancient tea trees.

In the final stages of research, scientists focused on an unexplored area: DNA and RNA testing for Camellia sinensis var. assamica. This is the most fundamental component of life for ancient tea trees.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) is one of the four major biomolecules found in biological cells, capable of forming genetic instructions that guide development and vital functions.

Sequencing the genetic map of Camellia sinensis var. assamica falls under the category of basic science for Puer tea, a new field of exploration in scientific research. It is also a massive systematic biological research project.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid) is more complex; for simplicity, it can be considered a “fragment” of DNA, a field where specific methodologies have been established in scientific research.

Ancient tea trees from different production areas in Lancang, Xishuangbanna, and Puer have consistent genetic maps. The differences in growth traits and tea flavor are due to subtle variations in the manifestation of RNA.

By comparing RNA samples from ancient tea trees in different regions, we can identify the “key factors” causing differences among them, establishing specific RNA models for scientific significance and commercial outcomes.

This research is not without its uses. At its current stage, scientists have proposed using these key factors to develop detection solutions to help authenticate raw materials from different production areas, breaking through the limitations of sensory evaluation.

In theory, when fresh leaves from Lao Banzhang are immersed in the corresponding “Lao Banzhang detection solution,” the solution changes color, indicating the authenticity of the source, playing a significant role in authenticating ancient tree tea.

In terms of improving the basic sciences of Puer tea, this research is significant. It not only unravels the mystery of longevity in ancient tea trees but also provides detailed scientific evidence for future in-depth studies of the biological mechanisms of Puer tea.

In subsequent articles focusing on ancient tree tea, I will delve deeper into the latest research findings in the scientific community. Those interested in this topic can add my personal WeChat at the end of the article for further discussion.

Due to its profound significance, multiple universities and research institutes in China have taken on the DNA and RNA of Camellia sinensis var. assamica as research topics, publishing some results.

However, it should be noted that these projects are primarily outcome-oriented and focus on specific aspects. Establishing a comprehensive genetic map for Camellia sinensis var. assamica remains a distant goal.

I believe sequencing the genetic map of Camellia sinensis var. assamica is akin to the famous “Human Genome Project.” It will undoubtedly involve international interdisciplinary cooperation across multiple research institutions, a long-term endeavor.

Therefore, based on the natural growth conditions of ancient tea trees and wild large tea trees, regional and hierarchical definitions and protections need to be established, setting up nature reserves to prevent over-harvesting and ecological damage.

Only then can we preserve this invaluable, non-renewable wealth bestowed upon us by nature.

Extracting and Separating Individual Theaflavins

Theaflavin is a compound abundant in Puer and black teas. The scientific community considers it one of the most valuable nutrients in tea, playing a significant role in cancer treatment and DPPH radical scavenging.

From a physicochemical perspective, theaflavin is a general term for a heterogeneous group of acidic phenolic pigments, including various heterologous substances, with molecular weights ranging from 700 to 40,000. Essentially, it is a mixture of pigments in tea.

The formation mechanism of theaflavin has been studied following the Black Tea fermentation model, i.e., the transformation from thearubigins to theaflavins and then to theabrownins.

However, scientists discovered that theaflavin is highly unstable and easily transforms into theabrownins. In various tests on black tea, only the transformed theabrownins could be detected, not theaflavin itself.

The appearance of theabrownins signifies the end of pigment evolution in black tea, followed by moldy tea. This was one of the so-called bases for criticism against the notion that Puer tea improves with age during the “Great Siege.”

In reality, theaflavin is not only present in black tea but also widely exists in Puer tea. The mechanism of theaflavin generation in black tea is entirely different from that in Puer tea. Below, I will briefly explain the specific mechanism:

In the first half of pigment evolution, Puer and black teas share similarities. The key difference lies in the second half. Unlike direct transformation in black tea, theaflavin in Puer tea undergoes a “reversal evolution” process.

This change is more evident in the color of the infusion. Initially, thearubigins dominate in aged Puer tea, resulting in a tangerine-yellow color. After a period of aging, the appearance of theaflavin changes the color to tangerine-red.

As Puer tea further transforms, theaflavin becomes dominant, and the color turns dark red. When Puer tea reaches a certain critical point, the clarity and brightness of the tea liquid increase, transforming into a bright red hue.

The pigment evolution leading to these color changes can be summarized as thearubigins → theaflavins → theabrownins → thea