Basic Introduction to Jiaonan Green Tea
Jiaonan Green Tea has successfully registered a national geographical indication trademark, meaning that Jiaonan Green Tea now has its own identity and will expand its planting area. In the near future, more people will be able to enjoy the fragrance of Jiaonan Green Tea.
Nutritional Value
The main components of tea include tannic acid, Caffeine, protein, essential oil, enzymes, pectin, vitamins, carbohydrates, minerals, organic acids, etc. Fresh tea leaves contain 75-80% water and 20-25% dry matter. Modern scientific research has proven that there are around 500 different compounds in tea. Some of these compounds are essential nutrients for the human body, such as vitamins, proteins, amino acids, lipids, sugars, and mineral elements, which have high nutritional value for humans.
Product Characteristics
“The local saying goes: ‘The tea is like the land it grows on, and Jiaonan tea's characteristic is ‘fragrant like peas, broth like millet porridge.'” Zhang Xuzhou explains, “This saying comes from the fact that the color of Jiaonan tea is relatively deeper than southern teas, with a yellowish-green hue, and it has high nutritional content, hence it's likened to millet porridge.”
The origin of the pea fragrance is simple; when tasting Jiaonan green tea, one can detect a subtle pea-like aroma, and the aftertaste returns quickly.
History and Folklore
“Long ago, a local villager discovered a large rock in Dazhushan, approximately five to six meters long and three to four meters wide, with clear lines of text carved into it. Later, someone knowledgeable came and identified it as a poem about tea, which reads: ‘In the deep mountains shrouded in mist, someone dwells here. A cup and a pot, brewing tea by the stream.'” Secretary-General of the Jiaonan City Tea Association and Doctor of Tea Science, Zhang Xuzhou proudly recounts that Jiaonan Green Tea is an excellent representative of high-latitude green teas in China, with a long history of tea cultivation.
The origin of Jiaonan tea is closely tied to Su Shi. According to folklore, during the Northern Song Dynasty poet's tenure in Mizhou (present-day Zhucheng, Shandong, adjacent to Jiaonan), he introduced tea trees from Meizhou (today's Sichuan) to Mizhou, which later spread to Langya Commandery (the present-day Jiaonan region). During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, wild mountain tea trees were planted at the Shimen Temple on Dazhushan in Jiaonan. The monks made “Shimen Tea” from these tea leaves, which was noted for its elegant and fragrant taste, much loved by literati and scholars who would often gather beside the Shimen Gorge to drink tea and inscribed this beautiful poem by the Ming scholar Wang Wuji onto stone.
Tasting and Preparation Methods for Jiaonan Green Tea
1. When brewing green tea, control the water temperature between 80°C and 90°C. If brewing green tea powder, use lukewarm water between 40°C and 60°C. The ratio is 2 grams of tea powder to 450 ml of boiled water.
2. Do not Drink the first Infusion of tea. After pouring hot water over the tea, swirl it and then discard the liquid.
3. Drink brewed tea within 30 to 60 minutes, otherwise, the nutrients in the tea may become unstable.
4. Do not brew green tea powder too strong, as it may affect the secretion of gastric juices. It is best not to drink it on an empty stomach.