Yunnan
Yunnan is a province in southwest China, the birthplace of pu'er, home of Dian Hong black tea, and the center of large-leaf tea trees, some centuries old.
Definition
Yunnan (云南, Yúnnán) is the southwestern Chinese province bordering Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. It lies within the area where the tea plant is thought to have originated, and wild and cultivated tea trees of the large-leaf assamica variety grow across its mountains. Some cultivated trees are several hundred years old. Yunnan is the only legal origin of pu'er. The main growing areas are Xishuangbanna (including Menghai, Yiwu and Lao Banzhang), Pu'er prefecture (the city was renamed from Simao in 2007), and Lincang (including Bingdao and Mengku). Tea from these mountains traveled north and west on the Tea Horse Road (Chama Gudao) to Tibet, compressed into cakes and bricks. The province also makes Dian Hong (滇红), Yunnan black tea, first produced in Fengqing in 1939. Its large buds turn gold during oxidation and give a sweet, malty cup. Yunnan also produces green and white teas from large-leaf material, such as Yue Guang Bai (Moonlight White). Tea from old trees is called gushu (古树); tea from managed bushes is called taidi (台地).
In Depth
For sheng pu'er, use 6-8 g in a 100 ml gaiwan at 95-100°C (203-212°F) with infusions of 10-15 seconds. For Dian Hong, use 5 g in 100 ml at 90-95°C (194-203°F), starting at 15 seconds, or 3 g per 250 ml for 3 minutes in a Western pot.
Mountain names drive pu'er prices. Lao Banzhang is known for strong bitterness and fast huigan; Bingdao for sweetness; Yiwu for a softer, fragrant profile. These names are heavily counterfeited, so trust vendors who state village, harvest year and tree age openly.
Gushu claims deserve skepticism: the term has no legal threshold, and tree age is rarely verifiable. A plantation-grown taidi tea from a good area is often better value than an expensive "old tree" cake of uncertain origin.
See Also
- Pu'er Mountains
- Tea Horse Road
- Gushu (Old-Tree) Tea