The people of Shennongjia have had a tradition of Drinking Tea since ancient times, with Green Tea being a household staple. Shennong's Classic of Materia Medica records: “Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs and encountered seventy-two poisons in a single day, only to be saved by tea.” The Chinese Tea sage, Lu Yu, also stated: “Tea as a beverage originated with Shennong.”
The discovery of tea by Shennong is recounted in multiple versions, with the most widely spread ones including: Shennong was poisoned and collapsed under a tea tree, whereupon water dripped from the leaves above into his mouth, reviving him. Another account says that while boiling water, leaves from a tea tree fell into Shennong's pot; after drinking this concoction, he found that these bitter yet sweet leaves could invigorate one's spirit, thus uncovering the medicinal properties of tea.
Cloudy Mist tea plantation at Qingtianpao with chrysanthemums
Cloudy Mist tea belongs to the category of famous green teas. Cloudy Mist Chrysanthemum tea is a type of tea made using Cloudy Mist tea. Its shape resembles a chrysanthemum flower, hence its name. It primarily grows in an area of Qingtianpao between 1,300 and 1,700 meters above sea level. Qingtianpao is located between Mudiping (at 1,200 meters elevation) and Jiuhuping Pass (at 1,800 meters elevation), with its lower boundary near 1,400 meters and highest point at 1,700 meters. Shennongjia's Cloudy Mist tea is named for its origin in the high mountains and misty clouds of Qingtianpao Village in Mudiyu Town.
Cloudy Mist tea is characterized by its tightly rolled, elegantly curled leaves. When brewed with hot water, it is known for its vibrant green color, rich aroma, mellow taste, and graceful appearance. There are three types of tea produced: spring tea, summer tea, and autumn tea. Due to the unique altitude and climate conditions of Qingtianpao, the harvesting times for these teas differ from those elsewhere. Spring tea is picked from Grain Rain to Early Summer, summer tea after Grain Full, and autumn tea after Beginning of Autumn. Spring tea is considered the most important, followed by summer tea. Autumn tea, which grows after pruning, is seen as utilizing waste materials and is produced in very small quantities.
Women picking tea in the plantation
Tea picking adheres to the standards of picking “small” and “young” shoots, about 3 centimeters in length. The finished tea has a full, elegant appearance, a verdant hue, and tender, smooth leaves with hidden buds.
Cloudy Mist tea is categorized into three types: bud tea, stir-fried green tea, and regular green tea.
Bud tea is made from the first picking of the tenderest tips, stir-fried green tea from the second picking consisting of two young leaves and a bud, and regular green tea from the coarser leaves remaining after the first two pickings. The differences in raw materials result in varying quality and prices.
Cloudy Mist Chrysanthemum Tea is handcrafted by rolling green tea into a rope-like strand and then tying it into the shape of a “flower,” resembling a chrysanthemum, hence its name.
Currently, most commercially available teas are machine-processed, but some at Qingtianpao still maintain the tradition of hand-processing. Although the technique is not overly complex, hand-processed teas possess a unique flavor profile.
The traditional method of processing Cloudy Mist tea involves entirely manual operations in an iron wok, comprising three main steps: “killing the green,” “tightening the strands,” and “drying.”
Stir-frying the tea
“Killing the green” involves removing moisture by slowly kneading the freshly picked tea leaves in an iron wok. The temperature must neither be too high nor too low, ideally around 70 degrees Celsius. The leaves are repeatedly turned until all their moisture has evaporated.
“Tightening the strands” involves shaping the tea leaves by continuously kneading and rolling them in a tray until each leaf forms a slender strand.
“Drying” is the final step, where the shaped tea leaves are returned to the wok over a low flame and continually turned to expel any remaining moisture. Once completed, they can be packaged.
Old-style tea kneading machine
What makes hand-processing more laborious than machine-processing is the critical control of heat during the process. This requires “high-temperature killing of the green, low-temperature long stir-frying; old leaves killed young, young leaves killed old.” Hand-processed tea results in plump, tender buds covered in fine down, a clear and bright Infusion, a rich and sweet taste, and a lasting fragrance.