Susong Xiangya

Susong Xiangya

　　The Susong Xiangya tea is developed through brand integration by the Party Committee and government of Liuping Township, Susong County. The main tea-producing areas are Qiushan and Longhe villages, where the Longhe and Four Seasons Green Tea Professional Cooperatives were established. Two tea processing enterprises were introduced, and four small-scale tea processing factories were built. With unified production techniques, processing models, packaging specifications, and unified brand sales, it is a key brand built on the principles of "complementary advantages, shareholding cooperation, independence, and self-responsibility for profits and losses." It truly ensures the cultivation, production, and output of high-quality tea.

　　The Songliuhe-brand "Susong Xiangya" tea is produced by Susong County Longhe Tea Co., Ltd. This brand has been certified as a "Pollution-Free Agricultural Product" by the Ministry of Agriculture and has won several awards, including the Gold Award at the 2005 China·Anqing Tea Expo, the Silver Award at the 6th "China Tea Cup," and the title of "Top Ten Famous Teas in Anhui" at the "National Gift Huicha Cup" China (Anhui) 7th International Tea Industry Expo. Susong County Longhe Tea Co., Ltd. is located in Longhe Village, Liuping Township, our county, at an altitude of 400 to 800 meters. The highest peak in Susong County—Luohanjian—is situated in this village, where the air is fresh, clouds and mist linger, and the history of tea cultivation is long-standing. The company integrates tea production, processing, and sales, owning over 4,000 acres of high-altitude, high-quality, pollution-free tea gardens, over 100 acres of tea plant breeding bases, producing 30.5 tons of high-quality tea annually, with annual sales exceeding 10 million yuan. It has over 3,000 square meters of production and processing workshops and a 250-cubic-meter tea preservation warehouse, along with an automated tea processing production line capable of processing 1,500 kilograms of fresh tea leaves per day.

　　The Susong Xiangya tea produced by Changxi Mountain Tea Co., Ltd. is a high-quality green tea meticulously crafted under the guidance of renowned tea experts from the Hangzhou Tea Research Institute of China's Supply and Marketing Cooperative and local agronomists from Susong County's Crop Planting Bureau. It won the Gold Award at the 2005 China Anqing Tea Expo and Trade Fair. Grown at altitudes above 1,000 meters in the hinterlands of Luohanjian within Liuping Township at the southern foot of the Dabie Mountains, the tea is carefully selected from one bud or one bud with one leaf plucked around the Qingming Festival, then finely processed. This product features a slender, tight, straight shape with uniform appearance, emerald color and visible fuzz, a fragrant and lingering aroma, a fresh and mellow taste with a sweet aftertaste, bright yellow-green liquor, and tender, even green leaves. It makes an excellent choice for home enjoyment or as a gift for family and friends.

　　Processing Techniques of "Susong Xiangya" Tea

　　1. Form and Quality Characteristics

　　The product features a uniform and tender emerald appearance with slight fuzz, shaped like ivory. The liquor is emerald green and bright, the taste is rich, sweet, and refreshing, and the aroma is high, lasting, and accompanied by a cool-aftertaste fragrance. The leaves are tender, even, and resemble blooming orchids.

　　Susong Xiangya is divided into three grades: Special Grade primarily consists of bud tea, First Grade mainly includes one bud with one leaf, and Second Grade is mainly one bud with two leaves.

　　2. Fresh Leaf Picking

　　The picking of fresh leaves is crucial for processing, shaping the dry tea’s appearance, and ensuring the beauty of the leaves after brewing. It is also a key step in producing high-end, premium tea. Even the best processing techniques will fall short if the fresh leaves are not picked properly.

　　Fresh leaves are typically harvested 3–5 days before or after Qingming and continue until just before Grain Rain, focusing on one bud with one leaf just unfurling or one bud with two leaves just unfurling. The picking of Susong Xiangya requires tenderness, consistency in standards, and very high quality requirements, which is why traditional manual picking is preferred despite higher labor costs—mechanical picking is avoided. Manual picking must be done by plucking gently, picking blossom by blossom, avoiding pulling handfuls, and minimizing damage to the leaves during picking. After picking, the leaves are sorted to remove any substandard ones such as diseased, damaged, old, purple, discolored, or broken buds and leaves.

　　3. Fresh Leaf Spreading

　　The freshly picked leaves are promptly brought to the factory for spreading to allow slight moisture evaporation, enhance aroma, and prepare them for fixation and stir-frying. Leaves should be spread evenly and thinly, about 3–5 cm thick, for 4–5 hours. Impurities are removed during spreading. The spreading area must be cool, dry, and well-ventilated, and the equipment must be clean and hygienic. Rainy or dewy leaves require slightly longer spreading times, while sunny-day leaves need slightly less. Proper spreading greatly enhances processing quality and helps develop the tea’s superior characteristics.

　　4. Stir-Frying Techniques

　　4.1 Fixation (Kill-Green)

　　The primary goal is to deactivate enzymes in the fresh leaves, prevent oxidation of polyphenols, dissipate grassy odors, develop tea aroma, alter the chemical properties of the leaf contents, promote the formation of green tea quality, and facilitate rolling into strips.

　　For fixation, a 6CST-40 model drum electric fixation machine (produced by Zhejiang Shangyang Machinery Co., Ltd., with an hourly output of 25–30 kg) is used. The fixation temperature is set between 330–350°C, and the process usually takes about 3 minutes. Adjustments are made based on the amount and speed of leaf input, combined with the drum speed, to regulate the tilt angle and thus the fixation speed. The principle of "high temperature, fast processing, even and thorough fixation" is followed to achieve a result where the leaves can be hand-formed into a clump but fall apart when released, with dark green color and visible tea aroma—laying a solid foundation for high aroma and green color. Fixed leaves must be quickly spread thin and cooled.

　　4.2 Rolling

　　Rolling is another key process that contributes to the internal quality and mellow taste of the tea liquor. Depending on the amount of fixed leaves, an appropriate rolling machine is chosen, typically a 6CR-40(55) model copper rolling machine. The leaf input (fixed leaves) is 20–30 kg. The rolling intensity and duration depend on the tenderness of the fresh leaves; generally, special or first-grade fixed leaves are lightly rolled for 1–2 minutes after cooling. Second-grade fixed leaves are rolled longer (3–5 minutes) following a light-heavy-light principle to shape the leaves and release tea juice, while maintaining intact buds and leaves without excessive juice extraction. Rolling is mainly done cold, and after rolling, leaves are promptly unblocked to enhance aroma.

　　4.3 Shaping

　　The shaping of Susong Xiangya uses a 6CR-60/11 vibrating strip-forming machine (produced by Zhejiang Shangyang Machinery Co., Ltd., electric heating) with an hourly output of 25–30 kg. Shaping follows a principle of starting high then lowering temperature. In the early stage, dehydration and strip-forming are emphasized, with temperature controlled at around 280–300°C. After roughly 30 minutes of cooling, the leaves are returned to the vibrating machine for further shaping with some drying, now at around 180–200°C. Once the basic shape is formed, they are cooled again before moving to drying.

　　4.4 Drying

　　Tea drying is a crucial step to fix the shape, enhance color, and develop aroma. It is divided into initial drying and final drying, typically using hand-pulled louver dryers or 6CHB-3(6) tea dryers (selected based on production volume). Initial drying temperature is kept at 100–120°C until the tea reaches 7–8/10 dryness and feels slightly bundled. Then it’s cooled for about 30 minutes, piled 3–5 cm thick, and left for 5–6 hours before final drying. Final drying temperature is 80–100°C until fully dry, with moisture content reduced to 6%. Longer piling and thicker stacking significantly enhance the unique traits of Susong Xiangya: emerald color, high aroma, rich and mellow taste. After drying, the tea is sorted before storage to remove stems, single leaves, broken pieces, impurities, etc., then packaged and stored.