Ping Shui Zhu Tea

Ping Shui Zhu Tea

　　　　Product Name: Ping Shui Zhu Tea

　　　　Product Origin: Shaoxing, Zhejiang

　　　　Product Characteristics: Round and tightly rolled, with a glossy green color, heavy body, resembling tiny emerald-green beads that make a sound when dropped on a plate — truly a masterpiece among green teas.

　　　　Product Ingredients: Water, protein, amino acids, caffeine, polyphenols, carbohydrates, lipids, minerals, plant pigments, vitamins, volatile compounds, organic acids. Product Functions: Aids digestion, refreshes the mind, promotes longevity, lowers blood lipids, aids in weight loss, improves eyesight, promotes diuresis, reduces swelling, has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects, prevents arteriosclerosis, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent hypertension, protects against coronary heart disease, resists radiation such as from TVs, calms the nerves, induces tranquility, refines temperament, treats diabetes, enhances beauty, prevents anemia, combats fatigue, relieves tiredness, sobers up and detoxifies alcohol, quenches thirst, prevents cancer, fights cancer, boosts energy and strength.

　　Product History: Tea is the national drink of the Chinese nation. It originated with Shennong, was known to Duke Zhou of Lu, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and reached its peak in the Song Dynasty. Today, it has become one of the world’s three most popular non-alcoholic beverages (tea, coffee, and cocoa), and is set to be the beverage king of the 21st century. The love for tea spans the globe, with over 50 countries now cultivating tea. Tracing back to its roots, the earliest teas consumed worldwide, the tea varieties introduced, as well as tea brewing methods, cultivation techniques, processing technologies, and tea-related customs, were all directly or indirectly spread from China. China is the birthplace of tea and is honored as the “Motherland of Tea.” Tea is the pride of the Chinese nation.

　　　　Product Introduction: Zhu Tea is a unique green tea product in our province and also one of China’s major export teas. The formation of Ping Shui Zhu Tea can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. At that time, a round tea called “Dragon and Phoenix Cake Tea,” supervised by the imperial court, was later further developed into “Little Dragon Cake Tea,” which is the prototype of Zhu Tea. Since the Ming Dynasty, the tea processing method gradually shifted from steamed green to pan-fired green, using whole leaves for drying, eventually forming the current style of Zhu Tea. The “Zhuji County Annals” recorded: “There is a kind called ‘Round Pearl,’ kneading one leaf into a pill-like shape, imitating the ancient method of making Dragon and Phoenix Cake Tea, sold overseas... and presented as tribute to Emperor Kangxi.” It is evident that by the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, Zhu Tea had fully taken shape.

　　　　Zhu Tea originally used Pingshui Town in Shaoxing County as its distribution hub. Private merchants set up tea houses to purchase rough tea from mountainous areas in Shaoxing, Shengxian, and Zhuji counties, then processed, packaged, and transported it via waterways to the Ningbo port for export overseas. Hence it was named “Ping Shui Zhu Tea,” a name that has been used ever since.

　　　　Anecdote: The Song people inherited the Tang people’s way of drinking tea but were even more particular and refined in their methods, especially in the production of palace cake tea (pressed tea). Although pressed tea was the main form during the Song Dynasty, there were also some renowned loose teas, such as Rizhu Tea, Shuangjing Tea, and Jingshan Tea, which were particularly favored by literati. In terms of consumption, the Tang method of boiling tea was replaced by the Song method of “whisking tea” — instead of boiling powdered tea in water, it was placed in a tea bowl and poured over with boiling water, then stirred vigorously to fully blend the tea with the water. When it turned milky with fine white foam covering the bowl, it was ready to be slowly savored.

　　　　Tea drinking in the Ming and Qing Dynasties differed significantly from previous eras, both in terms of types of tea and brewing methods. The Ming Dynasty expanded upon the loose tea practices of the Tang and Song Dynasties, making it the dominant tea type during the Ming and Qing Dynasties and up to today. The loose teas produced through pan-firing in the Ming Dynasty were mostly green teas, along with some floral blends. The Qing Dynasty saw not only a wide variety of green and floral teas but also the emergence of oolong tea, black tea, dark tea, and white tea, thereby establishing the fundamental categories of China’s tea structure.