Longyan Xiebei Tea

Longyan Xiebei Tea

　　 Longyan Xiebei Tea is produced in areas such as Xiebei, Beiyan, and Meixi in Jiangshan Township, Xinluo District, Longyan City, Fujian Province, and has a history of over 300 years. The farmers in Xiebei Village, the tea's place of origin, originally came from Quanzhou. They first moved to Yongfu in Zhangping, and later relocated to Xiebei Village in Longyan, where they have now lived for nineteen generations. They settled down and immediately started planting tea. The processed tea leaves were named “Xiebei Tea” after their place of origin. Xiebei Tea is a high-mountain tea variety and belongs to the pan-fired green tea category. Its dried tea leaves are grayish-green with a yellow tint, the infusion is yellow-green, and the leaf base is tender, yellowish-green, and bright. It is well known for its "three yellowish-green hues."

　　 Xiebei Village is located atop a mountain range at an elevation of 1,248 meters. The villages of Beiyan and Meixi also sit at elevations above 1,000 meters. The mountains are often shrouded in mist, with relatively short periods of sunlight—about 2,058 hours of sunshine annually. The average annual temperature is around 17°C, with annual rainfall of 1,683 millimeters and an average relative humidity of 75%. Tea trees are mostly planted along mountain ridges or in scattered plots near houses. Under the long-term influence of this unique ecological environment, the characteristics of the tea buds and leaves have changed. The buds and leaves exhibit a yellowish-green color, and in spring, the whole tea garden turns golden. These leaves contain lower levels of chlorophyll but higher levels of water extractives and tea polyphenols compared to green buds and leaves.

　　 Xiebei Tea achieves the best quality when made from large-leaf variety tea bushes. Harvesting takes place around the Beginning of Summer, and no summer or autumn tea is picked. The main processing steps include fixation, rolling, initial frying, cooling, refrying, sieving and cooling, secondary refrying, secondary sieving and cooling, and final drying—totaling nine procedures. The entire process takes about four hours. The special processing techniques induce non-enzymatic biochemical changes in components such as tea polyphenols, which help form the distinctive “three yellowish-green hues” quality of Xiebei Tea.

　　 Xiebei Tea has long enjoyed a strong reputation in western Fujian. It is now sold in cities such as Xiamen and Guangdong, and exported to places like Singapore, where it is highly favored by overseas Chinese. With its unique aroma (with hints of mugwort), rich flavor, and a lingering taste reminiscent of fresh olives, it attracts a wide range of Xiebei Tea enthusiasts.