Shimeng Yinfeng

Shimeng Yinfeng

Shimeng Yinfeng is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Shimeng Yinfeng tea was first created in 1991, with an annual production of about 50 tonnes. The fresh tea leaves are sourced from the misty mountains within the elevation range of 500–1,000 metres along both banks of the Xieshui River in the northwestern part of Shimen County, at the eastern edge of the Wuling Mountain Range. The growing environment is free from atmospheric, soil, and water pollution. Shimeng Yinfeng tea features tightly rolled, uniformly fine, straight leaves that are fully covered with silvery down. The leaves are emerald green and glossy in color, with a high, lasting fragrance. The liquor is bright green, and the taste is mellow, refreshing, and sweet with a lingering aftertaste. The leaves at the bottom are tender, bright green, fresh, and intact. It offers a fragrant first brew, a richly flavoured second brew, and lingering subtle fragrance even in the third and fourth brews.

　　Shimeng Yinfeng

　　The picking of fresh leaves for Shimeng Yinfeng tea is highly selective. Leaves are picked on sunny days around the Qingming Festival. It is strictly required not to pick leaves affected by rain or dew, purple buds or leaves, weak or misshapen leaves, or those with fish leaves, scales, stems, or other foreign matter. The fresh leaves must be tender, uniform, clean, and well-aligned. The processing involves nine steps: withering, fixation, cooling, pan-firing, rolling into strips, aligning the strips, cooling again, tipping (revealing the down), and baking. The key technical points for each step are as follows: 1. Withering: After picking, fresh leaves must be spread indoors in a clean, ventilated area, no more than 3 cm thick, for 4–10 hours. 2. Fixation: Pan temperature is 140°C, with 500 g of leaves added. Stir the leaves with both hands, starting with covering (to steam) then shaking, alternating between the two. Remove the leaves from the pan as soon as they soften, lose their gloss, and emit a fragrant aroma. 3. Cooling: Place the fixed leaves in a bamboo tray and toss them over ten times to quickly reduce leaf temperature and prevent yellowing. 4. Pan-firing: Pan temperature is 85°C. Stir the leaves gently and slowly with both hands. Remove the leaves when their moisture content is around 40%. 5. Rolling into strips: Pan temperature is around 60°C. Stir until the moisture content drops to around 30%. When the leaves make a slight noise upon hitting the pan, use your right hand to lift the leaves and your left palm (facing upward) to rub them in one direction. Start gently, then apply more pressure while shaking the leaves to loosen them. This step takes about 5 minutes. 6. Aligning the strips: At around 50°C, place the leaves in the pan and align them forward gently with your right hand. Remove the leaves when they are about 80% dry. 7. Cooling: Let the aligned leaves cool for about 4 minutes. 8. Tipping: Pan temperature is around 50°C, taking about 2 minutes. First, align the tea strips. When lifting and dropping the leaves, minimize friction with your hands. Remove the leaves as soon as abundant white down appears. 9. Baking: Bake with charcoal at around 70°C. Once fully dried, seal and store in a dry place.

　　 History

　　Shimeng Yinfeng Tea

　　Shimeng Yinfeng tea was developed in 1991 under the guidance of Professor Zhu Xianming from Hunan Agricultural University, by the former Shimen County Tea Development Corporation. The plucking and processing of Shimeng Yinfeng tea are very meticulous. Around the Qingming Festival each year, sturdy buds or one-bud-one-leaf early unfurling fresh leaves are picked, graded, and spread out, adhering to the “four no-pick” rule (no picking of rain- or dew-soaked leaves, purple buds or leaves, or weak, diseased, or insect-damaged buds or leaves). The leaves then undergo withering, fixation, cooling, initial rolling, initial drying, cooling again, secondary rolling, secondary drying, aligning the strips, shaping, tipping, and scenting to produce the final product. Shimeng Yinfeng tea has a tightly rolled, straight appearance, fully covered with silvery down, and a pure, glossy emerald green colour. Its internal qualities include a delicate, high, and long-lasting fragrance, bright and clear tender green liquor, a fresh, mellow, and rich taste, and evenly arranged tender green leaves at the bottom. It is known for its “fragrant first brew, richly flavoured second brew, and lingering subtle fragrance in the third and fourth brews.”

　　 Industrialization

　　Liao Hansheng, former Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, inscribed: “Shimeng Yinfeng – the rising star of tea.” Chen Zongmao, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a national tea expert, commented and wrote: “Shimeng Yinfeng – a taste that lingers.” Liu Zheng, former Chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, wrote: “At the source of the tea ceremony, by the Biyan Spring, the fragrance of Shimeng Yinfeng spreads across the four seas.” Professor Zhu Xianming, a tea expert, wrote: “The Wuling Mountains stretch across four provinces, the Lishui River nourishes countless homes, the Jia Mountain Temple is blessed with spiritual beauty, and Shimeng Yinfeng stands above all teas.” Shi Mu, a nationally renowned calligrapher and painter, was so inspired after tasting the tea that he composed and inscribed a poem beginning with the four characters of the tea’s name: “Shi Ding Bo Quan Huo, Men Ting San Yi Xia, Yin Zhen Chu Zhu Rui, Feng Cui Yu Xin Ya” (“Stone cauldron boils spring water, tea aroma drifts through the porch, silver tips sprout from buds, peaks nurture new leaves”). This contributed to the poetic legacy of Shimeng Yinfeng. Today, Shimeng Yinfeng has become a major public brand of premium tea in Shimen County. To further standardize the production, processing, and sales of Shimeng Yinfeng tea, enhance its reputation and influence, and establish it as a well-known brand nationally and globally, the Shimen County Tea Association applied to the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce to register the management trademark for Shimeng Yinfeng. All related materials have been submitted and accepted.

　　 Honours

　　In 1993, Shimeng Yinfeng was named a Famous Tea of Hunan Province; in 1994, it won the Second Prize in the “China Tea Cup” competition; in 1994, it received the Gold Award at the 5th Asia-Pacific International Trade Fair; in 1998, it won the Gold Medal at the Hunan Famous and Premium Teas Golden Cup Competition; in 1999, it was awarded the Silver Award in the International Famous Tea Evaluation; in 2000, it received the Gold Award in the International Famous Tea Evaluation; in 2002, it won the Gold Award in the Wuling Mountain Region Tea Evaluation across Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, and Chongqing; in 2004, it won the Gold Award in the Famous and Premium Green Tea Evaluation at the first China Hunan·Xingsha Tea Culture Festival; in 2005, it again won the Special Prize in the 6th “China Tea Cup” National Famous and Premium Tea Evaluation; in 2005, it was named one of the “Top Ten Famous Teas of Hunan.”