Xiyanyan Oolong Tea

Xiyanyan Oolong Tea

Xiyanyan Oolong Tea is a protected geographical indication product.

　　   Xiyanyan Oolong Tea features tightly rolled, slightly curly leaves with a uniform dark green color. It has a rich, long-lasting aroma, a mellow and refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, and bright orange-yellow liquor. The leaves show a green base with red edges, and it is highly resistant to brewing. It won the Gold Award at the Guangdong Provincial Famous Tea Competition in 1994, the Gold Award at the Second China Agricultural Expo in 1995, and the Gold Award at the Fifth "China Tea Cup" National Famous and High-quality Tea Competition in 2003.

　　   Xiyanyan Oolong Tea was first created in the 1970s and is produced in the Xiyanyan Mountain area of Dabu County. This region boasts uniquely favorable natural conditions: high elevation with frequent cloud cover, dense forests, surrounded by mountains that reduce direct sunlight and increase diffused light, high relative humidity, and fertile soil—all ideal for balanced tea plant growth. The resulting buds and leaves are plump, tender, fresh green in color, and rich in amino acids and aromatic compounds, laying an excellent material foundation for producing premium-quality tea.

　　   The original tea plant variety used for Xiyanyan Oolong Tea was a small-leaf type, known for its strong resistance and mostly purple buds and leaves, yielding tea with a high and lasting aroma. In the 1960s, superior tea varieties such as Lingtou Dancong, Meizhan, Dayeqilan, and Fenghuang Shuixian were introduced from Raoping County and Fujian Province. To meet the growing domestic and international demand for high-aroma, mid-to-high-end teas, tea cultivation areas have continuously expanded, and tea processing techniques have been steadily improved. Nowadays, Dabu Baiye Dancong accounts for over 60% of the county’s total tea plantation area, gradually replacing the original small-leaf tea varieties.

　　   The production process of Xiyanyan Oolong Tea consists of six steps: fresh leaves, withering, oxidation (shaking), fixation (pan-firing), rolling, and drying [including initial drying, bunching, and final drying]. Premium Xiyanyan Oolong Tea is world-renowned for its five defining qualities: aroma, sweetness, clarity, smoothness, and mellowness. The tea features tightly rolled, slightly curly leaves with a uniform dark green color; it has a rich, long-lasting aroma, a mellow and refreshing taste with a sweet aftertaste, and bright orange-yellow liquor. The leaves show a green base with red edges, and it is highly resistant to brewing. It won the Gold Award at the Guangdong Provincial Famous Tea Competition in 1994, the Gold Award at the Second China Agricultural Expo in 1995, and the Gold Award at the Fifth "China Tea Cup" National Famous and High-quality Tea Competition in 2003.

　　   (1) Production Area.

　　   The production area of Xiyanyan Oolong Tea covers the current administrative region of Fenglang Town, Dabu County, Meizhou City, Guangdong Province.

　　   (2) Use of the Special Logo.

　　   Producers within the Xiyanyan Oolong Tea production area may apply to the Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau of Dabu County, Guangdong Province, for permission to use the "Geographical Indication Product Special Logo." After review by the Guangdong Provincial Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau and approval by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, the use will be publicly announced. The statutory testing institution for Xiyanyan Oolong Tea is designated by the Guangdong Provincial Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau.

　　   Quality and Technical Requirements for Xiyanyan Oolong Tea

　　       I. Variety

　　   Medium and small-leaf Oolong tea varieties and local cultivars.

　　    II. Growing Conditions

　　   Soil types include yellow soil, red soil, lateritic red soil, and paddy soil. Yellow and red soils are mainly found at elevations of 500 to 1,000 meters or higher. Xiyanyan Mountain primarily has yellow-red soil, which is loose, moist, fertile, and supports healthy vegetation growth. The soil pH ranges from 3.9 to 4.7, with organic matter content between 2.3 and 4.0.

　　   III. Cultivation Management

　　   1. Seedling Cultivation: Asexual propagation is used to grow tea seedlings.

　　   2. Harvesting Period: Only spring tea is harvested once a year, from early March to mid-May.

　　   3. Harvesting Standard: Fresh leaves with one bud and two or three leaves.

　　   4. Environmental and Safety Requirements: The use of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals must comply with national regulations, and environmental pollution must be avoided.

　　   IV. Processing Technology

　　   1. Process Flow: Plucking → Withering → Oxidation (Shaking) → Fixation (Pan-firing) → Rolling → Drying.

　　   2. Process Requirements:

　　   (1) Plucking: New shoots should be moderately mature, ideally at the medium-open stage (when opposite leaves form, i.e., one bud and two leaves). The tea leaves should not be damaged, sunburned, include stem tips, or surface moisture.

　　   (2) Withering: Spread thinly and dry lightly. The best time is between 9–11 a.m. or 4–5 p.m. on sunny days. The moisture loss of the leaves should be around 15%, with leaves darkening and leaf tips drooping as signs of proper withering.

　　   (3) Oxidation: Involves repeated alternating stages of tossing (shaking) and resting. This is the key step in forming the unique aromatic qualities of Xiyanyan Oolong Tea. The number of tossing rounds gradually increases, the intensity becomes stronger, resting periods get longer, and the leaf spread gets thicker with each round.

　　   (4) Fixation: Done at high temperature quickly to ensure thorough, even, and complete fixation.

　　   (5) Rolling: Combines loose and firm pressure to achieve tightly rolled strips and moderate leaf cell breakage.

　　(6) Drying: Divided into two stages—initial drying and final drying. The initial drying temperature is 150°C, with a roasting time of 20 to 30 minutes to quickly evaporate moisture from the tea leaves. The moisture loss rate of the rough tea should be ≤7%. The final drying temperature is 100°C, with a longer roasting duration, using a “low heat and thin-layer roasting” method. During the roasting process, the tea leaves must be stirred at appropriate intervals to ensure uniform heating and moisture loss.

　　3. Refining: Processes include stacking the rough tea, feeding materials, screening, winnowing, sorting, final roasting, and packaging.

　　IV. Quality Characteristics

　　1. Sensory Characteristics:

　　Item  Characteristics

　　Appearance  Tight, plump, smooth, uniform strips with a yellowish-brown, glossy color

　　Aroma  Floral and honey fragrance, naturally fresh, strong and long-lasting

　　Liquor Color  Bright orange-yellow, slightly golden

　　Taste  Mellow, sweet, rich, fresh, and refreshing, with good aftertaste

　　Leaf Bottom  Tender green, even, soft, and bright

　　       2. Physicochemical Indicators:

　　Item  Indicator

　　Water Extract, % (m/m)     ≥  36

　　Tea Polyphenols, % (m/m)       ≥  21

　　Caffeine, % (m/m)       ≥  25

　　Moisture, % (m/m)         ≤  6.0

　　Fines, % (m/m)         ≤   1.0

　　Ash Content, % (m/m)         ≤  6.0

　　3. Safety and Other Quality Technical Requirements: The product’s safety and other quality technical requirements must comply with relevant national regulations.