Basic Introduction to Nanshan White Hair Tea
Nanshan White Hair Tea, named for the dense white down on the back of its leaves, is produced in Nanshan, Heng County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and belongs to the category of famous green teas. The tea has tightly twisted, slender shoots covered with fine hairs, a Silver-white and green color, a fresh fragrance reminiscent of lotus flowers, a bright green infusion, a rich and sweet taste, and bright, even, tender leaves at the bottom of the cup.
Nutritional Value
Researchers studying Nanshan White Hair Tea have pointed out that after people consume high-fat diets, their blood vessels can become hardened. However, if they Drink green tea simultaneously or after eating, it can soften the blood vessels and improve blood flow. The theanine and catechins in green tea can help improve blood circulation and are effective in preventing obesity, strokes, and heart disease.
Product Characteristics
The method of making White Hair Tea is meticulous. For the highest quality tea, only the tips of newly unfurled leaves are picked; for others, only one leaf and one bud are collected. Larger leaves need to be torn into 2-3 pieces. The processing involves pan-firing to fix the green, airing by fanning, light hand rolling, and combining frying and rolling, repeated three times. Finally, the tea is dried over low heat on a charcoal-heated tray. The finished product has a vibrant green color, tightly bound and curled shoots; a pure, lasting aroma with notes of lotus and egg custard; a clear, green, and bright infusion; a rich taste; a smooth, sweet aftertaste; and tender, green leaves at the bottom of the cup.
History and Folklore
Heng County has a long history of tea cultivation, with Nanshan White Hair Tea being the most renowned. It is said that during the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Jianwen, while seeking refuge at Yingtian Temple on Nanshan Mountain, brought seven tea plants with him, which he planted there, hence the name “Holy Variety.” Nanshan White Hair Tea is produced in Nanshan, Heng County, where the main peak reaches about 564 meters in altitude, with ample rainfall, a mild climate, and abundant mist, all ideal conditions for growing tea. The tea plant is a medium-leaf variety, with strong buds densely covered in fine hair, thin and tender leaves, and is an ideal raw material for processing White Hair Tea. Generally, picking occurs between the Spring Equinox and Qingming Festival, with the top grade tea consisting of one bud and one leaf, which undergo five steps: spreading, fixing, rolling, initial drying, and final drying. In addition to White Hair Tea, Xiayi Town's Liufeng Fine Tea is also well-known, as the local saying goes, “Good fine tea grows in Liufeng, Boji.” There are also Liantang's “Holy Mountain Tea,” Taowu's “Jianggu Tea,” and Mashan's “Zhuangling Tea.” In recent years, new varieties such as “Fuyun No. 6,” “Shuilin No. 1,” “Nanshan White Tip,” and “Fuding Dahao” have been introduced to Heng County. Tea fields like the Hegui Tea Field, Xiayi Flower Tea Factory, Holy Mountain Tea Field, Luafeng Tea Field in Nanyang, and Nanshan Tea Field have gradually grown in scale. Among these, the Xiayi Flower Tea Factory covers 1000 mu and produces organic tea that is pure and natural, free from chemical contamination. In 2004, Heng County had a total of 1,634 hectares of tea gardens, producing 533 tons of tea annually.
Manufacturing Method of Nanshan White Hair Tea
The manufacturing process of Nanshan White Hair Tea is characterized by meticulous techniques. For the highest quality tea, only the tips of newly unfurled leaves are collected; for others, only one leaf and one bud are gathered. Larger leaves must be torn into 2-3 pieces. Processing involves pan-firing to fix the green, airing by fanning, light hand rolling, and combining frying and rolling, repeated three times. Finally, the tea is dried over low heat on a charcoal-heated tray.
White Hair Tea is harvested between the Spring Equinox and Qingming Festival. The picking standards are as follows: for top-grade tea, the fresh leaf standard is one bud and one leaf; for grades 1-2, the standard is one bud and two leaves. Typically, around 45,000 buds and leaves are needed to produce 500 grams of top-grade White Hair Tea. Fresh leaves are promptly sorted to remove purple leaves, diseased leaves, and other impurities, ensuring uniformity in size and color. The main processes include spreading, fixing, rolling, initial drying, and final drying.
Fixing and Rolling: Fixing takes place in a slanted pan, with the temperature reaching around 180°C. About 500-800 grams of spread leaves are added, with shaking as the primary technique, combined with occasional covering. Later, the temperature is lowered, and continuous shaking continues until the leaves are evenly fixed. When the leaves become soft and can be bent without breaking, they are removed from the pan to cool and then rolled into strands.
Initial Drying and Final Drying: Initial drying is a crucial step for shaping the tight strands and revealing the downy hairs. Initially, the pan temperature is around 120°C. When the tea is about 50-60% dry, the temperature is reduced to 70-80°C, and shaping begins. First, the tea is straightened into strands, then placed in the palms of both hands and kneaded with force before being scattered. This process is repeated several times. When the strands become tightly bound and have a prickly feel, and are approximately 70% dry, the temperature is further reduced to around 60°C, and the strands are gently kneaded, allowing the strands to rub against each other and the surface of the pan, promoting the appearance of downy hairs and giving the tea a silver-white color. When the tea is 80-90% dry, it is removed from the pan to cool, and then final drying is performed.
Distinguishing Authentic from Fake
Spring, Summer, and Autumn Teas of Nanshan White Hair Tea: Spring tea has a robust, full shape, dark green color, luster, tightly twisted, heavy shoots; the brewed tea has a rich, sweet taste, a strong fragrance, and bright, soft leaves at the bottom. Summer tea has coarser, looser shoots, mixed colors, and distinct woody buds; the brewed tea tastes Astringent, with hard leaves at the bottom, exposed veins, and intermixed copper-green leaves. Autumn tea has tightly twisted, slender shoots, many silk-like fibers, a light body, and a green color; the brewed tea is pale in color, with a mild, sweet taste, a light fragrance, and soft leaves at the bottom, often single pieces with a copper color.
Highland Tea vs. Lowland Tea: Highland green tea has heavy, tightly twisted shoots, a green color, and a lustrous appearance; the brewed tea has a bright green color, a lasting fragrance, a rich taste, bright leaves at the bottom, and soft texture. Lowland tea has slender, exposed-veined, light shoots, a yellow-green color; the brewed tea is light in color, has a light fragrance, a mild taste, harder leaves at the bottom, and exposed veins.