Our country is characterized by its vast production of tea. Based on different manufacturing processes and degrees of fermentation, tea can be categorized into Green Tea, black tea, yellow tea, etc. Green tea has the most abundant production among all teas in our country. Mengding tea is a name often heard in the tea world, but does Mengding Ganlu tea belong to the category of green tea?
Traditional Green Tea – Mengding Tea
Mengding tea is a traditional green tea produced in the Mengding Mountain area of Mingshan District, Ya'an City, Sichuan Province. The region has an annual average temperature of 14.5°C, with annual rainfall ranging from 2000 to 2200 mm, and it is often shrouded in fine rain and mist. This ecological environment mitigates direct sunlight and increases diffused light, which is conducive to the formation of nitrogenous compounds in the tea leaves.
According to ancient texts, ancient inscriptions, and the Qing Dynasty's “Sichuan Gazetteer,” since the Western Han period, a tea farmer named Wu Lizhen planted seven tea trees at the peak of Mount Meng, which have a history of over two thousand years. These tea trees are “less than a foot tall, neither growing nor diminishing, distinctly different from ordinary ones.” Drinking this tea regularly benefits the spleen and stomach and can prolong life, thus earning it the reputation as “immortal tea.”
The quality characteristics of Mengding tea include: a curled and compact shape with a rich verdant hue; a fragrant aroma that is fresh and delicate; a bright greenish-yellow Infusion color that is clear and bright, with a fresh and refreshing taste, a strong aftertaste, and delicate and uniform leaves at the bottom of the cup.
How to Brew Mengding Tea?
Mengding tea belongs to the category of green tea, so when brewing, the tea-to-water ratio should be 1:50, and the water temperature should be controlled around 80°C. Of course, adjustments can be made according to personal taste preferences.
When brewing Mengding tea in a single cup, it generally takes about one minute for the tea leaves to fully unfurl, and at this point, I believe it is already suitable for drinking.
For Gongfu tea brewing, for unfamiliar teas, the first steeping time can generally be controlled between 15 to 35 seconds, while for individual servings, even shorter times may be needed.
After finishing the first cup, one can preliminarily determine the steeping time for the next brew. Experienced tea connoisseurs can also determine the steeping time through smelling the lid fragrance and observing the infusion color. Typically, as the number of infusions increases, the steeping time gradually extends as well.
In addition to being famous for producing Mengding tea, Mount Mengding is also renowned for its supreme status in the world of Tea culture. This is mainly due to the “Chan tea” eighteen tea offering techniques created on Mount Mengding, known as the “Dragon's Eighteen Movements,” which integrate tea ceremony, martial arts, dance, Chan (Zen) philosophy, and principles of Yi Jing (Book of Changes).