Mengding Ganlu is one of the oldest renowned teas in China, classified as a curly-shaped pan-fired green Tea. It is revered as a time-honored tea and a pioneer among famous teas. Produced in MOUNTAIN Meng, Ya'an City, Sichuan Province, it is counted among the top ten Chinese teas and enjoys the reputation of being “the nectar of the human world.” Mengding Ganlu boasts a fresh and fragrant aroma, a sweet and refreshing Taste, a bright green lustrous color, a tightly curled shape with many fine hairs, and elegant, vibrant leaves at the bottom of the cup, making it a standout among green teas.
The production process of Mengding Ganlu is meticulous and involves three stages of pan-firing, three rounds of rolling, and shaping and highlighting the downy tips.
Step One: Pan-firing, where freshly picked leaves are stir-fried in an iron wok at temperatures between 140°C to 160°C to remove moisture and grassy odors.
Step Two: Rolling, where the pan-fired leaves are rolled to break the leaf cells, allowing their contents to seep out and form a curly shape.
Step Three: Shaping and highlighting the downy tips, where the rolled leaves are pan-fired again at higher temperatures to dry them while also bringing out the white down on the surface, enhancing the tea's aesthetic appeal.
After these three rounds of pan-firing and rolling, Mengding Ganlu is ready.
From the above introduction, it is clear that Mengding Ganlu is a pan-fired Green Tea, not an oven-dried one. Pan-firing and oven-drying are two different methods used in the initial processing of green tea, with pan-firing involving stir-frying in an iron wok or machine, and oven-drying using an oven or basket dryer.
The main difference between pan-firing and oven-drying lies in the control of temperature and time. Pan-firing involves higher temperatures for shorter durations, while oven-drying uses lower temperatures for longer periods. These differences impact the quality of the tea, with pan-fired teas generally having a stronger aroma, fresher taste, greener color, and tighter shape, while oven-dried teas have a lighter aroma, milder taste, more yellowish color, and looser shape.
The reason Mengding Ganlu employs the pan-firing method is that it better preserves the tea's fresh, sweet, and refreshing characteristics and highlights its curly shape and the beauty of the white down. This pan-firing technique has been passed down and refined over thousands of years by the tea masters of Mengding Ganlu, contributing to its unique charm.