Baise Black Tea

Baise Black Tea

Baise Black Tea is a product with a protected geographical indication for agricultural products.

　　The documented history of tea cultivation in Baise City, Guangxi, dates back to the Hongzhi era (1488) of Emperor Xiaozong of the Ming Dynasty, and the region still has many wild, ancient tea trees today. Baise Black Tea is made from a unique local tea variety—Lingyun White Downy Tea. This variety was recognized in 1985 by the National Crop Variety Approval Committee as one of the first batch of national-level superior tea cultivars—Huacha No. 26, with the designation GS13026-1985. During the 1970s and 1980s, Baise served as a “national black broken tea export production base,” representing the high quality of Chinese black tea. From 2009 to 2013, in the 8th to 10th “China Tea Cup” National Famous & High-Quality Tea Competitions, Baise Black Tea won 15 out of 79 national special prizes in the black tea category. From 2010 to 2014, in the 1st to 3rd “National Drinking Cup” Famous & High-Quality Tea Competitions, Baise Black Tea claimed 15 out of 42 national special prizes in the black tea category. In 2001, at the 3rd International Famous Tea Competition, its “Congou Black Tea (Grade 1)” won the International Famous Tea Gold Award. The protected geographical indication area for Baise Black Tea spans from 104°42′ to 107°48′ east longitude and 22°53′ to 25°02′ north latitude. Although located in a subtropical monsoon climate zone, the tea is mainly grown in mountainous regions at elevations of 600–1800 meters, where the climate is cool, the soil is selenium-rich, the air is fresh, and clouds and mist are abundant. The local ancient tea tree variety—Lingyun White Downy Tea (Huacha No. 26 “GSCT26”)—grown in this environment features thin and soft leaves with abundant white down, and sturdy buds. The finished Baise Black Tea is distinguished by its dark gloss with abundant fuzz, bright red liquor, sweet and mellow taste with a lingering aftertaste, good infusibility, selenium enrichment, and rich content of internal substances.

　　Tea

　　Geographic Scope

　　1. Unique Climatic Conditions: The protected geographical indication area for Baise Black Tea is located in western Guangxi and falls within a subtropical monsoon climate zone. Due to differences in terrain and location, it can be divided into the warm climate zone of the Youjiang River Valley, the mild climate zones of the northern and southern mountainous areas, and the cool climate zones of the high-altitude mountainous regions. Summers are long and winters are short, with abundant light and heat. The Baise Black Tea protection area is mainly concentrated in the mild climate zones of the northern and southern mountains, where the average annual temperature is 18–20°C, the frost-free period lasts 340–350 days, the average annual sunshine duration is 1400–1600 hours, and the rainfall ranges from 1600–1700 millimeters. Winters are mild, the frost-free period is long, and there is a large diurnal temperature variation, all of which are conducive to tea tree growth, wintering, and nutrient accumulation. 2. Topography, Landforms, and Soil: The protected area for Baise Black Tea lies in the transitional zone between the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Lingnan hills. The central part consists of the Youjiang River Valley basin, flanked by mountainous regions, with the southern part dominated by rocky highlands and the northern part by earthen hills. The area is lower in the middle and higher on the sides. Tea is primarily grown in mountainous regions at elevations of 600–1800 meters, where the forest coverage rate is about 75%, there are few industrial or mining enterprises, the air is fresh, water quality is good, and the annual average relative humidity is 80%, with year-round cloud and mist cover. The main soil types are sandy shale red soil, yellow-red soil, and yellow soil. The soil layer is over 1 meter deep, with a pH of 4.5–6.5, medium fertility, organic matter content of 20–35 g/kg, total nitrogen of 0.6–1.0 g/kg, total phosphorus of 0.35–0.80 g/kg, total potassium of 8–15 g/kg, and available potassium of 40–80 mg/kg. The texture is predominantly loamy, loose, deep, breathable, and water-retentive, meeting the needs of tea tree growth and development and producing tea leaves suitable for crafting uniquely high-quality black tea.

　　Product Quality Characteristics

　　Baise Black Tea, produced from fresh leaves of unique varieties grown in misty high mountains and processed through special techniques, is characterized by a dark gloss with abundant fuzz, bright red liquor, sweet and mellow taste with a lingering aftertaste, good infusibility, and rich internal substances. Its main features are as follows: 1. External Sensory Characteristics: Dry Baise Black Tea has a dark glossy appearance with visible golden fuzz, tightly rolled and robust strips; the aroma is sweet with a strong downy fragrance; the liquor is bright red and shiny; the taste is strong, fresh, mellow, sweet, and has a lingering aftertaste; the leaf bottom is bright red, even, and uniform. 2. Internal Quality Indicators: See table below (omitted). 3. Quality and Safety Requirements: For pollution-free black tea products, before the issuance of new national or industry standards, hygiene indicators shall comply with the tea testing directory specified in the “Notice of the General Office of the Ministry of Agriculture on Issuing the Testing Directories for 55 Types of Pollution-Free Agricultural Products Including Solanaceous and Fruity Vegetables” (Nongban Zhi [2013] No. 17). After the issuance of new national or industry standards, the new standards shall apply. For green food black tea products, hygiene indicators shall comply with the “NY/T 288 Green Food Tea” standard. For organic tea products, hygiene indicators shall comply with the “GB/T 19630 Organic Products” standard.