Nankun Mountain Maocha

Nankun Mountain Maocha

　　    Nankun Mountain is located in Longmen County, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, bordering Zengcheng and Conghua districts of Guangzhou. The Nankun Mountain Primitive Forest Nature Reserve is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a key protected national forest park. It is known as the “Oasis on the Tropic of Cancer,” the “Summer Paradise of the South,” and the “Back Garden of the Pearl River Delta.” With a forest coverage rate of 98%, it boasts abundant plant resources. Among them, the most valuable for medicinal and beverage use is Nankun Mountain’s precious specialty: 【Nankun Mountain Maocha】, locally referred to as “Tea of Longevity.”

　　    【Nankun Mountain Maocha】, scientifically named 【Nankun Mountain Cocoa Tea】, has been identified by the School of Life Sciences at Sun Yat-sen University as having unique pharmacological functions for drinking. It is a rare type of naturally caffeine-free tea resource not found elsewhere in the world.

　　    Professor Zhang Hongda, a renowned plant taxonomist at Sun Yat-sen University, explains that the alkaloid composition of 【Nankun Mountain Maocha】 consists of 3%–6% theobromine instead of the usual 3%–5% caffeine. This means it can be consumed at any time of night without affecting sleep.

　　    Among the many processed forms of 【Nankun Mountain Maocha】, the most authentic version is made by 【Huang Weng】: the tea leaves he uses are handpicked from high-altitude misty mountain areas above 1,188 meters. Using his family’s unique traditional tea-firing techniques — including debittering, pan-firing, and rolling — the resulting tea offers a sweetish, cool taste with a lingering after-sweetness in the throat.

　　    Locals on Nankun Mountain have long traditionally enjoyed drinking this tea, which may contribute to the area’s high number of centenarians — hence the name “Tea of Longevity.” According to modern scientific research, 【Nankun Mountain Maocha】 has various health benefits, such as clearing heat and toxins, reducing blood lipids, stabilizing blood pressure, and lowering blood sugar. Regular consumption is believed to promote good health. Further studies have also found that 【Nankun Mountain Maocha】 exhibits certain anti-tumor properties.