Guishan Rock Green Tea

Guishan Rock Green Tea

Guishan Rock Green Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

　　Listed in the *Selected Research on Famous Chinese Teas*, Guishan Green Tea was rated as one of China’s top five famous teas in October 1980. It won the Quality Award from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in 1988 and was sent to Beijing during the 1989 Asian Games, where it received praise from international visitors. A friend from Singapore, after tasting this tea, gave it a thumbs-up and said he had visited many tea gardens, but this tea was the best.

　　Guishan Rock Green Tea is produced in the high mountains of Luobachuan Village, Guiwei Village, and Shibingshan Village at altitudes above 800 meters around the Guishan Peak area in Macheng City. The area is often shrouded in mist, with a moist climate and temperatures generally 5–8 degrees lower than those at lower elevations. In the days just before Grain Rain, heavy fog is especially common, and sometimes sunlight is only visible for 2–3 hours around lunchtime. During this time, tea trees growing in the crevices of the peaks gradually sprout tender needle-like leaves. Local villagers begin harvesting under these conditions, and the freshly picked tea buds, after being meticulously processed by hand, become Guishan Rock Green Tea. This tea is known for its rich aroma, mellow taste, emerald-green liquor, and tender, even leaves. As soon as it hits the market each year, it sells out quickly.

　　The production area of Guishan Rock Green Tea includes the Guishan Tea Farm in Macheng City, Hubei Province, as well as the administrative regions of four towns under its jurisdiction: Guishan Town, Sanhekou Town, Muzidian Town, and Zhangjiapu Town.

　　I. Varieties

　　Guicha No. 1, Guicha No. 2, and other medium-to-small leaf tea varieties suitable for processing Guishan Rock Green Tea.

　　II. Growing Conditions

　　Altitude within the production area ranges from 600 to 1,000 meters. The soil type is yellow-brown soil, with a pH value of 4.0 to 6.5. Soil organic matter should be ≥1%, and soil depth should be ≥60 cm.

　　III. Cultivation Techniques

　　1. Seedling cultivation: asexual reproduction tea seedlings or sexual reproduction tea seedlings.

　　2. Planting time: February to March, with a density of ≤45,000 plants per hectare.

　　3. Fertilization management: fertilization depth ≥20 cm, with ≥3 tons of organic fertilizer per hectare and ≤200 kg of chemical fertilizer.

　　4. Environmental and safety requirements: the use of pesticides, fertilizers, etc., must comply with national regulations and must not cause environmental pollution.

　　IV. Harvesting

　　1. Harvesting time: late March to mid-April.

　　2. Harvesting standard: single bud to one bud and two initial leaves.

　　3. Harvesting requirements: strictly adhere to the “three no-picks,” namely: no purple buds, no pest- or disease-infected leaves, and no rain-soaked leaves.

　　V. Processing Techniques

　　1. Process flow: withering → fixation → cooling and moisturizing → rolling → initial drying → shaping → drying → finished tea.

　　2. Process requirements:

　　Fresh leaves should be graded and stored, spread out for 3 to 4 hours, with a thickness not exceeding 5 cm, turned over appropriately, and fixed once withering is moderate.

　　(1) Withering: room temperature controlled at 20°C to 25°C, for 2 to 3 hours. Stop when the leaves are soft, the green aroma dissipates, moisture content is 60% to 65%.

　　(2) Fixation: temperature controlled at 120°C to 150°C. Fixation time is 6 to 10 minutes. Stop when the leaves darken, wilt, feel soft and loose when held, stems bend without breaking, the green aroma disappears, the tea fragrance emerges, and weight loss is about 15% to 20%.

　　(3) Cooling and moisturizing: promptly cool and moisturize after fixation.

　　(4) Rolling: apply pressure in a light-heavy-light pattern, roll until strips are tight, tea juice is released, leaf cell breakage reaches 45%, and strip formation rate is over 90%.

　　(5) Initial drying: temperature controlled at around 80°C to 120°C, for about 5 to 6 minutes.

　　(6) Shaping: after initial drying, shape the tea until strips are round, tight, and straight, with visible tea fuzz and a slightly prickly texture.

　　(7) Drying: After shaping, uniformly spread the tea leaves thinly in the dryer. Control the temperature at around 80°C to 100°C, and dry for 40 to 60 minutes before removing the leaves to cool and restore moisture. Re-dry once until the moisture content reaches 5% to 6%, then remove the leaves to cool.

　　(8) Finished Tea: Once the moisture content is dried down to 5% to 6%, the tea can be packaged and stored.

　　VI. Quality Characteristics

　　1. Sensory Characteristics: Guishan Yanlv is a strip-shaped green tea. Its quality features include plump and heavy buds and leaves, tightly rolled and greenish leaves with visible tips, prominent white down, tender and even leaf bottoms, bright yellow-green liquor, a fresh, mellow, and chestnut-aromatic taste that is rich and enduring, and good infusability.

　　2. Physicochemical Indicators: Water extract ≥39%, moisture ≤6.5%.