Hunan Province is a major tea oil producer in China. In 2007, the province had 17.78 million mu of tea oil plantations, accounting for 39% of the national total. Among its 122 counties, 120 grow tea oil, with three counties designated as national model counties for tea oil industry development. The annual production of tea seed oil reached 100,000 tons, making up half of the country’s total output. Both the area under cultivation and the volume of production ranked first in the nation.
Bao Tian Tea is a specialty of Bao Tian Township, Huitong County, Huaihua City, Hunan Province. Known for its “rich aroma and sweet aftertaste,” Bao Tian Tea is highly favored by consumers. Its product “Huitong Chunhao” won a gold award at the provincial tea expo. Tea production is one of the key agricultural development projects supported in Huitong County, and the area now has organic tea...
Wanfeng Mist Tea is made from high-quality wild tea leaves sourced from the natural Cathaya argyrophylla forests in Jiefu Mountain of Wanfeng Forest Farm, refined using modern scientific methods. This tea is of exceptional quality, with a long-lasting aroma, emerald green color, fresh and mellow taste, and thirst-quenching, saliva-inducing properties — truly a fine delicacy among teas. …
Chengbu Cyclocarya paliurus Tea is a specialty of Chengbu, Shaoyang, Hunan. The main products derived from Cyclocarya paliurus include Cyclocarya tea (including strip tea and tea bags), formulated Cyclocarya tea, Cyclocarya tea beverages, and Cyclocarya lozenges, with the primary production area being Chengbu Miao Autonomous County. Located on the southwestern border of Hunan Province, Chengbu Miao Autonomous County is flanked by the treacherous Xuefeng Mountain Range to the east and west.
In Chengbu’s Chang’an Camp, there is a renowned product famous both domestically and abroad—insect tea. In late spring, tea farmers pick fresh tea leaves and store them in baskets and wooden barrels. After several months, the tea leaves are all eaten by insects, leaving behind residue and insect droppings. The droppings are dark brown, resembling rapeseed. Drinking this tea can quench thirst, relieve hunger, refresh the mind, and also help lower blood pressure, soothe the mood, detoxify, and reduce swelling. During the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, insect tea was listed as a tribute. Today, it remains highly favored by tea drinkers both at home and abroad.
Suining Cyclocarya Paliurus Tea is a specialty of Suining County, Shaoyang, Hunan Province. Within Suining County, large areas of scattered Cyclocarya paliurus trees and considerable super-large wild Cyclocarya paliurus clusters have been discovered. Through the dedicated research of experts and using the latest patented national technology, a uniquely distinctive new product—Cyclocarya Paliurus Tea—has been successfully developed. The tea is sweet, mellow, and refreshing, stimulating saliva production and quenching thirst.
Shaoyang County has a history of over 2,500 years in producing tea oil. In 2008, its tea oil output exceeded 5,000 tons. After on-site inspections by the China National Food Industry Association and expert evaluations, the county was officially designated as the “Tea Oil Capital of China.” A number of well-known refined tea oil brands have emerged, such as “Tea Seed Emperor,” “Baoshing Guifang,”
Since 2009, Tanjiang Township in Shaoyang City, Hunan Province has planned and developed a 5,000-mu pollution-free vegetable base on the foundation of the original vegetable production area. The base has a total investment of 110 million yuan, with its core production area located in Chayuan and Taishang, two villages. It radiates to villages along Provincial Highway 217 and the Shaotan Road. Major vegetable varieties include spring cabbage, Chinese cabbage, radishes, green beans, chili peppers, and more.
Wugang Yunshan Sprout Tea was designated as an imperial tribute tea as early as the second year of the Kangxi reign (1663). This tea boasts a variety of medicinal benefits. By the 34th year of the Guangxu reign, Wugang had exported a total of 19.65 tons of tea. During the Anti-Japanese War, Wugang County briefly served as one of the hubs for the transit of goods between inland and coastal areas, and tea was also distributed from here. However, tea production in the region still followed traditional methods...
Wugang Yunshan Sprout Tea was designated as tribute tea as early as the second year of the Kangxi reign (1663). This tea offers multiple medicinal benefits. By the 34th year of the Guangxu reign, Wugang had exported a total of 19.65 tons of tea. During the Anti-Japanese War, Wugang city briefly served as one of the hubs for the transit of goods between inland and external areas, and tea was also distributed from here. However, tea production in the region still followed traditional methods.
Produced by Sancao Beverage & Food Co., Ltd., Shuimiao Three-Herb Tea is made from three locally sourced, all-natural plants: Ganoderma lucidum (reishi mushroom), Gynostemma pentaphyllum (jiaogulan), and Cordyceps sinensis. Regular consumption is believed to nourish the lungs and kidneys, stop bleeding, resolve phlegm, and strengthen the body. …
Yongzhou tea oil contains a relatively rich amount of essential fatty acids. As a traditional specialty of Yongzhou, it serves as an excellent food source of edible oil. The fatty acid composition, nutritional content, and oil properties of tea oil are quite similar to those of olive oil. Meanwhile, olive oil, as the main cooking vegetable oil in the "Mediterranean dietary pattern," has long been recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a health-promoting, nutritious oil beneficial to cardiovascular health.
In December 2004, Qiyang County was awarded the honorary title of “China’s Hometown of Tea Oil” by the State Forestry Administration. That year, the county produced 1,497 tons of tea oil, generating an output value of 32.9 million yuan and increasing the average income of local forestry farmers by 181 yuan. Qiyang has long been renowned nationwide for producing high-quality tea oil and is known as the “natural oil depot” of southern Hunan.
Dong’an Oil Tea is a specialty of Dong’an County in Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. The hilly areas of Dong’an County mainly consist of red soil, which is highly suitable for the growth of oil tea, predominantly of the “Hanlu Zi” variety. Oil tea cultivation in Dong’an has a history of over 2,000 years, with the county’s oil tea forest covering an area of more than 260,000 mu, spread across its eighteen towns and farms.
Jianghua Tea Seed Oil Fermented Tofu is a specialty of Jianghua Yao Autonomous County, Yongzhou City, Hunan Province. It has a delicate texture, fragrant aroma, and is rich in protein, which can stimulate appetite and promote longevity. Among them, the "Wang Laosan" brand tea seed oil fermented tofu is particularly well-known. Jianghua Tea Seed Oil Fermented Tofu is a Yao ethnic specialty of Jianghua and one of the renowned Yongzhou specialties.
Jianghua Bitter Tea has a long and storied history. It combines the essence of both kuding tea and green tea. Compared to kuding tea, it has a more lingering aroma and lacks the intense bitterness; compared to green tea, it leaves a sweet aftertaste with a rich flavor. Its key chemical components—tea polyphenols, amino acids, and water extract content—are all at relatively high levels. It offers benefits such as preventing and treating colds.
Blue Mountain Baba Youcha Baba Youcha is a unique traditional delicacy of Blue Mountain, renowned for being spicy, fragrant, sweet, crispy, and delicious. The baba is made from high-quality local glutinous rice, deep-fried to the size of pigeon eggs, with ten to twelve pieces served in each bowl. It is accompanied by roasted peanuts, soybeans, puffed rice, and a sprinkle of chopped scallions on top, then soaked in boiling oil...
Tujia Divine Tea, also known as Maicha (berry tea) or Longevity Vine, is scientifically named "Ampelopsis grossedentata." It is a perennial vine plant and one of the rare, precious edible plants in the world. It grows on red sandstone cliffs at altitudes above 1,500 meters, where fog perpetually shrouds the peaks and there is no pollution. It is immune to insects and disease. For centuries...
Tea is an essential part of life for the Tujia people. As recorded in *Sun Yunmeng's Jiu Ji, Yong Customs*: “People drink tea porridge and wear mountain clogs.” There is a variety of teas, such as cold water sweet liquor tea, cold water honey tea, rice paste tea, ginger soup tea, rice crust tea, green tea, winter melon berry tea, old leaf tea, tea fruit tea, as well as fried rice tea, egg tea, and more. Whenever guests arrive, the hostess will prepare tea according to the visitor’s status, with distinct levels and customs. Regular guests are served ordinary tea, while honored guests are offered egg tea or sweet liquor tea. In summer, when it’s hot and people are thirsty, mountain folk carry cool, clear spring water in gourds or bamboo tubes to brew sweet liquors made from glutinous rice or sorghum, which they drink along with the dregs. The Tujia people are fond of beekeeping, and honey is a treasured household item; adding honey to tea for guests is considered a real treat. In winter, they prefer brewed tea. The tea is simmered in large earthenware jars near the hearth year-round, making it the “untoppable” staple of the Tujia hearth. Brewed tea often uses old tea leaves or tea fruits, resulting in a deep red broth with a rich aroma. Rice paste tea is made by roasting rice until it forms burnt chunks, wrapping them in cloth, and steeping them in boiling water until cooled before drinking—this helps quench thirst and relieve summer heat. “Living by the mountain, relying on the mountain, eating from the mountain”—this is the Tujia people’s philosophy of life. Peng Yongxing, a Tujia poet from the Qing Dynasty, once wrote a *Bamboo Branch Song*:
Famous Teas of Zhangjiajie: The hardworking and intelligent people of Zhangjiajie, through long-term practices of understanding, transforming, utilizing, and drawing from nature, have accumulated rich experience in tea cultivation and production, creating a series of high-quality, renowned teas. Many of these products have gained fame both domestically and internationally, becoming celebrated products of China and even the world—such as “Qingyan Mingcui”…