Tea first appeared in the cultural sphere during the Jin and Northern Dynasties periods, and early tea enthusiasts were often literati and scholars. After the Tang Dynasty's Kaiyuan era, China's “tea ceremony” became widespread, and the custom of Drinking Tea permeated all levels of society. The Song Dynasty continued the tea-drinking customs of the Tang Dynasty, becoming even more prevalent. The tea sage Lu Yu wrote a book called “The Classic of Tea.”

The discovery and utilization of Chinese Tea have a history of over 4,700 years. China's tea-growing areas are vast, and based on their geographical location, we can divide the major Pu'er tea-producing regions into three well-known areas: the Pu'er City area, the Lincang area, and the Xishuangbanna area.

The Lincang Area

Lincang was formerly known as “Myan Ning,” but it later took its current name due to its proximity to the Lancang River. This region is the cradle of Wa culture, and it has a multitude of tea tree varieties, earning it the title of “gene bank for tea trees.” Additionally, it is also famous worldwide as the birthplace of “Dian Hong” tea.

Mentioning Pu'er tea from Lincang, Bingdao (Ice Island) and Xigui are probably the first that come to mind. The memorable sweetness of Bingdao tea is especially fitting for its name, while the rich aroma of Xigui tea is also highly captivating.

The Pu'er Area

During the Qing Dynasty's Yongzheng period, Simao (now Pu'er City) was one of the largest distribution centers for Pu'er tea. At that time, the central government established “Pu'er Prefecture” here to facilitate governance.

When talking about the Simao producing area, the famous Jingmai tea mountain cannot be overlooked. According to historical records, this place has a tea-growing history of over 1,300 years. The Jingmai tea mountain boasts the largest, best-preserved ancient tea forest found in the world, which is known as a “natural museum for tea trees.”

The Xishuangbanna Area

Xishuangbanna is renowned as the birthplace of Pu'er tea and the origin of the “Tea Horse Ancient Road.” Compared to other producing areas, Xishuangbanna possesses an even richer collection of tea mountains. In Xishuangbanna, you can see familiar names of famous mountains and villages, making it a veritable treasure trove of Pu'er tea!

The famous six ancient Pu'er tea mountains (Yiwu, Yibang, Manzhuang, Mangzhi, Gedu, Youle) are all located within Xishuangbanna. On Bada tea mountain in Menghai, there is a wild ancient tea tree with a recorded age of over 1,700 years, which serves as proof to the world that the origin of tea trees is China.

Having introduced several Pu'er tea producing regions, what are the differences in taste between the various mountains?

Bingdao Characteristics

The bitterness and astringency at the initial taste are extremely low, almost imperceptible, with a gradual coolness emerging in the throat, gradually transforming into a sweet aftertaste in the middle and back of the tongue. When first entering the mouth, there is hardly any sense of tea flavor, which gradually extends from the throat to the entire mouth.

The saliva generation effect is noticeable and long-lasting, mainly concentrated in the cheeks. The tea soup has a sugary fragrance, and the concentration (fullness) is very high. The lid and bottom of the cup have a high fragrance, and after the cup cools, there is a hint of rock Sugar fragrance.

Yiwu Characteristics

The aroma is high and the water soft, with low stimulation. The soup color is light yellow and bright, with a thick, sweet, and full-bodied taste, low bitterness, and astringency. The aftertaste and saliva generation are long-lasting. The leaves are fresh, uniform, and well-ordered, with excellent quality and great durability when brewed.

Nannuo Characteristics

The leaves are longer and more tightly rolled; the soup color is golden yellow and bright; the soup is relatively full-bodied; the bitterness is weak, and the return to sweetness is rapid. The astringency lingers longer than the bitterness, and there is a sensation of saliva generation. The aroma is not prominent, but the mountain wilderness character is good.

Lao Man'e Characteristics

The leaves are dark and glossy, slightly coarse and long, with plump buds. The tea has a strong flavor, with pronounced bitterness and astringency, but good quality and full-bodied soup. The mountain wilderness character is strong, and there is a smooth sensation in the mouth, with strong and lasting return to sweetness.

Brown Characteristics

The aroma is relatively abundant, the soup is smooth, and the color is bright, but the bitterness is heavy, and some takes longer to dissipate, leaving a slight astringency. However, these characteristics can be controlled through brewing techniques such as the amount of tea used, the choice of teaware, and the brewing time.

Yibang Characteristics

The buds are small, and the leaves are dark and glossy, short and thin. The soup color is yellow-green, and the leaves are yellow-green. The bitterness is mild, with a hint of sweetness in the bitterness. The astringency is more pronounced than the bitterness, and the soup is full-bodied. The return to sweetness is rapid and lasts a long time. The aroma is noticeable, and due to growing in the mountains, the mountain wilderness character is good, with a lingering aroma in the cup.

Mengku Characteristics

The leaves are thick, wide, and the aroma is unique and potent. Unlike the six major tea areas, the soup is not as smooth and soft. The sweetness on the tongue and the aroma in the middle and back of the upper palate are full-bodied, and the taste stimulation is slightly higher.

Mengsong Characteristics

The leaves are tightly rolled and darkly glossy, with a golden-yellow and bright soup color. The leaves are yellow-green and evenly colored. The mountain wilderness character is strong, and the lingering aroma in the cup is good. The bitterness and astringency are pronounced, with the bitterness being more prominent. There is sweetness in the soup, and the return to sweetness is rapid and good. The soup is full-bodied, and the tea aroma is pure and distinct.

Wuliang Mountain Characteristics

The leaves are slightly longer, and the soup color is yellow-green and bright. The bitterness is noticeable, while the astringency is weaker, but lingers longer. The return to sweetness is good and generates saliva. The soup is moderately full-bodied, and the leaves are yellow-green and evenly colored. It has the character of the mountain wilderness.

Jingmai Mountain Characteristics

The aroma is prominent, and the mountain wilderness character is strong. Due to growing among forests, it has a strong mountain wilderness character, one of the most pronounced among ancient tea trees. It also has a special, rich, and enduring floral fragrance. The Orchid fragrance is unique to Jingmai and has a clear and lasting sweetness.

The sweetness of Jingmai comes directly and quickly and is also lasting. The bitterness is mild, and the astringency is noticeable. Jingmai tea belongs to the astringent type, where the bitterness is present but not strong, and the astringency is more noticeable. The leaves are tightly rolled, finer, and darker.

Youle Mountain Characteristics

The leaves are dark and glossy, tighter than those from Yiwu. The bitterness and astringency are stronger than those from Yiwu, but the return to sweetness is better.