It's that time of the year again when spring warms the earth and flowers bloom. Below are some basics about growing and processing Anxi Tieguanyin, which I've compiled to share with everyone…
What are the main factors contributing to the superior quality of Anxi Tieguanyin?
The main factors are the integrated “Heaven, Earth, People, and Variety.”
“Heaven” refers to the unique natural climate conditions in Anxi that are ideal for the growth and initial processing of Tieguanyin, including temperature, sunlight, precipitation, and relative humidity. “Earth” refers to the unique geographical conditions in Anxi, such as its latitude and longitude, Soil conditions, and vegetation. “People” refers to the exquisite and unique traditional tea-making skills of Anxi tea farmers. “Variety” refers to the pure Tieguanyin tea variety propagated through cuttings.
What altitude is most suitable for growing Tieguanyin in Anxi?
An altitude of 300-1000 meters is most suitable for growing Tieguanyin in Anxi.
What type of soil is suitable for the growth of Tieguanyin tea plants?
Soils with a pH value between 4.5-6.0, such as red soil, brick-red soil, yellow-red soil, and sandy loam.
What is the appropriate row and plant spacing for planting Tieguanyin tea plants?
1. Single-row double-plant: The general planting specifications have a row spacing of 1.4-1.5 meters and a plant spacing of 30-35 centimeters. When planting, do not plant the two plants too closely together to avoid their main branches touching each other in the future, which can affect growth.
2. Double-row single-plant: The general planting specifications have a row spacing of 1.3-1.4 meters and a plant spacing of 20-30 centimeters. When planting, stagger the position of the plants to allow for root expansion.
At what height should Tieguanyin tea plants be pruned?
A height of 60-80 centimeters above ground level is suitable. This can be adjusted based on the altitude, terrain, and topography of the tea garden.
What are the primary measures for retaining grass on the terraced walls of Tieguanyin tea gardens?
Implementing pruning instead of weeding to maintain green grass coverage on the terraced walls throughout the year. Additionally, some strong, soil-conserving grass species can be planted, such as creeping lilyturf, lemongrass, and centipede grass.
Why is soil cultivation necessary in tea gardens?
Soil cultivation maintains a good nutrient supply state in tea gardens. Its functions include:
1. Loosening the soil and breaking up compacted layers.
2. Improving soil aeration and permeability, promoting microbial activity in the soil, and enhancing the soil's ability to absorb nutrients and Water.
3. Promoting the renewal and growth of the tea plant's root system.
4. Pest control, pathogen elimination, and weed removal.
What are the core elements of traceability for tea quality in Anxi County?
1. Production records.
2. Trackable flow.
3. Queryable information.
4. Accountability.
5. Product recall capability.
What is an ecological tea garden?
An ecological tea garden is one where tea plants are the dominant species and are cultivated using a three-dimensional composite method, allowing multiple species to coexist harmoniously, so that the growth of tea plants aligns with the ecosystem of the tea garden.
What technical measures does Anxi County implement for building ecological tea gardens?
1. Reasonable tree planting.
2. Retaining or planting grass on terraced walls.
3. Intercropping with green manure.
4. Constructing a water management system.
5. Improving road facilities.
What defines a high-standard, high-quality tea garden?
1. Concentrated tea gardens with regionalized production.
2. Standardized construction of sloping and mountainous tea gardens.
3. Deep plowing and basic fertilization of soil.
4. Standardized planting.
5. Greening of the environment, tea gardens, and green manure.
What is a tea estate?
A tea estate is a tea garden that integrates tea plantation, production and processing, cultural dissemination, scientific research and innovation, Tourism, leisure experiences, and brand marketing.
How is the timing of picking Anxi Tieguanyin distinguished?
What considerations are there for picking fresh leaves of Anxi Tieguanyin?
1. Weather: Choose sunny days.
2. Time: From 9 am to 4 pm.
3. Maturity: Small or medium open-faced buds with three leaves, advocating slightly tender picking.
What are the main processes involved in the exquisite initial processing of Anxi Tieguanyin?
The processing technique of Anxi Tieguanyin is complex and mainly involves ten steps: Harvesting → Sun-Drying → Withering (Shaking, Spreading) → Fixation → Rolling → Initial drying → Initial ball rolling → Second drying → Second ball rolling → Final drying.
What are the main aroma components of Anxi Tieguanyin?
Anxi Tieguanyin contains over a hundred aroma components, the main ones being Nerolidol, Indole, Ionone, α-Terpineol, 2-Phenylethanol, Jasmonate, and Methyl jasmonate.
How is the aroma of Anxi Tieguanyin formed?
The aroma components of Anxi Tieguanyin come from the fresh leaves. The formation of the aroma is primarily due to enzymatic reactions during the withering process, and partly due to physicochemical reactions caused by heat effects in baking and roasting processes.
What are the main components affecting the color and taste of Anxi Tieguanyin tea infusion?
The main components affecting the color of the tea infusion are theaflavins, thearubigins, and theabrownins. The main components affecting the taste are polyphenols, amino acids, and purine alkaloids.
What kind of weather is conducive to producing high-quality Tieguanyin?
Sunny and dry weather with large day-night temperature differences is the best climate for producing high-aromatic, high-quality Tieguanyin, commonly known as “northerly weather.”
What are the processes involved in the refinement of Anxi Tieguanyin?
The process from fresh leaves to rough tea is called “initial processing,” and the process from rough tea to finished tea is called “refinement.” The main process includes: Rough tea → Inspection → Sorting → Sieving → Wind selection → Picking → Blending → Baking → Cooling → Uniform piling → Picking impurities → Packaging → Finished tea.
What are the main functions of the baking process for fragrant Anxi Tieguanyin?
1. Enhancing the aroma, making it purer.
2. Reducing bitterness and astringency, making the taste more mellow.
3. Changing the leaf color to yellowish-green, giving the tea a caramel aroma and sweetness.
4. Reducing moisture content, preserving quality, and facilitating storage.