Mengding Mountain Tea: A Time-Honored Tradition with Enduring Charm

Mengding Mountain tea, with a long history of artificial cultivation and over a thousand years of tribute tea tradition, is a treasure among Chinese teas. There are many varieties of Mengding Mountain tea, among which the five traditional historical teas represented by Mengding Ganlu, Mengding Huangya, Mengding Shihua, Yuye Changchun, and Wanchun Yinye are particularly famous. Although both Mengding Ganlu and Mengding Huangya come from the Mengding Mountain tea region in Ya'an and are geographically close, their unique production techniques and differences in appearance, aroma, flavor, and shape make each one a favorite among consumers.

I. Differences in Tea Category

Mengding Ganlu is a Green Tea, one of the earliest high-quality curly-shaped green teas in China, and it can be considered the pinnacle of Chinese green teas. In contrast, Mengding Huangya belongs to the category of yellow teas and is one of the earliest yellow teas in China, renowned as an exceptional Yellow Tea.

II. Differences in History of Creation

The name “Ganlu” as a tea dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty, specifically to the third year of Emperor Lizong's reign (1227 AD). Wang Xiangzhi recorded in his work Geographical Records of Victory: “There is a tea called Ganlu on Shangqing Peak, and auspicious images often appear on the mountain.” This is the earliest known record about Ganlu tea, dating back nearly 900 years.

In comparison, the history of Mengding Huangya can be traced back to the Tang and Song dynasties, first appearing in Tea Spectrum by Mao Wenxi of the Former Shu during the Five Dynasties period. While the exact creation date of Huangya is unknown, its picking and production process share similarities with Mengding Shihua.

III. Differences in Quality Characteristics

Mengding Ganlu: “Green Leaves and Green Liquor”

1. Color: Fresh green and lustrous;
2. Aroma: Fresh and fragrant;
3. Taste: Sweet, fresh, mellow, and refreshing;
4. Shape: Tightly curled with many downy hairs;
5. Leaf bottom: Elegant and lively.

Mengding Huangya: “Yellow Leaves and Yellow Liquor”

1. Color: Grain-yellow and lustrous;
2. Aroma: Sweet and fragrant;
3. Taste: Sweet, mellow, and refreshing;
4. Shape: Plump and flat;
5. Leaf bottom: Plump and pale yellow.

IV. Differences in Fresh Leaf Standards

Mengding Ganlu primarily uses tender buds, picked around the Spring Equinox, requiring either single buds or the initial unfolding of one bud and one leaf. For the highest grade of Mengding Ganlu, the buds must be plump and solid.

The standards for fresh leaves of Mengding Huangya are even stricter, also picked around the Spring Equinox, choosing only solid and plump buds that are uniformly sized, making the raw material even more precious.

V. Differences in Production Techniques

Mengding Ganlu uses green tea production techniques, including three rounds of stir-frying, three rounds of rolling, and shaping with the addition of downy hairs. Compared to ordinary green teas, Mengding Ganlu is fresher and sweeter.

Mengding Huangya uses yellow tea production techniques, including fixing, yellowing, and baking. Among these steps, yellowing is key to forming the distinctive qualities of Mengding Huangya.

Whether you prefer green tea or yellow tea, Mengding Ganlu and Mengding Huangya are both excellent choices not to be missed. Mengding Huangya, due to its yellowing process, has less stimulating effects on the stomach and is suitable for those who may not tolerate green tea well.