SanTai Mountain Township, located in Mang City, Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province, is the only Deang ethnic township in China. On the 21st, reporters visited SanTai Mountain Township to explore the ancient sour Tea making techniques of the Deang people. These techniques were inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the end of 2025.

Deang tea makers steam fresh tea leaves. Photo provided by Li Yan.

The Deang people are a nation with a long history of tea cultivation and consumption, often referred to as “ancient tea farmers.” They have been deeply connected with tea since ancient times. According to the Deang people's mythological epic “Dagudaleng Gelaibiao,” “The Deang people are transformed from tea leaves; tea is the root of the Deang people.”

Deang tea makers place tea leaves into bamboo tubes. Photo provided by Li Yan.

Leveraging his knowledge as an inheritor of the sour tea making technique of the Deang people in Mang City, Dehong Prefecture, Li Yan introduced that there are two types of Deang sour tea: edible tea and Drinking Tea. Edible tea is typically consumed as a dish and is a rare delicacy; drinking tea is sour and astringent, with a bright golden color. With age, it can develop flavors reminiscent of olives, Osmanthus flowers, or milk. The fermentation process of sour tea is anaerobic. During processing, due to microbial and moist heat effects, as well as chemical changes, a series of reactions occur, such as oxidation, condensation, polymerization, decomposition, and degradation of the fresh leaf components. These reactions form the unique color, aroma, and flavor of sour tea, as well as health-beneficial compounds.

Bamboo tubes filled with tea leaves are buried underground. Photo provided by Li Yan.

Li Yan explained to reporters that the first step in making sour tea is to steam fresh tea leaves. Once cooled, the leaves are placed into bamboo tubes and compacted layer by layer. Fresh banana leaves are used to seal the openings. A deep pit is dug in a cool spot, lined with banana leaves, and the sealed bamboo tubes are buried for the tea to ferment slowly underground. After one and a half months, the bamboo tubes are unearthed, and the tea leaves are removed. “High-quality sour tea will have a golden hue. Fermented tea leaves are placed in a stone mortar and pounded using a traditional foot-stomping method until they form small balls, which are then pressed into cakes. After being sun-dried for about two days, the cakes are cut into smaller pieces and further sun-dried for five days to produce the finished product.”

Bamboo tubes are excavated after being buried for one and a half months. The fermented tea leaves are pounded and kneaded into small balls using a traditional foot-stomping method. Photo provided by Li Yan.

Pounded tea leaves are pressed into cake shapes. Photo provided by Li Yan.

The Deang people's sour tea has a history dating back approximately 2,000 years, continuously evolving through the ages. Despite the passage of time, sour tea continues to be made using traditional manual techniques, preserving its original flavor.

Sour tea of the Deang people is sun-dried. Photo provided by Li Yan.

In Chu Donggua Village, SanTai Mountain Township, facilities such as a sour tea making experience center, guesthouses, and tea picking areas have been established. Many tourists come here to learn about Deang culture, with sour tea being the most popular local specialty among visitors.

Source: China News Service

Author: Mi Chao