What is good Hubei tea?
A seemingly simple question, but it's hard to sum up in a single phrase.
Is expensive tea necessarily good tea?
Is scarce tea necessarily good tea?
Is tea that boasts ancient trees or master craftsmanship necessarily good tea?
The answer to all these is “not necessarily.”
Image | Hubei tea mountains shrouded in mist and clouds
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Hubei's Good Tea: The Three Essential Elements at the Source Must Not Be Missing
For truly good tea, the three essential elements at the source must be right. What are the three essential elements at the source of tea? They are: region, variety, and processing method.
Region
More than a thousand years ago, Lu Yu, the Sage of Tea, wrote in Chapter One of “The Classic of Tea,” about “the origin of tea”; then, in another chapter titled “where tea comes from,” he detailed the various sources of tea production in the Tang Empire that he had researched and that were recorded in historical documents. This shows the importance of the origin of tea, that is, “region.”
Image | “The Classic of Tea” by Lu Yu
Currently, 21 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in our country produce tea, with over a thousand subcategories of the six major types of tea produced across these regions. As a traditional major tea-producing province, the Hubei tea region is located in the 30th parallel north, the golden zone for tea cultivation, which is highly suitable for tea plant growth. In total, 72 counties and districts, more than 300 towns, and villages produce tea, covering a tea garden area of 5.74 million mu, forming five major advantageous production areas: Dabie Mountain in northeastern Hubei, Wuling Mountain in southwestern Hubei, Qinba Mountain in northwestern Hubei, Mubu Mountain in southern Hubei, and Dahong Mountain in central Hubei. The province consistently ranks among the top in the nation in terms of area, output, and agricultural value indicators.
Image | Ecological tea garden base in Wujiatai, Wanan Township, Xuan'en County
From the perspective of tea categories, Hubei has a full range of “green, black, white, yellow, oolong, and dark” teas, including many well-renowned and high-quality teas nationwide. Among green teas, there is “Enshi Yulu,” the only historically named tea processed by steaming, “Wudang Mountain Tea,” the first cultural named tea in Hubei, and “Wujiatai Tribute Tea,” which was inscribed by Emperor Qianlong as “Imperial Grace Bestowed.” Among black teas, there is “Yihong Gongfu tea,” one of China's three major Gongfu black teas with a 200-year tradition, and “Lichuan Red,” the first to win the “China Tea Cup” (black tea category) for Tea King. Among dark teas, there is “Chibi Qingzhuan Tea,” the progenitor of modern brick tea…
Image | Hubei is home to many nationally renowned high-quality teas
In addition, when looking at specific tea gardens, whether the tea is good also depends on the natural ecology of the tea garden, planting management, use of fertilizers and pesticides, and compliance with national standards, etc. Currently, Hubei has 1.8 million mu of ecological tea gardens, four products certified as the country's first eco-low-carbon teas, and 205 mu of certified bases. Twenty-five counties and 210 companies have received organic tea certification both domestically and internationally, ranking second in the number of certified companies nationwide. Shiyan City and Wufeng County in Yichang City have become the country's first eco-low-carbon tea counties (districts) to implement comprehensive measures, and 1.4 million mu of tea gardens have been certified as green food products.
Image | “Shenggeng Ganlu” in Hubei, the first organic tea garden in China to receive Demeter certification
Variety
Many of the unforgettable aromas and flavors of tea are related to unique varietal characteristics. Taking Tieguanyin, which was hailed as “Tea King” in the 1990s, as an example, many people may have discovered through Tieguanyin that the saying “if it's not bitter and astringent, it's not tea” is not entirely accurate. It turns out that tea can provide a pleasant experience at different levels, such as aroma, taste, aftertaste, and mouthfeel. Behind the requirements for varieties lies the aroma and flavor that tea enthusiasts prefer. For example, Yichang Maojian, which fills the palate with chestnut aroma; Yingshan Yunwu Tea, which has a fresh, rich, and refreshing taste; Xiangyang High-Aroma Tea, which has a strong chestnut aroma and is suitable for multiple infusions; Yihong Gongfu Tea, which has orchid fragrance; Lichuan Red, which has sweet potato aroma; Badong Red, which has floral fragrance, and so on, satisfying the discerning palates of connoisseurs.
Image | Yingshan Yunwu Tea
Currently, four varieties of Hubei tea have passed national variety approval, with “Hetea No.1” becoming the leading variety in the province. Twelve varieties have passed national variety registration, with “Hetea 201” being the first new variety suitable for mechanical harvesting and Enshi Yulu-specific use approved for national tea tree variety registration. “Enshi Yulu No.1” and “Lichuan Red No.1” have been filed with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. The independently bred “Daocha No.1” in Shiyan City is undergoing DUS testing for new variety protection by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. A local variety, “Silian Tea No.1,” has been selected in Zigui County, and the construction of the “Zigui Silian Tea Breeding Center” is being promoted. The Xiongan District of Xiaogan, Badong County of Enshi, and Yiling District of Yichang have been recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs as national regional tea tree breeding bases.
Image | Zigui Silian Tea
Processing Method
With the natural gifts of good mountains, good water, and good land nurturing different varieties of tea plants, it takes the right person using the appropriate processing methods to transform the natural tea leaves into tea fit for drinking. Truly good tea requires the perfect combination of “heaven, earth, and human.”
The importance of processing methods is emphasized by Lu Yu in the first chapter of “The Classic of Tea.” He said, “If tea is not picked at the right time, not made skillfully, mixed with weeds, and drinking it causes illness, it is a burden to tea…” That is, the processing includes the timing of picking, the procedures and details of making tea, and not adulterating or adding unhealthy substances (mixed with weeds), and so on. Otherwise, it could lead to illness caused by tea