Che Xi Cui Ya Tea

Che Xi Cui Ya Tea

　　Che Xi Cui Ya Tea is a specialty of Tucheng Township, Dianjun District, Yichang City, Hubei Province. The tea features tightly rolled, straight and round leaves with sharp, elegant sprouts, a glossy green color with visible fine hairs, a clear and bright liquor, a fresh and refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, an elegant and fragrant aroma, and an even, bright leaf base.

　　Che Xi Cui Ya Tea is produced in Tucheng Township, Yichang City, Hubei Province, and is named after its location in the Che Xi Folk Tourism Area, a national 4A-level scenic spot. The tea-growing area has an average elevation of 650 cm, an average annual temperature of 17 degrees Celsius, an average annual rainfall of 1200 mm, a frost-free period of 260 days, moderate rainfall, a suitable climate, loose and fertile soil, making it highly suitable for tea cultivation. Che Xi Cui Ya Tea features tightly rolled, straight and round leaves with sharp, elegant sprouts, a glossy green color with visible fine hairs, a clear and bright liquor, a fresh and refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, an elegant and fragrant aroma, and an even, bright leaf base. It won gold awards in the third, fourth, and fifth Hubei Provincial "E Tea Cup" high-quality tea competitions. In 2001, it was recognized as a branded product at the Hubei Agricultural Expo and awarded the title of one of Yichang’s Top Ten Famous Teas.

　　The production process of Che Xi Cui Ya Tea is as follows:

　　    1. Fresh Leaf Plucking

　　    Generally begins in mid-March. Only well-developed, tender buds about 1.2 cm long are plucked.

　　    2. Withering

　　    The freshly plucked leaves are spread out on clean bamboo mats to a thickness of about 2 cm for 4–6 hours.

　　    3. Fixation (Kill-green)

　　    Using a long drum continuous fixation machine at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius, with leaves fed in evenly. A 700w small blower is installed at the discharge end to quickly cool the leaves after fixation. Proper fixation is indicated by soft leaves with darkened color and disappearance of grassy odors.

　　    4. Shaping

　　    Done in a multi-function machine or electric wok. Light pressure is applied to break down the leaf tissues and achieve tight, straight strips.

　　    5. Drying

　　    This involves two stages: initial drying and final drying, which can be done in a high-quality tea dryer or electric wok. Initial drying is done at around 120 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes until the leaves are 90% dry, then the leaves are cooled for 30 minutes. Final drying is done at 70–80 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes until the tea buds are fully dry, brittle when bent, and powdery when rubbed. The tea is then cooled after drying.

　　    6. Grading and Packaging

　　    After removing some broken buds, the finished tea is graded and packaged. Inner packaging uses aluminum-plastic composite bags and cans, while outer packaging uses strip-style tote bags.