Ancient Tea trees in Yunnan mostly grow in mountainous areas, at higher elevations where the day and night temperature differences are significant, resulting in a longer growth cycle. Compared to teas from lower altitude basin areas, the tea trees in Lincang take longer to sprout and be harvested.
In the three major Pu'er tea production regions, Lincang has the highest elevation and the lowest temperatures, and its ancient tea trees sprout and are harvested the latest. Typically, ancient tree teas in this area are only picked during the spring and autumn seasons, with a precise grasp of the golden harvesting period, which is a crucial foundation for the quality of the tea.
Pu'er tea does not have the concept of Mingqian (pre-Qingming) tea. It emphasizes the taste of time and rich flavor, hence it is made using tea leaves that consist of one bud with two or three leaves, allowing the leaves ample time to grow and absorb more nutrients. The concentrated picking usually occurs after the Qingming Festival. Therefore, there is no such thing as pre-Qingming tea in the context of Pu'er ancient tree teas.
The production process of Pu'er sun-dried Green Tea includes plucking, spreading out, killing the green, rolling, and sun-drying.
When plucking, one should use finger strength to break the stem, avoiding the use of nails to directly cut them.
Spreading out, also known as spreading green, is the first step in the initial processing stage. After fresh leaves are picked, they need to be promptly taken indoors and spread out evenly to a certain thickness, allowing surface moisture to evaporate until the leaves become soft.
Killing the green involves stir-frying the spread-out tea leaves, requiring precise control over heat and time. A combination of shaking and covering is used to ensure uniform moisture loss, ensuring every leaf is processed thoroughly and evenly.
After killing the green, the tea leaves must cool down before rolling. The duration and force of rolling depend on the tenderness of the leaves and the quality of the killing the green process.
Rolling causes the leaves to curl into shape and breaks their cell walls, facilitating the release of tea juices.
Sun-drying involves spreading the rolled leaves evenly on a tray or bamboo mat and drying them under sunlight, reducing the water content in the tea leaves. When sun-drying, the layers should be thin rather than thick. Natural sunlight, with its lower temperature, can preserve the enzymatic activity and organic substances in the tea to the greatest extent possible, creating conditions for long-term storage and the improvement in flavor over time. If hot-air drying or stir-drying is used instead, the high temperatures would damage the enzymes and microorganisms in the tea, making it unsuitable for long-term storage and losing the potential for aging.
The raw materials for top-tier Pu'er tea are all from ancient tea trees for the following reasons:
The growth environment must be the most pristine, free from any pollution by water sources, pesticides, or fertilizers.
The soil in the growing area is fertile, and the ancient tea trees receive plenty of sunlight due to their dispersed growth pattern.
The trunks are large, and the root systems are deep, resulting in a long growth cycle. They absorb sufficient nutrients from the soil, producing thick and tender buds. Teas made from these materials through traditional processes result in a liquor that is highly sweet, low in bitterness and astringency, with a lustrous color, fragrant aroma, and a lasting aftertaste, being highly stable and resistant to brewing.
Due to differences in elevation and environment, teas from different mountains and villages exhibit distinct characteristics, including fragrance, throat resonance, soft sweetness, and qi sensations.