Sweet tea

There is a saying in the Pu'er tea world: “If you don’t understand Bulang Mountain, you don’t understand Pu'er tea.” Many newcomers to the world of tea may wonder: Why does one need to understand Bulang Mountain to truly understand Pu'er tea? Bulang Mountain has become renowned worldwide for its tea. This ancient tea mountain, located within Menghai County, Xishuangbanna, is situated in the southwestern border region of China, closer to the Myanmar border than other famous mountains. It is a well-known Pu'er tea production area and one of the regions with the most preserved ancient tea gardens. The existence of Bulang Mountain and the age-old tea trees upon it are shrouded in mystery. Whether the mountain predates the ancient tea trees or vice versa remains unknown; however, the teas from Bulang Mountain have certainly gained global recognition. Bulang Mountain is named after the ethnic minority that resides there. The Bulang people have lived in the mountain and cultivated tea for over a thousand years. They are among the earliest known cultivators, processors, and consumers of tea in the world. The absolute elevation of Bulang Mountain ranges from 1,000 to 2,200 meters, with relative height differences of 500 to 1,000…

Many people have eaten raspberries, the red berries that are sweet and delicious, also known as brambles. In Guangxi, the local people process the leaves of this plant to be consumed as tea. Because it tastes sweet, it is named “Sweet Tea.” Sweet tea, along with monk fruit, Hepu pearls, and Guangxi spices, are collectively known as the four famous products of Guangxi. Guangxi Sweet Tea is not a traditional tea; its plant belongs to the Rosaceae family, Rubus genus, and is a perennial shrub with thorns that sheds its leaves in autumn. Its leaves resemble those of maple trees. Sweet tea primarily grows in the Jinxiu Dayaoshan area of Guangxi at elevations between 800 and 1000 meters. This region is the second-largest kingdom of medicinal plants and animals in China and is a national nature reserve, with soil rich in selenium. Unlike other common Rubus plants, its leaves have a sweet taste, and every part of the plant is valuable—roots, stems, leaves, and fruits can all be used for tea or medicine. The sweetest time for the tea is during July and August each year. Nowadays, sweet tea is processed using the techniques for green tea, involving steps such…