Yibin Black Tea

Yibin Black Tea

　　　　Yibin Black Tea is one of China’s three most famous congou (labor-intensive) teas, renowned alongside “Qi Hong” and “Dian Hong.” There are mainly two types of Yibin Black Tea: Sichuan Congou Black Tea, which is characterized by early production season, tender picking, and meticulous craftsmanship. Among them, Grade 1 Zao Baijian Congou Black Tea is considered the finest, known internationally for its “tightly rolled fine strips, glossy dark color, fresh and brisk aroma, mellow taste, bright red liquor, and evenly red leaves.” It gained praise in international markets such as London, UK, as early as the 1950s, and won the World Food Gold Award in 1985. Varieties like “Festival Night” (Grade 3) and “Palace Brand” (Grade 4) have enjoyed strong reputations abroad, and are currently bestsellers across Europe, the Americas, Australia, and Africa, maintaining enduring popularity. The other type is broken black tea, made by rolling and cutting tender leaves into uniform granules. It is known for its “tightly and evenly formed granules, bright color, strong aroma, bright red liquor, and especially mellow taste.” In 1986, it won the Silver Award at the 25th World Food Selections, and is popular in countries and regions including the UK, US, France, Australia, Singapore, Pakistan, Japan, Sudan, and Hong Kong. Among the over 100 export commodities from the Yibin region, Yibin Black Tea is the largest, most stable, and highest foreign-exchange earning traditional product. From 1952 to 1985, a cumulative total of 570,000 to 920,000 dan were exported. At the same time, it ranks first in Sichuan in both production volume and foreign exchange earnings among similar products.

　　(Yibin)